Jaipur: Voting for the second phase of Rajasthan's Panchayati Raj elections was held on Wednesday, October 28, across 22 districts, as voters chose members of Zila Parishads and Panchayat Samitis in the state's rural local-body polls, IANS reported. Polling ran from 7 am to 6 pm, with election authorities completing preparations across the districts going to the polls.

Source: IANS via HiIndia

A total of 8,257 candidates are contesting 2,453 wards in this phase — 984 candidates for 275 Zila Parishad wards and 7,273 candidates for 2,178 Panchayat Samiti wards, according to IANS. The 22 districts voting in the second phase are Ajmer, Alwar, Banswara, Barmer, Bhilwara, Bikaner, Dausa, Dungarpur, Jaipur, Jalore, Jhalawar, Jhunjhunu, Jodhpur, Karauli, Kota, Kotputli-Behror, Nagaur, Pali, Rajsamand, Sikar, Sirohi and Udaipur.

22Districts voting in Phase 2
2,453Wards — 275 Zila Parishad + 2,178 Panchayat Samiti
8,257Candidates in the fray

Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma appealed to voters to turn out in large numbers, posting the slogan 'Pehle matdan, phir jalpaan' — vote first, then refreshments — on X as polling began. Sharma described the second phase as an important opportunity to strengthen democracy and empower rural self-governance, and made a special appeal to first-time voters to vote with enthusiasm and encourage their families and friends to do the same, Daily Kiran reported.

Source: Daily Kiran

The BJP and the Congress are in a keen contest in the rural polls, while the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) and the Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) are also seeking to strengthen their presence in rural Rajasthan, IANS reported. In Jaipur district, polling covered the Amer, Jalsu, Rampura Dabri, Shahpura and Amarsar Panchayat Samitis — 81 Panchayat Samiti wards and 112 Gram Panchayats — along with Jaipur Zila Parishad wards numbered 11 to 14 and 51 to 57.

Counting of votes will be conducted at the respective Gram Panchayat headquarters after polling. The election process now moves to its next stage: nominations for the posts of Sarpanch and Panch will take place on October 29, followed by polling for those posts on October 30 from 7 am to 6 pm, and elections for Up-Sarpanch are scheduled for October 31, according to IANS.