Jaipur, Jan 24 Preparations for the upcoming Panchayat elections in Rajasthan have gathered pace. Even before the formal announcement of election dates, the State Election Commission has issued important instructions to district administrations to ensure the timely and smooth conduct of the polls.
According to orders issued by the Chief Electoral Officer of the State Election Commission, Rajesh Verma, photo-based Panchayat voter lists are being prepared based on the existing Assembly constituency voter lists. The final publication of the Panchayat voter list will take place on February 25.
The Commission has clarified that this will be the final voter list for the Panchayat elections, and no further amendments will be allowed after its publication. Only voters whose names appear in this final list will be eligible to cast their votes in the Panchayat elections.
The Commission has decided that elections for Panch and Sarpanch will be conducted using ballot boxes, while elections for Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti members are likely to be held through Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). For this purpose, EVMs are also being procured from the Madhya Pradesh State Election Commission.
Due to issues related to Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and OBC reservation, the Panchayat and urban local body elections in Rajasthan have been repeatedly postponed, leading to uncertainty. However, following the High Court's directions, the State Election Commission has intensified preparations.
The High Court has directed that Panchayat and urban local body elections be held before April 15, raising the possibility that the election schedule may be announced soon.
--IANS
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