Shimla, May 28 -- Even as the state gears up for the second phase of polling for 1,276 panchayats scheduled on Thursday, both Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) engage in claims to have outdone each other in the phase 1 of the panchayat elections in which results were declared for 1,293 panchayats on May 26. According to the state commission, in the second phase votes will be polled for 1,276 panchayats in the state. The voting will begin at 7 am and continue till 3 pm in which 17.30 lakh voters will cast their votes of which 8.74 lakh are men, 8.55 lakh are women and 17 are others (transgenders). Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the victory of Congress-backed candidates in panchayat polls reflects public appreciation for the state government's policies and welfare initiatives. "The panchayat elections are not fought on party symbols, but the victory of Congress-supported pradhans and candidates on various posts is a clear indication that people have appreciated the policies and announcements of the Congress government," Sukhu said. htc...