Rajasthan Panchayat Elections Witness 64.32% Voter Turnout; Batadu Leads with 78.30%
Rajasthans Panchayat elections saw a 64.32% turnout, with Batadu achieving the highest at 78.30%. Voting faced minor disruptions due to EVM issues.
Jaipur, October 28 (Daily Kiran) : Voter turnout for the second phase of Rajasthan’s Panchayati Raj elections reached 64.32% by 6 PM on October 28, 2026. Batadu in Barmer district recorded the highest turnout at 78.30%. In contrast, the Desuri Panchayat in Pali district saw the lowest turnout at 49.11%.
Voting commenced across 22 district councils and 124 Panchayat committees, covering 2,549 wards starting at 7 AM. Many polling stations continued to serve voters beyond the official closing time, with long lines observed at several locations.
This phase included 352 district council wards and 2,197 Panchayat committee wards, with 8,404 candidates vying for positions. The electronic voting machines (EVMs) will ultimately determine their political futures.
District-level data indicated that Barmer’s total voting percentage stood at 72.08%. Out of 353,235 eligible voters in the district, 254,627 participated in the elections. While Batadu led with a notable 78.30% turnout, the Barmer Panchayat committee recorded a lower participation rate of 64.87%.
Despite enthusiasm among voters, some polling places experienced temporary disruptions due to technical issues with the EVMs. Approximately 30,000 machines were deployed across 11,799 polling stations, with reports of 105 ballot boxes and 71 control units malfunctioning, though the situation was quickly resolved.
In Ganpatsinghpura in Bikaner, residents protested outside a polling station when they found the main gate closed. Meanwhile, villagers in Umkali in Pali district boycotted the elections, demanding the formation of a separate gram panchayat.
Elsewhere, the voting process proceeded smoothly under strict security and administrative oversight. Officials and police were present at polling centers to ensure order. This phase is part of the ongoing Panchayati Raj electoral process in Rajasthan, where voters select representatives for local administrative bodies.
Elections for the Panchayat members and Sarpanches are scheduled for the following day, Thursday.
