Campaigning for Rajasthan's second phase polling ends

Campaigning for Rajasthan's second and final phase of polling for five Lok Sabha seats on April 24 ended today at 6 PM.

Polling for the second phase in five Lok Sabha constituencies; Dausa, Alwar, Bharatpur, Karauli-Dholpur, and Tonk-Swaimadhopur would begin on April 24 from 7 am to 6 pm, an election official said here.

Poll rallies, meetings, roadshows and advertisement on TV news channels came to grinding halt in LS constituencies.

In the second phase of electioneering, Congress Vice President addressed one poll rally at Karauli, and a roadshow in Alwar in support of Congress candidates. Whereas BJP's Prime Ministerial nominee Narendra Modi did not hold any public meeting.

More than 80.79 lakh electorate are eligible to exercise their franchise to elect five MPs out of 81 contestants from these five LS seats.

Congress, BJP and BSP have fielded five candidates each, while there were 20 Independents and 37 nominees of other parties.

Altogether 9,112 polling stations, including 2,667 critical polling stations, have been set up in the five constituencies.

Over 45,000 security personnel, including central forces, were being deployed to ensure free and fair polls on these seats, DGP (Law and Order) Navdeep Singh said.

Congress's two Union ministers are in the fray. Union Minister of State for Finance Namo Narayan Meena is contesting election against his brother and former DGP H C Meena, who is a BJP candidate from Dausa.

Sitting MLA Dr K L Meena, who quit his Dausa seat after winning assembly polls last year, is also showing his caste strength, whereas another woman MLA Anju Dhanka (Independent) made the Dausa seat multi-cornered contest.

Meena, Gurjar, and sawarn electors would have important role in deciding the future of the winning candidate.

Union Minister of State for Sports Jitendra Singh is pitted against BJP's Mahant Chandnath from Alwar.

Whereas former cricketer Mohd Azharuddin is facing a triangular contest against BJP's Sukhbir Singh Jaunpuria, and NPP's Jagmohan Meena (brother of KL Meena) from Sawaimadhopur-Tonk constituency.

Congress's Lakhiram Bairwa and BJP's Manoj Rajoria are contesting from Karauli-Dholpur Lok Sabha seat, while BJP's sitting MLA Bahadur Singh Koli is contesting against Congress's Suresh Yadav from Bharatpur seat dominated by Jat community.

Polling in 20 of Rajasthan's 25 seats was held on April 17.