Gujarat election LIVE: Gujaratis will punish Cong, says Modi on voting day

11:47 AM PM Modi in Lunavada: There is a youth Congress leader Salman Nizami, he is even campaigning for Congress in Gujarat. He wrote on Twitter about Rahul Ji's father, grandmother. That is okay but he asks - Modi tell me who is your Mother, who is your father? Such language can't even be used for enemies

11:43 AM PM Modi in Lunavada: Congress has been rejected comprehensively across the nation. Gujarat too will reject the Congress and will punish them for their politics

11:42 AM Update on Gujarat Assembly Elections: Congress candidate for Daskroi seat, Pankaj Patel has emerged as the wealthiest candidate with declared assets worth Rs 231.93 crore.

He is followed by another Congress nominee Indranil Rajyaguru of Rajkot-West seat who has declared assets worth Rs 141.22 crore.

11:39 AM Modi in Lunawada: Will people of Gujarat accept the Congress, which was rejected by people of the country? The Congress has not understood the mindset of the people of Gujarat. They are going to punish Congress.

11:37 AM

11:32 AM Gujarat Assembly elections: Total of 9.77% voter turnout till 10 am in first phase of voting

11:30 AM  A group of Patidars protest as BJP's Reshma Patel arrives to cast her vote in Junagadh

11:29 AM PM Narendra Modi is addressing a rally in Lunavada 

11:27 AM

11:26 AM After some electronic voting machines or EVMs malfunctioned, some of which were soon replaced, Congress leader Ahmed Patel said the "BJP is an opportunist" who "can do anything to be in power." The Congress leader, who voted in Bharuch's Ankleshwar in the Gujarat assembly election 2017, said the party will win over 110 seats in the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

11:18 AM Wherever there are complaints of EVM malfunctioning, it should be dealt with immediately: Ahmed Patel, Congress

11:17 AM

11:17 AM Voting was boycotted by the villagers of Kalyanpur in Jam Jodhpur constituency opposing the unavailability of water in the region.

11:17 AM Senior Congress leader from Porbandar, Arjun Modhwadia has complained of one EVM machine connected with a WiFi.

11:16 AM A Congress candidate from Pardi also filed a complaint with the EC for a Voter Verification Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) not showing the paper slip while voting.

11:15 AM An EVM was also tampered with in Rajkot East constituency, a complain to the EC said.

11:13 AM The poll panel also received several complaints over Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) malfunctioning in Kosamba region of Valsad district.

11:13 AM In Rajkot rural constituency, a video of Congress candidate Vashram Sagathia went viral. He was shown voting as one of his men recorded it on his cellphone. A complaint was registered with the Election Commission.

11:12 AM People showed unprecedented and overwhelming response in Rajkot and Amreli as sources said there was 16 per cent polling since 8 a.m.

11:11 AM In the first two hours of polling in 89 constituencies spread across 19 districts of Kutch, Saurashtra and the southern region of the state, an overall 10 per cent polling was registered, a poll official said.

11:10 AM The Election Commission said it received several complaints against malfunctioning EVMs and VVPATs, while the Model Code of Conduct was also violated at a few places.

11:06 AM The report said that 56 independent candidates also fall under this category. The remaining 'crorepati' candidates belong to lesser known parties or outfits.

11:05 AM The NCP has given tickets to 17 crorepati candidates, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has fielded 13 such candidates and the BSP to five.

11:05 AM While the ruling BJP has given tickets to 142 'crorepati' candidates, the opposition Congress has fielded 127 such nominees.

11:04 AM As per the study, 131 of these 397 'crorepati' candidates have declared assets worth over Rs 5 crore, while 124 others have shown movable and immovable assets in the range of Rs 2 crore to Rs 5 crore.

11:03 AM While 198 out of the total 977 candidates of the first phase have declared assets worth more than Rs 1 crore, 199 nominees out of the total 851 of second phase have emerged as 'crorepati' as per the analysis of their affidavits conducted by the NGOs.

11:02 AM There are only 118 women candidates in the fray

11:02 AM Of the total 1,828 candidates trying their luck in the two-phased Assembly polls, 1,098 nominees have passed class 12 or below. 

11:02 AM 397 'crorepati' candidates in fray for Gujarat polls

10:58 AM

8.50% polling recorded in Surat, 14.03 % in Gir Somnath and 13.29% in Talala till 10 am

10:57 AM Have replaced two machines and one VVPAT, you cannot really call it a technical error, these are electronic items there can be some issues. Now everything is okay & voting has started: Vipul Goti, Master Trainer, Election Commission in Surat's Varaccha

10:52 AM

Birthday greetings to Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi. I pray for her long life and good health.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 9, 2017

10:52 AM Meanwhile, the Congress Party has another reason to celebrate today. It's Sonia Gandhi's birthday.

10:48 AM Employment in Gujarat

Meanwhile, a young man present in the polling booth said, "I would like to say that youngsters in the state are not provided employment even after completing their education. Youngsters are at lurch so we are here to vote. We hope there will be some changes in the state."

