Jodhpur

Polling commenced on Friday morning for the second and final phase of the Rajasthan local body elections, with voting underway across six municipal corporations, 20 municipal councils and 121 municipalities.

In Jodhpur city, around 7.12 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise. A total of 729 polling booths have been established, with 385 candidates in the fray.

Polling is also underway in Udaipur, where councillors for the Municipal Corporation and two Municipal Councils are being elected.

Voters expressed satisfaction with the arrangements made for the smooth conduct of polling.

Shashank Bagri, a resident of Chitrakoot, said he was happy that the area had been brought under the Municipal Corporation, expressing hope that the move would pave the way for development and address issues such as garbage accumulation and damaged roads.

"This is the first time we have come under the Municipal Corporation instead of the Panchayat Samiti, and it is a very good thing; we had been demanding that our area, Chitrakoot, be included in the Municipal Corporation. Previously, our area fell under the Panchayat, but now it is part of the Municipal Corporation, and there is great happiness among all the residents. We had long demanded this inclusion so that our colony could see development and improvement. If you look around, there is still a lot of scattered garbage, and the roads are broken; we have been living here for 35 years, and today I have cast my vote, I am very happy about the inclusion in the Municipal Corporation; today, we are electing a councilor of our choice," Bagri told ANI.

Another voter, Vidhi Sisodia, said she hoped the elected councillor would bring further development and address the issue of frequent power cuts.

"I have come to vote for a councilor for the first time; I have voted in Assembly elections before, but this is my first time voting for a councilor, and the experience has been very good. Everything here is proceeding very smoothly. Regarding the councilor I am hoping for—well, I cannot openly name them, but I want them to bring development. Things were good before, but I hope for even better things now. I have high expectations of our councilor. All the best to them. Thank you. The biggest issue here is the electricity supply; the power goes out constantly. Even without a drop of rain, the power cuts out. So, I hope that some attention is paid to the electricity situation; apart from that..." Sisodia told ANI.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan Cabinet Minister Colonel Rajyavardhan Rathore reached the polling booth at Gurukul Vidya Mandir Senior Secondary School on Sirsi Road in Jaipur to cast his vote.

Speaking to reporters, Rathore expressed confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party would win the Rajasthan civic polls and said development works were being carried out using funds from both the Centre and the state government.

"A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) board will definitely be formed in Jaipur. Over the next 10 years, Jaipur is set to become the most magnificent city in the entire country, and that process has already begun. In older parts of Jaipur—on the other side of the Jhotwara bypass—where the sewerage system had aged, a complete overhaul is taking place under the Amrut 2.0 scheme. Meanwhile, outside the bypass, drainage systems, sewerage lines, roads, and water tanks are all being constructed. Every single rupee of the country's money, whether from the central government or the state government, is reaching the ground 100 per cent. This is the hallmark of the Bharatiya Janata Party, and the public is well aware of it. Across the entire state where elections are taking place, the BJP will undoubtedly gain an edge," said Cabinet Minister Colonel Rajyavardhan Rathore.

Polling is being held from 7 am to 6 pm across 147 municipal bodies, comprising six municipal corporations, 20 municipal councils and 121 municipalities, according to State Election Commissioner Rajeshwar Singh.

A total of 18,266 candidates are contesting the elections, with an estimated 87.60 lakh voters eligible to participate.

Singh said voter turnout stood at 76 per cent in the first phase and that electoral authorities had set a target of 86 per cent turnout for the second phase.

The first phase of polling was held on September 9, while the second phase is being conducted on September 11. The counting of votes is scheduled for September 14.

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Singh told ANI, "Elections for 147 municipal bodies, comprising 6 municipal corporations, 20 municipal councils, and 121 municipalities, are scheduled for tomorrow. A total of 87.60 lakh voters will participate, and 18,266 candidates are in the fray... Voter turnout was 76 per cent in the first phase, and we have set a target of 86 per cent turnout for the second phase tomorrow…”