Voting took place on Thursday in the first phase of the Gujarat assembly elections.over vote 60% recorded on 89 seats Spread over 19 districts of Saurashtra, Kutch and South Gujarat. A total of 788 candidates are in the fray in the first phase. In the second phase, the remaining 93 seats will go to polls on December 5. The entry of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has opened new possibilities in the state where BJP and Congress have traditionally been the two poles. AAP appears to have emerged as a strong force in Surat city and parts of Saurashtra region, with the contest turning triangular in seats like Varachha Road, Katargam and Olpad. The party’s chief ministerial candidate Isudan Gadhvi is contesting from Jam Khambhalia in Saurashtra and its state unit president Gopal Italia is contesting from Katargam in Surat. In the 2017 elections, the Congress did well in the Saurashtra region, winning seats in Amreli, Morbi, Surendranagar, Gir Somnath and Junagadh districts; While the BJP retained its hold on Surat city and other South Gujarat districts. The extent of AAP’s influence is difficult to measure because of its top-down approach to campaigning and the absence of any party structure on the ground.
The Morbi bridge tragedy that killed at least 141 people was the start of the election season, but widespread governance failure and associated corruption did not become an issue in the campaign. The Congress opted to run a low-key campaign, trying to avoid direct attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and focus on day-to-day issues of governance, corruption, inflation and unemployment. Party leader Rahul Gandhi, who spearheaded its campaign in 2017, visited the state only once this time. The BJP campaign is being led by Mr. Modi, who has increased the frequency of visits to his home state since March this year. After the election was announced, he held a dozen rallies and roadshows in Surat, the tribal areas of South Gujarat and Saurashtra. The BJP relied mostly on emotive issues aimed at communal polarisation, such as the alleged humiliation of Mr Modi by the Congress, the 2002 communal violence, and the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, and sidelined any discussion on governance in the state. Where he has been in power continuously for 27 years. The BJP’s reluctance to seek votes on its governance record can be read as an admission of its failure. But it still can’t afford it heavily.