Accordingly more than 73 per cent of the electorate in rajasthan voted on saturday in a bipolar contest involving the congress and the bjp to elect a new government, with polling passing off peacefully barring a few stray incidents of violence. The tentative voter turnout was 73.92 per cent till the last report came in at 6 pm, an election commission official said. Earlier, Chief Electoral Officer praveen Gupta said the final voting figures will be issued once data is compiled.
“The polling percentage till 5 pm was 68.24 per cent. The highest turnout was in jaisalmer district, followed by Hanumangarh and Dholpur districts,” Gupta said at a press conference after the polling ended. Polling at more than 51,000 polling booths in 199 assembly constituencies began at 7 am and ended at 6 pm, but officials said those already in queue at the polling booths were allowed to vote. The votes will be counted on december 3. When asked about re-polling at booths where incidents of clashes were reported, he said the decision would be taken after the report of the observers. Gupta said there were no reports of the voting process getting halted at any place.
On the malfunction of EVMs at some booths, he said the number was less than the national average. In the last assembly elections in 2018, the state recorded a voter turnout of 74.06 per cent. The election commission has set a target of at least 75 per cent turnout in each constituency this time. Polling in the Karanpur assembly constituency in Sriganganagar was postponed due to the death of the congress candidate. Two people Shanti Lal, who was a polling agent of the bjp candidate from the Sumerpur constituency Joraram Kumawat, and 62-year-old voter Satyendra Arora died of suspected cardiac arrest at polling booths in Pali and udaipur districts, officials said. In Jodhpur, Shekhawat said, “The bjp is coming to power with a huge majority. This time people will vote keeping in mind crimes committed against women, paper leak incidents, and corruption during the five-year rule of the Congress.” Dhariwal, the urban development and housing minister, said he was confident of congress retaining power in the state.
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