Jaipur, Oct. 22 -- Voting for the first phase of elections to Rajasthan's Panchayati Raj institutions began at 7 am on Thursday across 16 Zila Parishads and 104 Panchayat Samitis, with 85.07 lakh voters eligible to elect their representatives.

A total of 6,926 candidates are contesting in the first phase, with voters casting ballots for two posts: Zila Parishad member and Panchayat Samiti member. A total of 9,886 polling stations have been set up for the voting.

The contest is expected to be primarily between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), while the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP), Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) and independent candidates also have a presence in several areas.

In Jaipur district, polling is underway in...