The second phase of elections in Gujarat on Thursday will see polling held for 93 assembly constituencies across 14 districts in northern and central regions of the state, with a host of VVIPs, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, descending on Ahmedabad to cast their vote. Meanwhile, in the so-called ‘dry’ state of Gujarat, the police and administration have seized around Rs 53 crore worth of goods for violation of the state’s liquor prohibition policy. The seizure was carried out as a special drive and a part of the election procedure. Special deployment of the police has been made for the elections and for law and order. [caption id=“attachment_4257877” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]
File image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president-elect Rahul Gandhi. PTI[/caption] The second phase will see 851 candidates contest for the 93 assembly seats. Elections will be held in Banaskantha, Patan, Sabarkantha, Mehsana, Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Aravalli, Mahisagar, Panchmahal, Dahod, Kheda, Anand, Vadodara and Chhota Udepur districts from 8 am to 5 pm. A total of 25,575 polling booths have been set up in 14,523 places. The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Gujarat’s office has completed all the necessary procedures and claimed to be fully prepared for the day. Apart from the 112 general observers deployed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for the Gujarat elections, 70 counting observers have been appointed by the ECI for counting of votes registered in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) which will be carried out on 18 December in 37 selected regions of the state. To take care of the law and order situation, the ECI has deployed hundreds of companies of the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), 12 companies of Rapid Action Force (RAF) and 19 more companies of the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) for the election. Modi will be casting his vote at Nishan Vidyalaya in Ranip area of Ahmedabad, while Amit Shah will be in the city to cast his vote from his former state assembly constituency, Naranpura. Union Finance Minister, Arun Jaitely will cast his vote from Vejalpur region of Ahmedabad. Former deputy prime minister and senior BJP leader LK Advani too will be in Ahmedabad to cast his vote from Khanpur area. The sitting MLA from Abdasa and Congress candidate from Mandvi, Shaktisinh Gohil will be casting his vote in Gandhinagar. State Congress President Bharatsinh Solanki will exercise his voting right in Borsad town of Kheda district. Another Congress candidate Siddharth Patel will be casting his vote from Dabhoi. During elections in the second phase, 1,700 of the critical poling booths will be covered under the web casting with constant monitoring of these booths. On the seizures made, Additional Director General of Police (DGP) adminstration, Mohan Jha said, “Since the date of announcement of the assembly polls, the administration has seized Rs 23.50 crore worth Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and Rs 30.06 lakh worth of country liquor and confiscated Rs 23.16 crore of other goods like the vehicles used for transportation, amounting to Rs 52.97 crore worth for the violation of the prohibition law that is effective in the state. We have also arrested 26,913 persons for violation of prohibition in 33,191 cases.” Jha said, “Under the law, the police have filed 1,59,486 cases under the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). Out of the total 56, 490 licensed arms in the state, 51,974 have submitted, while 4,436 are exempted with remaining only 80 arms that have not been submitted. The police have issued non bailable warrants to 60,989 persons and also confiscated 92 illegal arms, 122 cartridges and 100 grams of explosives.” The Flying Squad and the Static Surveillance Teams (SST) have seized Rs 2.52 crore of unaccounted cash in 22 cases and in five cases bullion worth Rs 4.14 crore have been seized. Out of these 16 cases have been handed over to the Income Tax (IT) department.
Gujarat Assembly Election updates: Voting for second phase ends; 63% overall turnout till 4 pm
During elections in the second phase in Gujarat, 1,700 of the critical poling booths will be covered under the web casting with constant monitoring of these booths.
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Don’t see any code of conduct being violated, says Constitution expert S Kashyap
Total turnout toll 4 pm at 62.37%, Banaskantha had highest turnout at 66%
93-year-old cast her vote in Viramgam
EC received 44 complaints of MCC violation on Thursday
A total of 44 complaints of violation of the Model Code of Conduct was received by the CEO Gujarat on Thursday.
“The complaint by the Congress was filed at 11.51 a.m. before Prime Minister Modi even reached the polling booth. The complaint was filed that as a huge gathering was there at the venue, there was a possibility of a road show being held when Modi arrives. We have ordered the Model Code of Conduct team to look into the matter and the Ahmedabad collector will be reporting to us on it,” he said.- IANS
59.56% voter turnout recorded till 4 pm, says News18
Clash between Congress and BJP workers in Gujarat’s Anand; police take stock of situation
Congress had lodged a similar complaint of MCC violation in 2014
Earlier, on 24 April 2014 while polling for parliamentary election was in progress in different parts of the country including Uttar Pradesh, Narendra Modi had arrived in Varanasi to file his nomination paper as a candidate. Modi did not utter a word but he repeatedly waved to the sea of people accompanying his cavalcade prompting the Congress to lodge a complaint with the Election Commission as a violation of poll code . The poll panel did not find anything objectionable later after conducting an enquiry.
