Gujarat goes to polls today
More than 1.82 crore voters in Saurashtra and south Gujarat will vote during the first phase of Assembly polls tomorrow.
Bigwigs of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress and the new entrant, the Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP) headed by former chief minister Keshubhai Patel, will vie for the 87 seats in this phase.
Polling will be seen in Saurashtra (48 seats), south Gujarat (35) and central Gujarat (4). Eleven minister from the Narendra Modi government are in the fray from Saurashtra and south Gujarat.
Presidents of the two major parties — R C Faldu of BJP and Arjun Modhwadia from Congress — are contesting from Jamnagar rural and Porbander seats, respectively. Modhwadia faces old rival and former BJP minister Babu Bokhiria, while Faldu will have Raghavji Patel from Congress as his primary rival.
Also, in the fray are GPP president Keshubhai Patel and its general secretary Gordhan Zadafiya who are contesting from Visavadar in Junagadh and Gondal, Rajkot, respectively. The party's political future could well be decided in this polls. Zadafiya will face Jayrajsinh Parmar of BJP. Keshubhai Patel, who is contesting after nearly a decade, will face his former protege Kanu Bhalala of BJP who is a sitting MLA from the constituency.