ITANAGAR, Nov 6: Over 75 per cent voter turnout was
recorded in the bypoll for electing five gram panchayat
members (GPMs) and one zila parishad member (ZPM) in
Arunachal Pradesh on Monday, an official said.
The polling, which began at 7 am and ended at 4 pm, was
held peacefully, he said.
The voter turnout is likely to go up as reports from two
polling centers are yet to be compiled, State Election
Commission secretary Taru Talo said.
Across 23 districts of the state, 54 seats fell vacant in the
gram panchayats and two seats fell vacant in the zila
parishads. Polling was held for one zilla parishad seat and five
gram panchayat seats, after the rest were decided
uncontested, Talo said.The seats fell vacant due to various
reasons, including death and resignations of members, he
said.
A total of 3,788 voters, including 2,015 women, were eligible
to exercise their franchise in the five panchayat seats and
one zilla parishad seat, spread over Anjaw, Lower Dibang
Valley, Shi-Yomi, Lower Siang and Papum Pare districts,
where polling was held.
Arunachal Pradesh has a total of 25 zila parishads with 242
constituencies and 2,115 gram panchayats with 8,145 seats.
Elections to 40 gram panchayat seats and one zila parishad in
Vijoynagar administrative sub-division in Changlang district,
however, is pending due to law and order situation and other
administrative issues, State Election Commissioner Rinchin
Tashi had earlier said.
“As per report of the district election officer, circumstances
are not conducive for holding elections at Vijoynagar,” the
SEC had said.
The counting of votes for the bypolls will be held on
November 8.
The ruling BJP won 37 panchayat seats and one zilla parishad
seat uncontested. The opposition Congress won five
panchayat seats unopposed, while independent candidates
won six seats, and the National People’s Party (NPP) bagged
one seat uncontested.
The last panchayat elections in the state were held in
December 2020, and by-elections were held in July 2022 for
one zila parishad seat and 130 gram panchayat seats. (PTI)
