The Ahmedabad Police have denied permission to the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress for conducting roadshows in the city on Tuesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi were expected to hold rallies as part of their campaign for the Gujarat Assembly elections.
Police Commissioner Anup Kumar Singh said that the requests were denied due to law and order reasons and to avoid inconvenience to the public.
There was a possibility that the two roadshows may overlap, NDTV reported, citing sources. “One of the two roadshows could have created law and order issues since the routes are in mutual conflict,” a source was quoted as saying.
Tuesday is the last day of campaigning for the second phase of elections. The first phase of voting was held in Gujarat on Saturday. A voter turnout of 68% was recorded as 89 constituencies went to polls. The remaining 93 constituencies will vote on December 14. The results will be declared on December 18.
The two leaders will still address the rallies that they were supposed to at the end of their roadshow. The prime minister will speak at the Sabarmati Riverfront while Gandhi is expected to address a public meeting in Gujarat’s capital Gandhinagar.
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