News Analysis India

Tag: Gujarat

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

    By PTI

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Two persons dead in Gujarat after consuming illicit liquor

    By IANS

    JUNAGADH: Two persons have died and one is in critical condition undergoing treatment at a government hospital after allegedly consuming spurious liquor in Gujarat’s Junagadh district, claimed the brother of one of the deceased victims.

    Congress MLA from Junagadh, Bhikhabhai Joshi said the people of Ghachipat society informed him that many people had gathered at the civil hospital as three persons were rushed to the hospital after falling ill on Monday evening.

    Joshi told IANS that locals have informed that all three persons complained of uneasiness and started vomiting and therefore were taken to the hospital.

    Two persons have died and the third person is in critical condition, he said.

    He added that doctors say it is too early to give a reason for the death but it will be confirmed only after the post-mortem report is available.

    One deceased has been identified as Rafiq Ghoghari, the deceased’s brother (name not available) told the local media that he had received a call in the evening informing that his brother had fallen unconscious in Gandhi Chowk after consuming some chemical (illicit liquor), so he took him to the government hospital.

    However, the doctor declared Rafiq dead but later found that one more body was lying there. He alleges that the deaths could be a hooch tragedy.

    Police are deployed at the government hospital and people are not allowed to enter as locals fear that more persons might have fallen victim to illicit liquor and could be brought later in the evening.

    JUNAGADH: Two persons have died and one is in critical condition undergoing treatment at a government hospital after allegedly consuming spurious liquor in Gujarat’s Junagadh district, claimed the brother of one of the deceased victims.

    Congress MLA from Junagadh, Bhikhabhai Joshi said the people of Ghachipat society informed him that many people had gathered at the civil hospital as three persons were rushed to the hospital after falling ill on Monday evening.

    Joshi told IANS that locals have informed that all three persons complained of uneasiness and started vomiting and therefore were taken to the hospital.

    Two persons have died and the third person is in critical condition, he said.

    He added that doctors say it is too early to give a reason for the death but it will be confirmed only after the post-mortem report is available.

    One deceased has been identified as Rafiq Ghoghari, the deceased’s brother (name not available) told the local media that he had received a call in the evening informing that his brother had fallen unconscious in Gandhi Chowk after consuming some chemical (illicit liquor), so he took him to the government hospital.

    However, the doctor declared Rafiq dead but later found that one more body was lying there. He alleges that the deaths could be a hooch tragedy.

    Police are deployed at the government hospital and people are not allowed to enter as locals fear that more persons might have fallen victim to illicit liquor and could be brought later in the evening.

  • ‘Silent wave’ in Gujarat, upcoming state polls to give new direction to country: Jignesh Mevani

    By PTI

    GUJARAT: Congress MLA and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani feels a “silent wave” has gripped the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Gujarat where a change is inevitable, and the upcoming state Assembly polls will give a new direction to the country.

    The Congress will win 120 out of the total 182 Assembly seats in the state polls, scheduled in two phases on December 1 and 5, he claimed in an interview with PTI.

    “This election is against autocracy, unemployment and price rise,” he said.

    Mevani (41), who is eyeing a second term from Vadgam, this time on the Congress ticket, is slogging it out in the poll arena, covering around 10 villages in a day in his Assembly seat, reserved for the Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates.

    He was elected as an independent MLA from the same seat in 2017 with the Congress’s support.

    “This time there is a silent revolution, a silent wave has gripped the state. People have made up their mind as they think that enough is enough,” Mevani claimed in response to a question that the BJP is considered unbeatable in Gujarat.

    Mevani said the “Gujarat elections will give a new direction to the country”.

    The MLA said his assessment is that the Congress will win 120 Assembly seats and lay the foundation for rebuilding Gujarat.

    “A change is inevitable,” he said.

    “Though the BJP is trying rake up emotional issues such as Hindutva, this time it won’t work,” the Congress leader said, adding he has been telling people to vote for him keeping in mind the price of a gas cylinder.

    “People elected (Prime Minister) Modiji with great love, not once but twice, but after so many years unemployment has not decreased, price rise has not stopped,” he said.

    “Now, people have witnessed that they are a repressive government as they started targeting those who raise their voice against them including opposition leaders, advocates, journalists. They (people) understood that this is a dictatorial government,” he said.

    Asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi having a fan following and an aura of unbeatability in Gujarat, Mevani claimed, “He does not have an aura, but it has been built by the use of money power, public relations and image building.

