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  • Mayawati wonders if there is collusion between BJP and SP after saffron party’s win in Rampur bypoll

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Sunday attributed the defeat of the Samajwadi Party in the recent Rampur bypoll to “planned low voting”, wondering whether there was a collusion between the SP and the BJP.

    The BJP for the first time won from SP leader Azam Khan’s bastion Rampur, which he represented before he was disqualified after his conviction in a hate speech case.

    In a tweet in Hindi, Mayawati said, “The SP won the bypolls held on Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat, but it lost for the first time on the seat held by Azam Khan in the assembly by-election due to planned low voting.”

    “Is it not a result of the internal collusion between the BJP and the SP?” In another tweet, she said, “The Muslim community needs to think and understand this so that in the upcoming elections, it can save itself from getting cheated.

    “There is a lot of suspicion over the defeat of the BJP in the Khatauli assembly bypolls, and this is also a matter to think about.”

    Reacting to her statement, BJP’s newly elected MLA from Rampur Akash Saxena said, “In the Lok Sabha bypolls held in Rampur, the voting percentage was 31.5 per cent, and in the recent assembly by-elections held in Rampur, the voting percentage was 35.So, it is wrong to say that there has been a low voter turnout in the by-election. The polling percentage (in the assembly bypolls) has increased by 3.5 points compared to the Lok Sabha bypolls.”

    UP BJP spokesperson Hero Bajpai rebutted the tweets of the BSP chief and told PTI, “This is simply a figment of her imagination. She is saying all this since the BSP is not contesting the elections, nor it is entering the poll fray. And, I feel that in the upcoming urban local bodies elections and in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, if she continues to watch the match from outside the field, then she will continue to make such baseless remarks.”

    Samajwadi Party MLC Ashutosh Sinha told PTI, “The BSP is working as a B-team of the BJP, and in every election, it makes an effort to transfer its vote to the BJP. However, this did not materialise in these bypolls, and the people rejected the BSP after knowing about its intention.”

    In the recently-concluded by-elections, the Samajwadi Party retained the high-profile Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat, while the BJP wrested the Rampur Sadar assembly seat from it.

    The ruling BJP in Uttar Pradesh, however, lost Khatauli to Samajwadi Party ally Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD).

    Dimple Yadav, the wife of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, defeated her nearest rival and BJP candidate Raghuraj Singh Shakya by 2,88,461 votes in Mainpuri, a pocket borough of SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav’s family.

    The win provided some solace to Akhilesh Yadav after the defeat in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections early this year and the loss of Azamgarh and Rampur Lok Sabha seats to the BJP in the bypolls in June.

    Samajwadi Party’s ally Rashtriya Lok Dal’s Madan Bhaiya defeated his BJP rival Rajkumari Saini by a margin of over 22,000 votes in Khatauli.

    Saini is the wife of former BJP MLA Vikram Singh whose disqualification from the state assembly following his conviction in a 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots case necessitated the by-election.

    Madan Bhaiya polled 97,071 votes, while Saini received 74,996, according to the Election Commission.

    LUCKNOW: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Sunday attributed the defeat of the Samajwadi Party in the recent Rampur bypoll to “planned low voting”, wondering whether there was a collusion between the SP and the BJP.

    The BJP for the first time won from SP leader Azam Khan’s bastion Rampur, which he represented before he was disqualified after his conviction in a hate speech case.

    In a tweet in Hindi, Mayawati said, “The SP won the bypolls held on Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat, but it lost for the first time on the seat held by Azam Khan in the assembly by-election due to planned low voting.”

    “Is it not a result of the internal collusion between the BJP and the SP?” In another tweet, she said, “The Muslim community needs to think and understand this so that in the upcoming elections, it can save itself from getting cheated.

    “There is a lot of suspicion over the defeat of the BJP in the Khatauli assembly bypolls, and this is also a matter to think about.”

    Reacting to her statement, BJP’s newly elected MLA from Rampur Akash Saxena said, “In the Lok Sabha bypolls held in Rampur, the voting percentage was 31.5 per cent, and in the recent assembly by-elections held in Rampur, the voting percentage was 35.So, it is wrong to say that there has been a low voter turnout in the by-election. The polling percentage (in the assembly bypolls) has increased by 3.5 points compared to the Lok Sabha bypolls.”

    UP BJP spokesperson Hero Bajpai rebutted the tweets of the BSP chief and told PTI, “This is simply a figment of her imagination. She is saying all this since the BSP is not contesting the elections, nor it is entering the poll fray. And, I feel that in the upcoming urban local bodies elections and in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, if she continues to watch the match from outside the field, then she will continue to make such baseless remarks.”

