Modi Casts His Vote in Second Day of Gujarat Elections

-/Agence France-Presse - Getty ImagesA photograph released by the Gujarat Information Bureau, showing Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, after he cast his vote in the state assembly elections on Monday.

Narendra Modi of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress Party stalwart Shankarsinh Vaghela, the party's likely candidate for chief minister, were among prominent voters during the second round of voting in Gujarat on Monday.

“I thank the voters for turning out in such a large number,” Mr. Modi said after casting his vote in Ranip, a n eighborhood of Ahmedabad. “I'm sure the people of Gujarat will make a hat-trick by voting the B.J.P. to power for the third term.”

The election, whose results will be announced Thursday, is being closely watched across the country as an indication of Mr. Modi's chances of being nominated as the party's candidate for prime minister in the next national elections, expected to be held in 2014. Mr. Modi is running from the city's Maninagar assembly constituency against Shweta Bhatt of the Congress Party.

Mr. Modi's mother, Hiraben, also cast her vote in Gandhinagar and expressed support for her son. “I hope my son will win these elections. I hope, too, that he will become India's prime minister one day,” she said.

Voters went to the polls on Dec. 13 for 87 seats and on Monday for the remaining 95 seats. Just as last week, on Monday there appeared to be a large number of young men and women at the polls. Turnout, analysts est imated late on Monday, could be as high as 70 percent.

“There has never been a greater awareness among the people, especially the youth, about their right to vote,” said Ramakant Pathak, 64, a retired school principal from Ahmedabad. “This is a good sign for democracy.”

Print and electronic media and the state's Election Commission have been trying to increase awareness among the youth about the importance of voting. After systematic voter registration of eligible voters, it distributed “pledge to vote” letters to primary and secondary schoolchildren across the state that said: “Dad and mom have taken care of my education and now they will take care of India's democracy by pledging that they will vote during elections.”

Of the 8.1 million letters that were distributed, the Election Commission got back nearly 7.1 million duly signed by the parents of these students. This was followed by distribution of the voters' slips with photos. Printed w ith the address and location of the voter's polling station, as well as three helpline numbers, they became very popular among voters.

In the second round of polls, nearly 20 million voted. In all, 771 men and 49 women were fighting for the 95 seats in the second round of voting. While the B.J.P. fielded candidates for all 95 seats, the Congress Party and Gujarat Parivartan Party contested 92 and 84 seats, respectively. There were 284 independent candidates.

In Ahmedabad, Baroda and other areas, some Muslim voters have come forward to praise the B.J.P., despite allegations that Mr. Modi did not do enough to stop, and may have abetted, the 2002 riots in the state that left hundreds dead, mostly Muslims.

“We feel happier and safer in the B.J.P. rule in Gujarat,” said Mushtaq Abbas, 47, a trader from Ahmedabad. “We have full trust in Narendra Modi and his great leadership.”