Gujarat elections 2017: 68% voter turnout recorded in first phase, says EC

Election Commission of India on Saturday addressed media after first phase of polling ends in Gujarat assembly election 2017.

While addressing media, Election Commission of India said that 68% voter turnout was recorded in the first phase of Gujarat Election 2017.

''By the time we get final figures voting percentage may go a little higher and touch last year's figure,'' Election Commission of India said.

''There is no such connection of any Bluetooth or EVM. EVMs don't have receptors or wiring to facilitate that. So such reports are false,'' further added.

Earlier, as voting for 89 seats in the first phase of Gujarat Assembly elections was underway, senior Congress leader Arjun Modhwadia complained of possible EVM tampering at three polling booths in a Muslim-dominated area of Porbandar, a seat he is contesting.

Some EVMs were found to be connecting with external devices such as mobile phones through bluetooth, he had claimed. Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) B B Swain told reporters this evening that as per the report of an inquiry it ordered, the mobile phone of the complainant was detecting -- when its bluetooth was activated -- another device identified as 'ECO 105'.

The first phase of Gujarat assembly elections 2017 was held today across 89 constituencies in Saurashtra and South Gujarat regions. Over 2 crore 12 lakh voters will decide the fate of 977 candidates, including 57 women, in this phase.

Prominent candidates in the fray for the battle include Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who is contesting from Rajkot (West), and Congress' Shaktisinh Gohil (Mandvi) and Paresh Dhanani (Amreli).

The election is being viewed as a prestige battle for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a litmus test for the leadership of soon-to-be Congress chief Rahul Gandhi. The second phase of polling in 93 seats will be held on December 14 while the counting of votes is scheduled on December 18.

OneIndia News