Are Over 40,000 Personnel Deployed as Arunachal Votes Today?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Over 40,000 personnel deployed for elections.
- Voting starts at 7 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m.
- Electronic Voting Machines will be used for municipal elections.
- 831,648 voters eligible to participate.
- Counting of votes on December 20.
Itanagar, Dec 14 (NationPress) The preparations are complete for the elections to two municipal entities and the three-tier Panchayati Raj institutions in Arunachal Pradesh. State election officials have mobilized over 40,000 personnel to guarantee the smooth execution of the local body elections set for Monday, as stated by officials.
On Sunday, State Election Commissioner (SEC) Rinchin Tashi confirmed that voting will occur on Monday for the Itanagar Municipal Corporation (IMC) and Pasighat Municipal Council (PMC), alongside three-tier Gram Panchayats, including zilla parishads.
The voting process is scheduled to commence at 7 a.m. on Monday and conclude at 4 p.m., he added.
The ruling BJP has already claimed 58 Zilla Parishad seats uncontested, while the National People's Party (NPP) has secured one.
Four candidates from the BJP were elected to the IMC without any competition, and a total of 5,037 BJP nominees for gram panchayat positions have also been declared elected without contest.
A total of 440 candidates are competing for 186 Zilla Parishad seats, while 39 are contesting for 16 IMC wards and 21 for 8 wards in PMC.
In total, 831,648 voters are eligible to vote, comprising 759,210 for panchayat bodies and 72,438 for municipal elections.
As per SEC Tashi, 2,171 polling stations for panchayat elections, 67 for IMC, and 12 for PMC have been established.
Notably, in the panchayat elections, female voters outnumber male voters.
The SEC mentioned that over 40,000 personnel, including 15,000 polling staff, were engaged to ensure smooth electoral proceedings.
Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will be utilized for the municipal polls, and ballot boxes will be used for panchayat voting, he added.
Vote counting is scheduled for December 20.
Meanwhile, Arunachal Pradesh Governor Lieutenant General K.T. Parnaik (retd.) on Sunday urged every voter in the state to participate enthusiastically in Monday's Panchayat and Municipal elections.
The Governor emphasized that Panchayati Raj Institutions, operating at the grassroots level, are vital for meaningful public involvement in development planning and execution.
He also pointed out that municipal councils, directly elected by the populace, bear significant responsibility and authority to foster development, urging them to leverage their powers to serve their communities better.
Reflecting on India's democratic heritage, the Governor reminded citizens that the nation stands as the world's largest democracy, founded on universal suffrage and adult franchise.
Every vote, he stressed, holds substantial importance and should be cast sincerely, not just as a Constitutional right but as a moral and national obligation.
Lieutenant General Parnaik (retd.) also called on all officers on election duty to maintain the highest standards of commitment, impartiality, transparency, and accountability to ensure free, fair, and peaceful elections throughout the state.