High voter turnout puzzles BJP and Congress

Ahmedabad, Dec 16 (UNI) Unable to gauge the public mood, both the BJP and the Congress are claiming that high voter turnout in both phases of the Gujarat elections, will benefit their respective parties.

''There is no anti-incumbency factor in the state,'' said senior BJP Leader L K Advani, after casting his vote in Shahpur Assembly constituency.

Asserting that Mr Narendra Modi would head the next government, he said the BJP wave was slowly engulfing the country.

Textile Minister Shankarsinh Veghala however, contested the claim, saying that there was a strong current in favour of the Congress.

''People are coming out in large numbers to vote because they want a change of guard. They are not satisfied with the Modi government's performance, and hence want him out,'' he said.

BJP leader Arun Jaitley, a Rajya Sabha member from the state and a voter in Ahmedabad said all surveys showed that Mr Modi was a good Chief Minister and racing ahead after the first phase of poll, which clearly reflected that there was no anti-incumbency wave in the state.

''In fact, the people in the state are voting for the development'', he said.

At least 60 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the first phase elections in Saurashtra and South Gujarat, and political leaders were expecting higher polling in Central and North Gujarat.

UNI