43 per cent polling recorded till 1 pm in Raj civic polls

Nearly 43 per cent polling was recorded till 1 pm in 46 civic bodies including six municipal corporations in Rajasthan where polling is underway today.
"Vote cast percentage till 1 pm remained 42.99 per cent. The polling is peaceful and there is no report of any untoward incident at the control room here," an official of the state election commission said.
Though voting was slow during the initial hours but later it picked up with voters, including women, elderly persons as well as young people, queuing up outside the polling booths.
BJP leader Gulab Chand Kataria cast his vote in Udaipur.

"Local body elections are important because 70-80 per cent local works of development are carried out by the local bodies," he said.
Meanwhile, minor incidents of scuffle were reported from Churu and Jhunjhunu districts though polling was not affected, police said.

"Two independent candidates confronted in a polling station following which a scuffle broke out between them in Sadulpur area but the situation was brought under control soon," Churu, SP, Rahul Katakey said.
In Jhunjhunu, another minor incident occurred outside a polling booth involving a voter and some supporters of a party candidate.
"The matter was resolved," Jhunjhunu, SP, Surendra Kumar said.

7,375 candidates are contesting in the elections for which tight security arrangements have been made.
EVMs have been used for the polling which will end at 6 pm today.
Over 63.09 lakh electors are eligible to cast their votes at 6,135 polling booths in 1,680 wards.
Polling are being held in six municipal corporations of Jaipur, Kota, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Udaipur and Bharatpur, 18 municipal councils and 22 municipalities.