Haryana panchayat re-poll to be held Thursday

Chandigarh (IANS)- Re-poll would be held Thursday in 149 polling stations in various districts of Haryana where panchayat (council) elections were held June 6, an official said Wednesday.

The 149 stations where polling is to be held are located in Palwal, Mewat, Bhiwani, Jhajjar, Kaithal, Faridabad and Sonipat districts.

"Re-poll has been ordered on the recommendations of the deputy commissioner-cum-district election officers and concerned returning officers. We have taken into account all the material circumstances before taking this decision," Haryana Election Commissioner Dharam Vir said.

"We have asked the director general of police to make foolproof security arrangements for holding re-poll by deploying armed police personnel. He has also been asked to take stern action against those indulging in violence and destruction of election material," Vir said.

He added: "Re-poll in these booths has been ordered due to error in printing of ballot papers, eruption of violence, snatching and destruction of ballot papers, EVMs (electronic voting machines), ballot boxes and other elections related material."

Re-polling at these stations would be held Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The first phase of panchayat elections Sunday saw nearly 70 percent voting. The poll was also marred by various incidents of post-poll violence at different places, in which three people were killed and over a dozen injured.

The second phase of panchayat polls is scheduled June 12.