Voting has begun in the second phase of Rajasthan's urban local body elections and the focus is on Jaipur as Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma-led BJP government faces its first major civic electoral test.
Polling started on Friday at 7 am and will continue until 6 pm in 147 urban local bodies. More than 87 lakh voters are eligible to participate and 18,266 candidates are contesting elections. The results will give a clear picture of the mood in Rajasthan’s urban centres.
Jaipur Takes Centre Stage
Jaipur is the biggest civic battleground in the second phase. The Jaipur Municipal Corporation has 150 wards and over 24 lakh voters are eligible to cast their ballots.
We set up polling at 2,256 polling stations, which are in 2,204 main polling stations and 52 auxiliary polling stations. We have made great arrangements for voting to be done to make it easy and secure.
The election is very important for the BJP government as the performance of the ruling party in Jaipur and other large cities will be closely watched.
Six Major Municipal Corporations Go to Polls
Along with Jaipur, voters in five other municipal corporations are exercising their franchise.
The Jodhpur Municipal Corporation has 100 wards and around 7.12 lakh voters, while Kota also has 100 wards and about 8.26 lakh voters.
Ajmer has 80 wards and around 4.38 lakh voters. Udaipur, another major urban centre, has 80 wards and about 4.16 lakh voters. Pali has 65 wards and approximately 1.81 lakh voters.
The scale of the elections makes the second phase particularly important for both the BJP and opposition parties.
Election Machinery on High Alert
District Election Officer (City) Sandesh Nayak said polling parties had been dispatched from Shri Bhawani Niketan College on Sikar Road.
The teams were responsible for training, receiving election materials and preparing for deployment at polling stations. Security and logistical arrangements in Jaipur have also been addressed by authorities.
As voting takes place simultaneously in multiple urban bodies across multiple cities, officials are trying to make sure voters have full power to exercise their franchise without disruption, and the election is carried out without disruption, officials are involved in making sure that voters can exercise their franchise with confidence.
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First Phase Recorded Strong Turnout
The second phase follows the first round of voting on September 9 when elections were conducted in 162 urban local bodies.
The first phase featured four municipal corporations, 27 municipal councils and 131 municipalities. There were 20,623 candidates and 5,393 wards.
The voter participation was high with the first phase recording a turnout of 76.41 per cent.
The turnout will be closely watched in the second phase particularly in Jaipur, where the large electorate could play a decisive role.
Results on September 14
The election process will result in the counting of votes on September 14. Counting for councillor votes from both phases will begin at 8 am across Rajasthan.
For the Bhajan Lal government, the civic polls are an important political test less than two years into its tenure. A good BJP performance in major urban centres could strengthen the government’s position, while gains by opposition parties could give them political momentum.
With Jaipur in the spotlight, the second phase of Rajasthan's civic elections is due to be closely watched as voters decide the political direction of the state's urban local bodies.
