Polling Underway for 134 Sarpanch and 1,394 Ward Panch Posts in Rajasthan's Sikar
Polling is underway in Rajasthan's Sikar district for 134 sarpanch and 1,394 ward panch posts. Around 4.95 lakh voters are eligible to cast their votes at 546 polling booths across five panchayat samiti areas. Voting will continue until 6 pm, after which counting of votes will begin.
Polling for the panchayat elections began at 7 am on Thursday, November 5, with voters arriving at polling stations across rural areas of Sikar district. Women, elderly residents and young voters are participating in the election to choose their village representatives.
Polling is being conducted through ballot papers for sarpanch and ward panch posts across five panchayat samitis. Several polling stations witnessed queues even before voting began. Despite the mild cold, voters arrived wearing warm clothing, while women also turned out in significant numbers.
At Booth No. 90, located at the government school in Mandawara village, voters were seen waiting in queues since the morning. A large number of women also arrived to cast their votes, with several residents prioritising voting before attending to other household responsibilities.
A similar scene was witnessed in Sarwadi village under the Dhod Panchayat Samiti, where women arrived at polling stations wearing traditional Shekhawati attire and waited for their turn to vote.
Elderly voters also participated in the polling process in Mandawara. Jora Devi, a 90-year-old resident of the village, reached the polling station set up at the government school with the assistance of her family members.
Despite her advanced age, she arrived to exercise her voting right in the panchayat elections. Her family members accompanied her to the booth.
The participation of elderly residents alongside younger voters reflected the involvement of different age groups in selecting village representatives.
Polling is being conducted in the Dantaramgarh, Dhod, Dhod Rural, Khachariyawas and Palsana Panchayat Samitis of Sikar district. Elections are being held for sarpanch posts in 134 gram panchayats and 1,394 ward panch posts.
Dantaramgarh Panchayat Samiti has 23 sarpanch posts and 227 ward panch posts. In Dhod, elections are being held for 31 sarpanch posts and 315 ward panch posts. Dhod Rural has 33 sarpanch posts and 335 ward panch posts.
In Khachariyawas Panchayat Samiti, voters are electing representatives for 19 sarpanch posts and 217 ward panch posts. In the Palsana area, elections are being conducted for 28 sarpanch posts and 300 ward panch posts.
According to District Election Officer Ashish Modi, 546 polling stations have been established for this phase of the elections. The electoral rolls include 495,558 registered voters, including four transgender voters.
The administration has put security arrangements in place to ensure peaceful polling. Sector magistrates and area magistrates have been deployed across the polling areas.
Two police personnel have been assigned to accompany each sector magistrate, while one police personnel has been deployed with each area magistrate. Police personnel are also monitoring areas surrounding the polling stations.
In Ranoli village under the Palsana Panchayat Samiti, police have installed barricades within a 200-metre radius of the polling booth. Vehicles are being stopped approximately 200 metres before the polling station to prevent unnecessary crowding around the booth.
Voting for the sarpanch and ward panch elections began at 7 am through ballot papers and is scheduled to continue until 6 pm.
Counting of ballot papers will begin after polling concludes. Results will subsequently be declared for the respective gram panchayats, with outcomes expected to emerge at several locations by late night.
Voters in the district are electing their sarpanches and ward representatives. These elected representatives will play a role in development works, addressing local issues and taking decisions related to their respective villages at the panchayat level.