10:48 AM Another voter further criticising reforms like GST said, "We are here to vote for development. There has been no development in Gujarat; everyone in the state is hassled with various schemes implemented by the government."

10:45 AM In a polling booth in Bharuch voters expressed their desire for a change in government for development and betterment of the state.

10:39 AM Gujarat election update: A voter in a polling booth of Surat termed the election procedure as an 'Utsav' and said, " As an Indian I feel election is kind of 'Utsav' and it our responsibility to participate in it."

10:39 AM Gujarat election update: While some people are seen excited to exercise their voting right others anticipated a change in the government.

10:37 AM Polling will end at 5 p.m

10:37 AM "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," the Prime Minister tweeted.

10:36 AM Prime Minister Narendra Modi has encouraged people to turn out in record numbers in the Gujarat's assembly polls and particularly urged the youngsters to cast their votes.

10:32 AM Technical error reported in 33 EVMs in Rajkot: Reports

10:30 AM Congress' Arjun Modhwadia casts his vote at a polling booth in Porbandar, he is contesting against BJP's sitting MLA Babu Bokhiria.

10:29 AM Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel casts his vote in Bharuch's Ankleshwar, says 'Congress will win more than 110 seats'

10:28 AM Voting underway on Surat's Kamrej assembly seat. BJP’s Zalavadiya Vinubhai Dahyabhai is up against Congress's Ashok Jirawala

10:28 AM Cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara casts his vote in Rajkot's Ravi Vidayalaya booth. 

10:26 AM A couple in Bharuch cast their votes before their wedding ceremony 

10:22 AM LIVE updates: Faulty EVM in Sardar Patel Vidyalaya booth in Surat's Varaccha has been replaced

10:10 AM 8.5 per cent voter turnout in the first hour of voting in Gujarat

10:09 AM Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav said the BJP's Gujarat model was a model to deceive people

10:02 AM

Proud of Indian democracy. @narendramodi- a man born in poverty, by his hard work, honesty & record of governance is elected by the people as @PMOIndia. He brings respect for India and Indians globally. He has been called #Neech. Surely the people will respond to this.

— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) December 8, 2017

10:00 AM

9:58 AM Voting underway on Surat's Kamrej assembly seat. BJP’s Zalavadiya Vinubhai Dahyabhai is up against Congress's Ashok Jirawala

9:57 AM

BJP and PM routinely use filthy language to attack the Congress party. The Congress has a different culture and heritage. I do not appreciate the tone and language used by Mr Mani Shankar Aiyer to address the PM. Both the Congress and I expect him to apologise for what he said.

— Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) December 7, 2017

9:56 AM Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi was quick to take offence and, in a tweet, pointed out that the language used by Aiyar was contrary to the 'culture and heritage' of the party. He further said that the party expects Aiyar to apologise for what he said.

9:55 AM A couple reaches polling booth in Bharuch's Bahumali building to cast their votes before their wedding ceremony

9:54 AM Aiyar, who infamously dismissed Modi as a “chaiwalla” ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, called the PM an uncultured man who practices dirty politics.

9:54 AM

9:51 AM "The Congress party will always respect him, but I would like to tell you that sometimes it appears that whether it is Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Subhash Chandra Bose, it sometimes appears that they (BJP) have turned them into a product," Gandhi said.

9:51 AM "Sardar Patel does not belong to either Narendra Modi or Rahul Gandhi or Solanki, or to Gujarat or India, but he belongs to the world," Rahul said

9:51 AM

9:50 AM

9:48 AM

Mani Shankar Aiyer’s ‘Neech’ remark against the Prime Minister displays a mindset that only one elite family can be a ruler and the rest are only the ‘Neech’.

— Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) December 7, 2017

9:48 AM The most-watched contest today is in the heart of Saurashtra in Rajkot West, where sitting legislator Chief Minister Vijay Rupani takes on the Congress' Indranil Rajguru. Other major contests feature senior minister Babubhai Bokhiria, the Congress' Arjun Modhwadia and former Finance and Power Minister Saurabh Patel.

9:42 AM

INCIndia: Phase 1 of #GujaratElection2017 begins today and we urge citizens to come out and exercise their right to vote towards a prosperous, inclusive Gujarat.

Vote Truth,
Vote Progress,
Vote Navsarjan,
Vote Congress ✋

9:41 AM Early EVM complaints in parts of Saurashtra. Details awaited

9:40 AM

If polling percentage today is less than 72% then Modi will have something to worry. #GujaratElection2017

— N.S. Madhavan (@NSMlive) December 9, 2017

9:40 AM The first phone of the Gujarat Assembly election 2017 is seeing 27,158 EVMs being used across 24,689 polling stations

9:40 AM

District wise Constituency Breakup

 

Bharuch district: Jambusar, Vagra, Jhagadia (ST), Bharuch, and Ankleshwar.

 

Surat district: Olpad, Mangrol (ST), Mandvi (ST), Kamrej, Surat East, Surat North, Varachha Road, Karanj, Limbayat, Udhna, Majura, Katargam, Surat West, Choryasi, Bardoli (SC), Mahuva (ST).

