News Analysis India

Tag: Gujarat assembly elections

  • BJP secured over 52 % of votes compared to 2017, loses 14 seats in Saurashtra, Central, North Gujarat

    Express News Service

    AHMEDABAD: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is creating history by winning 156 seats in Gujarat assembly elections, besides BJP winning 52.50% of the vote share. This has officially and never happened before in the history of Gujarat, where the percentage of people who voted for BJP was greater than 50%.

    But in 37 seats in Gujarat itself, the BJP candidates received fewer votes than last year. Of these seats, the Congress party won 9 and AAP won two. Three were awarded to “others.” The BJP has suffered defeats in 14 of these 37 seats in which the constituencies included Dhanera, Bayad, Khedbrahma, Vav, Lunawada, Khambhat, Kankeraj, Danilimda, Botad, Kutiana, Somnath, Jamalpur Khadia, Jamjodhpur, Vijapur, etc.

    Out of these 37 seats, there are 19 seats in which Aam Aadmi Party candidates have lost their deposits. While in 11 seats BJP has faced defeat by more than ten thousand votes, the BJP has been defeated by 25,064 votes in the important Dhari assembly seat in Saurashtra.

    BJP candidate on the Dhanera seat of North Gujarat got 60,357 votes, Congress got 38,260 votes, whereas Aam Aadmi Party got only 1130 votes and the victorious independent candidate got 96,053 votes.

    Importantly, this time NOTA has played an important role in defeating BJP candidates on more than three seats. BJP candidate Ashwin Kotwal has lost 1664 votes from the Khedbrahma seat reserved for tribals in North Gujarat, where 7331 votes were cast in NOTA.

    While BJP candidate Mansingh Parmar has lost on Somnath seat of Saurashtra by only 922 votes, 1530 votes have been cast in NOTA. Meanwhile, in North Gujarat, senior BJP leader Dilip Thakore has also faced defeat due to NOTA. Dilip Thakor has lost the Chansma seat by 1404 votes while 3811 votes have been cast in NOTA here.

    Talking about this district, the highest number of NOTA votes was cast in Ahmedabad district with 49,568 votes while the lowest was cast in Dang district with 1910 votes.

    According to political analysts, the polling this time was lower than in 2017, which has affected the votes received by the parties. Data somewhere shows that low voter turnout has benefited the BJP and the other parties have lost more.

    A total of 3.13 crore voters voted in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly elections, out of which 1.67 crore voted for the BJP, which is an average of 52.50 percent.

    For Graphic: BJP lost 14 assembly seats:

    North Gujarat:

    1.        Dhanera,2.        Bayad,3.        KhedBrahma,4.        Vav,5.        Kankeraj,6.        Vijapur,

    Central Gujarat:1.        Lunawada,2.        Khambhat,3.        Danilimda,4.        Jamalpur Khadia,

    Saurashtra:1.        Botad,2.        Kutiana,3.        Somnath,4.        Jamjodhpur

    AHMEDABAD: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is creating history by winning 156 seats in Gujarat assembly elections, besides BJP winning 52.50% of the vote share. This has officially and never happened before in the history of Gujarat, where the percentage of people who voted for BJP was greater than 50%.

    But in 37 seats in Gujarat itself, the BJP candidates received fewer votes than last year. Of these seats, the Congress party won 9 and AAP won two. Three were awarded to “others.” The BJP has suffered defeats in 14 of these 37 seats in which the constituencies included Dhanera, Bayad, Khedbrahma, Vav, Lunawada, Khambhat, Kankeraj, Danilimda, Botad, Kutiana, Somnath, Jamalpur Khadia, Jamjodhpur, Vijapur, etc.

    Out of these 37 seats, there are 19 seats in which Aam Aadmi Party candidates have lost their deposits. While in 11 seats BJP has faced defeat by more than ten thousand votes, the BJP has been defeated by 25,064 votes in the important Dhari assembly seat in Saurashtra.

    BJP candidate on the Dhanera seat of North Gujarat got 60,357 votes, Congress got 38,260 votes, whereas Aam Aadmi Party got only 1130 votes and the victorious independent candidate got 96,053 votes.

    Importantly, this time NOTA has played an important role in defeating BJP candidates on more than three seats. BJP candidate Ashwin Kotwal has lost 1664 votes from the Khedbrahma seat reserved for tribals in North Gujarat, where 7331 votes were cast in NOTA.

    While BJP candidate Mansingh Parmar has lost on Somnath seat of Saurashtra by only 922 votes, 1530 votes have been cast in NOTA. Meanwhile, in North Gujarat, senior BJP leader Dilip Thakore has also faced defeat due to NOTA. Dilip Thakor has lost the Chansma seat by 1404 votes while 3811 votes have been cast in NOTA here.

    Talking about this district, the highest number of NOTA votes was cast in Ahmedabad district with 49,568 votes while the lowest was cast in Dang district with 1910 votes.

    According to political analysts, the polling this time was lower than in 2017, which has affected the votes received by the parties. Data somewhere shows that low voter turnout has benefited the BJP and the other parties have lost more.

    A total of 3.13 crore voters voted in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly elections, out of which 1.67 crore voted for the BJP, which is an average of 52.50 percent.

    For Graphic: BJP lost 14 assembly seats:

    North Gujarat:

    1.        Dhanera,
    2.        Bayad,
    3.        KhedBrahma,
    4.        Vav,
    5.        Kankeraj,
    6.        Vijapur,

    Central Gujarat:
    1.        Lunawada,
    2.        Khambhat,
    3.        Danilimda,
    4.        Jamalpur Khadia,

    Saurashtra:
    1.        Botad,
    2.        Kutiana,
    3.        Somnath,
    4.        Jamjodhpur

  • 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

  • Gujarat Assembly polls: Amit Shah casts vote, asks people to strengthen state’s ‘development model’

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday cast his vote in Ahmedabad during polling for the second phase of Gujarat Assembly elections and appealed to people to strengthen the state’s “development model” by coming out to vote in large numbers.

    Shah, who represents Gandhinagar seat in the Lok Sabha, reached the Naranpura sub-zonal office polling booth here along with his family members including wife Sonalben Shah and son Jay Shah.

    Talking to reporters after casting his vote, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader appealed to people to carry forward and strengthen Gujarat’s ‘development model’ through their votes.

