Voting for Sarpanch and Ward Panch posts in the first phase of Rajasthan’s Panchayat elections will be held on Saturday, across 3,314 gram panchayats in 16 districts. Around 8.5 million voters are expected to exercise their franchise, with polling scheduled from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
A total of 9,886 polling stations have been set up for the first phase of polling. Vote counting will begin after polling concludes, and the results are expected to be declared the same day, although the process could continue late into the night.
Unlike previous elections, in which Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were used for these posts, voting will be conducted using ballot papers this time.
Each voter will cast two votes, one for the Sarpanch candidate and another for the Ward Panch candidate.
However, the use of ballot papers is expected to make the counting process more time-consuming.
Votes for Ward Panch candidates will be counted first, followed by those for Sarpanch candidates. Results are expected to be announced by late evening or night.
Recounts in closely contested seats or cases involving disputes could delay the final results further.
The elections are not being contested on party symbols, and political parties are not issuing official tickets.
However, the contests remain highly competitive, with local political equations and village-level rivalries often playing a decisive role.
Barmer has the highest number of candidates in the first phase, with 419 contestants for Sarpanch posts and 3,029 for Ward Panch posts.
In Jodhpur district’s Balesar Panchayat Samiti, candidates arrived with their supporters on Friday to file their nominations.
The election for the post of Deputy Sarpanch will be held on October 25.
The elected Ward Panchs will choose the Deputy Sarpanch, and general voters will not participate in this process.
Meanwhile, Bikaner District Election Officer, Nishant Jain, has issued notices to 28 employees for remaining absent from their assigned election duties. They have been directed to submit their explanations within three days.
