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60% polling in Gujarat first phase

PHOTO: ARUNANGSU ROY CHOWDHURY

THEIR DAY: In the tribal-majority constituency of Rapar in the Kutch region of Gujarat, in the remote pastoral village of Godhda not far from the border with Pakistan, women display their voter identity cards as they wait to vote in the first phase of the Gujarat Assembly elections on Tuesday. —

GANDHINAGAR/NEW DELHI: An estimated 58 to 60 per cent voting was recorded on Tuesday in the first and relatively more decisive round of the two-phase polling in Gujarat. This round covered 1.78 crore voters in 87 Assembly constituencies in 14 districts in the Kutch-Saurashtra and south Gujarat regions.

According to Chief Electoral Officer Vinod Babbar, the polling, held under very heavy security, was by and large peaceful. There was, however, one incident of stabbing in a poll-related scuffle in Rajkot city.

There were widespread complaints of names missing from electoral rolls.

It is for the first time that Gujarat has had two-phase polling. In the 2002 December elections, the overall turnout was over 61 per cent.

The polling began at a slow pace at 8 a.m. Till afternoon the average turnout was only 20 to 25 per cent in the 19,900 polling booths. The pace soon quickened, and by 4 p.m. more than 50 to 55 per cent people had voted.

The enthusiasm was more evident among the young and the “first-time” voters, who turned up in large numbers.

In New Delhi, Deputy Election Commissioner Jaiprakash confirmed that the polling was peaceful and orderly and that no major incident was reported.

He said that besides general and expenditure observers, about 3,700 micro observers were posted in polling stations in key areas. The polling process was recorded by means of 5,400 digital and video cameras.

According to the official briefing in Gandhinagar, complaints were filed mutually against the candidates of both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress for the Choriyasi seat in Surat district for allegedly displaying party symbols within the prohibited areas while polling was in progress.

A complaint was lodged with the Vadia police station by supporters of the Congress candidate for the Babra seat, Baukubhai Unghad, for an alleged attempt of kidnapping. The police said Mr. Unghad, who is a dissident BJP leader, was “gheraoed” by some people when he was touring his constituency. His bodyguards fired in the air, upon which the miscreants escaped.

Although the Election Commission had arranged for repeated checking of the voters’ list prior to the elections, complaints of missing names were rampant. Hundreds of voters in most constituencies returned disappointed. Many of them had the elector’s photo identity cards.

In Vapi in south Gujarat, several housing societies with more than 1,000 voters each did not figure in the list. Some voters said they had voted in the last elections and wondered how their names had disappeared.

Voters in one village in Dwarka constituency in Jamnagar district boycotted the polling, complaining that the government had failed to provide a school for them.

A presiding officer in the Choriyasi constituency was removed for allowing two polling agents of a party inside the booth, violating the Election Commission’s norm of one agent per candidate.

In Jam-Khambhalia in Jamnagar district, an elderly man was arrested for possessing 16 electoral photo identity cards. In Jafrabad in the Saurashtra region, a presiding officer suffered a heart attack and was replaced.

Cases were registered against 10 candidates for canvassing within 200 metres of polling stations.

At least 30 electronic voting machines developed technical snags and were replaced, but voting was not interrupted for more than 15 minutes anywhere.

The highest turnout of 64 to 66 per cent was recorded in Navsari district in south Gujarat. The lowest percentage of 52 to 54 was recorded jointly in Jamnagar and Bhavnagar districts in the Saurashtra region. The border district of Kutch had a turnout of 56 to 58 per cent.

The second phase of polling on Sunday, December 16, will cover 95 constituencies in the central and north Gujarat regions. The State has 182 Assembly constituencies.

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