Polling is progressing smoothly for the second and final phase of Assembly elections in Gujarat. Voting is taking place for 95 constituencies in this phase.
About 21 per cent polling has been reported during the first three hours of polling. AIR correspondent reports that the voting, which started on dull note, is picking up now. The polling will continue till 5 PM.
About 1.98 crore voters will decide the fate of 820 candidates including the Chief Minister Narendra Modi today.
Voters will also decide the fate of political bigwigs like state ministers Anandi Patel, Saurabh Patel, Jaynarayan Vyas, Ramanlal Vora, Praful Patel, Pradipsinh Jadeja and Fakir Vaghela.
From Congress party, its senior most leader and former Chief Minister Shankarsinh Vaghela, his son Mahendra Vaghela, former state Congress President Siddharth Patel, Shweta Bhatt, wife of suspended IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, are in the fray.
Keshubhai Patel led Gujarat Parivartan Party has given ticket to Jagruti Pandya, the wife of slain BJP leader and former Minister of State for Home, Haren Pandya from Ellisbridge seat in Ahmedabad.
BJP has fielded its candidates for all the 95 seats in this phase. While Congress is contesting 92 seats, GPP has fielded its candidates for 84 seats.
Election Commission has made elaborate security arrangements to ensure free and fair polling. It has appointed to 7,256 micro-observers for the purpose. Senior police officers from other states have also been deployed by the Election Commission as Police Observers in all sensitive districts.
Out of a total of 23 thousand 318 polling stations, 14 thousand have been identified as critical. Digital and video cameras have been placed at critical polling centres.
87 constituencies, that went to polls on the 13th of this month in the first phase, witnessed a record 71 per cent turnout. The counting of votes in Gujarat as well as in Himachal Pradesh will be taken up on Thursday.
Chief minister Narendra Modi cast his vote at Ranip polling booth in Ahmedabad. Leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley, State Revenue Minister Anandi Ben Patel, BJP leader Amit Shah, Congress candidate from Maninagar Shweta Bhatt and Jagruti Pandya, wife of slain BJP leader Haren Pandya, were other prominent persons who cast their votes in Ahmedabad.
