Low polling in Gujarat in first four hours

An estimated 18 to 20% of the 3.34 crore electorate in Gujarat on Tuesday exercised their franchise for Lok Sabha polls to 26 seats.

An estimated 18 to 20 per cent of the 3.34 crore electorate in Gujarat on Tuesday exercised their franchise for Lok Sabha elections to 26 constituencies even as Congress candidate's car was damaged by a mob in Mehsana and minor incident of stone pelting was reported in Anand.

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Polling which began at 7 am reached a meagre 6 per cent in the first two hours and gradually picked up by noon, state election office sources said.

Both Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani and Union Law Minister Arun Jaitley exuded confidence that BJP-led NDA coalition government would storm back to power with the latter predicting "fairly moderate" voter turnout.

At least four villages across the state refrained from polling complaining that the local basic problems had not been redressed by any political party.