Panchayat polls on Dec 30, code of conduct imposed

CHANDIGARH : Elections to 13,276 panchayats in Punjab will be held on December 30, the state election commissioner said on Friday.

Announcing the poll schedule in Chandigarh, state election commissioner Jagpal Singh Sandhu said the model code of conduct has come into force in the state with an immediate effect.

Nominations will be filed from December 15 to 19.

The nomination papers would be scrutinised on December 20 and the date for withdrawal of the nominations as well as the allotment of election symbols to the candidates is December 21.

Voting will be held from 8am to 4pm on December 30 and the votes will be counted on the same day, Sandhu said. Sandhu said a total of 86,340 personnel will be deputed on election duty with 40 to 50 observers to ensure smooth and peaceful conduct of polls at 17,268 polling booths.

As many as 13,276 sarpanches and 83,831 panches will be elected by 1,27,87,395 registered

voters, of which 66,88,245 are male, 60,66,245 are female and 97 belong to the third gender, he added.

The expenditure limit for a candidate contesting for the post of a sarpanch is ₹30,000 and ₹20,000 for the post of a panch.

NOMINATIONS TO BE FILED FROM DEC 15 TO 19; AS MANY AS 13,276 SARPANCHES WILL BE ELECTED