The Times of India 08.04.2013
Over 63% voting in phase I of civic polls
RANCHI: First phase
of the urban civic polls in 21 districts of the state went off
peacefully with a 63.74% voters' turnout on Sunday despite a Maoist bandh call. The total number of electorate for the day's poll was 8,50,846, whereas the remaining 7,44,172 voters of the Ranchi Municipal Corporation and Bundu notified will exercise their franchise on Monday.
The fate of 267 chairpersons for different municipal councils and notified area committee and 3,623 ward councillors were sealed in the EVMs, whereas the electorate of RMC and Bundu notified area committee would decide the fate of a mayor, a chairperson of the notified area committee and 67 councillors.
While conducting the polls on a day when the Maoists had given a call for a statewide bandh is being considered an achievement of the State Election Commission, credit goes to the police machinery for ensuring violence and incident-free elections. Police spokesperson Richard Lakra said no report of any violent incident or efforts to disrupt electoral process was received from any part of the state till late in the evening.
Jharkhandstate election commissioner S D Sharma said the progress of polling was not same in every district. While in some of the areas, it concluded ahead of scheduled time, while in some of the booths voters turned up till the last hour. "We have got the report of turnout till 3pm and the 5pm figure is yet to arrive at the headquarters," he said. Sharma said no reports of violence or hooliganism were obtained from any district.
"As far as recommendation of repolling on the basis of rigging or violation of norms is concerned, we have to wait for the report of the returning officer. The commission will come up with it final comment on Monday," he said.
In Garhwa, except a few incidents of alleged rigging and clash between two aspirants of ward councillors, polling was peaceful. Of the total 24,808 voters, 17,348 voters exercised their franchise, registering 69.92% turnout. While the maximum 83.82% votes were polled in ward 18, minimum 60.37% votes were polled in ward 14.
In Palamu also, polling was incident-free despite Maoist bandh. SP A T Mathew said a carbine with ammunition was recovered by police on Saturday in a congested area of the town.
The fate of 267 chairpersons for different municipal councils and notified area committee and 3,623 ward councillors were sealed in the EVMs, whereas the electorate of RMC and Bundu notified area committee would decide the fate of a mayor, a chairperson of the notified area committee and 67 councillors.
While conducting the polls on a day when the Maoists had given a call for a statewide bandh is being considered an achievement of the State Election Commission, credit goes to the police machinery for ensuring violence and incident-free elections. Police spokesperson Richard Lakra said no report of any violent incident or efforts to disrupt electoral process was received from any part of the state till late in the evening.
Jharkhandstate election commissioner S D Sharma said the progress of polling was not same in every district. While in some of the areas, it concluded ahead of scheduled time, while in some of the booths voters turned up till the last hour. "We have got the report of turnout till 3pm and the 5pm figure is yet to arrive at the headquarters," he said. Sharma said no reports of violence or hooliganism were obtained from any district.
"As far as recommendation of repolling on the basis of rigging or violation of norms is concerned, we have to wait for the report of the returning officer. The commission will come up with it final comment on Monday," he said.
In Garhwa, except a few incidents of alleged rigging and clash between two aspirants of ward councillors, polling was peaceful. Of the total 24,808 voters, 17,348 voters exercised their franchise, registering 69.92% turnout. While the maximum 83.82% votes were polled in ward 18, minimum 60.37% votes were polled in ward 14.
In Palamu also, polling was incident-free despite Maoist bandh. SP A T Mathew said a carbine with ammunition was recovered by police on Saturday in a congested area of the town.
