Electioneering ends for last round of polling in Rajasthan

Electioneering ended Saturday evening in 12 Rajasthan constituencies, which saw hectic campaigning by the BJP and the Congress over the past week.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and Congress president Rahul Gandhi were among the leaders who addressed public meetings ahead of the final round of voting in the state on Monday.

Polling will take place in Ganganagar, Bikaner, Churu, Jhunjhunu, Sikar, Jaipur rural, Jaipur, Alwar, Bharatpur, Karauli-Dholpur, Dausa and Nagaur Lok Sabha constituencies on May 6, the fifth phase of voting nationwide.

Union ministers Rajyavardhan Rathore (Jaipur rural) and Arjun Ram Meghwal (Bikaner), Congress MLA and Olympian Krishna Poonia (Jaipur rural), Bhanwar Jitendra Singh (Alwar) are some of the contestants in this last phase of polling in the state.

As many as 134 candidates, including 12 from the Congress and 11 from the Bharatiya Janata Party, are in the fray. Just 16 candidates are women.

Polling was held on April 29 in the state's other 13 constituencies.

There are 2.30 crore registered voters in these 12 constituencies where 23, 783 polling stations have been set up.

Prime minister Narendra Modi held rallies in Jaipur, Karauli, Sikar and Bikaner for this phase of polling.

BJP president Amit Shah was in Dausa, Alwar and Bharatpur. Uuion Home Minister Rajnath Singh visited Ganganagar and Dausa, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath went to Hanumangarh.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi addressed rallies in Dholpur, Bharatpur, Jaipur and Churu ahead of this phase. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and the state's Congress chief Sachin Pilot too toured the constituencies.

Jaipur rural seat is witnessing a contest between Olympians Rathore, who sought votes in Modi's name, and Poonia who seems to enjoy the support of the Jat community.

Union Minister and a former IAS official Arjun Ram Meghwal is contesting against former IPS officer and Congress candidate Madangopal Meghwal.The two also happen to be cousins.

In Nagaur, Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) founder and former BJP leader Hanuman Beniwal is now fighting as his old party's ally from Nagaur against former MP and Congress candidate Jyoti Mirdha.

Two Hindu 'sants', Sumedhanand Saraswati and Baba Balaknath, are trying their luck from Sikar and Alwar respectively, contesting on BJP tickets. Sumedhanand is the sitting MP from Sikar.

In Dausa, both the BJP and Congress candidates are women. BJP has fielded former MP Jaskaru Meena against Congress nominee Savita Meena, the wife of party MLA Murari Meena.

All 25 Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan went to the BJP in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The Congress, however, seemed to catch up lost ground by winning the assembly polls last year.

In the latest phase of campaigning, the BJP continued with its focus on the surgical strike and the air strike against Pakistan-based terrorists, while also highlighting the UN designation of Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.

The Congress seemed to bank on 'Nyay', the income support promise under which the poorest 20 per cent families will get Rs 6,000 a month if the party comes to power.

Under Election Commission rules, restrictions on holding public meetings, procession and campaigning through electronic and social media kicked in at 6 pm Saturday.

Rajasthan's Chief Electoral Officer Anand Kumar said all security arrangements have been made to ensure free and fair elections in the state.