The first phase of Gujarat elections ended on Tuesday, with the ruling BJP and other political parties making frantic efforts to woo voters in 89 districts across Kutch, Saurashtra, and South Gujarat. The campaigning concluded on Tuesday at 5 p.m., ahead of the first phase of voting on December 1.
“Campaigning for first phase Gujarat assembly elections has ended. All arrangements have been made for election and training has been provided to polling staff,” Gujarat Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) P Bharathi told ANI.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah campaigned in the state as the BJP seeks a record seventh term.
JP Nadda, the Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Assam, and Goa, as well as Union Ministers Smriti Irani, Mansukh Mandaviya, Parshottam Rupala, Ravishankar Prasad, Piyush Goyal, and Nitin Gadkari, campaigned during the first phase of elections.
Tejasvi Surya, president of the BJP Yuva Morcha, and leaders Manoj Tiwari and Ravi Kishan also held rallies to rally support for the party’s candidates.
The party’s prominent campaigners included Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. Rahul Gandhi, the party’s leader, spoke at two rallies in the state.
Arvind Kejriwal, the Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convenor, and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann campaigned heavily throughout the state, making a variety of promises.
There are 788 people competing for 89 first-phase seats, including 718 male candidates and 70 female candidates.
Candidates from the BJP and Congress will run for all 89 seats in the first round, while AAP will run for 88. A total of 39 political parties have run candidates.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel is running from Ghatlodia, AAP Chief Ministerial candidate Isudan Gadhvi is running from Khambhaliya, former Congress leader and BJP candidate Hardik Patel is running from Viramgam, and former Congress leader and now BJP candidate Alpesh Thakor is running 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.
A total of 2,39,76,670 voters, including 1,24,33,362 males, 1,1,5,42,811 females and 497 from the third gender are eligible to vote in the first phase of Gujarat polls.
The second phase of voting will be held on December 5.
Counting of votes will be done on December 8. Results of Himachal Pradesh assembly elections will also be declared on the same day.
