Verdict sealed for 89 seats in Guj’s high-stakes Ph-1
AHMEDABAD/SURAT: Over 23,976,670 people across 89 constituencies in the battleground regions of Saurashtra and South Gujarat voted on Thursday in the first phase of the assembly elections and recorded a provisional turnout of over 60.47%.
Data from the Election Commission of India (ECI) pegged the turnout number at 60.47% at 10pm. The number is likely to be revised upwards on Friday. In 2017, the figure in these 89 seats was 68%.
“We will have the exact figures by midnight, as in some places the polling is still going on and in some places the data is still being gathered,” P Bharti, the chief electoral officer (CEO), Gujarat said.
The second phase of the elections will be held on December 5 and the results will be announced on December 8, along with those in Himachal Pradesh. The BJP is hoping for a seventh straight assembly election victory, while the Congress is looking for a repeat of its strong showing in 2017 and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is aiming for a strong showing in its maiden electoral outing in the state.
“There were three instances of election boycott at Jamnagar, Narmada and Bharuch district villages where issues like land, separate booths for male and