Gujarat Election 2017 Second Phase | 851 Candidates for 93 seats

Gujarat Election goes to polls for the second and final phase of the Legislative Assembly elections on Thursday. Polling will be held in the northern and central regions, which includes two of its main cities, Ahmedabad and Vadodara. The people of Gujarat are voting in the second phase of the Gujarat election 2017.

A total of 851 candidates are in the fray for 93 seats spread across 14 districts in the north and central parts of the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who led an aggressive election campaign for the BJP. According to the Election Commission, 2.22 crore people are eligible in the second phase of the Gujarat election 2017.

Read also RK Nagar by-election Candidates List 2017 | AIADMK, DMK, BJP and Other Parties

For the last 22 years, the BJP party has been in power in Gujarat. This time, a major opposition party is also looking to make a comeback in Gujarat; Congress party president-elect Rahul Gandhi led the Congress campaign for the Gujarat assembly polls.

According to the Election Commission, the first phase of polling was held on December 9 for 89 assembly constituencies in Saurashtra and south Gujarat regions. The voting turnout was 68 percent that day.

Gujarat Election 2017 Second Phase | 851 Candidates for 93 seats

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mother Hiraba cast her vote at a poll booth located at Aryabhatt High School in Gandhinagar. She came with the help of her younger son Pankaj Modi and other family members.

Read also NDA names Venkaiah Naidu for Vice Presidential Election 2017 | BJP eyes Rajya Sabha and South

BJP president Amit Shah cast his vote in the second phase of the Gujarat assembly elections 2017 and said,

“I would like to appeal to the voters to come out in large numbers to cast their vote to take ahead the journey of development.”

He cast his vote with his wife Sonal Shah and son Jay Shah at a polling booth in Naranpura.

BJP president Amit Shah cast his vote in the second phase of the Gujarat assembly elections 2017

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley stands in a queue at a polling booth in Ahmedabad’s Vejalpur to cast his vote in the second phase of the Gujarat elections 2017.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley stands in a queue at a polling booth in Ahmedabad’s Vejalpur

Read also RK Nagar Election Update: Election Commision once again rejects Vishal’s Nomination

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) and last year’s demonetisation will come into play in the mind of voters as they vote in the Gujarat assembly polls.

Gujarat Election 2017 Candidates

Prominent candidates include Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel from Mehsana against Jivabhai Patel of the Congress and half-a-dozen top Ministers.

Junior Home Minister Pradipsinh Jadeja and Health minister Shankar Chaudhary are among the leaders contesting.

Gujarat Election 2017 Candidates

Read also Will Election Commission declare EVM hackathon date at today’s all-party meeting?

From the Opposition camp, Prominent candidates in the fray for the battle include Alpesh Thakor from Radhanpur and the Congress-backed Independent candidate Jignesh Mevani from Vadgam.

In Ahmedabad city, the ruling BJP won 14 of the 16 Assembly seats in the 2012 polls, while the Congress secured two seats. In the district, the Opposition held two out of five Assembly seats.

Click here for More Election Updates