Campaign for 1st phase of Gujarat assembly polls enters last day

Ahmedabad: On Tuesday campaigning for the first phase of the Gujarat election will come to a close in 89 of Gujarat's 182 seats.

The first round of elections will take place on December 1.

On December 5, voting will be conducted for the final 93 seats.

BJP President J P Nadda and Union Minister Smriti Irani will each campaign for BJP candidates running in the first round of voting on Tuesday in Bhavnagar and Gandhidham, respectively, in the Kutch district.

Among notable candidates in the first phase is Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) chief ministerial face Isudan Gadhvi, who is contesting from the Khambhalia seat in Devbhumi Dwarka district.

Former Gujarat minister Parshottam Solanki, six-time MLA Kunwarji Bavaliya, Morbi 'hero' Kantilal Amrutiya, Indian cricketer Ravindra Jadeja's wife Rivaba and Gujarat AAP president Gopal Italia are also among the prominent candidates in the fray for the first phase of the state Assembly elections.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Nadda and other BJP leaders have already held rallies to garner support for their party nominees contesting in the first phase.

AAP's national convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has also extensively campaigned for his party candidates and made a slew of promises to the people of Gujarat, if his party is voted to power in the state, governed by the BJP for the last 27 years.

From the Congress, its president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot have been among the prominent campaigners for their party nominees.

On Tuesday, Union home minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will also campaign in the state for the BJP candidates contesting in the second phase of polls on December 5

With PTI inputs