Highest (73.02 per cent) turnout was recorded in Narmada district while lowest 53.84 per cent was in Porbandar district….reports Asian Lite News
A voter turnout of 60.48 per cent was recorded in the first phase of the Gujarat assembly elections which covered 89 constituencies of Saurashtra-Kutch and south Gujarat region. This was 8 per cent less compared to the 2017 assembly elections.
Final figures are likely to be declared by the Election Commission on Friday.
Highest (73.02 per cent) turnout was recorded in Narmada district while lowest 53.84 per cent was in Porbandar district.
According to Election Commission’s data, till 11 p.m., approximate 72.32 per cent voters voted in Tapi district, Morbi (67.65 per cent), Navsari (66.62 per cent), Valsad (65.29 per cent), Dangs (64.84 per cent) and Bharuch (63.08 per cent).
In urban constituencies like Karanj, voting was just 49.53 per cent, Choryasi (54.40 per cent), Surat North (55.32 per cent), Udhana (55.69 per cent). Whereas in rural areas, turnout in Mahuva of Bhavnagar district was 60.45 per cent, in Amreli’s Rajula constituency it was 63.30 per cent, Dhrangadhra of Surendranagar district it was 66.77 per cent.
Compared with previous elections’ turnout, in the Mandvi seat of Kutch district voting percentage has dropped 19 per cent, in Surat’s Mangrol seat it has fallen by 17 per cent.
People at certain places also boycotted voting. In Samot village of Narmada district, 1000 voters were listed, but not single voter turned up to vote, in Gir Somnath district’s Pipalva village out of total 1700 voters, till 4 p.m., only 40 voters reached polling booth to exercise their franchise.
Comparison with ‘Ravana’
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that Congress party president Mallikarjun Kharge was tutored to compare him with Ravana.
Modi was addressing a public meeting in Kalol taluka of Panchmahal district in central Gujarat where polling will be held in the second phase on December 5.
Two days ago while addressing a public meeting in Ahmedabad, Congress party President Mallikarjun Kharge had stated, “Whether it is the civic polls or panchayat, Assembly or Lok Sabha elections, Narendra Modi appeals to voters to vote for his party’s candidate while remembering his face… does he have 100 faces like Ravana?”
Reacting to Kharge, Modi said, “Kharge was tutored to compare me with Ravana, when the Congress does not believe in Lord Rama… they do not approve the existence of Ram Setu. This is a state of Lord Rama believers, where such accusation will never be accepted by the people of the state.”
Talking about the industrialisation in the Panchmahal district, the prime minister said, “As the country’s financial capital is Mumbai, Panchmahal’s financial and economic capital is Halol and Kalol. From these industrial areas, Rs 9,000 crore industrial products are exported.”
“The people of Gujarat are aware of which party delivers the promises, and that is why they have preferred BJP for the last 20 years,” PM Modi said.