People wait in a queue to cast their vote during the first phase of Gujarat election in Rajkot on Dec 9, 2017. (Photo: IANS)• An estimated 68 per cent of voters exercised their franchise in the first phase of polling
• Election Commission says the figure is likely to cross 70 per cent
• Faulty EVMs were reported from many polling booths in Surat, Porbandar and Jetpur, some of which were replaced later
• The Election Commission has said that the allegations of EVM tampering through bluetooth was baseless
• Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel asks Election Commission to take necessary action to replace faulty EVMs immediately, also seeks probe
• People from Gajdi village of Morvi District have boycotted the elections, protesting against lack of basic amenities
• Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani, Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel, Cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara are among early voters
A girl with an electronic voting machine (EVM) painted on her hair campaigns for voting ahead of Gujarat assembly polls in Ahmedabad on Thursday. PTI• PM Narendra Modi kicks off campaign for 2nd phase of Gujarat polls
• The first phase of the assembly election is being held in 89 seats of Saurashtra and South Gujarat regions
• Around 2.12 crore voters are expected to exercise their franchise
• Voting began at 8am
• Key contestants: Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani (BJP, Rajkot West), Shaktisinh Gohil (INC, Mandvi) & Paresh Dhanani (INC, Amreli)
• The second phase of the high-stakes election will be held on December 14
Gandhinagar/Ahmedabad: An estimated 68 per cent of voters exercised their franchise in the first phase of polling in 89 constituencies in Gujarat till 5 p.m., with the Election Commission saying the figure is likely to cross 70 per cent.
The voter turnout this time is unprecedented and there is even speculation that it might surpass the 90 per cent mark. After the polling process began at 8 am, people could be seen stepping out of their homes despite cold weather and queuing up to exercise their franchise at the polling stations.
Even some brides and grooms, clad in the marriage attires, came to polling booths along with their relatives to exercise their franchise before the wedding function. Such voters were seen in Bharuch, Bhabvnagar, Gondal and Surat.
A 115-year-old woman from Upleta town of Rajkot, Aajiben Chandravadia, also voted on Saturday.
The oldest voter in Rajkot, 115-year-old Chandravadiya Ajiben Sidabhai, arrives to cast her vote during the first phase of Gujarat election in Rajkot on Dec 9, 2017. (Photo: IANS)While a majority of the candidates of major parties cast their votes by noon, people are still making a beeline at polling booths in large numbers.
Average district-wise poll percentage at 5 pm in: Kutch 66.32, Surendranagar 65, Morbi 75, Rajkot 62, Jamnagar 65, Devbhumi Dwarka 55, Porbandar 62, Junagadh 58, Amreli 65, Bhavnagar 65, Botad 73, Narmada 75, Bharuch 64, Surat 70, Tapi 70, Dang 72, Navsari 76 and Valsad 70.
Meanwhile, villagers of Limdi village in Surendranagar district have boycotted the elections over their various grievances.
The reasons for the high turnout can be attributed to the intense drive carried out by the ECI, though both the political parties - ruling BJP and Congress claim the massive public support for their party is the reason for the high turnout.
Faulty EVMs
Complaints against EVMs increased in various regions across the 89 constituencies for which polling is being carried out in the first phase.
Although there were reports of technical glitches in EVMs in Surat and some other centers, the polling process resumed after the machines were replaced, officials of the Election Commission said.
The Election Commission also received complaints of EVMs being connected to Bluetooth or WiFi from Porbandar. However, the Election Commission said that an inquiry found such apprehensions raised by opposition Congress was baseless.
The Congress party on Saturday urged the Election Commission to look into the malfunctioning of Electronic Voting Machines as Gujarat began its first phase polling. Senior party leader from the state Ahmed Patel requested quick action.
"There are reports of EVM malfunctioning in several polling stations. Request the Election Commission to take necessary action immediately," Patel said in a tweet.
In Kamrej constituency of Surat region, there were complaints of seven to eight EVMs malfunctioning since morning. People were seen complaining as they were not able to cast their votes despite standing in queues since morning.
There were complaints of many EVMs malfunctioning in Mandvi constituency of Kutch. "Why is it that EVMs in polling booths especially dominated by Dalit communities are malfunctioning. And if they are not working those should be replaced immediately. One machine here was replaced after one and a half hours, some time later that too went bad," said Shaktisinh Gohil, who is contesting from Mandvi.
