Gujarat Assembly elections 2017: Ahead of second phase, PM Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi to address rallies on Sunday

AHMEDABAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday will address a series of rallies, ahead of the second phase of Gujarat Assembly elections 2017.

The Prime Minister will address the public meetings in Palanpur's Rampura Chaukri at 10.30 am, in Sanand's Gibpura at 12.30 pm, in Kalol at 2.30 pm and in Vadodara at 6 pm.

Modi will be accompanied by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Textile Minister Smriti Irani who will be covering Nikol, Anand, Ahmedabad, Pethapur, Jamalpur, Gandhinagar among other Assembly constituencies.

Rahul Gandhi will address the rallies at Kheda, Banaskantha, Aravali and Gandhinagar. His scheduled also includes offering of prayers at Shamlaji Temple. The Congress VP will be arriving in Dakor at around 10.45 am and will start campaigning from there.

With the end of the first phase of polling on Saturday, over 68 percent turnout was recorded for 89 Assembly seats in poll-bound Gujarat. There were reports of malfunctioning of EVM machines in several areas, amid ongoing polling.

The main contenders are the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which is making a bid for a fifth term and the Congress which is attempting an electoral revival.

Both the parties will carry out campaigns on Sunday for the second phase, scheduled for December 14. The second phase of voting for the high-stakes election will be held for the remaining 93 seats. 

On Saturday, a total of 977 candidates were in the fray and around 2.12 crore voters were expected to exercise their franchise in the first phase.

Gujarat has 182 assembly constituencies. The counting of votes will take place on December 18.