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Punjab Zila Parishad, Panchayat Samiti polls to be held on December 14, 50% seats reserved for women

CHANDIGARH: Punjab will hold the long-overdue Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections on December 14, with 50 per cent of seats reserved for women to boost their participation in grassroots governance. The elections are being seen as a litmus test for political parties ahead of assembly polls scheduled 14 months later. Originally scheduled for May, these elections were postponed multiple times, first to October and then to December, after floods hit the state in August and September. Political parties will contest the polls on their own symbols. State Election Commissioner Raj Kamal Chaudhari said that 1.36 crore voters will cast their ballots for elections to 23 Zila Parishads and 154 Panchayat Samitis, with 19,181 polling booths being set up. The SEC has identified 915 hypersensitive and 3,582 sensitive spots. Counting will take place on December 17, and the model code of conduct has come into force. We will be making adequate arrangements for the smooth conduct of these elections, as an IAS officer and a 2010-batch PCS officer will be appointed as Election Observers, besides SP-rank officers as Police Observers, he said. He added that candidates contesting Zila Parishad polls must pay a nomination fee of Rs 400, while those contesting Panchayat Samiti polls will have to pay Rs 200. Nominations will be filed between December 1 and 4, and the papers will be scrutinised on December 5. The last date for withdrawal of nominations will be December 6. Additionally, around 50,000 police personnel will be deployed to ensure the smooth and secure conduct of the elections.