 

Tapi district: Vyara (ST) and Nizar (ST).

9:40 AM

District wise Constituency Breakup

 

Gir Somnath district: Somnath, Talala, Kodinar (SC), and Una.

 

Amreli district: Dhari, Amreli, Lathi, Savarkundla, and Rajula.

 

Bhavnagar district: Mahuva, Talaja, Gariadhar, Palitana, Bhavnagar Rural, Bhavnagar East, Bhavnagar West.

 

Botad district: Botad and Gadhada (SC).

 

Narmada district: Nandod (ST) and Dediapada (ST).

9:39 AM

District wise Constituency Breakup

 

Devbhumi Dwarka district: Khambhalia, and Dwarka.

 

Porbandar district: Porbandar and Kutiyana.

 

Junagadh district: Manavadar, Junagadh, Visavadar, Keshod, and Mangrol.

9:38 AM

District wise Constituency Breakup

 

Jamnagar district: Kalavad (SC), Jamnagar Rural, Jamnagar North, Jamnagar South, and Jamjodhpur.

9:38 AM

District wise Constituency Breakup

 

Rajkot district: Rajkot East, Rajkot West, Rajkot South, Rajkot Rural (SC), Jasdan, Gondal, Jetpur, and Dhoraji.

9:38 AM

District wise Constituency Breakup

 

Morbi district: Morbi, Tankara, and Wankaner

9:37 AM

District wise Constituency Breakup

 

Surendranagar district: Dasada (SC) , Limbdi, Wadhwan, Chotila, and Dhrangadhra.

9:37 AM

Facts about Gujarat Assembly polls: 

 

District wise Constituency Breakup

 

Kachchh district: Abdasa, Mandvi , Bhuj, Anjar, Gandhidham (SC), and Rapar.

9:36 AM

Facts about Gujarat Assembly polls: 

 

Districts having maximum and minimum number of constituencies

 

While Surat district has maximum (16) number of stories, Dangs district has only one constituency.

9:35 AM

केम छो गुजराती - Reject party fighting with religious, cast & reservation issues and select party fighting for development #GujaratRound1

— Ravi Mishra Shastri (@Shastri091) December 9, 2017

9:33 AM

Facts about Gujarat Assembly polls: 

 

Constituency with Lowest Number of candidates

 

Jhagadia (ST) in Bharuch district and Gandevi (ST) in Navsari district have only 3 contestants in fray.

9:33 AM

Facts about Gujarat Assembly polls: 

 

Constituency with Highest Number of candidates

 

Jamnagar Rural in Saurashtra region has the highest number of contenders. Here 27 candidates are trying their luck.

9:32 AM

Voting has begun for 89 assembly seats in the first phase of #GujaratElection2017 . I request all eligible voters to exercise the franchise of voting and participate in the democratic process of electing the representative. pic.twitter.com/UB31g39PXR

— Parimal Nathwani (@mpparimal) December 9, 2017

9:31 AM

Vote for a change this time in gujarat. A government can become dictator if it rules for 22 years. Vote for change #GujaratElection2017

— Aakarshan Singh (@Iamaakarshan) December 9, 2017

9:29 AM Twitter users urge people to cast votes

#casteyourvote #GujaratElection2017
Casting vote is as important as debating on policy issues. Vote for whoever you want to bt please caste your vote. #GujaratElection2017 pic.twitter.com/RrAOshG7O6

— Shyamal K (@snkesharia) December 9, 2017

9:28 AM

Facts about Gujarat Assembly polls: 

 

Smallest Constituency

 

Karanj Assembly seat in Surat district is smallest constituency, which is spread over only 4 sq km

9:26 AM

#BJP in a catch-22 situation in #GujaratElection2017. Winning from a good margin is the only option for them. Losing in the PM’s state will prove costly in 2018 state polls and 2019 general elections and will revive the opposition. #congress

— Sarral Sharma (@sarral_sharma) December 9, 2017

9:26 AM

Facts about Gujarat Assembly polls: 

 

Largest Constituency

 

Abdasa Assembly seat in Kachchh district is the largest constituency, which is spread over 6,278 sq km.

9:24 AM Apart from it, there are seven constituencies with electors numbering more than 1.5 lakh but less than 2 lakh. Rest 82 constituencies have more than 2 lakh registered voters in each of them.

9:24 AM

Facts about Gujarat Assembly polls: 

 

Voters Breakup

 

Total Registered Voters: 2,12,31,652

 

Men: 1,11,05,933

 

Women: 1,01,25,472

9:23 AM

Facts about Gujarat Assembly polls: In 2012, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 63 of the 89 constituencies while the Congress got only 22 seats. Others won four seats.

9:22 AM Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani visited temple, as first phase of Gujarat polls commenced today and dismissed any questions of challenge saying that BJP will stand victorious.

9:20 AM "People should come out in large numbers to vote. We are very confident, no question of any challenge," Vijay Rupani told the media here.