    “It is to be seen how many people will come to listen to him on their own if he does a public meeting without using officials (machinery) and keeping buses to ferry the people,” he said.

    Mevani claimed the time has come for the prime minister to ‘retire’.

    “He should retire as he does not have anything new to say now, nothing to offer, people do not have much expectations from him,” the legislator said.

    “He (Modi) said they will make smart cities, where are smart cities? They said they will give employment to two crore people, where are two crore jobs? They said they will give everyone Rs 15 lakh in their account where is the money? What have people got with his model of vikas (development)? What happened to his slogan of ‘acche din’– nothing,” Mevani added.

    He also dismissed claims of the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party being a third force in the state.

    “There is no race here. Mark my words, the AAP will not win even a single seat in Gujarat,” he said.

    “No party can win elections in any state by social media campaign for two-four months and organising a few town hall meetings. Where are their workers, they are nowhere to be seen here (in Vadgam),” he said.

    But, Mevani acknowledged that All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) can eat into his votes in the Vadgam seat.

    The Asaududdin Owaisi-led AIMIM has fielded 13 candidates in the state, including one from the Vagdam seat.

    “The AIMIM will spoil my votes personally and of other Congress candidates (in other seats), They cannot win here, what else can they do? But they can only make the BJP win by splitting the votes. Those who are in the fight against fascism, those who want to save democracy and the Constitution do not do this,” he said.

    Mevani’s supporters want to see him as the chief minister of Gujarat if the Congress comes to power and they are telling this to voters in his village meetings.

    Asked about this, the MLA said, “It is for the Congress high command and party MLAs to decide who will be the chief minister of Gujarat. First let Congress get a majority and only then do all these questions come. Mevani expressed confidence he will win with a thumping majority for the second time from Vadgam. The atmosphere here is in my favour more than what I had expected,” he said.

    GUJARAT: Congress MLA and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani feels a “silent wave” has gripped the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Gujarat where a change is inevitable, and the upcoming state Assembly polls will give a new direction to the country.

    The Congress will win 120 out of the total 182 Assembly seats in the state polls, scheduled in two phases on December 1 and 5, he claimed in an interview with PTI.

    “This election is against autocracy, unemployment and price rise,” he said.

    Mevani (41), who is eyeing a second term from Vadgam, this time on the Congress ticket, is slogging it out in the poll arena, covering around 10 villages in a day in his Assembly seat, reserved for the Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates.

    He was elected as an independent MLA from the same seat in 2017 with the Congress’s support.

    “This time there is a silent revolution, a silent wave has gripped the state. People have made up their mind as they think that enough is enough,” Mevani claimed in response to a question that the BJP is considered unbeatable in Gujarat.

    Mevani said the “Gujarat elections will give a new direction to the country”.

    The MLA said his assessment is that the Congress will win 120 Assembly seats and lay the foundation for rebuilding Gujarat.

    “A change is inevitable,” he said.

    “Though the BJP is trying rake up emotional issues such as Hindutva, this time it won’t work,” the Congress leader said, adding he has been telling people to vote for him keeping in mind the price of a gas cylinder.

    “People elected (Prime Minister) Modiji with great love, not once but twice, but after so many years unemployment has not decreased, price rise has not stopped,” he said.

    “Now, people have witnessed that they are a repressive government as they started targeting those who raise their voice against them including opposition leaders, advocates, journalists. They (people) understood that this is a dictatorial government,” he said.

    Asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi having a fan following and an aura of unbeatability in Gujarat, Mevani claimed, “He does not have an aura, but it has been built by the use of money power, public relations and image building.

    “It is to be seen how many people will come to listen to him on their own if he does a public meeting without using officials (machinery) and keeping buses to ferry the people,” he said.

    Mevani claimed the time has come for the prime minister to ‘retire’.

    “He should retire as he does not have anything new to say now, nothing to offer, people do not have much expectations from him,” the legislator said.

    “He (Modi) said they will make smart cities, where are smart cities? They said they will give employment to two crore people, where are two crore jobs? They said they will give everyone Rs 15 lakh in their account where is the money? What have people got with his model of vikas (development)? What happened to his slogan of ‘acche din’– nothing,” Mevani added.

    He also dismissed claims of the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party being a third force in the state.

    “There is no race here. Mark my words, the AAP will not win even a single seat in Gujarat,” he said.

