Rajasthan Panchayat Elections 2026: 48.06% Voter Turnout Recorded Till 3 PM Over 55% Expected by 4 PM

The first phase of the Rajasthan Panchayat elections is underway today, and there is tremendous enthusiasm among voters. Long queues have been visible outside polling booths in villages since morning.

According to data released by the State Election Commission till 3 PM, a total of 48.06 percent voting has been recorded. This is a very encouraging figure. At 10 AM, only 11.74 percent of votes had been cast, but after lunch, the pace of voting increased rapidly.

The official figure for 4 PM has not yet been released by the Commission. However, according to our ground reporters and local sources, voting had crossed 55 percent by 4 PM. In many villages, people are still waiting in line to cast their votes. Since voting will continue until 6 PM, the final figure is expected to be even higher, possibly around 65 to 70 percent.

Bikaner on Top

Among the 16 districts where voting is taking place today, Bikaner is leading.

Till 3 PM, Bikaner recorded 55.55 percent voting, which is the highest. It is followed by Phalodi in second place with 53.55 percent, Jhalawar with 53.13 percent, and Barmer with 51.72 percent. This shows that people in North and West Rajasthan are turning out in large numbers to vote.

In contrast, some areas like Ajmer Rural had a slow start. Until 1 PM, only 23 percent voting was recorded there, but it has now picked up pace.

Today, voting is being held in 16 districts: Ajmer, Alwar, Barmer, Bhilwara, Bikaner, Dungarpur, Jaipur, Jhalawar, Jodhpur, Kota, Nagaur, Pali, Phalodi, Rajsamand, Sirohi, and Udaipur. A total of 8.5 million voters will decide the fate of 6,976 candidates.

These candidates are contesting 2,081 seats. Of these, 293 are Zila Parishad wards and 1,788 are Panchayat Samiti wards. In this phase, 16 Zila Parishads and 104 Panchayat Samitis will be formed.

Peaceful Voting — No Major Incident

So far, voting has been peaceful. The State Election Commissioner stated that no major incident of violence has been reported from anywhere. At a few places, there were minor technical issues with EVMs, but they were rectified immediately. More than 15,000 police personnel have been deployed, and CCTV cameras have been installed at sensitive booths for monitoring.

This election is considered very important for both the BJP and the Congress. Both parties are calling it a semi-final for the 2028 Assembly elections.

What is the Next Schedule?

This is only the first phase. The second phase of voting will be held on October 28, and the third phase on November 3.

There is some confusion among people regarding the counting of votes. To clarify, the votes for Sarpanch and Ward Panch will be counted on October 24 at the Gram Panchayat headquarters. However, the votes cast today for Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti members will be counted later, on November 20, at the district headquarters.

The final official voting percentage for today will be released after 6 PM on the official website of the Rajasthan State Election Commission.