Gujarat civic polls 2021: Polling underway in 6 cities, including Ahmedabad

The total number of voters in the six cities is 11.4 million, comprising 6.06 million men and more than 5.4 million women.

Polling for elections to municipal corporations of six major cities in Gujarat began at 7am on Sunday amid tight security and adherence to Covid-19 norms. The polling will end at 5pm. The six municipal corporations that are going to the polls include Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, Jamnagar and Bhavnagar. These elections are being seen as a test for Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani as the state will go to assembly polls next year. The counting of votes will be held on Tuesday.

The counting of votes will be take place after the polling on February 23. (PTI)

Here’s everything you need to know about Gujarat civic polls:

1. There are 575 seats with each ward having four corporators and 2,276 candidates, comprising 577 from the BJP, 566 from the Congress, 470 from AAP, 91 from NCP, 353 from other parties and 228 Independents who are in the fray in these elections.

2. The total number of voters in the six cities is 11.4 million, comprising 6.06 million men and more than 5.4 million women.

3. The are 11,121 polling booths for the elections, out of which 2,255 have been designated as sensitive and 1,188 have been designated as very sensitive. Extra forces have been deployed in sensitive polling booths. Authorities have also created 97 checkposts along the state's borders in view of the polls.

4. The counting of votes will be conducted on February 23 after which polls to 31 districts, 231 taluka panchayats and 81 municipalities will be held on February 28.

5. More than 43,000 police personnel have been deployed for maintaining law and order during the polling process. Of this 25,000 personnel are from regular units, 15,000 are home guards, and 3,000 are from the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF).

6. Union home minister Amit Shah will be in Gujarat on Sunday to cast his vote in the Naranpura ward of Ahmedabad municipal corporation. Chief minister Vijay Rupani, who is currently undergoing treatment for Covid-19, will cast his vote in a polling booth in Anil Gyan Mandir School in his hometown Rajkot.

(With agency inputs)