The Lok Sabha elections across the 25 constituencies in Rajasthan will be held in two phases on April 19 and April 26 and the results will be announced on June 4, announced the Election Commission on Saturday.
In the first phase, 12 constituencies in the northern and eastern parts of the state, including Sriganganagar, Bikaner, Churu, Jhunjhunu, Sikar, Jaipur, Jaipur Rural, Bharatpur, Karauli-Dholpur, Dausa, and Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, will go to the polls.
The rest of the 13 seats from southern Rajasthan including Ajmer, Nagaur, Pali, Jalore, Barmer, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Banswara, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand, Bhilwara, Kota, and Jhalawar-Baran will caste their votes on April 26.
The EC also declared that the by-poll of Banswara’s Bagidora (ST) state assembly will be conducted along with the parliamentary election on April 26 in the second phase. The seat was vacant after the then Congress MLA Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya resigned and joined the BJP on February 21.
The commission said that the last date of registration for nominations is March 27 for the seats going to polls in the first phase while it is March 28 for the second phase.
According to the data by the Election Commission, more than 50 million people are expected to cast their votes in the general elections this year. In 2019, around 40 million had voted during the Lok Sabha poll. Of the total voters this time, 27.3 million are male and 25.7 million are females.
{{/usCountry}}According to the data by the Election Commission, more than 50 million people are expected to cast their votes in the general elections this year. In 2019, around 40 million had voted during the Lok Sabha poll. Of the total voters this time, 27.3 million are male and 25.7 million are females.
{{/usCountry}}Over 1.2 million senior citizens (above 80 years of age) will also vote, of whom 20,496 are centenarians. The home voting facility will also be available for them and for over 57,20,00 specially-abled people in the state.
Rajasthan with 51,756 polling stations, also has over 1.5 million fresh voters.
The chief election officer (CEC) of the state, Praveen Gupta said, “A code of conduct ahead of the elections has been implemented by the commission, following which all the advertisements of the government schemes, pictures of chief ministers and other ministers will be removed from the government websites.”
According to the code of conduct, no new beneficiary will be included in the schemes, said the CEC, adding that the order of any new scheme and transfers will also be barred.
In an attempt to prevent any disturbance incited by any political party in the booths or locality at the polling booths, Gupta said, “For the first time, around 50% of the polling station in the state will have webcasting system which was only 15% during the state assembly polls held in December. People can also register their complaints through C-Vigil app, if any such incident is found.”
While stating that the state election commission has zero tolerance towards the supply of freebies, narcotics, liquor, and cash ahead of the elections, Gupta said freebies, drugs and illicit liquor, and cash worth ₹280 crore has been seized by 24 enforcement agencies from across the state and along the international border areas in last three months. The corresponding figure was only ₹51 crore in the end of the 2019 general election.
Prioritising a fair and violence-free election, the chief election commissioner Rajeev Kumar during a press conference in Delhi also said that “a 24*7 integrated control room will be set up in every district in which a senior district official will be appointed to constantly monitor the situation through TV, social media, helpline number, grievance portal, and the C-Vigil app.”
On the announcement of poll-dates, former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot wrote on X, “Today the Election Commission has announced the Lok Sabha elections 2024. Kindly cast your vote to protest against the inflation, rising inequality, unemployment, and political corruption in the country and to protect our constitutional values.
He added: “My appeal to all the people of the state is to guarantee justice to every section of the society by voting for Congress in the upcoming elections to be held in Rajasthan on 19th April and 26th April with the resolve of change.”Meanwhile. the senior BJP leader and the former LoP Rajendra Rathore also wrote on his X, “The Election Commission has announced the dates of the biggest festival of democracy, Lok Sabha Elections 2024, in which voting will be held in two phases in Rajasthan on 19th April and 26th April. As a responsible citizen, you must exercise your right to vote and ensure a major victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party...”