Gujarat assembly election LIVE updates: Modi, Rahul and Hardik rallies today

Gujarat elections 2017: The three leaders — PM Narendra Modi, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and Patidar quota agitation leader Hardik Patel — are expected to address 12 rallies in total, with most of them in Saurashtra, a region that sends 48 legislators to the 182-seat assembly

Wednesday will be a day of rallies in Gujarat as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and Patidar quota agitation leader Hardik Patel criss-cross the state addressing voters ahead of the first phase of polls on December 9.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a rally in Surat on Monday. (PTI)

The three leaders are expected to address 12 rallies in total, with most of them being held in Saurashtra, the region that sends 48 legislators to the 182-seat assembly.

Saurashtra is also the belt where Patidars and OBCs dominate, and the BJP and the Congress have fielded over 50 candidates from these two communities.

Patel’s Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) has been up in arms with the BJP government for more than two years now over the demand for OBC status to Patidars, who form 12% of the 60 million-odd population and can be deciding factor in over 60 seats.

Here are the live updates:

11am: This is the schedule for the rallies by the three leaders:

Rahul Gandhi

1pm: Somnath Temple prayer.

3pm: Visavadar

4.30pm:Savarkundla

8pm: Amreli

Narendra Modi

11am: Morbi

11.30: Prachi

3.30 Palitana

5.30: Navsari

Hardik Patel

10am: Khakrechi(Morbi district)

1.30pm: Bela Gam(Morbi)

3.30pm: Sajjanpar(Morbi)

5.30: Tankara

6.30 Rajkot city