9:20 AM With 11 districts, Saurashtra will send 48 legislators to the Assembly

9:20 AM The influential Patidar community, which accounts for 12 per cent of Gujarat’s 60 million people, is against the present state government because of its demand for reservation in government jobs and education sectors

9:20 AM Considered a strong ground for BJP, Patel-dominated Saurashtra can be a tough nut to crack for the key parties this time

9:19 AM With no candidates from the Patel community in Bhuj, MLA Nimaben Acharya is confident to retain the seat with a strong support from Hindu voters

9:17 AM

Congress leader Raju Waghmare said, "We are confident that in Gujarat Congress will come with a majority. Congress will form government in Gujarat after 22 years. The BJP will be totally wiped out from the state. Everybody in Gujarat wants change and Congress is that change."

9:17 AM By opting for a local Muslim candidate in Bhuj, Adam B Chaki, the Congress is looking to play on the ‘local’ sentiment

9:17 AM Four seats in Kutch – Abdasa, Anjar, Mandvi and Bhuj – have a sizeable chunk of Muslim voters

9:17 AM The Congress is trying to get hold of six major seats in Kutch, where BJP is facing stiff challenges amid issues like shortage of drinking water

9:17 AM The Congress has asserted party's victory in the Gujarat assembly elections ahead of the first phase while saying that the BJP will be wiped out from the state.

9:17 AM final outcome of the Gujarat polls is likely to see a major sway because of the 54 Assembly seats in Saurashtra and Kutch regions

9:17 AM

Using VVPAT in state election

 

The Election Commission has decided to use the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) system for all the constituencies in the Gujarat Assembly elections. This is the first time that VVPAT will be used on a state-wide basis. VVPAT will allow voters to verify their votes after casting on the EVM. The paper trail in VVPAT allows for an audit of the election results by the EC.

9:16 AM Of the 182 seats in Gujarat, 13 are reserved for scheduled castes and 27 for scheduled tribes

9:16 AM About 11 million male voters and 10.1 million female voters will be exercising their democratic rights today

9:16 AM The 89 constituencies going to polls are spread from Rajkot to Saurashtra

9:15 AM In the first phase of polling, around 21.2 million voters are expected to exercise their voting rights in Gujarat

9:15 AM

Meanwhile, Congress demands CBI probe into Rs 10,651-cr GSPC scam

 

Terming it a scam, Congress on Friday accused the BJP government in Gujarat and the Narendra Modi-led Central government of misspending Rs 10,651 crore worth foreign exchange in the Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC) and demanded a Supreme Court-monitored inquiry by the CBI in the matter.

 

The party also called it a "Gujarat model of Corruption."

9:15 AM In the Gujarat Assembly election 2017, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi has left no stone unturned to help his BJP return to power for a fifth term in his home state, Gujarat will also be an important factor for the soon-to-be Congress President Rahul Gandhi's political stature

9:13 AM In the Muslim-dominated Mandvi Assembly constituency, BJP faces anti-incumbency issues like lack of development

9:12 AM Patels of Saurashtra: Considered a strong ground for BJP, Patel-dominated Saurashtra can be a tough nut to crack. The influential Patidar community, which accounts for 12 per cent of Gujarat’s 60 million people, is against the present state government because of its demand for reservation in government jobs and education sectors. With 11 districts, Saurashtra will send 48 legislators to the Assembly. The quota agitation over unemployment and lack of opportunity in the higher education gave national prominence to the young leader Hardik Patel and his party Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (Paas).

9:12 AM Another important battle is between the Congress Shaktisinh Gohil and the BJP's Virendrasinh Jadeja in the Mandvi constituency

9:11 AM The Congress is trying to get hold of six major seats in Kutch, where BJP is facing stiff challenges amid issues like shortage of drinking water. Four seats in Kutch – Abdasa, Anjar, Mandvi and Bhuj – have a sizeable chunk of Muslim voters. By opting for a local Muslim candidate in Bhuj, Adam B Chaki, the Congress is looking to play on the ‘local’ sentiment. With no candidates from the Patel community here, MLA Nimaben Acharya is confident to retain the seat with a strong support from Hindu voters.

9:11 AM Dhanani is contesting against the Congress' Bavkubhai Undhad

9:11 AM Muslim majority in Kutch: The final outcome of the Gujarat polls is likely to see a major sway because of the 54 Assembly seats in Saurashtra and Kutch regions. 

9:10 AM Sitting Congress MLA Paresh Dhanani is also a strong candidate for the chief ministerial post

9:10 AM Another important constituency is the Patidar-dominated Amreli, which is seeing a fight between two Patel candidates — Paresh Dhanani and Bavkubhai Undhad

9:09 AM Rupani is pitted in Rajkot West against the Congress' Indranil Rajyaguru

9:08 AM Rupani is contesting from the Rajkot West constituency

9:08 AM Among the key candidates trying their luck in the first phase today are Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani

9:06 AM A total of 977 canddates, including 57 women are in the fray

9:06 AM Today's first phase of the Gujarat Assembly election 2017 is important as 89 of the state's 182 seats are going to the polls

9:04 AM

Let us together make a new #Gujarat, full of vibrancy, happiness n growth.
Let us all walk Hand in Hand so that Gujarat prospers more n more.
All @INCGujarat candidates have been working so hard n I wish them good luck in #GujaratElection2017. #NavsarjanGujarat #GujaratRound1

— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) December 9, 2017

9:03 AM

PAAS leader calls Hardik Patel's support for Congress 'fixing'

 

Hardik Patel's key aide and senior member of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) Dinesh Bambhania on Friday alleged that the quota agitation spearhead's support to the Congress party smacks of some kind of "fixing" between them.

