Campaigning for the second phase of voting draws to a close in Gujarat

Around 2.51 crore voters are eligible to vote in 93 Assembly segments, including the major cities of Ahmedabad and Vadodara, spread across 14 districts of north and central Gujarat

Ahead of the voting for the second phase of the State Assembly elections on December 5, campaigning ended at 5 p.m. on Saturday. As many as 833 candidates are in the fray across 93 constituencies of north and central Gujarat, which go to the polls in the second phase. 

Votes will be counted on December 8, the same day as that of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls. 

Read | Low voter turnout in first phase of Gujarat Assembly polls

Around 2.51 crore voters are eligible to vote in these 93 Assembly segments spread across 14 districts of north and central Gujarat. The major cities of Ahmedabad and Vadodara also go to the polls in the second phase. 

There are totally 26,409 polling booths in the State. 

Prominent candidates in the fray in the second phase include Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel from Ghatlodia; Patidar leader Hardik Patel from Viramgam; Other Backward Class (OBC) leader Alpesh Thakor from Gandhinagar South; Jignesh Mevani from Vadgam; former Gujarat Congress president Amit Chavda from Anklav; and Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly Sukhram Rathwa from Jetpur Pavi. 

Both Mr. Hardik Patel and Mr. Thakor are contesting on a BJP ticket after defecting to the ruling party.