Low voter turnout in state by-polls for 2 LS, 4 assembly seats

By-elections for two Lok Sabha and four assembly seat in Gujarat on Sunday saw low voter turnout, but remained peaceful, state elections officials said.

An average 34 per cent voter turnout was recorded for two Lok Sabha seats of Porbander and Banaskantha, while around 52 per cent electorate came out for voting for the four assembly seats of Dhoraji, Jetpur, Limbadi and Morva Hadaf, according to state elections officials. They added that these were initial figures and final account will be available only on Monday as the information from various centers was being calculated.

State election officials further said that as per initial data available from districts, for Lok Sabha seat of Porbander voter turnout was 30 per cent while for Banaskantha it was 38 per cent.

With regard to voter turnout in assembly seats they said, 64 per cent voters exercised their right in Morva Hadaf, 62 per cent in Limbdi, 45 per cent in Jetpur and 34 per cent in Dhoraji.

The voting began from 7 am and no untoward incidents were reported, state election official added.

In view of the heat conditions, the Election Commission has extended the polling time for the by-elections. Voting continued till 6 pm instead of usual 8 am to 5 pm.

Former Congress MP Vitthal Radadia and his son Jayesh, who joined BJP, will test the political waters from Porbandar Lok Sabha seat and Jetpur assembly seat respectively.

Elections were necessitated at Banaskantha Lok Sabha seat and Morva Hadaf following the deaths of MP Mukesh Gadhvi and MLA Savita Khant, both from Congress.

The by-polls in Gujarat are being viewed as test for the opposition Congress, ahead of the 2014 general elections, as the party had won all the six seats in last elections. The counting will take place on June 5.