Ahmedabad, Apr 26 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy CM Harsh Sanghavi on Sunday cast their votes as elections were underway to several local bodies in the state.
The elections are being held for 15 municipal corporations, including Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot, along with 84 municipalities, 34 district panchayats and 260 taluka panchayats, making it one of the largest electoral exercises in the state ahead of the assembly polls due later next year.
Polling began at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm, as per the schedule announced by the Gujarat State Election Commission.
Shah, accompanied by his wife Sonalben and son Jay Shah, exercised his franchise at the Naranpura sub-zonal office in Ahmedabad. He was greeted with loud cheers by locals upon his arrival outside the polling station.
Chief Minister Patel cast his vote at Shilaj Primary School here and urged people to participate actively in the electoral process.
"Everyone should participate in this festival of democracy because voting is both our right as well as responsibility. I appeal to every citizen to exercise their franchise and make all the BJP candidates victorious," Patel told reporters after casting his vote.
Further, in a post on X, the CM appealed to all electors, especially the first-time and young voters, to come forward and vote without fail.
"Come, let us fulfil the resolve of 100 per cent voting," he added.
Gujarat Deputy CM Harsh Sanghavi and Union minister C R Paatil cast their votes in Surat.
Nearly 9,200 seats are up for grabs, with more than 4.18 crore voters eligible to exercise their franchise.
The polls are being conducted under revised norms for Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservations, following delimitation and restructuring of wards in several districts.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Opposition Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party have emerged as the key contenders, while the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is also contesting in several areas.
Among prominent candidates in the fray are former Gujarat-cadre IPS officer M L Ninama, ex-radio jockey Abha Desai and former AAP MLA Bhupendra Bhayani.
Ninama is contesting from the Odh seat in Shamlaji taluka for the Arvalli district panchayat elections, while the BJP has fielded Bhayani from the Bhesan seat of the Junagadh district panchayat. Desai, popularly known as RJ Abha, is contesting as a Congress candidate from ward number 10 of the Rajkot Municipal Corporation.
Elections are being held for the first time in nine newly created municipal corporations, including Navsari, Gandhidham, Morbi, Vapi, Anand, Nadiad, Mehsana, Porbandar and Surendranagar.
Counting of votes will take place on April 28.