Track live updates for Gujarat Assembly Elections here:

6:48 pm: By the time we get final figures voting percentage may go a little higher and touch last year’s figure.: Election Commission of India

6:44 pm: 68% voter turnout recorded in the first phase of Gujarat Election2017: Election Commission of India

6:25 pm: Over 70% Turnout Reported Till 5 pm as per CNN News 18 reports.

5:12 pm: We are confident that we will form the government in Gujarat, there has been heavy polling: Congress leader Randeep Surjewala.

5:11 pm: Without development, there is no solution to the problems India faces: PM Narendra Modi in Mehsana

5:01 pm: Voting of first phase ends in Gujarat.

5:10 pm: 47.28% voter turnout recorded till 4 pm in first phase of Gujarat Elections.

4:56 pm: Without development there is no solution to the problems India faces: PM Modi.

4:27 pm: PM Modi addresses crowd at Mehsana.

4:23 pm: PM Narendra Modi will shortly address public meeting in Mehsana, Gujarat.

4:29 pm: Governor of Karnataka Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala cast his vote in Rajkot.

4:23 pm: PM Narendra Modi reaches to the venue of public meeting in Mehsana, Gujarat.

4:00 pm: Bodeli is all set to support BJP in the upcoming elections, tweeted PM Modi’s twitter handle.

 

3:40 pm: PM Narendra Modi thanks people of Anand for their support in a tweet.

 

3:30 pm: Congress party is synonymous with corruption, says PM Modi at an election rally in Anand.

3:20 pm: Rajiv Gandhi called it a disease. Now, tell me, do you want a doctor telling about the disease or a doctor who can remove the disease: PM Modi.

3: 15 pm: Rajiv Gandhi had said that when he sends a rupee, then only 15 paise goes toa village: PM Modi

3:10 pm: 35.52 per cent voters turnout till 2 pm, reports ANI.

3:00 pm: Those who have made the people of this country cry, now it’s their turn to cry: PM Modi in an election rally.

2:50 pm:  If the Congress government will be formed in the state , then in the pharmacy of government hospitals people will get free medicines, and the cost of medical treatment will be low: Congress.

2:40 pm: A team of Election Commission reaches polling booth in Thakkar Plot, Porbandar after complaints of EVM being connected to Bluetooth.

2:30 pm: Rahul Gandhi addresses rally in Patan’s Harij village and hits out at BJP. “They have everything, central govt, UP govt, Maharashtra govt, IB…everything…but Congress party has nothing but the truth of Gujarat”, said Rahul.

2:22 pm: By noon, over 32 per cent voting was registered. People were coming out in hordes at some places to exercise their constitutional right.

2:21 pm: Narendra Modi tweets visuals of his poll campaign:

2:19 pm: The Election Commission also received complaints of EVMs being connected to Bluetooth or WiFi from Porbandar.

1:30 pm: Elderly people arrive to cast their vote in Bharuch’s Ankleshwar

1:27 pm: This will be a landslide victory for BJP and the win will be resounding. Congress’s campaign tactics have failed: FM Arun Jaitley

1:10 pm: Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today greeted Congress president Sonia Gandhi on her birthday.

12:40 am: Although there were reports of technical glitches in EVMs in Surat and some other centres, the polling process resumed after the machines were replaced, officials of the Election Commission said.

12:30: Around 11 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the initial two hours during polling on 89 seats of Saurashtra and South Gujarat regions in the first phase of the crucial Gujarat assembly polls.

12:10 am: In every part of the nation, the Congress has misled the Muslim community. They have made fake promises of reservations for Muslims but in no state have they fulfilled their promise: PM Modi

11:46 am: A group of Patidars protest as BJP’s Reshma Patel arrives to cast her vote in Junagadh.

Salman Nizami asks on Twitter- Modi who is your father, who is your mother? Among the other things he says- he calls for Azad Kashmir. He calls our army rapists. How can the people accept such people like Salman Nizami? He also says there will be an Afzal from every home: PM Modi

11:10 am: Have replaced two machines and one VVPAT, you cannot really call it a technical error, these are electronic items there can be some issues. Now everything is okay & voting has started: Vipul Goti, Master Trainer, Election Commission in Surat’s Varaccha

10:57 am: Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi tweets:

10:20 am: Congress’ Arjun Modhwadia casts his vote at a polling booth in Porbandar, he is contesting against BJP’s sitting MLA Babu Bokhiria.

