2nd phase UP polls: Voting underway in 156 upazilas

Voting is underway in 156 different upazilas across the country in the second phase of the country’s sixth upazila parishad election.

The voting that began at 8am will continue till 4pm on Tuesday (May 21) without any break.

Of the 156 upazilas, electronic voting machines (EVM) are being used at 24 upazilas, while the traditional ballot papers in the rest upazilas.

Election equipment including ballot papers were sent to polling centres yesterday.

However, according to the polls schedule announced on April 2, the voting was planned for 161 upazilas. But polls postponement, phase change and electing some candidates unopposed marked the exemption of some upazilas from the election.

Some 1,824 candidates, including 603 chairman contenders are now contesting in the 156 upazila parishads, against a total of 468 posts –-chairman post, vice chairman and women vice chairman posts in each upazila.

More than 3.52 crore voters – 1,79,05,464 males, 1,72,99,047 females and 237 transgender persons -- are registered under 13,016 polling stations in the upazilas, according to the Election Commission (EC).