Polling has commenced for 13 Lok Sabha seats and one Assembly constituency in Rajasthan, marking the final phase of voting in the state.
The voting process, which began at 7 am, covers regions such as Barmer-Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Jalore, Chittorgarh, Banswara, Kota-Bundi, Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, Ajmer, Pali, Udaipur, Rajsamand, Kota, Jhalawar-Baran, and Bagidora Assembly constituency.
Around 2.8 crore eligible voters are expected to participate in this phase, which will continue until 6 pm. This phase follows the initial polling for 12 seats on April 19.
Bagidora Assembly seat in Banswara, where a bypoll is underway, is also part of this phase, triggered by the switch of Congress MLA Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
To ensure the smooth conduct of elections, over 1.72 lakh personnel have been deployed on election duty, along with 82,487 security personnel, including police, home guards, forest guards, and Rajasthan Armed Constabulary jawans. Additionally, 175 companies of central police forces have been enlisted for security measures.
After a modest voter turnout of 58.28 per cent in the first phase, leaders have been urging citizens to come out in large numbers for this phase. The voter turnout in 2019 stood at 64.02 per cent. The election campaign intensified during this phase, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi targeting the Congress in his rallies.
In Banswara, Modi criticised the Congress, labelling it as a party of "urban Naxals" and alleging its intentions to redistribute wealth among Muslims if it comes to power.
He further accused the opposition of planning to divert resources meant for Dalits, tribals, and backward classes to Muslims, contrary to constitutional principles. Such rhetoric has set the tone for a charged electoral atmosphere as Rajasthan approaches the conclusion of its polling process.
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