10:10 am: Cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara casts his vote in Rajkot’s Ravi Vidayalaya booth

10:00 am: A couple reaches polling booth in Bharuch’s Bahumali building to cast their votes before their wedding ceremony

9:51 am: Voting underway on Surat’s Kamrej assembly seat. BJP’s Zalavadiya Vinubhai Dahyabhai is up against Congress’s Ashok Jirawala

9:51 am: Hardik Patel’s key aide and senior member of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti Dinesh Bambhania has alleged that the quota agitation spearhead’s support to the Congress party smacks of some kind of “fixing” between them.

9:45 am: Congress tweets

9:28 am: Watch Video: CM Vijay Rupani casts his vote in Rajkot

9:25 am: Congress candidate Indranil Rajyaguru performs prayer with help of ’51 pandits’ to get success in Gujarat Assembly elections 2017, ABP reports

9:20 am: The poll narrative kept changing with issues such as the Ayodhya title suit, Gandhi’s imminent elevation as Congress president and his visits to temples being raised by BJP leaders.

9:15 am: Dissident BJP Maharashtra leader Nana Patole, who created a flutter by alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi hates criticism, on Friday resigned from the Lok Sabha and the party, jolting the party ahead of the Gujarat elections.

9:10 am: Congress is indulging in casteism and dynastic politics, says Jitu Vaghani, Gujarat BJP President

9:07 am: I am against the fake Gujarat Model, says Shakti Singh Gohil

9:03 am: Wtch Video:  Vijay Rupani Visit Shankar Temple his reaction

9:02 am: CM Vijay Rupani casts his vote in Rajkot. He is contesting against Congress’ Indranil Rajyaguru from Rajkot-West seat

8:59 am: We are going to win 150+ seats under the leadership of PM Modi ji, we face no obstacles: Jitu Vaghani,BJP Gujarat Chief and candidate from Bhavnagar West

8:54 am: Visuals of locals after casting their vote in Surat’s Majura. BJP MLA Harsh Sanghvi is contesting against Congress’s Ashok Kothari. This seat was formed after the 2008 delimitation.

8:53 am: Rahul Gandhi had addressed a campaign meeting in Anand town in central Gujarat which is historically associated with Patel, a stalwart of freedom struggle and the country’s first home minister.

8:49 am: The BJP has turned leaders such as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Mahatma Gandhi and Subhash Chandra Bose into “product”, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi said.

8:37 am: Also Read| Gujarat Election: Rahul Gandhi’s Gabbar Singh Tax, Hardik’s sex CD, Aiyar’s ‘neech’ remark – highlights of campaign 2017

8:37 m: Voting underway on Surat’s Choryasi assembly seat. Here BJP’s Jhankhnaben Patel is up against Congress’s Yogeshbhai B. Patel

8:35 am:27,158 EVMs being used in 24,689 polling stations in the first phase of Gujart Assembly Elections

8:33 am: This is what Rahul Gandhi tweeted:

8:31 am: BJP Gujarat Chief Jitubhai Vaghani casts his vote in Bhavnagar

8:23 am: Meanwhile, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah’s reaction to Mani Shankar Aiyar’s ‘Neech’ remark.

8:21 am: Queue outside a polling booth in Surat

8:18 am: Watch Video| Polling begins for Phase 1

8:17 am: Voting underway in J.H. Ambani Saraswati Vidyamandir polling booth in Surat

8:13 am: Also Read| Gujarat Elections 2017: Old rivals from BJP and Congress once again in fray in Porbandar

8:07 am: Voting for first phase of Gujarat Election 2017 begins. Visuals from Bharuch’s Ankleshwar

7:59 am: Alo Read| BJP releases Gujarat election manifesto; Here’s what the party’s vision document promises

7:57 am: At a poll rally at tribal town in Chhota Udepur district, Rahul Gandhi said his party came out with a manifesto after consulting various sections of society, such as tribal communities, women and youth, and incorporating their demands.