Rajasthan polls: Record 74.83 per cent turnout, both Cong and BJP claim victory
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- Category: Rajasthan News
- Last Updated: Thursday, 22 January 2015 20:51
Rajasthan polls: Record 74.83 per cent turnout, both Cong and BJP claim victory
"I am confident the Congress will return to power with a thumping majority," boasted Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who was among those who voted early.
6.45 pm: According to the latest bulletin by the State Election Commission, voting proceeded peacefully and there was a record 74.83 per cent turnout out of the state's 4 crore electorate.
As news of the high voter turnout started trickling in, leaders from both the Congress and BJP claimed victory.
6.00 pm: According to the latest bulletin by the State Election Commission, an estimated 65 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the state when polling closed at 5 pm on Sunday.
5.30 pm: About 25 million people voted across Rajasthan Sunday to pick a new 200-seat Rajasthan assembly in keenly fought elections which both the Congress and the BJP claimed they would win.
More than 60 per cent of the state's 40 million electorate had voted by 4 p.m., and the polling percentage could touch the 2008 tally of 66 per cent when the final figures are calculated after polling ended at 5, officials said.
3.00 pm: An average polling of 40 per cent was recorded till 1400 hours in 199 Assembly seats of Rajasthan.
Sriganganagar recorded a polling percentage of 46.55 per cent followed by Jhunjhunu 46, Jhalawar 37.63, Karauli 33.45, and Jaipur 35 pc, a Chief Election Office PR said here.
Of the 200 Assembly seats, polling has been adjourned in Churu constituency to December 13 following the death of a BSP candidate.
Security personnel opened two rounds of fire to disperse a crowd of supporters trying to disturb polling at a booth in Saleempur area of Dausa district, Additional Director-General of Police (Law and Order) Navdeep Singh said.
1.00 pm: By noon 18-20 percent of the over 40 million electorate had exercised their franchise, officials said.
"The polling is peaceful and is expected to pick up during the day," said an Election Commission official. In 2008, Rajasthan recorded 66.25 percent of voting. The Congress came to power then.
11.48 am: Congress will win with huge majority, says Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
08. 05 am: Polling begins for the 200-seat Rajasthan assembly.
Around 40 million people are eligible to vote. Ballotting will take place in 199 constituencies as the election has been postponed in Churu to Dec 13 following the death of a Bahujan Samaj Party candidate.
A total of 2,087 candidates are in the fray. Votes will be counted Dec 8.
In the outgoing house, Congress holds 102 seats and the Bharatiya Janata Party 79.
07.59 am: Security tightened in Sadarpura.
Rajasthan is set to witness one of the toughest electoral battles on Sunday as 199 of 200 constituencies vote to elect the new chief minister of the state. In five years since 2008 Assembly elections in the state, there has been more than 100 per cent increase in the number of first- time voters in the state.
This increase has kept political parties guessing about the voting pattern in the state where polling for 199 of 200 seats is scheduled on Sunday.
Against 6.71 lakh first- time voters in 2008 elections, there are 16.51 lakh first- time voters this time, an increase of 9.8 lakh electorate.
According to state election department sources, there might be an increase of 10 per cent in the voter turnout this time, courtesy the youth brigade.
It is perhaps this reason that both Congress vice- president Rahul Gandhi and BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi emphasised the issue of unemployment in their respective rallies in the state.
While Rahul, like all Congress campaigners, repeatedly referred to rural employment guarantee programme besides other welfare schemes initiated by the Centre to woo the youths, Modi highlighted rising unemployment in the country and consequent disappointment among the youths to draw their attention to the "failures of the Congress government".
If or not these leaders have been able to win the confidence of the young voters will be known only on November 8 when the result of the state Assembly polls will be announced.
The ruling Congress and long-time rival BJP are locked in a bitter fight for power in Rajasthan, the country's largest state where some 40 million are eligible to vote to elect a new 200-seat legislature.
After five years of Congress rule, the Bharatiya Janata Party, revitalised by an aggressive prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, is determined to return to power in Rajasthan, one of its bastions.
Ballotting will take place in 199 constituencies under heavy security Sunday. Polling has been postponed in Churu to December 13 following the death of a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate.
A total of 2,087 candidates are in the fray. There will be over 47,000 polling booths across the sprawling state.
Source:indiatoday