1 killed in police firing in Rajasthan

The single phase polling for the 25 Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan remained more or less peaceful barring stray incidents of community clashes and booth-capturing. The state recorded nearly 50 per cent polling that sealed the fate of 346 candidates including political heavyweights like Buta Singh, Shish Ram Ola, Namo Narayan Meena and Dr Girija Vyas. Poll violence claimed one life in the highly sensitive polling constituency of Sawai Madhopur.

Reports of booth- capturing were reported from Malarna Dungar village in the highly sensitive Sawai Madhopur district, where miscreants pelted stones on CISF jawans. The clashes that ensued led to the death of Netram Meena, 33 when CISF jawans opened fired. One person was injured in the incident.

In a similar incident, a duty constable was beaten up by locals for foiling their attempt to indulge in bogus voting in Bamanwas of the district.

In another sensitive constituency of Dausa from where Meena leader Dr Kirori Lal is contesting, at least six persons were injured in community clashes between Gurjars and Meenas. In Bhandarej village, minor clashes between Gurjars and Meenas were reported following which Dr Kirori’s supporters lay siege to the police station. Stray incidents of booth-capturing were also reported from some other places including Harigarh in Jhalawar, Bilada and Alwar.

Some villages in Bundi, Bikaner, Hanumangarh, Nagaur and Jodhpur  reportedly boycotted poll over Bijli, Sadak, Pani and other infrastructure demands.

A polling booth in the Civil Line area of Jaipur witnessed an unusual scene. A bridegroom, riding a bedecked mare, all dressed up in wedding finery arrived with at least 20 members of the baarat to cast their votes. The wedding procession was longer but only those who had their voters’ name in the list arrived at the booth before moving on to the brides’ home.

There were stray reports from Udaipur and other places also where brides and bridegrooms made it a point to cast their vote on their wedding day.

Incidentally, Jaipur city constituency’s Congress candidate Mahesh Joshi celebrated his 22nd wedding anniversary on polling day. The morning newspapers had an appeal on behalf of his wife, asking  people to vote for her husband as her “belated” munh dikhai, which she hadn’t so far asked for in her two- decade-long marital life!