Voting began here in 87 constituencies in Kutch, Saurashtra and the southern part of the state for the crucial first phase of assembly elections in Gujarat.
AHMEDABAD: Voting in 87 constituencies in South Gujarat, Kutch and Saurashtra regions for the crucial first phase of assembly elections in Gujarat has begun to pick up gradually after a slow start on Tuesday.
According to reports from Rajkot, people were seen standing in queues in Rajkot-I constituency in the first couple of hours after polling began.
State finance minister Vajubhai Vala, who is contesting as a BJP candidate from Rajkot-II constituency was among the first voters to cast their franchise.
Around 1, 78, 77, 771 voters (93, 14, 640 males and 85, 63, 131 females) will decide the fate of 669 candidates including 53 women contesting for 87 assembly seats.
The fate of leader of the Opposition in Gujarat Assembly Arjun Modhvadiya and BJP rebels will be put to test when 669 candidates will battle it out for the 87 assembly seats.
Prominent among the rebels is Dhirubhai Gajera, who is fighting on a Congress ticket from Surat (North). In 2002, he had won as a BJP candidate.
Gajera was seen casting his vote in Surat after polling began this morning amidst tight security arrangements.
Balubhai Tanti, Bechar Bhadani, Bavku Undhad, are some of the other rebels who are contesting on Congress tickets in this two-phased elections which is largely a straight fight between the ruling-BJP and the Congress-NCP alliance (NCP is contesting on four seats in the first phase).
Apart from the rebels, several sitting Congress MLAs including leader of Opposition Arjun Modhvadiya will also be seeking re-election.
Modhvadiya is facing BJP candidate Shanta Odedara from Porbandar constituency of Saurashtra.
Other prominent sitting Congress MLAs, who will be looking forward to retain their seats will be Babu Meghji Shah, Bhavan Bharvad, Madhubhai Bhoye and Chandrika Chudasama.
Among the cabinet ministers in the Narendra Modi government, Irrigation Minister Narrotam Patel will be fighting from Chorasi seat of South Gujarat.
The fate of other cabinet ministers like Energy Minister Saurabh Patel (Botad) and Finance Minister Vaju Vala (Rajkot-II) will also be sealed in the ballot boxes.
Along with local police, para-military forces have been deployed to conduct free and fair elections by the Election Commission.
For the first time, the EC has appointed micro observers to ensure that no untoward incident takes place at the polling booths.
The EC has appointed 3,339 micro observers who have been given the task to observe voting in sensitive booths.
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