All eyes on Gujarat as stage set for counting today

Counting of votes will be held on Monday for the Gujarat Assembly polls, considered a prestige battle for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his home state and a litmus test for new Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

While the BJP is seeking a sixth straight term in office, the Congress is aiming to stage a comeback in power after being in the Opposition for over two decades. The results are expected to have a bearing on the 2019 Parliamentary polls also as Modi had come to power in 2014, based on the Gujarat ‘model of development’.

The much-awaited results of the keenly fought elections will be announced when the counting of votes will be held at 37 centres across the state’s 33 districts, amid tight security. The voting was held following an acrimonious campaign, where both the main political parties indulged in noholdsbarred attacks on each other. Modi led the campaign for the BJP, while Rahul Gandhi was the pivot of the Congress’ electioneering.

More than 70 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the re-polling held on Sunday at six polling booths in four Assembly constituencies of Gujarat, said officials. Following the Election Commission’s (EC) directive on Saturday, the polling was held at two booths each in Vadgam and Savli constituencies and one each in Viramgam and Daskroi constituencies.

While the Chhaniyana-1 and 2 booths of the Vadgam seat clocked a 74 and 73 per cent voter turnout respectively, booth number 27 in Viramgam recorded an 83-per cent turnout, said Gujarat’s Chief Electoral Officer B B Swain. The Nava Naroda booth of the Daskroi seat registered a 73-per cent voter turnout, while the Nhara and Sankrada booths in Savli constituency registered a 71 and 75 per cent voter turnout respectively. The re-polling was held from 8 am till 5 pm.

Rajkot West is the most high profile seat as Chief Minister Vijay Rupani is facing a tough challenge from Indranil Rajyaguru of the Congress. This seat is also significant as Modi contested from Rajkot West as Gujarat CM in 2002. The second high-profile constituency in Gujarat is Mehsana from where Gujarat Deputy CM Nitin Patel is contesting.