New Delhi: The second and final phase of high voltage Gujarat elections has started today. This phase will see 93 Assembly seats from 14 districts in central and north Gujarat going to polls.
In this phase of polls, there are total 851 candidates (782 males and 69 females) contesting for elections. The size of the electorate is 2.22 Crore.
About 851 candidates will contest in in Banaskantha, Patan, Sabarkantha, Mehsana, Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Aravalli, Mahisagar, Panchmahal, Dahod, Kheda, Anand, Vadodara and Chhota Udepur districts.
The Gujarat elections gained much significance because it being a PM Modi’s home state where he served as Chief Minister from 2001-2014.
And also a litmus test for Congress President-elect Rahul Gandhi.
The extent of election campaign was so far that PM Modi accused former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of conspiring with Pakistan to defeat BJP. While the Opposition described the remarks as a “desperate attempt to communalise the vote bank.”
In the wake of tough decisions like demonetisation and GST taken by BJP government which invited the wrath of traders of Gujarat, the Gujarat elections seem to be difficult for BJP. Apart from this, Patidar agitation led by Hardik Patel is against the BJP.
Rahul Gandhi has strategized rainbow coalition of Patidars and OBC leaders which could possibly dent the BJP.
The VVIPs, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah are likely to cast their votes.