Rajasthan panchayat polls Phase 1: 63% turnout; Barmer's Mangta tops at 79.55%
Synopsis
Rajasthan's first phase of panchayat polls drew roughly 63% of 85.07 lakh eligible voters — more than 13 percentage points below the state's own urban local body benchmark. With Mangta hitting 79.55% and Pali's Rani scraping just 40.02%, the rural turnout divide is stark. Results across all four phases land on 20 November.
Key Takeaways
Phase 1 of Rajasthan's Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad elections concluded on 22 October 2026 with an estimated 63% turnout .
85.07 lakh voters were eligible; 6,926 candidates contested 2,081 seats across 16 Zila Parishads and 104 Panchayat Samitis .
Barmer's Mangta Panchayat Samiti recorded the highest turnout at 79.55% ; Udaipur's Nai Panchayat Samiti also exceeded 79% .
Pali's Rani Panchayat Samiti posted the lowest reported turnout at 40.02% .
Phase 1 turnout is significantly lower than the 76.41% recorded in Phase 1 of the state's urban local body elections.
Election results across all four phases are scheduled for 20 November 2026 .
Voting in the first phase of Rajasthan's Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad elections concluded on Thursday, 22 October 2026, with an estimated turnout of approximately 63 per cent across 16 Zila Parishads and 104 Panchayat Samitis. The figure falls notably short of the 76.41 per cent recorded in the first phase of the state's urban local body elections, underscoring a persistent gap in rural voter mobilisation.
Key Turnout Figures
Of the 85.07 lakh registered voters eligible in this phase, polling was held between 7 am and 6 pm using electronic voting machines (EVMs). A total of 6,926 candidates contested 2,081 seats — covering 293 Zila Parishad member positions across 16 districts and 1,788 Panchayat Samiti member positions across 104 Panchayat Samitis.
Barmer district's Mangta Panchayat Samiti led the state with the highest turnout at 79.55 per cent. Udaipur district's Nai Panchayat Samiti also crossed the 79 per cent mark, reflecting strong grassroots participation in these constituencies.
Low Participation in Pali and Sirohi
In contrast, voter participation lagged in parts of Pali and Sirohi districts. Pali's Rani Panchayat Samiti recorded the lowest turnout in available data at just 40.02 per cent — nearly half the figure posted by Mangta. The wide variance between the highest and lowest constituencies points to uneven civic engagement across Rajasthan's rural belt.
Jaipur District Performance
In Jaipur district, voting was conducted across eight Panchayat Samitis, with turnout ranging between 65 and 72 per cent. Jhotwara Panchayat Samiti performed strongest within the district, recording 72.02 per cent turnout. Final figures across all constituencies are expected to be updated after full compilation of polling data.
What Comes Next
The Rajasthan panchayat elections are being conducted across four phases. Candidates for the first two phases have been finalised; the nomination process for Phase 3 is currently underway. Results for all phases are scheduled to be declared on 20 November 2026. The coming phases will test whether the subdued first-phase rural turnout reflects a broader trend or remains confined to specific districts.
Point of View
But measured against Rajasthan's own urban baseline of 76.41%, it reveals a structural deficit in rural civic participation that the state administration should not gloss over. The 39-percentage-point gap between Mangta and Pali's Rani Panchayat Samiti is not noise — it signals deeply uneven outreach, infrastructure, or political contestation across districts. With three phases still to go, the Election Commission and political parties face pressure to diagnose why pockets of Pali and Sirohi stayed home. A pattern of low rural turnout, if it persists, risks undermining the legitimacy of local governance bodies that directly shape village-level public services.
NationPress
23 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the voter turnout in Rajasthan panchayat elections Phase 1?
Voter turnout in Phase 1 of the Rajasthan Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad elections stood at an estimated 63 per cent. This covers 16 Zila Parishads and 104 Panchayat Samitis, with 85.07 lakh registered voters eligible to vote.
Which Panchayat Samiti recorded the highest turnout in Phase 1?
Barmer district's Mangta Panchayat Samiti recorded the highest voter turnout in Phase 1 at 79.55 per cent. Udaipur district's Nai Panchayat Samiti also crossed the 79 per cent mark.
Which area had the lowest voter turnout in Phase 1?
Pali district's Rani Panchayat Samiti recorded the lowest reported turnout at just 40.02 per cent. Voter participation was generally low across parts of Pali and Sirohi districts.
When will the Rajasthan panchayat election results be declared?
Results for the Rajasthan Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad elections are scheduled to be declared on 20 November 2026, after all four phases of polling are completed.
How many seats and candidates were part of Rajasthan panchayat Phase 1?
Phase 1 covered 2,081 seats, with 6,926 candidates contesting. This included 293 Zila Parishad member seats across 16 Zila Parishads and 1,788 Panchayat Samiti member seats across 104 Panchayat Samitis.
