74% Voter Turnout in Rajasthan Assembly Elections 2018

More than 74 per cent of the electorate in Rajasthan voted on Saturday in a keenly contested election between the Congress and the BJP. The polling percentage till 5 pm was 68.24 per cent. The highest turnout was in Jaisalmer district, followed by Hanumangarh and Dholpur districts.

In a keenly contested battle between the Congress and the BJP, over 74 percent of the electorate in Rajasthan exercised their franchise on Saturday to elect a new government. The polling, barring a few stray incidents of violence, passed off peacefully.

According to an election commission official, the tentative voter turnout was 74.96 percent till the last report came in at 6 pm. Earlier, Chief Electoral Officer Praveen Gupta stated that the final voting figures would be released once the data is compiled.

High Voter Turnout

By 5 pm, the polling percentage stood at 68.24 percent. Addressing a press conference after the polling ended, Gupta said the highest turnout was recorded in Jaisalmer district, followed by Hanumangarh and Dholpur districts. Polling at more than 51,000 polling booths in 199 assembly constituencies began at 7 am and concluded at 6 pm. However, officials clarified that those already in queue at the polling booths were allowed to vote. The votes will be counted on December 3.

Responding to queries about repolling at booths where clashes were reported, Gupta said the decision would be taken after reviewing the observers' reports. He further stated that there were no reports of the voting process being halted at any location. Regarding the malfunctioning of EVMs at some booths, he clarified that the number was less than the national average.

Previous Assembly Elections

In the previous assembly elections held in 2018, Rajasthan recorded a voter turnout of 74.06 percent. This time, the Election Commission has set a target of achieving at least 75 percent turnout in each constituency. However, polling in the Karanpur Assembly constituency in Sriganganagar was postponed due to the death of the Congress candidate.

Incidents of Violence

Two individuals, Shanti Lal (polling agent for BJP candidate Joraram Kumawat from the Sumerpur constituency) and 62-year-old voter Satyendra Arora, passed away due to suspected cardiac arrest at polling booths in Pali and Udaipur districts. Over 5.25 crore registered voters across 199 seats exercised their right to vote, with 1,862 candidates in the fray. Elaborate security arrangements were made by the Election Commission, deploying more than 1.70 lakh security personnel across the state.

In Sanwler village of Kaman in Deeg district, stone-pelting erupted, resulting in injuries to two individuals, including a policeman. To disperse the crowd, the police resorted to firing 12 rounds in the air. According to Deeg Superintendent of Police SP Brijesh Upadhyay, the incident disrupted voting for a few minutes. In Fatehpur, Sikar, two groups clashed, leaving a jawan injured. Additionally, stone-pelting occurred outside a polling booth, injuring one more jawan. Fatehpur Deputy Superintendent of Police Ram Pratap informed that around five to seven individuals have been detained.

Furthermore, an altercation occurred between a polling agent and an individual outside a polling booth in Dholpur's Bari seat, leading to damage to two vehicles. The violence caused a temporary halt in polling, stated Dholpur Collector Anil Kumar Agarwal. In Uniara of Tonk district, a group of 40-50 people attempted to enter a polling booth, but the situation was brought under control by Superintendent of Police Rajarshi Raj.

Leaders Cast Their Votes

The Congress aims to break the trend of the ruling party being voted out every five years, while the BJP seeks to regain power in the state ahead of next year's Lok Sabha polls. Several voters, including youngsters and senior citizens, queued up at polling centers well before 7 am. Himanshu Jaiyaswal, a college student, expressed his enthusiasm to be among the first to vote at a polling booth in Malviya Nagar, Jaipur. Another voter, Jai Singh, emphasized the importance of participating in this democratic festival.

Among the early voters were Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Union Ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Kailash Chaudhary, former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, and former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot. Gehlot and Shekhawat cast their votes in Jodhpur, Chaudhary in Balotra, Raje in Jhalawar, and Pilot in Jaipur. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Rajasthan Ministers Shanti Dhariwal, Ashok Chandana, and Pramod Jain Bhaya exercised their franchise in Kota. State BJP President C P Joshi voted in Chittorgarh, while party MPs Diya Kumari and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore cast their votes in Jaipur.

Leaders Express Confidence

Leaders from various parties expressed confidence in securing the people's mandate. In Jodhpur, Gehlot asserted that there is no anti-incumbency against the Congress and expressed confidence in forming the government again. He also noted an undercurrent in favor of the Congress. However, Raje, Gehlot's predecessor, countered that the undercurrent is in favor of the BJP and predicted a blooming lotus (the BJP's poll symbol) on December 3. When asked about the potential Chief Ministerial candidate if the BJP comes to power, Raje deferred the decision to the party.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla commended the voters for expressing themselves through their votes. He highlighted the steady increase in voting percentage since 1952 as a testament to the strength of Indian democracy. In Jodhpur, Shekhawat expressed confidence in the BJP's victory with a significant majority. He urged voters to consider the crimes against women, paper leak incidents, and corruption during the Congress's five-year rule.

Dhariwal, the urban development and housing minister, expressed confidence in Congress retaining power in the state. With the conclusion of polling, the fate of the candidates now rests in the hands of the voters, and the results will be declared on December 3.