New Delhi, Dec 11 (ANI): Around 60 percent of the Gujarat electorate today voted during the first phase of Assembly elections.

Voting were held in 87 constituencies of the 182-member state Assembly. Of these, 58 constituencies were located in the Saurashtra and the Kutch regions, and 29 in South Gujarat.
Elaborate security arrangements helped in holding peaceful first phase of polling in the state.
The BJP had fielded candidates for all the 87 constituencies while the Congress fought elections at 82 seats.
The BSP had fielded 78 candidates, NCP four, Communist Party of India and CPI (M) one each.
The poll campaign in Gujarat witnessed acrimonious debates with Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi dubbing Narendra Modi-led State government as “Merchants of Death” and Modi trying to woo voters with a pronounced pro-Hindu stance to the extent of justifying the killing of Sohrabuddin Sheikh in the 2005 fake encounter.
The BJP managed to win 127 seats, while the Congress party was able to win only 51 seats in the 2002 Gujarat Assembly polls. The Janata Dal (United) and independents won two seats each.
The BJP had won 16 seats in South Gujarat in 2002, while Congress had got 11 seats and two seats went to JD (U).
The BJP had won 39 seats in Saurashtra and Kutch regions in 2002, while the Congress has won 18 and one seat had gone to an independent candidate.
The second phase of polling for the remaining seats will be held on December 16, while the counting for votes will take place on December 23. (ANI)