Gujarat: CM Patel, BJP state chief to reach party office

GANDHINAGAR: Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and state BJP chief CR Paatil will arrive at the party office in Gandhinagar shortly. Both the leaders left for Kamalam after the latest trends suggested the party returning to power with a thumping majority.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) opened its account with two wins as the counting progresses in the Gujarat Assembly polls. The party registered its first win in the Dahod constituency where Kanaiyalal Bachubhai Kishori with a margin of nearly 30,000 votes.

Kishori, who was up against Congress' Harshadbhai Valchandbhai Ninama and Aam Aadmi Party's Dineshbhai Bhurabhai Muniya, received 72,660 votes with a vote share of 43.54 per cent.

His Congress opponent, Ninama, got 43,310 votes and shared a vote percentage of 25.95, while AAP's Muniya got 34,010 votes with a 20.38 pc vote share. The other seat on which the party won was the Petlad constituency. BJP's Kamleshbhai Rameshbhai Patel secured 89,166 votes while Congress' Prakash Budhabhai Parmar got 71,212 votes.

According to the latest trends by the Election Commission till 12.30 pm, BJP is leading on 151 seats while the party has won 2 seats so far. The counting of votes for the Gujarat Assembly elections began on Thursday at 8 am. The counting in Gujarat began at 37 centres in 33 districts.

Gujarat Chief Electoral Officer P Bharathi said that 182 counting observers, 182 election officers and 494 assistant election officers are on duty for the counting process. There will be an additional 78 Assistant Election Officers for the counting of votes.

In addition, 71 additional Assistant Election Officers have been assigned responsibility for the electronically transmitted postal ballot system in the previous polls Assembly elections in Gujarat were held in two phases on December 1 and 5 respectively.

The approximate voter turnout in Gujarat by the end of the second phase of the Gujarat elections was recorded at 59.11 per cent. During the first phase of polling on December 1, Gujarat saw an overall turnout of 63.14 per cent. While polling for 68 assembly seats in Himachal Pradesh was held on November 12.

Meanwhile, the exit polls have indicated a clear win for the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Gujarat. BJP has been in power in Gujarat for 27 years with Prime Minister Narendra Modi remaining in the Chief Minister's post for the longest time before becoming the Prime Minister.

Congress gave a tough fight to the ruling BJP in the last assembly elections in 2017. However, AAP may spoil the game for Congress by taking away a significant vote share in their favour.