Exit polls: BJP to win Gujarat comfortably; dethrone Congress in Himachal

BJP looks all set to retain majority in the 182-seat Gujarat Assembly, clean sweep in Himachal Pradesh

10:37 AM

PAAS leader Hardik Patel casts his vote in Viramgam 

10:35 AM

Phase 1

In the first phase of assembly elections in 89 constituencies across Kutch, Saurashtra and south Gujarat on Saturday last, there was 68 per cent voter turnout, lower than last time's 71.3 per cent for the whole of Gujarat.

10:33 AM

Here is the full list of candidates from the BJP and Congress, the two biggest parties in the fray, with criminal records: 

CANDIDATES	BJP/INC	DISTRICTS	CONSTITUENCIES
Mehta Shaileshbhai Kanaiyalal	BJP	Vadodara	Dabhoi
Bhuriya Maheshbhai Somjibhai	BJP	Dahod	Jhalod (St)
Ahir (Bharwad) Jethabhai Ghelabhai	BJP	Panchmahal	Shehra
Babubhai Jamnadas Patel	BJP	Ahmedabad	Daskroi
Chandrakant Dahyabhai Patel	BJP	Anand	Petlad
Pandya Shashikant Mahobatram	BJP	Banaskantha	Deesa
Ketanbhai Mahendrabhai Inamdar	BJP	Vadodara	Savli
Rathva Jayantibhai Savajibhai	BJP	Chhota Udepur	Jetpur (St)
Parmar Govindbhai Raijibhai	BJP	Anand	Umreth
Bhushan Ashok Bhatt	BJP	Ahmedabad	Jamalpur - Khadia
Satishbhai Motibhai Patel	BJP	Vadodara	Karjan
Parmar Pradipbhai Khanabhai	BJP	Ahmedabad	Asarwa (Sc)
Chauhan Mansinh Kohyabhai	BJP	Mahisagar	Balasinor
Kishori Kanaiyalal Bachubhai	BJP	Dahod	Dahod (St)
Rajput Jagroopsinh Girdansinh	BJP	Ahmedabad	Bapunagar
Rajendrasinh Ranjitsinh Chavda	BJP	Sabarkantha	Himatnagar
Amitbhai Harisingbhai Chaudhary	BJP	Gandhinagar	Mansa
Mahendrabhai Rameshbhai Bhabhor	BJP	Dahod	Garbada (St)
Chaudhary Shankarbhai Lagdhirbhai	BJP	Banaskantha	Vav
Pradipsinh Bhagvatsinh Jadeja	BJP	Ahmedabad	Vatva
Rajendra Trivedi	BJP	Vadodara	Raopura
Chakrawarti Vijaykumar Harkhabhai	BJP	Banaskantha	Vadgam (Sc)
Kiritkumar Chimanlal Patel	INC	Patan	Patan
Katara Bhaveshbhai Babubhai	INC	Dahod	Jhalod (St)
Manibhai Jethabhai Vaghela	INC	Sabarkantha	Idar (Sc)
Patel Niranjan Purushottamdas	INC	Anand	Petlad
Gohil Indravijaysinh	INC	Ahmedabad	Nikol
Patel Shashikant Vasudevbhai	INC	Ahmedabad	Ghatlodia
Vakhala Bharatsinh Pratapbhai	INC	Dahod	Devgadhbaria
Rajput Damraji Devjibhai	INC	Banaskantha	Tharad
Ajitsinh Parvatsinh Chauhan	INC	Mahisagar	Balasinor
Kotwal Ashvinbhai Laxmanbhai	INC	Sabarkantha	Khedbrahma (St)
Sagar Prakash Koko Brahmbhatt	INC	Vadodara	Savli
Shah Mihirbhai Subodhbhai	INC	Ahmedabad	Vejalpur
Chauhan Arvindsinh Vishvanathsinh	INC	Ahmedabad	Amraiwadi
Patel Himmatsinh Prahladsinh	INC	Ahmedabad	Bapunagar
Tadvi Maheshbhai Ratansing	INC	Dahod	Limkheda (St)
Baria Udesinh Mohanbhai	INC	Panchmahal	Halol
Chauhan Dushyantsinh Narvatsinh	INC	Panchmahal	Shehra
Kamleshkumar Jayantibhai Patel	INC	Sabarkantha	Himatnagar
Govabhai Hamirabhai Rabari	INC	Banaskantha	Deesa
Thakor Rajendrasinh Shivsinh	INC	Arvalli	Modasa
Baraiya Mahendrasinh Kacharsinh	INC	Sabarkantha	Prantij
Parmar Punambhai Madhabhai	INC	Anand	Sojitra
Raghubhai Ditabhai Machhar	INC	Dahod	Fatepura (St)
Narendrakumar Ravat	INC	Vadodara	Sayajigunj
Chandrakant R. Shrivastav	INC	Vadodara	Raopura

10:31 AM

"I am sure that BJP will achieve the target it has set for itself and the party will again form the government. Our candidate will get more votes than what I had got, and the Patidar factor is not going to affect us," Patel told reporters after casting her vote.

10:31 AM

Anandiben Patel is not contesting. She cast her vote at a polling booth in Ahmedabad's Ghatlodia Assembly constituency, from where she was an MLA.

 

This time, the BJP has fielded Bhupendra Patel from the seat, who is pitted against Congress' Shashikant Patel.

10:26 AM

Several opinion polls have predicted that the ruling BJP will win a little over 100 seats in the state, which is way below its target of 150.

10:25 AM

PM Modi's mother casts her vote

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mother Hiraba today cast her vote at a poll booth located at Aryabhatt High School in Gandhinagar.

 

She was accompanied by her younger son Pankaj Modi and other family members.

 

After casting her vote, the prime minister's mother, who is in her 90s, showed her inked finger to mediapersons outside the poll booth.

 

"May God bless Gujarat," she told the reporters while emerging out of the poll booth.

 

She was among the early voters, who also included former chief minister Anandiben Patel.

10:24 AM

Amit Shah appeals voters to participate in celebration of democracy


"I appeal the voters of Gujarat to come out and vote for the development of the state and participate in the celebration of democracy," the BJP state president said on Thursday.

10:21 AM

10:19 AM

Going strong at 103, Umiyaben Patel casts her vote at Thaltej early on Thursday morning.

10:16 AM

We fixed the EVM machine and now the voting is underway in Chhota Udaipur: Gaurang Rana, Polling Officer 

10:15 AM

The EVM in Sankheda's Sodhaliya village in Chhota Udaipur was dysfunctional for 50 minutes, so voting was halted for that duration

10:12 AM

Congress party candidates with criminal record

25 of the Congress' 88 are charged with criminal cases.

10:11 AM

BJP  candidates with criminal record

Among the BJP candidates, 22 of the 86 have criminal cases

10:10 AM

Phase-2 candidates with 'criminal records'

According to a report by ADR (Association of Democratic Reforms), a total 852 candidates, including independent ones, will be in the fray in the second round. The ADR analysis of 822 of of the 852 candaidates' election afficdavits shows that 101 (12%) of all candidates have criminal cases filed against them -- 64 of them (8%) have serious criminal cases.