Gujarat polls: PM Modi casts his vote in Ahmedabad, calls people of his home state 'discreet'

Gujarat Assembly elections: PM Narendra Modi cast his vote at a polling station set up at a high school in Ranip locality in Ahmedabad city.

Gujarat Assembly elections: Voting is underway today (December 5, 2022) across 93 Assembly seats in 14 districts of Gujarat during the second phase of the state polls. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived in his home state on Sunday evening, also exercised his franchise in Ahmedabad. PM Modi cast his vote at a polling station set up at a high school in Ranip locality in Ahmedabad city.

"Cast my vote in Ahmedabad. Urging all those voting today to turnout in record numbers and vote," PM Modi tweeted.

Cast my vote in Ahmedabad. Urging all those voting today to turnout in record numbers and vote. pic.twitter.com/m0X16uCtjA — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 5, 2022

After exercising his democratic right, PM Modi said that his home state's people listen to everybody, but it is their nature to accept what is true.

He also congratulated the Election Commission for conducting the polls in a "spectacular manner" and raising the prestige of India's democracy in the whole world.

"For the celebration of democracy, I heartily congratulate the citizens of the country and greet them. I also heartily congratulate the Election Commission. It has developed a great tradition of conducting elections in a very spectacular manner, increasing the prestige of India's democracy in the whole world," Modi told reporters.

He also heartily thanked the voters of Gujarat, saying they celebrated the festival of democracy with great enthusiasm and held discussions in an excellent manner.

PM Shri @narendramodi casts his vote for Gujarat Assembly election in Gandhinagar. https://t.co/Dd0rATOAVw — BJP (@BJP4India) December 5, 2022

"The people of Gujarat are discreet. They listen to everyone and it is their nature to accept what is true. And according to that nature, they are also voting in large numbers. I am also very thankful to the voters of Gujarat," he said.

Earlier in the day as well, he had urged all those who are voting in Phase 2 of the Gujarat elections, particularly the young voters and women voters, to vote in large numbers

"Urging all those who are voting in Phase 2 of the Gujarat elections, particularly the young voters and women voters to vote in large numbers. I will be casting my vote in Ahmedabad at around 9 AM," he had said in a tweet.

Urging all those who are voting in Phase 2 of the Gujarat elections, particularly the young voters and women voters to vote in large numbers. I will be casting my vote in Ahmedabad at around 9 AM. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 5, 2022

It is notable that PM Modi is a registered voter from the Ranip area and had cast his vote in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and previous polls. The polling station falls under the Sabarmati Assembly constituency in Ahmedabad city.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah also cast his vote at a municipal sub-zonal office in the Naranpura locality of the city.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, along with members of his family including his son and BCCI secretary Jay Shah, casts his votes at AMC Sub-Zonal Office in Naranpura of Ahmedabad. #GujaratAssemblyPolls pic.twitter.com/7bgKV556Qr — ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2022

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, after casting his vote, says, "I appeal to everyone to vote, especially the first-time voters - the young girls and boys should vote."#GujaratElections pic.twitter.com/Zn4xbjokxm — ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2022

The counting of votes for all 182 constituencies in Gujarat will be taken up on December 8.

Gujarat Assembly polls: 16 seats in Ahmedabad crucial for BJP

Sixteen urban Assembly seats in Ahmedabad city, which are scheduled to go to polls in the second phase of the Gujarat polls today, are crucial for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

BJP currently holds 12 out of these 16 seats, while the Congress has four seats.

Like various other cities of Gujarat, voters of this bustling urban centre have been standing firmly behind the saffron party since the early 90s.

The city has two prominent seats -- Maninagar, from where Modi had contested thrice for the Assembly membership from 2002 to 2014, and the Patidar community-dominated Ghatlodia which has given two chief ministers - Bhupendra Patel and Anandiben Patel.

Despite the Patidar quota agitation in 2015, Bhupendra Patel won by a huge margin of 1.17 lakh votes in 2017.

The Maninagar constituency can easily be termed as the city's most high-profile seat and a bastion of the BJP.

While Jamalpur-Khadia and Dariyapur seats are dominated by Muslims, at least six other seats - Ghatlodia, Thakkarbapa Nagar, Sabarmati, Maninagar, Nikol and Naroda - have a sizable number of Patidar community voters.

Vejalpur and Danilimda (SC) seats also have a considerable number of Muslim voters.

During the 2012 Assembly polls, the BJP bagged 14 seats and the Congress got two seats - Dariyapur and Danilimda.

In 2017, the Congress improved its tally to four seats - Bapunagar, Jamalpur-Khadia, Dariyapur and Danilimda.

This time, the fight has become more interesting with the entry of the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has fielded candidates in all 16 seats in the city.

(With agency inputs)