Prime Minister Narendra Modi exercised his franchise in Ahmedabad soon after voting across 25 Lok Sabha constituencies in Gujarat began on Tuesday morning.
Donning a saffron jacket over a white kurta, the Prime Minister cast his vote at Nishan Vidhyala in Ranip, Ahmedabad.
"I appeal to people to vote. I am in Gujarat and have to go to Madhya Pradesh and Telangana. I congratulate the Election Commission for the successful first two election phases. Earlier, there used to be violence during voting, but now it's not the case. The process is election-friendly. This is an example for all democracies of the world. This is a case study." he said.
As the Prime Minister arrived at the polling booth, the air resonated with chants of 'Jai Shri Ram.' He was welcomed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who presented him with a saffron khes. Local residents also displayed enthusiasm, welcoming Prime Minister Modi with traditional dhol-nagara beats.
Before casting his vote, Prime Minister Modi gave autographs to the locals gathered at the polling station. The electoral landscape in Gujarat is marked by intense competition, with 266 candidates representing various political ideologies and parties like BJP, Congress, and others in the fray.
Notably, 247 male candidates are contesting against 19 female candidates, underscoring the diversity of voices in this electoral fray. It's worth mentioning that BJP secured victories in all 26 seats in Gujarat in both the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
The constituencies include Kachchh, Banaskantha, Patan, Mahesana, Sabarkantha, Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad East, Ahmedabad West, Surendranagar, Rajkot, Porbandar, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Anand, Kheda, Panchmahal, Dahod, Vadodara, Chhota Udaipur, Bharuch, Bardoli, Navsari, and Valsad.
Important candidates in the electoral fray include Home Minister Shah contesting from Gandhinagar, Union Minister and former Gujarat Minister Parshottam Rupala from Rajkot, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya from Porbandar, and state BJP chief C.R. Paatil from Navsari.
(With inputs from IANS)
