62 turnout in last phase

Around 62 per cent voters turned up for the second and final phase of Assembly elections held for 95 seats spread across 11 districts in central and north Gujarat on Sunday, which was nearly three per cent less than what was in the 2002 polls in this region.

It was the first election in Gujarat that saw Central police forces manning polling booths, keeping the state police only for perfunctory duties outside. It was perhaps this decision of the Election Commission that resulted in a high turn out for the second phase, despite the absence of any wave in favour of any political force. The initial figures gathered by the Election Commission on Sunday evening indicated that among the 11 districts that went to the polls on the day, the tribal-dominated Dahod reported the highest polling, ranging between 65 to 67 per cent, followed by Mehsana 66 per cent, Banaskantha 65 per cent, Kheda 65 per cent, Patan 63 per cent, Vadodara 62 to 65 per cent, Anand 62 to 63 per cent, Sabarkantha 61 to 63 per cent, Gandhinagar 59 to 62 per cent, Ahmedabad 59 to 61 per cent and the Panchmahals 54 to 57 per cent. Significantly, Panchmahals, which was the epicentre of the communal riots in 2002, recorded around 10 per cent less this time as compared to the last Assembly elections. In the 2002 polls, this predominantly tribal district had recorded a voter turnout as high as 67.36 per cent.

In riot-affected districts like Sabarkantha, Vadodara, Patan, Anand, Mehsana and Kheda, the voters8217; turnout was less this time compared to what was in 2002. Additional Chief Electoral Officer Ashok Manek said that barring sporadic incidents of violence, the polls in the second phase passed off peacefully.

At Chhapariya village in Sabarkantha, supporters of two political parties set on fire about half-a-dozen vehicles of each other.

In Ahmedabad, there were complaints of names missing from voters8217; lists.