Itanagar: Altogether 80.63 per cent polling has been recorded in the Panchayat by-polls in Arunachal Pradesh on Tuesday – much higher than that of the voting percentage registered in the 2020 general rural body elections, a senior official said.
Polling was held for 14 out of 130 Gram Panchayat constituencies and one Zilla Parishad constituency spread across six districts wherein 80.63 per cent of the 3936 electorates exercised their franchise in the rural body polls, State Election Commission Secretary Nyali Ete said.
“Overall, the elections were peaceful,” the Secretary said.
He said, “In the Gram Panchayat elections, it registered a vote percentage of 88.28 per cent, which is higher than what we have achieved during the general rural body elections held in 2020 where the polling percentage was 73 per cent.”
For the Upper Koloriang Zilla Parishad constituency in Kurung Kumey district, there were nine polling stations and the polling was peaceful in all PSes except for one, i.e. Govt Primary School, Tayeng.
“Reports have come that the poll process at the said polling booth has been vitiated and polling officials were manhandled and the DEO has recommended fresh polls. So, we are looking into that, and approval has already been conveyed to DEO, Kurung Kumey for holding of fresh polls on July 14,” the Secretary said.
“But excluding that, in the other polling stations the polling percentage was 72.99,” Ete said.
116 of the total of 130 GP seats have already been declared to have elected their representatives without any contest. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has captured a large chunk of the ZP seats (101) followed by Independents – 10, while the Congress and National People’s Party (NPP) won two seats each and Janata Dal (United) – one.
The bye-polls were necessitated due to various reasons such as rejection of nomination papers, non-availability of eligible candidates, law and order, and disqualification under anti-defection law, death and resignation of members elected in the 2020 polls, the Commission had said.
“The elections to 40 GPCs and one ZPC in Vijoynagar administrative sub-division of Changlang district have been kept pending due to law and order, and other administrative issues,” the SEC said.
Counting of votes and declaration of results will take place on July 16 next, the Secretary said.
