Rajasthan Election 2023 Voting Live: 68.50% Turnout Till 6 PM, CEO Says Polling 'Still Underway'
Rajasthan Election 2023 Voting Live: Follow this page for all the latest updates on polling in Rajasthan where 199 out of 200 constituencies are going to polls today.
LIVE
Background
Rajasthan Election 2023 Voting Live: Hello and welcome to the Assembly Elections Live blog of ABP Live. Follow this space for all the latest news and developments on polling in Rajasthan. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) aims to unseat the ruling Congress, which is striving to break the trend of alternate governments in the state. The voting began at 7 am and will go on till 6 pm in 199 out of 200 constituencies, with the election in Sriganganagar's Karanpur seat adjourned due to the death of the Congress candidate Gurmeet Singh Koonar.
The election campaign witnessed intense rhetoric, with the Congress highlighting the achievements of the Ashok Gehlot government, its schemes, and a promise of seven guarantees if the party retains power. Meanwhile, the BJP focused on issues such as crime against women, appeasement, corruption, and paper leaks.
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, state Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra, and several ministers are among the Congress leaders contesting the elections. In the BJP, leader of opposition Rajendra Rathore, former chief minister Vasundhara Raje, and MPs Diya Kumari, Rajyavardhan Rathore, among others, are in the fray. Gurjar leader Kirodi Singh Bainsla's son Vijay Bainsla is also contesting as a BJP candidate.
The election sees former chief secretary Niranjan Arya trying his luck in politics as a Congress candidate. The BJP has given tickets to 59 MLAs, including defected Congress MLA Girraj Singh Malinga, and the Congress has fielded 97 MLAs, including seven independents and one from BJP - Shobharani Kushwah.
The contest includes other parties like CPI (M), Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP), Bharat Adiwasi Party, Bhartiya Tribal Party, Aam Aadmi Party, AIMIM, and over 40 rebels from both BJP and Congress.
Chief Electoral Officer Praveen Gupta assured comprehensive arrangements for the election, with 36,101 polling places, 65,277 ballot units, 62,372 control units, and 67,580 VVPAT machines deployed, news agency PTI reported. A total of 2,74,846 polling personnel, including 7,960 women and 796 disabled personnel, will ensure smooth voting. Security measures involve 1,02,290 security personnel, with a significant force deployed from central paramilitary forces and armed forces of 18 other states, as per PTI.
Voting Conducted Peacefully, Polling Underway At 4-5 Booths, Says Saxena
VIDEO | Rajasthan Assembly Election: "Voting at all the booths has been conducted peacefully. Polling is still underway at 4-5 booths where I had to extend the voting time after 6 pm," says Neel Kamal Saxena, Sector Magistrate, Hindoli constituency in Bundi.… pic.twitter.com/M2rx9ILonZ
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 25, 2023
68.50% Turnout Till 6 PM, CEO Says Polling 'Still Underway'
#WATCH | Jaipur, Rajasthan: State's Chief Electoral Officer Praveen Gupta says, "Voting is still underway. We had said that those who came to the booth by 6:00 pm would be eligible to cast the vote. The voter turnout till 5:00 pm was 68.24%..." pic.twitter.com/2i5OQbxSP6
— ANI (@ANI) November 25, 2023
WATCH: EVM Being Sealed And Secured At Bikaner's Savali Village Polling Station
#WATCH | Rajasthan: Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) being sealed & secured at a polling booth in Savali village, Bikaner.
— ANI (@ANI) November 25, 2023
The counting of votes will take place on December 3. pic.twitter.com/2Neb7M83OW
Its My Right, Says A Groom After Casting His Vote On Wedding Day In Didwana
VIDEO | Rajasthan Assembly Election: "It's my right and I wanted to exercise my right (to vote) first. That's why, I preferred to vote before my marriage," says a groom after casting his vote on his wedding day in Didwana.#RajasthanAssemblyElection2023 #AssemblyElections2023… pic.twitter.com/RBQJViir75
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 25, 2023
Public Support On Our Side, CM Gehlot Exudes Confidence Amid Polling
VIDEO | "We have public's support on our side and we will win and form our government," says Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot as he arrives at Jaipur airport. #AssemblyElectionsWithPTI #RajasthanAssemblyElections2023
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 25, 2023
(Special video packages on assembly elections are available on PTI… pic.twitter.com/Mo5l2QRvzh