At 61%, Gujarat sees sharp drop in voter turnout

New Delhi, december 5

Gujarat recorded a voter turnout of 61 per cent in the second and final phase of elections for the 182-member Assembly.

This was a steep decline from 70 per cent turnout in the same 93 constituencies in 2017 elections. Urban apathy across 14 districts of north and central Gujarat continued.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his mother, Heeraben, were among the voters today. The Prime Minister cast his vote early at a polling booth in Nishan Public School, Ahmedabad, and later walked to the house of elder brother Soma Modi, located close to the school premises to meet him.

Modi also walked quite a distance with locals thronging to see him, in a move that made the Opposition see red and complain to the EC, saying the PM was campaigning by showing his inked finger and walking along a considerable stretch after casting his ballot.

“Voters in Gujarat, Himachal and Delhi have celebrated the festival of democracy with great fervour. I congratulate them all. I also congratulate the EC for conducting the elections successfully and powering our prestige across the world,” the PM said. He also said the voters of Gujarat were wise. “They listen to everyone, but act as per their own judgment,” the PM said, exuding confidence of a BJP win.

The PM tweeted this morning urging “all the voters in Phase-II of the Gujarat elections, particularly the young and women, to vote in large numbers.” The appeal did not appear to work with vote percentage remaining low.

The EC said the final turnout data would improve.

In the bypoll for Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat where SP’s Dimple Yadav is challenging BJP’s Raghuraj Singh Shakya, 53.31 per cent voting was recorded.