Modi likely to cast vote in Gujarat polls on Dec 14

New Delhi/Ahmedabad, Nov 21: The 'second Prime Minister' from Gujarat after the illustrious Morarji Desai, incumbent PM Narendra Modi will be the first Prime Minister in office to exercise his franchise during Assembly elections in Gujarat.

According to party workers in Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad, Mr Modi will cast his vote at Ranip polling booth on December 14, the day of second phase of polling in the western state. In 2012 Assembly polls also, Mr Modi had exercised his franchise in Ranip polling booth in Ahmedabad. Local BJP workers say, BJP veteran L K Advani was the Deputy Prime Minister when he voted in 2002 Assembly polls. Mr Advani used to exercise his voting right at a polling booth in Shahpur constituency. Mr Modi has always made his voting right a media attraction. On December 6, 2012, during Assembly polls- when he arrived at the spot to cast his vote a huge gathering was already present greeting him and raising slogans in favour of BJP. Mr Modi, then as Gujarat Chief Minister used to contest state Assembly elections from Ahmedabad's Maninagar assembly segment. Prime Minister has in the past also urged citizens to take voting exercise seriously with his campaign line often used to be: "Pahele Mat-daan phir Jalpan (First vote, and then breakfast)". However, his over-enthusiasm with selfie had earned him a minor rebuke from the Election Commission in 2014. An FIR was also filed in that connection. After casting his vote, Mr Modi had came out of the polling station holding a cutout of the lotus, the BJP's symbol. He also clicked a selfie on his cellphone and had later posted it on Twitter. UNI