Rajasthan civic polls: Voting for final phase on Friday for 147 bodies

The second and final phase of Rajasthan's civic body elections will be held on Friday, with over 87.60 lakh voters eligible. The State Election Commission confirmed all arrangements are in place, with a voter turnout target of 86 per cent.

Rajasthan State Election Commissioner Rajeshwar Singh (Photo/ANI)

Voting for the second and final phase of Rajasthan's civic body elections will be held on Friday (September 11), with more than 87.60 lakh voters eligible to cast their votes across 147 urban local bodies, including Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kota.

Election Commission's Preparations

Speaking to ANI, State Election Commissioner Rajeshwar Singh said all arrangements for the second phase have been completed. Polling will be held from 7 am to 6 pm across 4,774 wards, with 9,758 polling stations set up across the state.

"Polling parties have been constituted and trained by district-level and state-level master trainers. training process was conducted effectively, and no major issue related to technical knowledge or training was reported during the first phase of polling. Elaborate security arrangements have been put in place for the second phase", he said.

One police constable and one home guard will be deployed at every polling station. Around 700 sensitive and 3,500 critical polling stations have been identified, with additional security arrangements made at these locations. General magistrates, area magistrates, police patrolling teams, returning officers and district-level as well as State Election Commission control rooms will remain operational to address complaints and respond to any situation promptly.

"Around 15 complaints regarding EVM malfunction had been received, and the affected machines were replaced immediately. Engineers will be available at polling stations to deal with technical issues. Arrangements have also been made for immediate repair or replacement of EVMs in case of any malfunction during polling. The first phase of the civic elections recorded around 76 per cent voter turnout. The State Election Commission has set a target of around 86 per cent turnout for the second phase", Rajeshwar Singh said.

Boosting Voter Participation

Singh said, "District collectors have been directed to take necessary measures to increase voter participation. Political parties, social workers, voluntary organisations, community groups and employee organisations have also been urged to encourage people to exercise their franchise".

The State Election Commissioner said students from degree colleges and senior secondary schools played an important role in voter awareness campaigns. Several activities were organised across Rajasthan, including voter awareness rallies, rangoli and poster-making competitions, essay writing, extempore speaking, cultural programmes, tree plantation and other initiatives.

Singh said the participation of the younger generation, particularly Gen Z, in democratic and electoral processes was a positive development.

Singh said the first phase of polling was conducted in a peaceful, fear-free and fair manner, with no major incidents of violence or disruption reported. He said there was no situation during the first phase that required polling to be stopped, despite voting being conducted on a large scale across the state.

"Greater voter turnout will strengthen local democracy and make elected representatives more accountable to the people," Singh said.

The State Election Commissioner also described the participation of 18,266 candidates in the second phase as a positive sign for the future, saying that the growing participation of young people in democratic processes could bring "new enthusiasm and energy" to urban local bodies.

BJP's Stance on 'Barabandi' and Election Outcome

The second phase of polling will conclude the Rajasthan civic body elections, with counting to follow as per the schedule announced by the State Election Commission. Earlier, ahead of the second and final phase of Rajasthan's municipal elections, BJP state general secretary Shravan Singh Bagdi said that "'barabandi' (barricading the candidates) is not a BJP term" and asserted that the party would focus on training newly elected councillors to effectively serve the public.

Bagdi said the first phase of polling had already been completed and claimed that the trends emerging from the initial phase were favourable to the BJP.

"The first phase of the elections has taken place, and the trends are beginning to emerge. The Bharatiya Janata Party is going to form its boards. After the second phase, it will become clear that the BJP will form boards everywhere," Bagdi said.

Responding to questions about the alleged 'barabandi' of councillors to a safe location to avoid horse-trading during the civic elections, Bagdi said the term was not used by the BJP and asserted that the party does not engage in such a practice. He said the party would instead focus on training workers who are elected as councillors. "Barabandi' is not a BJP term. The party's work is to train its workers. Those who are elected as councillors will be given training on the party's organisational framework and how to work effectively among the people," he said. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)