Gujarat Assembly election: 60% turnout in first phase

MP | 2 Dec 2022 | Ahmedabad: A moderate voter turnout of 60.23 per cent was recorded in the first phase of the Gujarat Assembly elections covering 89 seats across 19 districts of Saurashtra-Kutch and southern regions of the state on Thursday with the polling ending on by and large peaceful note, officials said. 

The electoral fate of 788 candidates who were in the fray in the first phase was locked in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). 

While the final voting figure was awaited, the average turnout stood provisionally at 60.23 per cent, the Election Commission (EC) said. 

The voter turnout was less than 66.75 per cent recorded in the first phase of the 2017 Assembly polls. 

Barring a few untoward incidents and reports of technical glitch in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) at some places, the voting process, which commenced at 8 am, was largely peaceful, Gujarat Chief Electoral Officer P Bharathi said. 

An average 60.23 per cent voter turnout was recorded and the final figure was still being collated, the EC said. 

As per the provisional figure, Narmada district recorded the highest voter turnout at 73.02 per cent followed by Tapi district at 72.32 per cent. 

As many as eight districts recorded more than 60 per cent voting. Surat registered 60.17 per cent turnout and Rajkot 57.69 per cent, according to EC data.

In the 2017 Assembly elections, a voter turnout of 66.75 per cent was recorded in the first phase (covering 83 seats), while the final figure after the end of second and last phase of polling stood at 68.41 per cent. 

While voting was underway in parts of the state, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed rallies in support of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at Kalol in Panchmahal district and Sankheda in Chhota Udepur, where polling will be held in the second phase on December 5 covering the remaining 93 seats in the 182-member Assembly. 

The office of the Chief Election Officer (CEO) said voters of three villages - Dhrafa in Jamnagar district, Samot in Narmada district and Kesar in Bharuch district - completely boycotted the election for different reasons. 

During the voting, 89 ballot units, 82 control units and 238 Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPATs) were replaced in 19 districts. A total 26,269 ballot units, 25,430 control units and 25,430 VVPATs were operational, it said. 

Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail is an independent system attached with EVMs that allows electors to verify that their votes are cast as intended. CEO Bharathi said there were two complaints of violence during voting in Jamangar and Dang district which are being looked into. 

A total of 104 complaints were received at the office of the CEO, including six regarding EVMs, two of bogus voting, 30 related to law and order issues, 36 regarding violation of the model code of conduct (MCC) and 30 on issues like slow voting, bogus voting and power cuts, it said in a release. A

t Dhrafa village of Jamnagar district, where polling was boycotted, electors were apparently upset over polling officers not making separate arrangements for men and women. In Kesar village of Bharuch district, villagers boycotted the election due to lack of basic facilities, said the release. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/nation/gujarat-assembly-election-60-turnout-in-first-phase-500912