    “No party can win elections in any state by social media campaign for two-four months and organising a few town hall meetings. Where are their workers, they are nowhere to be seen here (in Vadgam),” he said.

    But, Mevani acknowledged that All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) can eat into his votes in the Vadgam seat.

    The Asaududdin Owaisi-led AIMIM has fielded 13 candidates in the state, including one from the Vagdam seat.

    “The AIMIM will spoil my votes personally and of other Congress candidates (in other seats), They cannot win here, what else can they do? But they can only make the BJP win by splitting the votes. Those who are in the fight against fascism, those who want to save democracy and the Constitution do not do this,” he said.

    Mevani’s supporters want to see him as the chief minister of Gujarat if the Congress comes to power and they are telling this to voters in his village meetings.

    Asked about this, the MLA said, “It is for the Congress high command and party MLAs to decide who will be the chief minister of Gujarat. First let Congress get a majority and only then do all these questions come. Mevani expressed confidence he will win with a thumping majority for the second time from Vadgam. The atmosphere here is in my favour more than what I had expected,” he said.

  • Gujarat polls: Congress president Kharge to campaign from Nov 26

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge will campaign in Gujarat from November 26 to 28, sources close to him said here.

    Kharge will address a public meeting in Ahmedabad on November 26 and is likely to address a press conference the next day, they said.

    He will address a public meeting in Indore after participating in the Bharat Jodo Yatra with Rahul Gandhi on November 27. The yatra enters Madhya Pradesh on November 23.

    Kharge will address another public meeting near Gandhinagar on November 28.

    The Gujarat assembly elections will be held in two phases on December 1 and 5. Results will be declared on December 8.

    Other details of Kharge’s poll meetings are being worked out, the sources said.

    The new Congress president, who took over from Sonia Gandhi recently, had earlier addressed public meetings in Himachal Pradesh, where assembly elections were held on November 12.ALSO READ | Bharuch: Congress’ Ahmed Patel’s name still holds sway despite AAP factor

    NEW DELHI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge will campaign in Gujarat from November 26 to 28, sources close to him said here.

    Kharge will address a public meeting in Ahmedabad on November 26 and is likely to address a press conference the next day, they said.

    He will address a public meeting in Indore after participating in the Bharat Jodo Yatra with Rahul Gandhi on November 27. The yatra enters Madhya Pradesh on November 23.

    Kharge will address another public meeting near Gandhinagar on November 28.

    The Gujarat assembly elections will be held in two phases on December 1 and 5. Results will be declared on December 8.

    Other details of Kharge’s poll meetings are being worked out, the sources said.

    The new Congress president, who took over from Sonia Gandhi recently, had earlier addressed public meetings in Himachal Pradesh, where assembly elections were held on November 12.ALSO READ | Bharuch: Congress’ Ahmed Patel’s name still holds sway despite AAP factor

  • PM Modi to address four rallies in Saurashtra region of poll-bound Gujarat

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address four public rallies in Gujarat’s Saurashtra region on Sunday, the second day of his visit to the poll-bound state.

    The PM will offer prayers at the Somnath temple and thereafter, he will address a rally in Veraval town of Gir Somnath district.

    From there, he will leave for Dhoraji in Rajkot district to address another election rally as part of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s poll campaign, a BJP functionary said.

    The PM is also scheduled to address rallies in Amreli and Botad later in the day.

    Elections for the 182-member Gujarat Assembly will be held in two phases on December 1 and 5 and the counting of votes will be taken up on December 8.

    Modi had on Saturday addressed a rally in Valsad district of south Gujarat.

    He had invoked Gujarati pride and appealed to the people to be wary of those who defame Gujarat and said they should not find a place in the state.

    AHMEDABAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address four public rallies in Gujarat’s Saurashtra region on Sunday, the second day of his visit to the poll-bound state.

    The PM will offer prayers at the Somnath temple and thereafter, he will address a rally in Veraval town of Gir Somnath district.

    From there, he will leave for Dhoraji in Rajkot district to address another election rally as part of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s poll campaign, a BJP functionary said.

    The PM is also scheduled to address rallies in Amreli and Botad later in the day.

    Elections for the 182-member Gujarat Assembly will be held in two phases on December 1 and 5 and the counting of votes will be taken up on December 8.

    Modi had on Saturday addressed a rally in Valsad district of south Gujarat.

    He had invoked Gujarati pride and appealed to the people to be wary of those who defame Gujarat and said they should not find a place in the state.