    Samajwadi Party MLC Ashutosh Sinha told PTI, “The BSP is working as a B-team of the BJP, and in every election, it makes an effort to transfer its vote to the BJP. However, this did not materialise in these bypolls, and the people rejected the BSP after knowing about its intention.”

    In the recently-concluded by-elections, the Samajwadi Party retained the high-profile Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat, while the BJP wrested the Rampur Sadar assembly seat from it.

    The ruling BJP in Uttar Pradesh, however, lost Khatauli to Samajwadi Party ally Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD).

    Dimple Yadav, the wife of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, defeated her nearest rival and BJP candidate Raghuraj Singh Shakya by 2,88,461 votes in Mainpuri, a pocket borough of SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav’s family.

    The win provided some solace to Akhilesh Yadav after the defeat in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections early this year and the loss of Azamgarh and Rampur Lok Sabha seats to the BJP in the bypolls in June.

    Samajwadi Party’s ally Rashtriya Lok Dal’s Madan Bhaiya defeated his BJP rival Rajkumari Saini by a margin of over 22,000 votes in Khatauli.

    Saini is the wife of former BJP MLA Vikram Singh whose disqualification from the state assembly following his conviction in a 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots case necessitated the by-election.

    Madan Bhaiya polled 97,071 votes, while Saini received 74,996, according to the Election Commission.

  • AAP played spoiler in Gujarat: Chidambaram

    In an interview with PTI, he also said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) played spoiler in Gujarat, like it did earlier in Goa and Uttarakhand.

  • AAP stages protest, demands early assembly polls in J-K

    By PTI

    JAMMU: Activists of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) led by former minister Harsh Dev Singh on Saturday staged a protest outside the Nirvachan Bhawan headquarters here, demanding early assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir.

    The protesters were carrying placards and raised slogans against the Election Commission, accusing it of working under the tutelage of the BJP and allowing its “proxy rule” to continue in the Union Territory.

    “The ECI is holding elections in other states but is silent on the (assembly) polls in Jammu and Kashmir,” Singh, who is also the chairman of the party’s State Coordination Committee, told reporters.

    Maintaining that the elections continued to be denied on one pretext or the other, the AAP leader said flimsy excuses were being given from time to time to deprive the people of J-K of their right to have a democratic government and to continue the proxy rule of the BJP.

    “The BJP believed that if it could hold the reins of power and run the affairs of state without elections, why at all should it take the risk of seeking peoples’ mandate?” Singh claimed “There is no hope of democracy getting restored in the downgraded state under the BJP regime.”

    Pointing towards the constitutional provisions and the rulings of the Supreme Court, Singh said the top court of the country had categorically observed that fresh Assembly elections in all states, wherein the legislatures were prematurely dissolved, needed to be conducted and completed within a period of six months.

    He said the onus lay on the Election Commission to explain and justify its role as an autonomous body and ensure early assembly polls in J-K.

    JAMMU: Activists of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) led by former minister Harsh Dev Singh on Saturday staged a protest outside the Nirvachan Bhawan headquarters here, demanding early assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir.

    The protesters were carrying placards and raised slogans against the Election Commission, accusing it of working under the tutelage of the BJP and allowing its “proxy rule” to continue in the Union Territory.

    “The ECI is holding elections in other states but is silent on the (assembly) polls in Jammu and Kashmir,” Singh, who is also the chairman of the party’s State Coordination Committee, told reporters.

    Maintaining that the elections continued to be denied on one pretext or the other, the AAP leader said flimsy excuses were being given from time to time to deprive the people of J-K of their right to have a democratic government and to continue the proxy rule of the BJP.

    “The BJP believed that if it could hold the reins of power and run the affairs of state without elections, why at all should it take the risk of seeking peoples’ mandate?” Singh claimed “There is no hope of democracy getting restored in the downgraded state under the BJP regime.”

    Pointing towards the constitutional provisions and the rulings of the Supreme Court, Singh said the top court of the country had categorically observed that fresh Assembly elections in all states, wherein the legislatures were prematurely dissolved, needed to be conducted and completed within a period of six months.

    He said the onus lay on the Election Commission to explain and justify its role as an autonomous body and ensure early assembly polls in J-K.

  • Gujarat: Bhupendra Patel to continue as CM for second term; elected leader of BJP legislative party

    By PTI

    GANDHINAGAR: Bhupendra Patel will continue as the chief minister of Gujarat for a second straight term with the newly-elected Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs electing him as the leader of the legislative party during a meeting here on Saturday.

