Gandhinagar, October 11 (Daily Kiran) : Voting for the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation (GMC) elections is underway, with a reported voter turnout of 5.9% by 9 AM on Sunday. This election also includes by-elections for local bodies in Okha and Thara municipalities, as well as various other seats across Gujarat.
According to the state election commission, out of 259,985 registered voters in Gandhinagar, 15,347 individuals cast their votes between 7 AM and 9 AM. The turnout among male voters was 7.26%, while female voters recorded a turnout of 4.49%. Ward 4 saw the highest participation at 8.97%, followed closely by Ward 1 with 8.26%. Conversely, Ward 9 had the lowest turnout at just 4.56%.
Elections are being held for all 44 seats across the GMC’s 11 wards, with a total of 130 candidates contesting. The primary competition is among the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress, and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Voting commenced at 7 AM and will continue until 6 PM, utilizing electronic voting machines (EVMs). The last GMC elections were held in October 2021, where the BJP secured 41 out of 44 seats, while Congress won two and AAP claimed one.
In Okha municipality, voting is taking place for 32 out of 36 seats across nine wards, as four candidates were elected unopposed. The state election commission reports that 75 candidates are contesting for the remaining seats.
Thara municipality is conducting elections for 24 seats across six wards, with 59 candidates in the fray. Additionally, by-elections are occurring for vacant seats in various district and taluka panchayats, as well as in Kheralu, Chhota Udaipur, and Bayad municipalities.
To ensure peaceful voting, police deployment and patrolling have been arranged, particularly at polling stations deemed sensitive or highly sensitive.
The election schedule was announced on September 16, marking the implementation of the model code of conduct. Vote counting is set for October 13, with re-polling possible on Monday if necessary.
Leave a Comment