Voters of 218 union parishads casting votes using EVM today

Voting in 218 union parishads is going on peacefully today.

In the sixth phase of the UP polls, Election Commission is holding its first major all-EVM poll in rural areas.

Our Brahmanbaria correspondent reports, voting at two centres in Kasba and Nabinagar upazila started one and a half hours after the scheduled time due to technical glitch in EVMs (electronic voting machine).

The presiding officers of the respective centres confirmed it to The Daily Star.

Voting halted for one and a half hours due to technical glitch in EVM. Photo : Masuk Hridoy

Voters at the two centres were seen standing in long queues following the delay.

According to media reports, at least 96 people have so far been killed and several hundred injured in violence over the ongoing staggered UP polls, which began in June last year with the first part of the first phase.

About 42 lakh voters of 218 unions in 22 districts are expected to cast their votes today.

Elections to the chairman posts of 12 UPs will not be required as candidates have already been elected unopposed, according to EC data, which also showed that 100 UP members and 32 candidates for women's reserved seats were also elected uncontested.

At least 1,199 candidates are running for chairman posts, 2,559 for reserved member seats for women and 7,846 for member posts.

The contest would presumably be between Awami League, its party rebels and Jatiya Party candidates as BNP is not taking part in the polls.

Polls to 137 UPs will be held in the seventh phase on February 7.