Gujarat Assembly Election Voting Live Updates: Polling underway for 89 seats in first phase; Ex-CM Vijay Rupani, candidates and MLAs cast votes

Gujarat Assembly Election Voting Live Updates: Polling underway for 89 seats in first phase; Ex-CM Vijay Rupani, candidates and MLAs cast votes

Ahmedabad : Polling began at 8 am on Thursday for the first phase of Gujarat Assembly elections in 89 out of the total 182 seats across 19 districts of Saurashtra-Kutch region and southern parts of the state to decide the fate of 788 candidates.

The voting is being held across 14,382 polling stations, of which 3,311 are in the urban and 11,071 in rural areas, the office of the state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said.

Live webcasting is being done from 13,065 polling stations to keep a close eye on the process, it said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has ruled Gujarat for 27 years, is trying to retain power in the state for the seventh term in a row.

PM Modi calls for record voting

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urged the voters in Gujarat, especially those exercising their franchise for the first time, to poll in record numbers.

He tweeted the appeal as the first first phase of the assembly elections was set to start in his home state.

"Today is the first phase of the Gujarat elections. I call upon all those voting today, particularly first time voters to exercise their franchise in record numbers," Modi said.

Isudan Gadhvi, Gopal Italia, Rivaba Jadeja are prominent contenders 

The first phase of election will decide the fate of AAP's chief ministerial candidate Isudan Gadhvi, who is contesting from Khambhalia seat in Devbhumi Dwarka district. AAP state unit president Gopal Italia is contesting from Katargam in Surat.

Rivaba Jadeja, the wife of cricketer Ravindra Jadeja, is another prominent contender from Jamnagar (North).

BJP MLAs Harsh Sanghavi and Purnesh Modi (both contesting from different seats in Surat) as well as five-time legislator Parshottam Solanki (Bhavnagar-Rural) are also contesting in the first phase. Sitting Congress MLAs like Lalit Kagathara, Lalit Vasoya (both from seats in Rajkot) and Mohammad Javed Pirzada are also in the fray in the first phase from seats in Saurashtra region.

Seven-time MLA and veteran tribal leader Chhotu Vasava is contesting from Jhagadia in Bharuch. With 54 seats, the Saurashtra-Kutch region is crucial for the Congress as it seeks to improve its performance.