E-Paper
Rajasthan bypolls regiser 70% voter turnout
The final voter turnout in Dhariawad (Pratapgarh) was 69.38, while the figure for the Vallabhnagar seat was 71.45 per cent, officials said. In both the constituencies, 70.41 per cent polling was recorded.
An average of 70 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the bypoll to Dhariawad and Vallabhnagar assembly constituencies of Rajasthan on Saturday.
The polling ended at 6 pm.
The final voter turnout in Dhariawad (Pratapgarh) was 69.38, while the figure for the Vallabhnagar seat was 71.45 per cent, officials said.
In both the constituencies, 70.41 per cent polling was recorded.
The voter turnout in 2018 assembly elections in Vallabhnagar and Dhariawad was recorded at 76.31 per cent and 78.29 per cent, respectively.
The voting for bypolls to the two assembly constituencies to decide the fate of 16 candidates had begun amid tight security arrangements at 7 am.
The bypolls were necessitated due to the demise of Congress MLA from Vallabhnagar, Gajendra Singh Shaktawat and BJP legislator from Dhariawad, Gautam Lal Meena.
A total of 5,11,455 voters -- 2,53,831 in Vallabhnagar and 2,57,624 in Dhariawad - were eligible to exercise their franchise.
Nine candidates were in the fray for the Vallabhnagar seat and seven for Dhariawad.
A 100-year-old woman cast her vote at a polling booth in Bhindar area under the Vallabhnagar constituency. Mohini Bai came to the polling booth in a wheelchair.
Chief electoral officer Praveen Gupta earlier said 638 polling stations had been set up for the polling in both the constituencies. Out of these, the number of sensitive polling stations is 119.
A total of 62 sensitive polling stations, including 31 polling stations in Vallabhnagar and 31 in Dhariawad, were monitored through live webcasting at four levels, he said.
A control room was set up by the election department at the state-level for monitoring the live webcasting. Along with this, monitoring was also done at the level of returning officer, district election officer.
This live webcasting was also monitored by the Election Commission of India, he added.
The official added that Covid-related guidelines were strictly followed at the polling stations.
Gupta said 4,468 security personnel were deployed in both the constituencies to ensure free, fair and peaceful voting. The voting was conducted according to Covid-19 guidelines, he added.
In Vallabhnagar, the ruling Congress party has given ticket to Gajendra Shaktawat's wife, Preeti Shaktawat, while the BJP has fielded Himmat Singh Jhala.
The Congress has fielded Nagraj Meena in Dhariawad against BJP candidate Khet Singh Meena.
In the House of 200 members, the ruling Congress has 106 MLAs, while the BJP has 71, the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party has three, CPI(M) and the Bharatiya Tribal Party have two each, the Rashtriya Lok Dal has one and 13 are independent legislators.
Two seats are vacant on which the bypolls were conducted.
