Jaipur, January 20: Amid stray violence, an estimated 60 per cent voters today exercised their franchise for the first phase of three-stage Panchayati Raj polls in Rajasthan held under tight security.
The voting, which witnessed a few incidents of tampering of EVMs and booth capturing, was held to elect 390 members of Zila Parishad and 1,915 members of Panchayat Samitis.
Close to 60 per cent out of 1.12 crore electorate cast votes in the first round which saw the use of EVMs for the first time in Panchayat elections in Rajasthan, state Election Commissioner A K Pandey said.
Some persons captured two polling booths and ran away with EVMs at Rawal village in Sawaimadhopur district, police said.
Police burst teargas shells and used batons to disperse supporters of rival candidates who were protesting against the disruption of the poll process.
–Agencies