Gujarat Assembly Elections: Over 60% turnout in Phase 1

A voter turnout of 60.48 percent was recorded in the first phase of the Gujarat assembly elections which covered 89 constituencies of Saurashtra-Kutch and the south Gujarat region. This was 8 percent less compared to the 2017 assembly elections.

Final figures are likely to be declared by the Election Commission on Friday.

The highest 73.02 percent turnout was recorded in the Narmada district while the lowest 53.84 percent was in the Porbandar district.

According to Election Commission's data, till 11 p.m., approximately 72.32 percent of voters voted in Tapi district, Morbi (67.65 percent), Navsari (66.62 percent), Valsad (65.29 percent), Dangs (64.84 percent) and Bharuch (63.08 percent).

In urban constituencies like Karanj, voting was just 49.53 percent, Choryasi (54.40 percent), Surat North (55.32 percent), Udhana (55.69 percent). Whereas in rural areas, turnout in Mahuva of Bhavnagar district was 60.45 percent, in Amreli's Rajula constituency it was 63.30 percent, Dhrangadhra of Surendranagar district it was 66.77 percent.

Compared with previous elections' turnout, in the Mandvi seat of Kutch district voting percentage has dropped by 19 percent, and in Surat's Mangrol seat it has fallen by 17 percent.

People in certain places also boycotted voting. In Samot village of Narmada district, 1000 voters were listed, but not a single voter turned up to vote, in Gir Somnath district's Pipalva village out of a total of 1700 voters, till 4 p.m., only 40 voters reached the polling booth to exercise their franchise. (KB/IANS)