Odisha Govt Amends Norms For Panchayat Poll Counting

Bhubaneswar: In  the panchayat poll scheduled next year, central counting (at block level) will be conducted instead of the earlier  process of counting at the booth level immediately after the elections.

Odisha government notified this through a gazette for amendment of the election rules for panchayats, panchayat samitis and zilla parishads.

Counting of polls will be held at block-level after completion of all phases of elections. The government had earlier published the draft notification for amendment of election rules. As no objections or suggestions were received after 15 days as stipulated, the draft notifications was notified.

As per the amendments, the counting of ballots will not take place at the booths on election day as was the practice and all ballot boxes will be sent to the office of election officer after every phase of polling.

Since this process will need more ballot boxes, the State Election Commission (SEC) has directed the collectors to make necessary arrangements. In 2017 panchayat elections, the counting of votes was held on the day of polling which revealed the names of winning candidates.

The state is likely to go for panchayat elections after February 2022.