Officials reported that around a thousand voters from three villages in Gujarat boycotted voting in the Lok Sabha polls on Tuesday. In contrast, voters in three other villages partially stayed away from the process due to unfulfilled demands from the government.

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The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) stated that preliminary information indicates that voters from Kesar village in Bharuch district, Sanadhara in Surat district, and Bhakhari in Banaskantha district completely boycotted voting. Additionally, voters in Bhatgam village in Junagadh district, and Bodoli and Kunjara villages in Mahisagar district partially boycotted the voting process. Sanadhara village, with 320 voters, is located within the Bardoli Lok Sabha constituency.

What Did The Election Commission Say On The Gujarat Polls?

According to the Election Commission report, none of the 320 voters cast their votes due to certain outstanding issues, despite efforts by the local poll administration and representatives of political parties to persuade them to participate in the electoral process.

Additionally, approximately 300 voters in Bakhri village, which falls under the Patan parliamentary constituency, collectively decided to boycott voting as a protest against the division of their gram panchayat.

Poll preparations began early in the morning, but the villagers did not show up for voting, leaving polling officers waiting. The villagers expressed grievance over the division of their gram panchayat.

Even Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Bharatsinh Dabhi visited the village and appealed to them to participate in the poll process, but they remained unmoved.

By the end of the day, no votes were cast as approximately 350 voters in Kesar village chose not to participate in the voting process.

Locals reported that voters had previously boycotted elections because the government had not fulfilled their requests for a bridge over a river, despite repeated appeals.

In a single phase on Tuesday, polling took place for 25 out of the total 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured victory in the Surat seat without facing any opposition.

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