Vadodara, July 30 (IANS) Polling in the bye-election to Gujarat’s Manjalpur Assembly constituency gathered pace through the day, with 34.35 per cent voter turnout recorded by 5 p.m., according to data released by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

The latest figures show a steady increase in voter participation after the constituency recorded 6.06 per cent polling by 10 a.m., 14.27 per cent by 12.30 p.m. and 21.66 per cent by 2 p.m.

Voting continued at polling stations until the scheduled closing time, with election officials monitoring the process under extensive security and surveillance arrangements.

The bye-election is being held following the death of veteran BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister Yogesh Patel, who represented the constituency for several terms.

A total of 2,19,494 electors are eligible to vote in the constituency, comprising 1,11,645 men, 1,07,847 women and two third-gender voters.

The electoral roll also includes 1,634 Persons with Disabilities (PwD), 1,406 voters aged 85 years and above, and 12 centenarians. Ahead of polling day, 107 voters, including 90 senior citizens, exercised their franchise through the home voting facility.

The contest is a direct fight between the BJP and the Indian Congress.

The BJP has fielded Satish Patel, a former Vadodara Municipal Corporation councillor and former BJP Vadodara district president, while the Congress has nominated Bhikha Rabari, the party’s Gujarat vice-president and a former state minister.

Polling is being conducted at 260 polling stations across 62 locations, each equipped with basic amenities including ramps, drinking water, electricity and toilets.

Two polling stations are being managed entirely by women personnel, two by Persons with Disabilities staff, and five have been designated as model polling stations.

The Election Commission has implemented several technology-driven measures for the bypoll.

All 260 polling stations are under 100 per cent live webcasting and CCTV surveillance, while mobile deposit counters have been set up outside polling stations to help voters to deposit their mobile phones before entering polling booths.

Presiding Officers have been updating polling percentages every two hours through the ECINET application.

During the day, polling remained largely peaceful, although a brief confrontation was reported outside a polling station at Panchsheel Vidyalaya, where BJP and Congress workers accused each other of violating election norms.

Police intervened, brought the situation under control and confirmed that polling continued without disruption. Counting of votes for the bye-election is scheduled to take place on August 3.

–IANS

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