    Patel’s name was declared as the leader of the legislative party unanimously at the meeting held at the party’s state headquarters ‘Kamalam.’

    “The newly-elected MLAs met today at ‘Kamalam,’ where the proposal to name Bhupendra Patel as the chief minister of Gujarat was unanimously approved,” the BJP said in a statement.

    Patel, 60, had resigned as the chief minister along with his entire cabinet on Friday to pave the way for the formation of a new government in the state after the BJP registered a landslide victory in the just concluded Assembly elections.

    Senior BJP leaders Rajnath Singh, B S Yediyurappa and Arjun Munda were present for the meeting as the party’s central observers.

    Patel won a second straight term from the Ghatlodia Assembly seat in the Ahmedabad district by 1.92 lakh votes in this year’s election.

    In September last year, he replaced Vijay Rupani as the chief minister.

    The BJP registered a historic victory in Gujarat by clinching 156 seats in the 182-member House on Thursday, much higher than its tally of 99 seats in 2017.

    The party had already announced that the swearing-in ceremony of the new government will take place on December 12, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah will be present along with chief ministers of BJP-ruled states.

    Gujarat BJP chief C R Patil had said that Bhupendra Patel would continue as the chief minister and the swearing-in ceremony of the new government will take place on Monday at the Helipad Ground in Gandhinagar.ALSO READ | Record win shows Gujarat is a Modi citadel, micro-managed by him

    GANDHINAGAR: Bhupendra Patel will continue as the chief minister of Gujarat for a second straight term with the newly-elected Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs electing him as the leader of the legislative party during a meeting here on Saturday.

    Patel’s name was declared as the leader of the legislative party unanimously at the meeting held at the party’s state headquarters ‘Kamalam.’

    “The newly-elected MLAs met today at ‘Kamalam,’ where the proposal to name Bhupendra Patel as the chief minister of Gujarat was unanimously approved,” the BJP said in a statement.

    Patel, 60, had resigned as the chief minister along with his entire cabinet on Friday to pave the way for the formation of a new government in the state after the BJP registered a landslide victory in the just concluded Assembly elections.

    Senior BJP leaders Rajnath Singh, B S Yediyurappa and Arjun Munda were present for the meeting as the party’s central observers.

    Patel won a second straight term from the Ghatlodia Assembly seat in the Ahmedabad district by 1.92 lakh votes in this year’s election.

    In September last year, he replaced Vijay Rupani as the chief minister.

    The BJP registered a historic victory in Gujarat by clinching 156 seats in the 182-member House on Thursday, much higher than its tally of 99 seats in 2017.

    The party had already announced that the swearing-in ceremony of the new government will take place on December 12, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah will be present along with chief ministers of BJP-ruled states.

    Gujarat BJP chief C R Patil had said that Bhupendra Patel would continue as the chief minister and the swearing-in ceremony of the new government will take place on Monday at the Helipad Ground in Gandhinagar.ALSO READ | Record win shows Gujarat is a Modi citadel, micro-managed by him

  • ‘Heavy BJP machinery’ made MCD polls toughest election contested by AAP: Kejriwal

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said the “heavy BJP machinery” deployed during campaigning made the MCD polls the toughest election contested by the Aam Aadmi Party so far, accusing the saffron party of pressuring media to spread propaganda.

    Addressing the newly elected councillors, Kejriwal asserted that the AAP does positive politics and talks about “our work” “This election was very very tough. A few people say it was an easy election, but it was not. The way they conspired against us and the way they used state machinery against us, it was the toughest elections we ever contested,” Kejriwal claimed.

    “Heavy BJP machinery deployed during campaigning made MCD poll the toughest election contested by the AAP so far,” he added.

    Referring to the purported videos of jailed minister Satyender Jain, the chief minister said the BJP pressured the media to spread “propaganda against us”.

    “We do positive politics and talk about our work. The BJP through fake videos and letters of a jailed conman did not allow us to discuss our work narrative,” the AAP supremo said.

    “Moreover, the way they pressured the media, they scolded the media and twisted its arm, they ran misinformation campaign against us. There was a new fake video every morning at 9 o’clock,” he alleged.

    The AAP on Wednesday wrested power from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the high-stakes civic polls in the national capital.

    The Arvind Kejriwal-led party bagged 134 of the 250 wards while the BJP won 104.

    NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said the “heavy BJP machinery” deployed during campaigning made the MCD polls the toughest election contested by the Aam Aadmi Party so far, accusing the saffron party of pressuring media to spread propaganda.

