Gandhinagar : Over 80 per cent voters exercised their franchise in the elections held to elect members and Sarpanches in 8,624 gram panchayats across Gujarat, the State Election Commission said on Wednesday.
In an official release, the Commission said: “In all, 80.12 per cent voter turnout was registered in the polls held yesterday (Tuesday) to 8,624 village panchayats in the state. Barring a few small incidents, voting was held in a peaceful manner.”
The counting of votes will take place on Thursday. The Gram Panchayat elections are not held on party symbols, but it is common knowledge that candidates enjoy the backing of prominent political parties.
The tribal district of Narmada in south Gujarat registered the highest turnout of 87.45 per cent, while Bhavnagar district in the western part of Saurashtra saw the lowest 70.47 per cent voters. The turnout in the previous polls five years ago was around 77 per cent. —IANS