    “I urge all the voters, especially the first time voters, to exercise their franchise without fail to take ahead this two-and-a-half decades of journey of development, because Gujarat’s development is not limited to our state only. Gujarat’s development is a medium to bring development in the country,” Shah said.

    The BJP has been in power in Gujarat for more than 25 years.

    Shah said Gujarat’s development serves as the foundation for the development of the entire country.

    The BJP leader said various achievements of the ‘Gujarat model’, such as high industrial investment, 100 per cent enrolment in schools, zero drop out and poverty alleviation schemes, have been attracting attention of the whole country.

    “I urge the voters to come out in large numbers and vote for strengthening this development model,” said Shah.

    Voting was underway on Monday for the second phase of polls in 93 out of the total 182 Assembly seats in Gujarat.

    Earlier, polls in 89 Assembly seats were held on December 1. The counting of votes in all the seats will be taken up on December 8.

    AHMEDABAD: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday cast his vote in Ahmedabad during polling for the second phase of Gujarat Assembly elections and appealed to people to strengthen the state’s “development model” by coming out to vote in large numbers.

    Shah, who represents Gandhinagar seat in the Lok Sabha, reached the Naranpura sub-zonal office polling booth here along with his family members including wife Sonalben Shah and son Jay Shah.

    Talking to reporters after casting his vote, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader appealed to people to carry forward and strengthen Gujarat’s ‘development model’ through their votes.

    “I urge all the voters, especially the first time voters, to exercise their franchise without fail to take ahead this two-and-a-half decades of journey of development, because Gujarat’s development is not limited to our state only. Gujarat’s development is a medium to bring development in the country,” Shah said.

    The BJP has been in power in Gujarat for more than 25 years.

    Shah said Gujarat’s development serves as the foundation for the development of the entire country.

    The BJP leader said various achievements of the ‘Gujarat model’, such as high industrial investment, 100 per cent enrolment in schools, zero drop out and poverty alleviation schemes, have been attracting attention of the whole country.

    “I urge the voters to come out in large numbers and vote for strengthening this development model,” said Shah.

    Voting was underway on Monday for the second phase of polls in 93 out of the total 182 Assembly seats in Gujarat.

    Earlier, polls in 89 Assembly seats were held on December 1. The counting of votes in all the seats will be taken up on December 8.

  • Congress said ‘Garibi Hatao’ but poverty actually increased under its rule: PM Modi

    Due to the previous Congress-led government's policies, poor citizens could not play an active role in the economy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.

  • First phase of Gujarat Assembly elections in 89 seats tomorrow: All you need to know

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD: Voting will be held on Thursday for the first phase of Gujarat Assembly elections in 89 seats spread across 19 districts in Saurashtra-Kutch and southern parts of the state where 788 candidates are in the fray. Campaigning for the first phase of the elections in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled state ended at 5 pm on Tuesday.

    Voting will be held between 8 am and 5 pm on Thursday across 14,382 polling stations, the office of the state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said in a release.

    Out of the total 4,91,35,400 registered voters in Gujarat, 2,39,76,670 are eligible to cast their votes in the first phase of the elections.

    These include 5.74 lakh voters in the age group of 18-19 years, and 4,945 above the age of 99 years, the office of the state CEO said.

    Out of the 89 seats going to polls in the first phase, the BJP won 48 in the 2017 election, the Congress had won 40, while one seat was bagged by an independent candidate.

    Who are contesting?

    Apart from the BJP, Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), 36 other political outfits, including the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Samajwadi Party (SP), Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) have also fielded candidates in various seats which will go to polls in the first phase.

    The BJP and Congress are contesting in all the 89 seats.
    The new poll entrant AAP is contesting 88 seats. Its candidate from Surat East constituency had withdrawn his candidature, leaving the party with one less seat to contest in the first phase
    The BSP has fielded 57 candidates, BTP 14 and CPI-M four candidates.
    As many as 339 independents are also in the fray in the first phase of polls.
    Out of the total 788 candidates, 70 are women including nine fielded by the BJP, six by the Congress and five by the AAP.

    ALSO READ | How scrapped project can hurt BJP in Gujarat tribal seats

    Who are some of the prominent candidates?

    AAP’s chief ministerial candidate Isudan Gadhvi is contesting from Khambhalia seat in Devbhumi Dwarka district of Saurashtra region that goes to polls on Thursday.

    AAP state unit president Gopal Italia is contesting from Katargam in Surat.

    Among other prominent candidates in the first phase are Rivaba Jadeja, the wife of cricketer Ravindra Jadeja, who is contesting from Jamnagar (North), and BJP MLAs Harsh Sanghavi and Purnesh Modi from different seats in Surat and five-time MLA Parshottam Solanki from Bhavnagar (Rural).

    Sitting Congress MLAs like Lalit Kagathara, Lalit Vasoya, Rutvik Makwana and Mohammad Javed Pirzada are among the candidates in fray in the first phase from seats in Saurashtra region.

    Seven-time MLA and veteran tribal leader Chhotu Vasava is contesting from Jhagadia in Bharuch.

    ALSO READ | Gujarat elections 2022: Morbi, Porbandar, Anand… here are 25 seats to watch out for

    Which are the key regions to look out for?

    With 54 seats, the Saurashtra-Kutch region will be crucial for the Congress as it seeks to better its performance.

    In the region, the Congress won 30 seats in 2017 compared to 16 in the 2012 election. The BJP, on the other hand, was reduced to 23 seats in 2017 as against 35 won by it in the previous election.

    In south Gujarat, the Congress in 2017 bettered its tally to 10 compared to six in the previous polls, while the BJPs tally dropped to 25 in the last election from 28 earlier.

    South Gujarat also comprises Surat city with 12 seats which have remained the BJP’s bastion since a long time.

    The BJP has this time found a challenger in the AAP which has fielded some of its senior state leaders from Surat and hopes to win seven-eight seats in the city, as declared by its national convener Arvind Kejriwal.

    Gujarat AAP’s state president Gopal Italia is the candidate from Katargam, general secretary Manoj Sorathiya from Karanj and Patidar community leader Alpesh Kathiriya from Varachha Road in Surat.

    ALSO READ | Trust in the KHAP: How caste equations are at the heart of the 2022 Gujarat elections  

    Who were the campaigners?