    Addressing the newly elected councillors, Kejriwal asserted that the AAP does positive politics and talks about “our work” “This election was very very tough. A few people say it was an easy election, but it was not. The way they conspired against us and the way they used state machinery against us, it was the toughest elections we ever contested,” Kejriwal claimed.

    “Heavy BJP machinery deployed during campaigning made MCD poll the toughest election contested by the AAP so far,” he added.

    Referring to the purported videos of jailed minister Satyender Jain, the chief minister said the BJP pressured the media to spread “propaganda against us”.

    “We do positive politics and talk about our work. The BJP through fake videos and letters of a jailed conman did not allow us to discuss our work narrative,” the AAP supremo said.

    “Moreover, the way they pressured the media, they scolded the media and twisted its arm, they ran misinformation campaign against us. There was a new fake video every morning at 9 o’clock,” he alleged.

    The AAP on Wednesday wrested power from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the high-stakes civic polls in the national capital.

    The Arvind Kejriwal-led party bagged 134 of the 250 wards while the BJP won 104.

  • Post Akhilesh-Shivpal patch-up, BJP may have sleepless nights

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW:  The merger of Shivpal Yadav-led Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party-Lohia and Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party prompt the BJP to return to the drawing board to devise a fresh strategy for not only the big battle of 2024 but also the upcoming civic polls. The SP has decided to fight the urban local body polls on its symbol for the first time.

    The Akhilesh-Shivpal reunion had been visible since the demise of SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav. It has now been cemented by Dimple Yadav’s victory. Hours after Akhilesh presented his party flag to Shivpal in Saifai on Thursday, the latter and his son Aditya changed their Twitter accounts to identify themselves as SP leaders.

    “In the coming days, chachaji will be given a bigger role in Samajwadi Party and his party workers will be given due respect,” Akhilesh said. Dimple’s victory in Mainpuri with a margin of over 2.88 lakh votes over BJP’s Raghuraj Singh Shakya consolidated the reconciliation between Akhilesh and Shivpal. 

    “Being seen as homecoming, the merger of his party with SP will strengthen the hands of not only Akhilesh but also reduce the challenges for Shivpal who had been side lined,” Reoti Raman Singh, an SP veteran, said.

    The family feud had hurt the prospects of the uncle and nephew in three polls since 2017, and the BJP had cashed in on it. “Akhilesh would get the benefit of this reunion in potato belt comprising Kannauj, Firozabad, Auraiyya, Etawah, Mainpuri and Farrukhbad as Shivpal has a respectable following here,” JP Shukla, a political commentator, said.  

    LUCKNOW:  The merger of Shivpal Yadav-led Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party-Lohia and Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party prompt the BJP to return to the drawing board to devise a fresh strategy for not only the big battle of 2024 but also the upcoming civic polls. The SP has decided to fight the urban local body polls on its symbol for the first time.

    The Akhilesh-Shivpal reunion had been visible since the demise of SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav. It has now been cemented by Dimple Yadav’s victory. Hours after Akhilesh presented his party flag to Shivpal in Saifai on Thursday, the latter and his son Aditya changed their Twitter accounts to identify themselves as SP leaders.

    “In the coming days, chachaji will be given a bigger role in Samajwadi Party and his party workers will be given due respect,” Akhilesh said. Dimple’s victory in Mainpuri with a margin of over 2.88 lakh votes over BJP’s Raghuraj Singh Shakya consolidated the reconciliation between Akhilesh and Shivpal. 

    “Being seen as homecoming, the merger of his party with SP will strengthen the hands of not only Akhilesh but also reduce the challenges for Shivpal who had been side lined,” Reoti Raman Singh, an SP veteran, said.

    The family feud had hurt the prospects of the uncle and nephew in three polls since 2017, and the BJP had cashed in on it. “Akhilesh would get the benefit of this reunion in potato belt comprising Kannauj, Firozabad, Auraiyya, Etawah, Mainpuri and Farrukhbad as Shivpal has a respectable following here,” JP Shukla, a political commentator, said. 
     

  • Bhupendra Patel resigns as Gujarat CM, set for another term

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD: Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel tendered his resignation along with his entire cabinet on Friday to pave the way for formation of a new government in the state after the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) landslide victory in the Assembly elections.

    The BJP registered a historic victory in Gujarat by clinching 156 seats in the 182-member House. Patel, accompanied by Gujarat BJP chief C R Paatil and party’s chief whip Pankaj Desai, handed over his resignation to Governor Acharya Devvrat at the Raj Bhavan in Gandhinagar.

