Gujarat Election 2022 Live Updates: PM Modi offers prayers at Maa Bhadrakali temple in Ahmedabad

CPI(M) leader Md Salim on Friday said he has lodged a police complaint in Kolkata against Paresh Rawal, alleging that the veteran actor made utterances during a recent poll rally in Gujarat that tantamounted to hate speech against the Bengali community. Salim, in his complaint to Taratola Police Station, said he came across a video on various social media platforms featuring the actor giving a speech, which could promote feelings of hatred against Bengalis.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday claimed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) dispensation in Gujarat was not filling up five lakh posts in government and semi-government departments and institutions because half of them will go to aspirants from Dalit, tribal and other backward caste communities.

"The way Congress has started blaming EVMs after yesterday's voting in Kutch, Saurashtra and south Gujarat, it is evident the opposition party has conceded defeat and has accepted that the BJP will win the election. Alleging EVM tampering is an indication the Congress is on its way out," said Modi.

At Dhrafa village of Jamnagar district, the voters were apparently upset over the polling officers not making separate arrangements for men and women voters. In Kesar village of Bharuch district, the villagers boycotted the election alleging lack of basic facilities, it said. Samot village in Dediapada constituency of Narmada district with a total 1,625 voters boycotted the election over the issue of regularisation of a farm land in the village.

A total of 104 complaints were received during the process of voting, including six regarding malfunctioning of EVMs, two regarding bogus voting, 30 regarding law and order issue, 36 regarding violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), and 30 on issues like slow voting, bogus voting and power cuts, it said in a release.

At the same time, the party faces competition not just from its traditional rival Congress, but also the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has positioned itself as the main contender for the party and is contesting on all but one seat. Apart from the BJP, Congress and AAP, 36 other political outfits, including the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Samajwadi Party (SP), Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) also fielded candidates in various seats.

In the 2017 election, out of these 89 seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had won 48, Congress 40, while one seat was bagged by an independent candidate.

Botad district recorded the lowest voter turnout of 57.58 per cent, it said in its final tally. Amreli followed closely with 57.59 per cent turnout. Ten districts recorded more than 60 per cent voting, while six others saw below 60 per cent voting. Surat recorded 62.27 per cent voting and Rajkot 60.45 per cent.

When Gujarat votes in the last phase of the assembly polls on Monday, senior organisational leaders of the BJP from across the country will begin a two-day meeting in the national capital to review the party's preparedness for the coming electoral challenges, including the all-important Lok Sabha elections in 2024.

A voter turnout of 63.14 per cent was recorded in the first phase of Gujarat Assembly elections covering 89 seats across 19 districts of Saurashtra-Kutch and southern regions of the state, the Election Commission said on Friday. In the 2017 Assembly election, the voter turnout in the first phase covering the same 89 constituencies stood at 66.75 per cent.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday alleged that the Congress only believed in 'atkana, latkana aur bhatkana' (stalling, delaying and misleading), and said those who looted poor people in the country were now abusing him for putting an end to corruption. He also alleged that the previous Congress governments never showed any interest in bringing the Narmada river water to the parched regions of Gujarat as the party was only interested in doing those works where there was scope to indulge in corruption. Modi was addressing a rally in Kankrej village of Banaskantha district, where voting for the second phase of Gujarat Assembly polls will be held on December 5.

"BJP always raises the issue of Common (Uniform) Civil Code when polls are due. This time elections are underway in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh," Ramesh told reporters at Sumra Khedi in Agar Malwa district, where the Rahul Gandhi-led foot march reached earlier in the day. "I have mentioned in Parliament also that the Law Commission headed by Justice B S Chauhan in its 185-page report dated August 31, 2018 on the issue said that Common Civil Code is neither desirable nor necessary...BJP always raises it whenever there are elections," he said.

The first phase of the Gujarat assembly elections were held on Thursday and the second phase will take place on December 5. The votes will be counted on December 8.

Veteran actor Paresh Rawal on Friday apologised for his statement linking gas cylinders, Bengalis and fish during a campaign speech in Gujarat, saying his reference was to illegal Bangladeshis and Rohingyas. The apology came after a huge backlash from the Bengali community and some others on social media. "Of course the fish is not the issue as Gujaratis do cook and eat fish. But let me clarify by Bengali I meant illegal Bangladeshi N Rohingya. But still if I have hurt your feelings and sentiments I do apologise," the 67-year-old actor and former BJP MP wrote on Twitter.