AHMEDABAD/GANDHINAGAR: Gujaratis pulled off a superlative voting performance of 64.1% on Tuesday, smashing a 52-year-old voting record of 63.7% of 1967.
Political analysts say a record-high
voter turnout
, undoubtedly, qualifies as a decisive verdict. While the mystery will be unraveled on May 23, BJP is jubilant over the record voter percentage, saying high numbers have traditionally favoured it. Congress says the turnout is a manifestation of people’s anger against the incumbent government.
State BJP president
Jitu Vaghani said the numbers were an endorsement of PM Modi’s leadership and policies. “Rural voters have approved government’s pro-farmer policies while urban voters have endorsed Modi’s development work and strong stand on national security.”
Paresh Dhanani, leader of opposition in the
Gujarat
assembly, said the turnout reflected the resolve of Gujaratis to oust the Modi government. “Farmers fed up with government’s arrogance have voted en masse against BJP. Congress will gain urban votes too this time,” he said.
In the 2014 election, where BJP won all 26 seats, 63.66% voter turnout was registered. In comparison with 2014 polls, this time, voter turnout dipped on nine LS seats and increased on 17 LS seats.
As reported by TOI, the three seats that recorded the highest voter turnout are tribal seats.
Valsad recorded 75.21%; Bardoli, 73.57% and Chhota Udepur, 73.44%.
Significantly, the seven Saurashtra LS seats recorded the lowest turnouts in the state. The hotly-contested Amreli seat witnessed lukewarm polling of only 55.75%, followed by
Porbandar (56.79%) and Surendranagar (57.85%).
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