 

Bambhania said he could not understand why Patel was supporting the Congress party, despite it not clarifying how it would give reservation to the Patidar community if voted to power.

9:01 AM Gujarat election 2017: CM Vijay Rupani casts his vote in Rajkot. He is contesting against Congress’ Indranil Rajyaguru from Rajkot-West seat

9:00 AM BJP has been in power in Gujarat for the last 22 years.

8:59 AM Rahul Gandhi strategically inducted Alpesh Thakore and enlisted the support of Mr Mevani and Hardik Patel, the 24-year-old face of the Patel or Patidar agitation, in his attempt to oust the BJP

8:58 AM Other major contests feature senior minister Babubhai Bokhiria, the Congress' Arjun Modhwadia and former Finance and Power Minister Saurabh Patel.

8:58 AM We are going to win 150+ seats under the leadership of PM Modi ji, we face no obstacles: Jitu Vaghani,BJP Gujarat Chief and candidate from Bhavnagar West

8:56 AM The most-watched contest today is in the heart of Saurashtra in Rajkot West, where sitting legislator Chief Minister Vijay Rupani takes on the Congress' Indranil Rajguru.

8:56 AM "The Congress, including their topmost leaders have abused me in deplorable language. My poor background, my family, my low caste...they have spared nothing. I have nothing to say to them, my focus is India and 125 crore Indians," said PM Modi

8:55 AM Rahul Gandhi: Our PM is talking about everything, Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, Jammu & Kashmir, everything. What is amusing is that elections are in Gujarat. 60%-70% of his speeches today were about himself. It is Gujarat Election. Talk about its future

8:55 AM PM Modi has led the BJP A-listers in the party's campaign, pitching the Gujarat election as a contest between "vikaswaad (development) and vanshwaad (dynasty) in an attack on Rahul Gandhi

8:54 AM Visuals of locals after casting their vote in Surat's Majura. BJP MLA Harsh Sanghvi is contesting against Congress's Ashok Kothari. This seat was formed after the 2008 delimitation.

8:53 AM Gujarat election live: For the BJP, union ministers Arun Jaitley and Smriti Irani have defended the GST and demonetisation, trying to allay the concerns of the traders and textile merchants in Surat.

8:53 AM "Gujarat's economic growth is the highest in India. In the last 5 years Gujarat grew at an average rate of 10% amongst large states," Jaitley said on Friday

8:52 AM Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has urged traders to punish the BJP, alleging that its mega reforms have brought small business to their knees.

8:51 AM The battle for the 12 seats in Surat, the diamond and textile hub and a BJP stronghold, is being seen as a referendum on the notes ban and new national tax GST.

8:42 AM Gandhi emerged as the Congress' pivot to take on the might of the prime minister on his home turf.

8:40 AM In another development, Dinesh Bambhaniya, a key aide of Patidar leader Hardik Patel, quit the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti. He is the third leader of the outfit to have quit in recent months. Chirag Patel, another key leader, had recently joined the BJP.

8:40 AM Patole said he would be sharing the dais with Rahul Gandhi at a Congress’ public rally on December 11.

8:39 AM In a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Patole listed 14 issues related to agriculture, economy and unemployment

8:38 AM BJP MP Nana Patole resigned from the Lok Sabha and the party on Friday

8:37 AM Gujarat elections: 27,158 EVMs being used in 24,689 polling stations in the first phase

8:36 AM Gujarat Assembly polls: Saurashtra and Kutch have the maximum number of constituencies that vote in the first phase and are seen as crucial. The party that wins the most seats in these regions will be seen to have a head start.

8:35 AM Voting underway on Surat's Choryasi assembly seat. Here BJP's Jhankhnaben Patel is up against Congress's Yogeshbhai B Patel

8:33 AM

मतदाताओं की भागीदारी लोकतंत्र की आत्मा होती है। गुजरात चुनाव में पहली बार वोट डाल रहे युवा साथियों का बहुत स्वागत और अभिनन्दन। गुजरात की जनता से अपील है कि भारी संख्या में मतदान कर लोकतंत्र के इस पर्व को सफल बनाएं।

— Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) December 9, 2017

8:31 AM The poll narrative kept changing with issues such as the Ayodhya title suit, Gandhi's imminent elevation as Congress president and his visits to temples being raised by BJP leaders.

8:28 AM Gujarat Assembly elections: The campaign shaped up as a duel between Modi and Gandhi, and often turned personal.

8:27 AM After a campaign that often turned vituperative, around 2.12 crore voters are exercising their franchise in Modi's home state to choose between the ruling BJP and the Congress.

