Jamshedpur, Dec. 11: Having registered large voter turn outs in the first, second and third phases of the panchayat polls in Jharkhand, the State Election Commission is now preparing to meet the challenges before it in the fourth and final phase of polls slated for Saturday.
The East Singhbhum administration has also made complete security polling arrangements to ensure peaceful voting in the last phase. In all, 2263 candidates are in the fray contesting for 670 posts were more than 4000 polling officials have been deployed on duty for competent conduct of polls.
According to a press communiqué issued by the district administration on Friday, more than 1800 security personnel will guard the sensitive polling booths where more than 3.50 lakh voters will exercise their franchise freely and fairly.
According to the district election officials, out of the total 1112 polling stations, 196 booths have been identified as highly sensitive while 417 booths as sensitive. Buoyed, by the impressive polling percentage recorded in the first three phases poll officials are confident the last phase shall evoke similar response.
As the panchayat elections are being held using ballot boxes, the training imparted to designated officers had been aimed at preparing them for the transition from electronic voting machines, used for Assembly and Parliamentary elections, to the conventional tools.
After voting ends, the boxes will be escorted to strong rooms by patrolling magistrates, who will be accompanied by security forces. They will be under lockdown once they get there, under the watchful eyes of security personnel, who will be stationed at strong rooms till counting begins.
The voting process will be over on December 15, while counting would conclude by December 25.
Elections are being held for the posts of gram panchayat members, gram panchayat mukhiya, panchayat samity members and zilla parishad members.