Polling was underway for the election of mayors and all ward members in seven municipal corporations and some other municipalities of Haryana on Sunday, officials said.
Voting is being held for the election of mayors and all ward members in seven municipal corporations of Gurugram, Manesar, Faridabad, Hisar, Rohtak, Karnal, and Yamunanagar.
Additionally, by-elections for the post of mayor in Ambala and Sonipat municipal corporations, are also taking place.
The voting is being held from 8 am to 6 pm.
Similarly, elections are being conducted for the president and all ward members of four municipal councils of Ambala Sadar, Pataudi Jatoli Mandi, Thanesar, and Sirsa. Bye-election is also being held for the post of president in municipal council Sohna, district Gurugram.
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Polling for election of presidents, ward members
Voting is also taking place for the election of presidents and all ward members in 21 municipal committees. Bye-elections for the post of president in Assandh (Karnal district) and Ismailabad (Kurukshetra district) municipal committee is also taking place.
Among the early voters included Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who cast his vote at a polling booth in Karnal.
Khattar appealed to voters to come out and cast their vote.
Casting vote is our democratic right and it is also our duty to exercise our franchise, he said.
Haryana State Election Commissioner Dhanpat Singh said extensive arrangements, including those pertaining to security, have been made for the free, fair and transparent elections of the urban local bodies.
Singh said that 39 candidates are contesting for the posts of mayor in nine municipal corporations.
Similarly, 27 candidates are in the fray for the posts of president in five municipal councils.
A total of 151 candidates are contesting for the posts of president in 23 municipal committees.
In some wards, only one candidate has filed a nomination, leading to their unopposed election. The names of such wards include Ward No. 36 of municipal corporation, Faridabad, Ward No. 22 of municipal corporation, Gurugram, Ward Nos. 8 and 11 of municipal corporation, Karnal and Ward No. 9 of municipal corporation, Yamunanagar.
Similarly, candidates have also been elected unopposed in Ward No. 24 of municipal council, Ambala Sadar, Ward Nos. 7 and 32 of municipal council, Thanesar. Besides this, 17 ward members in various municipal committees have been elected unopposed.
The polls are being conducted through EVMs.
Polling for the Panipat municipal corporation will take place on March 9.
After the completion of the election process, vote counting will begin at 8 AM on March 12, and results will be declared on the same day.
Earlier, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini exuded confidence that the BJP will win the civic polls and said that after the formation of the “triple-engine” government, work will be done three times faster”.
The Congress has appealed to the electorate for a full majority for the party.