Shimla, May 30: Voting for the third and final phase of the Panchayati Raj elections in Himachal Pradesh began at 7 AM on Saturday. Despite the rain, enthusiasm among voters remains high. People are flocking to polling stations to cast their votes until 3 PM today.
At the Bhadal Devi booth in the Solan district of Kangra, voters are lining up to participate in the electoral process.
In this final phase, over 1.5 million voters are expected to exercise their right to vote across 1,189 panchayats and 6,615 wards. Once the voting concludes, the results for the positions of Panchayat Pradhan, Up-Pradhan, and ward members will be announced. The counting of votes for the Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad will commence on May 31 at 9 AM in all block headquarters.
Previously, voting for 1,293 gram panchayats took place on May 26, followed by the second phase on May 28. Now, the third and final phase is in progress.
During the first phase, the main opposition party, BJP, raised concerns about the potential misuse of government machinery by the ruling Congress during the election campaign. Each voter is casting five separate votes for ward members, Up-Pradhan, Pradhan, Panchayat Samiti members, and Zila Parishad members.
Earlier, on May 17, the state recorded a voter turnout of 69.16% in elections for four municipal corporations and 51 urban local bodies (ULBs). Hamirpur district saw the highest turnout at nearly 78%, while Solan recorded the lowest at 64%.
In urban local bodies, Naina Devi had the highest turnout at 86%. Voting for the municipal corporations of Dharamshala, Palampur, Mandi, and Solan concluded on May 17 alongside the other 51 ULBs.
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