"I suspect a conspiracy against the Dalit voters by the BJP, who have never supported the Dalit community. But we are confident that despite this, Congress will snatch all the six constituencies this time," Gohil added.
"We are inquiring into complaints of EVMs being connected to Bluetooth or WiFi made from Porbandar," said chief electoral officer (CEO), Gujarat, B.B. Swain.
Senior Congress leader Arjun Modhwadia had complained that three EVMs were seen connected to Bluetooth devices and he sent the complaint to the ECI along with screen shots backing his complaint.
Other incidents
Senior Congress leader Arjun Modhwadia complained that the media coverage of him voting was stopped by the SSB jawans when he went to cast his vote in Modhwada village in Porbandar district. He has raised question that when other leaders were being covered by media when casting their votes, why not him?
Reshma Patel, former Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) convener who later joined the BJP, was opposed by many PAAS supporters when she went to cast her vote in Jhanjharda village in Junagadh district.
A complaint has been registered with the Election Commission of India (ECI) against BJP candidate Babubhai Bokhiria from Porbandar for sloganeering near a polling booth.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate from Kutiyana constituency issued a statement that since he was busy with campaigning, if he finds the time then only will he exercise his voting right.
In Surat, in many of the Patidar dominated areas, posters emerged with photographs of the dead Patidar youth, killed during and after the Patidar agitation on the GMDC ground on August 25, 2015, reading "Don't forget the sacrifice of these martyrs and uproot the BJP".
Tough fight
Several important leaders and candidates, including Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, his opponent on Rajkot-West seat Indranil Rajyaguru, senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel, Gujarat BJP chief Jitu Vaghani and Congress MLA of Amreli seat Paresh Dhanani, among others, cast their votes. Cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara also got his finger inked and cast his vote in Rajkot.
Rajkot's Visavadar saw their voter, former CM Keshubhai Patel, exercise his rights coming all the way from his residence in Gandhinagar.
A total of 89 seats out of 182 - spanning the Saurashtra and south Gujarat regions - are up for grabs in the first phase with 977 candidates in the fray.
Prominent candidates for today's battle include CM Vijay Rupani, who is contesting from Rajkot West, Congress' Shaktisinh Gohil (Mandvi) and Paresh Dhanani (Amreli).
PM urges for record turnout
Earlier in the day, prime minister Narendra Modi urged the youth to turn out in large numbers to cast their vote in phase one of Gujarat assembly polls.
"Phase 1 of Gujarat polls begin. Urging all those voting today to turnout in record numbers and vote. I particularly call upon youngsters to exercise their franchise," he tweeted.
On polling days, Modi usually tweets exhorting people to exercise their right to vote.
Modi vs Rahul
The election is being viewed as a prestige battle for PM Narendra Modi and a litmus test for the leadership of soon-to-be Congress chief Rahul Gandhi. The election is a crucial battleground for the Congress and the BJP before 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
The poll campaign shaped up as a duel between Modi and Gandhi, and often turned personal.
The Congress, in political wilderness in Gujarat for nearly 22 years, is desperate to break the jinx. It has raised issues such as the BJP's "hollow development model", besides demonetization and GST.
Gandhi emerged as the Congress' pivot to take on the might of the prime minister on his home turf.
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and prime minister Narendra Modi during poll campaigns. File photo/PTIWhile Modi addressed about 15 rallies, Gandhi spent more than seven days in Saurashtra and south Gujarat, addressing a number of meetings.
The BJP roped in Union ministers Arun Jaitley, Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman, besides Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje and Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
The Congress fielded former prime minister Manmohan Singh and prominent leaders such as P Chidambaram, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Sachin Pilot to canvass votes.
First phase polls in Gujarat
A total of 977 candidates are in the fray from Kutch, Morbi, Jamnagar, Surendranagar, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Rajkot, Botad, Porbandar, Junagadh, Amreli, Gir Somnath, Bhavnagar, Bharuch, Narmada, Surat, Tapi, Navsari, Dang and Valsad districts.
Of the 89 seats, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party holds 67 and the Congress 16. One seat each is held by the NCP and JD-U while independents hold the remaining two.
Polling, which began at 8am, will end at 5 pm.
Of the 2,12,31,652 voters, 1,11,05,933 are males and 1,01,25,472 females while 247 are from the third gender. The second phase comprises 93 seats in north and central Gujarat. The counting of votes will be held on December 18.
Read more: Latest national news | Maharashtra BJP MP Patole slams Modi, quits party and LS
