Gujarat polls: Amit Shah appeals voters to participate in celebration of democracy

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah casts his vote in a polling booth in Naranpura as the voting for the second-phase of Gujarat Assembly elections has begun.

"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.

The voting will continue till 5 pm in more than 25,000 polling stations.

In the second and final phase of elections, 93 constituencies spread across 14 districts in north and central Gujarat will go to the polls.

A total of 851 candidates are in the fray and over 2.22 lakh people will take part in the election to decide their fate.

The security has been increased in various parts of the state in the wake of the polls.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded 93 candidates for this phase, while Congress has fielded only 91. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also visit their constituencies to cast their votes.

The voter turnout in the first phase of the polls was 68 per cent. The results will be declared on 18 December.

In the 2012 assembly polls, the BJP won 115 seats, while the Congress bagged 61.

-ANI