Rajasthan registered a record 63.26 per cent turnout during the first phase of polling held in 20 constituencies in the State.
As many as 239 candidates, including BJP rebel Jaswant Singh, Pradesh Congress Committee president Sachin Pilot, Congress leader C.P. Joshi and Rajyavardhan Rathore of the BJP, are in the fray in those constituencies.
Ganganagar (73%), Barmer (71.4 %), Ajmer (68.6 %) and Jhalawar-Baran (68.6 %) led in turnout. Barmer, Ajmer, Jaipur (Rural), Nagaur, Jodhpur and Sikar are among the key constituencies.
As many as 424 electronic voting machines were replaced during polling hours for technical reasons, Chief Electoral Officer Ashok Jain told presspersons.
The next phase will be held in Dausa, Tonk-Sawaimadhopur, Alwar, Karauli and Bharatpur on April 24.
PTI adds:
“It was mostly incident free poll barring a few incidents of party workers’ altercation and jostling in Bikaner, Ajmer and Jhunjhunu districts outside the booths over voters’ list or supermacy,” DGP-Law and Order Navdeep Singh said.
Over 80,000 security personnels were on duty to ensure free and fair, and incident free polls, the DGP claimed.
The 20 Lok Sabha constituencies where polling was held include: Ganganagar, Bikaner, Churu, Jhunjhunu, Sikar, Jaipur Rural, Jaipur, Ajmer, Nagaur, Pali, Jodhpur, Barmer, Jalore, Udaipur, Banswara, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand, Bhilwara, Kota, and Jhalawar-Baran.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, cast her vote at the polling station set up in Topkhana school in Jhalawar. “I am expecting very good results. We set a mission 25 to win all the parliamentary constituencies in Rajasthan and I hope that we should win all constituencies,” Ms Raje told reporters here.
She said UPA government has betrayed people and voters know it hence the results would in the favour of the party.
Jaswant Singh, expelled BJP leader, cast his vote in his home constituency of Barmer, while Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore exercised his franchise with his wife in Jaipur rural constituency.
Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot cast his vote with wife and daughter-in-law at Jodhpur, while BJP candidate Col Sonaram contesting against BJP rebel Jaswant Singh, exercised his franchise in Barmer.
Coming out of the booth, Mr. Gehlot told reporters that it was very dangerous in democratic election that rival party (BJP) was posing as a one man party (NaMo).
Mr. Gehlot criticised BJP’s poll campaign in which Modi is projected as “is bar Modi sarkar”, alleging individualism would not be accepted by voters.
Electoral fortunes of 239 candidates including 17 women were sealed in the EVMs in today’s polling. Total 38,835 polling stations were set up in the first phase.
On the report of a firing incident at Chohtan in Barmer district early this morning, the DGP said it was a rumor and nothing happened of that nature anywhere.
BJP and Congress have fielded 20 candidates each, AAP 19, BSP 18, CPM and CPI three each and NCP one. The contestants also include 88 Independents.
