Jaipur, Oct 27 (IANS) The second phase of the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj elections will be held on Wednesday, with polling for Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti member seats across 22 districts.
The BJP and Congress are preparing for a keen contest, while the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) and Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) are also seeking to strengthen their presence in rural Rajasthan.
Polling will take place from 7 AM to 6 PM, with election authorities completing preparations for the exercise. A total of 8,257 candidates are contesting 2,453 wards across the Zila Parishads and Panchayat Samitis in the second phase.
Of these, 984 candidates are in the fray for 275 Zila Parishad wards, while 7,273 candidates are contesting 2,178 Panchayat Samiti wards.
A total of 22 districts going to the polls are Ajmer, Alwar, Banswara, Barmer, Bhilwara, Bikaner, Dausa, Dungarpur, Jaipur, Jalore, Jhalawar, Jhunjhunu, Jodhpur, Karauli, Kota, Kotputli-Behror, Nagaur, Pali, Rajsamand, Sikar, Sirohi and Udaipur.
In Jaipur district, polling will be held in the Amer, Jalsu, Rampura Dabri, Shahpura and Amarsar Panchayat Samitis, covering 81 Panchayat Samiti wards and 112 Gram Panchayats.
A total of 413 polling stations have been established, where 3,78,364 voters, including 1,97,323 men, 1,81,040 women and one voter in the other category, are eligible to cast their votes.
Elections will also be held for Jaipur Zila Parishad wards numbered 11 to 14 and 51 to 57. The next stage of the election process will cover the posts of Sarpanch and Panch. Nominations for these positions will take place on October 29, followed by polling on October 30 from 7 AM to 6 PM.
Vote counting will be conducted at the respective Gram Panchayat headquarters after polling. Elections for the post of Up-Sarpanch are scheduled for October 31.
The second phase is a significant test for political parties seeking to consolidate their support at the grassroots level, with rural development, local governance and public services likely to remain important issues in the contest.
–IANS
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