Gujarat polls: Modi, BJP leaders meet to discuss high voter turnout

Ahmedabad: Top leaders of the state BJP unit were huddled in a meeting here to analyse the record voter turnout in the Gujarat Assembly elections, party sources said. “The meeting, attended by high-profile leaders of the state BJP unit, is being held under the chairmanship of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi,” a party source said. The 71.32 per cent huge turnout in Gujarat, recorded for the first time since its formation in 1960, has raised the anxiety among the political parties ahead of the counting of votes on December 20. [caption id=“attachment_561923” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Will the high voter turnout help Modi? AFP[/caption] Sources said the meeting is expected to discuss the votes polled by its candidate across every polling station in the 182 Assembly constituencies. The saffron party’s booth-level workers are informing respective ward in-charges in every constituency about the votes polled for the party through distribution of BJP candidates slips near every polling station. The party has a strong, coordinated booth network allowing it to conduct micro-analysis of the high voter turnout in every constituency. The first phase of Gujarat Assembly elections on December 13 registered 70.75 per cent polling and the momentum was carried forward to the second and final phase yesterday which recorded 71.85 per cent voter turnout. The fate of BJP, Congress, Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP), several registered unrecognised political parties and independent candidates would be decided on Thursday. PTI