Grand welcome awaits PM Modi near polling booth in Ahmedabad

A host of VVIPs, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, will cast their vote today.
AHMEDABAD: The second phase of elections in Gujarat on Thursday will see polling for 93 Assembly constituencies across 14 districts in northern and central regions of the state.
A host of VVIPs, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, will cast their vote. A total of 851 candidates are in the fray for the second phase, where 2.22 crore people are eligible to vote.
Elections will be held in Banaskantha, Patan, Sabarkantha, Mehsana, Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Aravalli, Mahisagar, Panchmahal, Dahod, Kheda, Anand, Vadodara and Chhota Udepur districts from 8 am to 5 pm.
A total of 25,575 polling booths have been set up in 14,523 places.
PM Modi will reach Ahmedabad’s Ranip area at 11.45 am to cast his vote. Musical instruments have been arranged to welcome PM Modi.
Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel casts his vote in Mehsana’s Kadi. He is contesting against Congress’s Jivabhai Patel.
Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel casts his vote in Mehsana’s Kadi. He is contesting against Congress’s Jivabhai Patel.
Voting was halted for 50 minutes in Sankheda’s Sodhaliya village in Chhota Udaipur due to dysfunctionality of EVM machines.
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley stands in queue to cast vote at polling booth number 961 in Ahmedabad’s Vejalpur.
Gujarat records over 12 per cent voting till 10 am in the second phase of assembly elections.
Shankersinh Vaghela cast his vote in Gandhinagar’s Vasan village.
Voting is yet to begin in Kalol’s booth number 137 due to some technical issues.
BJP President Amit Shah cast his vote in Naranpura.
PAAS leader Hardik Patel’s parents – Bharat Patel and Usha Patel cast their votes in Viramgam.
PM Modi’s mother Heeraben arrives a polling booth in Gandhinagar to cast her vote.
Former Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel casts her vote in Ahmedabad’s Ghatlodia. BJP’s Bhupendra Patel is up against Congress’s Shashikant Patel on this seat.
Hardik Patel’s parents pray as polling for the second phase of Gujarat Assembly elections begins.
Congress leader P Chidambaram tweets: “To my fellow citizens of Gujarat: Every vote matters. Just go out and vote. Vote for a change of government after 22 years”
This is for the first time in 15 years the BJP is contesting assembly elections in Gujarat without Narendra Modi being the Chief Minister face
PM Narendra Modi urges people to vote in record numbers, tweets: Today is Phase 2 of the Gujarat elections. I request all those voting today to vote in record numbers and enrich this festival of democracy