8:27 AM Gujarat Assembly elections 2017: Queue outside a polling booth in Surat

8:26 AM BJP Gujarat Chief Jitubhai Vaghani casts his vote in Bhavnagar

8:24 AM Pretty sure Congress will win. There's definitely an undercurrent here. They may muscle & money it's not going to work. I'll never forget the love of Gujarat which I received in last 3-4 months. I'm always at their service: Rahul Gandhi in Vadodara.

8:22 AM 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.

8:22 AM One seat each is held by the NCP and JD-U while independents hold the remaining two.

8:22 AM Of the 89 seats, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party holds 67 and the Congress 16.

8:21 AM 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.

8:18 AM

8:17 AM First phase: Maximum candidates contesting on a seat are 27 from Jamnagar Rural. Minimum are 3 from Jhagadia and Gandevi

8:16 AM People should come out in large numbers to vote. We are very confident, no question of any challenge: Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani 

8:15 AM Voting for first phase of Gujarat Election 2017 begins. Visuals from  Bharuch's Ankleshwar

8:14 AM Voting underway in J H Ambani Saraswati Vidyamandir polling booth in Surat

8:13 AM The crucial elections are being seen as prestige battle for BJP, which has been ruling the state for last 22 years, and litmus test for the Congress.

8:12 AM Rahul had alleged that Prime Minister Modi was silent about the future of Gujarat while slamming the ruling BJP for delaying the release of its manifesto.

8:12 AM Reacting to Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi's barb on BJP's manifesto, Prasad said the Congress has never fulfilled the promises made in its manifesto.

8:11 AM Ahead of the polling, Ravi Shankar Parasad said, "the BJP will score a historic win. There will be three reasons of BJP's victory. The work of BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership and his popularity and the way Congress insulted Modi. People of Gujarat will take revenge of this."

8:10 AM

22 सालों का हिसाब#गुजरात_मांगे_जवाब

10 वां सवाल:

आदिवासी से छीनी जमीन
नहीं दिया जंगल पर अधिकार
अटके पड़े हैं लाखों जमीन के पट्टे
न चले स्कूल न मिला अस्पताल
न बेघर को घर न युवा को रोजगार

पलायन ने दिया आदिवासी समाज को तोड़
मोदीजी, कहाँ गए वनबंधु योजना के 55 हजार करोड़?

— Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) December 8, 2017

8:05 AM Modi tweeted: 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.

8:04 AM

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.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 9, 2017

8:04 AM Gujarat Assembly elections: The first phase of polls will be held in 89 seats of Kutch, Saurashtra and South Gujarat with over two crore voters deciding the fate 977 candidates.

8:03 AM In the wake of EVM tampering allegation from various political parties, the EC has also put in place administrative safeguards and security protocols to prevent any misuse of EVM and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines.

8:00 AM First phase of voting for 89 seats begins

7:58 AM Gujarat Elections 2017: CCTV cameras have also been installed for effective monitoring and surveillance.

7:57 AM Gujarat Elections 2017: The Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and State Armed Police (SAP) drawn from other states have also been deployed to supplement the local police force

7:56 AM Gujarat Elections 2017: Over 1,74,000 police personnel have been deployed with security apparatus on highest alert to ensure smooth conduct of the voting process today.

7:54 AM As the first phase of Gujarat assembly election is about to begin, the security has been beefed up to maintain law and order across the state.

11:16 PM

ALSO READ: BJP's Gujarat campaign is a nervous paradox of a double-incumbent fighting like an underdog, writes Shekhar Gupta

9:55 PM Congress has instructed all its spokespersons not to comment on Prime Minister Narendra Modi or his public addresses.

9:54 PM ALSO READ: In Gujarat battle, Congress prepares for 2019 poll war

9:29 PM

Rahul confidently said the party is going to win the Assembly elections in Gujarat.

 

"A storm is on its way," Rahul said.

 

LIVE: Rahul Gandhi addresses a public meeting in Anand, Gujarat. #गुजरातमेंनया_सवेरा https://t.co/Ql5BgSc6sK

— Congress (@INCIndia) December 8, 2017

9:27 PM Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi, during a public rally in Chhota Udaipur, said: "The Congress respects the position held by the Prime Minister of India and by using the wrong words, nobody from the party can speak against him. Prime Minister Modi can say anything about us, that's why we took strong action against Mani Shankar Aiyar". (More details)

9:22 PM A political slugfest erupted between contesting political parties ahead of the Gujarat Assembly elections. Click HERE to read more details

Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi

9:15 PM

Aiyar on Thursday termed Modi as 'neech aadmi' (low-born) and said he was not civilised enough and should refrain from practicing "dirty politics".

 

However, Aiyar clarified that the word 'neech' holds different meanings, adding he would want to apologise for the wrong translation.

9:13 PM

A well educated Congress leader called me ’Neech'. This is the mindset of Congress. They have their language and we have our work. People will answer them through the ballot box - PM @narendramodi #SuratWithModi pic.twitter.com/JJOaOmoeC6

— BJP (@BJP4India) December 7, 2017

9:12 PM The Prime Minister questioned the moral and ethics of the age-old party.

