Counting of votes for 25 LS seats underway in Gujarat

Gujarat, June 4 (IANS) Counting of votes for the 25 out of 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat is underway amid tight security arrangements.

With over 250 candidates in the fray, this election witnessed a voter turnout of 60.13 per cent.

The counting of votes began at 8 a.m.

State Chief Electoral Officer P. Bharathi confirmed that all necessary preparations for the counting process are being overseen by 56 counting observers, 30 election officers, and 180 assistant election officers, with an additional 614 assistant officers handling postal ballots.

Security measures are stringent, with a three-tier system in place. Local police are managing security outside counting centers, while State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) personnel are stationed at counting locations, and the Central Armed Police Force guards the doors and Strong Rooms.

Entry to counting centers is strictly regulated and limited to authorised personnel, candidates, and accredited media representatives.

The Lok Sabha polls in the state were held on May 7.

The leading party is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the main opposition is the Indian National Congress (INC) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) under the INDIA bloc. This time, 35 Muslim candidates contested in Gujarat, and Congress did not field any of them.

Prominent candidates from Gujarat include Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is up against Congress' Sonal Patel.

In Rajkot, BJP's Parshottam Rupala is facing Congress' Paresh Dhanani. Porbandar sees BJP's Mansukh Mandaviya against Congress' Lalitbhai Vasoya, while Anand has BJP's Mitesh Rameshbhai Patel battling Congress' Amitbhai Chavda. In Bhavnagar, BJP's Nimu Bambhania is contesting against AAP's Umesh Makwana.

Surat did not participate in the polling this year. On April 23, 2024, BJP candidate Mukesh Dalal was declared elected to the Lok Sabha seat unopposed after the Congress candidate's nomination was rejected and other contenders withdrew.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP swept all 26 seats in Gujarat, replicating their 2014 success. This year, the BJP's stronghold is being challenged by the Congress and AAP alliance, although early exit poll predictions suggest another clean sweep for the BJP.

The ruling BJP has dominated Gujarat, sweeping all 26 seats in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

In 2014, BJP leader L. K. Advani won from Gandhinagar, and actor-turned-politician Paresh Rawal secured a victory in Ahmedabad East, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's former constituency.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the BJP repeated its clean sweep with a voter turnout of 64.11 per cent. This election saw the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) securing a second consecutive victory, winning 353 out of 543 seats.