News Analysis India

Tag: Amit Chavda

  • Caste equation plays out ahead of revamp in Congress’ Gujarat unit

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  Ahead of key appointments, including that of state president, in the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC), the party high command is weighing caste equations to ensure representation of influential communities in the state with an eye on the next year’s assembly election.    

    The party is expected to announce names of new state president, leader of opposition and other committees by this week. Sources said that the caste factor is expected to play a key role in appointments to the vacant and new posts.

    “The party is expected to pick an OBC-Tribal-Patidar combination for party chief, leader of opposition and head of the campaign committee. This combination gives representation to communities in the majority of seats,” said a senior Gujarat leader.

    In the 182-seat Assembly, there are 80 seats with OBC dominance, 27 reserved for tribals and Patidars with 12 per cent population having dominance on around 60 seats.

    The OBC population has influential Thakors in north and Kolis in central Gujarat.

    Sources further said that the party has already picked Hardik Patel as working president and now focus would be to appoint leaders from OBC and tribal communities.

    “In 2018, the party brought an OBC (Amit Chavda) as GPCC chief and Patidar leader Paresh Dhanani as LoP. This time also the caste combination has to be kept in mind to give a tough fight,” said another leader.

    In 2017, the party contested elections under OBC leader Bharatsinh Solanki while tribal leader Mohan Rathva was LoP. 

    Names of Patel, former state chiefs  Solanki and Arjun Modhwadia and Rajya Sabha MP Shaktisinh Gohil are doing rounds for the top post in the state.

    “The party is likely to give reins of the Gujarat unit to a senior and experienced leader so that everyone is united while young leaders like Patel and Mevani are expected to lead the election campaign,” said sources.

  •  Congress’ Amit Chavda blames Namaste Trump event for COVID-19 outbreak in Gujarat

    By PTI
    AHMEDABAD: Gujarat Congress chief Amit Chavda claimed in the state Assembly that the Vijay Rupani government had ignored coronavirus outbreak warnings from the WHO as well as the Centre and had gone ahead with the mega event welcoming then United States President Donald Trump here.

    The event, organised in the stadium in Motera here, was held on February 24 last year and over a lakh people attended.

    “Following the COVID-19 outbreak in China, the World Health Organization had declared a health emergency on January 30 last year and had issued warnings to all countries. The Union government asked states not to hold large gatherings. Despite this, the Gujarat government organised Namaste Trump,” Chavda said in the Assembly on Saturday.

    He was speaking on the motion of thanks after Governor Acharya Devvrat’s address in the House.

    “When the government was supposed to warn the people about the outbreak, it went ahead and organised an event like Namaste Trump to satisfy the party’s political ambitions,” Chavda, MLA from Anklav in Anand district, alleged.

    Refuting the allegations, Gujarat BJP spokesperson Yamal Vyas said, “There is no connection between the Namaste Trump event and the spread of the virus. While the event was organized in February, the coronavirus-induced lockdown was imposed in March.”

    Gujarat reported its first set of COVID-19 cases, in Rajkot and Surat, on March 20, and, as on Saturday, has an infection tally of 2,72,811, including 4,414 deaths.

  • Congress top guns in Gujarat quit after state civic polls rout

    Express News Service
    MUMBAI:  After the disastrous performance of the party in local body elections, Gujarat Congress chief Amit Chavda and state Congress Legislative Party leader Paresh Dhanani resigned on Tuesday.

    According to sources, Congress president Sonia Gandhi has accepted both the resignations.

    BJP won clear majority in all 31 district panchayats as well as in 196 of 231 taluka panchayats and 74 of 81 municipalities. Congress, the main opposition party in the state, won clear majority in only one municipality and 18 taluka panchayats.

    BJP had won all six municipal corporations where polls were held in the first phase on February 21.

    In the second phase where polling was held for district and taluka panchayats as well as municipalities on February 28, BJP won 6,236 of 8,470 seats. Congress won 1,805. New entrants AAP and AIMIM won 42 and 17 seats, respectively.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the party cadre and voters.

    “Results of the Nagar Palika, Taluka Panchayat and District Panchayat polls across Gujarat give a crystal clear message — Gujarat is firm with the BJP’s agenda of development and good governance. I bow to the people of Gujarat for the unwavering faith and affection towards BJP,” he tweeted.

    Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the results show that the people of Gujarat have faith in BJP’s development agenda.

    “Under the leadership of PM Modi, the country has set a development agenda for the poor, farmer and common people,” he tweeted.

    Chavda said people had raised doubts about EVMs and all these things should be probed.

    A party spokesperson said it was now up to the top brass of Congress to decide the future course of action.

    “Taking the responsibility of the election results as state Congress chief, I have submitted my resignation to party president Sonia Gandhi,” Chavda told reporters, adding that he would work as a common party worker from now on.

    The Grand Old Party could win only a few taluka panchayat bodies.

    “The election results are totally opposite to what our expectations were. We had received good responses from people during our campaigning but results do not reflect it. People have raised doubts on EVMs and all these things should be probed,” Chavda said.

    Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi confirmed that Dhanani has also sent his resignation to the party leadership in Delhi.

    “The party leadership has received both the resignations. Now it is up to the party brass to decide on the replacement of these leaders,” Doshi said.

    He said the Central leadership of the Congress has asked Chavda and Dhanani to continue on their posts till the time their replacements are announced.

    In the first phase of civic polls held last month in Gujarat, the BJP had won all the six municipal corporations.

    (With PTI Inputs)