    The BJP, Congress and AAP leaders held roadshows and addressed public rallies as part of their high-pitched campaign in the run-up to the elections.

    The ruling party’s campaign was led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president JP Nadda, chief ministers of BJP-ruled states including Yogi Adityanath (Uttar Pradesh), Himanta Biswa Sarma (Assam), Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Madhya Pradesh), Pramod Sawant (Goa), and a number of Union ministers and state leaders.

    For the AAP, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejiwal and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann were the most frequent campaigners.

    Apart from them, Delhi’s Deputy CM Manish Sosidoa and AAP’s Rajya Sabha members Raghav Chadha and Sanjay Singh also campaigned in Gujarat.

    The Congress banked on its local leaders for campaigning apart from Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and party’s national president Mallikarjun Kharge, who held some rallies in the last few days before the first phase of elections.

    Congress leader Rahul Gandhi held two rallies in the state this month by taking out time from his ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra.

    READ HERE | Bridge collapse to Bilkis Bano convicts’ remission: Top issues in Gujarat Assembly elections

    How will the polling process be carried out?

    Voting will be held across 14,382 polling stations, of which 3,311 are in the urban and 11,071 in rural areas, the poll body said in a release.

    The election body has set up 89 ‘model polling stations’, as many stations run by differently-abled people, 89 eco-friendly polling stations and 611 run by women.

    There are also 18 polling stations run by the youth, it said.

    A total 34,324 ballot units, an equal number of control units, and 38,749 Voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines will be used for the election in the first phase, the release said.

    A total of 2,20,288 trained officers and employees will be on duty for the smooth conduct of the election process, it said.

    In the first phase, 27,978 presiding officers and 78,985 polling officers will be on duty, it said.

    ALSO READ | Battleground Gujarat: All eyes on AAP in three-way poll contest in bipolar state politics

    AHMEDABAD: Voting will be held on Thursday for the first phase of Gujarat Assembly elections in 89 seats spread across 19 districts in Saurashtra-Kutch and southern parts of the state where 788 candidates are in the fray. Campaigning for the first phase of the elections in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled state ended at 5 pm on Tuesday.

    Voting will be held between 8 am and 5 pm on Thursday across 14,382 polling stations, the office of the state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said in a release.

    Out of the total 4,91,35,400 registered voters in Gujarat, 2,39,76,670 are eligible to cast their votes in the first phase of the elections.

    These include 5.74 lakh voters in the age group of 18-19 years, and 4,945 above the age of 99 years, the office of the state CEO said.

    Out of the 89 seats going to polls in the first phase, the BJP won 48 in the 2017 election, the Congress had won 40, while one seat was bagged by an independent candidate.

    Who are contesting?

    Apart from the BJP, Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), 36 other political outfits, including the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Samajwadi Party (SP), Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) have also fielded candidates in various seats which will go to polls in the first phase.

    The BJP and Congress are contesting in all the 89 seats.
    The new poll entrant AAP is contesting 88 seats. Its candidate from Surat East constituency had withdrawn his candidature, leaving the party with one less seat to contest in the first phase
    The BSP has fielded 57 candidates, BTP 14 and CPI-M four candidates.
    As many as 339 independents are also in the fray in the first phase of polls.
    Out of the total 788 candidates, 70 are women including nine fielded by the BJP, six by the Congress and five by the AAP.

    ALSO READ | How scrapped project can hurt BJP in Gujarat tribal seats

    Who are some of the prominent candidates?

    AAP’s chief ministerial candidate Isudan Gadhvi is contesting from Khambhalia seat in Devbhumi Dwarka district of Saurashtra region that goes to polls on Thursday.

    AAP state unit president Gopal Italia is contesting from Katargam in Surat.

    Among other prominent candidates in the first phase are Rivaba Jadeja, the wife of cricketer Ravindra Jadeja, who is contesting from Jamnagar (North), and BJP MLAs Harsh Sanghavi and Purnesh Modi from different seats in Surat and five-time MLA Parshottam Solanki from Bhavnagar (Rural).

    Sitting Congress MLAs like Lalit Kagathara, Lalit Vasoya, Rutvik Makwana and Mohammad Javed Pirzada are among the candidates in fray in the first phase from seats in Saurashtra region.

    Seven-time MLA and veteran tribal leader Chhotu Vasava is contesting from Jhagadia in Bharuch.

    ALSO READ | Gujarat elections 2022: Morbi, Porbandar, Anand… here are 25 seats to watch out for

    Which are the key regions to look out for?

    With 54 seats, the Saurashtra-Kutch region will be crucial for the Congress as it seeks to better its performance.

    In the region, the Congress won 30 seats in 2017 compared to 16 in the 2012 election. The BJP, on the other hand, was reduced to 23 seats in 2017 as against 35 won by it in the previous election.

    In south Gujarat, the Congress in 2017 bettered its tally to 10 compared to six in the previous polls, while the BJPs tally dropped to 25 in the last election from 28 earlier.

    South Gujarat also comprises Surat city with 12 seats which have remained the BJP’s bastion since a long time.

    The BJP has this time found a challenger in the AAP which has fielded some of its senior state leaders from Surat and hopes to win seven-eight seats in the city, as declared by its national convener Arvind Kejriwal.

    Gujarat AAP’s state president Gopal Italia is the candidate from Katargam, general secretary Manoj Sorathiya from Karanj and Patidar community leader Alpesh Kathiriya from Varachha Road in Surat.

    ALSO READ | Trust in the KHAP: How caste equations are at the heart of the 2022 Gujarat elections  

    Who were the campaigners?

    The BJP, Congress and AAP leaders held roadshows and addressed public rallies as part of their high-pitched campaign in the run-up to the elections.

    The ruling party’s campaign was led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president JP Nadda, chief ministers of BJP-ruled states including Yogi Adityanath (Uttar Pradesh), Himanta Biswa Sarma (Assam), Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Madhya Pradesh), Pramod Sawant (Goa), and a number of Union ministers and state leaders.

    For the AAP, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejiwal and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann were the most frequent campaigners.

    Apart from them, Delhi’s Deputy CM Manish Sosidoa and AAP’s Rajya Sabha members Raghav Chadha and Sanjay Singh also campaigned in Gujarat.

    The Congress banked on its local leaders for campaigning apart from Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and party’s national president Mallikarjun Kharge, who held some rallies in the last few days before the first phase of elections.

