Gujarat civic polls end peacefully as Thara logs 81% voter turnout

Voting across three key civic bodies in Gujarat concluded peacefully on Sunday, led by brisk voter participation that reached 81.18 per cent in Banaskantha district's Thara municipality.

Electors cast their ballots between 7 am and 6 pm for the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation, the Thara municipality, and Okha municipality in Devbhumi Dwarka, alongside several district and taluka panchayat bypolls. The smooth execution of the polls reflected extensive administrative preparations, with security deployment maintaining order at sensitive stations.

According to tentative data released by the State Election Commission, voter turnout stood at 59.25 per cent in Gandhinagar, 81.18 per cent in Thara, and 56.44 per cent in Okha.

Peaceful voting and administrative preparation

Election authorities reported an orderly process across all centres. Extensive police deployment and targeted patrolling ensured that electronic voting machines functioned without disruption throughout the eleven-hour voting window.

"No major untoward incident took place. Voting was held peacefully," State Election Commission Joint Commissioner N K Damor said on Sunday evening, noting that the reported participation numbers remain tentative pending final reconciliation.

Special monitoring arrangements were put in place at designated sensitive and hyper-sensitive booths, helping local administrations manage queues steadily and prevent any disruption to polling.

High stakes in the state capital

In the state capital, the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation saw brisk engagement across all 44 seats distributed over 11 wards. Around 2.59 lakh eligible voters were called upon to decide among 130 candidates.

The capital civic body remains a closely watched contest among the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Congress, and the Aam Aadmi Party. During the previous civic elections held in October 2021, the ruling BJP secured a decisive mandate by winning 41 of the 44 seats, while the Congress took two and the AAP won one.

Sunday's disciplined turnout in Gandhinagar indicates steady citizen engagement with municipal governance in the state's administrative heart.

Seat tallies across Okha, Thara and bypolls

In Okha municipality, voting took place for 32 of the civic body's 36 seats spread across nine wards. Four seats had already seen candidates elected unopposed, leaving 75 contestants in the fray for the remainder.

Thara municipality recorded the day's highest enthusiasm, where 59 candidates competed across six wards comprising 24 seats. The 81.18 per cent provisional turnout showed exceptional grassroots participation across the north Gujarat town.

Alongside the three full civic bodies, authorities conducted by-elections for individual vacant seats in Kheralu, Chhota Udepur, and Bayad municipalities, as well as several seats across district and taluka panchayats.

What happens next

With polling machinery safely secured in strongrooms under surveillance, attention turns to the counting process. The State Election Commission is scheduled to count the votes on 13 October, when the formal results across all three civic bodies and bypoll seats will be announced.