Phase-2 of Gujarat Assembly polls: 4.75 pc voter turnout in first hour

Ahmedabad: An average 4.75 per cent voter turnout was recorded on Monday in the initial one hour of polling in the second phase of Gujarat Assembly elections for 93 seats, the Election Commission said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel were among the early voters.

Voting began at 8 am in 14,975 polling stations for the second phase of elections in 93 constituencies, out of the total 182 in Gujarat, spread across 14 districts of north and central regions.

The fate of 833 candidates, including CM Patel, will be decided in the second phase.

District-wise, Gandhinagar recorded the highest turnout so far at 7.05 per cent, while Mahisagar district recorded the lowest turnout of 3.76 per cent, the Election Commission said in its update.

As per constituency-wise data, Gandhinagar North recorded the highest turnout of 12.97 per cent between 8 am and 9 am.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are contesting in all the 93 seats.

The Congress is contesting in 90 seats and its alliance partner Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has fielfed two candidates.

Among other parties, the Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) has fielded 12 candidates and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) 44. There are also 285 independent candidates in the fray.

In the 2017 Assembly polls, the BJP won 51 of these 93 seats, Congress 39, while three seats went to independent candidates.

In central Gujarat, the BJP had bagged 37 seats, outnumbering the Congress which got 22. But in north Gujarat, the Congress had won 17 seats while the saffron party got 14.