Churu, Rajasthan: Tensions escalated at a polling station within the Sardarshahar assembly constituency in Rajasthan during the ongoing assembly elections on Saturday, resulting in a physical altercation.
Asif Khokhar, a representative of a local councilor, claimed that he was targeted and physically assaulted by a group of approximately five to seven individuals.
Reports indicate that law enforcement swiftly intervened at the 'Rajkiya Anjuman Vidyalaya' polling booth upon receiving notification of the altercation.
The electoral battle in Sardarshahar is between BJP candidate Rajkumar Rinva and Congress contender Anil Kumar Sharma.
Voting commenced across 199 out of 200 assembly seats in Rajasthan amidst extensive campaigning by major political parties, including the incumbent Congress and the BJP. However, elections in the Karanpur constituency were postponed following the demise of Congress candidate Gurmeet Singh Koonar.
Polling operations are scheduled from 7 am to 6 pm, with stringent security measures in place to ensure a peaceful and impartial electoral process.
The ruling Congress aims for a consecutive term, while the BJP endeavors to replace the Ashok Gehlot-led government, leveraging the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Vote counting is set for December 3, involving 5,26,90,146 eligible voters across 51,890 polling stations in the assembly constituencies. Notably, the election campaign in Rajasthan concluded on Thursday, with a significant demographic of 1,70,99,334 voters aged 18-30, including 22,61,008 newly registered voters in the 18-19 age bracket.
To ensure the security of voters, a deployment of 1,02,290 security personnel has been executed, comprising 69,114 police officers, 32,876 Rajasthan Home Guard, Forest Guard, and RAC personnel, along with 700 companies of CAPF.
In the 2018 elections, the Congress secured 99 seats, while the BJP claimed 73. Ashok Gehlot assumed the Chief Minister's role with the backing of BSP MLAs and independent candidates.
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