PM Modi Casts Vote, Lauds Election Commission for Peaceful Polling

Ahmedabad, Gujarat - Prime Minister Narendra Modi cast his vote on Tuesday at Nishan School in the Ranip area of Ahmedabad city, under the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency in Gujarat. He congratulated the Election Commission for conducting the first two phases of the Lok Sabha polls with minimal violence, a stark contrast to the past when election-related violence was commonplace.

Modi, who has been voting at this location for many years, was accompanied by Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah, the BJP candidate from Gandhinagar. After casting his vote, Modi showed his inked finger to the crowd, signed autographs, and interacted with the people.

In a statement to reporters, Modi said, “Matdaan samanya daan nahi hai, hamare desh main daan ka mahatva hai (voting is not a common gift, in our country importance is given to donation). People of the country should vote in large numbers keeping this feeling in their hearts.”

He also praised the Election Commission for conducting the polls in a voter-friendly manner and adopting modern technology. He suggested that the conduct of Indian elections could serve as a learning process for other democracies and urged global universities to carry out a case study on Indian elections.

Modi highlighted that this year, almost 64 countries worldwide are going to polls and called for a comparison of elections between India and other countries. He said, “This year’s festival of democracy is not only in India but around the world.”

The Prime Minister expressed his faith in the democratic process and urged the people to participate enthusiastically in the ongoing third phase of voting. He concluded by saying, “Today is the day of celebration of democracy. I congratulate the Election Commission, security forces, and officials involved in conducting the first two phases of polls almost violence-free.”

The polling began at 7 am in all the 25 Lok Sabha constituencies in Gujarat. The nation now awaits the results of this crucial election.