Gujarat recorded its highest ever turnout in a Lok Sabha election in 52 years, during phase 3 of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. As per the final figures released by the Election Commission of India on Wednesday, 24 April, the state recorded 64.11 percent turnout – an all-time high.
The previous highest turnout recorded in the state was 63.77 percent during 1967, followed closely by 63.5 percent in 2014, when the Modi wave helped the BJP sweep votes from the state.
An average 62.77 percent voter turnout was registered on Tuesday, 23 April, in bypolls to four Assembly constituencies in Gujarat held along with the Lok Sabha elections, officials said.
Tribal Belts Lead the Charge
Incidentally, the tribal belt of the state recorded the highest voting especially at Valsad (ST) Lok Sabha Constituency, where 75.21 percent voting was recorded; Kaprada Assembly Constituency in Valsad recorded a whopping 83.16 percent turnout.
Bardoli LS seat recorded 73.57 percent, followed by Bharuch with 73.21 percent. All Lok Sabha constituencies in the state recorded a turnout of over 55 percent; the closely contested seat of Amreli in the Saurashtra belt recorded the lowest turnout at 55.75 percent.
In the tribal belt, five Assembly constituencies recorded over 80 percent voting. These include – Dediapada (Bharuch LS Seat) at 85.01 percent, Kaprada (Valsad LS Seat) at 83.16 percent, Nizar (Bardoli LS Seat) at 82.91 percent, with Dangs (Valsad LS Seat) at 81.23 percent and Jhagadia under (Bharuch LS Seat) recording a turnout of 80.09 percent.
Meanwhile, Rapar (Kutch LS Seat) recorded the lowest turnout of 47.37 percent followed by Kutiyana (Porbandar LS Seat) with 49.56 percent, and Gadhada (Bhavnagar LS Seat) with 49.7 percent.
At the same time 67.08 percent registered male voters exercised their franchise while only 60.09 percent registered female voters voted. Of the 992 third gender voters in the state 25 percent, ie 248 voters exercised their franchise.
Turnout at Assembly Bypolls
The four constituencies where bypolls were held were Unjha, Dhrangadhra, Jamnagar (Rural) and Manavadar.
These seats had fallen vacant following the resignation of their sitting MLAs, all from the Congress who later joined the BJP. Unjha recorded 65 percent voting, Dhrangadhra 60.86 percent, Jamnagar (Rural) 62.87 and Manavadar 62.87 percent. A total of 45 candidates are in the fray on these seats.
Three of the four sitting MLAs, who had resigned to join the BJP, have been fielded by the ruling party from their respective seats. These candidates are Jawahar Chavda (Manavadar), Asha Patel (Unjha) and Parsotam Sabariya (Dhrangadhra).
The BJP has fielded another former Congressman and ex- MLA Raghavji Patel from Jamnagar (Rural). Raghavji Patel had joined the BJP two years ago after voting against Congress leader Ahmed Patel in the August 2017 Rajya Sabha election.
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