An estimated 55-65 per cent voters had cast their vote in Saurashtra at 3 pm on Thursday, in what was being touted as Gujarat's most crucial assembly election.

The voter turnout across the state, figures for which were available only till noon, was a healthy 30 per cent

"Voting has so far been proceeding smoothly and there have been no reports of any untoward incident," sources in the
election office said.

Chief Electoral Officer Gurcharan Singh told PTI that 30 per cent of the total voters had cast their vote by mid-day.

Police used mild force in Rambagh area of Maninagar constituency, from where caretaker Chief Minister Narendra Modi is contesting, to disperse a large group of people protesting against their exculsion from electoral rolls.

According to reports reaching capital Gandhinagar, polling began on a dull note in most of the 181 constituencies, but picked up as the day progressed.

Reports from Godhra, Mehsana, Maninagar, Naroda Patiya spoke of moderate to heavy polling with long queues at  polling stations. In minority-dominated areas of Kalupur in Ahmedabad, nearly 25 per cent voters had cast their
votes when reports last came in.

In the tribal belt of Vadodra, Panchmahals and Dohad in central Gujarat, heavy polling was reported.

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