At 47.48 pc, Barmer-Jaisalmer records highest turnout in Rajasthan

Jaipur: As voting continued in 13 Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan on Friday, around 40.39 per cent turnout was recorded till 1 p.m.

Two seats, namely Barmer-Jaisalmer and Banswara-Dungarpur LS seats, which are witnessing triangular contests, have seen the highest voter turnout till 1 p.m.

Barmer-Jaisalmer seat recorded the highest 47.48 per cent and Banswara-Dungarpur had 46.53 per cent.

In the Barmer-Jaisalmer Lok Sabha seat, the highest voting was registered in Jaisalmer with a 52.15 per cent voter turnout.

Bagidora in the Banswara-Dungarpur LS seat registered the second-highest voter turnout at 51.25 per cent. This is the same seat which fell vacant after its MLA Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya resigned from Congress and joinedBJP. He has been fielded on a BJP ticket from the LS seat.

Barmer’s Sheo Assembly seat registered the third-highest voting count at 50.55 per cent. Independent MLA Ravindra Singh Bhati is contesting from Barmer and is in a fight against BJP candidate Union Minister Kailash Chaudhary and Congress candidate Umedaram Beniwal.

Beniwal resigned from the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) in March and joined the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. The RLP is not supporting the Congress on the Barmer seat as their alliance with the grand old party is limited to the Nagaur seat only. The RLP disclosed this on Thursday much to the Congress' shock.

The Jhalawar Baran Lok Sabha constituency recorded a 44.20 per cent voter turnout.

Kota, another high-profile seat, with Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla in the fray recorded a 42.51 per cent voter turnout. Chittorgarh in Mewar, witnessing a fight between state president C.P. Joshi and former state minister Udailal Anjana, recorded a 40.50 per cent voter turnout.

Udaipur registered a 41.31 per cent turnout; Tonk Sawai Madhopur 34.64 per cent; Ajmer 35.77 per cent; Pali 36.59 per cent; Jodhpur 39.90 per cent; Jalore 41.47 per cent; Rajsamand 36.88 per cent; and Bhilwara 37.01 per cent.

In Pratapgarh voters came in boats to cast their votes. People had to take boats to reach the Anuppura polling booth of Gram Panchayat Giyaspur. The voters crossed the Jakham Dam and walked at least three km to cast their votes. This village comes under the Sita Mata Wildlife Sanctuary area.