The Rajasthan State Election Commission (SEC) released figures showing that voting in 3,314 gram panchayats across 16 districts concluded on Saturday, drawing an 80.09% turnout.
Mangta in Barmer posted the highest participation at 91.42%, while Rani Station in Pali lagged at 56.82%. The SEC’s data also highlighted 16,500 candidates contesting for sarpanch posts and 28,682 ward seats.
Minor clashes erupted during voting. In Alwar’s Reni panchayat samiti, sarpanch candidate Rajendra Meena staged a dharna outside a polling station, alleging bogus voting and demanding a repoll; Alwar police and the tehsildar intervened to restore calm. A separate incident in Bikaner saw police disperse a crowd that had gathered near a polling station.
A resident of Dugariya village in Pali told reporters, ‘We boycotted the polls because we feared tampering with votes, but the police calmed the situation.’ His statement echoes concerns voiced by voters in several districts.
SEC officials will announce the results late Saturday night. After the declaration, the second phase of polling will begin on Monday, covering the remaining 14,403 gram panchayats scheduled for the last two weeks of the election calendar.