Mumbai: Around 69 per cent voting was registered in the first phase of elections to zilla parishads (ZPs) and panchayat samitis held in Maharashtra on Thursday.


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"69 per cent voters' turnout was reported in the first phase of elections for ZPs and panchayat samitis. However, the final figure will be known after the verification of voting reports by the respective returning officers," a state election commission officer said.


The first phase of polling was conducted for 15 ZPs and 165 panchayat samitis. Apart from Naxal-hit Gadchiroli, the districts that went to polls were Jalgaon, Ahmednagar, Aurangabad, Jalna, Parbhani, Hingoli, Beed, Nanded, Osmanabad, Latur, Buldhana, Yavatmal, Wardha and Chandrapur. Polling for panchayat samitis falling under these districts was also conducted.


As many as 11,989 candidates were in the fray for the 2,567 seats of 15 Zilla Parishads and 165 panchayat samitis.


The second phase of ZP and panchayat samiti polls, along with the ten municipal corporations in the state, including the cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), will be held on February 21.