An average 59.24 per cent voter turnout was recorded as of 5 pm on Thursday across 89 assembly seats in the first phase of Gujarat elections, officials said.
Thursday was the day results from the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly elections and by-elections in Bihar, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh were out, so what were some of our leaders up to?
The Bharatiya Janata Party, which has ruled Gujarat for 27 years, is trying to retain power in the state for the seventh term in a row.
When Home Minister Amit Shah, who was in Gujarat to cast his vote in the urban body polls, learnt of the poor voter, instead of heading home he went to the Motera stadium, organised a control room, and was on the phone with practically everybody assigned duty on the ground: MPs, MLAs and BJP office-bearers. His single commandment was to check the voter list and phone or personally get people to the booths, reports Radhika Ramaseshan.
Patel had made a political speech in violation of a government order at a village in the district ahead of the 2017 Gujarat assembly elections.
Campaigning for the first phase of the Gujarat assembly elections to be held on December 1 ended at 5 pm on Tuesday.
Maharashtra fell behind Gujarat in attracting foreign investment during the MVA's tenure but in the next two years the present government would take Maharashtra ahead, said Fadnavis.
Sacked Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt on Wednesday withdrew his plea in the Supreme Court seeking suspension of his life sentence in a 30-year-old custodial death case.
The Congress alleged a polling booth situated in Samla village falling under the Limbdi Assembly seat of Surendranagar district was captured by some anti-social elements.
The BJP is ahead in Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, Vadodara, Jamnagar and Bhavnagar for which voting was held on Sunday.
Hemantkumar Shivsaran compares the number of rallies held by the BJP leadership in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.
In the 2017 assembly election, the voter turnout in the first phase covering the same 89 constituencies stood at 66.75 per cent.
Bhupendra Patel can never really break free of intervention from New Delhi. But if he can win over the Gujaratis and improve the BJP's tally substantially, he will have proved that he should be taken seriously.
Voting will be held on Thursday for the first phase of Gujarat Assembly elections in 89 seats spread across 19 districts in Saurashtra-Kutch and southern parts of the state where 788 candidates are in the fray.
'The biggest problem that faces the Opposition in Gujarat is just a day or two before voting is scheduled, Modiji goes on a spree of emotional appeals.' 'That process has been set in motion much earlier this time in Gujarat.'
Ambani's Reliance has refineries at Jamnagar in Gujarat.
AAP could make its presence felt. But Gadhvi may have to wait for a chance to get the top job.
Better living conditions must be an integral part of all political campaigns. But this will only happen if the public pressures the political class to understand the irreversibility of climate change and make the environment a crucial part of their manifestos.
The BJP assessment -- or at least that of some of its leaders -- is that the Congress in Gujarat has peaked too soon, having already fired all its weapons and has nothing new to say.
Political observers say that except for a strong anti-incumbency sentiment, there is little that might go against the BJP.
The case pertains to the death of a man named Prabhudas Madhavji Vaishnani who died on November 11 1990, allegedly due to torture in police custody.
Hemant Shivsaran lists the number of projects the Modi government has announced since August to woo Gujarat voters.
The main contest is between the BJP, which has ruled the six corporations for last several terms, and the main opposition Congress.
The Congress was completely washed away in all the five civic bodies, including Rajkot, where it had ruled.
Tuesday was the last day of filing of nominations for February 8 Delhi Assembly polls, results of which will be declared on February 11. The AAP held the BJP responsible for the delay, a charge dismissed as 'drama' by the saffron party.
Stakes are high for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party against the backdrop of Patel quota agitation while Congress is pinning on hopes to make a comeback.
On Sunday, Rupani, 64, fainted on stage while addressing a rally in Vadodara for the upcoming civic polls in the state, following which he was flown to Ahmedabad and admitted to the U N Mehta Hospital.
After a controversy arose over some civic bodies' plans to act against handcarts selling non-veg foods on main thoroughfares, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Monday had said the state government has no problem with people's food choices.
The Congress considers the community to be in its fold without bothering about its representation or welfare while the BJP assumes that the Muslims would not vote for its candidates, says Shafeeq Rahman.
Hardik has a few days to challenge the judgement in the SC.
The move comes after at least six Congress MLAs in Gujarat resigned from the party to join the BJP.
He will address meetings at Sanand in Ahmedabad in central Gujarat and at Jamnagar and Amreli in Saurashtra regions.
In 2014 too, the Congress had lost all the 26 seats in Gujarat.
'But in 2024, the people of India will throw him out of power as the contradictions in him will be apparent.'
"What I said was if we had Rafale at the time (of aerial dogfight), then none of our fighter jets would have gone down and none of theirs saved," he added.
Gandhi said if the Congress was voted to power, his party's government would function from Gujarat and not on orders from Delhi.
Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday set out with much fanfare to file his nomination papers for Delhi Assembly election but had to put it off till Wednesday after his road show made it impossible for him to reach the election office in time.
#MainBhiChowkidar was trending world wide on Twitter.
A person who has Covid but also has another disease can be classified as a Covid death or not. It serves the immediate purpose of the government to pretend that the official number is low because it makes it appear less incompetent and helpless than it is, points out Aakar Patel.
Patel's closeness to the Gandhi family was undeniable. But unlike others, he resisted the temptation to use it to leverage personal business, says Aditi Phadnis.
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