VADODARA VOTES WITH FERVOUR

Vadodara: Vadodara Lok Sabha constituency on Tuesday witnessed over 67% voting, despite mercury levels touching 42°Celsius. The voting percentage is much higher compared to the last Lok Sabha election, which was a by-election in the district.
Right from the early hours of the day, voters had turned up at polling booths in large numbers to avoid the afternoon heat from the scorching sun. By 1pm, the voting percentage had already crossed 40 as Barodians had already queued up to vote at polling booths across rural and urban stretches.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the district had registered 70.94 % voting when Prime Minister Narendra Modi had contested from Vadodara seat. Later in the same year, when the by-elections were held in Vadodara after Modi decided to retain Varanasi seat and relinquish Vadodara, the voting percentage stood at 45.57 % in the direct contest between Vadodara’s present BJP MP Ranjan Bhatt and Congress’ Narendra Ravat.

The 22% jump in the voting turnout this year is significant considering that the campaigning in the countdown to the polls was a lacklustre affair. Bhatt has been repeated by the BJP in direct contest against Congress’ Prashant Patel (Tiko).

Vadodara has 17,94,383 voters registered in the parliamentary seat, including 9,22,118 male, 8,72,132 female and 133 third genders voters. Going by the last available figures, the higher voting turnout was in Waghodiya, Savli and Manjalpur assembly constituencies.

The voting otherwise passed off peacefully barring a few complaints filed by the Congress camp. During the mock poll round, a total of 21 ballot units (BUs), 28 control units (CUs) and 39 VVPATs were replaced in Savli, Waghodiya, Vadodara city, Sayajigunj, Akota, Raopura and Manjalpur assembly constituencies.

“During the election process, we replaced 17 BUs, 17 CUs (0.93 %) and 34 VVPATs (1.86%),” said Vadodara district collector and election officer Shalini Agrawal.

She informed media persons that the election machinery had received 21 small and big complaints during the day which were being probed by election officials. “We didn’t get any emergency or complaint call from any of the booths in the city. There were some issues with delay in voting process at some booths but they were resolved. The polls passed off peacefully,” said city police commissioner Anupam Singh Gahlaut.

He added that 14 separate teams led by the DCP (crime) were monitoring the sensitive areas in the old city on Tuesday.