Counting of votes will be held today for the Gujarat and Himachal Assembly polls, considered a prestige battle for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his home state and a litmus test for new Congress president Rahul Gandhi.
Here are the highlights of the prestige battle
- In Gujarat, counting of votes will be held at 37 centres across 37 districts of the state.
- While the BJP is seeking a sixth straight term in office, the Congress is aiming to stage a comeback in power after being in the opposition for over two decades.
- During the campaign, Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah trained guns on the Congress on issues like Ram Temple, alleged Pakistani interference in the Gujarat polls and (suspended Congress leader) Mani Shankar Aiyars remarks.
- Gandhi persistently attacked Modi and the BJP for "not talking about the future of Gujarat" and skipping key issues being faced by the people of the state.
- As the campaign was nearing its end, "Vikas" (development) took a back seat, and caste and religious issues received prominence.
- An average 68.41 per cent polling was recorded in the two-phase Assembly elections in Gujarat.
- In the first phase of polls held on December 9 for 89 seats in Saurasthra, Kutch and South Gujarat, 66.75 per cent voting was recorded.
- The total voter turnout this time has seen a dip of 2.91 per cent, as compared to the 2012 polls when 71.32 per cent polling was registered.
- Counting will also take place tomorrow in Himachal Pradesh to decide the fate 337 candidates contesting for 68 assembly seats at 42 counting centres.
- A turnout of 75.28 percent was recorded in the north Indian state when the state went to poll on November 9.
- There will be 781 counting tables at 42 counting centers where 2,820 officers would be deployed, including 940 supervisors, 940 counting assistants and as many micro- observers.
- One polling station from each assembly constituency will be randomly selected for counting of VVPATs slips.
OneIndia News
