ITANAGAR, Dec 22 - An approximately 53 per cent voters turnout was recorded in the local body elections held in Arunachal Pradesh today.
�Altogether 52.89 per cent electorate exercised their franchise in the polling held for the panchayats and two municipal bodies till 4 pm,� State Election Commission (SEC) Secretary Nyali Ete told reporters here this evening.
He, however, said the voting percentage would increase as the Commission was still getting figures from the interior districts.
Stating that polling was �by and large� peaceful, Ete said, �No untoward incident was reported from any districts except Kamle.�
Elaborating on the Kamle incident, the SEC Secretary said, �Voting in 15-Yorkum polling station in the district had to be suspended following an argument regarding alleged double voting which resulted in damage to ballot papers. The DEO has requested repolling and subsequently, the Commission has given its approval for it on December 24.�
Earlier, polling started at 7 am amid tight security amid COVID-19 protocols. Voting was held for 141 out of 242 Zilla Parishad constituencies and 1,702 out of 8,215 Gram Panchayat seats, and 23 out of 28 wards, including 15 under the Itanagar Municipal Corporation and eight under the Pasighat Municipal Council.
Earlier, 6,500 candidates, including 99 for Zilla Parishads and 6,401 for Gram Panchayat seats, were declared elected unopposed. Under the Itanagar civic body, five corporators were declared elected uncontested.
A total of 4,89,423 voters were eligible to exercise their franchise at 1,472 polling stations across the State. In all, 13,481 polling personnel, including security men, were deployed for the conduct of free and fair elections.
State Governor Brig Dr BD Mishra (retd) and his wife, Neelam Misra, exercised their franchise at a polling booth in P-Sector here.
As per the SEC, elections to 110 GP seats will not be held due to rejection of single nomination or non-availability of candidate. The Commission will take a final call after the current phase of the electoral process is over.
The SEC has issued a notification for election to the 4-Hawai North ZP seat in Anjaw district. Polling will be held on January 11 next.
In Changlang district, elections to the Vijaynagar Zilla Parishad constituency, along with 40 GPM seats had been kept in abeyance by the Commission due to various reasons.
Counting of votes will take place on December 26.
