39.27 pc voter turnout till 1 pm in Gujarat

An average 39.27 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 1 pm in Gujarat where polling was underway in all 26 Lok Sabha seats of the state.

There were complaints of technical glitches in EVMs at some booths, an election official said.

The polling process was going on peacefully, he said, adding that no untoward incident was reported so far.

Following the commencement of polling at 7 pm, an average 39.27 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 1 pm, according to official figures.

Braving the scorching heat, people from all walks of life were coming out to exercise their democratic right as long queues were seen outside several polling booths.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah, party veteran L K Advani and Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani cast their votes in the state.

Shah urged people to come out in large numbers to vote during this "festival of democracy".

State additional chief electoral officer Ashok Manek said some EVMs were replaced after complaints of technical problems.

"The EVM machines malfunctioned in some parts of the state. We quickly replaced them and the voting process was not affected," he said.

A detailed report on faulty EVMs will be released after the polling ends in the evening, he added.