Gujarat Election Phase 1: Voting underway for 89 seats, 34.48 per cent voters turnout recorded till 1 PM

The first phase of the Gujarat Assembly election began at 8 a.m. on Thursday, December 1, amid tight security.

Notably as per the latest update from the Election Commission, around 34.48 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 1 PM.

Over 2 crore voters will decide the fate of political parties today, with 89 constituencies in 19 districts across Kutch, Saurashtra, and South Gujarat going to the polls.

A total of 2,39,76,670 voters will cast ballots by 5 p.m. today to decide the fate of 788 candidates in the first phase.

There are 1,24,33,362 male electors, 1,15,42,811 female electors, and 497 third-gender electors out of the total number of electors. Over 4 lakh voters with disabilities are eligible to vote.

Nearly 9.8 lakh senior citizens (80 and up) and nearly 10,000 voters (100 and up) are eligible to vote.

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Sharing glimpses from the ongoing voting, the Election Commission shared a photo of a 104-year voter identified as Ramji Bhai who participated in the festival of democracy by voting at the polling station instead of opting for a postal ballot.

On the other hand, ECI has set up a polling booth for only one voter, Mahant Haridasji Udasin in Banej (93-Una AC) in the dense jungles of Gir.

According to the EC, there are 5,74,560 voters between the ages of 18 and 19, and 4,945 voters over the age of 99. There are 163 NRI voters, 125 of whom are men and 38 of whom are women.
There are 14,382 polling places, with 3,311 in urban areas and 11,071 in rural areas.

During the first phase of voting, 13,065 polling booths in 19 districts will be live webcast. The Chief Electoral Officer has set up a state-level monitoring room in Gandhinagar. According to the EC, there will be continuous observation from 6.30 a.m. until the voting process is completed.