Gandhinagar: The Campaigning for the first phase of elections in 89 out of the total 182 seats in Gujarat ended on Tuesday evening. A long campaign by political parties with allegations and counter-allegations ended as votes are all set to be cast for phase 1 of the Assembly elections in Gujarat on December 1. Voting for the remaining 93 seats will be held on December 5, while the counting of votes will take place on December 8. The ruling BJP is looking to expand its 27-year-long tenure in the state, while the Congress is hoping to ride the `anti-incumbency` to come to power. The Aam Aadmi Party, which could not open its account in the 2017 Assembly elections, is looking to make in-roads to yet another state after Punjab with its party chief Arvind Kejriwal claiming to form a government with over 90 seats. Speaking to ANI, Gujarat Chief Electoral Officer, P Bharathi said that all arrangements have been made for the first phase of polling on Thursday."


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Voting will be held on December 1. All arrangements have been made. Polling will happen in 19 districts. Training has been provided to polling staff. Webcasting will be done at 50 per cent polling booths," she said. 


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The CEO informed that the Central paramilitary forces have been deployed to ensure peaceful elections amid tight security. "Central paramilitary forces have also been deployed. A total of 2,39,76,760 voters will vote in the first phase of the election," she said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah held various election rallies to seek votes for the BJP, while Rahul Gandhi who is leading the Bharat Jodo Yatra also campaigned for a brief period.



Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia also visited the poll-bound state repeatedly to appeal to vote for the Aam Aadmi Party. The polling will be held on December 1 and 5, while the counting of votes will take place on December 8.


(With ANI inputs)