By IANS,
Ahmedabad : Polling continued at a brisk pace Monday in the final phase of the Gujarat elections that sees Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Narendra Modi aiming for a hat-trick of wins, officials said.
“Till 1 p.m. we have seen 35-40 percent of polling,” a Gujarat Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) staffer here told IANS.
Thousands, from an electorate of 19.8 million, began queuing up outside 23,318 polling stations in Kutch, north Gujarat and central Gujarat since 8 a.m.
Elections in the second phase are being held in 95 of the 182 constituencies.
As many as 10,126 stations have been declared ‘critical’, official euphemism to mean they could witness disturbances or violence.
Of an estimated 19.8 million voters, 10.3 million are male and 9.5 million female.
There are a total of 820 candidates in the fray including 49 women.
The BJP is contesting all 95 seats, the Congress 92 and the Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP) of former BJP chief minister Keshubhai Patel 84.
Also in the fray are 84 candidates of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and 284 Independents.
The first phase of polling in 87 constituencies Dec 13 saw a 68 percent turnout. Counting will be held Dec 20.
Both the ruling BJP and the Congress have interpreted the heavy polling in the first phase to claim they were poised to win the Gujarat battle for ballot.
“More than 70 percent will vote in this phase too,” asserted BJP Rajya Sabha member Natuji Thakor. “North Gujarat is Narendrabhai’s (Modi) area. People will vote overwhelmingly for him and the BJP.”
Senior Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil was equally confident.
“I think we will see a heavy turnout in this phase as well,” Gohil told IANS. “People will vote in favour of the Congress, given the anti-incumbency.”
Himmatnagar in Sabarkantha district has the maximum number of 18 candidates while Fatepura in Dahod district has just three — the least number.
Abdasa is the largest assembly constituency (area wise) with 6,278 sq km territory and Ghatlodia has the most number of voters (285,998).
If the BJP wins, Modi — who soars over the party and who has been chief minister since 2001 — could start playing a larger national role both in the BJP and pan-India politics.
A defeat for the BJP could, however, puncture Modi’s larger political ambitions and prove a great morale booster for the Congress ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha election.