Gujarat: Gandhinagar civic polls record 59.25 pc turnout; EVMs sealed, counting on Oct 13

Gandhinagar: The Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation (GMC) elections recorded a voter turnout of 59.25 per cent on Sunday, with the electoral fate of 130 candidates contesting 44 seats across 11 wards now sealed in electronic voting machines (EVMs).

Polling concluded at 6 p.m., with 1,54,045 of the 2,59,985 registered voters exercising their franchise, according to figures released by the district election administration.

The EVMs have been secured in strong rooms, with counting scheduled for October 13.

Ward 4 recorded the highest turnout at 74.78 per cent, followed by Ward 1 at 71.22 per cent and Ward 2 at 69.70 per cent. Ward 7 recorded 66.37 per cent, while Ward 6 registered 61.98 per cent. Ward 5 recorded the lowest turnout at 48.63 per cent.

Turnout was also below 52 per cent in Ward 8, at 51.88 per cent; Ward 9, at 51.54 per cent; and Ward 10, at 50.80 per cent. Ward 3 recorded 59.26 per cent, while Ward 11 registered 57.69 per cent.

Of the total votes polled, 82,674 were cast by men and 71,371 by women. Male voter turnout stood at 62.36 per cent, compared with 56.02 per cent among women.

The electoral roll comprised 1,32,570 men, 1,27,406 women and nine voters in the other category.

The election was contested by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), with the results expected to determine the composition of the civic body.

The GMC last went to polls in October 2021, when the BJP won 41 of the 44 seats. Congress secured two seats, while the AAP won one.

The elections were held alongside polls in Okha and Thara municipalities and by-elections to vacant seats in other local bodies across Gujarat.

The State Election Commission announced the schedule on September 16, following which the model code of conduct came into force.

The results on October 13 will determine whether the BJP retains its dominant position in the state capital's civic body or faces a shift in the balance of power.

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