Ahmedabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday cast his vote for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections in Gujarat's Ahmedabad city and praised the Election Commission for conducting the polls "almost violence-free" and in a voter-friendly manner in the first two phases.
Ahmedabad is part of the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency, from where PM Modi's cabinet colleague and Union Home Minister Amit Shah is seeking his re-election.
On the occasion, PM Modi said the conduct of elections in India and their management can be a learning process for other democracies, and added that leading universities in the world should carry out a case study on the country's polls.
He also underlined the importance of voting as he called it a special gift.
PM Modi, who arrived in Ahmedabad on Monday night, reached the polling booth at Nishan Public School in Ranip locality of Ahmedabad city soon after polling began at 7 am, and cast his vote. Shah accompanied the PM when he arrived there to cast his vote.
Modi greeted people, gave autographs to them on his way to the polling booth. He shook hands with many members of the public. He also lifted a baby girl who was being carried by her mother in the crowd and spent some light moments with the child. A woman from the crowd tied a 'rakhi' to him as a token of sisterly affection.
Before entering the polling booth, the prime minister bowed down to his elder brother Somabhai Modi. He cast his vote after getting his finger inked.
After coming out of the polling booth, Modi waved to the crowd and showed his inked finger.
Modi is a registered voter from Ranip area. Somabhai Modi lives near Nishan School, which falls under Sabarmati assembly segment of Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency.
Talking to reporters later, the PM appealed to people to come out in large numbers to vote.
"Matdaan samanya daan nahi. Hamare desh main daan ka mahatva hai (Voting is not a common gift. In our country, a lot of importance is attached to giving donations). People of the country should vote in large numbers keeping this feeling in their hearts," Modi said.
Today is the third phase of voting and campaigning will go on for almost three weeks and four more phases of voting will be held, he said.
"As a voter from Gujarat, I have been voting from here (Nishan School) for the last many years, and our Amitbhai (Shah) is the candidate of BJP from here," Modi said.
"Today is the day of celebrations of democracy. I will congratulate the Election Commission, security forces and officials involved in conducting the first two phases of polls almost violence-free. In the past, violence during elections was very common," he said.
"I would also like to congratulate the election commission for conducting the entire election in a voter-friendly manner. The conduct of our election, our election management is such that it can be a learning process for other democracies. Big universities of the world should carry out a case study on Indian elections," Modi said.
"This year, almost 64 countries of the world are going to polls. There should be a comparison of elections between India and other countries. This year, the festival of democracy is not only in India but around the world," Modi said.
He said he would congratulate the Election Commission for adopting good practices of the world in conducting elections in India.
Modi also praised the Election Commission for adopting modern technology the poll management.
Shah cast his vote at a polling station in Naranpura locality of Ahmedabad, and appealed to voters to participate enthusiastically to elect a stable government committed to make India prosperous.
Shah greeted, interacted and even offered autographs to his supporters as he approached his polling booth at a sub-station in Ahmedabad.
Shah accompanied his wife Sonal Shah, son Jay Shah and his wife to cast his vote. After casting his vote, the Union minister posed for photographs along with his wife as he flashed his inked finger and a victory sign.
Shah greeted people after emerging from the polling booth and proceeded to a nearby temple to offer prayers along with his family members as part of the tradition he has followed on every voting day.
"I would like to urge all the voters across the country and also the voters of Gujarat to participate enthusiastically in this festival of democracy. Choose a stable government which would make the country safe, prosperous, care about welfare of the poor, and is India's pride," Shah told media persons after casting his votes.
"Choose a government that is against corruption, that wants to eradicate poverty, make a self-reliant, developed India, and wants to take India to number one in every field in the entire world," he said.
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