Voter turnout in the Gujarat local body elections ranged between 45% and 66% till 5 p.m., with people braving intense summer heat to exercise their franchise. Polling began at 7 a.m. on Sunday and continued till 6 p.m., with officials noting that the final turnout figures would be available later in the evening after data compilation. However, polling in municipal corporations, including Ahmedabad, remained comparatively lower than in other local bodies.
According to the State Election Commission, municipalities recorded a turnout of 59.85%, while Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation saw 45.35% voting. Taluka panchayats registered 65.91% turnout and district panchayats 65.40%. The elections are being held under revised norms for Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservations following delimitation and restructuring of wards in several districts.
Elections are also being held for the first time in nine newly-created municipal corporations, including Navsari, Gandhidham, Morbi, Vapi, Anand, Nadiad, Mehsana, Porbandar and Surendranagar.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah cast his vote at a polling booth in Naranpura, while Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel voted at a primary school in the Shilaj area for the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation elections. Both were accompanied by their family members. Mr. Patel appealed to citizens to participate in what he described as a “festival of democracy” and urged them to fulfil their civic duty..