    This is just a formality as the party has already announced that Patel will be the next chief minister of the state ahead of the polls.

    On Thursday, the state BJP chief had once again announced the Patel would continue to occupy the top post in the state and his swearing-in ceremony would be held on December 12.

    “The governor had accepted the resignation of the chief minister and his cabinet. Till the formation of the new government, Patel will remain as the caretaker chief minister,” Desai told reporters outside Raj Bhavan.

    In a letter, Paatil informed the governor that the BJP, which has won 156 out of 182 seats, has called a legislative party meeting of all the newly-elected MLAs on Saturday morning to elect a new leader, who will eventually become the next chief minister.

    “The meeting of MLAs will be held at 10 am on Saturday at the party headquarter Kamalam in Gandhinagar.

    The governor will be informed about the election of a new leader in the afternoon, for which we have sought time from him. The swearing in of the new chief minister and his cabinet will take place as per the governor’s instructions,” Desai said.

    Paatil had announced that the swearing-in ceremony of the new government will take place on Monday at the Helipad Ground in Gandhinagar.

    AHMEDABAD: Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel tendered his resignation along with his entire cabinet on Friday to pave the way for formation of a new government in the state after the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) landslide victory in the Assembly elections.

    The BJP registered a historic victory in Gujarat by clinching 156 seats in the 182-member House. Patel, accompanied by Gujarat BJP chief C R Paatil and party’s chief whip Pankaj Desai, handed over his resignation to Governor Acharya Devvrat at the Raj Bhavan in Gandhinagar.

    This is just a formality as the party has already announced that Patel will be the next chief minister of the state ahead of the polls.

    On Thursday, the state BJP chief had once again announced the Patel would continue to occupy the top post in the state and his swearing-in ceremony would be held on December 12.

    “The governor had accepted the resignation of the chief minister and his cabinet. Till the formation of the new government, Patel will remain as the caretaker chief minister,” Desai told reporters outside Raj Bhavan.

    In a letter, Paatil informed the governor that the BJP, which has won 156 out of 182 seats, has called a legislative party meeting of all the newly-elected MLAs on Saturday morning to elect a new leader, who will eventually become the next chief minister.

    “The meeting of MLAs will be held at 10 am on Saturday at the party headquarter Kamalam in Gandhinagar.

    The governor will be informed about the election of a new leader in the afternoon, for which we have sought time from him. The swearing in of the new chief minister and his cabinet will take place as per the governor’s instructions,” Desai said.

    Paatil had announced that the swearing-in ceremony of the new government will take place on Monday at the Helipad Ground in Gandhinagar.

  • Gujarat: After staying away from BJP in 2017, Patidars back ruling party to the hilt in 2022 polls

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD: The Patidar community, a section of which had voted against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2017 Assembly polls held in the backdrop of the quota agitation in Gujarat, returned to the ruling outfit in the 2022 elections, helping it win most of the seats dominated by the influential social group.

    The BJP has done extremely well in the Patidar-dominated constituencies of the state, winning almost every seat that has significant Patel population.

    Polling for the 182-member Gujarat Assembly took place on December 1 and 5, and votes were counted on December 8.

    In the Saurashtra region, the Congress had won Patidar-dominated seats of Morbi, Tankara, Dhoraji and Amreli, among others in 2017. However, all these Assembly segments this time went in the BJP’s kitty.

    In Patidar-dominated Surat, where the AAP was banking on the community to bag a few seats, the social group by and large backed the ruling party. The saffron outfit won Patidar seats of Varachha Road, Katargam and Olpad with huge margins.

    In North Gujarat, the Congress had won Patidar-dominated Unjha seat five year ago, but this time it was wrested by the BJP. The BJP, ahead of the 2022 elections, reached out to the Patel community.

    The party replaced its Chief Minister Vijay Rupani with incumbent Bhupendra Patel in September 2021.

    The ruling outfit brought in Patidar quota agitation leader Hardik Patel to its fold from the Congress and fielded him from the Viramgam Assembly seat from where he won by a handsome margin.

    ALSO READ| Gujarat: Clinching Viramgam seat in poll debut is no cakewalk for Patidar face Hardik Patel

    The biggest move of the BJP at the state and central level which placated the community was giving 10 per cent quota in jobs and education to the poor (economically weaker sections or EWS) among “upper castes”.

    The 2017 polls were fought in the shadow of Hardik Patel-led quota agitation launched to secure OBC status for the community. In the 2017 elections, despite setting an ambitious target of winning 150 out of the 182 seats, the BJP bagged just 99 seats.

    Thanks to the Patidar quota agitation and whirlwind campaign by Hardik Patel against the BJP, the opposition Congress had then emerged victorious on 77 seats.

    As per community’s estimate, there are nearly 40 seats in Gujarat where Patidar voters play a decisive role. These seats are scattered across rural as well as urban landscapes of the state.

    Though Patels account for nearly 18 per cent of Gujarat’s population, 44 Patidar MLAs were elected in 2017, which showed their influence on electoral politics in Gujarat.

    Some of the seats having high concentration of Patidar voters in Saurashtra region are Morbi, Tankara, Gondal, Dhoraji, Amreli, Savarkundla, Jetpur, Rajkot East, Rajkot West and Rajkot South.

    While Vijapur, Visnagar, Mehsana and Unjha seats in north Gujarat have considerable number of Patidar voters, at least five seats of Ahmedabad city – Ghatlodia, Sabarmati, Maninagar, Nikol and Naroda – are also considered Patel-dominated segments.

    In south Gujarat, several seats in Surat district are considered Patidar bastion, including Varachha, Kamrej, Katargam and Surat North.

    For the 2022 polls, the BJP had given tickets to 41 Patidars, one more than the Congress’s tally. The AAP had also given tickets to a significant number of members from the community.

    To keep the community happy, the saffron outfit had also declared that Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel will be retained on the post after the elections.

    Ahead of the polls, the Jamnagar-based Sidsar Umiyadham Trust, which represents the Kadva Patidar sect, had demanded that the BJP field at least 50 Patidar candidates.

    AHMEDABAD: The Patidar community, a section of which had voted against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2017 Assembly polls held in the backdrop of the quota agitation in Gujarat, returned to the ruling outfit in the 2022 elections, helping it win most of the seats dominated by the influential social group.

    The BJP has done extremely well in the Patidar-dominated constituencies of the state, winning almost every seat that has significant Patel population.

    Polling for the 182-member Gujarat Assembly took place on December 1 and 5, and votes were counted on December 8.

    In the Saurashtra region, the Congress had won Patidar-dominated seats of Morbi, Tankara, Dhoraji and Amreli, among others in 2017. However, all these Assembly segments this time went in the BJP’s kitty.

    In Patidar-dominated Surat, where the AAP was banking on the community to bag a few seats, the social group by and large backed the ruling party. The saffron outfit won Patidar seats of Varachha Road, Katargam and Olpad with huge margins.

    In North Gujarat, the Congress had won Patidar-dominated Unjha seat five year ago, but this time it was wrested by the BJP. The BJP, ahead of the 2022 elections, reached out to the Patel community.

    The party replaced its Chief Minister Vijay Rupani with incumbent Bhupendra Patel in September 2021.

    The ruling outfit brought in Patidar quota agitation leader Hardik Patel to its fold from the Congress and fielded him from the Viramgam Assembly seat from where he won by a handsome margin.

    ALSO READ| Gujarat: Clinching Viramgam seat in poll debut is no cakewalk for Patidar face Hardik Patel

    The biggest move of the BJP at the state and central level which placated the community was giving 10 per cent quota in jobs and education to the poor (economically weaker sections or EWS) among “upper castes”.

    The 2017 polls were fought in the shadow of Hardik Patel-led quota agitation launched to secure OBC status for the community. In the 2017 elections, despite setting an ambitious target of winning 150 out of the 182 seats, the BJP bagged just 99 seats.

    Thanks to the Patidar quota agitation and whirlwind campaign by Hardik Patel against the BJP, the opposition Congress had then emerged victorious on 77 seats.

    As per community’s estimate, there are nearly 40 seats in Gujarat where Patidar voters play a decisive role. These seats are scattered across rural as well as urban landscapes of the state.

    Though Patels account for nearly 18 per cent of Gujarat’s population, 44 Patidar MLAs were elected in 2017, which showed their influence on electoral politics in Gujarat.

    Some of the seats having high concentration of Patidar voters in Saurashtra region are Morbi, Tankara, Gondal, Dhoraji, Amreli, Savarkundla, Jetpur, Rajkot East, Rajkot West and Rajkot South.

    While Vijapur, Visnagar, Mehsana and Unjha seats in north Gujarat have considerable number of Patidar voters, at least five seats of Ahmedabad city – Ghatlodia, Sabarmati, Maninagar, Nikol and Naroda – are also considered Patel-dominated segments.

    In south Gujarat, several seats in Surat district are considered Patidar bastion, including Varachha, Kamrej, Katargam and Surat North.

