In Gujarat, all preparations for second and last phase of Assembly elections have been completed. Polling parties will be rushing to their polling stations today while security forces have already reached poll bound areas. They have conducted flag march in several places and checking of vehicles has been intensified to ensure free and fair polling.
Our correspondent reports that 23 thousand 318 polling stations have been set up for above 2 crore electorate in all the 95 constituencies for tomorrow’s voting. Of these more than 14 thousand polling centres have been identified as critical.
All polling booths are manned by the central Para military forces. In addition to the general observers deployed by the Commission, over 7 thousand 2 hundred micro observers are also being deployed at polling centres to keep an eye on the poll process.
Digital and video cameras are also being placed at critical polling centres. Polling will be held in a total of 95 constituencies in the last phase spread over 12 districts of Ahmedabad, Kachchh, Banaskantha, Patan, Mahesana, Sabarkantha, Anand, Kheda, Panchmahal, Dahod, Vadodara and state capital Gandhinagar from North, Central and Kachchh regions of the state. 820 candidates including 49 women of 28 small and major political parties are into the fray.
The ruling BJP is contesting all the 95 constituencies, whereas the Congress has fielded candidates in 92 seats, leaving three for its ally Nationalist Congress Party NCP.
Newly floated and former Chief Minister Keshu Bhai Patel led Gujarat Parivartan Party and BSP have fielded candidates in 84 seats each.
Political fate of several stalwarts of state politics will be decided in this phase of polling which includes Chief Minister Narendra Modi, farmer Chief Minister Shankar Singh Vaghela, BJP leader Amit Shah, Jagruti Pandya, wife of slain BJP leader Haren Pandya, congress nominee Shweta Bhatt, wife of a suspended IPS officer and Siddharth Patel.
Several ministers of Modi government including Anandi Ven Patel, Nitin Patel, Raman Lal Vora, Fakir Bhai Vaghela and Leeladhar Vaghela are also in contest in this phase of elections. The counting of votes will be taken up on December 20.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission has ordered re-polling at three booths where polling was held on December 13 in the first phase of elections. Re – polling will be held today from 8 AM to 5 PM in one booth each of Jam Jodhpur , Bhavnagar Rural and Surat North constituencies .
