Chhattisgarh Gram Panchayat Elections 2020: First phase of polling underway; counting after 3 pm

Bilaspur, Jan 28: The first phase of polling for the three-tier Chhattisgarh gram panchayat elections 2020 is currently underway in 57 development blocks, housing a total of 4,847 gram panchayats. The counting of votes is expected to begin after 3 pm.

State Election Commissioner Thakur Ram Singh has asked voters to reach out to the maximum number of polling stations and vote.

In the first phase, 61,74,224 voters from 4,847 gram panchayats across 57 development blocks of the Bastar will exercise their franchise. These include 30 lakh 85 thousand 320 male voters, 30 lakh 88 thousand 835 female voters and 69 voters of the third gender.

The fate of 1,16,776 candidates will be decided in the upcoming election.

12,572 polling stations have been set up for the first phase of polling. For this, 80 thousand polling personnel and 976 sector officers have been put in place. All polling parties have been dispatched with polling materials.

In the first phase, votes will be cast for 42,404 posts. These include 36, 473 posts for Panch, 4,620 posts of sarpanch, 1,144 posts of Janpad panchayat member and 167 posts of zilla panchayat member.

According to the officials of the state election commission, the Panchayat elections in Chhattisgarh are to be held in three phases. Voting will be held on January 28, January 31 and February 3. Counting will take place an hour after the vote.

Polling in naxal-affected areas will be held from 6.45 to 2 pm. In the rest parts of the state, voting will be held from 7 am to 3 pm. Voting in the panchayat elections will be held on ballot paper.

In the last two major elections, Chhattisgarh has thrown up extreme results. In the 2018 assembly polls, a landslide victory was registered by the Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress.

Barely five months after the Raman Singh-led 15-year-old BJP dispensation was uprooted, the saffron party ended up winning 9 out of the 10 parliamentary seats in the general elections.