Voters in Rajasthan and Telangana have begun queuing up outside polling booths to cast their votes in assembly elections. According to the Election Commission, 21.89% votes have been cast by 11 AM in Rajasthan, while the voters turnout in Telangana was 22 % at the same time.
Rajasthan has the BJP government, headed by Vasundhara Raje, who is seeking a second term in office. Other than the anti-incumbency, Raje has also been facing growing infighting within the party. The state has had a history of changing the government every five years. According to opinion polls, the Congress was set to form a government in the state with 200 assembly seats.
In Telangana, the ruling TRS too is hoping to return to power for the second time. The party, supported by the AIMIM, is hoping to ward off the anti-incumbency, although the electoral fight here looks tough. Though, the BJP has no significant presence here, its leaders including Yogi Adityanath were accused of making desperate attempts to polarise votes along the religious line. Telangana has 119 seats.
Friday’s polls, dubbed as semi-finals before the next year’s Lok Sabha elections, were marred by several incidents of EVM malfunctioning. Voters, according to ANI, created ruckus at polling booth no. 253 and 254 in Ahor constituency of Jalore as voting was halted for several hours following EVM malfunctioning. A report by ABP said that similar incidents were reported in Dungarpur, Piplai in Sawai Madhopur and Chatarpura too.
In Bikaner, Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal returned from the polling booth without casting his vote as EVMs could not work due to malfunctioning. He returned to polling booth only after two hours when he was finally able to cast his vote.
Here are the live updates:
- Voter turnout recorded till 5 PM in #RajasthanElections2018 is 72.7% (ANI)
- Voter turnout recorded till 3 PM in #RajasthanElections2018 is 59.43% (ANI)
- Voter turnout recorded till 3 PM in
#TelanganaElections2018 is 56.17% (ANI)
Jwala Gutta: I checked my name online 2-3 weeks ago, my mother's&my names were there, my father's&my sister's were missing. Today we went to cast vote but my name was also missing. I don't understand how's my name missing. I've been living here for 12 yrs. #TelanganaElections pic.twitter.com/mh1cRnTWu1
— ANI (@ANI) December 7, 2018
- Voters turnout recorded at 1 pm in Telangana is 49.15%.
Rajasthan: Vehicles were set ablaze&vandalised in a clash which broke out b/w 2 groups at polling booth at Subhash school in Sikar's Fatehpur today. Voting remained affected for 30 minutes. Miscreants were later removed from spot by police&voting resumed. #RajasthanElections pic.twitter.com/x6nQChT0vR
— ANI (@ANI) December 7, 2018
#TelanaganaElections2018: Challa Vamshi Chand Reddy, Congress candidate from Kalwakurthy, Mahbubnagar was allegedly attacked by unknown miscreants earlier today. He was later shifted to Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) Hospital, Hyderabad and is out of danger now. pic.twitter.com/bpgmAQBs5H
— ANI (@ANI) December 7, 2018
Caretaker CM of Telangana cast his vote at a polling station in Siddipet today. #TelanganaElections pic.twitter.com/Qf3Z82n4AR
— ANI (@ANI) December 7, 2018
Telangana: Caretaker Minister KT Rama Rao cast his vote at a polling station in Hyderabad earlier today. #TelanganaElections pic.twitter.com/HqRjuBouo7
— ANI (@ANI) December 7, 2018
- Voter turnout recorded till 1 PM in #TelanganaElections2018 is 49.15% (ANI)
Telangana: BJP MP Bandaru Dattatreya casts his vote at booth no.229 in Ramnagar of Musheerabad constituency in Hyderabad. #TelanganaElections pic.twitter.com/D8gLFfJBUj
— ANI (@ANI) December 7, 2018
- Voter turnout in Rajasthan till 11 am is 21.89%
- EVM is being replaced at polling booth no. 172 in Bikaner’s Kisamidesar following a technical issue, reports ANI
- Appealing to the citizens of Telangana to exercise their right to vote today. Remember that every vote counts and will make a difference: Andhra CM N Chandrababu Naidu
Rajasthan: Congress leader Ashok Gehlot cast his vote at polling booth no. 106 in Jodhpur. #RajasthanElections pic.twitter.com/EYKuwrOA6D
— ANI (@ANI) December 7, 2018
- Voting is yet to begin in polling booth no. 253 and 254 in Ahor following EVM malfunction (ANI)
- Sachin Pilot of Congress says his party will decide who will be the chief minister only after ‘our party gets a majority in the election.’
- Every single vote counts. We have to cast our vote today by thinking who is actually taking the nation forward: Union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore