News Analysis India

Tag: Gujarat polls

  • Gujarat results on expected lines, says Raut; wonders if BJP, AAP had tacit understanding

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday said the Gujarat Assembly election results, wherein the ruling BJP has put up an impressive performance, was on expected lines, and added that people suspect whether there was a tacit understanding between the saffron party and the AAP.

    Counting of votes for a new assembly in Gujarat got underway on Thursday morning, with early trends pointing to a sweeping victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that has not lost an election in the state since 1995.

    As per the latest trends of the Gujarat Assembly elections, the BJP is seen inching towards an all-time high tally of 149 seats in 182-member House; Congress ahead in 19, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in 9 seats.

    Talking to reporters in New Delhi, Raut said had the AAP and other parties come together, formed an alliance or reached an understanding, then it would have been a tough battle for the BJP.

    “Gujarat results are on expected lines,” he said.

    LIVE | Assembly elections results: BJP sweeping Gujarat, in close race with Congress in Himachal

    “People have a suspicion that it must have happened that you (the AAP) take Delhi and leave Gujarat to us (the BJP),” Raut added, alluding to a tacit understanding between the two parties.

    He was referring to AAP’s victory in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) polls on its home turf in the national capital.

    The Rajya Sabha member also said the AAP’s victory in the MCD is “commendable”.

    “It is not easy to snatch Delhi from a party like the BJP,” he added.

    Raut, a key leader of the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena, also defended Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who was virtually absent from his party’s campaign in the state.

    He said Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra had nothing to do with politics.

    Raut said in Himachal Pradesh, the Congress was giving a tough fight as per expectations, which he termed as positive.

    The BJP bagged Gujarat, lost Delhi and has to struggle in Himachal Pradesh, where the Congress would win, he claimed.

    “This is optimistic from the point of view of future polls, but only the opposition has to come together to avoid division of votes. If, by keeping aside differences, egos, the battle is contested together then the country will definitely see 2024 a change in 2024,” he said.

    MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday said the Gujarat Assembly election results, wherein the ruling BJP has put up an impressive performance, was on expected lines, and added that people suspect whether there was a tacit understanding between the saffron party and the AAP.

    Counting of votes for a new assembly in Gujarat got underway on Thursday morning, with early trends pointing to a sweeping victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that has not lost an election in the state since 1995.

    As per the latest trends of the Gujarat Assembly elections, the BJP is seen inching towards an all-time high tally of 149 seats in 182-member House; Congress ahead in 19, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in 9 seats.

    Talking to reporters in New Delhi, Raut said had the AAP and other parties come together, formed an alliance or reached an understanding, then it would have been a tough battle for the BJP.

    “Gujarat results are on expected lines,” he said.

    LIVE | Assembly elections results: BJP sweeping Gujarat, in close race with Congress in Himachal

    “People have a suspicion that it must have happened that you (the AAP) take Delhi and leave Gujarat to us (the BJP),” Raut added, alluding to a tacit understanding between the two parties.

    He was referring to AAP’s victory in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) polls on its home turf in the national capital.

    The Rajya Sabha member also said the AAP’s victory in the MCD is “commendable”.

    “It is not easy to snatch Delhi from a party like the BJP,” he added.

    Raut, a key leader of the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena, also defended Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who was virtually absent from his party’s campaign in the state.

    He said Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra had nothing to do with politics.

    Raut said in Himachal Pradesh, the Congress was giving a tough fight as per expectations, which he termed as positive.

    The BJP bagged Gujarat, lost Delhi and has to struggle in Himachal Pradesh, where the Congress would win, he claimed.

    “This is optimistic from the point of view of future polls, but only the opposition has to come together to avoid division of votes. If, by keeping aside differences, egos, the battle is contested together then the country will definitely see 2024 a change in 2024,” he said.

  • ‘Janata Malik hai’: Nitish Kumar on exit polls predicting BJP win in Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh

    By PTI

    PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday ducked queries about exit polls predicting wins, in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly polls, for his former ally BJP which he has vowed to defeat with the help of a united opposition in the next general elections.

    Most exit polls have predicted a huge victory for the BJP in Gujarat, the home turf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, while the party has been shown to have a slight edge over the Congress in Himachal Pradesh.

    “Janata Malik hai” (the people are our master), said Kumar, trying to ward off the queries of journalists.

    When pressed further, he quipped “do I ever say anything in such matters” even as he insisted that all should wait for the final results to be announced on Thursday.

    The JD(U) leader was talking to reporters after paying tributes to Babasaheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar at a statue installed near the Patna High Court.

    He also expressed deep reverence for the Father of the Indian Constitution, especially for the thrust on the uplift of underdogs.

    Replying to another query, Kumar expressed happiness that his rival turned alliance partner Lalu Prasad, the RJD president, was doing fine after a successful kidney transplant operation on Monday in Singapore.

    “I spoke to people there over the phone. I am very happy that Lalu ji is in good shape”, said Kumar.

    PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday ducked queries about exit polls predicting wins, in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly polls, for his former ally BJP which he has vowed to defeat with the help of a united opposition in the next general elections.

    Most exit polls have predicted a huge victory for the BJP in Gujarat, the home turf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, while the party has been shown to have a slight edge over the Congress in Himachal Pradesh.

    “Janata Malik hai” (the people are our master), said Kumar, trying to ward off the queries of journalists.

    When pressed further, he quipped “do I ever say anything in such matters” even as he insisted that all should wait for the final results to be announced on Thursday.

    The JD(U) leader was talking to reporters after paying tributes to Babasaheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar at a statue installed near the Patna High Court.

    He also expressed deep reverence for the Father of the Indian Constitution, especially for the thrust on the uplift of underdogs.

    Replying to another query, Kumar expressed happiness that his rival turned alliance partner Lalu Prasad, the RJD president, was doing fine after a successful kidney transplant operation on Monday in Singapore.

    “I spoke to people there over the phone. I am very happy that Lalu ji is in good shape”, said Kumar.

  • Gujarat polls: Congress responsible for keeping Banaskantha thirsty, must be punished: PM Modi

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday alleged that the Congress only believed in ‘atkana, latkana aur bhatkana’ (stalling, delaying and misleading), and said those who looted poor people in the country were now abusing him for putting an end to corruption.

    He also alleged that the previous Congress governments never showed any interest in bringing the Narmada river water to the parched regions of Gujarat as the party was only interested in doing those works where there was scope to indulge in corruption.

    Modi was addressing a rally in Kankrej village of Banaskantha district, where voting for the second phase of Gujarat Assembly polls will be held on December 5.

    “Congress only believed in ‘atkana’, ‘latkana’ and ‘bhatkana’. Elderly people from this region would tell you how Congress governments used to talk about bringing Narmada water in this parched region, but nothing was done on that front during their rule,” he said.

    ALSO READ | Medha Patkar slams Modi, says BJP targeting her presence in Bharat Jodo Yatra for ‘vote bank politics’

    The prime minister accused the Congress of trying to stall the construction of the Sardar Sarovar dam and supporting those who delayed the project through litigations, a veiled reference to Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) activist Medha Patkar.

    “Can people of Banaskantha forgive those who indulged in this sin of stopping water from coming here? Congress was responsible for keeping Banaskantha thirsty. They must be punished. I hope you will not forget this during polling,” Modi said.

    “Congress never shows interest in those works where their leaders do not find any opportunity to make money. Since they used to get kickbacks in the relief work wherein people were given the task to dig pits during drought, Congress was not providing water. Because they knew that if water is supplied here, their illegal income will stop,” he alleged.

    According to him, it was the BJP government which brought Narmada water into this parched region and promised that it will reach those areas too which were left behind.

    The PM said his government at the Centre had pumped in nearly Rs 1 lakh crore to finish as many as 99 water supply schemes which were abandoned across the country during Congress rule.

    ALSO READ | Gujarat elections: State govt not filling up 5 lakh posts as most will go to Dalits, STs, OBCs: Kharge

    Without taking names, Modi said those who “looted” poor citizens are now giving him ‘gaalis’ (abuses) for putting an end to corrupt practices, like cancelling nearly four crore fake ration cards.

    “Food grains meant for the poor were diverted somewhere else. If you rob poor people, Modi will take action. And when such people are caught, they start abusing me,” he said.

    He claimed that he was confident of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) victory in Gujarat the way people took part in voting on December 1 under the first phase.

    Before addressing the rally, Modi visited Augarnath temple in Kankrej and offered prayers.

    AHMEDABAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday alleged that the Congress only believed in ‘atkana, latkana aur bhatkana’ (stalling, delaying and misleading), and said those who looted poor people in the country were now abusing him for putting an end to corruption.

    He also alleged that the previous Congress governments never showed any interest in bringing the Narmada river water to the parched regions of Gujarat as the party was only interested in doing those works where there was scope to indulge in corruption.

    Modi was addressing a rally in Kankrej village of Banaskantha district, where voting for the second phase of Gujarat Assembly polls will be held on December 5.

    “Congress only believed in ‘atkana’, ‘latkana’ and ‘bhatkana’. Elderly people from this region would tell you how Congress governments used to talk about bringing Narmada water in this parched region, but nothing was done on that front during their rule,” he said.

    ALSO READ | Medha Patkar slams Modi, says BJP targeting her presence in Bharat Jodo Yatra for ‘vote bank politics’

    The prime minister accused the Congress of trying to stall the construction of the Sardar Sarovar dam and supporting those who delayed the project through litigations, a veiled reference to Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) activist Medha Patkar.

    “Can people of Banaskantha forgive those who indulged in this sin of stopping water from coming here? Congress was responsible for keeping Banaskantha thirsty. They must be punished. I hope you will not forget this during polling,” Modi said.

    “Congress never shows interest in those works where their leaders do not find any opportunity to make money. Since they used to get kickbacks in the relief work wherein people were given the task to dig pits during drought, Congress was not providing water. Because they knew that if water is supplied here, their illegal income will stop,” he alleged.

    According to him, it was the BJP government which brought Narmada water into this parched region and promised that it will reach those areas too which were left behind.

    The PM said his government at the Centre had pumped in nearly Rs 1 lakh crore to finish as many as 99 water supply schemes which were abandoned across the country during Congress rule.

    ALSO READ | Gujarat elections: State govt not filling up 5 lakh posts as most will go to Dalits, STs, OBCs: Kharge

    Without taking names, Modi said those who “looted” poor citizens are now giving him ‘gaalis’ (abuses) for putting an end to corrupt practices, like cancelling nearly four crore fake ration cards.

    “Food grains meant for the poor were diverted somewhere else. If you rob poor people, Modi will take action. And when such people are caught, they start abusing me,” he said.

    He claimed that he was confident of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) victory in Gujarat the way people took part in voting on December 1 under the first phase.

    Before addressing the rally, Modi visited Augarnath temple in Kankrej and offered prayers.

  • Assam CM Himanta emerges as BJP’s poster boy for election campaigns

    By PTI

    GUWAHATI: The BJP’s most prominent face from the North East, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has emerged as the party’s new poster boy for election campaigning, capturing eyeballs as its first-star campaigner from the region in faraway Gujarat and Delhi.

    Be it the revocation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, imposition of Uniform Civil Code (UCC), PFI ban, Ram Janmabhoomi temple issue, communal angle to the recent killing of a girl by her live-in partner or the attack on Congress and his bete noire Rahul Gandhi, Sarma has left no stone unturned to push forward assertively the right-wing party’s key agenda in poll-bound Gujarat where the BJP has ruled for the last 27 years, barring a brief period of President’s Rule.

    Sarma, in the eyes of his supporters, of course, comes with the right credentials for the role.

    The passing of the Cattle Protection Act, calling for specific policy measures for slowing down minority population growth, closing down of government Madrasas and turning them into general schools, demolition of madrasas following arrest of teachers with alleged terror links, sealing of the ‘Miya’ (Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam) musuem, among others has brought him to the fore of polarisation politics, according to experts.

    The Chief Minister, however, during his campaign trail has hit back with questions like “does an Owaisi (Asaduddin Owaisi) alone have the right to polarisation. Do the Hindus not have the right to assert their glorious cultural and civilisational heritage? It is the media who term this as polarisation when Prime Minister Narendra Modi has strived hard to restore our pride in ‘Sanatan Dharma’ which is the soul of our nation”.

    He has also dismissed the title of ‘star campaigner’ stating he is “no star but just an ordinary ‘karyakarta’ (worker) of the party and Gujarat leaders also go to Assam during elections”.

    Campaigning in Gujarat twice within a week, Sarma has focussed his attack on his erstwhile party – the Congress which he left in 2015 to join the BJP, and particularly on Rahul Gandhi who he alleged was more interested in feeding biscuits to his dog than in solving party’s problems.

    In each of his campaign, either in Gujarat or Delhi, he has attacked the Congress for following ”politics of appeasement” for the benefit of a particular community and even went on to refer to Gandhi resembling Saddam Hussain due to the beard he has kept during the ongoing ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’.

    Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar, when asked about Sarma’s continuous attack on the Congress and Rahul, said that he has to ”please his masters for his political survival.

    The BJP resorts to polarisation politics at a time when the youth and people are talking about unemployment and price rise”.

    Political analyst Paresh Malakar pointed out that he highlights issues core to BJP’s communal agenda but added that the comments may also be construed as ”irresponsible”.

    “Apart from the communal angle, Sarma is trying to mislead and provoke,”, Malakar, also the General Secretary of civil society group Assam Nagarik Sabha, told PTI.

    Political analyst Chandan Sarma of Dibrugarh University claimed that it is well-documented that Sarma has been behind the success of BJP in the North East and that his stature is increasing in the national arena, too, as he ”boldly articulates the core BJP agenda on various issues”.

    Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) General Secretary Jagadish Bhuyan told PTI that even after being in power for so many years in Gujarat, “The BJP is not talking about development but engaged in communal polarization. Sarma can go to any extent to instigate people.”

    Assam Pradesh Congress President Bhupen Bora however told PTI that Sarma has been taken to Gujarat not to give speeches but for fund management.

    “The BJP government in the state has looted funds which the party is using for election purpose,” Bora alleged.

    The BJP, however, refutes these allegations with its Rajya Sabha MP Pabitra Margherita asserting the campaigning task recognises Sarma’s ability “to connect with people’s pulse, his practical and viable commitments and its timely implementation which has been noticed not only in the region but also in the rest of the country”.

    Besides, BJP encourages and empowers “new generation politicians and gives space to young leaders working for the nation’s development along with preserving ideological ethos,” Margherita said.

    GUWAHATI: The BJP’s most prominent face from the North East, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has emerged as the party’s new poster boy for election campaigning, capturing eyeballs as its first-star campaigner from the region in faraway Gujarat and Delhi.

    Be it the revocation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, imposition of Uniform Civil Code (UCC), PFI ban, Ram Janmabhoomi temple issue, communal angle to the recent killing of a girl by her live-in partner or the attack on Congress and his bete noire Rahul Gandhi, Sarma has left no stone unturned to push forward assertively the right-wing party’s key agenda in poll-bound Gujarat where the BJP has ruled for the last 27 years, barring a brief period of President’s Rule.

    Sarma, in the eyes of his supporters, of course, comes with the right credentials for the role.

    The passing of the Cattle Protection Act, calling for specific policy measures for slowing down minority population growth, closing down of government Madrasas and turning them into general schools, demolition of madrasas following arrest of teachers with alleged terror links, sealing of the ‘Miya’ (Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam) musuem, among others has brought him to the fore of polarisation politics, according to experts.

    The Chief Minister, however, during his campaign trail has hit back with questions like “does an Owaisi (Asaduddin Owaisi) alone have the right to polarisation. Do the Hindus not have the right to assert their glorious cultural and civilisational heritage? It is the media who term this as polarisation when Prime Minister Narendra Modi has strived hard to restore our pride in ‘Sanatan Dharma’ which is the soul of our nation”.

    He has also dismissed the title of ‘star campaigner’ stating he is “no star but just an ordinary ‘karyakarta’ (worker) of the party and Gujarat leaders also go to Assam during elections”.

    Campaigning in Gujarat twice within a week, Sarma has focussed his attack on his erstwhile party – the Congress which he left in 2015 to join the BJP, and particularly on Rahul Gandhi who he alleged was more interested in feeding biscuits to his dog than in solving party’s problems.

    In each of his campaign, either in Gujarat or Delhi, he has attacked the Congress for following ”politics of appeasement” for the benefit of a particular community and even went on to refer to Gandhi resembling Saddam Hussain due to the beard he has kept during the ongoing ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’.

    Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar, when asked about Sarma’s continuous attack on the Congress and Rahul, said that he has to ”please his masters for his political survival.

    The BJP resorts to polarisation politics at a time when the youth and people are talking about unemployment and price rise”.

    Political analyst Paresh Malakar pointed out that he highlights issues core to BJP’s communal agenda but added that the comments may also be construed as ”irresponsible”.

    “Apart from the communal angle, Sarma is trying to mislead and provoke,”, Malakar, also the General Secretary of civil society group Assam Nagarik Sabha, told PTI.

    Political analyst Chandan Sarma of Dibrugarh University claimed that it is well-documented that Sarma has been behind the success of BJP in the North East and that his stature is increasing in the national arena, too, as he ”boldly articulates the core BJP agenda on various issues”.

    Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) General Secretary Jagadish Bhuyan told PTI that even after being in power for so many years in Gujarat, “The BJP is not talking about development but engaged in communal polarization. Sarma can go to any extent to instigate people.”

    Assam Pradesh Congress President Bhupen Bora however told PTI that Sarma has been taken to Gujarat not to give speeches but for fund management.

    “The BJP government in the state has looted funds which the party is using for election purpose,” Bora alleged.

    The BJP, however, refutes these allegations with its Rajya Sabha MP Pabitra Margherita asserting the campaigning task recognises Sarma’s ability “to connect with people’s pulse, his practical and viable commitments and its timely implementation which has been noticed not only in the region but also in the rest of the country”.

    Besides, BJP encourages and empowers “new generation politicians and gives space to young leaders working for the nation’s development along with preserving ideological ethos,” Margherita said.

  • 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

  • Gujarat polls: Time to rebuild Mahatma Gandhi’s land by ending BJP’s misrule, says Congress

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi Tuesday slammed the BJP for its 27 years of “misrule” in Gujarat and said it is time to rebuild Mahatma Gandhi’s land.

    Calling upon the people to reject the BJP in the upcoming assembly polls, Kharge attacked the ruling party over inflation and unemployment while alleging that it has “betrayed” farmers.

    Gandhi, on the other hand, hit out at the state government over reported deaths due to spurious liquor in Junagarh.

    “In ‘dry state’ Gujarat, people died again yesterday due to spurious liquor! On one hand, there is a show-off liquor ban, on the other people are dying due to poisonous liquor and drugs. Instead of employment, the government is giving poison. This is the BJP’s ‘Gujarat model’! The land of Gandhi-Sardar has been inebriated,” Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.

    ALSO READ | ‘Are you 100-headed like Ravan’: Mallikarjun Kharge asks PM Modi

    With the tweet, he used the hashtag ‘#RejectBJP’ to urge people not to vote for the party.

    There were media reports about two deaths in Gujarat’s Junagarh due to spurious liquor.

    In July, 42 people lost their lives in Gujarat’s Botad district after consuming hooch.

    Hitting out at the BJP in Gujarat, Kharge asked, “Why is every section of Gujarat — youth, farmers, women, small businessmen, Dalits, tribals, and the backward classes — are suffering.” Gujarat demands answers and accountability for the last 27 years of BJP rule, the Congress national president said.

    He alleged that the income of the people of Gujarat is less than the national average and also claimed that due to the BJP, seven crore Gujaratis have a debt of Rs 4.5 lakh crore.

    “The CAG has warned that Gujarat is getting trapped in a debt cycle. The BJP has given nothing but economic burden and social hatred to the people of Gujarat,” Kharge said.

    READ HERE | Cong backed perpetrators of violence; BJP established permanent peace in Gujarat post ’02: Amit Shah

    “Now is the time for a change! To root out the BJP’s 27-year misrule in Gujarat! The time has come to rebuild the Gujarat of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Morarji Desai, Balwantrai Mehta and Chimanbhai Patel! The Congress will come, will bring happiness to the people of Gujarat,” he said in a series of tweets.

    Kharge also alleged that Gujarat suffered badly during the Covid period.

    There is a huge shortage of health workers with 90 per cent of posts in community health centres vacant.

    Privatization initiated by the BJP is making healthcare unbearable for lakhs of people of Gujarat, he claimed.

    Claiming that Dalits and Tribals in Gujarat are exploited Kharge accused the BJP of “protecting criminals”.

    The Una incident, in which Dalits were publicly beaten up under the protection of the administration, shook the conscience of every Indian.

    Tribals were not given rights and Panchayats Extension to the Scheduled Areas (PESA) was not implemented, he alleged.

    ALSO READ | Congress sacrificed two prime ministers in terror fight: Kharge counters PM Modi

    “Demonetisation, wrong GST and lack of help during the Corona period have broken the back of every section of Gujarat. People’s life has become difficult due to the constant tremors of inflation. GST has been imposed on flour, pulses, milk, pencils, medicines and from treatment. Betrayed farmers of Gujarat, MSP hike was low. Modi Ji had promised the farmers of the country that he will give cost plus 50 per cent MSP. This turned out to be the biggest betrayal of the farmers. The farmers of Gujarat are also fed up with the rising prices of fertilizers, diesel, GST, electricity and inputs,” the Congress leader said in a series of tweets in Hindi.

    Gujarat elections will be held in two phases on December 1 and 5 and the results will be out on December 8.

    The Congress is vying to oust the BJP which has been in power in Gujarat for 27 years.

    NEW DELHI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi Tuesday slammed the BJP for its 27 years of “misrule” in Gujarat and said it is time to rebuild Mahatma Gandhi’s land.

    Calling upon the people to reject the BJP in the upcoming assembly polls, Kharge attacked the ruling party over inflation and unemployment while alleging that it has “betrayed” farmers.

    Gandhi, on the other hand, hit out at the state government over reported deaths due to spurious liquor in Junagarh.

    “In ‘dry state’ Gujarat, people died again yesterday due to spurious liquor! On one hand, there is a show-off liquor ban, on the other people are dying due to poisonous liquor and drugs. Instead of employment, the government is giving poison. This is the BJP’s ‘Gujarat model’! The land of Gandhi-Sardar has been inebriated,” Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.

    ALSO READ | ‘Are you 100-headed like Ravan’: Mallikarjun Kharge asks PM Modi

    With the tweet, he used the hashtag ‘#RejectBJP’ to urge people not to vote for the party.

    There were media reports about two deaths in Gujarat’s Junagarh due to spurious liquor.

    In July, 42 people lost their lives in Gujarat’s Botad district after consuming hooch.

    Hitting out at the BJP in Gujarat, Kharge asked, “Why is every section of Gujarat — youth, farmers, women, small businessmen, Dalits, tribals, and the backward classes — are suffering.” Gujarat demands answers and accountability for the last 27 years of BJP rule, the Congress national president said.

    He alleged that the income of the people of Gujarat is less than the national average and also claimed that due to the BJP, seven crore Gujaratis have a debt of Rs 4.5 lakh crore.

    “The CAG has warned that Gujarat is getting trapped in a debt cycle. The BJP has given nothing but economic burden and social hatred to the people of Gujarat,” Kharge said.

    READ HERE | Cong backed perpetrators of violence; BJP established permanent peace in Gujarat post ’02: Amit Shah

    “Now is the time for a change! To root out the BJP’s 27-year misrule in Gujarat! The time has come to rebuild the Gujarat of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Morarji Desai, Balwantrai Mehta and Chimanbhai Patel! The Congress will come, will bring happiness to the people of Gujarat,” he said in a series of tweets.

    Kharge also alleged that Gujarat suffered badly during the Covid period.

    There is a huge shortage of health workers with 90 per cent of posts in community health centres vacant.

    Privatization initiated by the BJP is making healthcare unbearable for lakhs of people of Gujarat, he claimed.

    Claiming that Dalits and Tribals in Gujarat are exploited Kharge accused the BJP of “protecting criminals”.

    The Una incident, in which Dalits were publicly beaten up under the protection of the administration, shook the conscience of every Indian.

    Tribals were not given rights and Panchayats Extension to the Scheduled Areas (PESA) was not implemented, he alleged.

    ALSO READ | Congress sacrificed two prime ministers in terror fight: Kharge counters PM Modi

    “Demonetisation, wrong GST and lack of help during the Corona period have broken the back of every section of Gujarat. People’s life has become difficult due to the constant tremors of inflation. GST has been imposed on flour, pulses, milk, pencils, medicines and from treatment. Betrayed farmers of Gujarat, MSP hike was low. Modi Ji had promised the farmers of the country that he will give cost plus 50 per cent MSP. This turned out to be the biggest betrayal of the farmers. The farmers of Gujarat are also fed up with the rising prices of fertilizers, diesel, GST, electricity and inputs,” the Congress leader said in a series of tweets in Hindi.

    Gujarat elections will be held in two phases on December 1 and 5 and the results will be out on December 8.

    The Congress is vying to oust the BJP which has been in power in Gujarat for 27 years.

  • Gujarat battle on social media: Congress focuses more onYatra; AAP leads with max posts on Sunday

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: With less than one week left for the high octane poll battle in Gujarat to end, the ruling BJP and new player AAP have intensified their online campaigning to reach out to the voters active on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

    At the same time, the Congress’ main social media handles have focused more on promoting Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ than the party’s campaigning for the two-phase assembly elections on December 1 and 5.

    The counting of votes will be taken up on December 8.

    An analysis of Facebook accounts and Twitter handles last week (Nov 21-27) of the three parties showed that Congress’ handles were more attentive to Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, as 75 per cent of the total posts were on the yatra.

    Less than 20 per cent of the posts on its Facebook page and the Twitter handle were on the party’s campaigning in Gujarat elections.

    On the other hand, about 40 per cent of the posts from the Bhartiya Janata Party’s main Facebook page and Twitter handle were related to Gujarat polls during the same duration.

    ALSO READ | Last-minute push: Parties slog it out, trade charges ahead of Phase 1 Gujarat Assembly elections

    The flow of assembly election-related posts was almost the same during the last week, except on Friday when the count of the social posts on the Gujarat polls was the lowest for the BJP and the other two parties.

    However, the Aam Aadmi Party’s social media posts from its main handles were ahead of both the BJP and Congress, as every second post from its main handles was related to the Gujarat elections.

    On Sunday, more than 95 per cent of content shared from the AAP’s main Facebook and Twitter accounts was on the party’s activities in Gujarat.

    Only 15 per cent of the tweets posted by Congress’ official Twitter handle during Nov 21-27 were on the Gujarat polls. Out of 280 tweets posted during these seven days, only 42 were related to the party’s campaigns and party leaders’ rallies in Gujarat.

    Congress’s main Twitter handle posted 14 out of 35 tweets on the Gujarat elections on Monday (Nov 21).

    Similarly, the count was 5 out of 23 tweets on Tuesday, 3 out of 42 tweets on Wednesday, 4 out of 47 tweets on Thursday, 1 out of 41 tweets on Friday, three on Saturday, and 12 out of 45 tweets on Sunday (Nov 27).

    Similarly, 22 per cent of the Facebook posts shared by the party’s official Facebook page were related to the state elections in Gujarat.

    Of 242 Facebook posts during the same period, 53 were on Gujarat elections.

    On the other hand, 75 per cent of posts from the main handles (198 tweets and 194 Facebook posts) were on the events related to Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra from Monday (Nov 21) to Sunday (Nov 27) last week.

    The tweet count was the highest (14) on Monday and the lowest on Friday.

    Congress party’s Twitter handle has 9 million followers, and its Facebook page has 6.3 million followers.

    BJP The BJP maintained the flow of tweets and Facebook posts from its main handles on the party’s public rallies in Gujarat.

    More than 40 per cent of its tweets and above 35 per cent of its Facebook posts shared between November 21 and November 27 were related to the party’s campaigning in Gujarat.

    BJP’s main Twitter handle posted 23 out of 32 tweets on the Gujarat elections on Monday, 38 out of 63 tweets on Tuesday, 20 out of 35 tweets on Wednesday, 13 out of 46 tweets on Thursday, 4 out of 43 tweets on Friday, 15 out of 40 tweets on Saturday, and 14 out of 51 tweets on Sunday.

    ALSO READ | Gujarat hunt for Opposition: AAP fills Congress vacuum in BJP citadel

    Similarly, 37 per cent of the Facebook posts shared by the party’s official Facebook page were on Gujarat polls.

    Out of 169 Facebook posts during the same period, 63 were on the Gujarat elections.

    BJP’s Twitter handle has 19.5 million followers, and its Facebook page has 16 million followers.

    AAP The AAP, which has made an aggressive entry in Gujarat, promoted the party’s campaigning and its chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s rallies from its main Twitter handle and Facebook page.

    AAP’s main social media handles shared 50 per cent of its tweets and 52 per cent of its Facebook posts on the Gujarat elections in the same duration.

    The party’s main Twitter handle posted 131 out of 260 tweets and 81 out of 156 Facebook posts on its leaders’ public rallies in Gujarat.

    The main Twitter handle posted 25 out of 33 tweets on Monday on Gujarat polls, 31 out of 40 tweets on Tuesday, 11 out of 30 tweets on Wednesday, 13 out of 38 tweets on Thursday, 6 out of 50 tweets on Friday, 13 out of 36 tweets on Saturday, and 32 out of 33 tweets on Sunday.

    Similarly, 81 out of 156 Facebook posts, with 93 per cent of its posts on Sunday, were related to the state elections in Gujarat.

    On the same day, its Twitter handle posted 32 out of 33 tweets on Gujarat only.

    The AAP’s Twitter handle has 6.4 million followers, and its Facebook page has 5.5 million followers.

    NEW DELHI: With less than one week left for the high octane poll battle in Gujarat to end, the ruling BJP and new player AAP have intensified their online campaigning to reach out to the voters active on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

    At the same time, the Congress’ main social media handles have focused more on promoting Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ than the party’s campaigning for the two-phase assembly elections on December 1 and 5.

    The counting of votes will be taken up on December 8.

    An analysis of Facebook accounts and Twitter handles last week (Nov 21-27) of the three parties showed that Congress’ handles were more attentive to Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, as 75 per cent of the total posts were on the yatra.

    Less than 20 per cent of the posts on its Facebook page and the Twitter handle were on the party’s campaigning in Gujarat elections.

    On the other hand, about 40 per cent of the posts from the Bhartiya Janata Party’s main Facebook page and Twitter handle were related to Gujarat polls during the same duration.

    ALSO READ | Last-minute push: Parties slog it out, trade charges ahead of Phase 1 Gujarat Assembly elections

    The flow of assembly election-related posts was almost the same during the last week, except on Friday when the count of the social posts on the Gujarat polls was the lowest for the BJP and the other two parties.

    However, the Aam Aadmi Party’s social media posts from its main handles were ahead of both the BJP and Congress, as every second post from its main handles was related to the Gujarat elections.

    On Sunday, more than 95 per cent of content shared from the AAP’s main Facebook and Twitter accounts was on the party’s activities in Gujarat.

    Only 15 per cent of the tweets posted by Congress’ official Twitter handle during Nov 21-27 were on the Gujarat polls. Out of 280 tweets posted during these seven days, only 42 were related to the party’s campaigns and party leaders’ rallies in Gujarat.

    Congress’s main Twitter handle posted 14 out of 35 tweets on the Gujarat elections on Monday (Nov 21).

    Similarly, the count was 5 out of 23 tweets on Tuesday, 3 out of 42 tweets on Wednesday, 4 out of 47 tweets on Thursday, 1 out of 41 tweets on Friday, three on Saturday, and 12 out of 45 tweets on Sunday (Nov 27).

    Similarly, 22 per cent of the Facebook posts shared by the party’s official Facebook page were related to the state elections in Gujarat.

    Of 242 Facebook posts during the same period, 53 were on Gujarat elections.

    On the other hand, 75 per cent of posts from the main handles (198 tweets and 194 Facebook posts) were on the events related to Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra from Monday (Nov 21) to Sunday (Nov 27) last week.

    The tweet count was the highest (14) on Monday and the lowest on Friday.

    Congress party’s Twitter handle has 9 million followers, and its Facebook page has 6.3 million followers.

    BJP The BJP maintained the flow of tweets and Facebook posts from its main handles on the party’s public rallies in Gujarat.

    More than 40 per cent of its tweets and above 35 per cent of its Facebook posts shared between November 21 and November 27 were related to the party’s campaigning in Gujarat.

    BJP’s main Twitter handle posted 23 out of 32 tweets on the Gujarat elections on Monday, 38 out of 63 tweets on Tuesday, 20 out of 35 tweets on Wednesday, 13 out of 46 tweets on Thursday, 4 out of 43 tweets on Friday, 15 out of 40 tweets on Saturday, and 14 out of 51 tweets on Sunday.

    ALSO READ | Gujarat hunt for Opposition: AAP fills Congress vacuum in BJP citadel

    Similarly, 37 per cent of the Facebook posts shared by the party’s official Facebook page were on Gujarat polls.

    Out of 169 Facebook posts during the same period, 63 were on the Gujarat elections.

    BJP’s Twitter handle has 19.5 million followers, and its Facebook page has 16 million followers.

    AAP The AAP, which has made an aggressive entry in Gujarat, promoted the party’s campaigning and its chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s rallies from its main Twitter handle and Facebook page.

    AAP’s main social media handles shared 50 per cent of its tweets and 52 per cent of its Facebook posts on the Gujarat elections in the same duration.

    The party’s main Twitter handle posted 131 out of 260 tweets and 81 out of 156 Facebook posts on its leaders’ public rallies in Gujarat.

    The main Twitter handle posted 25 out of 33 tweets on Monday on Gujarat polls, 31 out of 40 tweets on Tuesday, 11 out of 30 tweets on Wednesday, 13 out of 38 tweets on Thursday, 6 out of 50 tweets on Friday, 13 out of 36 tweets on Saturday, and 32 out of 33 tweets on Sunday.

    Similarly, 81 out of 156 Facebook posts, with 93 per cent of its posts on Sunday, were related to the state elections in Gujarat.

    On the same day, its Twitter handle posted 32 out of 33 tweets on Gujarat only.

    The AAP’s Twitter handle has 6.4 million followers, and its Facebook page has 5.5 million followers.

  • Congress sacrificed two prime ministers in terror fight: Kharge counters PM Modi

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD: A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused Congress of playing vote bank politics over terrorism, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday said his party had sacrificed two prime ministers in the fight against terrorism.

    Kharge questioned whether any leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had fought for the freedom of the country.

    “We have done the work to fight against terrorists. To maintain peace in the country, we have sacrificed our leaders. Indira Gandhi sacrificed her life to keep the country united. Rajiv Gandhi was martyred for the unity of the country. Is there a leader in the BJP who at least fought for the freedom of the country?” Kharge asked.

    Addressing a rally in Kheda in poll-bound Gujarat on Sunday, the prime minister had said Congress views terrorism from the prism of the vote bank”.

    He also said, “terrorism was not over yet and the politics of the Congress has also not changed”.

    “Here (in Congress), we have lost our two famous and world-respected prime ministers to strengthen and unite the country. This is an election of the state Assembly and not of Parliament. We are here before you with the issues affecting the state. It is better if he (Modi) talks about the successes and failures of the state,” Kharge said.

    On the BJP’s poll promise of implementing the Uniform Civil Code in Gujarat, Khrage said it was an attempt to divide society and create controversy for votes.

    “They (BJP) are provoking Congress and other leaders to speak up and get angry. Their aim is to provoke us and divide society, but we are not going to fall into their trap,” he said.

    ALSO READ | Gujarat suffered a lot because of sins of the Congress: PM Modi

    Slamming Modi for seeking votes in his name and claiming only he contributed to the progress of Gujarat as if there were no leaders before him, Kharge said the prime minister keeps talking about the Congress has done nothing in the past 70-odd years.

    “If any party built the country in 70 years, it was Congress,” Kharge said, adding, unlike Modi, he does not take credit for the several thousand crore worths of projects sanctioned when he was Union minister.

    Attacking the BJP’s ‘Gujarat model’ of development, the Congress president said there were five lakh vacancies in government departments, including that of 28,000 teachers.

    “The state’s debt is rising sharply. When we went out of power, we left a debt of Rs 10,000 crore. Today it has swelled to Rs 3.40 lakh crore, and is going to increase further to Rs 4.60 lakh crore during the current fiscal,” Kharge said.

    “The so-called “Gujarat model” is about 4 lakh COVID-19 deaths. They changed three chief ministers in six years. If you change three CMs, it means that you did nothing here. Otherwise, there was no reason to change them,” Kharge said.

    ALSO READ | Congress gave you MGNREGA, scholarships; BJP took away your land: Rahul to tribals in Gujarat

    He expressed confidence in Congress winning the Gujarat elections.

    “The BJP has understood the people of Gujarat are deciding in favour of Congress. Despite being in power for 27 years, it has become necessary for the BJP to bring in the prime minister, Union home minister, four to five chief ministers to make inflammatory speeches to mislead people,” he claimed.

    Gujarat will see two-phase Assembly polls on December 1 and 5, and the counting of votes will take place on December 8.

    In the 2017 Assembly polls, the Congress had won 77 seats in the 182-member Assembly restricting BJP to 99.

    AHMEDABAD: A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused Congress of playing vote bank politics over terrorism, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday said his party had sacrificed two prime ministers in the fight against terrorism.

    Kharge questioned whether any leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had fought for the freedom of the country.

    “We have done the work to fight against terrorists. To maintain peace in the country, we have sacrificed our leaders. Indira Gandhi sacrificed her life to keep the country united. Rajiv Gandhi was martyred for the unity of the country. Is there a leader in the BJP who at least fought for the freedom of the country?” Kharge asked.

    Addressing a rally in Kheda in poll-bound Gujarat on Sunday, the prime minister had said Congress views terrorism from the prism of the vote bank”.

    He also said, “terrorism was not over yet and the politics of the Congress has also not changed”.

    “Here (in Congress), we have lost our two famous and world-respected prime ministers to strengthen and unite the country. This is an election of the state Assembly and not of Parliament. We are here before you with the issues affecting the state. It is better if he (Modi) talks about the successes and failures of the state,” Kharge said.

    On the BJP’s poll promise of implementing the Uniform Civil Code in Gujarat, Khrage said it was an attempt to divide society and create controversy for votes.

    “They (BJP) are provoking Congress and other leaders to speak up and get angry. Their aim is to provoke us and divide society, but we are not going to fall into their trap,” he said.

    ALSO READ | Gujarat suffered a lot because of sins of the Congress: PM Modi

    Slamming Modi for seeking votes in his name and claiming only he contributed to the progress of Gujarat as if there were no leaders before him, Kharge said the prime minister keeps talking about the Congress has done nothing in the past 70-odd years.

    “If any party built the country in 70 years, it was Congress,” Kharge said, adding, unlike Modi, he does not take credit for the several thousand crore worths of projects sanctioned when he was Union minister.

    Attacking the BJP’s ‘Gujarat model’ of development, the Congress president said there were five lakh vacancies in government departments, including that of 28,000 teachers.

    “The state’s debt is rising sharply. When we went out of power, we left a debt of Rs 10,000 crore. Today it has swelled to Rs 3.40 lakh crore, and is going to increase further to Rs 4.60 lakh crore during the current fiscal,” Kharge said.

    “The so-called “Gujarat model” is about 4 lakh COVID-19 deaths. They changed three chief ministers in six years. If you change three CMs, it means that you did nothing here. Otherwise, there was no reason to change them,” Kharge said.

    ALSO READ | Congress gave you MGNREGA, scholarships; BJP took away your land: Rahul to tribals in Gujarat

    He expressed confidence in Congress winning the Gujarat elections.

    “The BJP has understood the people of Gujarat are deciding in favour of Congress. Despite being in power for 27 years, it has become necessary for the BJP to bring in the prime minister, Union home minister, four to five chief ministers to make inflammatory speeches to mislead people,” he claimed.

    Gujarat will see two-phase Assembly polls on December 1 and 5, and the counting of votes will take place on December 8.

    In the 2017 Assembly polls, the Congress had won 77 seats in the 182-member Assembly restricting BJP to 99.

  • 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.

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    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.