Low turnout was recorded in the first two hours of voting for the nine Assembly constituencies in Surat and 11 in Rajkot on Tuesday.

While 4.21 per cent voting was recored in Surat, 8 per cent was recorded in Rajkot, official sources said.

Surat in south Gujarat and Rajkot in Saurashtra are the hotbed of rebellion against Chief Minister Narendra Modi [Images].

                                                           Gujarat Votes, 2007

In Surat North, BJP rebel leader Dhirubhai Gajera, who is fighting on a Congress ticket, is among the prominent candidates in the fray. Gujarat's Irrigation Minister Narottam Patel (BJP) is contesting from Chorasi assembly constituency of Surat district.

State Finance Minister Vajubhai Vala (BJP) is fighting from Rajkot-II.

Soon after casting his vote, Vala exuded confidence that the recent advertisements showing veteran BJP leader Keshubhai Patel appealing to voters to oust the Narendra Modi Government from power, will not have any impact.

"These advertisements would not affect the voters or the morale of workers," he said, adding, "I am expecting the BJP to get either 49 or 51 seats of the total 58 seats in  Kutch and Saurashtra regions."

The BJP had won 39 seats in the 2002 elections.

"Voters don't vote looking at the advertisements. They vote on the basis of the work the government has done in the past five years," Vala said.

Meanwhile, a report from Surat quoting district administration sources said that a booth presiding officer of Chorasi assembly constituency, Harshad Patel, has been removed after the Election Commission found more than one polling agent of a particular party inside the booth.