Campaigning for the first phase of the Uttarakhand Panchayat elections came to a close Tuesday evening as 497 polling parties were dispatched across designated regions. The state gears up for the first round of voting scheduled for July 24.
According to Rahul Kumar Goyal, Secretary of the State Election Commission, eight polling parties had already been sent on Monday, with 497 dispatched on Tuesday. Over 5,300 remaining teams are set to depart on Wednesday. In the first phase, a total of 17,829 candidates will be contesting.
The elections will cover 2247 seats for Gram Panchayat members, 9731 for Gram Pradhans, 4980 for Kshetra Panchayat members, and 871 for Zila Panchayat members. With the campaign period officially over as of 5 PM Tuesday, candidates can now only engage in door-to-door canvassing. All observers have reportedly reached their assigned locations.
The State Election Commission also noted the impact of joint enforcement drives by police and excise departments. Illegal liquor, narcotics, and unaccounted cash worth ₹15.67 crore have been seized so far in the run-up to the elections.
