Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks a second term in office, Gujaratis pulled off a record voting performance of 64.11% on April 23, smashing all previous voting records. Braving scorching heat, Gujarat voters improved on a 52-year-old voting record of 63.77% of 1967 to elect 26 representatives to the Lok Sabha.
Political analysts say that a record high voter turnout, undoubtedly, qualifies as a decisive verdict. While the mystery will be unravelled only on May 23, BJP is jubilant over the record voter percentage citing that high numbers have traditionally favoured it. Congress too is a bit upbeat saying that higher voter turnout is a manifestation of people's anger against the incumbent party.
State BJP president Jitu Vaghani said the record high voter turnout is an endorsement of PM Modi’s leadership and policies. “Rural voters have approved government’s pro-farmer policies while urban voters have endorsed Modi’s development and strong stand on national security.”
Tribal seats saw highest turnout
Paresh Dhanani, leader of opposition in the Gujarat assembly, claimed the record turnout reflects resolve of Gujaratis to oust the Modi government. “Farmers fed up with government's arrogance have voted en masse against BJP. Congress will gain urban votes too this time,” he said. The 2019 general election turnout of 64.11 % in Gujarat beats the previous best of 63.77 % of 1967. In 2014 LS election, 63.66 % voter turnout was registered. The lowest turnout was registered in the 1996 general election at 35.93 % in the 15 Lok Sabha elections held so far after Gujarat was formed.
Interesting trends have emerged out of how Gujarat has voted this time around. Three LS constituencies which recorded the highest voter turnout are tribal seats - Valsad (75.21 %), Bardoli (73.57 %) and Chhota Udepur (73.44 %) – all ST reserved seats . Significantly, all seven Saurashtra seats recorded lowest turnout with seven seats from the region figuring in ten seats with lowest voting percentage. The hotly contested Amreli seat has witnessed lukewarm polling of only 55.75 % followed by Porbandar (56.79%) and Surendranagar (57.85%).
In comparison with 2014 general polls, voter turnout dipped on nine LS seats and jumped by one to six per cent on 17 seats. State chief electoral officer S Murali Krishna thanked voters for the record breaking turnout in spite of the sweltering heat.
