Gangtok: The highly anticipated Panchayati Raj elections in Sikkim will be held on November 10, 2022.
The end of the term for the existing panchayats will be on October 12. The Code of Conduct will come into place on the same day.
Panchayat elections this year are being fought without any party colours or support and have been deemed as completely “independent and transparent” by the State Election Commission under the Election Commission of India. A total of 1,147 wards will elect new Panchayats as their representatives along with 197 Gram Panchayat Units and 122 Zilla Panchayat Units.
The nomination of liable candidates is welcomed from October 12 with the nomination papers being accepted until October 18. The filed nominations will undergo scrutiny on October 19, with the last date for withdrawal of nomination on October 21.
Polling will happen at 1,147 polling stations, one each for every panchayat ward. The date of counting falls on November 12. The polling on November 10 will begin at 8 am and will carry on till 5 pm on the same day.
Sikkim has a total of 4,09,951 voters who will be voting in this upcoming election with 2,07,708 male voters and 2,02,243 female voters.
Reservation of seats as per different communities stands as 50 per cent reserved for women along with 40 per cent for Scheduled Tribes of which 20 per cent will be for Bhutia Lepcha tribal communities, followed by 26 per cent for OBC Central and 25 per cent for OBC general, six per cent for scheduled caste communities and three per cent stands as unreserved.
State Election Commissioner KC Lepcha addressing the media at Gangtok on Tuesday shared, “We have finalized the voters’ list as well as the delimitation of different wards. Our EVMs brought from Bihar are stored in the strong rooms. The funding for the election has also been allocated. Other districts are better versed in the electoral process, hence we are laying s lot of focus on two new districts – Pakyong and Soreng – who will be holding their first-ever Panchayat elections. We are prepared to conduct the elections.”
State Election Commission has asserted in digital elections focussing on paperless vote casting to ensure transparency with EVMs. The SEC informed of IT professionals being invited to prepare an Election Process Management System with fund management data of every candidate needing to be filled digitally every day. Sector magistrates, election observers, polling and presiding officers have been selected.
“For the first time, the cast vote boxes are barcoded with QR code modulation on the packaging of election materials. We can track if they are delaying with electoral boxes. Different funds management for the election process by the candidates will be strictly scrutinised and within three months they will have to declare their expenses,” stated Election Commission Secretary Tshering Namgyal Bhutia.
Other forms of queries on the election can be secured from the Sikkim Election Commissions website while an app to check the voter list, and cross-check on their wards can all be carried out through the app and website. The app will be launched soon.
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