Read more
Gujarat Elections 2022 Phase 2 Polling LIVE: Voting for the second phase of the Gujarat Assembly elections began at 8 am on Monday across 14 central and northern districts of the state. Voting will be held on 93 seats in which a total 833 candidates are in the fray from 61 political parties, including the high-stakes triangular battle between the BJP, Congress and the new poll entrant Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
After the first phase of voting for 89 seats in Saurashtra, Kutch and south Gujarat regions held on December 1, voting will be held for the remaining 93 seats in the 182-seat assembly. According to the state election commission, the nominees also include 285 independents. In the December 1 phase 1 polling, an average voter turnout of 63.31 per cent was recorded.
A few hours ahead of the polling on Sunday night, the BJP suspended Vadodra City BJP Leader Vijay Vanra. BJP chief CR Patil on Sunday said that the party will break all the previous records in the Assembly polls to retain power.
Meanwhile, the Congress on Sunday night alleged that a tribal leader and candidate had been attacked by BJP goons and had disappeared. In a tweet, Rahul Gandhi said, “Congress tribal leader and Danta Assembly candidate, Mr. Kantibhai Kharadi was brutally attacked by BJP goons and is now missing.”
“Congress had demanded deployment of paramilitary force in addition to EC, but the commission kept sleeping,” he said. Professing confidence, Congress incharge Raghu Sharma had earlier cited the “pattern” of the first phase polling and said the grand old party will win the state elections.
The BJP and the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP are contesting in all 93 seats. The Congress is contesting in 90 seats and its alliance partner Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has fielded candidates in two seats. The Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) has fielded 12 candidates and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) 44.
The key candidates include CM Bhupendra Patel, Hardik Patel, Alpesh Thakore and Jignesh Mevani. Ghatlodia (in Ahmedabad district), the constituency of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel is a stronghold of the saffron party and has produced two BJP chief ministers incumbent Bhupendra Patel and Anandiben Patel. This year, CM Patel is fighting against Congress Rajya Sabha MP Amee Yagnik.
Viramgam seat (also in Ahmedabad) is being fought by firebrand Patidar leader Hardik Patel for BJP. Patel, former Congress state working president had walked out of the grand old party earlier this year and is a important candidate for the BJP. Patel is is up against Congress Rajya Sabha MP Amee Yagnik.
In the Gandhinagar South seat, Alpesh Thakor is fighting for the BJP. The Maninagar constituency in Ahmedabad which has been a bastion of the BJP since the 1990s is being fought by BJP’s Amulbhai Bhatt, Congress candidate CM Rajput and the AAP’s Vipulbhai Patel.
Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani is contesting as the Congress candidate from Vadgam seat in Banaskantha district, and Leader of Opposition in the Gujarat Assembly Sukhram Rathva is the nominee from Jetpur in Chhota Udepur district.
Apart from candidates, a list of BJP bigwigs will be voting in the election, including Prime Minister Modi from Ahmedabad. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, AAP’s chief minister candidate Isudan Gadhvi, Gujarat Congress president Jagdish Thakor are also on the list.
In the 2017 Assembly election, the ruling BJP won 51 of these seats, Congress 39, while three seats went to independent candidates. In central Gujarat, the BJP had bagged 37 seats, outnumbering the Congress which got 22. But in north Gujarat, the Congress had won 17 seats while the saffron party got 14.
The results will be declared on December 8.
Read all the Latest Politics News here