Gujarat Assembly Election 2022 LIVE Updates: 89 seats vote in first phase today

BJP on Wednesday intensified its attack on the Congress over its president Mallikarjun Kharge's 'Ravan' jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said people will give a befitting reply to the opposition party. BJP president J P Nadda said Kharge's barb and another Congress leader Madhusudan Mistry's 'aukat' remark at Modi expose the party's mindset and betray its frustration as the party stands nowhere while the BJP is getting one-sided support across the state.Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told reporters that the people of Gujarat will give a befitting reply to those using abusive words for the prime minister who, he asserted, is Gujarat's "honour and pride".

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar expects record voting in Gujarat Assembly Election. The first phase of voting in Gujarat is going to happen tomorrow on 89 assembly seats for which 2.39 crore voters are eligible to cast their votes.

Gujarat Chief Minster Bhupendra Patel is contesting from Ghatlodia, AAP Chief Ministerial candidate Isudan Gadhvi from Khambhaliya, former Congress leader and BJP candidate Hardik Patel from Viramgam, former Congress leader and now BJP candidate Alpesh Thakor from Gandhinagar South. AAP state president Gopal Italia is contesting from Katargam constituency, Gujarat Home Minister (State) Harsh Sanghavi from Majura, Rivaba Jadeja from Jamnagar North, former Gujarat minister Parshottam Solanki from Bhavnagar Rural, Kunwarji Bavaliya from Jasdan, Kantilal Amrutiya from Morbi and Jayesh Radadiya from Jetpur.

While the cumulative seizures till November 29 in poll-bound Gujarat add up to Rs 291 crore, which is 10 times the seizures during 2017 polls, the identification of drugs worth Rs 478 crore in a seizure process in Vadodara on Wednesday is set to translate into a 28-fold increase. Of the almost Rs 291 crore cumulative seizures in Gujarat between announcement of polls and November 29, unexplained cash accounted for Rs 27 crore, liquor Rs 15 crore, drugs Rs 62 crore, precious metals Rs 16 crore and freebies Rs 171 crore, as per figures shared by the Election Commission.

PM Narendra Modi will lead a 50km roadshow in Ahmedabad Thursday in the final lap of BJP’s campaign in Gujarat, coinciding with the close of voting in 89 seats in the first phase. Billed as the country’s longest city roadshow, it will begin at Naroda Gaam and culminate in Chandkheda around 9.45pm. Modi’s packed schedule in the last two days leading to the end of campaigning on Saturday includes seven rallies. He will return to the state on December 5 to vote in the Ranip area of Ahmedabad.