Ahmedabad: Gujarat recorded an estimated 68.70 percent voter turnout in the second and final phase of polling for 93 Assembly seats on Thursday, the Election Commission said.
The figure is likely to go up as details are still being worked out, senior deputy election commissioner Umesh Sinha told reporters.
The 93 seats are spread across north and central Gujarat.
Around 2.22 crore people were eligible to exercise their franchise to choose their representatives from among 851 candidates in the fray.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi cast his ballot after waiting in a queue at a polling booth in a school in Sabarmati constituency of Ahmedabad district.
After casting the vote at Nishan High School, he showed his inked finger to thousands of supporters who had gathered outside the school in Ranip locality of Sabaramati constituency, amid chants of "Modi, Modi".
He walked a certain distance to greet the people standing on both sides of the road outside the polling booth. Later, he stood on the foot-board of his car and waved to the crowd.
However, the Congress alleged that Modi's roadshow was a violation of the Model Code of Conduct and accused the EC of bias.
Apart from Modi, veteran BJP leader LK Advani, BJP president Amit Shah, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, state Congress president Bharat Solanki and Patidar leader Hardik Patel were among those who cast their ballot.
While the PM voted around noon, Shah, Jaitley, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel and former CM Anandiben Patel exercised their franchise earlier in the day. Advani voted at Shahpur Hindi school.
PM Modi's mother Hiraba, who is in her 90s, cast her vote at a booth in Gandhinagar.
Patidar quota agitation spearhead Hardik Patel and OBC leader Alpesh Thakor, who joined the Congress and is contesting from Radhanpur, voted in Viramgam.
State Congress president Bharat Solanki, former party chief Siddarth Patel, senior leader Shaktisinh Gohil and former MP Dinsha Patel also exercised their franchise in the high-stake battle for power in the state.
Rebel Congress leader Shankarsinh Vaghela, who has floated Jan Vikalp front, voted at Vasania village in Gandhinagar constituency.
A total of 851 candidates are in the fray for the second phase. The first phase of voting for the 182-member Assembly held on December 9, covered 89 seats.
Prominent candidates in the fray for Thursday's battle include state Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, who is contesting from Mehsana against Jivabhai Patel of Congress.
Alpesh Thakor, who joined the Congress, is seeking election from Radhanpur constituency. Lavingji Thakor of the BJP is contesting against him.
Vadgam SC seat is another key constituency from where independent candidate Jignesh Mevani is fighting the election on Congress support against BJP's Vijay Chakravarti.
In Maninagar, the constituency once represented by PM Modi, Congress has given a ticket to foreign-educated young face Sweta Bhrambhatt against BJP's sitting MLA Suresh Patel. PM Modi had vacated the constituency after becoming the PM in 2014.
The Gujarat contest is being seen as a prestige battle for PM Modi in his home state, where a reinvigorated Congress has sewed up a broad social coalition with prominent Patidar, OBC and Dalit leaders in its bid to unseat the BJP in power for over two decades.
In its bid to form a caste bloc against the BJP, the Congress has won over Hardik Patel, Thakor and Mevani, who have emerged as the young Turks representing the Patidars, OBCs and Dalits respectively.
Exuding confidence, Rahul Gandhi on the concluding day of the campaign on Tuesday told reporters that there was "tremendous undercurrent" against the ruling BJP in Gujarat. He had also predicted a 'zabardast' victory for his party.
The first phase of voting for the 182-member Assembly was held on December 9 and covered 89 seats. The counting of votes will be on December 18.
In the 2012 Gujarat Assembly polls, the BJP had won 115 seats, while the Congress had bagged 61.
(With PTI inputs)
