Gujarat Elections: Campaigning ends for first phase of polling on December 1

Ahmedabad, November 29, 2022

Campaigning ended on Tuesday evening for the first phase of the two-phase polling in the Gujarat Assembly elections on December 1.

Polling is scheduled to take place for 89 of the 182 seats in the Assembly on December 1.

Most of the seats will see a triangular contest between the ruling BJP, AAP and Congress candidates.

Chief Electoral Officer P. Bharathi said more than 2.39 crore voters are eligible to vote in the first phase of polling and they will decide the electoral fate of 788 candidates.

The Election Commission has set up 25,430 poling booths, including 16,416 in rural areas and 9,014 in urban areas, and made other elaborate arrangements to ensure a free and fair poll.

The Commission has deployed nearly 1.07 lakh election staff, including 27,978 presiding officers.

Now that campaigning has come to an end, candidates will use the next 36 hours to approach voters from door to door and through social media.

The second and final phase of polling will be held on December 5 in the remaining 93 constituencies.

Counting of votes will be held on December 8, along with the votes cast in the single-phase election to the Himachal Pradesh Assembly held on November 12.

The five-year term of the current assembly, which was constituted on February 19, 2018, will end on February 18, 2023.

Of the 182 seats in the Gujarat Assembly, 13 are reserved for Scheduled Castes and 27 for Scheduled Tribes.

NNN