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Polling percentage revised to 73

By Correspondent

ITANAGAR, Dec 23 - The polling percentage in the panchayat and municipal elections in Arunachal Pradesh increased by more than 20 per cent as the State Election Commission (SEC) today revised it to 73.04 per cent as against 52.89 per cent announced last evening.

Briefing newsmen here today, State Election Commissioner Hage Kojeen said that an estimated 73.04 per cent turnout was recorded in the local body elections for which voting was held at 1,472 polling stations across the State.

He added that the polling percentage is likely to increase further as full reports from Upper Subansiri and East Kameng districts are still awaited, while informing that teams from a few polling booths in the interior areas are yet to report back to their collection centres.

Longding district has recorded the highest poll percentage at 86.07, followed by Lower Dibang Valley at 85. On the other hand, the Pasighat Municipality registered the lowest turnout at 52.25 per cent, Kojeen said.

Based on reports from the District Election Officers of Longding, Kamle and Upper Subansiri about poll-related violence like snatching of ballots, etc., the Commission has ordered repoll in eight polling stations, including five in Upper Subansiri, two in Kamle and one in Longding on December 24, Kojeen added.

�During tomorrow�s repolling, extra care will be taken to avert any untoward incident,� he said.

Voting was held on Tuesday for 141 out of the total 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.

Altogether 6,500 candidates, including 99 for Zilla Parishads and 6,401 for Gram Panchayat seats, were declared elected unopposed. Five corporators were declared elected uncontested to the Itanagar Municipal Corporation.

Asked about the Vijaynagar ZP constituency seat along with 40 GPM seats where polling has been kept in abeyance due to various reasons, the SEC said, �We have deferred the election considering the law-and-order situation. Now, it is up to the State Government to come out with a specific solution to the issue. On the basis of the Government�s recommendation, the Commission will be considering the fresh schedule.�

Counting of votes will be taken up on December 26.

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