Vav: The by-election for Gujarat’s Vav Assembly seat in Banaskantha district recorded a 70.55% voter turnout, according to data released by election authorities on Thursday. Polling took place on Wednesday.

“A total of 70.55% of voters cast their ballots in the by-election for Vav. This final turnout figure is slightly above the provisional turnout of 68.01% recorded on polling day,” said Kartik Jivani, the returning officer and assistant collector. The vote count is scheduled for November 23.

The Vav seat became vacant when Congress MLA Geniben Thakor resigned after winning the Banaskantha Lok Sabha seat in June. Voting was conducted from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 321 polling stations, using EVM and VVPAT machines. The constituency has 3.10 lakh registered voters, including 1.61 lakh men and 1.49 lakh women.

Key candidates included Congress’s former MLA Gulabsinh Rajput, BJP’s Swaroopji Thakor, and BJP rebel Mavji Patel, making it a three-way contest. Mavji Patel (73), from the Chaudhary community, was suspended from BJP membership after deciding to run as an independent. Additionally, seven other candidates, six independents and one from the Bharatiya Jan Parishad, were in the fray.