  • Gujarat: AAP’s candidates in Surat held at hotel after ‘Kidnapped’ candidate withdrew nomination

    Express News Service

    AHMEDABAD: The last-moment withdrawal of Surat (East) candidate Kanchan Jariwala has rung an alarm bell for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Following the incident, the AAP on Thursday called Surat’s 11 candidates to a hotel on the pretext of a meeting and did not allow them to move out of the hotel until the time limit for withdrawing the form expired.

    The Punjab team was actively engaged with Aam Aadmi Party’s candidates for Surat city and other districts since early morning today. All candidates were taken out of the Surat District limit. All the candidates for AAP were called to one place by the Punjab team and then they were taken out of the city.

    Preparations were made in advance so that no one can contact them and no candidate is pressured by other political parties and threatened to withdraw their nomination papers.

    A leader of the Aam Aadmi Party, on condition of anonymity, said that “we were gathered at a place early this morning. In which the candidates of different assemblies were called for a meeting. From there We were then taken to a hotel outside the city.”

    “We and all Gujarat has seen which kind of dirty game the Bharatiya Janata Party played on Thursday, and the kind of intimidation that was given to our candidate’s family and Kanchan Jariwala, our party planned to take us out so that no one pressures us. We have had a conversation with our leaders. After the time for withdrawal of nomination papers was over, we were brought back from where we were taken outside the city,” he said.READ | Acted on my conscience, says AAP’s ‘kidnapped’ Gujarat candidate who withdrew nomination

    However, Aam Aadmi Party’s spokesperson Yogesh Jadvani claimed that no such incident happened and said, “No such incident happened, it is our daily work, we have daily meetings, we hold a training session every day, besides if there is any guideline issued by our Party, then we have a meeting for that, but peoplehave misrepresented our daily meeting or taken it somewhere else.”

    “We have routine meetings every day, and none of our candidates has gone out of the city,” he added.

    Importantly, amid high drama, the Aam Aadmi Party’s Surat (East) candidate Kanchan Jariwala on Wednesday announced his withdrawal from the poll race. Still, the party alleged he was forced to do so by BJP who had kidnapped him the previous day.

    On Friday Election Commission clarify that AAP candidate Kanchan Jariwala from Surat(East), has withdrawn the form after coming to the Returning Officers (RO) office, EC has asked for a report about the incident, and the report has come with video evidence that from has been withdrawn in the presence of RO officer, AAP filed a complaint before the Election Commission.ALSO READ | Withdraw or else face action, Gujarat BJP warns rebels

    AHMEDABAD: The last-moment withdrawal of Surat (East) candidate Kanchan Jariwala has rung an alarm bell for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Following the incident, the AAP on Thursday called Surat’s 11 candidates to a hotel on the pretext of a meeting and did not allow them to move out of the hotel until the time limit for withdrawing the form expired.

    The Punjab team was actively engaged with Aam Aadmi Party’s candidates for Surat city and other districts since early morning today. All candidates were taken out of the Surat District limit. All the candidates for AAP were called to one place by the Punjab team and then they were taken out of the city.

    Preparations were made in advance so that no one can contact them and no candidate is pressured by other political parties and threatened to withdraw their nomination papers.

    A leader of the Aam Aadmi Party, on condition of anonymity, said that “we were gathered at a place early this morning. In which the candidates of different assemblies were called for a meeting. From there We were then taken to a hotel outside the city.”

    “We and all Gujarat has seen which kind of dirty game the Bharatiya Janata Party played on Thursday, and the kind of intimidation that was given to our candidate’s family and Kanchan Jariwala, our party planned to take us out so that no one pressures us. We have had a conversation with our leaders. After the time for withdrawal of nomination papers was over, we were brought back from where we were taken outside the city,” he said.READ | Acted on my conscience, says AAP’s ‘kidnapped’ Gujarat candidate who withdrew nomination

    However, Aam Aadmi Party’s spokesperson Yogesh Jadvani claimed that no such incident happened and said, “No such incident happened, it is our daily work, we have daily meetings, we hold a training session every day, besides if there is any guideline issued by our Party, then we have a meeting for that, but people
    have misrepresented our daily meeting or taken it somewhere else.”

    “We have routine meetings every day, and none of our candidates has gone out of the city,” he added.

    Importantly, amid high drama, the Aam Aadmi Party’s Surat (East) candidate Kanchan Jariwala on Wednesday announced his withdrawal from the poll race. Still, the party alleged he was forced to do so by BJP who had kidnapped him the previous day.

    On Friday Election Commission clarify that AAP candidate Kanchan Jariwala from Surat(East), has withdrawn the form after coming to the Returning Officers (RO) office, EC has asked for a report about the incident, and the report has come with video evidence that from has been withdrawn in the presence of RO officer, AAP filed a complaint before the Election Commission.ALSO READ | Withdraw or else face action, Gujarat BJP warns rebels

  • Gujarat Assembly polls: AAP candidate withdraws nomination, Sisodia alleges ‘BJP goons’ abducted him

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party’s Surat East Assembly seat candidate in Gujarat withdrew his nomination on Wednesday, with the AAP alleging he was abducted at the behest of the BJP and pressured to do so, a charge denied by the ruling party.

    Addressing a press conference in Delhi, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said their Surat seat candidate Kanchan Jariwala had been missing along with his family members since Tuesday.

    “In this election, the BJP is miserably losing in Gujarat and has become so rattled that it has stooped to the level of kidnapping our candidate from Surat East,” Sisodia alleged.

    “Fearing defeat, the BJP goons kidnapped the AAP candidate from Surat, Kanchan Jariwala,” he further charged.

    The BJP has fielded its sitting MLA Arvind Rana from the seat. Elections for the 182-member Gujarat Assembly will be held in two phases on December 1 and 5 and the counting of votes will be taken up on December 8.

    State AAP president Gopal Italia claimed their Surat East candidate Kanchan Jariwala appeared before the office of the Returning Officer on Wednesday under heavy police protection and surrounded by “BJP goons” to withdraw his candidature under the pressure of the ruling party.

    READ HERE | Gujarat polls: ‘Don’t waste your votes, Congress’ share will go below 13 per cent’, says Kejriwal

    When media persons questioned Jariwala, he was hurriedly whisked away by the persons surrounding him.

    Italia alleged that Jariwala had gone missing and was allegedly taken to an undisclosed location by the BJP goons who put pressure on him to stay away from the election.

    Sisodia said, “This is not just the kidnapping of our candidate, but the kidnapping of democracy. This is a very dangerous situation in Gujarat.”

    He appealed to the Election Commission to take cognisance of it. However, Surat city BJP president Niranjan Zanzmera refuted the allegations and said the AAP should instead “take care of its own house”.

    Italia said the AAP will take the advice from its legal team for further action into the matter.

    “The BJP first wanted to get Jariwala’s nomination invalidated on the last date of the process on Tuesday. When his nomination was accepted, the BJP goons took him to some undisclosed location. We could not find him anywhere until Wednesday morning. His relatives told us that he was put under huge pressure to stay away from the election,” Italia claimed while talking to reporters in Surat.

    Italia further said the way Jariwala appeared to withdraw his nomination suggested that he was under “huge pressure.

    “Why else would he come to the office under heavy police protection and with 50-100 goons if he intended to withdraw his candidature on his own?” Italia asked.

    AAP’s Gujarat co-incharge Raghav Chadha alleged that the “BJP goons” kidnapped Jariwala on Tuesday to put pressure on him to withdraw his candidature.

    “The BJP is so scared in Gujarat that it has started kidnapping the AAP candidates,” the Rajya Sabha member claimed.

    “The BJP goons themselves went to the office of the Returning Officer along with Jariwala and put pressure on him to get his nomination invalidated. The pressure was also put on his proposers to get his nomination invalidated,” he alleged.

    Chadha said the party has informed the Chief Electoral Officer about it, and a written complaint will be submitted. Local police and administration have also been informed about it, he said. Surat Police Commissioner Ajay Tomar told PTI that the issue has come to his notice.

    “I have come to know about it and we are trying to find out. I have put my teams on the job and we will find it out. We have not received any formal complaint yet but since this has come to my notice, I am working on it,” the police official said.

    NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party’s Surat East Assembly seat candidate in Gujarat withdrew his nomination on Wednesday, with the AAP alleging he was abducted at the behest of the BJP and pressured to do so, a charge denied by the ruling party.

    Addressing a press conference in Delhi, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said their Surat seat candidate Kanchan Jariwala had been missing along with his family members since Tuesday.

    “In this election, the BJP is miserably losing in Gujarat and has become so rattled that it has stooped to the level of kidnapping our candidate from Surat East,” Sisodia alleged.

    “Fearing defeat, the BJP goons kidnapped the AAP candidate from Surat, Kanchan Jariwala,” he further charged.

    The BJP has fielded its sitting MLA Arvind Rana from the seat. Elections for the 182-member Gujarat Assembly will be held in two phases on December 1 and 5 and the counting of votes will be taken up on December 8.

    State AAP president Gopal Italia claimed their Surat East candidate Kanchan Jariwala appeared before the office of the Returning Officer on Wednesday under heavy police protection and surrounded by “BJP goons” to withdraw his candidature under the pressure of the ruling party.

    READ HERE | Gujarat polls: ‘Don’t waste your votes, Congress’ share will go below 13 per cent’, says Kejriwal

    When media persons questioned Jariwala, he was hurriedly whisked away by the persons surrounding him.

    Italia alleged that Jariwala had gone missing and was allegedly taken to an undisclosed location by the BJP goons who put pressure on him to stay away from the election.

    Sisodia said, “This is not just the kidnapping of our candidate, but the kidnapping of democracy. This is a very dangerous situation in Gujarat.”

    He appealed to the Election Commission to take cognisance of it. However, Surat city BJP president Niranjan Zanzmera refuted the allegations and said the AAP should instead “take care of its own house”.

    Italia said the AAP will take the advice from its legal team for further action into the matter.

    “The BJP first wanted to get Jariwala’s nomination invalidated on the last date of the process on Tuesday. When his nomination was accepted, the BJP goons took him to some undisclosed location. We could not find him anywhere until Wednesday morning. His relatives told us that he was put under huge pressure to stay away from the election,” Italia claimed while talking to reporters in Surat.

    Italia further said the way Jariwala appeared to withdraw his nomination suggested that he was under “huge pressure.

    “Why else would he come to the office under heavy police protection and with 50-100 goons if he intended to withdraw his candidature on his own?” Italia asked.

    AAP’s Gujarat co-incharge Raghav Chadha alleged that the “BJP goons” kidnapped Jariwala on Tuesday to put pressure on him to withdraw his candidature.

    “The BJP is so scared in Gujarat that it has started kidnapping the AAP candidates,” the Rajya Sabha member claimed.

    “The BJP goons themselves went to the office of the Returning Officer along with Jariwala and put pressure on him to get his nomination invalidated. The pressure was also put on his proposers to get his nomination invalidated,” he alleged.

    Chadha said the party has informed the Chief Electoral Officer about it, and a written complaint will be submitted. Local police and administration have also been informed about it, he said. Surat Police Commissioner Ajay Tomar told PTI that the issue has come to his notice.

    “I have come to know about it and we are trying to find out. I have put my teams on the job and we will find it out. We have not received any formal complaint yet but since this has come to my notice, I am working on it,” the police official said.

  • Gujarat polls: Ravindra Jadeja bats for his wife ahead of Jamnagar nomination

    By ANI

    JAMNAGAR: Indian cricketer Ravindra Jadeja on Monday said that his wife Rivaba Jadeja who has been fielded by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from Jamnagar (North) seat in the state assembly elections wanted to follow the path of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to work for the people.

    Ravindra Jadeja attended an event on Monday where he said that Rivaba would learn a lot from her first-time candidature in the assembly elections.

    “It is her (Rivaba Jadeja) first time as an MLA candidate and she will learn a lot. I hope she will progress in this. She is of helping nature and has always wanted to help people and hence joined politics. She wants to follow the path of PM Modi to work for the people,” the cricketer said.

    Earlier on Sunday, Jadeja urged the people of Jamnagar to vote for his wife Rivaba Jadeja. Jadeja tweeted a video urging the people of Jamnagar and cricket fans to vote for his wife.

    “The Gujarat election is here and it’s like a T20 match. My wife is making her grand debut in politics on a BJP ticket! Tomorrow she will file her nomination. I appeal to the people of Jamnagar and all the cricket lovers to come in large numbers to support her,” Jadeja said in the video in which he was speaking in Gujarati.

    જામનગર ના મારા તમામ મિત્રો ને મારુ દીલ થી આમંત્રણ છે. જય માતાજી pic.twitter.com/olZxvYVr3t
    — Ravindrasinh jadeja (@imjadeja) November 13, 2022
    Rivaba replaces sitting MLA Dharmendrasinh Jadeja as the BJP face for the Jamnagar (North) seat, who was denied a party ticket in this election, according to sources.

