Shimla, May 26 -- The first phase of the Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) elections in Himachal Pradesh concluded peacefully on Tuesday with an impressive voter turnout of around 78 per cent across 1,293 gram panchayats, reflecting strong participation in the grassroots democratic process across the hill state.

According to the State Election Commission, polling was conducted through ballot boxes from 7 AM to 3 PM, and the final turnout figure is expected to increase further after the receipt of complete reports from all districts.

The Commission had issued the election notification on April 29 for filling 31,182 posts in various Panchayati Raj institutions. Out of 86,204 candidates who filed nominations, as many as 10,854 candidates we...