Paid Holiday Declared by Government on May 7 in Gujarat for By-Elections to 5 Lok Sabha and Assembly Seats: Ensuring Voter Participation

The electoral machinery is in motion across the nation in preparation for the Lok Sabha by-elections. Scheduled across seven phases, the voting process will witness polling on May 7, encompassing 26 Lok Sabha constituencies in Gujarat and 5 Assembly constituencies. 

In light of this, the Gujarat government has declared May 7 as a public holiday, ensuring it’s a paid holiday. This decision is in accordance with the directive issued under Section 135(B)(1) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

Who Will Be Eligible for Paid Holiday?

Employees working in factories, the commercial sector, banking, and various other fields within the state will be entitled to a paid holiday. As per the notification, the benefit of paid holidays will be extended to voters registered in the Lok Sabha constituencies, even if they are employed outside the Lok Sabha constituency. 

Following the polling in the 26 Lok Sabha constituencies, the voting for the by-elections in 26-Vijapur, 108-Khambhat, 136-Vaghodia, 85-Manavadar, and 83-Porbandar constituencies of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly will also take place on May 7. On this day, the government has announced a paid holiday.

Current Status of Gujarat Legislative Assembly

In the 2022 elections, the Gujarat Legislative Assembly, comprising 182 seats, witnessed a record victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), securing triumph in 156 constituencies. Meanwhile, the Indian National Congress won in 17, Aam Aadmi Party in 5, others in 3, and the Socialist Party in 1 constituency. 

Following the results of the assembly elections, a total of 55 legislators have resigned from their posts so far. Consequently, the current composition of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly stands with BJP holding 156 seats, Congress with 13, Aam Aadmi Party with 4, others with 2, and Socialist with 1. 

This leaves five vacant seats, which will be filled concurrently with the Lok Sabha elections. The political parties are gearing up to contest these seats in their respective names. With the forthcoming by-elections alongside the Lok Sabha polls, the outcomes are poised to be riveting and consequential in the state.

Voter Statistics Ahead of Gujarat Lok Sabha Elections

In the state, there are a total of 4.96 crore registered voters. As Gujarat prepares for the Lok Sabha elections on May 7 in the third phase, among these voters, there are 11,75,444 youths aged between 18-19 years who have attained the right to vote for the first time. 

Furthermore, the number of voters aged 80 and above exceeds 10 lakh, reaching 1,001,448. Those aged 100 years or above account for around 10,000 voters.

Distribution of Youth Voters Across Lok Sabha Constituencies in Gujarat

According to the voter turnout data for the state elections, the maximum number of 67,504 youth voters can be found in the Lok Sabha constituency of Banaskantha in North Gujarat. In Ahmedabad East, there are 35,609 youth voters, while in Ahmedabad West, there are 25,257. The constituency of Gandhinagar comprises 37,477 youth voters. 

On the other hand, the Lok Sabha constituency of Vadodara in Central Gujarat has the highest number of voters aged 80 and above, with over 50,000. Surat, however, has only 24,131 voters in this age group. 

In the state, the total number of voters aged between 70 and 79 is 2,521,642, while those aged between 60 and 69 are 5,114,283. The youth, defined as voters aged between 20 and 29, have a total of 1,03,33,083 representation across Gujarat.

Gender Disparity in Voter Turnout Across Constituencies in Gujarat

The analysis of male and female voters reveals a notable disparity in the Mahesana constituency, where there are 909,676 male voters compared to just 856,596 female voters. 

Across the state, there are a total of 2,55,43,670 male voters compared to 2,40,76,974 female voters, indicating a deficit of 14,66,696 female voters. 

However, there is no constituency among the 26 Lok Sabha seats where female voters outnumber male voters. The number of voters aged 85 and above stands at 4,20,925.