    Earlier on Sunday, the BJP announced one more candidate for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly election. So far the party has released the names of 167 candidates for the Gujarat polls. The party fielded Jagdishbhai Makwana from the Wadhwan Assembly constituency.

    Earlier on Saturday, BJP released the second list of six candidates. In the second list of six candidates, BJP has given tickets to two women. It has fielded Mahendrabhai Padaliya from Dhoraji, Mulubhai Bera from Khambhalia, Dheliben Maldebhai Odedara from Kutiyana, Sejal Rajiv Kumar Pandya from Bhavnagar East, Hitesh Devji Vasava from Dediapada (ST) and Sandeep Desai from Choryasi.

    On Thursday, the BJP announced the first list of candidates for 160 candidates out of the 182 constituencies for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections.

    The first list of 160 candidates includes 14 females, 13 from scheduled caste, 24 from the scheduled tribe and there are 69 candidates who have been repeated. The Assembly elections in Gujarat are scheduled for two phases on December 1 and December 5. In the first round, 89 of the total 182 Assembly seats will go to polls and prominent political parties have declared their candidates for almost all these constituencies.

    The BJP has drawn up a list of star campaigners for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections. Topping the list is Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The other prominent names on the list include BJP national president JP Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari and fellow Cabinet colleagues Smriti Irani, Dharmendra Pradhan, Mansukh Mandaviya and Purushottam Rupala.

    Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, who is seeking a fresh mandate from the Ghatlodia Assembly segment, also features in the star campaigners list along with BJP state president CR Patil and state Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi.

    The ruling party seeks its seventh straight term in power in the ensuing state polls. The state has been a BJP stronghold for a long and the party has set its sights on returning to power with a handsome majority this time as well. However, it faces a stiff electoral challenge from the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has named Isudan Gadhvi as its chief ministerial candidate.

    The Congress is also hoping to put its best electoral foot forward to unseat the BJP government. The BJP has been in power in Gujarat for the last 27 years and it is considered a BJP bastion. READ | Gujarat assembly polls: Bridge tragedy effect? Candidates skip Morbi campaigning 

    JAMNAGAR: Indian cricketer Ravindra Jadeja on Monday said that his wife Rivaba Jadeja who has been fielded by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from Jamnagar (North) seat in the state assembly elections wanted to follow the path of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to work for the people.

    Ravindra Jadeja attended an event on Monday where he said that Rivaba would learn a lot from her first-time candidature in the assembly elections.

    “It is her (Rivaba Jadeja) first time as an MLA candidate and she will learn a lot. I hope she will progress in this. She is of helping nature and has always wanted to help people and hence joined politics. She wants to follow the path of PM Modi to work for the people,” the cricketer said.

    Earlier on Sunday, Jadeja urged the people of Jamnagar to vote for his wife Rivaba Jadeja. Jadeja tweeted a video urging the people of Jamnagar and cricket fans to vote for his wife.

    “The Gujarat election is here and it’s like a T20 match. My wife is making her grand debut in politics on a BJP ticket! Tomorrow she will file her nomination. I appeal to the people of Jamnagar and all the cricket lovers to come in large numbers to support her,” Jadeja said in the video in which he was speaking in Gujarati.

    જામનગર ના મારા તમામ મિત્રો ને મારુ દીલ થી આમંત્રણ છે. જય માતાજી pic.twitter.com/olZxvYVr3t
    — Ravindrasinh jadeja (@imjadeja) November 13, 2022
    Rivaba replaces sitting MLA Dharmendrasinh Jadeja as the BJP face for the Jamnagar (North) seat, who was denied a party ticket in this election, according to sources.

    Earlier on Sunday, the BJP announced one more candidate for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly election. So far the party has released the names of 167 candidates for the Gujarat polls. The party fielded Jagdishbhai Makwana from the Wadhwan Assembly constituency.

    Earlier on Saturday, BJP released the second list of six candidates. In the second list of six candidates, BJP has given tickets to two women. It has fielded Mahendrabhai Padaliya from Dhoraji, Mulubhai Bera from Khambhalia, Dheliben Maldebhai Odedara from Kutiyana, Sejal Rajiv Kumar Pandya from Bhavnagar East, Hitesh Devji Vasava from Dediapada (ST) and Sandeep Desai from Choryasi.

    On Thursday, the BJP announced the first list of candidates for 160 candidates out of the 182 constituencies for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections.

