The first phase of polling in 89 assembly constituencies of Gujarat ended at 5 pm on Thursday with a 56.88% voter turnout. The final turnout was recorded at 60.2%. The polling was largely peaceful with a few stray incidents of violence. The fate of 788 candidates, including 339 independents, was sealed in the electronic voting machines in the first phase.
In one such incident, BJP’s Gujarat Assembly election candidate from the Vansda constituency Piyush Patel was allegedly attacked in Jhari village. Around 5 vehicles were also damaged in the incident, said Navsari SP Girish Pandya. Patel was hospitalized for his injuries.
The voting began at a slow pace in the morning but picked up pace towards the afternoon. A 4.92% voter turnout was recorded till 9 am. The figure rose to 18.95% at 11 am. It further increased to 34% at 1 pm and then 48.48% till 3 pm.
The voting was spread across 19 districts in the Saurashtra-Kutch coastal region and the southern parts of Gujarat. As many as 54 of the 89 constituencies are in the Saurashtra-Kutch region.
Among, those who voted in the first phase of Gujarat elections 2022 were Union ministers Mansukh Mandaviya, Parsottam Rupala, Darshna ben Jardosh, former Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangubhai Patel, Former Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala, BJP’s state President CR Patil, Congress leader Paresh Dhanani, cricketer Ravinder Jadeja and his family, AAP candidate Alpesh Kathiriya, and members of the erstwhile Rajkot royal family Mandhatasinh Jadej Thakor Saheb and Kadambari Devi.
The second phase of the Gujarat elections will be held on December 8.