Tag: Gujarat

  • Gujarat: Bhupendra Patel to take oath as CM on Monday, PM Modi to attend 

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Bhupendra Patel will take oath as the Chief Minister of Gujarat for a second straight term in Gandhinagar on Monday in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries, BJP leaders said on Sunday.

    Patel will be administered the oath as the 18th chief minister by Governor Acharya Devvrat at a function to be held at the Helipad Ground near the new Secretariat in Gandhinagar at 2 PM.

    Besides the prime minister, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and chief ministers of other BJP-ruled states are set to attend the swearing-in ceremony, BJP sources said.

    Along with Patel, some new ministers are also expected to take the oath.

    In the just-concluded Gujarat Assembly elections, counting for which was held on December 8, the BJP won a seventh straight term by winning record 156 seats in the 182-member House. The Congress won 17 constituencies and AAP 5.

    Patel, 60, resigned as chief minister along with his entire cabinet on Friday to pave the way for the formation of a new government following the election results.

    He was elected as the leader of the BJP legislative party on Saturday. He met the governor and staked the claim to form the next government.

    Patel won the Ghatlodia seat with the highest margin of 1.92 lakh votes in the elections. A low-profile BJP leader and the first from the Kadva Patidar sub-group to become CM, Patel replaced Vijay Rupani in September 2021.

    Meanwhile, hectic consultations are going on in BJP for picking ministerial candidates against the backdrop of the historic mandate given the party will have to walk the tightrope of balancing caste and regional representations, sources said.

    MLAs Kanu Desai, Raghavji Patel, Rushikesh Patel, Harsh Sanghavi, Shankar Chaudhary, Purnesh Modi, Manisha Vakil, Ramanlal Vora and Raman Patkar are among those expected to be inducted in the ministry, they added.

    AHMEDABAD: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Bhupendra Patel will take oath as the Chief Minister of Gujarat for a second straight term in Gandhinagar on Monday in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries, BJP leaders said on Sunday.

    Patel will be administered the oath as the 18th chief minister by Governor Acharya Devvrat at a function to be held at the Helipad Ground near the new Secretariat in Gandhinagar at 2 PM.

    Besides the prime minister, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and chief ministers of other BJP-ruled states are set to attend the swearing-in ceremony, BJP sources said.

    Along with Patel, some new ministers are also expected to take the oath.

    In the just-concluded Gujarat Assembly elections, counting for which was held on December 8, the BJP won a seventh straight term by winning record 156 seats in the 182-member House. The Congress won 17 constituencies and AAP 5.

    Patel, 60, resigned as chief minister along with his entire cabinet on Friday to pave the way for the formation of a new government following the election results.

    He was elected as the leader of the BJP legislative party on Saturday. He met the governor and staked the claim to form the next government.

    Patel won the Ghatlodia seat with the highest margin of 1.92 lakh votes in the elections. A low-profile BJP leader and the first from the Kadva Patidar sub-group to become CM, Patel replaced Vijay Rupani in September 2021.

    Meanwhile, hectic consultations are going on in BJP for picking ministerial candidates against the backdrop of the historic mandate given the party will have to walk the tightrope of balancing caste and regional representations, sources said.

    MLAs Kanu Desai, Raghavji Patel, Rushikesh Patel, Harsh Sanghavi, Shankar Chaudhary, Purnesh Modi, Manisha Vakil, Ramanlal Vora and Raman Patkar are among those expected to be inducted in the ministry, they added.

  • AAP played spoiler in Gujarat: Chidambaram

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

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

    By PTI

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Express News Service

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • AAP, AIMIM split minority votes of Congress in Gujarat, BJP gains 

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM seem to have dented the Congress’s sway over votes of minorities in Gujarat in the just concluded Assembly polls, bringing down the main Opposition party’s vote margin considerably in various seats across the state.

    Assembly polls were held on December 1 and 5, and votes were counted on December 8.

    The minorities, primarily Muslims, have been loyal voters of the Congress for the last several decades, especially after the 2002 post-Godhra riots.

    According to Congress sources, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on most occasions post the 2002 riots, has made electoral calculations keeping in mind the consolidation of Hindu votes irrespective of castes.

    This prompted the main Opposition party to secure its minority votes, one of the last components of the Congress’s old strategy of KHAM (Kshatriya, Harijan, Adivasi and Muslim) social engineering, which once used to be its winning formula in the state, they said.

    However, the entry of the AAP and the Hyderabad-headquartered All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has not only disturbed Congress’s minority vote bank but has also helped the ruling BJP, which did not field a single Muslim candidate in the elections, at the cost of the Congress.

    In the 2022 Assembly polls, traditional political parties fielded very few Muslim candidates in Gujarat, which has a 182-member Assembly.

    The Congress had fielded six Muslim candidates, while the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP gave tickets to three members of the minority community.

    The AIMIM contested 13 Assembly seats and fielded Muslim nominees on 12 of them. The AIMIM might have failed to win a single seat and the AAP might have won just five, but they derailed the Congress’s prospects and vote share in numerous seats by splitting their traditional votes.

    In the minority-dominated Dariapur seat, considered a Congress bastion, sitting Congress MLA Gyasuddin Shaikh lost to BJP’s Kaushik Jain by a margin of 5,243 votes. Shaikh polled 55,847 votes, whereas his nearest BJP rival bagged 61,090 ballots. The winning difference was made by AAP and AIMIM candidates, who polled 4,164 and 1,771 votes, respectively.

    In Jamalpur-Khadia, the Congress’s Imran Khedawala got a third consecutive term, but with a reduced mandate of 58,487 votes, down from 75,000 in 2017. AIMIM’s state president Sabir Kabliwala bagged 15,677 votes and the AAP 5,887 in the constituency in Ahmedabad district.

    In the Bapunagar seat, sitting Congress MLA Himmatsinh Patel lost to BJP’s Dineshsinh Kushwaha by a margin of 12,070 votes. AAP and Samajwadi Party’s (SP) Muslim candidates made the difference in margin between the Congress and the BJP. The AAP and the SP polled 6,384 and 3,671 votes, respectively.

    In the Mangrol seat, two-time sitting Congress MLA Babubhai Vaja lost to BJP’s Kargatiya Lakhabhai by 22,501 votes.

    The AAP and the AIMIM polled 34,314 and 10,789 votes, respectively, thus contributing in the defeat of the grand old party in the Assembly segment in Junagadh district.

    The Congress won the Muslim and Dalit-dominated Danilimda Assembly segment in Ahmedabad, despite the AAP and the AIMIM cutting into its votes and the BJP putting up a strong fight.

    Sitting Congress MLA Shailesh Parmar won by defeating his nearest rival, BJP’s Nareshbhai Vyas, by a margin of 13,525 votes.

    Parmar polled 68,906 votes as compared to 55,381 ballots cast in favour of Vyas.

    AAP candidate Soma Kapadia polled 22,934 votes, while AIMIM’s Kaushika Parmar garnered 2,464.

    Although Parmar won, his victory margin was much lower than in 2012 and 2017.

    In the Godhra seat, Bharatiya Janata Party’s C K Raulji defeated his Congress rival Rashmitaben Chauhan by 35,198 votes. Raulji bagged 96,223 votes, while Chauhan got 61,025. In 2017, the BJP’s victory margin was just 358 votes.

    Aam Aadmi Party’s Rajeshbhai Patel secured 11,827 votes, while the AIMIM’s Hasan Kachaba garnered 9,508 ballots, eating into Congress traditional votes in the communally-sensitive Assembly seat of Godhra, where the burning of an express train had triggered state-wide communal riots 20 years back.

    BJP MLA Sangita Patil registered a third straight win in Surat’s Marathi and Muslim-dominated Limbayat constituency. She defeated her nearest rival, Aam Aadmi Party’s Pankaj Tayede, by a margin of 58,009 votes. The AAP elbowed out the Congress, the traditional main Opposition in this seat, to a distant third position. Patil polled 95,696 votes as compared to 37,687 votes in favour of Tayede. Congress candidate Gopalbhai Patil finished third with 29,436, whereas the AIMIM was a distant fourth with 5,216 votes.

    The Vejalpur seat in Ahmedabad district, which includes the large Muslim ghetto of Juhapura, has a 35 per cent vote share of the minority community. 

    According to political analysts, the voting pattern in Muslim-dominated seats shows minorities have shifted loyalties as the Congress has failed to emerge as an alternative to the BJP.

    “The Congress’s silent campaign was a complete flop show as it failed to put up an alternative, and just like any common voters, a large section of minorities appeared to have switched to the AAP. The Congress lacked the momentum in the entire election,” political analyst Hemant Shah said.

    Echoing him, political analyst Dilip Gohil maintained the poll results reflect voters yearning for an alternative have found the AAP as a replacement of the Congress.

    “Be it minorities or the commoner, they were looking for an alternative, and they have found it in the AAP. The problem for the Congress is they might have secured the distant second position, but they have lost the perception battle to the AAP. And this would prove politically fatal for the Congress as they would find it hard to revive themselves,” he said.

    AHMEDABAD: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM seem to have dented the Congress’s sway over votes of minorities in Gujarat in the just concluded Assembly polls, bringing down the main Opposition party’s vote margin considerably in various seats across the state.

    Assembly polls were held on December 1 and 5, and votes were counted on December 8.

    The minorities, primarily Muslims, have been loyal voters of the Congress for the last several decades, especially after the 2002 post-Godhra riots.

    According to Congress sources, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on most occasions post the 2002 riots, has made electoral calculations keeping in mind the consolidation of Hindu votes irrespective of castes.

    This prompted the main Opposition party to secure its minority votes, one of the last components of the Congress’s old strategy of KHAM (Kshatriya, Harijan, Adivasi and Muslim) social engineering, which once used to be its winning formula in the state, they said.

    However, the entry of the AAP and the Hyderabad-headquartered All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has not only disturbed Congress’s minority vote bank but has also helped the ruling BJP, which did not field a single Muslim candidate in the elections, at the cost of the Congress.

    In the 2022 Assembly polls, traditional political parties fielded very few Muslim candidates in Gujarat, which has a 182-member Assembly.

    The Congress had fielded six Muslim candidates, while the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP gave tickets to three members of the minority community.

    The AIMIM contested 13 Assembly seats and fielded Muslim nominees on 12 of them. The AIMIM might have failed to win a single seat and the AAP might have won just five, but they derailed the Congress’s prospects and vote share in numerous seats by splitting their traditional votes.

    In the minority-dominated Dariapur seat, considered a Congress bastion, sitting Congress MLA Gyasuddin Shaikh lost to BJP’s Kaushik Jain by a margin of 5,243 votes. Shaikh polled 55,847 votes, whereas his nearest BJP rival bagged 61,090 ballots. The winning difference was made by AAP and AIMIM candidates, who polled 4,164 and 1,771 votes, respectively.

    In Jamalpur-Khadia, the Congress’s Imran Khedawala got a third consecutive term, but with a reduced mandate of 58,487 votes, down from 75,000 in 2017. AIMIM’s state president Sabir Kabliwala bagged 15,677 votes and the AAP 5,887 in the constituency in Ahmedabad district.

    In the Bapunagar seat, sitting Congress MLA Himmatsinh Patel lost to BJP’s Dineshsinh Kushwaha by a margin of 12,070 votes. AAP and Samajwadi Party’s (SP) Muslim candidates made the difference in margin between the Congress and the BJP. The AAP and the SP polled 6,384 and 3,671 votes, respectively.

    In the Mangrol seat, two-time sitting Congress MLA Babubhai Vaja lost to BJP’s Kargatiya Lakhabhai by 22,501 votes.

    The AAP and the AIMIM polled 34,314 and 10,789 votes, respectively, thus contributing in the defeat of the grand old party in the Assembly segment in Junagadh district.

    The Congress won the Muslim and Dalit-dominated Danilimda Assembly segment in Ahmedabad, despite the AAP and the AIMIM cutting into its votes and the BJP putting up a strong fight.

    Sitting Congress MLA Shailesh Parmar won by defeating his nearest rival, BJP’s Nareshbhai Vyas, by a margin of 13,525 votes.

    Parmar polled 68,906 votes as compared to 55,381 ballots cast in favour of Vyas.

    AAP candidate Soma Kapadia polled 22,934 votes, while AIMIM’s Kaushika Parmar garnered 2,464.

    Although Parmar won, his victory margin was much lower than in 2012 and 2017.

    In the Godhra seat, Bharatiya Janata Party’s C K Raulji defeated his Congress rival Rashmitaben Chauhan by 35,198 votes. Raulji bagged 96,223 votes, while Chauhan got 61,025. In 2017, the BJP’s victory margin was just 358 votes.

    Aam Aadmi Party’s Rajeshbhai Patel secured 11,827 votes, while the AIMIM’s Hasan Kachaba garnered 9,508 ballots, eating into Congress traditional votes in the communally-sensitive Assembly seat of Godhra, where the burning of an express train had triggered state-wide communal riots 20 years back.

    BJP MLA Sangita Patil registered a third straight win in Surat’s Marathi and Muslim-dominated Limbayat constituency. She defeated her nearest rival, Aam Aadmi Party’s Pankaj Tayede, by a margin of 58,009 votes. The AAP elbowed out the Congress, the traditional main Opposition in this seat, to a distant third position. Patil polled 95,696 votes as compared to 37,687 votes in favour of Tayede. Congress candidate Gopalbhai Patil finished third with 29,436, whereas the AIMIM was a distant fourth with 5,216 votes.

    The Vejalpur seat in Ahmedabad district, which includes the large Muslim ghetto of Juhapura, has a 35 per cent vote share of the minority community. 

    According to political analysts, the voting pattern in Muslim-dominated seats shows minorities have shifted loyalties as the Congress has failed to emerge as an alternative to the BJP.

    “The Congress’s silent campaign was a complete flop show as it failed to put up an alternative, and just like any common voters, a large section of minorities appeared to have switched to the AAP. The Congress lacked the momentum in the entire election,” political analyst Hemant Shah said.

    Echoing him, political analyst Dilip Gohil maintained the poll results reflect voters yearning for an alternative have found the AAP as a replacement of the Congress.

    “Be it minorities or the commoner, they were looking for an alternative, and they have found it in the AAP. The problem for the Congress is they might have secured the distant second position, but they have lost the perception battle to the AAP. And this would prove politically fatal for the Congress as they would find it hard to revive themselves,” he said.

  • Freedom of religion does not include right to convert people: Gujarat government to SC 

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Gujarat government has told the Supreme Court that freedom of religion does not include the right to convert others, and requested the top court to vacate a High Court stay on the provision of a state law that mandates prior permission of the district magistrate for conversion through marriage.

    The Gujarat High Court had through its orders dated August 19 and August 26, 2021 stayed the operation of section 5 of the state government’s Freedom of Religion Act of 2003.

    In its affidavit submitted in response to a PIL by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay, the state government said it has filed an application seeking the HC stay be revoked so that the provisions to prohibit religious conversions in Gujarat by force, allurement, or fraudulent means be implemented.

    “It is submitted that the right to freedom of religion does not include a fundamental right to convert other people to a particular religion.

    The said right certainly does not include the right to convert an individual through fraud, deception, coercion, allurement or other such means,” it said.

    The state government said the meaning and purport of the word ‘propagate’ in Article 25 of the Constitution was debated in great detail in the constituent assembly, and its inclusion was passed only after the clarification that the fundamental right under Article 25 would not include the right to convert.

    It said the constitutionality of Madhya Pradesh Dharma Swatantraya Adhiniyam, 1968 and the Orissa Freedom of Religion Act, 1967 which are pertinently pari materia (on the same subject) with Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act, 2003, was challenged before a Constitution Bench in 1977.

    This Court had held that fraudulent or induced conversion impinges upon the right to freedom of conscience of an individual apart from hampering public order and, therefore, the State was well within its power to regulate/restrict the same.

    “It is, therefore, submitted that the enactments like Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act, 2003, which seeks to control and curb the menace of organized, sophisticated large scale illegal conversions in the State of Gujarat have been upheld to be valid by this Court,” the state government said.

    It added that the High Court while passing the orders had failed to appreciate that by staying the operation of section 5 of the Act of 2003, the whole purpose of the Act effectively stands frustrated.

    “It is humbly submitted that the Act of 2003 is a validly constituted legislation and more particularly the provision of section 5 of the Act of 2003, which is holding the field since last i8 years and thus, a valid provision of law so as to achieve the objective of the Act of 2003 and to maintain the public order within the State of Gujarat by protecting the cherished rights of vulnerable sections of the society including women and economically and socially backward classes,” it said.

    The state government said the appeal against the orders of the High Court also primarily pertains to the issue of religious conversions by force, allurement, or fraudulent means as is PIL filed by Upadhyay.

    It said the High Court vide the impugned interim orders has stayed the operation of Section 5 of the Act of 2003, which is in fact “an enabling provision enabling a person” to get converted from one religion to another religion on his own volition.

    It said, “At the same time, the exercise of taking prior permission also obviates the forcible conversion and protects the freedom of conscience guaranteed to all the citizens of the Country.

    ” It is submitted that the steps stipulated in Section 5 are the precautions to ensure the process of renouncing one religion and adopting another is genuine, voluntary and bona fide and free from any force, allurement and fraudulent means.

    On November 14, the top court had said that forced religious conversion may pose a danger to national security and impinges on religious freedom of citizens.

    It had asked the Centre to step in and make sincere efforts to tackle the “very serious” issue.

    The court had warned a “very difficult situation” will emerge if proselytisation through deception, allurement and intimidation is not stopped.

    “The issue with respect to the alleged conversion of religion, if it is found to be correct and true, is a very serious issue which may ultimately affect the security of the nation as well as the freedom of religion and conscience of the citizens.

    “Therefore, it is better that the Union government may make their stand clear and file counter on what steps can be taken by Union and/or others to curb such forced conversion, maybe by force, allurement or fraudulent means,” the top court had said in its order.

    It had asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to enumerate measures to curb the practice.

    In his PIL, Upadhyay has sought direction to the Centre and states to take stringent steps to control fraudulent religious conversion by “intimidation, threatening, deceivingly luring through gifts and monetary benefits”.

    The top court had on September 23 sought responses from the Centre and others to the plea.

    NEW DELHI: The Gujarat government has told the Supreme Court that freedom of religion does not include the right to convert others, and requested the top court to vacate a High Court stay on the provision of a state law that mandates prior permission of the district magistrate for conversion through marriage.

    The Gujarat High Court had through its orders dated August 19 and August 26, 2021 stayed the operation of section 5 of the state government’s Freedom of Religion Act of 2003.

    In its affidavit submitted in response to a PIL by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay, the state government said it has filed an application seeking the HC stay be revoked so that the provisions to prohibit religious conversions in Gujarat by force, allurement, or fraudulent means be implemented.

    “It is submitted that the right to freedom of religion does not include a fundamental right to convert other people to a particular religion.

    The said right certainly does not include the right to convert an individual through fraud, deception, coercion, allurement or other such means,” it said.

    The state government said the meaning and purport of the word ‘propagate’ in Article 25 of the Constitution was debated in great detail in the constituent assembly, and its inclusion was passed only after the clarification that the fundamental right under Article 25 would not include the right to convert.

    It said the constitutionality of Madhya Pradesh Dharma Swatantraya Adhiniyam, 1968 and the Orissa Freedom of Religion Act, 1967 which are pertinently pari materia (on the same subject) with Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act, 2003, was challenged before a Constitution Bench in 1977.

    This Court had held that fraudulent or induced conversion impinges upon the right to freedom of conscience of an individual apart from hampering public order and, therefore, the State was well within its power to regulate/restrict the same.

    “It is, therefore, submitted that the enactments like Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act, 2003, which seeks to control and curb the menace of organized, sophisticated large scale illegal conversions in the State of Gujarat have been upheld to be valid by this Court,” the state government said.

    It added that the High Court while passing the orders had failed to appreciate that by staying the operation of section 5 of the Act of 2003, the whole purpose of the Act effectively stands frustrated.

    “It is humbly submitted that the Act of 2003 is a validly constituted legislation and more particularly the provision of section 5 of the Act of 2003, which is holding the field since last i8 years and thus, a valid provision of law so as to achieve the objective of the Act of 2003 and to maintain the public order within the State of Gujarat by protecting the cherished rights of vulnerable sections of the society including women and economically and socially backward classes,” it said.

    The state government said the appeal against the orders of the High Court also primarily pertains to the issue of religious conversions by force, allurement, or fraudulent means as is PIL filed by Upadhyay.

    It said the High Court vide the impugned interim orders has stayed the operation of Section 5 of the Act of 2003, which is in fact “an enabling provision enabling a person” to get converted from one religion to another religion on his own volition.

    It said, “At the same time, the exercise of taking prior permission also obviates the forcible conversion and protects the freedom of conscience guaranteed to all the citizens of the Country.

    ” It is submitted that the steps stipulated in Section 5 are the precautions to ensure the process of renouncing one religion and adopting another is genuine, voluntary and bona fide and free from any force, allurement and fraudulent means.

    On November 14, the top court had said that forced religious conversion may pose a danger to national security and impinges on religious freedom of citizens.

    It had asked the Centre to step in and make sincere efforts to tackle the “very serious” issue.

    The court had warned a “very difficult situation” will emerge if proselytisation through deception, allurement and intimidation is not stopped.

    “The issue with respect to the alleged conversion of religion, if it is found to be correct and true, is a very serious issue which may ultimately affect the security of the nation as well as the freedom of religion and conscience of the citizens.

    “Therefore, it is better that the Union government may make their stand clear and file counter on what steps can be taken by Union and/or others to curb such forced conversion, maybe by force, allurement or fraudulent means,” the top court had said in its order.

    It had asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to enumerate measures to curb the practice.

    In his PIL, Upadhyay has sought direction to the Centre and states to take stringent steps to control fraudulent religious conversion by “intimidation, threatening, deceivingly luring through gifts and monetary benefits”.

    The top court had on September 23 sought responses from the Centre and others to the plea.

  • Congress-‘mukt’ Gujarat will solve all your problems, says UP CM Yogi Adityanath

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Yogi Adityanath on Saturday appealed to people to rid Gujarat of Congress which he said would solve all problems.

    He was addressing a rally in support of the BJP contestant in Khambhat town of Anand district on the last day of the campaigning for the second and final phase of the Gujarat Assembly elections.

    Out of the total 182 seats, polling for 89 seats was held on December 1. The remaining 93 constituencies will vote on December 5. The counting of votes will be taken up on December 8.

    Adityanath dubbed both Congress and Aam Aadmi Party as a “threat to security and a barrier to development”.

    “Mahatma Gandhi had once said the Congress party should be disbanded once India achieves Independence. Now it is your responsibility to do that. A ‘Congress-mukt’ Gujarat will solve all your problems,” he said.

    Adityanath said the people of UP gave just two seats to Congress and nil to AAP in the last Assembly elections “as they knew both these parties are a threat to security and a barrier for achieving development”.

    He accused Congress of creating hindrances in the construction of the Somnath Temple in Gujarat after Independence and the temple of Lord Ram in Ayodhya in the recent past.

    “Today, Gujarat has become free of curfew and riots. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country has successfully eliminated terrorism, Naxalism and separatism,” he added.

    AHMEDABAD: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Yogi Adityanath on Saturday appealed to people to rid Gujarat of Congress which he said would solve all problems.

    He was addressing a rally in support of the BJP contestant in Khambhat town of Anand district on the last day of the campaigning for the second and final phase of the Gujarat Assembly elections.

    Out of the total 182 seats, polling for 89 seats was held on December 1. The remaining 93 constituencies will vote on December 5. The counting of votes will be taken up on December 8.

    Adityanath dubbed both Congress and Aam Aadmi Party as a “threat to security and a barrier to development”.

    “Mahatma Gandhi had once said the Congress party should be disbanded once India achieves Independence. Now it is your responsibility to do that. A ‘Congress-mukt’ Gujarat will solve all your problems,” he said.

    Adityanath said the people of UP gave just two seats to Congress and nil to AAP in the last Assembly elections “as they knew both these parties are a threat to security and a barrier for achieving development”.

    He accused Congress of creating hindrances in the construction of the Somnath Temple in Gujarat after Independence and the temple of Lord Ram in Ayodhya in the recent past.

    “Today, Gujarat has become free of curfew and riots. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country has successfully eliminated terrorism, Naxalism and separatism,” he added.

  • Rebels play spoilsport for parties in battle for 34 central Gujarat seats

    Express News Service

    AHMEDABAD:  Dissidents from both BJP and Congress can hurt the parties on 34 seats in central Gujarat, where BJP won only seven of the 28 seats in 1998 elections, but post-Godhra riots, it strengthened its position, bagging 23 seats in 2002.

    Central Gujarat is seen as a BJP stronghold where polling is due in the second phase on December 5. However, this time senior BJP leaders like Madhushrivastav and Dinesh Patel filed their candidature as independents after failing to find a place on the party list.

    That has put BJP under pressure. Vadodara city has been the party’s bastion for years, but this time it is facing trouble in neighbouring Savli, Padra, Waghodia, Dabhoi, and Karajan seats where former BJP MLAs are fighting as Independents.

    How anxious the BJP is to save this stronghold can be seen from the fact that it has fielded 76-year-old Yogesh Patel from Manjalpur constituency in Vadodra in spite of state party chief CR Patil’s expressed caveat before the media that the party would not nominate those aged above 75 years. In Panchmahal district, the party is facing a tougher puzzle. Former BJP MP Prabhatsinh Chauhan, who recently quit the BJP, is contesting the Kalol seat as a Congress candidate.

    Congress has its own fixed vote bank in central Gujarat. However, the party does not have an influential leader. In Narmada’s Dediapada seat, the Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) is also facing the problem posed by a rebel who has filed his papers as an AAP candidate from Dediapada seat.  Congress held the Chhota Udaipur seat in the north of Narmada for years, but this time, the BJP has inducted senior Congress leader and 11-time MLA Mohan Singh Rathawan, giving his son Rajendra Singh the ticket.

    AHMEDABAD:  Dissidents from both BJP and Congress can hurt the parties on 34 seats in central Gujarat, where BJP won only seven of the 28 seats in 1998 elections, but post-Godhra riots, it strengthened its position, bagging 23 seats in 2002.

    Central Gujarat is seen as a BJP stronghold where polling is due in the second phase on December 5. However, this time senior BJP leaders like Madhushrivastav and Dinesh Patel filed their candidature as independents after failing to find a place on the party list.

    That has put BJP under pressure. Vadodara city has been the party’s bastion for years, but this time it is facing trouble in neighbouring Savli, Padra, Waghodia, Dabhoi, and Karajan seats where former BJP MLAs are fighting as Independents.

    How anxious the BJP is to save this stronghold can be seen from the fact that it has fielded 76-year-old Yogesh Patel from Manjalpur constituency in Vadodra in spite of state party chief CR Patil’s expressed caveat before the media that the party would not nominate those aged above 75 years. In Panchmahal district, the party is facing a tougher puzzle. Former BJP MP Prabhatsinh Chauhan, who recently quit the BJP, is contesting the Kalol seat as a Congress candidate.

    Congress has its own fixed vote bank in central Gujarat. However, the party does not have an influential leader. In Narmada’s Dediapada seat, the Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) is also facing the problem posed by a rebel who has filed his papers as an AAP candidate from Dediapada seat.  Congress held the Chhota Udaipur seat in the north of Narmada for years, but this time, the BJP has inducted senior Congress leader and 11-time MLA Mohan Singh Rathawan, giving his son Rajendra Singh the ticket.

  • Amid support for Modi, steady grumble about unemployment in Gujarat

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Nearly 3.64 lakh educated and “semi-educated” youngsters had registered with employment exchanges across Gujarat till December 2021, according to state government data.

    Of them, the highest number of unemployed youths — 26,921 — were in Vadodara, followed by Ahmedabad (26,628), Anand (22,515), Rajkot (18,997) and Kheda (16,163) districts.

    The figures were shared by Labour, Skill Development and Employment Minister Brijesh Merja in his written replies to a set of questions by the opposition Congress during the State Legislative Assembly session in March.

    Unemployment remains a major issue in Gujarat even as the BJP-ruled state’s governance model has been at the core of the Narendra Modi-led dispensation at the Centre.

    Polling to elect 182-member Gujarat Legislative Assembly is scheduled to be held in two phases on Thursday and December 5.

    In its recent report titled ‘Unemployment in India – A Statistical Profile’, the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), a Mumbai-based private entity set up as an independent think-tank in 1976, pegged the overall unemployment rate in Gujarat at 2.83 per cent that existed between May and August this year, against 10.86 per cent at the national level for the same period.

    The sample size of the CMEI’s survey in Gujarat was 9,066 households.

    In what could be seen as a more realistic indicator of the unemployment scenario in Gujarat, about 17 lakh candidates reportedly applied for 3,400 vacant posts of Talati cum Minister or village panchayat secretary a few months ago.

    “Whoever comes to power should think of the poor people like us. We should get employment opportunities, and essential things like gas cylinders should be made affordable. The government should think about people like us,” said Raju Koli of Atkot village in Jasdan assembly constituency said.

    Ramesh Sondarva, a farm labourer, echoed similar view and said people of the state should bring about a change this time.

    Jasdan is one of the backward constituencies in Rajkot which will go to the polls on December 1.

    Amid recurring voices of approval for Prime Minister Narendra Modi across the state, there is a less frequent, but steady hum of complaints about unemployment.

    Many of the students of Saurashtra University said the BJP has brought ‘vikas’ (development) by building roads, and improving power and water supply in the state but some of them also questioned its record on education and health.

    In the Godhra assembly segment, Deepak Padhiyar, a second-year student at the Seth PT Arts and Science and Law College, said he had applied for the post of a police constable but could not clear the written exam, however, his quest for a better life will continue.

    My father is a cobbler with the State Reserve Police Force and my mother a homemaker who also takes care of our footwear shop, he said.

    “There is hardly any income from the shop. Now I want to apply for the post of Talati (revenue officer). This time my preference will be AAP,” Padhiyar said, citing the “Delhi model of governance” as the reason behind him choosing the Arvind Kejriwal-led party.

    Srimali Kirit (22), a first-year law student, claimed unemployment is a crucial factor in the state.

    “This (BJP) government is emphasising on contractual workers who have no pension. There is a need for government jobs with implementation of the old pension scheme that will give workers protection after retirement,” Kirit said.

    He said his father is no more and his mother gets a pension of Rs 12,000 and another pension of Rs 1,200 under a central scheme for widows — not enough for the family to sustain their livelihood.

    Amid high decibel poll campaign in the state, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has given a ‘guarantee’ to provide a job to every unemployed youth in Gujarat over the next five years.

    The party has promised to provide Rs 3,000 per month as an unemployment allowance to youth from the state coffer till they remain unemployed.

    The Congress too has promised to generate 10 lakh jobs in government and semi-government departments.

    With the rivals raising the issue of unemployment prominently in their poll campaigns, the ruling BJP has also promised that it will create 20 lakh employment opportunities and take the state’s economy to USD 1 trillion in the next five years if voted back to power.

    In its manifesto released by party president J P Nadda recently in the presence of Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and state unit chief C R Paatil, the BJP also promised to create more than one lakh government jobs for women over the next five years.

    In October, the ABP News-C Voter had claimed that around 31.4 per cent of voters surveyed by them had cited unemployment as their main concern.

    NEW DELHI: Nearly 3.64 lakh educated and “semi-educated” youngsters had registered with employment exchanges across Gujarat till December 2021, according to state government data.

    Of them, the highest number of unemployed youths — 26,921 — were in Vadodara, followed by Ahmedabad (26,628), Anand (22,515), Rajkot (18,997) and Kheda (16,163) districts.

    The figures were shared by Labour, Skill Development and Employment Minister Brijesh Merja in his written replies to a set of questions by the opposition Congress during the State Legislative Assembly session in March.

    Unemployment remains a major issue in Gujarat even as the BJP-ruled state’s governance model has been at the core of the Narendra Modi-led dispensation at the Centre.

    Polling to elect 182-member Gujarat Legislative Assembly is scheduled to be held in two phases on Thursday and December 5.

    In its recent report titled ‘Unemployment in India – A Statistical Profile’, the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), a Mumbai-based private entity set up as an independent think-tank in 1976, pegged the overall unemployment rate in Gujarat at 2.83 per cent that existed between May and August this year, against 10.86 per cent at the national level for the same period.

    The sample size of the CMEI’s survey in Gujarat was 9,066 households.

    In what could be seen as a more realistic indicator of the unemployment scenario in Gujarat, about 17 lakh candidates reportedly applied for 3,400 vacant posts of Talati cum Minister or village panchayat secretary a few months ago.

    “Whoever comes to power should think of the poor people like us. We should get employment opportunities, and essential things like gas cylinders should be made affordable. The government should think about people like us,” said Raju Koli of Atkot village in Jasdan assembly constituency said.

    Ramesh Sondarva, a farm labourer, echoed similar view and said people of the state should bring about a change this time.

    Jasdan is one of the backward constituencies in Rajkot which will go to the polls on December 1.

    Amid recurring voices of approval for Prime Minister Narendra Modi across the state, there is a less frequent, but steady hum of complaints about unemployment.

    Many of the students of Saurashtra University said the BJP has brought ‘vikas’ (development) by building roads, and improving power and water supply in the state but some of them also questioned its record on education and health.

    In the Godhra assembly segment, Deepak Padhiyar, a second-year student at the Seth PT Arts and Science and Law College, said he had applied for the post of a police constable but could not clear the written exam, however, his quest for a better life will continue.

    My father is a cobbler with the State Reserve Police Force and my mother a homemaker who also takes care of our footwear shop, he said.

    “There is hardly any income from the shop. Now I want to apply for the post of Talati (revenue officer). This time my preference will be AAP,” Padhiyar said, citing the “Delhi model of governance” as the reason behind him choosing the Arvind Kejriwal-led party.

    Srimali Kirit (22), a first-year law student, claimed unemployment is a crucial factor in the state.

    “This (BJP) government is emphasising on contractual workers who have no pension. There is a need for government jobs with implementation of the old pension scheme that will give workers protection after retirement,” Kirit said.

    He said his father is no more and his mother gets a pension of Rs 12,000 and another pension of Rs 1,200 under a central scheme for widows — not enough for the family to sustain their livelihood.

    Amid high decibel poll campaign in the state, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has given a ‘guarantee’ to provide a job to every unemployed youth in Gujarat over the next five years.

    The party has promised to provide Rs 3,000 per month as an unemployment allowance to youth from the state coffer till they remain unemployed.

    The Congress too has promised to generate 10 lakh jobs in government and semi-government departments.

    With the rivals raising the issue of unemployment prominently in their poll campaigns, the ruling BJP has also promised that it will create 20 lakh employment opportunities and take the state’s economy to USD 1 trillion in the next five years if voted back to power.

    In its manifesto released by party president J P Nadda recently in the presence of Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and state unit chief C R Paatil, the BJP also promised to create more than one lakh government jobs for women over the next five years.

    In October, the ABP News-C Voter had claimed that around 31.4 per cent of voters surveyed by them had cited unemployment as their main concern.