Chandigarh, May 28 (IANS) The Haryana government has declared holidays June 6 and 12 for all shops and commercial establishments in 13 of 21 districts in the state that will go for elecgions to the panchayati raj institutions.

The holidays have been declared to enable voters to exercise their franchise.

The elections for panchayats (village councils), panchayat samitis and zila parishads are to be held in the districts of Ambala, Bhiwani, Faridabad, Fatehabad, Jind, Jhajjar, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Sonipat, Sirsa, Palwal, Mahendragarh and Mewat.

State Election Commissioner Dharam Vir said that 63,98,342 voters in 13 of the 21 districts in Haryana would exercise their right to vote and elect 244 members of zila parishads, 1,792 members of panchayat samitis, 38,596 panches and 3,971 sarpanches.

Nearly 33 percent of over 44,600 seats to which the polls are to be held next month are reserved for women.