Jaipur: State Election Commission (SEC) Saturday revised polling phase dates for all 19 urban local bodies in Jhunjhunu district after the administration flagged a large influx of devotees for the annual Bhadav Amavasya religious event on Sept 11.The commission earlier announced municipal elections across Rajasthan to be held in two phases on Sept 9 and Sept 11.SEC approved the district’s proposal to swap the polling phases of certain municipal bodies to avoid deployment and security-related difficulties during the event, when lakhs of devotees are expected to visit temples for prayers, rituals and bathing.Jhunjhunu Collector Arun Garg said Bhadav Amavasya this year falls on Sept 11 and devotees would begin arriving from Sept 10, with the largest impact in Jhunjhunu, Nawalgarh and surrounding areas. The phase change, he said, was aimed at ensuring that neither the polling arrangements nor the voter turnout gets affected.Under the revised schedule, Jhunjhunu, Baggad, Sultana, Nawalgarh, Jakhal, Mukundgarh, Dundlod, Khetri and Udaipurwati—covering 275 municipal wards—will vote in the first phase on Sept 9, instead of Sept 11.Pilani, Chirawa, Mandrela, Vidyavihar, Surajgarh, Singhana, Buhana, Mandawa, Bissau and Malsisar—covering 280 municipal wards—will vote in the second phase on Sept 11, instead of Sept 9.In its communication to SEC, the district administration said a significant police force is deployed for the Bhadav Amavasya event and several polling stations are in buildings near temples, raising concerns over managing election arrangements amid heavy footfalls.