    Congress leader Rahul Gandhi held two rallies in the state this month by taking out time from his ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra.

    READ HERE | Bridge collapse to Bilkis Bano convicts’ remission: Top issues in Gujarat Assembly elections

    How will the polling process be carried out?

    Voting will be held across 14,382 polling stations, of which 3,311 are in the urban and 11,071 in rural areas, the poll body said in a release.

    The election body has set up 89 ‘model polling stations’, as many stations run by differently-abled people, 89 eco-friendly polling stations and 611 run by women.

    There are also 18 polling stations run by the youth, it said.

    A total 34,324 ballot units, an equal number of control units, and 38,749 Voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines will be used for the election in the first phase, the release said.

    A total of 2,20,288 trained officers and employees will be on duty for the smooth conduct of the election process, it said.

    In the first phase, 27,978 presiding officers and 78,985 polling officers will be on duty, it said.

    ALSO READ | Battleground Gujarat: All eyes on AAP in three-way poll contest in bipolar state politics

  • Guj polls: Punjab CM steps up AAP’s free power pitch, brings bunch of 25,000 ‘zero’ electricity bills

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD:  Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday brought a bunch of 25,000 “zero” electricity bills from his state and added the people of Gujarat will get similar bills if Aam Aadmi Party is voted to power in the Assembly polls.

    Providing free electricity up to 300 units per month is one of the main election “guarantees” of AAP in Gujarat.

    Voting for 182 Assembly seats will be held in two phases on December 1 and 5. The counting of votes will be taken up on December 8. The campaigning for the first phase ended on Tuesday evening.

    Addressing a press conference here, Mann said the zero electricity bills were received by 61 lakh out of the 75 lakh households in Punjab, which is a testimony of AAP’s commitment that it walks the talk.

    “I have brought 25,000 zero electricity bills with the names and addresses which you can check. To date, there are around 75 lakh electric metres in Punjab. As many as 61 lakh households have received zero electricity bills.”

    “The number of such bills for December will be 67 lakh because of low consumption in winter. The same will increase to 71 lakh in January. We do what we say, and we say what we can do. The same can happen in Gujarat. We have made a promise and will deliver,” he said.

    Mann said the Punjab government has set up 100 mohalla clinics till August 15 and plans to establish more than 500 more such clinics by January 26.

    The AAP government in Punjab had also guaranteed to revert to the old pension scheme (OPS) and the notification for the same has been issued, Mann said.

    “Not just that, our government also stopped the pension to legislatures that saved crores of rupees of public exchequer,” he added.

    Mann was referring to the amendment bill passed in June this year by the Legislative Assembly putting an end to multiple pensions to ex-MLAs for every term served.

    “The government’s work is to collect tax and give it back to the people in the form of free electricity, infrastructure, roads, colleges, and mohalla clinics. We are setting up 16 medical colleges,” he said.

    Mann took potshots at the “so-called Gujarat model”, saying when one goes off the highways in the state, “roads exist in potholes rather than potholes in roads”.

    With all the promises announced by the AAP, the people of Gujarat will be able to save Rs 30,000 from the very first month after the party forms a government.

    “6.5 crore people of Gujarat are ready for a change. The situation is the same as what I saw in Punjab (before the elections which AAP had won hands down),” he said.

    Downplaying surveys predicting a certain number of seats AAP might win in Gujarat, Mann said the party “does not figure in surveys but ends up forming a government”. “Surveys are being written by people sitting at home,” he added.

    Mann said AAP’s agenda does not match with the ruling BJP and it will be wrong to call the Kejriwal-led party a “B-team” of BJP. “The AAP is the A team of the 130 crore people of the country,” he added.

    AHMEDABAD:  Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday brought a bunch of 25,000 “zero” electricity bills from his state and added the people of Gujarat will get similar bills if Aam Aadmi Party is voted to power in the Assembly polls.

    Providing free electricity up to 300 units per month is one of the main election “guarantees” of AAP in Gujarat.

    Voting for 182 Assembly seats will be held in two phases on December 1 and 5. The counting of votes will be taken up on December 8. The campaigning for the first phase ended on Tuesday evening.

    Addressing a press conference here, Mann said the zero electricity bills were received by 61 lakh out of the 75 lakh households in Punjab, which is a testimony of AAP’s commitment that it walks the talk.

    “I have brought 25,000 zero electricity bills with the names and addresses which you can check. To date, there are around 75 lakh electric metres in Punjab. As many as 61 lakh households have received zero electricity bills.”

    “The number of such bills for December will be 67 lakh because of low consumption in winter. The same will increase to 71 lakh in January. We do what we say, and we say what we can do. The same can happen in Gujarat. We have made a promise and will deliver,” he said.

    Mann said the Punjab government has set up 100 mohalla clinics till August 15 and plans to establish more than 500 more such clinics by January 26.

    The AAP government in Punjab had also guaranteed to revert to the old pension scheme (OPS) and the notification for the same has been issued, Mann said.

    “Not just that, our government also stopped the pension to legislatures that saved crores of rupees of public exchequer,” he added.

    Mann was referring to the amendment bill passed in June this year by the Legislative Assembly putting an end to multiple pensions to ex-MLAs for every term served.

    “The government’s work is to collect tax and give it back to the people in the form of free electricity, infrastructure, roads, colleges, and mohalla clinics. We are setting up 16 medical colleges,” he said.

    Mann took potshots at the “so-called Gujarat model”, saying when one goes off the highways in the state, “roads exist in potholes rather than potholes in roads”.

    With all the promises announced by the AAP, the people of Gujarat will be able to save Rs 30,000 from the very first month after the party forms a government.

    “6.5 crore people of Gujarat are ready for a change. The situation is the same as what I saw in Punjab (before the elections which AAP had won hands down),” he said.

    Downplaying surveys predicting a certain number of seats AAP might win in Gujarat, Mann said the party “does not figure in surveys but ends up forming a government”. “Surveys are being written by people sitting at home,” he added.

    Mann said AAP’s agenda does not match with the ruling BJP and it will be wrong to call the Kejriwal-led party a “B-team” of BJP. “The AAP is the A team of the 130 crore people of the country,” he added.

