Voting for the second and final phase of the assembly polls continues in Gujarat on Monday. The voters queued up outside polling booths in 23,318 polling stations in 95 constituencies since 8 a.m. in the morning.
An estimated total 19.8 million voters comprising 10.3 million are male and 9.5 million female will decide the fate of a total 820 candidates in 49 women candidates.
The Bharatiya Janata Party is contesting all 95 seats, the Congress 92 and the Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP) of former BJP chief minister Keshubhai Patel 84.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has fielded 84 candidates while 284 independents are also fraying in this second phase poll.
The polling, which will take place in 40 constituencies in five districts of central Gujarat, 32 in five districts of north Gujarat, 17 in Ahmedabad city area and six in Kutch district, will come to an end at 5 p.m.
Among the key constituencies that will see polling Monday are Ellisbridge, where slain BJP leader Haren Pandya's widow Jagruti is contesting against the BJP, and Naranpura, where Modi's confidant Amit Shah, a former minister, is a candidate.
This phase of polling will also decide the fate of 15 ministers and also former chief minister Shankersinh Vaghela of the Congress.
The fate of wife of suspended IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, Shweta Bhatt, will also be decided in this phase. Congress candidate Shweta Bhatt is contest the elections against the Gujarat Chief Minister from his constituency Maninagar in Ahmedabad.
Maninagar is a Modi stronghold and he has held this seat since 2002. Modi, who is looking at a third consecutive term at the helm in Gujarat, defeated the Congress candidate by around 75,000 votes in 2007.
The Election Commission has made elaborate security arrangements to ensure free and fair polling in this phase. It has appointed to 7,256 micro-observers for the purpose.
Senior police officials from other states have also been deployed as police observers in all sensitive districts.
The first phase of polling Dec 13 saw a 68 percent turnout.
Counting will be held Dec 20.
--With Agencies Inputs--
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