Voting for the first phase of the assembly polls in Gujarat got underway early morning today, for 87 constituencies in Saurashtra, Kutch and south Gujarat. Around 1,78,77,771 voters (93,14,640 males and 85,63,131 females) will decide the fate of 669 candidates including 53 women contesting for 87 assembly seats. Along with local police, 580 companies comprising 58,000 personnel of para-military forces have been deployed to conduct free and fair elections by the Election Commission. For the first time, the Election Commission has appointed micro observers to ensure that nothing untoward happens at the polling booths. The Election Commission has appointed 3,339 micro observers who have been given the task to oversee voting in sensitive booths. They will later submit their respective reports to the election observers. The Election Commission has banned use of mobile phones inside the polling booths by polling agents, candidates and voters. The Election Commission has decided to carry out video recordings inside each polling booths to check any illegal activities. In the 2002 polls, BJP had polled 35 out of the 58 seats in Kutch and Saurashtra, but this time round, chief minister Narendra Modi is in a spot of trouble in Saurashtra due to heavy dissidence in the party. The dissidents have banded together in an organization called the Sardar Patel Utkarsh Samiti and have roped in former chief minister Keshubhai Patel as well.
