Shimal: Voting for the second phase of Panchayat elections in Himachal Pradesh began at 7:00 AM on Thursday across 1,276 Panchayats. A total of 17.30 lakh voters are set to decide the fate of candidates contesting for village-level bodies in this phase. Polling is being conducted at 7,334 polling booths set up across the state.

According to election officials, the electorate includes 8,74,716 male voters and 8,55,597 female voters. Long queues of voters were witnessed outside polling booths since early morning, with people arriving in large numbers to cast their votes.

The voting process will continue until 3:00 PM. After the polling concludes, counting of votes for the posts of Pradhan, Up-Pradhan and Ward Members will be carried out at the respective Panchayat headquarters. Meanwhile, ballot boxes related to Block Development Committee (BDC) and District Council elections will be kept in strong rooms, and their counting will take place on May 31.

Extra Security at Sensitive Polling Booths

The State Election Commission has deployed additional police personnel at sensitive and hyper-sensitive polling stations to ensure peaceful voting. District administrations and police officials have been directed to maintain strict law and order arrangements at all polling centers. .

Heavy Voter Turnout Since Morning

Reports from several districts indicated enthusiastic participation by voters, especially in rural areas. Elderly voters and women were also seen standing in queues to exercise their democratic right.

The Panchayat elections are considered significant for strengthening grassroots democracy and local self-governance in the state.