The fate of 599 candidates including that of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has been sealed in the Electronic Voting Machines.
AHMEDABAD/NEW DELHI: Polling for the Gujarat Assembly elections ended on Sunday with an estimated 63 to 65 per cent of voters casting the ballots in the second and final phase in the Northern and Central districts of the state which was at the eye of the 2002 communal riots.
The fate of several BJP and Congress heavyweights including Chief Minister Narendra Modi were sealed in Sunday's polling which covered 95 of the 182 constituencies including Godhra, the epicentre of the riots. Counting of votes will be taken up on December 23.
"The polling was by and large peaceful and orderly with no major incident being reported," Deputy Election Commissioner Jaiprakash said in New Delhi.
BJP had swept the polls in 2002 in these constituencies winning 73 seats while Congress bagged 21.Godhra constituency, the epicentre of the riots, polled 53 to 55 per cent.
Modi is seeking re-election from Maninagar in Ahmedabad and is pitted against Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dinsha Patel of Congress.
Nearly 1.87 crore voters were eligible to exercise their franchise in today's phase in which 599 candidates including 31 women were in the fray. In the first phase of voting in 87 constituencies, voting was around 60 per cent.
Voting was brisk throughout the day and people were lined up even after the stipulated time of 1700 hours.
Barring a few incidents of violence and bogus voting, the polling went off peacefully with 574 central para military companies and state police maintaining a tight vigil in areas which witnessed maximum rioting during the 2002 communal clashes, Jaiprakash said.
BJP leader L K Advani and Modi claimed BJP would score a "historical win" while Congress leader and Union minister Shankarsinh Vaghela said people are fed up with Modi government and will vote it out.
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