Gujarat all set to go to LS polls tomorrow

Election Commission has increased polling time by two hours keeping in mind the prevailing heat in this month of summer

Press Trust of India Ahmedabad
Last Updated : Apr 29 2014 | 6:57 PM IST
Gujarat is all set to vote tomorrow where Lok Sabha elections will be held in single phase on all the 26 seats amidst elaborate arrangements by the Election Commission to hold free, fair and transparent polls.

Those in the fray in the state include Chief Minister and BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi (from Vadodara) and veteran BJP leader L K Advani (Gandhinagar).

Congress leader Madhusudan Mistry is challenging Modi in Vadodara, while senior leader Shankarsinh Vaghela is contesting from Sabarkantha.

Also Read

AAP, striving to emerge as the third alternative in the state, has fielded candidates in 24 constituencies.

"The Election Commission of India has made elaborate arrangements to conduct polls in free, fair and transparent manner in Gujarat," state chief electoral officer Anita Karwal said.

She requested the people to come out to vote in large numbers without any fear as every vote is valuable.

"Election Commission of India (ECI) has increased the polling time by two hours keeping in mind the prevailing heat in this month of summer," she said.

Unfortunately, extreme heat conditions have gripped the state with maximum temperatures touching 45 degrees Celsius in some areas while it is above 43 degrees in many other parts of the state.

Weather forecasters have warned that the extreme heat conditions will continue for tomorrow, the voting day.

More than 4.05 crore electors (2.12 crore male and 1.93 crore female) will decide the fate of 334 candidates who are in fray for 26 seats of the state, where the main fight is between the Congress and the BJP.

"Out of the total 45,380 polling booths at 27,369 locations, the ECI has identified 23 per cent polling booths and 21 per cent locations as vulnerable and critical," Karwal said.

"Elaborate security arrangements have been made at such polling booths and locations to generate an atmosphere of security among the voters so that they can come out in large number and vote," she said.

The Election Commission said that more than 1 lakh police personnel and other para-military persons have been put on duty for conducting the massive exercise of polling.

A hectic campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections had ended yesterday with BJP aiming for a clean sweep banking on the Modi factor and Congress fighting back to deny it a walk-over.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Apr 29 2014 | 6:57 PM IST

Next Story