  • AAP might not open account in Gujarat, BJP will register unprecedented victory: Amit Shah

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has downplayed AAP’s challenge in Gujarat polls, claiming Arvind Kejriwal’s party may not even open its account, and said the BJP state unit’s announcement of setting up anti-radicalisation cell is a good initiative that can be considered by other states and the Centre.

    In an interview to PTI, Shah described Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity, all-round development of Gujarat during his tenure as the state chief minister and the implementation of zero appeasement policy as the main reasons for people repeatedly reposing faith in the BJP over the last 27 years.

    “The BJP will register an unprecedented victory in Gujarat. People have full faith in our party and our leader Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” said Shah, who has been crisscrossing the state and addressing five rallies a day in the run-up to the two-phase polls on December 1 and 5.

    On the question of AAP entering Gujarat assembly elections, the BJP leader said, “Every party has a right to contest elections, but it is up to people whether they accept the party or not.”

    “AAP is nowhere in the mind of the people of Gujarat. Wait for election results, maybe AAP’s name would not figure in the list of successful candidates,” he said.

    While the Congress has been the BJP’s principal rival in Gujarat, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (APP) has undertaken an aggressive campaign in Modi’s home state.

    On Congress, Shah said, “It is still the main opposition party, but the party is going through a crisis, and its impact is visible in Gujarat as well.”

    ALSO READ| Assembly polls: Will BJP maintain upper hand in central Gujarat this time like in 2017?

    Asked about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, Shah said sustained efforts are a must in politics.

    “I have always been of the view that politicians need to be hard working and it is good when someone works hard. But in politics only sustained efforts show results. So let’s wait and see,” he said.

    Shah, who has been talking about issues of national security in the campaign for the state election, said they are important in every assembly poll.

    The Opposition has accused the BJP of raising national issues like terrorism in state elections to divert the people’s attention from governance-related concerns.

    “Is the security of Gujarat associated with national security or not?”Security of Gujarat and national security are not different issues. And if the country is not secure, how can Gujarat be secure? Therefore, national security is a major issue in all state assembly polls.”

    “Being a border state, the people of Gujarat are sensitive about national security. we cannot afford to have national security impacted at any one location in the country,” he said while replying to a question.

    With the Opposition often accusing the government of misusing investigative agencies against its political rivals, Shah said there is an independent and neutral judiciary in the country, and “if there is any misuse of investigative agencies, then they can approach the judiciary”.

    ALSO READ| Gujarat Assembly elections: War of words intensify as Kharge jabs at Modi, BJP calls it insult to PM

    Shah, who has been raising law and order issues in his campaign speeches, described ending lawlessness as one of the achievements of the BJP government in Gujarat.

    The former BJP president described the party’s poll promise to set up an anti-radicalisation cell as a good initiative and said any organisation like PFI that pushes youths towards terrorism will not be tolerated.

    He said the Popular Front of India (PFI) was banned after due diligence and several states had demanded it.

    “The Modi government decided to ban PFI after gathering a lot of information and proof related to their anti-national activities, especially their activities to push youth towards terrorism by radicalising them. And several states have demanded to ban PFI. Such activities of any organisation will not be tolerated in the Modi government,” Shah told PTI.

    On whether BJP’s announcement in manifesto for setting up an anti-radicalisation cell in Gujarat will be implemented in other states also, Shah said, “It is a good initiative. Let it be implemented (here) first. It will be given a legal shape and its working mechanism will be decided.”

    ALSO READ| Gujarat polls: Only nine percent women candidates in fray

    He said radicalisation should be checked not only in Gujarat but in the entire country. “And it (anti-radicalisation cell) can be considered at the national level and other states. Radicalisation has nothing to do with any sect, but we all know which forces are promoting radicalisation. And the entire world is concerned about it,” Shah said.

    Asked about issues such as inflation impacting the election, the Union Home Minister said countries across the world are facing this problem, and India is the least affected among them.

    “Slowdown was a global challenge after Covid but still the Indian economy witnessed a V-shaped recovery. Similarly, I also believe India will very effectively tackle inflation, which is a challenge for countries across the globe. And today, the country’s social life is least impacted by inflation,” Shah said.

    On whether Bhupendra Patel will continue as chief minister if the BJP wins again, Shah said he has been doing “good work and taking forward all the initiatives started by Prime Minister Modi as Gujarat chief minister”.

    To a question on all regional parties coming together along with national parties to counter the BJP, Shah suggested that they stand nowhere in front of Prime Minister Modi’s popularity.

    “If you look at the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government he gave in the last eight years, I do not think such alliances will have any impact. And these regional parties do not have anything outside their respective states.”

    ALSO READ| Gujarat battle on social media: Congress focuses more on Yatra; AAP leads with max posts on Sunday

    “One regional party has nothing in another state. Eventually, it will be a one-on-one fight. And such alliances exist only on paper and are good for headlines.”

    Discussing the BJP’s expansion in southern and eastern states, Shah said the party’s vote share jumped to 40 percent in West Bengal and it won 18 Lok Sabha seats.

    He claimed the BJP will further improve its tally in West Bengal in the next Lok Sabha polls. In Telangana, the BJP has ”become the main opposition party”.

    The party is doing well in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, Shah said, adding that the expansion of cadre-based parties is not possible overnight. “It takes time, but we are doing well in these states,” he said.

    AHMEDABAD: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has downplayed AAP’s challenge in Gujarat polls, claiming Arvind Kejriwal’s party may not even open its account, and said the BJP state unit’s announcement of setting up anti-radicalisation cell is a good initiative that can be considered by other states and the Centre.

    In an interview to PTI, Shah described Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity, all-round development of Gujarat during his tenure as the state chief minister and the implementation of zero appeasement policy as the main reasons for people repeatedly reposing faith in the BJP over the last 27 years.

    “The BJP will register an unprecedented victory in Gujarat. People have full faith in our party and our leader Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” said Shah, who has been crisscrossing the state and addressing five rallies a day in the run-up to the two-phase polls on December 1 and 5.

    On the question of AAP entering Gujarat assembly elections, the BJP leader said, “Every party has a right to contest elections, but it is up to people whether they accept the party or not.”

    “AAP is nowhere in the mind of the people of Gujarat. Wait for election results, maybe AAP’s name would not figure in the list of successful candidates,” he said.

    While the Congress has been the BJP’s principal rival in Gujarat, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (APP) has undertaken an aggressive campaign in Modi’s home state.

