PM Modi casts vote for Gujarat polls

The second and final phase of voting for the Gujarat Assembly elections began at 8 am on Monday (December 5) in 93 constituencies across 14 districts in the central and north regions of the state.

A total of 833 candidates from 61 political parties, including Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), are contesting the polls in these Assembly segments spread across Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Gandhinagar and other districts. A voter turnout of 4.75 per cent has been recorded till 9 am.

Among political bigwigs who voted early on Monday morning were Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. The Prime Minister cast his vote at a polling station set up at a high school in Ranip locality in Ahmedabad city. Union Home Minister and BJP MP Amit Shah exercised his franchise at the AMC sub-zonal office in Naranpura locality, Ahmedabad.

Of many prominent candidates in the fray in the second phase of the Gujarat polls are three young faces — Hardik Patel, Alpesh Thakor and Jignesh Mevani — who had played a key role in shaping the narrative of the 2017 state Assembly elections. Although even this time they are considered “star candidates” of their parties, the three leaders have largely remained confined to their respective constituencies for what is being called their “battles of prestige”._The Indian Express