
Polling for sarpanch and ward panch positions opened at 7 am on Friday, 30 October 2026 across 137 gram panchayats in five Bikaner panchayat samitis, Bikaner, Kolayat, Bajarh Khalsa, Bithnok and Hada. Voting continues until 6 pm, with counting to start immediately after. Results will be available first on the Dainik Bhaskar app.
The administration has deployed a heavy police force after violence broke out around results in the last election, when more than 50 people were detained and over 20 FIRs were filed in the Roonia panchayat samiti. Some centres in Bajarh Khalsa and Kolayat have been placed under extra police watch. The election for up-sarpanch will be held on Sunday, 1 November 2026.
Voting is already underway across 137 gram panchayats in Bikaner district, with counting to begin the moment polling ends at 6 pm. The administration is braced for trouble, especially in Bajarh Khalsa and Kolayat, where extra police have been stationed after violence marred the previous election. A 50-plus detention and 20-plus FIRs followed that last round, so the heavy deployment is a direct response to past unrest. Sunday’s up-sarpanch polls will test whether the security arrangements hold.
Source: bhaskar.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Methodology and corrections.