Polling, though began on a dull note this morning, picked up only in the last two hours around 4 pm. Very few voters could be seen at the 25 booths at the seven centres Harikrishna, Srirang, Sardar Vallabh, Rosevelt and Municipal Schools and the two Ayurved Colleges, located adjacent to each other on and around Waghodia road, till 11 am.

According to official information, only about 1,000 men and 500 women had cast their votes in the first two hours till 10 am in the entire ward. The number of the same in the next two hours increased to 3,000 and 2,000 and doubled in the next two hours. However, according to officials, voting picked up only after 2 pm when the percentage rose to 35 per cent from meagre 4 per cent in the morning hours.

Talking to Express Newsline, returning officer Mona Khandhar and deputy commissioner of police Mohan Jha said five youths, including a woman, who were moving in a suspicious manner around Rosevelt School polling station were detailed under section 68 and 69 of the Bombay Police Act, 1951, around 3.30 pm and let off around 6 pm after the polling was over. The five were suspected to indulge in bogus voting and hence were detained as a precautionary measure. Barring this event, no other incident or complaint was reported throughout the day.

Meanwhile, top leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress and Rashtriya Janata Party (RJP) could be seen throughout the day in the area making last-minute efforts to speak for their candidates in the fray, Rannchhod Rathwa, Jayesh Tadvi and Satish Vasava, respectively.

While BJP and Congress leaders maintained that the direct fight was between the two, RJP leaders Hemchandra Bochare and Dr Rajendrasinh Rathod told Express Newsline that they were sure of victory as both the parties had exposed themselves and failed the public. The seat fell vacant following the death of BJP councillor Ramdev Vasava. The BJP leaders also alleged that the other two parties had pumped in money, liquor and blankets, besides other gadgets among slum-dwellers to woo voters.

Local BJP local leaders including Jivraj Chavhan and Vidya Rajput and Congress' Mazhar Qureshi and Mohammad Kapadia said they were sure of win and accused each other's candidates for cheating voters in the past.

Counting will be held at Purush Adhyapan Pathshala, Karelibaug on Monday.