    For the 2022 polls, the BJP had given tickets to 41 Patidars, one more than the Congress’s tally. The AAP had also given tickets to a significant number of members from the community.

    To keep the community happy, the saffron outfit had also declared that Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel will be retained on the post after the elections.

    Ahead of the polls, the Jamnagar-based Sidsar Umiyadham Trust, which represents the Kadva Patidar sect, had demanded that the BJP field at least 50 Patidar candidates.

  • Maha BJP wants AAP to contest BMC polls to ‘eat’ into opponents’ vote banks 

    Express News Service

    MUMBAI:  Taking a cue from Gujarat results, BJP’s Mumbai unit president Ashish Shelar said on Thursday that their next immediate opponent in BMC elections will be the AAP. Reacting to the landslide and historic victory of BJP in Gujarat, Mumbai BJP unite president Ashish Shelar on Thursday said that their immediate competitor is AAP.

    “The way AAP got the votes and seats in Gujarat election, and victory in Delhi Municipal Corporation elections and efforts in Himachal Pradesh shows that the main opponent of BJP in BMC elections will be AAP only. Other parties in Mumbai have no relevance now,” he said, putting the cat among the pigeons.

    The BJP has to fight against Maha Vikas Aghadi mainly against Shiv Sena to wrest the BMC. Sena has been ruling the BMC for last 25 years  since 1997. In 2017, BJP gave a tough time to Shiv Sena by winning 83 seats while Shiv Sena had won 87 seats in 227 members BMC.

    Sources in BJP said that people may have different opinion over AAP entry, but this is fact with entry and aggressive campaign of APP, the BJP would not have created all historical records. “Congress is always strong in rural Gujarat that BJP tried several times, but could not break that Congress’ OBC, Dalit, Muslim vote block.

    But this time, AAP not only helped eat significant votes share of the Congress directly, impacting results of 75 seats in Gujarat and giving direct benefit to BJP. We want to use the same strategy in Mumbai by promoting AAP and MNS to split anti-BJP votes,” a BJP leader said.

    MUMBAI:  Taking a cue from Gujarat results, BJP’s Mumbai unit president Ashish Shelar said on Thursday that their next immediate opponent in BMC elections will be the AAP. Reacting to the landslide and historic victory of BJP in Gujarat, Mumbai BJP unite president Ashish Shelar on Thursday said that their immediate competitor is AAP.

    “The way AAP got the votes and seats in Gujarat election, and victory in Delhi Municipal Corporation elections and efforts in Himachal Pradesh shows that the main opponent of BJP in BMC elections will be AAP only. Other parties in Mumbai have no relevance now,” he said, putting the cat among the pigeons.

    The BJP has to fight against Maha Vikas Aghadi mainly against Shiv Sena to wrest the BMC. Sena has been ruling the BMC for last 25 years  since 1997. In 2017, BJP gave a tough time to Shiv Sena by winning 83 seats while Shiv Sena had won 87 seats in 227 members BMC.

    Sources in BJP said that people may have different opinion over AAP entry, but this is fact with entry and aggressive campaign of APP, the BJP would not have created all historical records. “Congress is always strong in rural Gujarat that BJP tried several times, but could not break that Congress’ OBC, Dalit, Muslim vote block.

    But this time, AAP not only helped eat significant votes share of the Congress directly, impacting results of 75 seats in Gujarat and giving direct benefit to BJP. We want to use the same strategy in Mumbai by promoting AAP and MNS to split anti-BJP votes,” a BJP leader said.

  • Himachal: BJP rebels changed ‘riwaaj’ in favour of Congress

    Express News Service

    CHANDIGARH:  The BJP hadn’t imagined it that the Gujarat storm would vanish so vainly in the small Himlayan state of Himachal Pradesh. The ‘double-engine’ oxymoron and the ‘riwaaj badal rha hai (the tradition is changing, a persuasive self-declaration against two parties taking turns to rule)’ suffered such a heavy blow that by the time a chilling winter evening set in over Shimla, a long-faced Jai Ram Thakur, the CM, called it a day, handing his papers to the Governor.

    It happened in a state that prides itself on two BJP heavyweights – party chief JP Nadda and Union minister Anurag Thakur. For the party, the opposition Congress had been browbeaten and was rudderless after the death of former CM Virbhadra Singh. Thursday gave the saffron party a rude jolt: the Congress led by Pratibha Singh not only proved the revolving-door power-sharing tradition between the two parties but also gave enough evidence that the party is alive and kicking.

