Rajasthan bypolls: voting underway in three seats

Voting started on a dull note on Monday for the bypolls in Ajmer and Alwar Lok Sabha constituencies and Mandalgarh Assembly seat, which are being viewed as a semi-final ahead of the Rajasthan Assembly polls later this year.

An average voting turnout of 5.35%  was recorded in the first two hours of voting.

Alwar recorded 5.42 % voting while the voter turnout in Mandalgarh Assembly constituency was 6.42%, according to the office of the chief electoral officer.

There are 39,02,168  voters and 41 candidates in these three constituencies.

EVM machines with photos of candidates affixed them are being used for the polling.

There are 11 candidates in the fray in Alwar Lok Sabha seat, 23 in Ajmer Lok Sabha and  eight candidates in Mandalgarh Assembly constituency.

Counting of votes will take place on February 1.

The BJP has fielded Labour Minister Jaswant Singh Yadav and former Union minister Sanwar Lal Jat's son Ramswaroop Lamba as its candidates for Alwar and Ajmer Lok Sabha seats, respectively while Shakti Singh Hada is contesting bypolls as a BJP candidate from Mandalgarh  Assembly constituency in Bhilwara district.

The Congress has fielded Vivek Dhakad as its candidate in  Mandalgarh  Assembly constituency, former MLA Raghu Sharma on Ajmer Lok Sabha seat and Karan Singh Yadav in Alwar Lok   Sabha constituency.

The bypolls have been necessitated due to the deaths of Ajmer MP Sanwar Lal Jat, Alwar MP Chand Nath and  Mandalgarh MLA Kirti Kumari (all of the BJP) last year.

Sanwar Lal Jat suffered a cardiac arrest during a party meeting in Jaipur which was being addressed by party president Amit Shah in July and died in August  last year.

Mahant Chand Nath died in September after prolonged illness while Mandalgarh  MLA Kirti Kumari died in August due to illness.