The second and final phase of a two-tier polls to the local self-Government bodies in Gujarat on Sunday concluded peacefully barring scattered incidents of irregularities with an initial estimate of 54 to 58 per cent voting on an average.
Fate of over 19,700 candidates sealed in Electronic Voting Machine (EVMs) on the Sunday evening with conclusion of polling for 56 municipalities, 31 district panchayats and 230 taluka (tehsil) panchayats. The State Election Commission (SEC) has declared 27 candidates elected unopposed in municipalities, seven and 54 for district and taluka panchayats respectively.
Official sources in the SEC said that the president of the legal cell of Gujarat BJP, Parindu Bhagat has filed a complaint with the SEC for alleged violation of model code of conduct by the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Bharatsinh Solanki for allegedly showing his party sign (palm) after casting his vote at a booth in Vedarada village of Anand district.
The Congress has also filed a similar complaint against BJP MlA from Bhuj Nimaben Acharya for allegedly organising mass feast for voters. In Anand, the mob beat up an independent candidate while Congress alleged that its candidate in Gamdi of Dahod district Panchayat was kidnapped by the local BJP workers.
Polling in various places — including Jetalpur in Ahmedabad, Vibhapar in Jamnagar, Halar and Pariya in Valsad, Bhadkodara in Ankaleshwar of Bharuch, Javna in Savli of Vadodara, Charanda in Patan started late owing to technical snags in the EVMs.
These candidates were contesting for 7,854 seats in the second phase including 988 district panchayats, 4,778 taluka panchayats, and 2,088 candidates for municipalities. As many as 1.68 lakh officials were deployed to conduct the panchayats and municipality polls.
Of total 230 Taluka Panchayats and 31 district panchayats that went to poll, ruling BJP controls 191 and 30 respectively. In the case of 56 municipalities, the saffron party has control over 47. The BJP controls all six municipal corporations that went to poll on November 22 during the first phase. The counting for the municipal corporations will be held on Wednesday.
More than 1.10 lakh security personnel from the local police, State reserve police, central paramilitary forces and Sagar Rakshak Dal were deployed during the elections.
Meanwhile Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel thanked voters for maintaining peace and showing enthusiasm during polls. She said that people have preferred politics of development and maintained peace and harmony during the polls. She also appreciated officers and staff on election duty.
