GANDHINAGAR
An unprecedented 70 per cent of the 1.98 crore voters exercised their franchise in the second and final phase of polling in the intensely fought Gujarat elections that will decide if Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP gets a hat-trick or the Congress returns to power after two long decades.
Polling took place in 95 constituencies in central and north Gujarat regions as well as six in the sprawling desert district of Kutch with people from all sections of the society coming out in droves to vote.
Barring one incident of violence where Jetha Bharwad, sitting BJP MLA from Shehra constituency in Panchmahals district, opened eight rounds of fire after an argument with Congress supporters in Tarshan village, the polling was by and large peaceful. Four people were injured in the incident and one of them was shifted to a hospital in Vadodara city in a critical condition. The MLA, a former suspended head constable, was arrested.
Monday’s polling will decide the fate of Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who is contesting from Maninagar in Ahmedabad city, and several ministers and heavyweights.
Former chief minister and Congress campaign committee chairman Shankersinh Vaghela was also in the fray from Kheda district’s Kapadwanj constituency that registered record polling of over 80 per cent.
After casting his vote, Modi raised his fingers to show the victory sign and claimed that the turnout was sure to give the BJP a third term in a row. The Congress, on the other hand, maintained the heavy turnout in both the phases of polling would spell doom for the ruling party.
The heavy duty polling even in cities like Ahmedabad and Vadodara is being interpreted as a reason to rejoice for the BJP, given its strong grip over urban centres. On the other end of the spectrum, the Congress hopes to do well in the Saurashtra region and tribal constituencies that went to the hustings in both the phases.
Modi’s gameplan was to make up for possible losses in Saurashtra with former BJP veteran Keshubhai Patel and his Gujarat Parivartan Party queering the pitch and tribal seats in the first phase of polling from central and north Gujarat.
Polling began on a sluggish note but picked up dramatically after one pm to finish at an average 70 per cent at the close at 5 pm.
Narendra Modi and BJP veteran LK Advani, who cast their votes in Ranip and Shahpur areas respectively, were greeted by hundreds of supporters. They later reached the BJP headquarters in Ahmedabad and raised their fingers to show victory sign.
There was no atmosphere of jubilation but that of anxious silence in the BJP as well as Congress camps, as both tried to figure out what the heavy turnout meant. Traditionally, Gujarat has been averaging 60 per cent polling.
However, by late evening exit polls on television channels at the end of voting in Gujarat seem to unanimously project BJP performing a hat-trick in the state, with various polls putting the party's tally between 118 and 140, while giving between 40 to 59 seats to the Congress.
