Imphal, September 18: Inspite of boycott calls and pre-poll violence, the stage is finally set for holding the Zilla Parishad and Panchayat elections, 2007 tomorrow with polling and the security personnel on duty arrived at their respective polling stations.

The election is being held to elect 60 members of Zilla Parishad, 165 pradhans and 1543 members of Gram Panchayat and over 6.30 lakh voters to exercise their franchise to elect their representatives from 8 am to 4 pm tomorrow.

However, four Pradhans and 344 members of Gram Panchayat have already been elected uncontested.

Information provided by the State Election Commission said in all 9270 polling personnel would on duty to ensure smooth conduct of the elections in 1545 polling stations spread across different parts of the Panchayat area.

Six polling personnel on an average would be deployed in each of the polling stations and 13 Returning Officers would oversee the entire exercise.

All the polling personnel have set off for their respective destination since early morning today.

As pre-emptive measures of containing poll-related violence, both armed and unarmed State security forces would be deployed in all the polling stations over and above armed police personnel on mobile duty around the vicinity of the polling stations.

Even if the Central forces like military and paramilitary personnel would not be utilised for the election, they would patrol in their respective areas.

Considering the sensitive nature, one section of security forces would be pressed into service in each of the 11 polling stations in Saikul area.

Armed security personnel would also be deployed in all the sensitive polling stations of Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur and Thoubal.

The rest of the polling stations would be manned by unarmed personnel.

Unlike in the General election of the Assembly, one voter would be entitled to cast three votes in the Panchayat elections.

The ballot paper for election of Zilla Parishad member would be pink in colour, yellow for the Pradhan and white for the Gram Panchayat members.

In all 252 candidates including 123 females are contesting for the 60-member seats of the Zilla Parishad.

Out of total 165 seats of Pradhan, the candidates from 10/27 Kalapahar and 10/28 Shantabari Parasian in Imphal West district, 17/25 Tumukhong Moirangpurel of Imphal East district and 2/3 Leimapokpam of Bishnupur district have been already declared elected uncontested while the candidate of 10/26 Tulibari of Imphal West had withdrawn his nomination paper.

For the remaining 150 seats of Pradhan, 563 candidates including 245 females would be contesting in the elections.

Of the total 1543 seats of Gram Panchayat members, 344 of them been elected uncontested and 2679 candidates including 1239 female candidates would be contesting for the remaining 1199 seats.

On the other hand, out of the total 7 seats of members in the Koubru Leikha Gram Panchayat, three have withdrawn their candidatures, two are still in the fray while one had been declared uncontested.

However, all the candidates for the six-member seats of Kalapahar Gram Panchayat and Shantabari Parasain Gram Panchayat respectively have withdrawn their candidatures.

Interestingly, there is no voter nor any candidate in the Sunurok Pangal Gram Panchayat of the Imphal East district.

Sources from the State Election Committee said even if there is no contest for the members or candidates have been declared elected uncontested, the election of the Zilla Parishad and Pradhans would be held as scheduled even in the places where the pradhans have been elected uncontested.

As for those places where areas where no one have come up to contest in the elections, the matter would be discussed and decided after the elections, the source added.

Our Jiribam Correspondent adds: The administrative authority of Jiribam is all set for the Panchayat elections to be held in the sub-division tomorrow.

In all 21,150 electorates will exercise their franchise to decide the fate of 65 candidates in the fray for 2 Zilla Parishad members, 5 Pradhans and 7 Gram Panchayat members.

200 personnel of IRB will assist the police, MR and Home Guard in manning the 57 polling booths of the sub-division.

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