Surat, April 26 (IANS) Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi cast his vote in Surat on Sunday, as polling for the state’s local body elections continued across municipal corporations, municipalities, district panchayats and taluka panchayats.

After voting, Sanghavi appealed to young and first-time voters to participate actively in the democratic process.

Addressing younger citizens, he said, “My young friends, my Gen Z friends, I extend my greetings to all of you. Many of you are voting for the first time in the local body elections. I hope there will be even greater improvements in your standard of living…”

He also described the elections as part of a broader developmental mandate, stating: “Today, I, my family, the people of my city, and the people of my state have all come together to further strengthen the development-oriented politics and journey led by PM Narendra Modi. This is the time when all the citizens of Gujarat are united and ready to write a new chapter in history. I have also cast my vote today, especially to accelerate the pace of development…”

Polling across Gujarat saw steady turnout since the early hours of voting, with Ahmedabad alone witnessing elections for 190 municipal seats and over 38 lakh registered voters participating.

Voters in Ahmedabad emphasised the importance of grassroots governance, with one local saying, “In a democracy, this is the most fundamental thing. People come and go from here, but local services are handled at this level. Everyone should be aware…”

The elections also saw participation from religious institutions in Kheda district, where more than 600 saints from the Vadtal Swaminarayan Temple, along with temple staff and representatives, cast their votes during the ongoing polling process.

Across the state, voting was reported from districts including Jamnagar, Bhavnagar, Morbi and Tapi. In Jamnagar, polling is being held for district panchayat, taluka panchayats and Sikka municipality, while in the Jamnagar Municipal Corporation, 4,42,829 voters are casting ballots across 414 polling stations using 474 Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

In Bhavnagar district, voting is underway for 398 local body seats across 1,984 polling booths, covering the municipal corporation, municipalities and panchayats, with over 17.31 lakh registered voters.

The State Election Commission has deployed extensive arrangements to ensure smooth polling, with voting continuing until evening across all centres. Counting of votes will take place on April 28.

–IANS

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