In the 2017 Assembly polls, the Saurashtra region of Gujarat stopped the Bharatiya Janata Party at 99 seats in the 182-member house. Five years later, the region that comprises coastal areas and hinterland holds the key to the ruling party’s expectations of achieving a new record as the first phase of polling for 89 seats will be held on Thursday. The people in Kutch and south Gujarat will also be going out to vote to elect their respective representatives from among 788 candidates.

The Congress, which gained most here in 2017, has been hoping to repeat the show, but the then bipolar contest has now turned into a triangular one with the Aam Aadmi Party’s participation in 88 seats. The AAP has its candidates in 182 seats of which one in Surat withdrew at the eleventh hour. In campaigns, the BJP has outscored its rivals with a number of rallies by PM Narendra Modi and other senior party leaders, including Union ministers and seven chief ministers. The blitzkrieg continues for the second phase to be held on December 5. Counting is slated on December 8.