Itanagar: The counting of votes for the recently commenced Panchayat and civic body polls in the state of Arunachal Pradesh started on Saturday morning with strict security and administration alertness. The counting began at 8 am in 45 counting centres in 27 districts of the state, which is an important phase for officially declaring the results for the grassroots-level political units.
Officials from the State Election Commission (SEC) reported that the counting was being carried out in a systematic way for different local bodies. The panchayat elections had the use of ballot papers, and Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) had been used in the election to different municipal bodies, including the Itanagar Municipal Corporation and the Pasighat Municipal Council.
In the panchayat elections, the counting of votes for 186 Zilla Parishad Members (ZPM) seats out of 245 in total has begun. Moreover, 59 candidates were elected unopposed even before the voting process, while the rest of the seats are now being counted. Under the Gram Panchayat (GP) group, 6,227 candidates were elected unopposed, and now the counting for the remaining 1,947 seats has been initiated.
The elections, which were peacefully held on December 15, saw almost 75% turnout for the panchayat part, which showed widespread citizen involvement. The urban local bodies elections also witnessed good citizenry, with more than 50% of people voting for the Itanagar Municipal Corporation and around 61% for the Pasighat Municipal Council.
The security aspect was at the forefront of the preparations undertaken. The presence of law enforcers at polling stations and other-counting centers ensured that everything ran smoothly. Activities such as drills conducted in some of the other districts of Arunachal Pradesh, including East Kameng, Lower Subansiri, and other places like East Siang, enabled the process to go smoothly on the day of the count.
At the same time, the SEC has stressed the importance of transparency and compliance with procedural standards. Candidates’ representatives are allowed into the strong rooms where EVMs and ballot papers are kept, while these rooms are secured. Candidates’ representatives are also allowed entry into the counting halls.
With the course of counting continuing throughout the day, candidates as well as political observers are eagerly waiting for the outcome to emerge, which will determine leadership in rural governing bodies as well as municipal councils in urban areas. The authorities are also expecting an announcement in phases as counting is done in each centre. The smooth conduct of the polls and the efficient counting process with high citizen turnout have been perceived as a good sign for grassroots democracy in Arunachal Pradesh.