Lok Sabha election 2024 voting phase 2: Voter turnout in Rajasthan recorded at 64.07%

The voter turnout for Rajasthan's 13 constituencies in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 was recorded at 64.07 per cent on Friday, April 26, according to the Election Commission of India (ECI) data. Approximately 2.8 crore voters are eligible to cast their votes in this phase. Lok Sabha election 2024: People queue to vote at a polling station during the second phase of the general elections, in Barmer, Rajasthan, India, April 26, 2024. (REUTERS)

This marks the concluding phase of polling in the state, following the first phase held on April 19. During this phase, 12 other parliamentary constituencies, out of a total of 25, underwent voting. The voter turnout in these constituencies during phase 1 was over 57 per cent.

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Which constituencies are voting today?

Voting is currently taking place in 13 constituencies across Rajasthan, including Barmer-Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Jalore, Chittorgarh, Banswara, Kota-Bundi, Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, Ajmer, Pali, Udaipur, Rajsamand, Kota and Jhalawar-Baran. Additionally, a bypoll is underway in the Bagidora Assembly constituency.

The Barmer constituency recorded the highest voter turnout of 73.68 per cent, while the Tonk-sawai Madhopur constituency witnessed the lowest turnout at 56 per cent.

Here's the voter turnout across constituencies participating in today's voting:

S.No Constituency Voter turnout 1. Ajmer 59.22% 2. Banswara 72.24% 3. Barmer 73.68% 4. Bhilwara 60.10% 5. Chittorgarh 67.83% 6. Jalore 62.28% 7. Jhalawar-baran 68.72% 8. Jodhpur 63.30% 9. Kota 70.82% 10. Pali 56.80% 11. Rajsamand 58.01% 12. Tonk-sawai Madhopur 56% 13. Udaipur 64.01%

Key candidates in the fray

Key candidates running for the constituencies participating in Friday's election included Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who is vying for the seat in Kota-Bundi.

CP Joshi, the BJP state president, is contesting from Chittorgarh. Union Minister and BJP candidate from Jodhpur, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, is also contesting. All of them exercised their voting rights during the second phase on Friday.

What happened in these constituencies on voting day?

- In Banswara, no voters turned up at the Adibheet polling booth during the initial hours due to locals' demands for compensation regarding land acquired for a power plant, leading to a boycott declaration. Officials are making efforts to persuade voters to cast their ballots.

- The Bagidora Assembly seat in Banswara became vacant after Congress MLA Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya defected to the BJP. Malviya is now contesting the Lok Sabha election from Banswara as a BJP candidate.

- Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani exercised his voting rights in Ajmer, while former chief ministers Vasundhara Raje and Ashok Gehlot cast their votes in Jhalawar and Jodhpur, respectively.

- Bhuri Bai, aged 108, cast her vote at the Gunjara polling booth in the Kota-Bundi Lok Sabha constituency. Her family members accompanied her in a wheelchair to the polling booth.

- A man, his son, and granddaughters, representing three generations, arrived at a polling station in Sankand, Jalore, to cast their votes. They also took pictures at the selfie point in the booth.

- A groom voted at Bhadsoda in Chittorgarh before his wedding procession. He emphasised the importance of participating in democracy by casting his vote before his marriage ceremony.

(With PTI inputs)