Panchayat bypoll in Latehar concludes without casting votes

LATEHAR: The special round of three-tier panchayati raj institutions (PRIs) election for 40 vacant seats of ward and panchayat samiti representatives in Latehar district concluded without casting a single vote as some candidates were elected unopposed, and there were no contestant in few segments.

The last date for withdrawing nomination papers was on Tuesday. Thirty candidates were declared elected unopposed while ten seats continued to remain vacant as no one filed nomination. Elections were scheduled to be held on December 19 across the state.

The Jharkhand state election commission had recently initiated proceedings for filling up 2104 vacant seats in three-tier panchayati raj institutions in the state.

The Latehar district was scheduled to conduct bye-elections for 37 vacant seats of panchayat ward members and three seats of panchayat committee members. There was no vacant post of the mukhiyas in the district.

Latehar deputy commissioner Rajiw Kumar said, “In the 28 ward and two panchayat samiti constituencies there were only one contestant who filed nomination papers for vacant posts. All the thirty candidates were declared elected unopposed even before a single vote was cast. Remaining ten seats – nine ward and one panchayat samiti- continued to be vacant.”

The winning candidates were later distributed certificates by the respective returning officers.

THIRTY CANDIDATES WERE DECLARED ELECTED UNOPPOSED WHILE TEN SEATS CONTINUED TO REMAIN VACANT AS NO ONE FILED NOMINATION.