90% winners in Bihar panchayat polls are new faces, says SEC - Hindustan Times
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90% winners in Bihar panchayat polls are new faces, says SEC

Dec 16, 2021 11:10 PM IST

Nearly 90% of the newly elected panchayat representatives in the three-tier rural local bodies in Bihar are new faces with youngsters in the age group of 21-30 being elected in good numbers, state election commissioner Deepak Prasad said on Thursday.

PATNA: Nearly 90% of the newly elected panchayat representatives in the three-tier rural local bodies in Bihar are new faces with youngsters in the age group of 21-30 being elected in good numbers, state election commissioner Deepak Prasad said on Thursday.

-Voters stand in a queue to cast their votes at a polling booth in Patna during the Bihar Panchayat polls on December 12. (Santosh Kumar/HT photo)
-Voters stand in a queue to cast their votes at a polling booth in Patna during the Bihar Panchayat polls on December 12. (Santosh Kumar/HT photo)

“The winning candidates this time have come from diverse backgrounds as per preliminary reports we have received from districts,” Prasad told reporters. MBA degree holders, labourers, physically challenged and athletes have got elected.

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“ The interesting thing is that old incumbents to the post of mukhiya, ward member in different panchayat bodies have not been re-elected in big number, showing how voters have shown preference for new faces,” Prasad said, adding the poll panel would soon get a study conducted to compile the data of profile and background of all candidates.

“In Ghoswari block, all the candidates elected in 12-15 panchayats are new faces. There are many other such instances in other districts too,” he said.

Puducherry state election commissioner Roy P Thomas, who was in Bihar for the last six days to take a feedback about the biometric system and digital methods used in the panchayat polls, praised the innovative methods , saying the “Bihar model” of digital technology introduced in panchayat polls had set an example for the country.

“We are going to have local bodies election in Puducherry in a short time. We are exploring the possibility of using the biometric system for voters’ authentication and other digital methods in counting,” he said, while addressing a presser along with the SEC, Bihar.

Thomas emphasised that the biometric system of voters’ authentication linked with aadhaar cards had proven effective to check bogus voting, rigging and electoral malpractices. “Even the use of digital technology in counting process has brought in more transparency in declaration of results and boosted confidence of candidates,” he added.

The SEC, Bihar underlined that use of digital locks at the strong rooms for EVMs after the polls had given positive results in checking electoral malpractices or manipulations post polls.

The 11-phase panchayat polls were held between September 24 and December 12 and counting of votes concluded on Wednesday, bringing to an end the election for 255,000 posts in three-tier rural local bodies.

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    A journalist for 21 years, Anirban covers RJD, legislature and government beats. Has extensive experience in covering elections and writes regularly on finance, land reforms, registration, excise and socio-economic issues.

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