Despite the heat wave engulfing the entire State, there was no loss of enthusiasm among voters for electing the rural government in the second phase of Panchayat polls. People turned up in large numbers to exercise their franchise with voter turnout registering more than 70 per cent in the second phase.
Polling for the second phase of Panchayat polls started at 7 am in 10,614 booths across 50 blocks in 16 districts. The State Election Commission has declared a total of 4,451 polling stations as sensitive while 3,700 booths as hyper sensitive. There was enthusiasm among voters even in Maoist hit districts including Karra, Torpa and Rania blocks of Khunti district despite Left Wing Extremist groups giving a poll boycott.
In Ranchi district polling was held in five blocks—Bero, Lapung, Itki, Nagri and Kanke. The district administration has made elaborate arrangements for smooth polls with deployment of security forces in all booths including sensitive and hyper sensitive booths. Drones cameras were used to monitor the areas.
The district administration has also provided medical kits including medicines for fever, loose motion, gastric and vomiting to polling staff due to heat waves. Packets of ORS and other glucose powder were also provided to polling members.
In the second phase polling is in 872 panchayats to elect 5123 panchayat members, 866 mukhiyas, 939 committee members and 102 zila parishad members. In the second phase a total of 21,872 candidates' fate will be decided. However, like the first phase in the second phase too, 5,093 seats have been decided uncontested.
Meanwhile, the counting for the first phase of polling which started on Tuesday results is being declared. The first phase of four phase panchayat polls was held on May 14 and over 68 per cent of 52 lakh voters exercised their franchise. In the first phase elections were held for 9,819 posts which included 7,303 panchayat members, 1117 mukhiyas, 1256 panchayat committee members and 143 Zila parishad members.
Meanwhile, the state election commission has announced that out of 24 zila parishad seats, 13 seats will be reserved for women giving maximum representation to fair sex. Moreover, seats have been reserved for SC and ST. Ranchi Zila parishad seat has been reserved for women from ST category.
As the results of the first phase of polling are becoming clear many winning candidates are from political families. Congress MLA from Simdega Bhushan Bara’s wife Josima Khakha has won Zila Parishad election from Pakartand block (Simdega). Similarly, JMM MLA Nalin Soren’s wife Jais Lupsi Besra has won Zila Parishad from Kathikund. Chief Minister Hemant Soren's cousin sister Rekha Soren has won the Zila Parishad seat from Gola East. In panchayat polls many MLAs have fielded their relatives for Zila parishad seats.
