‘Value of every vote is high’: Leaders urge strong turnout in Rajasthan civic polls

Jaipur, Sep 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) With polling underway across 147 urban local bodies in Rajasthan on Friday in the second phase of elections and more than 87 lakh voters eligible to exercise their franchise, political leaders are calling for greater voter participation.

Polling began at 7 a.m. and will continue until 6 p.m. across six municipal corporations, 24 municipal councils and 117 municipalities. The elections are being closely watched as voters choose representatives for local bodies, with issues such as cleanliness, electricity, civic infrastructure and ward-level development emerging as key concerns among residents.

Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, after casting his vote, said voting was not merely a constitutional right but also a responsibility essential for a healthy democratic process.

“Voting is not just a right; it is also a duty. For the maturity of democracy, having a healthy and free voting process is absolutely essential,” Shekhawat said.

He said he came to vote along with his family and expressed confidence after observing the initial response from voters.

Shekhawat also highlighted the role of young voters, saying India’s large youth population makes their participation particularly important in the democratic process.

“India is a country of youth. Being a nation of youth, the role of young people in this grand festival of democracy is extremely important,” he said.

The Union Minister said the participation of young people in elections has increased over the years and that they are getting increasingly aware of the importance of choosing candidates who can contribute to the development of their city, state and country.

State Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore also stressed the importance of voter awareness and turnout. He said a voter gets the opportunity to decide the direction of governance only once every five years in local body elections and urged citizens to exercise their franchise.

“It is a very good thing if the voting percentage is high and voters have become aware. The value of a vote is very high,” Rathore said.

Education Minister Madan Dilawar said enthusiasm among voters was encouraging, pointing to long queues at polling stations. He said voter awareness was crucial to strengthening democracy and noted that people were participating in the elections with enthusiasm.

“There is an atmosphere of excitement, joy and passion,” Dilawar said, referring to the voter turnout.

BJP MLA Anita Bhadel, after casting her vote, said she thanked the polling personnel for ensuring voting began on time at 7 a.m. She appealed to voters to keep aside other engagements and prioritise voting.

Rajasthan Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani also cast his vote at a polling station in Ward No. 4 in Ajmer. He linked the elections to the broader debate over conducting elections simultaneously.

Devnani backed the concept of “One State, One Election”, saying simultaneous elections could reduce the repeated imposition of the Model Code of Conduct, which he said sometimes affected the pace of development work.

He also urged residents to participate in the “urban festival of democracy” and cast their votes.

Meanwhile, former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot criticised the BJP-led state government over its performance. Speaking in Jodhpur, Gehlot alleged that the government machinery was not functioning properly and claimed that development work had suffered over the past two-and-a-half years.

Gehlot said the situation was serious and called upon people to play an active role in addressing issues affecting the state.

While political leaders traded views over governance and the significance of the polls, voters focused largely on immediate civic concerns affecting their neighbourhoods.

One voter said residents wanted whoever was elected to pay attention to the development of their colony and ward, particularly cleanliness and other basic amenities. The voter said elected representatives should remain accessible throughout their term rather than returning to seek votes only after five years.

Another voter, casting a vote in a municipal council election for the first time, said she was excited to participate and wanted a candidate with a clean image who could address issues related to cleanliness, electricity and overall development of the ward.

Bharatpur District Election Officer Kamar Chaudhary also appealed to voters to turn out in large numbers. She said past experience showed that people often participated enthusiastically in municipal and panchayat elections because candidates personally reached out to voters.

Chaudhary said citizens frequently complain about civic issues but must also fulfil their own responsibility by voting and choosing their representatives.

Source: IANS