Haryana State Election Commission has announced schedule for general elections in five municipal corporations and two municipal committees.

Polling in these municipal institutions would be held on 16 December, 2018. For the first time in Haryana, eligible electors of the corporations would elect their Mayor directly by casting votes. Earlier, the Mayor was selected by the elected members of the Corporation from among themselves.

Votes will be cast through EVMs and NOTA (None of the Above) option would have significant role in these elections.

In a press conference on Thursday, State Election Commissioner Dilip Singh said that general elections of seats of Mayor and Members of all wards of five municipal corporations including Hisar, Rohtak, Yamuna Nagar, Panipat and Karnal and of two Municipal committees including Jakhal Mandi (Fatehabad) and Pundri (Kaithal) would be held on 16 December.

Singh said that a notice would be published by the Returning Officer for inviting nominations on 24 November 2018 and nomination papers would be presented between 1 and 6 December from 11 am to 3 pm except 2 December. The list of nomination papers would be scrutinised on 7 December from 11.30 am onwards.

The last date for withdrawal of candidature would be 8 December and symbols would be allotted to the contesting candidates on the same day after 3 pm.

The list of contesting candidates and list of polling stations would be posted on 8 December.

Singh said that polling in these areas would be held on 16 December between 7.30 am to 4.30 pm. Re-poll if any would be held on 18 December.

Votes would be counted on 19 December at the place specified by the concerned deputy commissioner from 8 am onwards. The election result would be declared on the same day immediately after the completion of counting.

As many as 1401157 voters including 746126 males, 655021 females and 10 transgender would exercise their franchise in the general elections of these seven municipal institutions.

In all, 1292 polling booths have been set up for 136 wards. Out of these, 14 wards are reserved for Scheduled Caste, 12 are reserved for Scheduled Caste women, 14 for Backward Class and 37 wards are reserved for women.

Singh said that elaborate arrangements for the conduct of elections in free, fair, transparent and peaceful manner and to maintain law and order would be made.

Adequate police force would be deployed to maintain the law and order at the polling stations and the sensitive and hyper sensitive areas for conducting the elections.