Jaipur, Oct 22 — The first phase of elections to Rajasthan’s Panchayati Raj institutions is underway, with polling being held across 16 Zila Parishads and 104 Panchayat Samitis.
However, several villages in Jodhpur, Pali and Kota boycotted voting over local administrative and reservation-related issues, while technical glitches have briefly disrupted polling at a few booths.
Bikaner recorded the highest voter turnout, while Udaipur registered the lowest, according to the initial polling figures.
In the Pali district, residents of Duthariya village in Rani Panchayat Samiti and Nepawas village in Sojat Panchayat Samiti boycotted the elections.
The villagers in Duthariya are protesting against the merger of their village with Itandra Medtiyan following delimitation. They claim the village lacks direct road connectivity and that reaching the neighbouring village involves a circuitous journey of around 9 km through a forested area. They have demanded either a separate Gram Panchayat or restoration of their village to Bhadarlau.
The residents in Nepawas were protesting against their reassignment from Ward 1 to Ward 3 of the Sojat Panchayat Samiti. The administration is holding discussions with the villagers to resolve the issue.
In Jodhpur district, residents of Mangal Singh Nagar Gram Panchayat in the Shergarh Assembly constituency have boycotted polling over the reservation of the Sarpanch post for the OBC category. Villagers point out that none of the 1,052 registered voters in the Gram Panchayat belongs to the OBC category. Tehsildar, SDM Vikrant Sharma and local MLA Babusingh Rathore have reached the village to persuade residents to participate in the election.
The residents of Chak-Todi Todikhedli village under Sinota Gram Panchayat in the Itawa area of Kota district have also boycotted voting. Villager Krishna Meena said the village was earlier part of Dhipri Chambal Gram Panchayat but was later transferred to Sinota, located around 11 km away. Residents said the distance and the forested route have made access particularly difficult for elderly villagers. They are demanding that the village be restored to Dhipri Chambal Gram Panchayat.
In the same district’s Sangod Panchayat Samiti, voting was suspended for around 15 minutes after an EVM malfunctioned at the Kuradiya Khurd polling station. Polling resumed after the machine was replaced. In Pali, voting at polling station 2 in Bagri Nagar Panchayat was delayed by approximately one hour due to an EVM malfunction. Returning Officer Bhagirath Chaudhary arranged for a replacement machine, after which polling commenced.
In Bikaner, a voter standing in the queue at Booth 19 of Aduri Gram Panchayat suddenly fell ill and collapsed.
In Barmer, following the death of a Congress candidate contesting Ward 8 of Mangta Panchayat Samiti, the Returning Officer displayed a public notice at the polling booth stating that the candidate’s name and symbol had been removed from the EVM.
Deputy Chief Minister Dr Premchand Bairwa cast his vote at Booth 92 in Shrinivaspura village under Maujamabad Panchayat Samiti in Jaipur district. He was accompanied by his wife, son, and daughter. After voting, he also took a selfie at the designated selfie point.
A total of 85,07,306 voters are eligible to elect representatives to the Zila Parishads and Panchayat Samitis from among 6,926 candidates. The main contest is between the BJP and Congress, while the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP), Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) and Independent candidates are also influential in several areas. Polling is continuing amid local protests, administrative negotiations and isolated technical disruptions.