As the state went to polls, voters, especially first-timers, queued up at the polling booths in Saurashtra peninsula, a cluster of eight constituencies in western Gujarat, on Wednesday. Due to the scorching heat, the inflow started in the first hour at 7 am. On an average, 57 per cent voting was recorded in the region at 6 pm, when the doors of booths were closed. In 2009, the region recorded 45.50 per cent turnout. Bypolls to five Assembly seats in Saurashtra-Kutch were also held on Wednesday. There were a total of 114 candidates in the fray from the region. The total voters in the region are around 1.25 crore. “I couldn’t wait to cast my vote. I am voting for the first time. I feel the power to choose the government,” 21-year-old Pooja Kamdar, a first-time voter from Rajkot, said. Pooja, along with her four friends, came to the booth after her jogging session in a nearby park on Kalawad Road. By 1 pm, except for Porbandar, voting in the rest seven constituencies crossed the mark of 30 per cent six hours after the polling started. The voters were ferried in four-wheelers by the supporters of the parties. Latest models of utility vehicles replaced auto-rickshaw and chakkados in Rajkot to take voters from home to booths. But voters maintained that the facility likes transportation would not change their decision. “We have made up our mind for a while now. Facilities by any party will not change it,” said Dakshaben Patel from Gondal. Kutch, where the voting started at a lukewarm pace — only 17 per cent till 11 am — marked 33 .98% by 1 pm. Similarly, in other constituencies, including Surendranagar, Amreli, Bhavnagar and Jamnagar, the turnout was over 33 per cent by 1 pm. Rajkot and Junagadh registered slightly higher turnout of over 38 per cent. All the candidates in the Saurashtra-Kutch region cast their vote early in the day. ENS
