Zilla Parishad, Panchayat Samiti polls on Mar 11

Mumbai, Mar 9 (UNI) The elections to 27 Zilla Parishads (ZP) and 310 Panchayat Samitis (PS) in Maharashtra will be held on March 11.

The counting for the same will be held the next day.

The polls are the last major elections before the Assembly elections due in September, 2009. Considering the weightage of the elections, all the parties are desperately trying hard to reach across the rural populace.

The elections have become an acid test both for the Congress and NCP in the backdrop of load shedding, suicides by the debt-ridden farmers and the infighting between the two.

While the ruling parties Congress and NCP are at loggerheads in most of the constituencies, the Shiv Sena BJP have succeeded in working out their alliance in nearly all the constituencies.

There are total 3,45,60439 voters in the 1636 wards of 27 ZPs and 3258 wards of 310 PSs.

For the first time, electronic voting machines (EVMs) will be used in the local body elections.

UNI