65 pc turnout in 10th and final phase of Bihar panchayat polls

An estimated 65 per cent voters turnout was recorded in tenth and final phase of panchayat elections in Bihar amid stray incidents. “The Commission has received reports of 65 per cent voter turnout till 5 PM in the tenth and final phase of panchayat polls that passed off peacefully barring some stray incidents,” State Election Commissioner (SEC) A K Chauhan told reporters here.

The percentage was likely to increase further once final reports from all districts reach to the Commission, he added.

The Commissioner said as many as 200 persons were arrested for electoral malpractices, while two can bombs and 33 vehicles were seized during the final phase of polling.

Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Imamganj said two can bombs each weighing ten kg was found near roadside, two km away from Sevra village under Imamganj police station of Gaya district during CRPF’s search operation.

He said Bomb Disposal Squad has been sent to defuse the bombs. It did not affect the polling which passed off peacefully, he said. The Commissioner thanked voters, officers, police and security forces personnel, staff for their cooperation for conducting free, fair and peaceful polls in all ten phases in the state.

The polling was held in 479 gram panchayats spread over 41 blocks of 19 districts for the post of 68 members of Zilla Parishad, 649 for panchayat samiti members, 479 for mukhiya, 479 for gram kutchery, 6,486 each for gram panchayat members and gram kutchery panchs, the Commissioner said.

The ten phase three-tier panchayat polls were completed to elect a total of 1,161 members of Zilla Parishad, 11,496 members of panchayat samiti, Mukhiya and Sarpanch in 8,392 gram panchayats, 1,14,733 members in Gram Panchayat and Gram Kutchery each.