Jaipur, Sep 11 (PTI) EVM-related glitches were reported at some polling booths in Jaipur, Jhunjhunu, Pushkar and a few other places in Rajasthan on Friday during the initial hours of voting in the second and final phase of the urban local body elections.
The malfunctioning of electronic voting machines (EVMs) also led to disruptions and protests at some places.
Polling began at 7 am for 147 urban local bodies, with more than 87 lakh voters eligible to decide the fate of 18,266 candidates. Voting will continue till 6 pm.
According to the State Election Commission, 87,60,884 voters are eligible to cast their votes at 9,758 polling booths for 4,774 wards across six municipal corporations, 24 municipal councils and 117 municipalities.
Former chief minister Ashok Gehlot cast his vote along with his wife Sunita Gehlot, son Vaibhav Gehlot and daughter-in-law Himanshi Gehlot at a polling station in Jodhpur’s Mahamandir area.
After casting his vote, Gehlot targeted the BJP government and said, “Some forces are trying to weaken the Constitution. There is a need to strengthen the Constitution further… people should teach it (BJP) a lesson”.
Gehlot alleged that the situation in Rajasthan was “very serious” and claimed that the ruling BJP had done nothing in the last two-and-a-half years.
The BJP, meanwhile, lodged a complaint with the district election officer in Jodhpur alleging violation of the model code of conduct at a polling station in Ward 82 where Gehlot cast his vote.
The party alleged that a member of the polling team got up and touched Gehlot’s feet when he arrived at the polling station. It claimed the act reflected political bias and sought action against the polling personnel concerned.
Rajasthan BJP president Madan Rathore cast his vote in Sumerpur in Pali district.
Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, in a social media post before polling began, appealed to people to exercise their franchise.
“Every single vote strengthens the foundation of the city’s development, better facilities and a brighter future,” Sharma said. He also urged first-time voters to participate enthusiastically and encourage others to vote.
In Jaipur, a dispute occurred at a polling station set up in ward 114 after supporters of an Independent candidate objected to the presence of a Congress candidate inside the station. Police reached the spot following the dispute.
In Jhunjhunu district, Independent candidate Ashok Sharma was allegedly attacked ahead of polling in Chidawa municipality. Sharma alleged that three motorcycle-borne men assaulted him and injured him on the head. Police were looking into the matter.
Former minister and BJP leader Anita Bhadel was among the early voters. The Ajmer South MLA expressed confidence that the BJP would perform well in the elections.
The six municipal corporations going to polls are Jaipur, Ajmer, Jodhpur, Kota, Udaipur and Pali.
Jaipur Municipal Corporation, with 150 wards, is the largest civic body in this phase. It has 24.33 lakh voters and 2,256 polling booths, with 723 candidates in the fray.
The first phase of polling was held in 162 urban local bodies on September 9 and recorded a voter turnout of 76.41 per cent.
Elections to Rajasthan’s 309 urban local bodies are being held in two phases. Counting of votes for councillor posts will be taken up on September 14.
Mayors and chairpersons will be elected on September 21, while deputy mayors, deputy chairpersons and municipal vice-presidents will be elected on September 22. PTI SDA RHL
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