As the first phase of polling undergoes in Gujarat, Congress MLA Paresh Dhanani caught the attention as he left his residence to cast his vote. The legislator reached the polling booth on a cycle with a gas cylinder on it to underscore rising fuel prices in the country, reported news agency ANI.
The Congress party has been targeting the Bharatiya Janata Party, which has its government in the Centre and Gujarat, over the issue of rising fuel prices in the country. During the monsoon session of the Parliament this year, the party had protested against the issue in a similar manner.
In the first leg of voting, 89 Assembly constituencies will be undergoing polls across 19 districts in the Saurashtra-Kutch coastal region and southern parts of the state. As many as 54 of the 89 constituencies are in Saurashtra-Kutch region.
788 candidates are in the fray in the first phase of polling with 70 women candidates and 339 Independents.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar also urged the voters to cast their votes.
“Gujarat is celebrating the festival of democracy today. On behalf of the Election Commission, my sincere appeal to all 4.9 crore voters of Gujarat to vote today and on 5th December during the second phase of elections. Over 4 lakh Persons with Disability voters and 9.8 lakh senior citizen voters in Gujarat,” the CEC said, quoted by news agency ANI.
The contest is between three main parties — the Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress and the debutant Aam Aadmi Party. Gujarat is a stronghold of BJP which has held power in the state for the last 27 years. In the 2017 Assembly elections, the party had 99 seats in the state whereas Gujarat had won 77 seats.