An average 59.24 percent voter turn-out was recorded as of 5:00 PM on Thursday across 89 Assembly seats in the first phase of Gujarat elections, election officials said. While voting began at 8:00 AM in the morning and ended at 5:00 PM, the final turn-out would be higher as the process continued at the polling stations where voters had arrived before 5 pm and were standing in queues. The fate of 788 candidates will be decided in the first phase.
Barring a few incidents, polling was largely peaceful across all 89 seats in south Gujarat and Saurashtra-Kutch regions which went to polls in the first phase. The voter turn-out figure was provisional as data from some polling stations had not been received and it also did not include postal ballots, the Election Commission said.
Voting was halted in a few places due to malfunctioning of Electronic Voting Machines as well as control units and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPATs) but the faulty units were replaced and the process resumed, it added.
Thank you for joining our coverage of Gujarat Election Phase-1. We will now wrap the blog. Good night, folks!
> Congress writes to EC, seeks probe into charges of Gujarat Police role in securing EVMs after voting
With polling for the first phase of assembly elections held in Gujarat, the Congress on Thursday complained to the Election Commission over the security of electronic voting machines amid allegations that the Gujarat Police will be in charge of the machines after voting. The Congress wrote to the EC seeking an investigation into the allegations of electoral fraud in Gujarat and cited reports that the Tripura State Rifles, which has been deployed for Gujarat polls, has been asked to maintain distance from polling booths post voting.
> PM Modi's 30-km-long roadshow underway in Ahmedabad
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's more than 30-km-long roadshow in Ahmedabad city, where polling will be held in the second phase of the Gujarat Assembly elections, started from Naroda village on Thursday evening. A large number of people standing on both sides of the route welcomed Modi and greeted him with flowers during the roadshow that began around 5.20 pm. Standing on a specially-designed vehicle, the prime minister waved back at the crowd.
> Voters take gas cylinders to polling centres to protest against inflation
Cooking gas cylinders became a symbol of protest against price rise in Gujarat on Thursday as some voters carried them to polling stations during the first phase of the Assembly elections. A member of the Maldhari community went to the polling station with a cow and a calf to highlight the plight of his cow-rearing community. Some voters were in celebratory mood -- a marriage party visited a polling centre in Botad district with `band-baja' before the wedding took place.
> Voting ends in first phase of Gujarat Assembly elections
Voting ended for the first phase of the Gujarat Assembly elections in 89 seats across 19 districts of Saurashtra-Kutch and southern regions at 5:00 pm on Thursday. While the final voting figures were awaited, a 48.48 percent turn-out was recorded till 3 pm, the Election Commission said.
> 48.48% voter turnout recorded till 3 pm
> Tribal-dominated Tapi, Dang and Narmada district recorded highest turnout till 1 pm. Out of the 19 districts where polling was underway on Thursday, Tapi recorded the highest voter turnout at 46.29 per cent till 1 pm, followed by Dang 46.22 per cent and Narmada 46.16 per cent. All these districts are tribal-dominated, repots PTI.
> PM Modi hits out at Congress: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said there is a competition among Congress leaders as to who will use the most abusive words against him, referring to party president Mallikarjun Kharge's 'Ravan' jibe at him. On Monday night, Kharge had addressed a rally in Behrampura area of Ahmedabad city where he said the prime minister asks people to vote "looking at his face" in all elections. "Are you 100-headed like Ravan," he had said.
> ALSO READ | Gujarat's 'Moustache man' wants government to encourage youth to grow moustache
Sabarkamtha: Moustache man Maganbhai Solanki, an independent candidate contesting from Himmatnagar seat in Sabarkantha district in Gujarat. (PTI Photo)
> Amit Shah: "Whenever the Congress used inappropriate words against PM Modi, people of Gujarat replied through ballot box."
> A man reschduled his wedding ahead of casting his vote in Tapi.
> Union minister Darshana Jardosh cast vote in Surat. She said: "People are voting for double-engine govenment in the state. People from every community have been voting and we'll be forming govt with an absolute majority."
> According to a News 18 report, long queues outside polling station were witnessed for the First 30-45 minutes. Watch ground report here:
> Gujarat polls: 19.13 percent voter turnout recorded till 11 am
> Amit Shah: "In the last two decades, Gujarat became synonymous with development and peace, which every Indian is proud of. But this has become possible because of the strong government elected by the people of Gujarat...I appeal to the voters of the first phase to vote with unprecedented enthusiasm and in large numbers to continue this journey of development.”
> Mandhatasinh Jadej Thakor Saheb and Kadambari Devi - members of the erstwhile royal family in Rajkot cast their votes today in the first phase of the Gujarat Election 2022
> Union Health minister Mansukh Mandaviya interacts with villagers, before casting his vote, in Hanol village in Bhavnagar district.
> Gujarat Assembly Speaker Nimaben Acharya casts her vote.
> Gujarat Finance Minister Kanubhai Desai: "Gujarat has been progressing and the people of the state have decided to vote for the BJP. People have trust in BJP and there’ll be development further in the state. BJP will form the government in the state."
> Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel held a roadshow in Mehsana. Mehsana will be voting in the second phase of the elections to be held on December 5.
> Cricketer Ravindra Jadeja cast his vote at a polling station in Jamnagar. His wife and BJP candidate Rivaba Jadeja voted in Rajkot earlier today.
Jamnagar: Cricketer Ravindra Jadeja with his wife and BJP candidate Rivaba Jadeja (PTI Photo)
> Anirudhsinh Jadeja, cricketer Ravindra Jadeja's father and BJP's Rivaba Jadeja's father-in-law said: "I'm with Congress. Party matter different from family matter. We should stay with our party, been with them for yrs. He knows it's a party matter, no family problem."
