Election process in Rajasthan begins with notification

Jaipur, Nov 10 (UNI) Sitting BJP MLA Prem Singh Bajore, Congress MLA Ramesh Khinchi and Samajwadi Party nominee Mahendra Yadav filed their nominations on the opening day even as the election process for the constitution of the 13th Rajasthan Assembly began today with the issuance of the statutory notification.

While Mr Bajore filed candidature from Neem Ka Thana in Sukar district, Khinchi and Mahendra Yadav filed papers from Behror and Kishangarhbas in Alwar district respectively. Two independents also entered the fray from Alwar and Sikar districts, Election Office Sources said.

As per the schedule announced by the Commission, the filing of nominations will continue till November 17, scrutiny will be done on November 18 and withdrawals can be made by November 20.

The polling in all the 200 assembly constituencies will be held on December 4 and counting will be done on December 8, an Election Office Spokesman said.

Around 3.62 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise even as the process of continuous revision of electoral rolls was on.

Around 42,200 polling booths were being set up for the polling.

The election arrangements were given final touch, he said.

The ruling BJP announced 95 of the total 200 candidates last night while the Congress had already released two lists of 146 candidates. The BSP has announced its nominees on most of the seats while the CPI announced 15 and the Samajwadi Party 24 so far. As per the Assembly record, the ruling BJP has strength of 121 in 200 member house which already has three vacancies. The Congress has 53 seats followed by the INLD (3), the BSP and the JD(U) (2 each), the LJP, the RSNM and the CPI(M) (one each) and Indepedents (13).

Shiv Charan Mathur and Govind Singh Gurjar of Congress had quit their assembly seats following their appointment as Governor of Assam and Lt Governor of Puducherry respectively while Ms Divya Singh(BJP) had resigned a few days ago following her appointment as Chairperson to Rajasthan Subordinate Services Selection Board.

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