Vote count starts in Rajasthan

Counting of votes for 199 of the 200 assembly seats in Rajasthan started Friday, the Election Commission said.

Polling will take place in Churu Dec 13 due to the death of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate.

Watched by officials and representatives of the candidates, the counting progressed rapidly in 37 centers across the state. Most results are expected by late afternoon, officials said.

A total of 2,087 candidates contested in Rajasthan, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) confident of ousting Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot of the Congress.

Over 75 percent of some 40 million people voted Dec 1 to elect a new government.

The Congress and the BJP contested all the seats while the National People’s Party (NPP), led by Meena community leader Kirori Lal Meena, put up candidates in 150 seats and the BSP in over 100.

————–IANS