Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Residents of at least six villages in Gujarat either completely or partially boycotted voting in the third phase of Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday over their unfulfilled demands from the government, officials said.
Polling for 25 out of the total 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat were held in a single phase on Tuesday. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won the Surat seat unopposed.
These villages boycott polls
Voters in Kesar village in Bharuch district, Sanadhara in Surat district, and Bhakhari in Banaskantha district completely boycotted voting. Additionally, voters in Bhatgam village in Junagadh district, as well as Bodoli and Kunjara villages in Mahisagar district, partially boycotted the voting process, according to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO).
As per the Election Commission report, none of the 320 voters in Sanadhara village, which falls under the Bardoli Lok Sabha seat, voted over certain outstanding issues even as the local poll administration and representatives of political parties tried to persuade them to come out and exercise their franchise.
Around 300 voters in Bakhri village, which falls under the Patan parliamentary constituency, collectively decided to boycott voting as a form of protest against the division of their gram panchayat. Despite efforts to persuade them, the voters remained resolute in their decision not to exercise their right to vote.
Poll preparations began early in the morning, but despite efforts made by polling officers, the villagers did not turn up to vote. The villagers expressed their grievances over the division of their gram panchayat as the reason for their boycott.
Even Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Bharatsinh Dabhi visited the village and urged the villagers to participate in the polling process, but they remained unmoved.
This was not the first time
Similarly, around 350 voters in Kesar village of Bharuch district also remained steadfast in their decision not to cast their votes, and by the end of the day, not a single vote was cast.
This was not the first instance that voters had boycotted in the village. Locals mentioned that they have previously boycotted elections due to unfulfilled demands, particularly their repeated requests for the construction of a bridge over a river, which have gone unanswered by the government.
Gujarat records voter turnout of 56.91 per cent
A provisional voter turnout of 56.91 per cent was recorded in the single-phase polling for 25 Lok Sabha constituencies in Gujarat. As per the data shared by the Election Commission, the state recorded a voter turnout of 56.91 per cent till 6 pm in 25 seats. Officials, however, said this is a provisional figure as the data from some polling stations is awaited and the number of postal ballots not included.
Of the 26 constituencies, polling was held for 25 seats barring Surat, which the BJP had won uncontested after eight out of nine candidates withdrew from the race and the nomination of the Congress candidate was rejected.
(With PTI inputs)
