As many as 29 sarpanchs and 510 panchs have been declared elected unopposed against 115 seats of sarpanchs and 1028 seats for panchs in five blocks of the Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir so far, according to district panchayat election officer Khalid Hussain. He said that after the last date of withdrawal of nominations by the candidates, 259 candidates shall contest for remaining 86 seats of sarpanchs and 1117 candidates shall contest for 518 seats of panchs. In Mendhar and Balakot blocks, polling of 38 panchayats shall be held on January 15, in which 103 candidate shall contest for sarpanchs seats and 430 candidates for panchs seats. Similarly, polling in 41 panchayats of Mandi and Poonch blocks shall be held on January 17 in which 107 candidates shall contest for sarpanchs seats and 491 candidates for panchs. Meanwhile in block Surankot, votes will be polled in 36 panchayats on January 19 in which 49 candidates for sarpanchs and 196 candidates for panchs shall contest. Hussain said that the training to the staff deployed on election duty shall be imparted on January 9 and January 14, in Poonch and Mandi blocks respectively and January 10 in Surankot block. Tight security arrangements have been made by the administration during the election, he added. Bureau Report