Gujarat polling highest at 70.2 per cent: CEC

New Delhi : Gujarat registered a record voter turnout at 70.2 percent in the two-phase polling, Chief Election Commissioner V.S. Sampath said Monday.

“The total polling percentage in Gujarat was 70.2 percent. This is higher than 64.39 percent recorded in 1995,” Sampath told reporters here after the second phase of polling ended in Gujarat.

According to the CEC, the first phase polling Dec 13 was 70.75 percent.

The EC officials said percentage of women voters went up in the state from 57 percent in 2007 to 68.9 percent due to special efforts by the commission for their participation.

Narmada district recorded the highest voting percentage at 82.17 percent.

“It was by and large a peaceful poll” but four people were injured due to gun shots fired in village Tarsang of Shehra assembly constituency, said Sampath.

“They are out of danger. No polling station was affected in the firing,” he said.

According to the CEC, out of the 444 suspected cases of paid news, 224 notices were sent and 65 cases were confirmed in Gujarat.

The EC officials said the state government had identified around 5,574 voters who are over 100 years old.

Ballotting closed Monday evening in the second and final phase of the Gujarat assembly elections.

Millions cast their ballot at 23,318 polling stations in Kutch, north Gujarat and central Gujarat.

Elections in the second phase were held in 95 of the 182 constituencies.