The first phase of state assembly elections in Gujarat has begun in full swing as people in large numbers stepped out of their homes and workplaces to cast their votes. Also joining the bandwagon was Prafullabhai More, who claims to have rescheduled his wedding to go for the polls.
While voting in Gujarat’s Tapi, one of the state’s 19 districts where polling is underway, more people said their marriage, which is being held in Maharashtra, was supposed to take place in the morning, but they rescheduled it for the evening. Scheduled so that he could cast his vote. Vote in the morning.
“I urge everyone to vote, you should not waste it. My wedding was supposed to happen in the morning but I rescheduled it for the evening, we have to go to Maharashtra for it,” he was quoted by news agency ANI.
More arrived at the polling station dressed in traditional kurta-pajama covered with turmeric. He said that he would leave for Maharashtra for his marriage soon after the voting was over.
The first phase of voting for the Gujarat Assembly elections began at 8 am on Thursday and will continue till 5 pm. Polling will be held for 89 seats in 19 districts of Saurashtra-Kutch and 14,382 polling stations in the southern parts of the state. 788 candidates are in the fray and the constituency has an estimated 2.4 crore voters.
The vigorous campaigning for the first phase of polling came to an end on Tuesday. Of the 89 seats that went to polls in the first phase, the BJP had won 48 in the 2017 election, the Congress had won 40, while one seat was held by an independent candidate.
Apart from the BJP, the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), 36 other political organisations, including the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and the Tribal Party of India, BTP) has also fielded its candidates in various seats where polling will be held in the first phase.
BJP and Congress are contesting in all 89 seats, while newly elected candidate AAP is contesting in 88 seats after its candidate from Surat East constituency withdrew his candidature.
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