72.4% votes cast by early evening in first phase of Haryana panchayat polls

The first of the three-phase polling to elect panches and sarpanches in nine Haryana districts saw 72.4 per cent people casting their votes by early evening and the number is expected to go up, officials said.

The polling is held in Bhiwani, Jhajjar, Jind, Kaithal, Mahendragarh, Nuh, Panchkula, Panipat and Yamunanagar. There are 49 lakh voters altogether in these districts, they said.

Stray incidents were reported from Nuh and Jhajjar districts.

In Nuh, stone pelting was reported between rival groups in two villages, though police said these incidents did not occur at the polling booth and that the poll process remained unaffected. There were reports of some injuries.

"There is no untoward incident at the polling booth. However, there were some cases of fight and stone pelting in two villages," Nuh Superintendent of Police Varun Singla told PTI over phone.

In Jhajjar, agents of two candidates got into a brawl at a polling booth in Jahidpur village early in the morning during which an EVM fell down. But there was no disruption in the poll, Jhajjar SP Waseem Akram said.

The situation was immediately brought under control and polling was being held peacefully, he told PTI over phone.

A number of voters, including women, had queued up since morning in many districts and many elderly also cast their vote.

By 4.30 pm, Panchkula had recorded 81.4 per cent votes, Bhiwani 70.2, Jhajjar 69.2, Jind 73.4, Kaithal 70.9, Mahendergarh 70.6, Nuh 75.9, Panipat 71.6 while Yamunanagar had recorded 75 per cent votes.

Haryana State Election Commissioner Dhanpat Singh had on Tuesday said polling would be held to elect 2,607 sarpanches and 25,968 panches in these nine districts.

The first phase polls for zila parishads and panchayat samitis in these districts was held on October 30.

While the results of the panch-sarpanch elections will be declared at the end of voting in each phase, results of zila parishads and panchayat samiti members will be declared on November 27 after all the three phases are completed.

In the second phase, voting for zilla parishad and panchayat samiti members will be held on November 9, while polling for sarpanches and panches will be held on November 12 in Ambala, Charkhi Dadri, Gurugram, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Rewari, Rohtak, Sirsa and Sonipat districts.

The third and final phase of polling in the remaining districts of Hisar, Palwal, Faridabad and Fatehabad to elect members of zila parishad and panchayat samitis will be held on November 22 and that of sarpanches and panches on November 25.