9:09 PM The Prime Minister continued to dictate evidences where the senior Congress leaders like Digvijaya Singh, Pramod Tiwari, Jairam Ramesh, Beni Prasad Verma and Ghulam Nabi Azad have used derogatory remarks against him.

Divijaya Singh said Modi Sarkar is like Rakshas Raaj and Modi is Ravana. Pramod Tiwari, who headed the Congress in UP, said Modi is in the list of Hitler, Mussolini& Gaddafi. Day and night the Congress has abused me. I keep quiet only because my priority is work: PM Modi #Gujarat pic.twitter.com/hASyBxqGX2

— ANI (@ANI) December 8, 2017

9:08 PM Continuing his tirade against the Congress, the Prime Minister Modi said:

What did Anand Sharma say-PM Modi is mentally unstable.A Congress leader re-tweeted such an offensive Tweet about me that I cannot even say it. What did Digvijaya Singh Tweet about me? Evidently, one Gujarati, a person born into a poor family has troubled them a lot: PM Modi pic.twitter.com/1npa9OzV24

— ANI (@ANI) December 8, 2017

9:06 PM Reacting on suspended Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's remark against him, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday alleged that the Congress party had not called him 'Neech' for the first time as party president Sonia Gandhi and her family members had made similar derogatory remarks.

They have not called me 'Neech' for the first time yesterday. Mrs. Sonia Gandhi and her family members have used it too. Why am I 'Neech' - because I was born poor, because I am of a lower caste, because I am a Gujarati? Is that why they hate me: PM Modi pic.twitter.com/GEplZf7WPO

— ANI (@ANI) December 8, 2017

8:57 PM Meanwhile, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley also hit out at the Congress.

Poll promises made by Congress are based on constitutional impossibility and financial improbability : Shri @arunjaitley #Gujarat4Modi pic.twitter.com/AHjBYKdf9K

— BJP (@BJP4India) December 8, 2017

8:52 PM The Prime Minister said that the Centre ensured all those who perpetrated the Amarnath attack were punished by the Indian Armed Forces.

Recently there was an attack in Amarnath. We ensured that all those who perpetrated this attack were punished by our armed forces: PM Modi #GujaratElection2017 pic.twitter.com/fnbHkmWqyx

— ANI (@ANI) December 8, 2017

8:50 PM

Paving the way for better economic prospects for small shop owners, he said they can run their shops for long duration as similar to malls.

Why should it be that only malls can remain open for long durations. We ensured that small shops can also be open for long- this gives economic opportunities to several people: PM Modi in Nikol #GujaratElection2017 pic.twitter.com/pimgeIrxBj

— ANI (@ANI) December 8, 2017

8:49 PM Higlighting the miserable state of the Sabarmati River under the Congress, he said, "The river was not discovered during our time. Do we remember its pitiable condition during the Congress rule. We built a riverfront and you can see the difference in Ahmedabad."

8:48 PM "Any party that is anti-development and prefers to divide society will never be accepted in Gujarat and that is why Congress won't win. Gujarat has not forgotten the mis-governance of the Congress," the Prime Minister said

8:46 PM Launching a scathing attack on Congress, PM Modi said the party will never be accepted in poll-bound Gujarat for its anti-development stand and for aiming to divide society.

They have not called me 'Neech' for the first time yesterday. Mrs. Sonia Gandhi and her family members have used it too. Why am I 'Neech' - because I was born poor, because I am of a lower caste, because I am a Gujarati? Is that why they hate me: PM Modi pic.twitter.com/GEplZf7WPO

— ANI (@ANI) December 8, 2017

8:33 PM

Union minister of state for Human Resource Development and RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha said that there is no "if and but" about the BJP winning Assembly elections and forming a new government in Gujarat. (Read everything that he said here)

 

8:32 PM BJP supporters attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's election campaign rally in Kalol

8:26 PM VIDEO: You can watch Modi addressing an election rally in Nikol, Gujarat.

#WATCH PM Narendra Modi addresses an election rally in Nikol ,Gujarat https://t.co/l6BJ8vjPQX

— ANI (@ANI) December 8, 2017

8:20 PM Click HERE for a detailed report on the party's manifesto

8:18 PM

The manifesto released today said it has resolved to "double farmers' income through various means, such as cheap fertilisers and seeds, better irrigation, proper Minimum Support Prices and (access to) food processing". 

 

For women, the party promised to increase the pension for widows at regular intervals. 

8:15 PM The BJP released its election manifesto, or 'sankalp patra' (vision document) today. BJP's election in-charge for Gujarat, Arun Jaitley, said it was prepared keeping in mind the party's resolution to maintain and improve on the 10-per cent growth clocked by the state under the party's rule. 

The Opposition Congress had released its ‘people’s manifesto’ on December 4.

8:10 PM

Saurashtra and Kutch are crucial for the ruling BJP as these two regions have the highest concentration of seats in the first phase.

