68% cast votes in first-phase of polling in Gujarat

Close to 70% electorate cast their votes during the first-phase of Gujarat Assembly elections held yesterday in 89 constituencies.
 
Gujarat Assembly polls have triggered huge expectations of a tough fight between the ruling BJP and the Congress which is attempting to unseat the BJP which has been ruling for many years. Polling commenced at 07:00 a.m. in the morning and concludd at 05:00 in the evening.
 

Gujarat has a 182-member strong Legislative Assembly for which polls are being held in two phases on 09th and 14th December (next Thursday). Polling in the remaining 93 constituencies would be held in the second phase on Thursday.
 
The constituencies which went to polls yesterday form a major chunk of the BJP’s vote bank in the State with Patidar community voting in large numbers. Their votes could make or break the polls for the BJP, experts have predicted.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi indulged in intense election campaign, leaving no opportunity to indulge even in personal attack against the other.
 
Fate of 977 candidates, including 57 women, were decided in yesterday’s first-phase of polling for which the State Govt. had put in place perfect security arrangements at the 24,977 polling booths. Polling was by and large peaceful but for some stray incidents of complaints of non-functional Bluetooth mechanism at one or two polling booths.