category Regional, chandigarh, , tags Regional, chandigarh, , DW BUREAU CHANDIGARH The by-elections to fill vacant seats in various positions within the gram panchayats, panchayat samitis and zila parishads in Haryana will be held on July 9. Haryana State Election Commissioner Dhanpat Singh on Thursday announced the election programme. The polling will be held between 7 am and 6 pm on a total of 1,983 seats, including 1,958 of panches, 18 sarpanches, five members of panchayat samitis, and two members of zila parishads.Singh said the deputy commissioner-cum-district election officer (panchayat) will shortly publish the election notice after which nomination papers can be filed from June 21 to 26 from 10 am to 3 pm. He said the nomination papers will be scrutinised on June 27 from 10 am onwards. The last date for withdrawal of candidature is June 28 till 3 pm. Counting of votes will be done immediately after the close of poll and in case of repoll, the poll panel might change the date and time of counting, he added. Tthe election commissioner said the model code of conduct will come into force from Thursday in respect of the panchayati raj institutions. No officer official connected with the election work in these institutions would be transferred from his her place of posting till the completion of the election process, he said. Singh also said that NOTA (none of the above) option will also be available to the voters. The elections for members of zila parishads will take place in Faridabad and Hisar districts. Elections for members of panchayat samitis will be held in Charkhi Dadri, Hisar, Kaithal, Rewari and Yamunanagar districts. Sarpanch elections will be conducted in all districts, except Ambala, Dadri, Faridabad, Gurugram, Jhajjar, Kaithal, Nuh, Panipat, Rohtak, and Sirsa. Panch elections will be held in all districts of the state, the officer added. (editor dailyworld.in)