Gujarat Civic Polls: First Big Test For Ruling BJP After Patel Agitation
AHMEDABAD: Polling began in Gujarat today morning for the first phase of the two-phase local body elections to pick four candidates each in 572 municipal wards.
Chief Minister Anandiben Patel cast her vote early in the morning soon after the polling started. BJP veteran Lal Krishna Advani also exercised his vote. This would be the first electoral test of the BJP in the post-Narendra Modi era and after the Patidar agitation for reservation led by Hardik Patel.
An adverse result for the BJP could have a major impact on the political future of the Chief Minister, who was handpicked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as his successor in Gujarat when he moved to the Centre last year.
Nearly a crore of the population is eligible to exercise their vote in the first phase that will see polling in city municipal corporation areas out of eight other bodies in Gujarat.
Voting began at 8.00 a.m. at 13,000 polling stations in the state secured by policemen aided by central reserve police teamsAll the six municipal corporations – Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, Vadodara, Jamnagar and Bhavnagar – are currently being ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
BJP veteran Lal Krishna Advani arriving at a poll booth to cast his voteThe Gujarat State Election Commission (SEC) has made elaborate arrangements for the polls.
“We have completed all arrangements for the smooth conduct of voting of all the six municipal corporations,” SEC Secretary Mahesh Joshi said.
As many as 1,856 candidates belonging to different parties and independents are in fray for 568 seats in 143 wards of six municipal corporations.
According to an SEC release, over 95.9 lakh voters have been registered for voting in these six cities. Out of them, 51.1 lakh are male, while 44.79 lakh are female voters. The total number of polling booths are 12,616.
The highest number of voters are registered in Ahmedabad (39.83 lakh), followed by Surat (26.27 lakh), Vadodara (12.27 lakh), Rajkot (8.85 lakh), Bhavnagar (4.54 lakh) and Jamnagar (4.11 lakh).
Of the 568 seats, Ahmedabad has the highest 192 seats in 48 wards, followed by Surat with 116 seats in 29 wards), Vadodara with 76 seats in 19 wards, Rajkot with 72 seats in 18, Jamnagar with 64 seats in 16 wards and Bhavangar with 52 seats in 13 wards, the release said.
