NEW DELHI: Cricketer Ravindra Jadeja, whose wife Rivaba is contesting as a BJP candidate in the first phase of Gujarat Assembly Elections 2022,  has shared an old video of Balasaheb Thackeray in which the Shiv Sena founder can be seen cautioning that Gujarat will end if Narendra Modi is not there. "Abhi bhi time hai samaj jao gujaratiyo," Jadeja’s tweet read. In the old video shared by Jadeja, the late Shiv Sena founder can be seen saying, "I have only this much to say that if Narendra Modi is not there, Gujarat is nothing."


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It may be noted that Ravindra Jadeja’s wife Rivaba is contesting from the North Jamnagar seat, where polling is being held in the first phase of assembly polls in Gujarat. Rivaba, who joined the saffron party in 2019, has campaigned hard along with her husband and state BJP leaders to ensure her victory in the keenly-contested polls.


As the first phase of polling began in Gujarat this morning, Rivaba exuded confidence that her party will win with a good margin and promised that it would focus on the overall development of the State after forming the government. 


Rivaba Jadeja also interacted with the media after casting her vote in Rajkot. BJP has fielded Rivaba, wife of cricketer Ravindra Jadeja from the North Jamnagar seat. "There is no difficulty. There can be people of different ideologies in the same family. I have trust in the people of Jamnagar, we will focus on overall development, and this time as well BJP will win with a good margin," Rivaba told reporters.


She also requested people to vote in large numbers while considering this festival of democracy as a part of the responsibility. "Today is a very important day for us. The hard work of all BJP workers is going to pay off. I would request people to vote as much as possible. We have to consider this festival of democracy as a part of our responsibility and we should be aware for the country," she said.


Notably, her sister-in-law Naynaba Jadeja belongs to the Congress party. Rivaba`s father-in-law was also seen joining Naynaba in the campaigns. Polling for the first phase of the Gujarat Assembly election is underway amid tight security arrangements in 89 constituencies spread across 19 districts of Kutch, Saurashtra and South Gujarat.


A total of 2,39,76,670 voters who will cast their votes by 5 pm today will decide the fate of 788 candidates who are in the fray for the first phase. Out of the total number of electorates, 1,24,33,362 are males, 1,1,5,42,811 females and 497 are from the third gender. Over 4 lakh PWD voters are eligible to cast their votes. Nearly 9.8 lakh senior citizen voters (80+) and nearly 10,000 voters who are 100 and above are eligible to vote.


According to the EC, there are 5,74,560 voters who are between 18 to 19 years of age while 4,945 voters are above 99 years of age. There are 163 NRI voters, of which 125 are men and 38 are women. There are 14,382 voting centres, out of which 3,311 are in the urban areas and 11,071 in the rural areas.


In the first phase, voting will be held at a total of 25,430 polling stations. Out of these 13,065, polling stations will be webcast live. Among prominent candidates, Gujarat Chief Minster Bhupendra Patel is contesting from Ghatlodia, AAP Chief Ministerial candidate Isudan Gadhvi from Khambhaliya, former Congress leader and BJP candidate Hardik Patel from Viramgam, former Congress leader and now BJP candidate Alpesh Thakor from Gandhinagar South.AAP state president Gopal Italia is contesting from Katargam constituency, Gujarat Home Minister (State) Harsh Sanghavi from Majura, Rivaba Jadeja from Jamnagar North, former Gujarat minister Parshottam Solanki from Bhavnagar Rural, Kunwarji Bavaliya from Jasdan, Kantilal Amrutiya from Morbi and Jayesh Radadiya from Jetpur.


Former BJP MLA Madhu Shrivastav is contesting as an Independent from Vaghodia. The counting of votes will be done on December 8. Results of the Himachal Pradesh assembly elections will also be declared on the same day. 


(With Agency Inputs)