Voting has ended in the second phase of the Gujarat assembly elections 2017. Voter turnout was 11.7 per cent till 10 am, which climbed to 62.37 per cent at 4 pm -- an hour before voting closed -- and finally settled at 68.7 per cent when voting ended at 5 pm in the Gujarat assembly polls. This is less than 71.3 per cent voter turnout recorded in the previous Gujarat assembly elections in 2012. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who cast his vote in Sabarmati,
walked among a crowd of supporters who chanted "Modi, Modi", which the Congress alleged was the same as holding a roadshow. Polling was held on 93 Gujarat assembly seats in 14 districts in the home state of PM Modi, who led an aggressive election campaign for the BJP. Gujarat has 182 assembly seats. The BJP
has been in power in Gujarat for the last 22 years. The Congress is also looking to make a comeback in Gujarat; party president-elect Rahul Gandhi led the Congress campaign for the Gujarat assembly polls.
Here are the highlights of the second phase of the Gujarat assembly elections 2017:
Dec 14, 2017 18:55 (IST)
Voting ends, voter turnout 68.3, less than overall 71.3 in 2012
Barring few minor incidents, polling was held peacefully in the second phase of the Gujarat assembly elections 2017, Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha told reporters after voting ended at 5 pm. The turnout at the close of voting was 68.3 per cent, which is lower than 71.3 overall voter turnout in the last assembly elections in 2012. Now all eyes are on exit polls that are forecasting a BJP win in Gujarat.
Dec 14, 2017 18:03 (IST)
Early exit polls suggest BJP win
India TV's exit poll shows the BJP sweeping Saurashtra and Kutch (winning about 34 of 54 seats). A similar result for the same region is predicted by news channel ABP. Himachal Pradesh, with a total of 68 seats, is easily won by the BJP, says the India Today exit poll.
Dec 14, 2017 17:53 (IST)
As voting ends in Gujarat, all eyes on exit polls
The sluggish voter turnout in the first few hours due to the winter chill gave way to visible enthusiasm as the day progressed in the second phase of the Gujarat assembly elections 2017, news agency IANS reported. Long queues of men and women were seen outside polling booths almost everywhere. But with the stakes high in Gujarat, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress were locked in a war of words after Prime Minister Narendra Modi voted in Ahmedabad and then went around the area, showing his inked finger with the voter mark. A furious Congress complained to the Election Commission that PM Modi held a roadshow in Ranip area for the Gujarat assembly polls.
Dec 14, 2017 16:44 (IST)
Sensex end higher; Gujarat exit polls in focus
Shares rose today, rebounding from two days of losses, after the US Federal Reserve raised rates but kept its outlook unchanged, although caution lingered ahead of the release of exit polls of the Gujarat assembly elections 2017, news agency Reuters reported. The benchmark BSE Sensex closed up 0.59 per cent at 33,246.7 while the broader NSE Nifty ended 0.58 per cent higher at 10,252.1. The indexes fell as much as 0.50 per cent each earlier in the day.
Dec 14, 2017 16:20 (IST)
Will wait for real results, says Omar Abdullah
"I don't know what the exit polls are going to say but I do know they've been wrong more times than they've been right so I'll just wait for the real results on the 18th," former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted today as the people of Gujarat voted in the second phase of the Gujarat assembly elections 2017. 2.2 crore people were eligible to vote in the Gujarat assembly elections.
Dec 14, 2017 15:59 (IST)
Got complaint over Bluetooth, says election official
"We received a complaint from a person, apparently when he switched on Bluetooth on his mobile phone it connected to the machine. We are checking this at every place. Senior officers and observers are at the spot to check this," said BB Swain, Gujarat Chief Electoral Officer. Voting in the second phase of the Gujarat assembly election 2017 will close at 5 pm. Voter turnout is 47.4 per cent till 2 pm.
Dec 14, 2017 15:24 (IST)
OBC campaign leader Alpesh Thakor votes in Patan
Congress leader Alpesh Thakor has cast his vote in Ahmedabad in the second phase of the Gujarat assembly elections 2017. Alpesh Thakor, 40, who spearheaded the OBC campaign in Gujarat before joining the Congress, was among the early voters today. Mr Thakor is contesting on a Congress ticket on the Radhanpur seat in Patan district, where he is taking on BJP's Lavangji Thakor. "It is a matter of happiness for me that I was the first voter to cast vote at my polling booth. We are committed to changing the kind of politics happening in the state," he said as he came out of the booth after voting, news agency PTI reported.
Dec 14, 2017 14:20 (IST)
Congress alleges PM Modi held roadshow
"Election Commission has abdicated its constitutional responsibility. A desperate Prime Minister facing defeat in Gujarat holds a Road Show with BJP flags, Flagrantly Flouts the Constitution and Code of Conduct," Congress legislator and communications in-charge Randeep S Surjewala tweeted. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after casting his vote in Ahmedabad in the second phase of the Gujarat assembly elections 2017, had waved his inked finger as he walked among a crowd that was chanting "Modi, Modi".
Dec 14, 2017 13:18 (IST)
Got two complaints of Bluetooth, says election official
"We have received two complaints regarding presence of Bluetooth in polling booths in Ghatlodia and Mehsana. We sent observers to the spot," Gujarat Chief Electoral Officer BB Swain said. Even in the first phase of the Gujarat assembly polls held on December 9, election officials had looked into complaints that Bluetooth signals were seen in some polling stations in Gujarat.