Jaipur, Oct 24 (IANS) The first phase of elections for Sarpanchs and Ward Panchs across Rajasthan began at 7 a.m. on Saturday, with polling scheduled to continue until 6 p.m. Elections are being held for 3,314 Sarpanch posts and thousands of Ward Panch positions across the state.
Approximately 25,000 candidates are contesting for the post of Sarpanch. Unlike previous elections, in which Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were used, voting is being conducted through ballot papers this time. Each voter will cast two votes—one for Sarpanch and another for Ward Panch. Counting will begin immediately after polling ends, and the results are expected to be declared by Saturday night.
Polling is underway for Sarpanch posts in 212 Gram Panchayats in Jaipur district, where 1,525 candidates are contesting.
No candidate has been elected unopposed in any of these panchayats, making the contests in all 212 Gram Panchayats direct electoral battles.
The Chomu Panchayat Samiti has the highest number of candidates, with 301 people contesting across 34 Gram Panchayats.
In Kota district, polling is underway for 162 Sarpanch posts and 1,441 Ward Panch positions amid stringent security arrangements.
Elections were initially scheduled in 163 Gram Panchayats. However, candidates for the Sarpanch and Ward Panch posts in Girdharpura Gram Panchayat were elected unopposed, reducing the number of panchayats going to the polls to 162.
According to the available figures, 1,129 candidates are contesting for the Sarpanch posts. Polling is underway in 122 Gram Panchayats across six Panchayat Samitis in Ajmer district.
A total of 405,041 voters are eligible to decide the fate of 804 candidates. Srinagar Panchayat Samiti has the highest number of voters at 101,076, while Nand, the only Gram Panchayat in the Ajmer-Rural area mentioned in the election data, has the lowest number.
The voter counts in the other Panchayat Samitis include Kekri with 73,506 electors, Pisangan with 94,593, Sarwar at 75,751 and Sawar with 55,018.
In Sampla Gram Panchayat under Sarwar Panchayat Samiti, Arjun Singh Rathore has been elected Sarpanch unopposed.
All Ward Panch candidates in the panchayat have also been elected unopposed. They include Kailash Regar, Kavita Balai, Banna Lal Gurjar, Akila Bano, Sonu Teli, Hanuman, Rekha, Om Prakash, Rameshwar, Maya Jat and Gopal Lal Jat.
Similarly, all Ward Panch candidates in Shergarh Gram Panchayat have been elected unopposed. They include Bhagchand Bhil, Nandu, Ramdev, Kavita, Ratni, Kasturi, Narendra, Rameshwar and Gopal.
The election process for the first phase will conclude on Sunday, when the elected Ward Panchs will vote to choose their respective Deputy Sarpanchs.
With polling underway across the state, the focus remains on voter turnout, the counting process and the declaration of results later on Saturday.
--IANS
arc/rad