    On Congress, Shah said, “It is still the main opposition party, but the party is going through a crisis, and its impact is visible in Gujarat as well.”

    ALSO READ| Assembly polls: Will BJP maintain upper hand in central Gujarat this time like in 2017?

    Asked about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, Shah said sustained efforts are a must in politics.

    “I have always been of the view that politicians need to be hard working and it is good when someone works hard. But in politics only sustained efforts show results. So let’s wait and see,” he said.

    Shah, who has been talking about issues of national security in the campaign for the state election, said they are important in every assembly poll.

    The Opposition has accused the BJP of raising national issues like terrorism in state elections to divert the people’s attention from governance-related concerns.

    “Is the security of Gujarat associated with national security or not?”Security of Gujarat and national security are not different issues. And if the country is not secure, how can Gujarat be secure? Therefore, national security is a major issue in all state assembly polls.”

    “Being a border state, the people of Gujarat are sensitive about national security. we cannot afford to have national security impacted at any one location in the country,” he said while replying to a question.

    With the Opposition often accusing the government of misusing investigative agencies against its political rivals, Shah said there is an independent and neutral judiciary in the country, and “if there is any misuse of investigative agencies, then they can approach the judiciary”.

    ALSO READ| Gujarat Assembly elections: War of words intensify as Kharge jabs at Modi, BJP calls it insult to PM

    Shah, who has been raising law and order issues in his campaign speeches, described ending lawlessness as one of the achievements of the BJP government in Gujarat.

    The former BJP president described the party’s poll promise to set up an anti-radicalisation cell as a good initiative and said any organisation like PFI that pushes youths towards terrorism will not be tolerated.

    He said the Popular Front of India (PFI) was banned after due diligence and several states had demanded it.

    “The Modi government decided to ban PFI after gathering a lot of information and proof related to their anti-national activities, especially their activities to push youth towards terrorism by radicalising them. And several states have demanded to ban PFI. Such activities of any organisation will not be tolerated in the Modi government,” Shah told PTI.

    On whether BJP’s announcement in manifesto for setting up an anti-radicalisation cell in Gujarat will be implemented in other states also, Shah said, “It is a good initiative. Let it be implemented (here) first. It will be given a legal shape and its working mechanism will be decided.”

    ALSO READ| Gujarat polls: Only nine percent women candidates in fray

    He said radicalisation should be checked not only in Gujarat but in the entire country. “And it (anti-radicalisation cell) can be considered at the national level and other states. Radicalisation has nothing to do with any sect, but we all know which forces are promoting radicalisation. And the entire world is concerned about it,” Shah said.

    Asked about issues such as inflation impacting the election, the Union Home Minister said countries across the world are facing this problem, and India is the least affected among them.

    “Slowdown was a global challenge after Covid but still the Indian economy witnessed a V-shaped recovery. Similarly, I also believe India will very effectively tackle inflation, which is a challenge for countries across the globe. And today, the country’s social life is least impacted by inflation,” Shah said.

    On whether Bhupendra Patel will continue as chief minister if the BJP wins again, Shah said he has been doing “good work and taking forward all the initiatives started by Prime Minister Modi as Gujarat chief minister”.

    To a question on all regional parties coming together along with national parties to counter the BJP, Shah suggested that they stand nowhere in front of Prime Minister Modi’s popularity.

    “If you look at the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government he gave in the last eight years, I do not think such alliances will have any impact. And these regional parties do not have anything outside their respective states.”

    ALSO READ| Gujarat battle on social media: Congress focuses more on Yatra; AAP leads with max posts on Sunday

    “One regional party has nothing in another state. Eventually, it will be a one-on-one fight. And such alliances exist only on paper and are good for headlines.”

    Discussing the BJP’s expansion in southern and eastern states, Shah said the party’s vote share jumped to 40 percent in West Bengal and it won 18 Lok Sabha seats.

    He claimed the BJP will further improve its tally in West Bengal in the next Lok Sabha polls. In Telangana, the BJP has ”become the main opposition party”.

    The party is doing well in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, Shah said, adding that the expansion of cadre-based parties is not possible overnight. “It takes time, but we are doing well in these states,” he said.

  • Gujarat Assembly polls: 456 ‘crorepati’ candidates in fray; BJP’s Jayanti Patel richest with Rs 661 crore

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD: As many as 456, or around 28 per cent, of 1,621 candidates contesting the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections are ‘crorepatis’ who have declared assets worth Rs 1 crore or more, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) said on Monday.

    The BJP tops the list with a total of 154 ‘crorepati’ candidates, followed by Congress with 142, and AAP has 68.

    The average asset of candidates in the fray is Rs 2.56 crore, the ADR report informed.

    Bharatiya Janata Party’s Jayanti Patel, contesting from the Mansa seat in Gandhinagar, is the richest candidate with declared assets of Rs 661 crore, followed by BJP’s Balvant Rajput of Sidhpur with Rs 372 crore and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s Ajitsinh Thakor, who is contesting from Dabhoi seat, with declared assets of Rs 342 crore.

    There are 221 ‘crorepatis’ among the 788 contestants in the fray for the first phase of elections for 89 seats scheduled on December 1.

    The number of such candidates stands at 245 out of the total 833 contestants in the fray for the 93 seats that will go to polls in the second and final phase on December 5, as per the ADR report.

    It said six candidates in the fray have declared “zero” assets, while another six have said their assets are worth less than Rs 10,000.

    ALSO READ | How scrapped project can hurt BJP in Gujarat tribal seats

    Jayanti Patel, the richest candidate as per the ADR report, also has the highest liability at Rs 233 crore.

    In terms of educational qualifications, 42 candidates have declared themselves to be illiterate, 85 “just literate”, while 997 have said they have studied between Classes 5-12.449 candidates are graduates.

    Informing about the age profile, the ADR report said two candidates are above the age of 80, 197 are between 61-80 years of age, 861 are between 41-60 and 561 in the 25-40 age group segment.

    The report claimed a “close and alarming nexus” between money and muscle power hurt the principles of free and fair elections, ‘participatory democracy’ as well as the ‘level playing field’.

    “The present circumstances, therefore, demand an extensive deliberation by the voters so that the sanctity of elections is not ridiculed by the tenacious entry of tainted candidates and candidates with abnormal multiplication of assets,” it said.