    The first list of 160 candidates includes 14 females, 13 from scheduled caste, 24 from the scheduled tribe and there are 69 candidates who have been repeated. The Assembly elections in Gujarat are scheduled for two phases on December 1 and December 5. In the first round, 89 of the total 182 Assembly seats will go to polls and prominent political parties have declared their candidates for almost all these constituencies.

    The BJP has drawn up a list of star campaigners for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections. Topping the list is Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The other prominent names on the list include BJP national president JP Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari and fellow Cabinet colleagues Smriti Irani, Dharmendra Pradhan, Mansukh Mandaviya and Purushottam Rupala.

    Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, who is seeking a fresh mandate from the Ghatlodia Assembly segment, also features in the star campaigners list along with BJP state president CR Patil and state Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi.

    The ruling party seeks its seventh straight term in power in the ensuing state polls. The state has been a BJP stronghold for a long and the party has set its sights on returning to power with a handsome majority this time as well. However, it faces a stiff electoral challenge from the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has named Isudan Gadhvi as its chief ministerial candidate.

    The Congress is also hoping to put its best electoral foot forward to unseat the BJP government. The BJP has been in power in Gujarat for the last 27 years and it is considered a BJP bastion. READ | Gujarat assembly polls: Bridge tragedy effect? Candidates skip Morbi campaigning 

  • Record cash, liquor seized as Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat go for polls: Election Commission

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Friday said “record seizures” of cash, liquor and freebies have been made as Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh go for assembly polls.

    While HP goes to poll on Saturday, Gujarat will have voting on December 1 and 5.

    The poll panel said there has been a five-fold increase in seizures in Himachal Pradesh compared to the 2017 assembly elections.

    The Commission said its comprehensive planning led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar ahead of the polls has given “encouraging” results in terms of seizures.

    Gujarat witnessed seizures of Rs 71.88 crore in just few days of announcement of elections, which surpasses even the seizures made in entire duration of enforcement of Model Code of Conduct in 2017 assembly elections, which was Rs 27.21 crore.

    Similarly, the seizures in Himachal Pradesh are also significant, amounting to Rs 50.28 crore as compared to Rs 9.03 crore, marking more than a five-fold increase, it said.

    NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Friday said “record seizures” of cash, liquor and freebies have been made as Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh go for assembly polls.

    While HP goes to poll on Saturday, Gujarat will have voting on December 1 and 5.

    The poll panel said there has been a five-fold increase in seizures in Himachal Pradesh compared to the 2017 assembly elections.

    The Commission said its comprehensive planning led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar ahead of the polls has given “encouraging” results in terms of seizures.

    Gujarat witnessed seizures of Rs 71.88 crore in just few days of announcement of elections, which surpasses even the seizures made in entire duration of enforcement of Model Code of Conduct in 2017 assembly elections, which was Rs 27.21 crore.

    Similarly, the seizures in Himachal Pradesh are also significant, amounting to Rs 50.28 crore as compared to Rs 9.03 crore, marking more than a five-fold increase, it said.

  • Pressure on BJP to better its 2017 Gujarat scorecard

    By Express News Service

    AHMEDABAD: The BJP is under pressure to do better than its 2017 performance when the party got a simple majority with an increase in the vote share. Despite a decrease in the number of seats, the party retained a simple majority in the 182-member House.

    The vote share and the number of seats of Congress increased from the previous election in 2012. This was the highest number of seats won by Congress in last 32 years (after the 1985 election, in which Congress won 149 seats).

    The BJP, which has been in power in Gujarat for 27 years, still got nearly 50% of the votes, while the Congress got 41.44%. In 2012, the BJP won 115 seats and 47.85% votes. 

    The Congress tally was 61 seats and 38.93% votes. In 2017, except the BJP and the Congress, there was virtually no other party in the race.

    AHMEDABAD: The BJP is under pressure to do better than its 2017 performance when the party got a simple majority with an increase in the vote share. Despite a decrease in the number of seats, the party retained a simple majority in the 182-member House.

    The vote share and the number of seats of Congress increased from the previous election in 2012. This was the highest number of seats won by Congress in last 32 years (after the 1985 election, in which Congress won 149 seats).

    The BJP, which has been in power in Gujarat for 27 years, still got nearly 50% of the votes, while the Congress got 41.44%. In 2012, the BJP won 115 seats and 47.85% votes. 

    The Congress tally was 61 seats and 38.93% votes. In 2017, except the BJP and the Congress, there was virtually no other party in the race.