The EC said that the voting percentage increased in many constituencies in Gujarat in the first-phase polling but the overall turnout was diminished by the urban apathy to voting in key districts such as Surat, Rajkot and Jamnagar.
The Election Commission on Saturday barred the Shiv Sena factions led by Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde from using the party name and its election symbol in the next month s Andheri East assembly bypoll.