Gujarat Panchayat Election 2025: Voting is going on for panchayat elections in Gujarat today. Voting will run till 6 pm and the votes will be counted on 25 June. Out of a total of 8,326 gram panchayats in the state, 751 panchayats have been held unopposed. In the remaining panchayats, 3,656 sarpanches and 16,224 members will be selected. For this, about 81 lakh voters will exercise their franchise.
Large accident in Mahisagar, 2 killed, 13 injured
The jeep of people going to vote in Mahisagar collided with a truck. There were a total of 15 people in the jeep. In this accident, 2 people died on the spot, while 13 people were injured. All the injured have been admitted to different hospitals.
24% polling in Jamnagar till 11 am
In 187 gram panchayats of Jamnagar district, 24% voting was done by 11 am. Elderly, women and young people were seen standing in long queues to cast their votes. Many elderly voters were taken to the polling station by supporting the policemen, so that they too could cast their votes. The administration has appealed to the youth to vote as much as possible.
Panchayat elections on such a large scale for the first time
After the report of the Zaveri Commission in the year 2023, the Gujarat government decided that OBC will be given 27% reservation in local bodies like Panchayat, Municipality and Municipal Corporation. After this decision, for the first time in the state, gram panchayat elections are being held on such a large scale. The election was announced by the State Election Commission on 28 May. The last date for filling the nomination was 9 June and the last date for withdrawal of name was set as 11 June. Out of 8,326 gram panchayats, 4,688 mango or mid -term elections are being held, while by -elections are being held in 3,638 panchayats.
Voters will get the option of NOTA
According to the Election Commission, voting is being done through ballot papers and voters have also been given the option of NOTA. The panchayat elections in Gujarat typically contest between the ruling BJP and the Congress.
Congress and BJP face to face with delay in election
The Congress and BJP have their own arguments about the delay in the panchayat elections. Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi says that the elections had been staying for almost two years. The Congress was already demanding these elections as the BJP government appointed the administrator there after the term of the panchayats, which took away the rights of the people. At the same time, BJP spokesperson Yagyesh Dave dismissed the allegations of the Congress and said that there is no role of BJP behind the delay in the election. He said that the Election Commission had to count the OBC population in every ward to implement 27% OBC reservation fixed by the state government, which was an important task.
The BJP says that if the elections were held earlier, the Congress would say that the rights of OBC were ignored. Therefore, the Congress is only trying to create confusion among the people.
Panchayati Raj came into force in the whole country in 1993
Panchayati Raj in India began on 2 October 1959 after independence, when the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru formally started it in Nagaur district of Rajasthan. A committee was formed to further strengthen the Panchayati Raj system, headed by former Gujarat Chief Minister Balwantrai Mehta. This committee made some necessary suggestions, which were later implemented. However, initially this system was not implemented across the country. Then in 1979, the Constitution was amended 74th and after that in 1993 the Panchayati Raj system was implemented across the country. Along with this, a similar law of Panchayati Raj was enacted and implemented across the country.
