The Rajasthan bypolls come ahead of the assembly elections in the state later this year.
Highlights
- Rajputs, nearly 2 lakh voters in Ajmer, said they will vote against BJP
- Congress hopes anti-incumbency sentiment will help party win bypolls
- Votes will be counted on Thursday, February 1
By-elections being held today for two parliament seats and one assembly seat in Rajasthan are seen to test of the popularity of the BJP government, which hopes to win a second straight term in assembly elections later this year. The Congress hopes an anti-incumbency sentiment and the anger of the Rajputs against the ruling party will help it win all three - the Alwar and Ajmer Lok Sabha seats and the Mandalgarh assembly seat. Votes will be counted on Thursday, February 1.
Here are the top 10 updates in this story:
The by-elections are being held four days after the release of controversial Bollywood film "Padmaavat" and the Rajputs, nearly two lakh voters in Ajmer, have declared that they will vote against the BJP.
Amid violent protests over the film's release, distributors in Rajasthan have refused to screen "Padmaavat" in Rajasthan. Rajput groups had demanded that the film not be released, alleging that it distorts history and portrays the 13th century Rajasthani Queen Padmavati in poor light.
All three are BJP seats. They fell vacant due to the death last year of the BJP lawmakers who held them.
The Congress' state chief Sachin Pilot has campaigned hard. Snatching even one of the three seats from the BJP will be a big morale booster for the opposition party ahead of the assembly elections and parliament elections next year.
The BJP is not taking the by-elections lightly either. It has fielded the state's Labour Minister Jaswant Singh Yadav from the Alwar Lok Sabha seat and former Union minister Sanwar Lal Jat's son Ramswaroop Lamba from Ajmer. Shakti Singh Hada is the BJP candidate for the Mandalgarh assembly seat in Bhilwara district.
In a first, EVMs with photos of candidates would be used for polling machines to avoid confusion among voters about different candidates with same names.
Eleven candidates in Alwar, 23 in Ajmer and eight candidates in Mandalgarh are in the fray.
In Ajmer, 6,000 security personnel have been sent to ensure smooth polling. 5,000 security personnel have been sent to Alwar.
Close to 39 lakh voters will vote at over 4,000 polling booths in the three constituencies. 61.75 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 3 pm in Mandalgarh assembly seat. Alwar Lok Sabha seat recorded 37.16 per cent voting and Ajmer Lok
Sabha seat recorded 36.54 per cent voting till noon.
Bypolls are being held today in West Bengal too with voting in Uluberia Lok Sabha constituency and Noapara assembly seat amid tight security. The counting of votes will take place on Thursday.
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