Gandhinagar, April 27: The local body elections in Gujarat concluded on Sunday at 6 PM, revealing a moderate voter turnout across urban and rural local bodies. The overall voter participation was recorded at 57.14%.
Among various levels, the highest turnout was seen in Taluka Panchayats at 61.22%, followed by District Panchayats at 60.66%, and Municipalities at 58.12%. In contrast, Municipal Corporations recorded a lower turnout of 48.55%.
In Ahmedabad, the voter turnout for the municipal elections was noted at 45.35%. Within the city, Gomtipur reported the highest participation at 62.35%, while Thakkarbapanagar had the lowest at 36.29%.
This election marked the conclusion of a significant electoral campaign across 15 municipal corporations, 84 municipalities, 34 district panchayats, and 260 taluka panchayats in Gujarat. Over 9,900 seats were contested, with more than 10,000 seats involved in the electoral process.
More than four crore voters participated statewide, making this one of Gujarat’s largest grassroots democratic exercises. Voting was conducted using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) at thousands of polling stations, supported by extensive administrative and security arrangements.
In Ahmedabad district alone, over 4,000 polling stations were set up for the municipal and panchayat elections, with thousands of polling personnel ensuring smooth operations.
The elections featured a multi-faceted contest involving major political parties such as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and AIMIM, along with independent candidates. Notably, 736 seats were decided uncontested before the voting took place, following the withdrawal of nominations.
With voting now complete, all eyes are on the counting process scheduled for April 28, which will determine the structure of local self-governance institutions across the state and shape grassroots governance.
Leave a Comment