Phase 2 Gujarat Polls: PM Modi casts his vote in Ahmedabad

The polling for the second phase of elections for Gujarat Assembly is taking place today across state’s 14 districts with parties contesting for the 93 seats. More than 2.5 crore voters in Gujarat are expected to vote in the second phase of the Gujarat Assembly elections, with 833 candidates in the competition. Gujarat, this year, is witnessing a “three-way contest” between BJP, Congress and AAP.

For this phase, the saffron party and the Arvind Kejriwal led AAP are contesting for all the 93 Assembly seats, while the Congress is contesting for 90 seats and its alliance Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is up for grabbing two seats.

A total of 833 candidates from total 61 political parties are contesting the polls in the segments spread across Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Gandhinagar and other districts. The candidates include Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Among political bigwigs who voted early on Monday morning were Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.

Those who voted early morning on Monday included Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who cast his vote at a polling station that was set up at a high school in Ranip locality in Ahmedabad city. Union Home Minister and BJP MP Amit Shah also exercised his vote at the AMC sub-zonal office in Naranpura locality in Ahmedabad.

Meanwhile, Congress is pitching in for a “change” in the second phase. “It is a humble request to every citizen of Gujarat to participate in this ‘parivartan utsav (festival of change)’. Do vote today,” Kharge said in a tweet in Hindi. “Hearty congratulations to our young friends who are voting for the first time,” he said.

In a tweet in Hindi, Rahul Gandhi said, “We will fulfill the promise made to youth, farmers, women and every citizen, we will bring about change in Gujarat. Appeal to the people of Gujarat to vote in large numbers. By making use of your rights, fulfill this important responsibility for the progress and development of the state.”