Gujarat elections: First phase sees 68% voter turnout amid allegations of EVM tampering via Bluetooth

In Bharuch, few voters said their votes were going to some other candidate while some machines in seven-eight polling booths had malfunctioned in Surat too

Women display their identity cards as they wait to cast their votes during the first phase of Gujarat elections in Rajkot. (Source: AP)

Over 68 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the 89 seats that went to the polls in the first phase of the assembly elections in Gujarat on Saturday, even as reports came in of technical glitches in electronic voting machines (EVMs) in Surat and some other centres. The highest voter turnout was recorded in Navsari district at 75 per cent, as 2.1 crore people exercised their franchise in parts of south Gujarat, Surat and Kutch.

In 2012, 70.75 per cent record voting was witnessed in the first phase. In this year’s elections, 977 candidates were in the fray in the 89 seats in the first phase, of which 63 were won by BJP and 26 by the Congress in the 2012 Assembly polls. The Election Commission said many were still waiting in queue to cast their ballot even after 5 pm and after the final count, the voter turnout might surpass the 2012 record.

Prominent candidates in the first round battle included Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who is contesting from Rajkot (West), Congress’ Shaktisinh Gohil (Mandvi) and Paresh Dhanani (Amreli). People came out in large numbers as the polling process began at 8 am and queued up to cast their votes. Even though the first two hours saw only 9.7 per cent of votes being cast, the figure went up to 35 per cent till 2 pm. By 4 pm about 60 per cent of voters had pressed the ballot button.

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Trends in past elections have shown the party that makes inroads in Saurashtra and Surat goes on to win the state. However, the story is different for the BJP this time around. In Saurashtra, the BJP faces the Patidar uprising led by PAAS convenor Hardik Patel who has been demanding OBC quota for the Patel community and has backed the Congress in this election. Patidars form about 13 per cent of Gujarat’s population. In Surat, the diamond and industries’ hub, there has been disenchantment among the small traders over demonetisation and hasty implementation of GST.

After the voting ended, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the BJP would register a landslide victory and lauded the EC for the peaceful voting. “First phase of polling has ended, we are extremely grateful to EC, the officials and voters for peaceful and successful completion of voting. As per the reports, BJP is going to register a landslide victory,” Jaitley said.

Even though there were no reports of any clashes, allegations that EVMs were being manipulated using Bluetooth technology resulted in a war of words between the BJP and Congress. It all started when senior Congress leader Arjun Modhwadia complained of possible EVM tampering at three polling booths in a Muslim-dominated area of Porbandar, the seat he is contesting. He said some EVMs were found to be connected to mobile phones via Bluetooth. However, after an inquiry, the poll panel said the device which the complainant’s mobile phone detected after putting on Bluetooth was not an EVM but the mobile phone of a polling agent. “EVMs don’t have receptors or wiring to facilitate Bluetooth connection,” the EC clarified.

Muslim voters tradionally dressed in burkha and skull cap at Mughlisara in Surat

Muslim voters at Mughlisara in Surat. (Express photo)

In Bharuch, some voters in polling booth number 4 said their votes were going to some other candidate and the matter was reported to the Bharuch District Collector. “The polling officer said the EVMs will be tested and if the claims are found to be false, action will be taken against them. Those voters left without tests. There’s no truth behind such reports,” the district collector said.

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ALSO READ: Gujarat elections 2017 LIVE UPDATES: Over 68% voting in first phase, polls conclude

Earlier in the day, some machines malfunctioned in some polling booths of Surat too. “We have received complaints of faulty EVMs from some places and all such machines have been replaced with the spare ones kept at the polling stations,” said Chief Election Officer B B Swain.

With the marriage season on, brides and grooms in wedding attires came to polling booths along with their relatives to exercise their franchise. Many such voters were seen in Bharuch, Bhavnagar, Gondal and Surat. A 115-year-old woman from Upleta town of Rajkot, Aajiben Chandravadia, was the oldest voter to press the ballot button on Saturday.

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