Jaipur: About 63 per cent of voters turned out in the first phase of Rajasthan's Panchayati Raj elections on Thursday, as polling closed for 2,081 seats — 293 Zila Parishad members across 16 Zila Parishads and 1,788 Panchayat Samiti members across 104 Panchayat Samitis.

Source: TownPost (IANS inputs)

63%phase-1 turnout (approx.)
79.55%Mangta, Barmer — highest
2,081seats voted on in phase 1
16 + 104Zila Parishads + Panchayat Samitis

Barmer's Mangta Panchayat Samiti recorded the highest turnout at 79.55 per cent. In Jaipur district, where voting was held across eight Panchayat Samitis, turnout ranged between 65 and 72 per cent, with Jhotwara leading the district at 72.02 per cent, according to the phase figures. At the other end, Pali's Rani Panchayat Samiti recorded 40.02 per cent, among the weakest showings of the phase.

Polling had begun at 7 a.m.; by 10 a.m. the overall turnout stood at 11.74 per cent, with Jaipur district then leading at 14.70 per cent, followed by Ajmer at 13.63 per cent, Alwar at 13.55 per cent and Kota at 13.39 per cent.

Source: The Indian Witness

The phase was not smooth everywhere. Several villages in Jodhpur, Pali and Kota boycotted the vote over local administrative and reservation-related issues, and brief technical glitches disrupted polling at a few booths, IANS reported.

Source: The Freedom Press (IANS)

In Pali district, residents of Duthariya village in Rani Panchayat Samiti boycotted over the merger of their village with Itandra Medtiyan after delimitation — they say there is no direct road and the route runs about 9 km through forest — and demanded a separate Gram Panchayat or restoration to Bhadarlau. In Nepawas village of Sojat Panchayat Samiti, voters protested their reassignment from Ward 1 to Ward 3, and officials held discussions with them.

In Jodhpur district, residents of Mangal Singh Nagar Gram Panchayat in the Shergarh Assembly constituency boycotted over the Sarpanch post being reserved for the OBC category: villagers say none of the panchayat's 1,052 registered voters belongs to the OBC category. The Tehsildar, SDM Vikrant Sharma and local MLA Babusingh Rathore reached the village to persuade residents to vote, IANS reported.

The wider Panchayati Raj election is being held in four phases. Results for this phase are expected on November 20, according to reports on the phase figures.