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Rajasthan Assembly Elections 2018 updates: Rahul Gandhi asks Congress workers to 'be vigilant after polls close today'

Rajasthan Assembly Elections 2018 LIVE updates: The voter turnout in Rajasthan until 3 pm was recorded at 59.7%. Polling in the state started off slowly, with only 6.11% of the electorate voting until 11 am.

FP Staff|Dec 07, 2018, 17:20:00 IST

Rajasthan Assembly Elections 2018 LIVE updates: Voting in the Rajasthan Assembly election has now ended.As per a report from ABP News, the clashes that broke out in Rajasthan's Sikar district between the Congress and the RLP, occurred in Fatehpur town. Sikar district is part of the Shekhawati region.The news agency even shared visuals of the incident, which showed police lathi charging a group of people responsible for the clash. Some of them were seen bearing injuries on their faces and heads.Clashes broke out between workers of the Congress and Hanuman Beniwal's RLP in Sikar district. The cause of the clashes remains unclear.According to India Today, security forces and the paramilitary immediately arrived at the scene and tamed the situation. They also ordered that everyone, including mediapersons, vacate the area.The ruling BJP faces a large challenge in Rajasthan: Reviewing the unfulfilled promises made in its 2013 election manifesto — which drew the public to vote for the party and grant them 162 out of 200 seats in the 2013 Assembly.One of the major misses of the current state government has been in the area of developing fast track courts for sexual harassment cases. The situation in the health sector is also not promisingThe voter turnout in Rajasthan till 1 PM was recorded at 41.53 percent.More than 20 electronic voting machines (EVMs) were reported to be faulty in Rajasthan's Pali district. Pali, which lies in southwestern Rajasthan, is the state’s largest district, and accounts for 43 Assembly seats and is crucial in the upcoming polls.Incumbent chief minister Vasundhara Raje's constituency Jhalarapatan saw a dismal 16 percent turnout till 11 am. The numbers are lower than the state average 22 percent till 11 am. Meanwhile, Jasana village, which falls under Nohar constituency has boycotted voting. The village has 5,700 voters, and are determined to not participate in Lok Sabha polls as well.After EVM malfunctions stalled voting in Jalore district's Ahor constituency, voters created chaos at polling booths 253 and 254.Several EVMs in Jalore reported to be defective, cause a delay in voting at booths 253 and 254. EVMs sangs have also been reported at Chittorgarh, Bengu, Sawai Madhopur, Pushkar, and Haidarshah.Former Rajasthan chief minister and senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot cast his vote at booth number 106 in Jodhpur's Vardmam school Mahamandir. Gehlot is contesting the polls from Jodhpur's Sardarpura constituency.He has previously served as chief minister from 1998 to 2003, and again from 2008 to 2013.Farmers issues are most prominent in the state — including loan waivers, crop prices, and cow vigilantism — particularly in the arid Shekhawati region.Much like neighbouring Gujarat, farmers' issues may also play a major role in the voting preferences of the rural regions. If agrarian discontent translates to anger against the ruling party, it will hamper the BJP's chances of winning. After farmers launched a protest in Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh, the agitation spread to Rajasthan as farmers sought, among other things, higher minimum support price and loan waivers.Though the state government in September announced a Rs 60,000 crore farm loan waiver, which may douse some of the anger against the ruling BJP, the agrarian crisis in the state continues.Voting in Kishangarhbas' Hanspur Kala only began at 9:40 am, when it was supposed to begin at 8 am. Faulty EVMs were reported in the polling booth and were subsequently replaced. However, the new ones stopped working as well.A voter turnout of 6.11 percent was recorded across Rajasthan by 9 am, the Election Commission announced. Polling began at 8 am, and will conclude at 5 pm.CNN News18 quoted state Congress chief Sachin Pilot as saying that people have been dissatisfied with the state government for five years. "The issue is about the development of Rajasthan," he said.Pilot also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of ignoring Rajasthan. "Where was the honourable prime minister for five years?" he asked, adding that "no senior BJP leader came to Rajasthan when there were floods, droughts or suicides."Incumbent chief minister Vasundhara Raje cast her vote in Jhalawar district's Jhalrapatan, from where she is contesting the polls.Speaking to media, she also responded to Sharad Yadav's comment calling her "fat" and said: "I am absolutely shocked that a politician with so much experience, who has been so close to our family, would use such language. You will never hear a BJP leader using such language.""I am insulted," she said about his comment.After a high-decibel campaigning, Rajasthan is all set to elect a new state Assembly, voting which will take place on Friday. As many as 2,274 candidates including 187 women are in the fray for 199 out of the 200 assembly constituencies in the state.According to election officials, polling will take place from 8 am to 5 pm on 7 December in 199 constituencies. The election in Alwar district's Ramgarh constituency has been postponed due to the death of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate Laxman Singh.According to the State Election Commission, there are 4,77,89,815 voters in the state among whom, 2,28,28,018 are female and 2,49,61,560 male voters. There are 1,16,944 service voters whereas 15 NRI electors and 222 third gender electors in the state.Counting will take place on 11 December for Rajasthan and four other states Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and Mizoram, taking part in this round of Assembly elections.Elaborate security arrangements have also been made to ensure free and fair polls in the 51,965 polling stations in the state. According to sources, at least 650 companies have been called from outside. Additionally, 134 CRPF companies, 110 BSF companies, 103 CISF companies, 42 ITBP companies, 41 SSB companies and 45 companies of the RPF have been employed to maintain decorum during polling.Campaigning in the high-stakes 7 December Assembly elections, dubbed as the semi-final before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, ended in Rajasthan on Wednesday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi making a concerted attempt on the last day to win the contest for their parties.The contest is largely bipolar between the BJP and Congress for the 200-member Rajasthan assembly. Campaigning in both the states has been bitter with personalised attacks by leaders of various parties.In Rajasthan, the BJP is fighting anti-incumbency to retain power though no party has been repeated after one term in the last 20 years. With the poll surveys predicting that Congress was ahead, the BJP has made persistent efforts over the last few days to shore up its prospects with Modi, the main vote getter for the BJP, addressing around 12 rallies.On Wednesday, he made a strong attack on Congress over the issue of corruption in the wake of extradition of Christian Michel, a middleman in the controversial AgustaWestland chopper deal, stating that the British national, who has taken UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi's name, will spill the beans on the deal during the UPA government's tenure.Shah has also been holding road shows and addressing press conferences in Rajasthan. The BJP had won 163 seats in Rajasthan in 2013 elections while Congress bagged 21.On the other side, Rahul Gandhi has been on a relentless campaign in both Rajasthan and Telangana. The party has not projected a chief ministerial candidate in both the states.

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Rajasthan Assembly Elections 2018 updates: Rahul Gandhi asks Congress workers to 'be vigilant after polls close today'

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Rahul Gandhi, Kharge lead protest near PM residence; Centre says Parliament discussion was offered

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