Gujarat votes: Urban areas see huge turnout

, Dec 13: The first phase of polling in

on Wednesday, Dec 13 will decide the fate of many big-wigs like Keshubhai Patel, BJP state unit president RC Faldu, state Congress president Arjun Modhwadia and Leader of Opposition Shaktisinh Gohil.

5.54 pm: Additional Chief Electoral officer Ashok Maneksaid nearly 68 per cent polling had been recorded till 5 pm in phase I. In 2002 the voting was 61.54 percent and in 2007 it was 59.77 percent. If this the trend then polling in 2012 may set a new record.

5.05 pm: Polling ends. Tribal Dangs records very good turnout. Urban areas see good voting.

4.32 pm: 53 percent polling by 3 pm. Surprisingly, in post-lunch period, voters came to polling stations in huge numbers. In last two hours, another 15 percent increase in turnout.

Ahmedabad (rural): 52 percent, Surendranagar: 52 percent, Rajkot: 55 percent, Jamnagar: 54 percent, Porbandar: 55 percent, Junagadh: 51 percent.

Dangs: 57 percent, Navsari: 55 percent, Valsad: 60 percent, Tapi: 63 percent.

3.41 pm: Chief Minister Narendra Modi speaks in Sidhpur: Sir Creek protects India from Pakistan. If Pakistan gets Sir Creek, India and Gujarat will be in danger. Hundred years ago, Kutch principality had an understanding with Sindh that only 10 percent of the area would go to Sindh and 90 percent to Kutch. Now like Kashmir, Pakistan is asking for Kutch. I wrote to PM saying I was busy with the elections but had been forced to write this letter. In his reply, the PM gave me no answers.

3.07 pm: Gujarat Congress chief Arjun Modhwadia votes. He predicts a BJP rout in the elections. The Congress's way of working is popular among the people and the party will form the next government in the state, he said.

2.33 pm: 38 percent polling till 1 pm, say officials.

Gujarat Congress tweets: Good reports coming of women, farmers and adivasis coming out to vote! Keep it up. Momentum needs to be increased now for @Hands4Change

2 pm: Healthy 20 percent voting in first four hours. Large turnout in Saurashtra region. Rahul Gandhi holds rally in Palanpur.

1.21 pm: Infighting in ruling BJP. BJP leaders fight over sabotaging party chances in Limbayat near Surat.

Congress leader and Sonia Gandhi's political secretary Ahmed Patel has cast his vote in chemical industries hub Bharuch town.

1 pm: G Kishan Reddy, MLA ‏and BJP's Andhra Pradesh unit president tweets: Call your friends and relatives in Gujarat and remind them to cast their vote for development."

Basking in winter sun large number of people queue up at polling booths to cast vote.

12.30 pm: The mango town of Valsad near Maharashtra border witnessed minor clash between the workers of the BJP and the Congress.

12 pm: After three hours of polling the state records 18 percent of voting by 11 am. The voting began at 8 am and will end at 5 pm.

11.30 am: "We are going to get 150 seats in Gujarat. Narendra Modi will again get reward for the good work he has done in the state," says state finance minister Vajubhai Vala, who is one of the candidate.

11 am: Chief Minister Narendra Modi tweets, "A vote is the foundation of a strong and vibrant democracy. I urge you all to exercise your franchise."

10.30 am: Nearly, six per cent voting was recorded in the first hour of polling in 87 constituencies. The constituencies where polling started include 48 in seven districts of Saurashtra, 35 seats in five districts of south Gujarat and four seats in Ahmedabad district.

A total of 846 candidates are in fray and a total of 1,81,77,953 voters are likely to use their franchise.

OneIndia News