On Sunday, Ward 11 and Ward 17 recorded the lowest voter turnout at 39.70% and 39.56%, respectively. (Express photos)Voting for the Vadodara Municipal Corporation elections was held on Sunday across 74 seats — two out of the total 76 seats were declared uncontested in favour of the BJP.A total of 258 candidates are in the fray for the civic body, which recorded a voter turnout of 47.01% until 5 pm.Polling for the VMC began at 7 am on April 26 with Ward 15 — which is home to the victims of the January 2024 Harni Boat tragedy that killed 14 persons, including 12 students and two teachers– recording the highest turnout at 54.92% by 5 pm. Ward 15 has former BJP leader and corporator Ashish Joshi contesting as a Congress candidate this time, following his suspension from the BJP in May last year for “indiscipline”. The suspension had come days after mothers of two student victims of the Harni Boat Tragedy had interrupted Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel at an event in Vadodara.On Sunday, Ward 11 and Ward 17 recorded the lowest voter turnout at 39.70% and 39.56%, respectively.Despite intense heat conditions, voter enthusiasm picked up significantly towards the end of polling. Officials indicated that the overall turnout may surpass that of the previous elections, driven by the late surge.BJP, Congress workers clashA clash broke out between workers of the BJP and the Congress near Wadi Tower of Ward 14 in Vadodara city when workers from both parties came face-to-face near a polling booth, allegedly creating a charged atmosphere in the area.The situation escalated into a scuffle as senior police officials rushed to the spot with a heavy deployment to bring the situation under control. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone 3, Abhishek Gupta said, “A few persons from both parties were sitting in the area… There was an argument over interacting with voters. We are probing the issue as there is no voter booth close by where the two parties had set up their tables. At present, the police have arrived and taken control of the situation. We will probe if any party’s candidates had also been involved in the incident.”Peon on poll duty diesStory continues below this adA 48-year-old gram panchayat staffer on poll duty died after collapsing while polling was underway for the Petlad Taluka Panchayat in Anand district on Sunday.Amit Vitthal Solanki, a peon of the Sansej gram panchayat of Petlad taluka, fell unconscious at a polling booth, officials said.M V Solanki, Taluka Development Officer and Assistant Returning Officer of Petlad, said that the incident had occurred in Booth No. 1 of Sansej village. Amit Solanki was rushed to the Tarapur Government Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.Bharuch villagers intercept car smuggling liquorIn the midst of polling for the local bodies, villagers of Tralsa Kothi village in Bharuch taluka intercepted a suspicious vehicle transporting a large quantity of liquor on the outskirts of the village. Officials of the Bharuch Taluka Police station said that an FIR was underway in the case on Sunday evening as the police officials were busy with polls.Story continues below this adThe villagers had also caught hold of two persons from the vehicle and handed them over to the police.Aditi Raja is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, stationed in Vadodara, Gujarat, with over 20 years in the field. She has been reporting from the region of Central Gujarat and Narmada district for this newspaper since 2013, which establishes her as a highly Authoritative and Trustworthy source on regional politics, administration, and critical socio-economic and environmental issues. Expertise: Core Authority & Specialization: Her reporting is characterized by a comprehensive grasp of the complex factors shaping Central Gujarat, which comprises a vast tribal population, including: Politics and Administration: In-depth analysis of dynamics within factions of political parties and how it affects the affairs in the region, visits of national leaders making prominent statements, and government policy decisions impacting the population on ground. Crucial Regional Projects: She consistently reports on the socio-economic and political impact of infrastructure projects in the region, especially the Statue of Unity, the Sardar Sarovar Project on the Narmada River, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail bullet train project as well as the National Highway infrastructure. Social Justice and Human Rights: Her reporting offers deep coverage of sensitive human-interest topics, including gender, crime, and tribal issues. Her reports cover legal proceedings from various district courts as well as the Gujarat High Court (e.g., the Bilkis Bano case remission, POCSO court orders, Public Interest Litigations), the plight of tribal communities, and broader social conflicts (e.g., Kheda flogging case). Local Impact & Disaster Reporting: Excels in documenting the immediate impact of events on communities, such as the political and civic fallout of the Vadodara floods, the subsequent public anger, and the long-delayed river redevelopment projects, Harni Boat Tragedy, Air India crash, bringing out a blend of stories from the investigations as well as human emotions. Special Interest Beat: She tracks incidents concerning Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRIs) including crime and legal battles abroad, issues of illegal immigration and deportations, as well as social events connecting the local Gujarati experience to the global diaspora. ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd