Gujarat Elections 2022: Curtains on campaign; 788 to vie for 89 seats in Ph-1

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 29

Campaigning for the first phase of the Gujarat Assembly elections to be held on December 1 ended on Tuesday. As many as 788 candidates are in the fray for 89 seats across 19 districts of south Gujarat and Kutch-Saurashtra regions where voting will be held on Thursday.

New entrant AAP is set to queer the pitch in a traditionally BJP-Congress fight. It has fielded candidates on 181 of the state's 182 seats with journalist Isudan Gadhvi leading the party as the CM face. He is contesting from Khambhalia in Devbhumi Dwarka district.

Cricketer Ravindra Jadeja's wife Rivaba and Gujarat AAP president Gopal Italia are also in the fray in this phase. Also in the fray are BSP’s 57 candidates, Bharatiya Tribal Party’s 14, Samajwadi Party’s 12, CPM’s four and CPI’s two candidates apart from 339 Independents. The first phase will see 2,39,76,670 voters choose their MLAs. Of them 1,24,33,362 are men, 1,15,42,811 women and 497 third gender. The state has a total of 4,91,35,400 voters.

On the concluding day, BJP stalwarts JP Nadda, Amit Shah, Yogi Adityanath and Pramod Sawant made last-ditch efforts to woo voters. The highlight of the day was the slugfest between the two main parties over Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s “Ravana” barb at PM Narendra Modi. The BJP slammed it as an “insult” on every Gujarati, while the Congress called the attack on its leader “anti-Dalit tirade”.

Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel said, “Bereft of any agenda and support from the people, the Congress is out to abuse Gujarat. The remark is a testimony to their hate for Gujaratis, who will reject them this time too for such behaviour.”

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra appealed to the people for 100 per cent voting for the “son of the soil to avenge the insult”.

Kharge’s ‘Ravana’ remark sparks row

• Cong chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s ‘Ravana’ barb at PM triggered a slugfest
• BJP slammed it as ‘insult’ on Gujaratis, Cong called attack on its leader ‘anti-Dalit tirade’

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