69 per cent turnout in second phase, Narendra Modi eyes hat-trick
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, in saffron
kurta and surrounded by hundreds of cheering supporters, said this morning that that the final phase of polling could see voter turnout "even bigger" than the record turnout of 70.75 per cent in the first phase of the Gujarat elections four days ago. It wasn't higher at 69 per cent, but enough to set an overall record for the state.
Conventional wisdom has it that people turn out to vote in greater numbers when they want a change. The ruling BJP believes a high voter turnout will mean a hat-trick for Narendra Modi, the man who had emphatically won the last two elections in 2002 and 2007.
Mr Modi, after voting in Ahmedabad this morning said, "I am thankful to all the voters. In these elections, people of Gujarat will make hat-trick by making the BJP win again. I am committed to 6 crore people of Gujarat and I live for them. What I am doing is for Gujarat and this is also service to the nation. Gujarat is also part of India."
Apart from Narendra Modi, who is contesting from Maninagar, which has already handed him whopping wins twice, big names like controversial BJP candidate Amit Shah, Jaynarayan Vyas, Anandiben Patel and Nitin Patel were in the fray today.