Rajasthan records 70% turnout in second phase municipal elections

Rajasthan's second phase of municipal elections drew over 61 lakh voters to the polls on Wednesday, with state election officials confirming a turnout of 70.01% across 147 civic bodies. Of the 87.63 lakh registered voters in these municipalities, 61.35 lakh exercised their franchise, reflecting robust citizen participation in the local body polls.

Voter turnout varied considerably across the state's six major municipal corporations. Jodhpur led with 71.10%, followed by Pali at 70.94% and Udaipur at 67.26%. Participation rates in other major cities were comparatively lower, with Ajmer recording 63.65%, Jaipur 62.88%, and Kota trailing at 57.02%. The disparity highlights varied levels of electoral engagement across urban centers in the state.

Smaller municipalities demonstrated notably higher participation than major cities. The Dhorimanna municipality in Barmer district recorded the highest turnout at 91.59%, while several other smaller civic bodies reported turnout exceeding 85%. Election officials attributed the strong performance in smaller towns to active civic participation and effective ground-level awareness campaigns.

The second phase voting was conducted smoothly with adequate security arrangements and COVID-19 protocols in place. Election officials reported no major irregularities during the polling process. Results for this phase are expected in the coming days following the completion of voting across all phases.