Surat, Rajkot, and Jamnagar have recorded lower than the State average voter turnout of 63.3% in the first phase of Gujarat elections. While the voting percentage increased in many constituencies, the average voter turnout figure is dampened by urban apathy of these important districts just as during the recently concluded general election to the legislative assembly of Himachal Pradesh, the urban Assembly Constituency of Shimla recorded the lowest at 62.53% (less by 13 percentage point) as against the State average of 75.6%. Gujarat cities have shown a similar urban apathy trend during voting on 1st December 2022 in Assembly elections thus pulling down the percentage of voting in the first phase.

Noting the voter turnout figures with concern, CEC Sh Rajiv Kumar, on behalf of ECI, appeals to the voters of Gujrat to come out in large numbers during the second phase so as to compensate for low voting in 1^st phase. The possibility of surpassing the 2017 voting percentage now lies in their increased participation only.

The Gandhidham AC in Kuchchh district, which has industrial establishments recorded the lowest polling percentage of 47.86%, a sharp decline of 6.34% from the last election in 2017, recording a new low. The second lowest voting was in the Karanj constituency of Surat, which is also 5.37 % lower than its own low of 55.91% in 2017.

Major cities/ urban areas of Gujrat have not only recorded a decline in voting percentage as compared to the 2017 elections but have also voted much less than the State average of 63.3%. The decline in Rajkot west is very sharp at 10.56%.

The voting percentage in the first phase of the election in 2017 was 66.79%. Had the voting percentage in these Assembly Constituencies been even equal to the level of even their own voting percentage in the 2017 election, the state average would have been more than 65%.

There is a conspicuous gap in voting turnout between rural and urban constituencies.  The gap in voter turnout is as wide as 34.85% if it is compared to the rural constituency of Dediapada in Narmada district which has recorded  82.71% and that in urban AC of Gandhidham in Kuchchh district which has witnessed  47.86% of voter turnout. Also, the average turnout in important urban areas is lower than the turnout in rural constituencies.

Within many districts, rural constituencies in those districts have voted much more than the urban constituencies of the same district. For example-in Rajkot, there is a decline in all the urban ACs.

Rajkot

Assembly Constituency	VTR in 2017	VTR in 2022	% increase/decrease	Type of constituency
Rajkot East	66.98	62.20	4.78	Urban
Rajkot West	67.68	57.12	10.56	Urban
Rajkot South	64.28	58.99	5.29	Urban

Similarly, in Surat, all rural Assembly Constituencies have voted more in %age terms than urban Assembly Constituencies of Surat. The difference between the lowest urban AC of Surat and with highest rural AC is as much as 25%.

Surat

Assembly Constituency	Voting % in 2022	Type of constituency
Karanj	50.54	Urban
Udhna	54.87	Urban
Varachha Road	56.38	Urban
Choryasi	56.86	Urban
Limbayat	58.53	Urban
Majura	58.07	Urban
Surat North	59.24	Urban
kamrej	60.28	Urban
Surat West	62.92	Urban
Katargam	64.08	Urban
Surat East	64.77	Urban
Olpad	64.65	Urban
Bardoli	66.07	Rural
Mahua	73.73	Rural
Mangrol	74.09	Rural
Mandvi	76.22	Rural

All the 26 ACs which recorded more than 65 % voting are rural and not even one urban AC has crossed the mark of 65% voting.

Sr. No.	Name of district	Name of AC	Voter Turnout in 2022
1	Kachchh	Mandvi	65.37
2	Jamnagar	Jamjodhpur	65.43
3	Navsari	Navsari	65.79
4	Surat	Bardoli	66.07
5	Valsad	Valsad	66.13
6	Navsari	Jalalpore	67.00
7	Morbi	Morbi	67.16
8	Dangs	Dangs	67.33
9	Surendranagar	Dhrangadhra	67.48
10	Bharuch	Jambusar	67.53
11	Morbi	Tankara	71.18
12	Navsari	Gandevi	71.49
13	Morbi	Wankaner	71.70
14	Bharuch	Vagra	71.73
15	Gir Somnath	Somnath	72.94
16	Surat	Mahuva	73.73
17	Surat	Mangrol	74.09
18	Narmada	Nandod	74.36
19	Tapi	Vyara	75.57
20	Bharuch	Jhagadia	76.20
21	Surat	Mandvi	76.22
22	Tapi	Nizar	78.19
23	Navsari	Bansda	78.23
24	Valsad	Dharampur	78.32
25	Valsad	Kaprada	79.57
26	Narmada	Dediapada	82.71

To address the urban apathy trend across the country, the Commission has directed all CEOs to identify low voter turnout ACs and Polling stations to ensure targeted awareness interventions to increase voting percentage. Recently also CEC Rajiv Kumar along with Anup Chandra Pandey interacted with Nodal Officers of over 200 Voter Awareness Forums from various industrial units in Pune, which has earned the tag as one of the lowest voting percentage Parliamentary Constituencies in the 2019 general elections.

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