    The ADR said the Election Commission and state ECs should make it mandatory to display boards outside the polling booths showing a summarised version of candidates’ affidavits in all the elections.

    The polling booths should essentially display details of a candidate’s criminal records, assets and liabilities and education qualification, it said.

    AHMEDABAD: As many as 456, or around 28 per cent, of 1,621 candidates contesting the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections are ‘crorepatis’ who have declared assets worth Rs 1 crore or more, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) said on Monday.

    The BJP tops the list with a total of 154 ‘crorepati’ candidates, followed by Congress with 142, and AAP has 68.

    The average asset of candidates in the fray is Rs 2.56 crore, the ADR report informed.

    Bharatiya Janata Party’s Jayanti Patel, contesting from the Mansa seat in Gandhinagar, is the richest candidate with declared assets of Rs 661 crore, followed by BJP’s Balvant Rajput of Sidhpur with Rs 372 crore and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s Ajitsinh Thakor, who is contesting from Dabhoi seat, with declared assets of Rs 342 crore.

    There are 221 ‘crorepatis’ among the 788 contestants in the fray for the first phase of elections for 89 seats scheduled on December 1.

    The number of such candidates stands at 245 out of the total 833 contestants in the fray for the 93 seats that will go to polls in the second and final phase on December 5, as per the ADR report.

    It said six candidates in the fray have declared “zero” assets, while another six have said their assets are worth less than Rs 10,000.

    ALSO READ | How scrapped project can hurt BJP in Gujarat tribal seats

    Jayanti Patel, the richest candidate as per the ADR report, also has the highest liability at Rs 233 crore.

    In terms of educational qualifications, 42 candidates have declared themselves to be illiterate, 85 “just literate”, while 997 have said they have studied between Classes 5-12.449 candidates are graduates.

    Informing about the age profile, the ADR report said two candidates are above the age of 80, 197 are between 61-80 years of age, 861 are between 41-60 and 561 in the 25-40 age group segment.

    The report claimed a “close and alarming nexus” between money and muscle power hurt the principles of free and fair elections, ‘participatory democracy’ as well as the ‘level playing field’.

    “The present circumstances, therefore, demand an extensive deliberation by the voters so that the sanctity of elections is not ridiculed by the tenacious entry of tainted candidates and candidates with abnormal multiplication of assets,” it said.

    The ADR said the Election Commission and state ECs should make it mandatory to display boards outside the polling booths showing a summarised version of candidates’ affidavits in all the elections.

    The polling booths should essentially display details of a candidate’s criminal records, assets and liabilities and education qualification, it said.

  • Congress doesn’t respect tribals, didn’t support Murmu in presidential polls: PM Modi in Gujarat

    By PTI

    NETRANG: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused the Congress of having no respect for the tribal community in the country, and said it even opposed the candidature of Droupadi Murmu in the presidential election held earlier this year.

    Addressing a public rally at Netrang, a tribal area of Bharuch district in poll-bound Gujarat, Modi also said that the entire world was amazed at how India has come out of such a big pandemic of COVID-19 in such a short span.

    “Congress has no respect for tribals in the country…We decided to make our tribal daughter (Droupadi Murmu) the president of the country. We went to Congress with folded hands to accept her (support her candidature), but they opposed. We put all our might and made the tribal daughter win the election,” Modi said.

    “Be it, Birsa Munda or Govind Guru, the Congress did not give respect to tribal leaders of the country,” he further alleged.ALSO READ | Congress gave you MGNREGA, scholarships; BJP took away your land: Rahul to tribals in Gujarat

    The PM said the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in a big country like India was terrifying.

    “The whole world faced such a terrifying pandemic. If someone gets sick at our home, we take four to five years to come out of it (financial effect). We faced the pandemic in such a big country. But the way we came out of it, the entire world is amazed. They are not able to understand how it happened,” Modi said.

    “Factories got closed; people had to go back to their villages. In such circumstances, our first concern was there should be enough food for poor people; a child of a poor should not go to sleep without food. So we have been providing free ration to 80 crore people for the last three years,” he said.

    “Secondly, to fight the pandemic, vaccination was crucial. Even now, many countries are struggling to vaccinate their entire population. We have given more than 200 crore doses of anti-coronavirus vaccine. After two doses, we provided a booster dose also free,” Modi said.

    The prime minister said that the Digital India campaign has brought about a revolution in the country.

    If the Congress was in power, your mobile bill could have been around Rs 4,000 to 5,000 per month, which is minimal now. “We made data affordable,” he said.

    Speaking on the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), he said that in the past, specifications of houses built under government schemes were set by the people sitting in Gandhinagar or Delhi.

    “But we changed the rules. How can a person sitting in Delhi know what is the requirement of a tribal person who is in poultry farming? We said that you should trust our people as nobody will build an inferior quality home for themselves,” the prime minister said.

    NETRANG: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused the Congress of having no respect for the tribal community in the country, and said it even opposed the candidature of Droupadi Murmu in the presidential election held earlier this year.

    Addressing a public rally at Netrang, a tribal area of Bharuch district in poll-bound Gujarat, Modi also said that the entire world was amazed at how India has come out of such a big pandemic of COVID-19 in such a short span.

    “Congress has no respect for tribals in the country…We decided to make our tribal daughter (Droupadi Murmu) the president of the country. We went to Congress with folded hands to accept her (support her candidature), but they opposed. We put all our might and made the tribal daughter win the election,” Modi said.

    “Be it, Birsa Munda or Govind Guru, the Congress did not give respect to tribal leaders of the country,” he further alleged.ALSO READ | Congress gave you MGNREGA, scholarships; BJP took away your land: Rahul to tribals in Gujarat

    The PM said the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in a big country like India was terrifying.

    “The whole world faced such a terrifying pandemic. If someone gets sick at our home, we take four to five years to come out of it (financial effect). We faced the pandemic in such a big country. But the way we came out of it, the entire world is amazed. They are not able to understand how it happened,” Modi said.

    “Factories got closed; people had to go back to their villages. In such circumstances, our first concern was there should be enough food for poor people; a child of a poor should not go to sleep without food. So we have been providing free ration to 80 crore people for the last three years,” he said.

