Rajasthan: 51 pc voter turnout till 5 pm amid clashes between rival candidates' supporters

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Jaipur, April 19 (IANS) Voting in 12 Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan came to an end at 6 p.m. on Friday with a turnout of 50.87 per cent recorded till 5 p.m.

While 50.27 per cent of votes were registered via EVM, postal ballot polling stood at 0.62 per cent.

Ganganagar recorded the highest turnout at 60.29 per cent, followed by Churu (56.52 per cent), Alwar (53.31 per cent), Jaipur (56.57 per cent), Nagaur (49.92 per cent), Bikaner (48.87 per cent), Sikar (48.85 per cent), Jaipur Rural (48.67 per cent), Dausa (45.63 per cent), Bharatpur (45.48 per cent), Jhunjhunu (44.97 per cent), and Karauli-Dholpur (42.53 per cent).

A few incidents of clashes were reported from the state during polling on Friday.

In Nagaur, clashes broke out between the supporters of BJP candidate Jyoti Mirdha and INDIA bloc nominee Hanuman Beniwal (RLP) in which Kuchera Municipality Chairman Tejpal Mirdha suffered head injuries after he tried to intervene. He is presently undergoing treatment at a local hospital.

While the police said they are investigating the matter, Beniwal alleged that the attack was orchestrated by the ruling BJP.

Violence was also reported from Churu where a polling agent was injured after he reportedly turned down requests for fake voting at Rampur Renu village.

In Bharatpur, 98-year-old Pandit Ramkishan, a former Lok Sabha MP and a well-known socialist leader, reached the polling station to cast his vote despite the Election Commission making provisions for 'vote from home' for those above 85 years of age. At 97, Ramkishan underwent knee replacement surgery.

“Voters are expressing their choice against the insensitivity and arrogance of those in power,” he said.

In Churu, Pushpa Satyani, the District Election Officer (DEO), suspended two poll officials -- Chandan Singh and Ramchandra -- for dereliction of duty.

While Singh is accused of leaving the polling office without permission, Ramchandra has been suspended for joining duty in an inebriated state and misbehaving with the people.

Meanwhile, some villagers in the Dausa Assembly segment boycotted the polls in protest against the delimitation of the gram panchayat. People also boycotted voting at Baritaki village in the Mahua Assembly segment to express their anguish over garbage dumping in the area.

--IANS

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