Second phase of Gujarat Assembly polls are to be held on Thursday for 93 out of 182 constituencies across North Gujarat and Central Gujarat region.
Fate of 851 candidates including Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, senior BJP Ministers Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, Pradeepsinh Jadeja, senior Congress leader Siddharth Patel OBC leader Alpesh Thakor, Dalit leaders Jignesh Mevani to name a few will be sealed. Around 2.20 crore voters are expected to exercise their franchise in for the second phase of polling in the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home State.
Both the regions witnessed high-decibel campaign in the past one week. Being home State of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, National president of ruling BJP Amit Shah, the polls in Gujarat had achieved proportions no other State elections have witnessed in the recent political history of India.
Top political leaders in India PM Modi as well as main Opposition Congress party’s president-elect Rahul Gandhi literally left not a single stone unturned in their respective poll campaigns. On one hand BJP’s ‘Gujarat Model’ is on stake, which was showcased during the last Lok Sabha elections that the saffron party won convincingly. On the other hand Congress leadership gave everything with a view to regain power in Gujarat after almost two and half decades.
The poll campaign in Gujarat became colourful with the entry of three youngsters in the State politics – Patel quota stir leader Hardik Patel, OBC leader Alpesh Thakor and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani. Congress hopes that with all three in their camp, it would help consolidate Patel-OBC-Dalit votes in its favour. In Hindu heartland, Congress was eerily quiet on ‘minority’. Rahul even visited more than 24 temples in the State but totally abstained from making any overture towards Muslims, that forms about 9 per cent of State populace. Interestingly, not once did Congress president Sonia Gandhi come for campaign this time.
It is worth mentioning that first phase of Gujarat polls was conducted on December 9 for 82 Assembly constituencies across 19 districts of Saurashtra-Kutch and South Gujarat regions.
Of the total 1828 candidates in the fray for State Assembly elections, 977 contested from these two regions in the first phase. Counting of votes and result will be announced on 18th December.