First phase of Haryana panchayat poll records 79.5% turnout

Chandigarh: Around 79.5 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the first phase of panchayat election in Haryana on Sunday which was largely peaceful, barring a few stray incidents.
More than 79.5 per cent voters cast their ballots and the final turnout may go over 80 per cent, state Election Commissioner Rajeev Sharma said adding voters were still waiting at 6.pm at many booths.
He further said stray incidents of violence were reported from Palwal, Mewat, Bhiwani, Rohtak, and Fatehabad districts.
Polling took place to elect 416 ward members of zila parishad, 1,221 ward members of panchayat samitis, 2,583 sarpanch and 26,248 posts panch in 47 blocks.
As many as 15,682 panches, 93 sarpanches and 46 members of panchayat samitis were elected unopposed, according to the state election commission office.
He said counting of votes for the posts of sarpanches and panches began immediately after closing of polls and results of 152 sarpanch were declared by 8.30pm.
According to the reports received so far, the highest turnout was recorded in Panchkula at 91.7 per cent, he said.
He said 100 per cent turnout was recorded at Booth Number 32 of Girdan panchayat, in Pinjore blcok in Panchkula. Booth Number 33 in the same panchayat recorded 98.42 per cent turnout, he said.
Sharma added that 90 per cent cast their votes in Yamunanagar, 88.1 per cent in Fatehabad, 87.4 per cent in Kaithal, 86.5 per cent in Sirsa, and 85.1 per cent in Ambala.
Among other districts 84.1 per cent cast their vote in Panipat, 82.4 per cent in Rohtak, 82 per cent in both Hisar and Jhajjar, 81.8 per cent in Gurgaon, 81.3 per cent in Mahendragarh, 79.7 per cent in Jind, 79.1 per cent in Karnal, 79 per cent in Mewat, he said.
In Kurukshetra voter turnout was 78.2 per cent, in Faridabad 76.7 per cent, in Sonipat 74.8 per cent, 72.7 per cent in Rewari, 66.3 per cent in Bhiwani, and 63.1 per cent in Palwal.
He added that polling would be conducted again in Punhana, in Mewat, where two EVMs were damaged.
Report was received of a scuffle outside a booth in Palwal district but it was unrelated to the election, he said adding the situation would be assessed after the final reports of Returning Officers.
As many as 3,339 candidates (2,079 men, 1,260 women) contested the election to zila parishad; 4,883 (3,231 men, 1,652 women) to panchayat samiti; 11,296 (7,157 men, 4,139 women) to sarpanch; and 24,143 (14,779 men,
9,364 women) to the post of Panch, he said.