An average polling of 40 per cent was recorded till 1400 hours in 199 Assembly seats of Rajasthan.
Sriganganagar recorded a polling percentage of 46.55 per cent followed by Jhunjhunu 46, Jhalawar 37.63, Karauli 33.45, and Jaipur 35 pc, a Chief Election Office press release said in Jaipur.
Of the 200 Assembly seats, polling has been adjourned in Churu constituency to December 13 following the death of a BSP candidate.
Security personnel opened two rounds of fire to disperse a crowd of supporters trying to disturb polling at a booth in Saleempur area of Dausa district, Additional Director-General of Police (Law and Order) Navdeep Singh said.
The polling was not disturbed there and it was going on smoothly, the ADGP said.
In another incident, a pick up van was set on fire by miscreants near ward number 15 at Fatehpur in Sikar district, the ADGP said.
By and large, the polling is underway on a peaceful note in the state, ADGP said.
Polling began in 199 Assembly seats to decide the fate of 2,087 candidates including Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and BJP’s Chief Ministerial nominee Vasundhara Raje.
Over 4.08 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in 47,223 polling booths.
Of the 200 Assembly seats, polling has been adjourned in Churu constituency, where nine people were in the fray, to December 13, following the death of BSP candidate Jagdish Meghwal.
There are 166 women and one eunuch candidate contesting the polls.
Mr. Gehlot, Ms. Raje and BJP leader Gulab Chand Kataria cast their votes in their respective constituencies.
At many polling booths in Sanager and Malviya Nagar Assembly seats of Jaipur, voters were seen approaching poll booths while on their morning walk.
Congress and BJP have fielded 200 candidates each, BSP 195, CPI (M) 38, CPI 23, NCP 16, other parties 666 and Independents 758 (including Churu constituency).
Police control room said, “Voting began peacefully and there is no report of any untoward incident.”
Of the 4.08 crore-strong electorate, 1.92 crore are women. The results will be declared on December 8.
Mr. Gehlot is contesting from his home turf of Sardarpura seat in Jodhpur district against BJP’s Rajput candidate Shambhu Singh Khetasar while Congress’ woman NSUI leader and former MLA Meenakshi Chandrawat is fighting against Ms. Raje from the Jhalarapatan seat in Jhalawar district.
No “Modi or Raje” factor: Gehlot
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday said that it would be a one-sided victory for the Congress in Rajasthan Assembly polls as the party government had carried out development work on a large scale in the last five years.
On the question of competition with BJP, he told reporters here that there was no “Modi or Raje” (Narendra Modi and Vasundhara Raje) factor in the State.
Mr. Gehlot, who cast his vote in Mahamandir area of Jodhpur, said the claims of BJP leaders would be proved hollow when results will be announced on December 8.
“Modi’s ideology is not in the interest of the country. And a new agenda based on country’s unity and secularism would be formed after five States’ poll results,” Mr. Gehlot said.
“There is a wave in favour of Congress. Ours campaigning was a positive one and we did not touch a low like BJP leaders. We gave positive message to the people and they will vote for development and works done by our government,” he told reporters.
Asked who will become the next Chief Minister if the party is voted to power, he said it would be decided by the party high command.
After coming out of polling booth at Topkhana school in Jhalawar where she cast her vote with her son Dushyant Singh, who is also an MP, BJP State president Vasundhara Raje said it would be a huge victory for her party.
2 booth capturing bids foiled
Two alleged booth capturing bids were foiled in Rajasthan’s Bhratpur district during the elections on Sunday.
“Several people tried to storm into a polling station for suspected booth capturing in Dhabak area in Nagar constituency but were pushed outside,” Bharatpur District Collector Neeraj K. Pawan told PTI.
“Sector magistrate informed me that he was threatened by a MLA and her supporters. Additional force was rushed to the area immediately and the situation is under control,” he said, adding, that the polling remained unaffected.
In Mawai area, some people also tried to capture a booth but the situation was soon brought under control, sources said.