> "For the time being, I'll observe and understand things. I'll go among public and after that I'll come," Mumtaz Patel, late senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel's daughter on why didn't she contest. She added, "We are advocating a change. Chief ministers were changed, so they can feel anti-incumbency. There is a neck-to-neck fight here (Ankleshwar)."
> Gujarat polls: 100-year-old in Umargam casts her vote | In Pics
> Congress's Arjun Modhwadia cast his vote in Porbandar. "People have taken resolve to remove the BJP. The BJP knows about this that's why they changed the cabinet, including CM, a yr ago. There were corruption allegations against them. New government running just like that. So, people are in mood for change," he said.
> Gujarat BJP chief CR Paatil: "Modi magic works every time, everywhere. He's in people's hearts. They trust him and he's capable of meeting their expectations: Those who said that will get to know of their 'aukaat'."
> 4.92% voter turnout recorded till 9 am in the first phase of Gujarat Assembly Elections: EC
> Congress MLA Paresh Dhanani said there will be "a transition of power and Congress will" rise to power in this year's Gujarat Assembly polls. "Inflation and joblessness have increased in Gujarat due to the failure of BJP government. Gas and fuel prices have skyrocketed and privatisation of education has happened," he said while speaking in Amreli. Dhanani had left to cast his vote with a gas cylinder on a bicycle, highlighting the issue of high fuel prices.
> Women voters gather at a polling booth in Surat to cast their votes amid the first phase of polling that's underway in the state.
> Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangubhai Patel and his wife cast their votes at a polling booth in Navsari.
> Gujarat BJP chief CR Paatil casts his vote for the first phase of Gujarat Elections at a polling station in Surat.
> Key candidates: AAP’s chief ministerial face Isudan Gadhvi is contesting from Khambhaliya in Devbhumi Dwarka district. BJP's Hardik Patel, Former Gujarat minister Parshottam Solanki, six-time MLA Kunwarji Bavaliya, Morbi ‘hero’ Kantilal Amrutiya, cricketer Ravindra Jadeja’s wife Rivaba, and Gujarat AAP president Gopal Italia are also in the fray.
> AIMIM contesting Gujarat polls for the first time: The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is contesting the Gujarat polls for the first time. Party’s president Asaduddin Owaisi has been campaigning over the past 25 days.
Talking about the response so far, AIMIM’s national spokesperson Waris Pathan told News18: “We are contesting the Gujarat Vidhan Sabha elections for the first time. We are contesting from only 13 seats. Earlier, we contested the civic body elections a year ago, where 23 of our corporators got elected. We have a presence here.”
> Arjun Modhwadia of Congress said: "People have taken resolve to remove BJP. BJP knows about this that’s why they changed the cabinet, including CM, a year ago. There were corruption allegations against them. New Government is running just like that. So people are in mood for change."
> Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said exuded confidence, saying that BJP is going to form the government in Gujarat for the seventh time. "People have love & respect for PM Modi, they won't go anywhere else," he was quoted by ANI as saying.
> WATCH | Congress MLA Paresh Dhanani leaves his residence, to cast his vote, with a gas cylinder on a bicycle underscoring the issue of high fuel prices.
> BJP’s candidate from Jamnagar North cast her vote on Thursday. “I have full trust in my voters,’ she told reporters.
> 'Set a new record,' CEC Rajiv Kumar tells Gujarat Voters: "Gujarat is celebrating festival of democracy today. On behalf of the Election Commission, my sincere appeal to all 4.9 crore voters of Gujarat to vote today and on 5th December during the second phase of elections. There are over 4 lakh PwD voters and 9.8 lakh senior citizen voters in Gujarat," said CEC Rajiv Kumar.
> Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia urges voters to cast their votes for good education, job and health facilities for every citizen.
> Prime Minister Narendra Modi called "upon all those voting today, particularly first time voters to exercise their franchise in record numbers".
>India's mini African village is all set to vote at special tribal booth in Jambur
> Election officials conducted a mock poll at polling booths numbers 175 to 178, Piraman school in Bharuch.
> Indian cricketer Ravindra Jadeja's wife and BJP's candidate from Jamnagar North, Rivaba Jadeja, expressed hopes for the party's victory ahead of polls.
> Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar expects record voting in Gujarat Assembly Election. Speaking to ANI, he said on Wednesday, “Tomorrow is the first phase of elections in Gujarat in which voting will be held on 89 assembly seats. There are 2.39 crore voters in these 89 seats. Voting will be held tomorrow at 25,430 polling stations. Preparations are complete, now is the time to call upon the voters to come out of their homes and vote."
Voting for first phase on; BJP, Congress, AAP to fight it out in triangular contest
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel is among some prominent candidates in the first phase of the Gujarat elections. He is contesting from Ghatlodia. Other candidates in the fray in this phase are AAP chief ministerial candidate Isudan Gadhvi, who is contesting from Khambhaliya, former Congress leader and BJP candidate Hardik Patel from Viramgam, former Congress leader and now BJP candidate Alpesh Thakor from Gandhinagar South.
AAP state president Gopal Italia is contesting from Katargam constituency, Gujarat Home Minister (State) Harsh Sanghavi from Majura, Rivaba Jadeja from Jamnagar North, former Gujarat minister Parshottam Solanki from Bhavnagar Rural, Kunwarji Bavaliya from Jasdan, Kantilal Amrutiya from Morbi and Jayesh Radadiya from Jetpur. Former BJP MLA Madhu Shrivastav is contesting as an Independent from Vaghodia.
First Published: Dec 1, 2022 6:17 AM IST
