In the first phase of the Gujarat Assembly elections for 89 seats in Saurashtra and south Gujarat on Saturday, 68% voting was registered according to the preliminary figures.
The final figure was likely to go up since people were still standing in queues at polling centres after close of voting at 5 p.m., Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha said in Delhi. However, the turnout is unlikely to exceed the 2012 figures of 71.3%, the highest since 1980.
Voting was held in 19 districts with 977 candidates in the fray. The second phase is scheduled for December 14 in 93 constituencies in north and central Gujarat.
The highest turnout of 75% was registered in Morbi, where the Patidar quota agitation was strong, and Navsari. The turnout in other districts ranged from 63% to 73%.
False complaints
The Election Commission said complaints that EVMs at three poll booths in Porbandar were connected to a Bluetooth device turned out to be false. During voting, Congress leader Arjun Modhwadia had complained to the EC that EVMs at the Sharda Mandir booths in Porbandar were linked to a Bluetooth device.
While voting was underway, Congress leader Arjun Modhwadia had lodged a complaint with the EC alleging that EVMs at the Sharda Mandir booths in Porbandar were linked to a Bluetooth device.
“A team led by the District Election Officer, comprising an engineer of the Bharat Electronics Limited (a PSU that manufactures EVMs) and the Election Observer, visited the booths and checked the machines. It was a completely false complaint,” said an EC official.
The team found that the polling agent of a political party was carrying a mobile phone with its Bluetooth on and therefore, the other phones were detecting the device.
The BJP and the Congress said the voting was in their favour. Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked the people of Gujarat for turning out in large number to exercise their franchise.
However, the political observers and even insiders in both parties in private admitted that trends were not easy to discern.