    The score stood for Congress 40 and BJP 25 in the 68-member Assembly. The saffron camp could hardly draw any solace from the fact that among the winners, there were three party rebels. Observers attribute Congress’ victory to its ability to successfully raise local issues. The BJP leaned heavily on Modi, who put everything in him to bring rebels around, but it was too late. 

    ALSO READ| Assembly election results: How the Congress won Himachal

    “The mismanagement within the BJP started to show with miscalculated nominations: those denied the ticket fielded themselves at 21 places, denting the party prospects,” says political analyst Harish Thakur.As the nerve-center of Himachal politics, Kangra, the BJP that had won a dozen seats in 2017 could win only four seats. The Congress’ populist campaign to revive the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) went against the ruling BJP as the state has a large chunk of government employees. Ditto was the case with Centre’s launch of an unpopular Agniveer plan for the youth.

    Observers also point to BJP-versus-BJP tussle involving rival camps of Nadda and the one led by former CM Prem Kumar Dhumal, Anurag Thakur’s father. Outgoing CM Jai Ram Thakur is considered close to Nadda. In the ticket distribution, the Dhumal camp was not reportedly accommodated adequately, antagonising a section of the party.

    Analysts say the other mistake the saffron party made was keeping Dhumal out of the elections. The party could not get a convincing lead in the three districts of Hamirpur, Una and Bilaspur. In Hamirpur, the home district of Dhumal and Anurag Thakur, four seats went to Congress and another was bagged by an Independent. In Una again, the Congress bagged four seats while BJP got only one. In Bilaspur, the home district of BJP chief JP Nadda, the BJP bagged three seats while one went to Congress.

    BJP leaned heavily on Modi, Cong raised local issuesObservers attribute Congress’ victory to its ability to successfully raise local issues. The BJP leaned heavily on Modi, who put everything in him to bring rebels around, but it was too late. 

    CHANDIGARH:  The BJP hadn’t imagined it that the Gujarat storm would vanish so vainly in the small Himlayan state of Himachal Pradesh. The ‘double-engine’ oxymoron and the ‘riwaaj badal rha hai (the tradition is changing, a persuasive self-declaration against two parties taking turns to rule)’ suffered such a heavy blow that by the time a chilling winter evening set in over Shimla, a long-faced Jai Ram Thakur, the CM, called it a day, handing his papers to the Governor.

    It happened in a state that prides itself on two BJP heavyweights – party chief JP Nadda and Union minister Anurag Thakur. For the party, the opposition Congress had been browbeaten and was rudderless after the death of former CM Virbhadra Singh. Thursday gave the saffron party a rude jolt: the Congress led by Pratibha Singh not only proved the revolving-door power-sharing tradition between the two parties but also gave enough evidence that the party is alive and kicking.

    The score stood for Congress 40 and BJP 25 in the 68-member Assembly. The saffron camp could hardly draw any solace from the fact that among the winners, there were three party rebels. Observers attribute Congress’ victory to its ability to successfully raise local issues. The BJP leaned heavily on Modi, who put everything in him to bring rebels around, but it was too late. 

    ALSO READ| Assembly election results: How the Congress won Himachal

    “The mismanagement within the BJP started to show with miscalculated nominations: those denied the ticket fielded themselves at 21 places, denting the party prospects,” says political analyst Harish Thakur.
    As the nerve-center of Himachal politics, Kangra, the BJP that had won a dozen seats in 2017 could win only four seats. The Congress’ populist campaign to revive the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) went against the ruling BJP as the state has a large chunk of government employees. Ditto was the case with Centre’s launch of an unpopular Agniveer plan for the youth.

    Observers also point to BJP-versus-BJP tussle involving rival camps of Nadda and the one led by former CM Prem Kumar Dhumal, Anurag Thakur’s father. Outgoing CM Jai Ram Thakur is considered close to Nadda. In the ticket distribution, the Dhumal camp was not reportedly accommodated adequately, antagonising a section of the party.

    Analysts say the other mistake the saffron party made was keeping Dhumal out of the elections. The party could not get a convincing lead in the three districts of Hamirpur, Una and Bilaspur. In Hamirpur, the home district of Dhumal and Anurag Thakur, four seats went to Congress and another was bagged by an Independent. In Una again, the Congress bagged four seats while BJP got only one. In Bilaspur, the home district of BJP chief JP Nadda, the BJP bagged three seats while one went to Congress.

    BJP leaned heavily on Modi, Cong raised local issues
    Observers attribute Congress’ victory to its ability to successfully raise local issues. The BJP leaned heavily on Modi, who put everything in him to bring rebels around, but it was too late.