Assembly polls: 45 pct voting in Gujarat till 2 pm
Surat, Dec 9 (IBNS): Around 45.6 per cent voters exercised their franchise till 2 pm on Saturday as Gujarat is voting in the first phase of the Assembly elections in the state.
Polling was disrupted for the time being in a number of booths in Surat following glitches in voting machines.
Reports said around 70 Electronic Voting Machines were reported to be malfunctioning in Gujarat.
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and his wife Anjali Rupani were among the first to cast their votes from Rajkot.
The Chief Minister is contesting from Saurashtra's Rajkot-West constituency, making the affairs most high profile.
His main challenger is Indranil Rajyaguru, the richest man in the state assembly.
The state election is being viewed as an acid test for both Narendra Modi and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi.
While the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is fighting hard to retain their stronghold in the state, the Congress is trying to return to power after 22 years.
The Congress is fighting the election in an alliance with Hardik Patel-led Patidar Ananmat Andolan Samiti (PAAS).
Like the Prime Minister, Rahul too urged all Gujarat voters to turn out in large numbers along with a special reference to the young generation.
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