Khargone (Madhya Pradesh): Under the three-tier panchayat general election, the first phase of polling was completely peaceful in three janpad of Khargone district on Saturday.
Voting began at 7 am and long queues were seen at the polling stations from the very beginning. Awareness about voting among women was clearly visible at the polling stations. The district collector and district election officer Kumar Purushottam also continued to visit the polling stations.
He inspected the polling stations of Segaon district in the morning. He also visited several polling stations including Birla, Sengaon, Lehku and Talakpura and Bagdari polling stations of Bhagwanpura and also kept on taking information about the preparations for counting of votes from the presiding officers.
Agent without identity card ordered to move out of station
When the district election officer Kumar reached Birla Gram Panchayat for inspection, he found an agent at the polling station without an identity card. When asked to show an identity card he was unable to furnish it. Collector Kumar immediately ordered him to go out of the polling station and instructed the presiding officer not to allow anyone inside the booth without an identity card.
SP Yadav kept an eye on the inaccessible hill polling stations
Superintendent of police Dharamvir Singh Yadav kept an eye on the polling in the inaccessible hilly areas of Jhirnya and Bhagwanpura in the district.
Weak health no impediment to voting
During the third phase of polling, many old people voters cast their votes. Apart from these, such voters also reached the polling stations who are suffering from paralysis for years. Tarachand Agrawal, 72, from Sengaon and a paralyzed voter at Jhirnya polling station also cast their votes.
Voters' queues could be seen since morning
Long queues were seen at polling stations since 7 am when the voting started. According to the information received from the communication plan prepared for the voting percentage at the polling stations, till 9 am, 10.9 per cent polling was recorded in Segaon district, 13.9 per cent in Bhagwanpura and 8.1 per cent in Jhirnya. Similarly, in Segaon, 25.68, 46.45 in Bhagwanpura and 29.14 per cent voting was done in Jhirnya, till 11 am. This percentage increased to 40.87 in Sengaon, 53.04 in Bhagwanpura and 48.16 per cent in Jhirnya till 1 pm. Till 3 pm, 66.66 per cent voting was recorded in Segaont, 69.86 in Bhagwanpura and 65.83 per cent in Jhirnya.
Collector, SP inspect counting arrangments
After the end of polling, collector Kumar and SP Yadav visited several polling stations in Bhagwanpura district to inquire about the counting of votes. Collector Kumar visited polling stations of Dhulkot, Kabri, Bhulvania and explained the criteria for counting of votes. Along with this, the method of collecting ballot papers and the methods of counting were explained. Apart from this, in view of the large crowd at the polling booth of Bhulwania, instructions were given to keep the crowd at a safe distance from the polling station.
