Gandhinagar, May 7 (UNI) Voting started simultaneously for all 25 parliamentary seats and five assembly by-elections in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state Gujarat at 7 am on Tuesday.
PM Narendra Modi casts his vote at Nishan Higher Secondary School in Ranip, Ahmedabad. The BJP has fielded home minister Amit Shah from the Gandhinagar constituency.
Other key voters of the day are BJP State President C.R.Patil, Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel, Union Minister Parshottambhai Rupala, Union Minister Mansukhbhai Mandaviya, and former Chief Minister Vijaybhai Rupani.
A total of 4,97,68,677 voters comprising 2,56,16,540 male, 2,41,50,603 female and 1,534 transgender voters will exercise their rights including 12,20,438 aged 18 to 19 years will vote for the first time.
Chief Electoral Officer P. Bharathi said a total of 1,16,06,188 young voters aged 18 to 29 will exercise their franchise in Gujarat.
The total number of senior voters above 85 years of age is 4,19,584. 10,036 voters in the state are centenarians i.e. 100 years or older.
Apart from this, 3,75,673 have been identified as disabled voters. Navsari is the largest Lok Sabha seat in the state by number of voters, with 22,23,550 voters. Whereas Bharuch Lok Sabha seat has the least number of voters at 17,23,353.
A total of 27,555 service voters in the state will be able to exercise their franchise. Also, Indian voters living abroad can also vote at their respective polling stations in Gujarat. The names of 900 voters living abroad are registered in the final voter list.
Bharti said a total of 266 candidates are in fray, of which 247 are male and 19 female candidates. The candidate from Surat Lok Sabha constituency was declared the winner unopposed on April 22.
A total 24 candidates are in fray in the Assembly bye-elections.
The counting of votes will be completed on June 4, and the election process will be completed on June 6. BJP had won all these seats last time.
