Udaipur

Voting for the first phase of the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj elections is underway, with voters turning up at polling stations to elect members of the Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samitis.

Polling began at 7 am and will continue until 6 pm on Thursday in the areas going to polls in the first phase.

In Udaipur district, voting is being held in 10 Panchayat Samiti areas. The voters are standing in queues to cast their vote at the polling booth at the Government Senior Secondary School in Gotiya village in the Vallabhnagar Assembly constituency. 

Further, BJP candidate from Ward No 1 of Shrinagar Gram, Mahaveer Meghwanshi, said people were seeking change.

"The public wants change," Meghwanshi said.

Meanwhile, Congress candidate from Ward No. 1 in Shrinagar, Sunita, said her priorities included providing library facilities for students, redevelopment of roads and drains, access to clean drinking water and resolving frequent power cuts.

"My priority is to ensure facilities of a library for students, redevelopment of roads and drains, access to clean drinking water, and resolve the problem of repeated power cuts,” she said.

A voter in Udaipur said people were looking forward to development in their village, particularly in basic infrastructure and public services.

"We want development in our village with better roads, water, electricity and internet connectivity. We hope the elected representative will work sincerely for the village," the voter said.

In Udaipur, polling is being held in the Jhadol, Phalasia, Kurabad, Vallabhnagar, Girwa, Bhinder, Nai, Mavli and Ghasa Panchayat Samiti areas, among others.

Rajasthan Police Service (RPS) officer Neeraj said comprehensive security arrangements had been put in place to ensure peaceful voting in the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj elections, with additional personnel deployed from outside the district.

He said personnel had been thoroughly briefed on maintaining restricted zones and enforcing polling-related rules.

"Comprehensive security arrangements are in place. Additional security personnel have been brought in from outside, and they have been thoroughly briefed to ensure that the voting process remains peaceful. The 100-meter and 200-meter (restricted) zones must be maintained. Vehicles with unauthorised stickers are not permitted to pass, and mobile phones are not allowed inside," Neeraj told ANI.

Meanwhile, in Pali district, polling is being conducted in the Marwar Junction, Sojat, Bagri, Sumerpur and Rani Panchayat Samiti areas.

According to the district election administration, voting is taking place at 642 polling stations across 157 Gram Panchayats in Pali district.

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These include 174 polling stations in 51 Gram Panchayats in the Marwar Junction Panchayat Samiti area, 108 in 28 Gram Panchayats in Sojat, 73 in 15 Gram Panchayats in Bagri, 150 in 34 Gram Panchayats in Sumerpur and 137 in 29 Gram Panchayats in Rani.