Ranchi: Jharkhand is all set to hold its first panchayat elections in November and December, an official said Tuesday. The last such polls in the areas took place in 1979 when Jharkhand was part of the undivided Bihar.
The Jharkhand Election Commission sent details of the probable dates of elections to the state government Monday.
"A report related to panchayat polls has been sent to the state government. The polls will take place between Nov 16 and Dec 31. They could be conducted in three to five phases," a source in the state election commission told reporters.
The dates would be formally announced by the end of the week after getting clearance from the state government, the source said.
The Jharkhand government had expressed inability to hold the 34th National Games scheduled in December due to the elections. The event has been postponed.
The source said the polls will not take place on party lines and no model code of conduct will be enforced on the state government.
Jharkhand has lost more than Rs.4,000 crore since 2000, when it was formed, due to lack of panchayat polls.
IANS
