PM casts vote in Gujarat polls, thanks people for celebrating democracy

Ahmedabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday cast his vote in the second phase of the Gujarat Assembly elections and thanked the people for celebrating the festival of democracy with great pomp.

Speaking to journalists, after casting his vote in Ahmedabad’s Nishan Public School in Ranip, the Prime Minister said, “The festival of democracy has been celebrated with great pomp by the people of Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi. I want to thank the people of the country.”

“ I also want to congratulate the Election Commission for conducting elections peacefully,” PM Modi added.

Earlier the Prime Minister had urged all those voting in Phase 2 of the Gujarat elections, particularly youngsters and women, to turn out in large numbers.

Voting is underway for the second phase of the Gujarat Assembly polls in 93 seats across 14 districts of the state. As many as 833 candidates from 61 parties are in the fray in the second phase of the Gujarat elections whose fate will be decided by over 2.51 crore voters.

Among the key constituencies in the final phase are Ghatlodia, which will determine the poll fate of Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel; Viramgam where Patidar leader Hardik Patel will contest as a BJP candidate, and Gandhinagar South where the saffron party has fielded Alpesh Thakor.

The Leader of the Opposition, Congress’ Sukhram Rathava will contest from Chhota Udaipur, while Lakhabhai Bharwad, Jignesh Mevani and Amee Yajnik are some other prominent Congress names from Viramgam, Vadgam and Ghatlodia seats.

From the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Bharat Vakhala from Devgadhbaria, Bheema Chaudhary from Deodar, Dolat Patel from Gandhinagar South, Kunwarji Thakor from Viramgam and Vijay Patel from Ghatlodia are also in the fray in the second and final phase.

Meanwhile, voting in the Delhi municipal elections concluded on Sunday in which more than 50 per cent of the people cast their votes.

The Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections were held in a single phase on November 12.

The counting of votes for the Gujarat and Himachal Assembly elections  will be carried out on December 8.

Today, voting also began at 7 am in the Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh and six assembly seats in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.