    “Secondly, to fight the pandemic, vaccination was crucial. Even now, many countries are struggling to vaccinate their entire population. We have given more than 200 crore doses of anti-coronavirus vaccine. After two doses, we provided a booster dose also free,” Modi said.

    The prime minister said that the Digital India campaign has brought about a revolution in the country.

    If the Congress was in power, your mobile bill could have been around Rs 4,000 to 5,000 per month, which is minimal now. “We made data affordable,” he said.

    Speaking on the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), he said that in the past, specifications of houses built under government schemes were set by the people sitting in Gandhinagar or Delhi.

    “But we changed the rules. How can a person sitting in Delhi know what is the requirement of a tribal person who is in poultry farming? We said that you should trust our people as nobody will build an inferior quality home for themselves,” the prime minister said.

  • Gujarat polls: Battle of Jadejas features cricketer brother, sister bat for different parties

    By PTI

    JAMNAGAR: Hours before cricketer Ravindra Jadeja travelled through the city’s market in an open SUV as part of a BJP roadshow, his sister Naynaba Jadeja sought votes for the Congress, reminding voters of price rise under the ruling party and its “unfulfilled” employment promises.

    While the famous cricketer campaigned for his wife Rivaba Jadeja, his elder sister canvassed for Bipendrasinh Jadeja, highlighting the “sibling rivalry” that has added another layer of interest in the poll after the BJP dropped its sitting MLA Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, locally better known as Hakubha.

    A contender for the Congress ticket from the Jamnagar North seat, Naynaba has emerged as a key campaigner for her party after the BJP chose her famous brother’s wife as its candidate.

    She is often the focus of media queries while the Congress candidate, a seasoned organisation man and businessman, plays a supporting role.

    “I have my ideology and have been with a party I admire,” she says, slamming the BJP over the issue of price rise and claiming that it only makes promises to people but never fulfils them, be it on employment or education.

    An overwhelmingly urban constituency, Jamnagar North may be seen as more favourable to the BJP than the Congress even though the opposition party’s supporters believe their party can spring a surprise.

    Naynaba argues that since the constituency voted for the first time in 2012 after being carved out following delimitation, it is essentially a Congress seat as it won for the first time while the BJP grabbed it in 2017 after the incumbent MLA crossed over to the saffron camp.

    Even the winning BJP candidate was a Congressman who won on his appeal, and our party will score this time, she claims.

    Congress leaders also hope to benefit from any faultlines within the BJP caused by its denial of the ticket to the sitting MLA.

    The AAP has fielded Karsan Karmur, who had quit the BJP to join it last year.

    The state will have two-phase Assembly polls on December 1 and 5, while the votes will be counted on December 8.

    It is witnessing a three-cornered fight with the BJP, Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the fray.

    Hakubha, an influential person, has now been dropped in favour of Riviba Jadeja but the BJP has managed to placate him by making him the party’s in-charge for polling in three assembly seats, including Jamnagar North.

    Rajputs, the community the two main candidates hail from, and Muslims are among the largest voting blocs here.

    Campaigning for Rivaba, BJP workers express confidence in her win and claim the curiosity is more about the margin.

    They also dismiss the Congress’ “outsider” charge against her, arguing that she had been working in the region after joining the BJP in 2019, months after she and her husband Ravindra Jadeja met Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    A degree holder in mechanical engineering, she was born and raised in Rajkot while her husband is from Jamnagar. Before joining the BJP, she was in Karni Sena, a Rajput group accused in the past of vandalism and violence in the promotion of its causes.

    She joined Karni Sena and later the BJP in the spirit of doing something good for the society and country, she has often said in her public interactions and cites Modi as her inspiration for entering politics.

    JAMNAGAR: Hours before cricketer Ravindra Jadeja travelled through the city’s market in an open SUV as part of a BJP roadshow, his sister Naynaba Jadeja sought votes for the Congress, reminding voters of price rise under the ruling party and its “unfulfilled” employment promises.

    While the famous cricketer campaigned for his wife Rivaba Jadeja, his elder sister canvassed for Bipendrasinh Jadeja, highlighting the “sibling rivalry” that has added another layer of interest in the poll after the BJP dropped its sitting MLA Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, locally better known as Hakubha.

    A contender for the Congress ticket from the Jamnagar North seat, Naynaba has emerged as a key campaigner for her party after the BJP chose her famous brother’s wife as its candidate.

    She is often the focus of media queries while the Congress candidate, a seasoned organisation man and businessman, plays a supporting role.

    “I have my ideology and have been with a party I admire,” she says, slamming the BJP over the issue of price rise and claiming that it only makes promises to people but never fulfils them, be it on employment or education.

    An overwhelmingly urban constituency, Jamnagar North may be seen as more favourable to the BJP than the Congress even though the opposition party’s supporters believe their party can spring a surprise.

    Naynaba argues that since the constituency voted for the first time in 2012 after being carved out following delimitation, it is essentially a Congress seat as it won for the first time while the BJP grabbed it in 2017 after the incumbent MLA crossed over to the saffron camp.

    Even the winning BJP candidate was a Congressman who won on his appeal, and our party will score this time, she claims.

    Congress leaders also hope to benefit from any faultlines within the BJP caused by its denial of the ticket to the sitting MLA.

    The AAP has fielded Karsan Karmur, who had quit the BJP to join it last year.

    The state will have two-phase Assembly polls on December 1 and 5, while the votes will be counted on December 8.

    It is witnessing a three-cornered fight with the BJP, Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the fray.

    Hakubha, an influential person, has now been dropped in favour of Riviba Jadeja but the BJP has managed to placate him by making him the party’s in-charge for polling in three assembly seats, including Jamnagar North.

    Rajputs, the community the two main candidates hail from, and Muslims are among the largest voting blocs here.

    Campaigning for Rivaba, BJP workers express confidence in her win and claim the curiosity is more about the margin.

    They also dismiss the Congress’ “outsider” charge against her, arguing that she had been working in the region after joining the BJP in 2019, months after she and her husband Ravindra Jadeja met Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    A degree holder in mechanical engineering, she was born and raised in Rajkot while her husband is from Jamnagar. Before joining the BJP, she was in Karni Sena, a Rajput group accused in the past of vandalism and violence in the promotion of its causes.

    She joined Karni Sena and later the BJP in the spirit of doing something good for the society and country, she has often said in her public interactions and cites Modi as her inspiration for entering politics.