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Polls 2008: Rajasthan
66 pc turnout, stray incidents of violence
Jupinderjit Singh
Tribune News Service

A voter shows her voter identity card as she waits for her turn to cast her ballot at a polling station, during the state assembly election, in Bikaner on Thursday. — Reuters

Jaipur, December 4
Nearly 66 per cent polling marred by snags in electronic voting machines (EVM), sporadic incidents of violence, booth capturing, and boycott of voting took place today for constituting the 13th Vidhan Sabha of Rajasthan.

The highest voting of 78 per cent was registered in Hanumangarh, while the lowest of 48 per cent was reported in Dungarpur.

Returning officers have recommended the cancellation of polling in four booths in Kota, Pushkar, Sawai Madhopur and Gangapur city, where EVMs could not be replaced. The repoll is likely at 16 polling booths in Dausa, Mahua, Karauli, Bharatpur, Sawai Madhopur due to violence, booth capturing or bogus voting, Chief Electoral Officer Vinod Zutshi announced here this evening.

Around 10 villages boycotted the polling protesting the lack of civil amenities in their areas.

Snags in EVMs were reported in the forenoon with many voters, including Governor S.K. Singh and his wife Manju Singh, were forced to wait for some time due EVM glitches were replaced or manhandling by the poll staff.

At civil lines in Jaipur, the Governor had reached the polling booth at 7:55 am stating being the first citizen he wanted to be the first to cast the vote. The machine got locked, forcing him to wait for over 30 minutes. Similar incidents were reported from almost all districts, delaying the process.

Border districts of Jaisalmer and Barmer also registered heavy polling. Barring these two districts, the polling was sluggish all over the state in the forenoon, but it picked up later.

A large number of migrants, mainly Hindus from Pakistan who had migrated to the country in the last two decades, got the voting right this year only. With almost 100 per cent voting by thousands of those persons, the percentage went up in the border districts.

Mobile polling booths were a big hit. Six such booths set up in the border districts reported polling as high as 88 per cent.

Bhanupura and Karayia villagers boycotted the polls in protest against water shortage.

Entire Doonsri village residents in Tonk boycotted the elections to show their anger against an attempt by politicians to inaugurate a road constructed by them after pooling resources.

In Gangapur city, poll staff was locked by residents, who alleged irregularities in the polling process. In Raja Khera, Dholpur, supporters of different parties indulged in stone-pelting, forcing the police to fire in air to disperse the mob. A policeman was reportedly injured.

Tension remained in Mahua in Bharatpur district, where members of one community were forcibly not allowed to cast their votes by members of another community.

Irate mob gheraoed the police station in retaliation. The polling took place this afternoon only after the police gave a security cover to people moving to the polling booths.

In Kanwariya village, the wife of BJP candidate Nathu singh Gujjar was attacked. Five persons were injured in Deegh Kumher, from where rebel BJP leader and Cong candidate Vishwendera Singh is contesting, in a clash between BJP and Congress supporters.

Unmatched enthusiasm

There were some who displayed the sheer joy of democracy. Bishnoi women, who treat voting as a festival, reached polling booths dancing and singing, while some took time out of their weddings to cast vote.

Deepak, attired in groom’s dress, went to cast his vote in Bikaner on the day of his marriage and so did his sister scheduled to be married later in the evening.

Manisha in civil lines in Jaipur did the same. “My one vote can make the difference”, she told The Tribune.

Kastur Bai, 102, led the polling in a Kota village, saying she wished her village road was laid.