Voting will be held on Saturday in the fourth phase of the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj elections for Zila Parishads (district councils) in 25 districts and 116 Panchayat Samitis (block-level councils).

A total of 8,843 candidates are contesting the elections, including 1,322 candidates for 382 Zila Parishad wards and 7,521 candidates for 2,142 Panchayat Samiti wards.

As many as 10,594,285 voters will exercise their franchise in this phase. The electorate comprises 5,488,275 men and 5,105,951 women. A total of 11,905 polling booths have been established to conduct the voting.

The fourth phase has also drawn attention because several family members of prominent political leaders are contesting the elections.

Parakram Singh, son of senior BJP leader Rajendra Rathore, and his wife, Rathore’s daughter-in-law, are both contesting for Zila Parishad seats in Churu. Sons, daughters, daughters-in-law and other relatives of several political leaders are also among the candidates contesting in this phase.

Sri Ganganagar district has recorded the highest number of candidates in both Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections. For its 30 Zila Parishad wards, the highest among the districts, 101 candidates are in the fray.

Similarly, 553 candidates are contesting for 164 Panchayat Samiti wards in Sri Ganganagar, making it the district with the highest number of contestants in this category as well.

In the fourth phase, male voters outnumber female voters by 382,324. Women account for approximately 48.19 per cent of the total electorate. However, the figures tell a different story in Banswara and Pratapgarh, where female voters outnumber their male counterparts. In Banswara, there are 323,429 female voters compared to 322,180 male voters, a difference of 1,249. Similarly, Pratapgarh has 129,735 female voters, 1,358 more than the number of male voters.

In Jaipur district, voting in the fourth phase will take place across the Andhi, Bassi, Jamwaramgarh, and Tunga Panchayat Samitis. A total of 241 candidates are contesting 82 Panchayat Samiti wards, while 32 candidates are in the fray for 13 Zila Parishad wards. This brings the total number of candidates contesting elections for both bodies to 273.

The district has 407,280 registered voters, including 212,640 men and 194,640 women, with male voters exceeding female voters by 18,000. Elections will be held for Zila Parishad wards 38 to 50. A total of 446 polling stations have been established across the district.

In the fourth phase of the Panchayati Raj elections, an average of four candidates are contesting each seat across the Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samitis. Sri Ganganagar has the highest number of Panchayat Samiti candidates, with 553, followed by Banswara with 518 and Karauli with 495.

Sri Ganganagar also leads in terms of polling infrastructure, with 999 polling stations. It is followed by Churu, with 689 polling stations; Banswara, with 678; and Didwana-Kuchaman, with 658.

The fourth and final phase of the Rajasthan Panchayat elections is far more than a routine electoral exercise, as it will determine the next generation of local leadership across the state’s villages.

With nearly 12.5 million (1.25 crore) voters set to participate, the political fortunes of thousands of candidates hang in the balance.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Friday launched a sharp attack against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday accusing the party of deliberately instigating social and linguistic disputes in Maharashtra—specifically citing ongoing controversies surrounding Chhath Puja—to distract citizens from administrative and economic issues.

In his statement, Thackeray alleged that the ruling party is employing a calculated strategy to keep communities divided while benefiting its favoured associates.

“They want to keep us fighting while they keep eating,” Thackeray wrote, urging citizens to recognise what he described as a political ploy.

Thackeray claimed that when communities are not kept occupied with disputes over religion, caste, or language—such as Hindu-Muslim tensions, Marathi versus non-Marathi friction, or dietary controversies—the public is kept entangled in administrative and financial matters like UPI merchant charges, Aadhaar, and Special Intensive Revision (SIR) processes.

He accused the BJP of manufacturing controversies like the Chhath Puja row to secure a “free hand to loot the Sahyadri of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj”.

He asserted that while his party remains committed to protecting Maharashtra’s interests and self-respect, it will not fall into a political trap set by its opponents.

Addressing devotees and communities observing Chhath Puja directly, Thackeray cautioned them against becoming pawns in electoral politics.

He stated that the BJP currently requires their support for votes and social polarisation, urging both Marathi speakers and North Indian observers to remain alert and avoid getting drawn into manufactured conflicts.

Thackeray called for collective resistance against the current administration and warned that any BJP-backed elements attempting to disrupt social harmony would be held accountable at the appropriate time.

Thackeray’s remarks come amid heightened political rhetoric in Mumbai and across Maharashtra regarding Chhath Puja celebrations.

Earlier on Friday, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray issued a similar warning, alleging that the BJP was exploiting the Chhath Puja row and utilising social media campaigns to provoke a Marathi–North Indian divide in Mumbai ahead of upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh.

Both leaders have urged their respective party workers and the wider public to exercise restraint and avoid escalating tensions on the ground.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday expressed deep anguish over a tragic accident in Kaziranga, saying the scale of the loss has shaken the entire state.

He assured the grieving families that they are not alone. In a post on X, Sarma said he was deeply distressed by the incident, which took place earlier in the day. He extended his condolences to every family that has lost a loved one. While no words can ease their pain, he said all of Assam stands with them in this hour of grief.

The Chief Minister said the government’s foremost priority is to ensure that the injured receive the best possible medical care without delay.

He added that Minister Atul Bora has reached the site and is personally overseeing relief arrangements on the ground. Sarma also prayed for the swift recovery of the injured and for strength for the bereaved families as they come to terms with the devastating loss.

The Chief Minister’s message came within hours of the accident, reflecting the urgency with which the state administration has moved to coordinate rescue and relief efforts. The presence of a senior minister at the spot is aimed at ensuring that treatment, transport of the injured and support to affected families are carried out without lapses.

At least 12 people were killed in a devastating head-on collision between a truck and a passenger vehicle near Rongajan in Assam’s Kaziranga area on Friday, officials said.

According to preliminary information, the passenger Traveller was on its way from Bokakhat towards Nagaon when it collided with the oncoming truck. The impact of the collision was severe, leaving the passenger vehicle extensively damaged and trapping several occupants inside.

Most of the passengers travelling in the vehicle were reportedly students, though authorities were yet to release the identities of the victims.

Soon after the accident, residents rushed to the spot and joined police personnel in rescue operations. Emergency teams worked to extricate passengers trapped inside the mangled vehicle.

The injured were shifted to Kohora Model Hospital for immediate medical treatment.

The condition of some of the injured was not immediately known. Officials said the death toll rose to 12 as rescue and evacuation operations continued at the accident site.

Police have launched an investigation to ascertain the circumstances that led to the fatal collision.

It was not immediately clear whether speeding, poor visibility or any other factor contributed to the accident.