 

Saurashtra, located on the Arabian Sea coast, covers 11 districts of the state.

 

Kutch is the largest district comprising 10 talukas, 939 villages and six municipalities.

8:09 PM A big takeaway for the Congress was ensuring the support of the Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), an umbrella organisation of the numerically strong Patidar community, which traditionally formed the bedrock of the BJP's support in Gujarat.

8:03 PM The EC is also deploying for the first time the voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines in all the polling stations to "inject greater transparency and credibility" to the voting process. Click HERE for full details.

8:01 PM The Election Commission sought to allay apprehensions regarding the the integrity of its electronic voting machines (EVMs) by saying that it has put in place "an elaborate framework of system, security protocols and procedural checks" to prevent any "possible misuse" of the voting machines.

7:56 PM From political slugfest to temple visits, both BJP and Congress are leaving no stones unturned to win Gujarat's assembly elections.

7:56 PM The election fever was clearly seen to have taken over Gujarat today as a hoards of supporters gathered to merely see Rahul Gandhi eat Pav Bhaji at a local shop in Tarapur.

Congress VP Rahul Gandhi was not joking when he said Gujarat and its people were spoiling him with love. Pav Bhaji enjoyed fresh, on road the Navsarjan Yatra. #गुजरात_में_नया_सवेरा pic.twitter.com/34CUyqIcP0

— Congress (@INCIndia) December 8, 2017

7:54 PM While the BJP is fighting anti-incumbency and struggling to alter a seemingly negative perception about demonetisation and the goods and services tax (GST) rollout, the Congress, galvanised by an assertive Rahul Gandhi, has mainly targeted the "hollow Gujarat development model" to slam Modi.

7:53 PM To win, a party needs 92 seats; survey predicts BJP winning with an average of 105-106 seats

7:53 PM

Three big polls carried out in the run-up to the vote on Saturday and next week predicted a victory for BJP with an average of 105-106 seats.

 

ABP-CDS poll: The poll conducted this week, among 3,655 voters across 50 Assembly constituencies, gave the BJP 91-99 seats in the 182-member state house and Congress 78-86, suggesting a close fight. 

 

India TV poll: The opinion poll predicts that BJP will bag 106-116 seats, while Congress will win 63-73 seats. Other parties and independents will gain the remaining two-four seats.

 

Times Now-VMR survey: The survey, after conducting 6,000 interviews on 684 polling booths in Gujarat, sees BJP getting 111 seats, Congress polling 68 seats and others gaining three seats. 

ALSO READ: Gujarat poll survey: Photo finish for BJP but Congress puts up close fight

 

7:51 PM BJP President Amit Shah also held multiple election rallies in Banaskantha, Panchmahal, Kheda and Ahmedabad districts.

7:50 PM Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed rallies in Bhabhar, Kalol, Himmatnagar and Nikol.

7:49 PM

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi addressed rallies in Chhota Udepur, Ahmedabad, Anand and Kheda.

 

7:47 PM Polling for 89 seats of Saurashtra and south Gujarat will be held tomorrow while that for 93 seats of north and central Gujarat would be held on December 14. Campaigning for the first phase ended yesterday.

7:45 PM The Congress, which is in political wilderness in Gujarat for 22 years, is desperate to break the jinx. On the other hand, the ruling BJP is bidding for a fifth term in the state.

7:45 PM The primary competition is between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress. 

7:41 PM Voting for the first phase of Gujarat Assembly Elections 2017 will start tomorrow at 8 am and end at 5 pm.

First Published: Sat, December 09 2017. 11:42 IST

Gujarat election LIVE: Gujaratis will punish Cong, says Modi on voting day

Gujarat election LIVE updates: BJP is seeking a fifth term in Gujarat, while Congress is attempting an electoral revival

Gujarat election LIVE updates: BJP is seeking a fifth term in Gujarat, while Congress is attempting an electoral revival

The first of Gujarat's two-phase assembly polls began on Saturday across 89 constituencies spread out in the 19 districts of Kutch, Saurashtra and southern regions. The state election in Gujarat is significant for both the BJP, which is seeking a fifth term in the state, and the main Opposition Congress, which is looking for a revival.  A total of 977 candidates are fighting it out in the first phase of the assembly election in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state. Prominent candidates include Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP's Vijay Rupani (Rajkot West), and Congress's Shaktisinh Gohil (Mandvi) and Paresh Dhanani (Amreli).

The candidates in the fray are from Kutch, Morbi, Jamnagar, Surendranagar, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Rajkot, Botad, Porbandar, Junagadh, Amreli, Gir Somnath, Bhavnagar, Bharuch, Narmada, Surat, Tapi, Navsari, Dang and Valsad districts.

ALSO READ: Gujarat poll survey: Photo finish for BJP but Congress puts up close fight

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 8 a.m., will end at 5 p.m. There are a total of 24,689 polling booths.

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 polling is on December 14 and counting, along with that of Himachal Pradesh, will be held on December 18.

BS Web Team

Business Standard

http://bsmedia.business-standard.com/_media/bs/wap/images/bs_logo_amp.png 177 22