Itanagar, Dec 15: Voting is underway for panchayati raj institutions and civic bodies in Itanagar and Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh, under stringent security measures, officials said. Polling began at 7 a.m., with moderate early turnout due to cold weather, and is expected to increase as the day progresses.

The State Election Commission (SEC) has deployed over 40,000 security personnel and 15,000 polling staff to ensure smooth conduct. Chief Minister Pema Khandu cast his vote at the 11-Gyangkhar polling booth in Tawang district. In a post on X, Khandu appealed to voters to participate actively, noting that voting strengthens grassroots democracy and community development.

The ruling BJP has won several seats unopposed, including 58 zilla parishad seats, four Itanagar Municipal Corporation (IMC) seats, and 5,037 gram panchayat seats, while the National People’s Party (NPP) secured one zilla parishad seat unopposed. Contests remain for 186 zilla parishad seats (440 candidates), 16 IMC wards (39 candidates), and eight Pasighat Municipal Council (PMC) wards (21 candidates).

A total of 831,648 voters are eligible to vote, including 759,210 for panchayats and 72,438 for municipal bodies. There are 2,171 polling stations for panchayats, 67 for IMC, and 12 for PMC. EVMs are being used for municipal polls, while ballot boxes are used for panchayat elections. Vote counting is scheduled for December 20.