Voting in Gujarat’s local body elections witnessed a sluggish start on Sunday, with voter turnout remaining below 30 percent by early afternoon, while reports of boycott calls, polling disruptions, and clashes from different regions added tension to the ongoing civic polls.

According to early polling data, turnout across several municipal areas remained low as many voters stayed away despite repeated appeals from political leaders. The muted response has raised concerns among election officials as crucial elections are being held for multiple local bodies across the state.

The polling process faced a major setback in Visnagar taluka, where residents of Kansa village reportedly boycotted voting, demanding action on unresolved local civic issues. Villagers alleged that repeated complaints over infrastructure and public services had been ignored, prompting them to stay away from the polling booths in protest.

Meanwhile, tensions flared in Ahmedabad, where a scuffle was reported outside a polling booth, briefly disturbing the voting process. Though authorities moved quickly to control the situation, the incident highlighted the tense atmosphere surrounding the elections.

In addition to these incidents, some areas also witnessed complaints regarding polling arrangements and voter inconvenience, affecting turnout during the crucial morning hours. Election officials, however, maintained that polling remained largely under control and security had been tightened in sensitive locations.

Political parties are closely monitoring turnout trends as the outcome of these civic elections is expected to play an important role in shaping local governance and testing voter sentiment in urban Gujarat.

With polling continuing through the evening, officials are hoping voter participation improves in the later hours. However, the combination of low turnout, boycott protests, and isolated disturbances has already made the day’s voting politically significant.