Ahmedabad: Today marks a significant day in rural Gujarat as the results of elections to 4,564 gram panchayats across the state will be declared. Vote counting is taking place at a total of 239 locations across 1,080 halls, utilizing 2,771 counting tables. To manage the counting process, 13,444 staff members have been deployed, while 14,231 police personnel have been assigned to ensure law and order. In addition, 3,431 Class IV employees are also on duty to support the overall operation.
Although the gram panchayat elections in Gujarat are officially non-partisan, they continue to draw interest from major political parties, many of which extend indirect support to candidates behind the scenes. Over 58.56 lakh voters turned out to cast their votes, out of a total 81 lakh registered voters.
The election saw participation from 30.48 lakh male voters and 28.06 lakh female voters, reflecting an impressive overall turnout of 78.20%. The highest voter turnout was recorded in Dang district at 89.54%, while Porbandar saw the lowest with 66.77%. In some areas, such as Narsinghpura village in Padra taluka of Vadodara, polling will be conducted again due to procedural issues.
A total of 3,656 sarpanch posts were contested by over 8,000 candidates, while more than 70,000 individuals vied for 16,224 seats of panchayat members. Interestingly, 751 gram panchayats were declared uncontested or samras, where candidates were elected without opposition. However, this number is lower compared to previous years, indicating a rising trend of electoral contest over consensus.
Ahmedabad district alone has set up nine counting centers covering talukas such as Bawla, Daskroi, Viramgam, Mandal, Sanand, Detroj, and Dhandhuka. A total of 28 counting halls have been arranged, equipped with 42 counting tables, and secured by the deployment of 297 police personnel to ensure law and order during the declaration of results. In the same district, 15 panchayats, including villages like Jadhavpura, Shivpura, and Chandranagar in Viramgam, as well as Ambli, Kadipur, and Pipli in Dholera, have already been declared samras.
It’s worth noting that due to by-elections in areas like Kadi and Visavadar, elections were not held in certain panchayats in those regions. Additionally, nearly 2,000 seats across Gujarat remained uncontested due to the absence of candidates, a reflection of various local socio-political dynamics.
As the day progresses, all eyes remain fixed on the evolving results. For many villages, this election represents not just a change in leadership, but a new direction in governance, accountability, and rural development.
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