59.64% voter turnout in 5 seats of Rajasthan
Thursday's polling was about 9.4% more than the 2009 Lok Sabha elections in the five constituencies
Jaipur: About 59.64% of 81 lakh voters on Thursday exercised their franchise in five Lok Sabha constituencies where polling ended for the second and final phase of elections in Rajasthan.
Polling was about 9.4% more than the 2009 Lok Sabha elections in the five constituencies, said A.K. Jain, chief election officer of Rajasthan, at a press conference in Jaipur on Thursday.
There was no poll-related violence in five constituencies, claimed Jain.
Barring one incident of clash between security forces and villagers in which five persons including four photo journalists were injured and vehicles were damaged after forces opened 14 rounds of fire at Satha village in Dausa district, the polling was no where affected or obstructed, DGP (law and order) Navdeep Singh, told a joint press conference in Jaipur.
Polling was not either disturbed on Satha booth despite little clash outside due to women electors’ identity issue in which mob of men folks tried to obstruct, he said, adding however an FIR was lodged by police with Mahua police station related to attack on scribes who went for coverage.
About 45,000 security personnels were on duty in the most sensitive 5 Lok Sabha seats in the state, he added. Dausa LS seat recorded a tentative polling of 60.81%, Alwar 65.14%, Karauli-Dholpur 53.98%, Bharatpur 56.7%, Tonk- Sawaimadhopur 60.72%, said Jain, adding the final tally of poll percentage would be clear by Friday morning.
Poll fortune of 81 contestants, including two Union ministers—Namonarayan Meena from Dausa and Jitendra Singh from Alwar—and former cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin from Tonk-Swaimadhopur was sealed in EVMs.
Total 9,112 polling booths, of which 2,674 declared as critical, were guarded by 45,000 security personnel to ensure the free and fair poll. First phase of polling in 20 of Rajasthan’s 25 seats was held with an average of 63.63% on 17 April.
An average of 62.9% polling was held in both first and second phase in the state as against 48.4% in 2009 Lok Sabha elections. This time it was about 15% higher, according to the chief election officer.
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