As the third phase of polling got underway on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi cast his vote at a polling booth in Ranip area, a part of the Gandhinagar parliamentary constituency in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad from where party president Amit Shah is the party candidate.

After casting his vote, PM Modi told media that “the weapon of terrorism is IED, while the strength of democracy is voter ID”.

He said the voter ID was much more powerful than an IED and urged the people to understand the strength of their voter IDs and exercise their franchise.

Adding on, PM Modi said he was fortunate to have got the opportunity to fulfil his duty in his home state of Gujarat.

“Like you feel pure after a holy dip in Kumbh, one feels pure after casting vote in this festival of democracy,” he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also accompanied by BJP president and party candidate from Gandhinagar, Amit Shah.

PM Modi is seeking a second term in office in the massive election taking place in seven rounds across the country.

Early in the morning, PM Modi had tweeted: “Urging all those voting in today’s Third Phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections to do so in record numbers. Your vote is precious and will shape the direction our nation takes in the years to come. I’ll be voting in Ahmedabad in a short while from now.”

Meanwhile, Amit Shah voted at a polling booth in Sanghvi High School in Naranpura of Ahmedabad, a part of Gujarat’s Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency.

Voting began on Tuesday across 117 Lok Sabha constituencies spread over 15 states and Union Territories as the third and the largest phase of the mega seven-phase electoral exercise kicked off.

All seats in Gujarat (26) and Kerala (20) are going to polls today, besides four seats in Assam, five in Bihar, seven in Chhattisgarh, 14 each in Karnataka and Maharashtra, six in Odisha, 10 in Uttar Pradesh, five in West Bengal, two in Goa, and one each in Dadra-Nagar Haveli, Daman-Diu and Tripura.

According to Election Commission figures, nearly 18.56 crore voters are eligible in this phase who will exercise their franchise at the 2.10 lakh polling booths and stations set up across the 15 states and UTs. Elaborate security arrangements are also in place at all these places.

The presidents of two main parties, ruling BJP and opposition Congress, are contesting in the today’s election — BJP chief Amit Shah from Gandhinagar in Gujarat, and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi from Wayanad in Kerala.