Gujarat Assembly elections: 1st phase witnesses 56.88% voter turnout
What's the story
The first phase of polling for Gujarat Assembly elections came to a close at 5:30 pm on Thursday with 56.88% voters sealing the fate of 788 candidates. The state recorded 56.88% voter turnout till 5 pm, while Tapi saw 63.98% voting by 3 pm, the Election Commission of India (ECI) said. All major parties claimed they would emerge victorious amid a war of words.
Context
Why does this story matter?
A total of 89 candidates from each of the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress were in the fray along with 88 candidates from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The BJP has been in power in Gujarat for the last 27 years. The state could witness a triangular contest as the AAP aggressively campaigned in hopes of repeating the Punjab election scenario.
Voting
Live webcasting of 13,065 polling stations
As many as 39 political parties were in the contest for 89 seats in 19 districts of Kutch and Saurashtra region out of the state's total 182 seats. Tribal-dominated southern Gujarat saw over 60% polling in Tapi and Narmada districts. Live webcasting of 13,065 polling stations was done to ensure transparency. The voter turnout till 1 pm stood at 34.65%.
Details
Polling witnesses scuffles, protests, ruckus
While polling was underway, two groups from different political parties entered a scuffle at Palitana in Bhavnagar. At Jamjodhpur of Jamnagar district, women voters protested after learning that no separate booth was set up for them at the polling station. In Junagadh, police tried to stop a Congress functionary walking toward the polling station carrying a gas cylinder, leading to a ruckus.
Claims
BJP candidate claims he was attacked
BJP national president JP Nadda the election was going in BJP's favor and it was the result of incumbent Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel's development work. Home Minister Amit Shah slammed Congress for insulting PM Modi and said Gujaratis reply with ballots. Meanwhile, a BJP candidate from Vansda, Navsari claimed to have been attacked by unidentified persons in Jhari village in the morning.
Information
How did the parties fare in the last elections?
In 2017, the last Gujarat state elections in these 89 constituencies saw the BJP 48 seats while Congress secured 38 seats. The Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP), then Congress ally, won 2 seats and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) managed to clinch one seat.