Voting for the first phase of elections to Rajasthan's Panchayati Raj institutions began at 7 am on Thursday, October 22, across 16 Zila Parishads and 104 Panchayat Samitis, with 85.07 lakh voters eligible to elect their representatives, ANI reported from Jaipur.

Source: ANI via DevDiscourse

The Times of India, in its Jaipur report, gave the same phase figures in more detail: 6,926 candidates are in the fray — 5,233 for Panchayat Samiti seats and 1,693 for Zila Parishad membership — and 85,07,306 voters, including 43.86 lakh men and 41.20 lakh women, are eligible at 9,886 polling booths. Polling runs from 7 am to 6 pm and is being held on electronic voting machines, with two EVMs at each station because both tiers are voting together, the report said.

Source: The Times of India (Jaipur News)

In Jaipur district, polling is under way in 146 wards across the Chaumun, Dudu, Govindgarh, Jhotwara, Jobner, Kishangarh Renwal, Mauzamabad and Sambhar Panchayat Samitis, and in 22 Zila Parishad wards. A total of 797 polling stations have been designated in the district for this phase, where 7,43,640 voters — 3,84,195 men and 3,59,445 women — are eligible, ANI and the Times of India reported.

85.07 lakhvoters eligible in Phase 1
6,926candidates in Phase 1
9,886polling stations in Phase 1
16 + 104Zila Parishads + Panchayat Samitis voting

The contest is expected to be mainly between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party, while the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party, the Bharat Adivasi Party and independent candidates are also in the field in several areas, the reports said. Across all phases, more than four crore voters are eligible at 45,384 polling stations in the state.

ANI reported that the State Election Commission has scheduled further Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti polling on October 29, November 4 and November 14, with Panch and Sarpanch polling in four phases beginning October 25. The Times of India reported that counting for the Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad member elections across all phases will take place on November 20 in Jaipur.

Ahead of the vote, Rajasthan Congress in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa alleged that the BJP had used pressure through the police and administration during the earlier municipal elections. That is an allegation by the Congress leader; the BJP response was not included in the reports cited here.

At a glance

Phase 1, October 22: 16 Zila Parishads and 104 Panchayat Samitis; 85.07 lakh voters; 6,926 candidates; 9,886 polling stations; voting 7 am to 6 pm on EVMs. Jaipur district: 146 Panchayat Samiti wards and 22 Zila Parishad wards, 797 stations, 7,43,640 voters.

What is solid

  • Voting began at 7 am on October 22 for Phase 1 across 16 Zila Parishads and 104 Panchayat Samitis — ANI and the Times of India.
  • 85.07 lakh voters are eligible and 6,926 candidates are contesting in Phase 1 at 9,886 polling stations — ANI and the Times of India.

What is only claimed

  • Congress leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa's allegation of police and administrative pressure by the BJP in the earlier municipal elections is a party allegation, not an established finding.