68 Per Cent Voter Turnout In Gujarat 1st Phase Polls

After a campaign that often turned vituperative, around 2.12 crore voters would be exercising their franchise in Modi's home state to choose between the ruling BJP and the Congress.

Outlook Web Bureau

Updated on: 9 December 2017 8:17 pm

In the first phase of Gujarat Assembly polls, 68 per cent polling was recorded, Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Unmesh Sinha said on Saturday.

In total, 89 seats out of the total of 182 Assembly constituencies went to polls in the first phase with prominent candidates like Chief Minister Vijay Rupani (Rajkot West), Congress' Shaktisinh Gohil (Mandvi) and Paresh Dhanani (Amreli) in the fray.

The election is being viewed as a prestige battle for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a litmus test for the leadership of soon-to-be Congress chief Rahul Gandhi.

The second phase of polling in 93 seats will be held on December 14 while the counting of votes is scheduled on December 18.

PTI