Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy CM Harsh Sanghavi cast their votes on Sunday as polling got underway for local body elections across the state.
The polls, among the largest civic electoral exercises ahead of next year’s Assembly elections, are being held for 15 municipal corporations, including Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot, along with 84 municipalities, 34 district panchayats and 260 taluka panchayats.
Voting began at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm, according to the schedule announced by the Gujarat State Election Commission.
Authorities have put in place a three-tier security arrangement, with CCTV surveillance and special squads deployed in sensitive areas, police officials said.
Shah, accompanied by his wife Sonalben and son Jay Shah, exercised his franchise at the Naranpura sub-zonal office in Ahmedabad. He was greeted with loud cheers by locals upon his arrival outside the polling station.
Gujarat Deputy CM Harsh Sanghavi and Union minister C R Paatil cast their votes in Surat.
Nearly 9,200 seats are up for grabs, with more than 4.18 crore voters eligible to exercise their franchise.
The polls are being conducted under revised norms for Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservations, following delimitation and restructuring of wards in several districts.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Opposition Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party have emerged as the key contenders, while the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is also contesting in several areas.
Among prominent candidates in the fray are former Gujarat-cadre IPS officer M L Ninama, ex-radio jockey Abha Desai and former AAP MLA Bhupendra Bhayani.
Ninama is contesting from the Odh seat in Shamlaji taluka for the Arvalli district panchayat elections, while the BJP has fielded Bhayani from the Bhesan seat of the Junagadh district panchayat. Desai, popularly known as RJ Abha, is contesting as a Congress candidate from ward number 10 of the Rajkot Municipal Corporation.
Elections are being held for the first time in nine newly created municipal corporations, including Navsari, Gandhidham, Morbi, Vapi, Anand, Nadiad, Mehsana, Porbandar and Surendranagar.
Counting of votes will take place on April 28.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel campaigned extensively for the BJP.
The AAP had taken the lead over other parties in launching the campaign, with its national convenor, Arvind Kejriwal, and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann addressing several rallies across Gujarat.
In a first for AAP, the Kejriwal-led party is contesting around 5,000 seats in local polls. Other contestants include the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Independents. AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi campaigned in the final phase, addressing public meetings in Ahmedabad and Bhuj.
CM Bhupendra Patel casts vote, urges turnout
Addressing the media after casting the vote, the Chief Minister emphasised the importance of voting as both a right and a duty.
"Today is the day for local body elections and voting in Gujarat. Everyone should celebrate this sacred festival of democracy. This is a precious opportunity to fulfil both right and duty together," he said.
Appealing to voters, the Chief Minister added, "I urge everyone to vote and make every candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party victorious."
He also acknowledged concerns over voter turnout due to weather and other factors. "It is hot, and it's also a holiday. Because of both, there might be a lower turnout. But I think people will start coming to vote now," Patel said.
Reiterating his appeal, he said, "Since it's Sunday and a holiday, I again urge everyone that even if there is heat, wedding season or anything else, we must definitely cast our sacred vote."
Municipal corporations see lower turnout than other bodies till afternoon
Voter turnout was recorded between 30 to 40 per cent till 1.30 pm on Sunday in polls to various local bodies, with people braving the scorching summer heat to cast their votes, according to official data.
Polling in municipal corporations was lower compared to other local bodies in the state, as per the figures.
Till 1.30 pm, 30.02 per cent polling was recorded for elections to the municipal corporations, 37.76 per cent for municipalities, 39.47 per cent for district panchayats and 40.85 per cent for taluka panchayats, according to the SEC data.
Among municipalities, Navsari recorded the highest voter turnout of 50.78 per cent till 1.30 pm, followed by Valsad at 49.54 per cent.
Tribal-dominated districts, like Narmada, Tapi and Dang, were ahead in terms of turnout in taluka panchayat elections, the data on the SEC website showed.
The polls are being held under revised norms for Other Backward Class (OBC) reservations, which required extensive delimitation and restructuring of wards in several districts.
(With inputs from PTI, ANI)