Jaipur : Almost 40 percent of over eight million electors cast their ballots in the first six hours of voting Thursday in Rajasthan’s five Lok Sabha constituencies with incidents of minor scuffles between rival political parties reported from a few polling booths.
“Till 1 p.m., as per tentative information received, we have recorded 39.84 percent polling in these five constituencies,” an official told IANS.
“Except for minor scuffles between the supporters of political parties near a few polling booths, the voting has been peaceful so far and is expected to pick up later in the day,” the official added.
Long queues were seen early in the morning with voters lining up to beat the heat in this desert state.
Rajasthan has 25 parliamentary constituencies, and in the second and final phase voting is being held in five constituencies of Bharatpur, Dausa, Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, Karauli-Dholpur and Alwar.
Union minister Jitendra Singh, who is contesting from Alwar constituency, was among the first to cast his vote.
Polling of over 30.69 percent was reported from Alwar constituency while Karauli-Dholpur reported polling of only 25.62 percent till noon.
In the first phase April 17, voter turnout of around 63.75 percent was reported in the 20 Lok Sabha constituencies that went to the polls then.
Reports of problems in EVMs came in from Bharatpur, Karauli and Dausa districts, where the machines were repaired or replaced.
“The voting began at 7 a.m. at over 9,110 polling stations spread in these five constituencies. We have made elaborate security arrangements for peaceful polls,” said an election official here.
Over 2,660 booths have been identified as sensitive and over 45,000 security personnel have been deputed in these five constituencies.
Over eight million voters, including 3.7 million women voters, are expected to decide the fate of 81 candidates who are in the fray in Thursday’s poll.
A maximum of 22 candidates are contesting from Tonk-Sawai Madhopur constituency and the lowest of 12 from Bharatpur.
India’s former cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin and Jitendra Singh of the Congress and former director general of police Harish Meena and Mahant Chandnath of the BJP, besides Kirodi Lal Meena of the National People’s Party are some of the main contestants.
In the 2009 elections, the Congress had won 20 of the 25 Lok Sabha seats from the state, BJP four and independent one.