66% Turnout for Gujarat Civic Polls as Voters Brave Heat to Cast Votes

Gujarat witnessed a voter turnout of 45% to 66% in the local body elections held on Sunday, with citizens braving intense summer heat to participate in one of the state’s largest democratic exercises.

Polling began at 7 a.m. and continued till 6 p.m., covering a massive electoral base across municipal corporations, municipalities, district panchayats, and taluka panchayats.

Massive Electoral Exercise Across the State

The elections were conducted for:

• 15 municipal corporations, including Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, and Rajkot
• 84 municipalities
• 34 district panchayats
• 260 taluka panchayats

In total, nearly 9,992 candidates contested across various levels, making it one of the biggest local body elections in Gujarat.

More than 4.18 crore voters were eligible to participate, with counting scheduled for April 28.

Turnout Varies Across Regions

According to the State Election Commission:

• Municipalities: 59.85% turnout
• Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation: 45.35% turnout
• Taluka panchayats: 65.91% turnout
• District panchayats: 65.40% turnout

Officials noted that urban centres like Ahmedabad recorded comparatively lower participation than rural regions.

Leaders Cast Their Votes

Several top political leaders participated in the voting process:

• Union Home Minister Amit Shah voted in Naranpura, Ahmedabad
• Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel voted in Shilaj area
• Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi voted in Surat
• Union Minister C.R. Paatil also cast his vote in Surat

Leaders urged citizens to treat voting as a “festival of democracy” and participate actively in shaping local governance.

First-Time Elections in New Corporations

For the first time, elections were held in nine newly formed municipal corporations, including:
Navsari, Gandhidham, Morbi, Vapi, Anand, Nadiad, Mehsana, Porbandar, and Surendranagar.

Officials said this expansion reflects Gujarat’s growing urban governance structure.

Political Contest Intensifies

The main contest remains between:

• Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
• Indian National Congress
• Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) also contested in select regions.

The BJP, which performed strongly in the 2021 local body elections, is seeking to retain dominance.

Tragic Incidents Reported on Polling Day

Three deaths were reported during polling:

• An AAP candidate from Jamnagar, Narendrasinh Jadeja (38), died due to suspected cardiac arrest
• A 48-year-old polling staff member collapsed in Anand district while on duty
• A 68-year-old woman voter died after casting her vote in Patan

Officials said investigations and post-mortems are underway to determine exact causes.

Conclusion

Despite extreme heat conditions, Gujarat’s civic polls saw significant voter participation across rural and urban regions. Authorities are expected to announce final results after counting on April 28, concluding one of the state’s largest democratic exercises.