Vadodara polling station being managed by women
Concerned about double standards shown by EC today, says Shashi Tharoor
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor slams EC, says poll panel has lost all objectivity
BJP delegation leaves EC office in Delhi
Banaskantha has highest turnout at 49% in north Gujarat: official data
BB Swain says EC got complaint over Bluetooth
“We received a complaint from a person, apparently when he switched on Bluetooth on his mobile phone it connected to the machine. We are checking this at every place. Senior officers and observers are at the spot to check this,” said BB Swain. – NDTV
Delhi Police detains Congress workers who were marching to Election Commission in protest
Gujarat governor OP Kohli casts his vote
Have received a complaint regarding MCC violation, says BB Swain, Gujarat chief electoral officer
Congress workers march to EC in protest over PM Modi’s roadshow, stopped by police near Patel Chowk in Delhi
Thakore confident of Congress’ victory
OBC leader Alpesh Thakor sounded confident about his party, which is in the Opposition for over two decades, winning this election. “It is a matter of happiness for me that I was the first voter to cast vote at my polling booth. We are committed to change the kind of politics happening in the state. The Congress is set to form the next government that will work for the poor, farmers, women and all sections of the society,” he told reporters after coming out of the polling booth. – PTI
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2.00 pm voter turnout updates
Panchmahal: 49%
Sabarkantha: 56.38%
Aravalli : 47.66%
Dahod : 43.56%
Anand : 45%
Baroda : 50.29%
Patan: 46.65%
BJP slams Congress for criticising EC
Speaking to media persons, BJP in-charge for Gujarat, Bhupinder Yadav said that the Congress is a classic case of ‘grapes going sour", adding that the party had praised the EC for its “integrity” when it delivered a verdict favourable to Ahmed Patel.
Congress to gherao EC office in Delhi
Congress to protest outside the Election Commission office in Delhi at 3.15 pm, India Today reported. According to the report, the Congress will gherao the premises of the apex poll body to protest the inaction against BJP’s alleged violations of election code of conduct.
2 pm update
While the voter turnout in central Gujarat’s Kheda was 46.42 percent, it was 45 percent in north Gujarat’s Banaskantha.
Communal clashes in Vadodara
According to The Indian Express , clashes between two groups have been reported in Savli Assembly Constituency in Vadodara. Few two wheelers were set on fire. According to the report, it may have been a communal clash. Voting has been suspended for a while. Security personnel have reached the area to bring situation under control.
Got two complaints of Bluetooth, says election official
“We have received two complaints regarding presence of Bluetooth in polling booths in Ghatlodia and Mehsana. We sent observers to the spot,” Gujarat Chief Electoral Officer BB Swain was quoted as saying by NDTV.
1.30 pm update
Modi greeted by crowds in Ranip
After casting the vote at the Nishan High School, he showed his inked finger to thousands of supporters who had gathered outside the school in Ranip locality of Sabaramati constituency, amid chants of “Modi Modi”.
The prime minister walked a certain distance to greet people standing on both sides of the road outside the polling booth. Later, he stood on the foot-board of his car and waived to the crowd.
PTI
Watch: Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeting the crowd in Ranip
Video courtesy: Pallavi Rebbapragada
LK Advani casts his vote in Ahmedabad’s Khanpur
12 pm update
Voter turnout
Ahmedabad: 23.80%
Baroda: 32.81%
Sabarkantha: 36.56%
Banaskantha 26%
Arvalli 31.95%
Patan: 29 %
Kheda: 29.27%
Mahisagar: 30.96%
Chhota Udaipur: 25.44%
Mehsana: 33.56 %
Huge crowds gather in Ahmedabad’s Ranip to see Modi
EC kept on delaying our complaints, says Congress
EC is now a puppet of the BJP, says Congress
Speaking to the press, Congress’ chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala alleged that the Election Commission of India is turning a blind eye to the “poll code violations” committed by the BJP.
“The Election Commission is working under pressure from the BJP. It is not working independently of the executive,” Surjewala said.
The Congress also claimed that the Election Commission is running away from its constitutional responsibility, adding that the BJP is using EC as a “puppet” to win Gujarat.
“Under Modi era, EC has become the puppet of the BJP. The Election Commissioner has compromised on his integrity. A meek EC is prostrating to the Modi government,” Surjewala said.