Page 12 - Gujarat Elections

Bookies believe BJP heading for big win in Gujarat assembly polls

Political watchers say bookies appear to have noticed that the BJP is not facing any challenge in winning over the dominant Patel community in the state

Kejriwal to announce AAP's CM candidate for Gujarat Assembly polls today

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal will announce on Friday the name of the party's chief ministerial candidate for the next month's Gujarat Assembly elections, party office-bearers said. This candidate will be named on the basis of opinion submitted to the party by the people of the state, they said. Those in the race for the top post from the AAP include its state unit president Gopal Italia, national general secretary Isudan Gadhvi and general secretary Manoj Soratihya, party sources said. Kejriwal is scheduled to hold a press conference in Ahmedabad on Friday to announce the name, the party said in a statement on Thursday. Last week, Kejriwal had urged people to contact the party through SMS, WhatsApp, voice mail and e-mail to give their views about who should be the CM candidate from the party in the state, which is currently being ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He had said that people could submit their points of view till November 3 evening a

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Morbi bridge collapse a factor in delay in Gujarat poll announcement: CEC

The Morbi suspension bridge collapse was one of the reasons for the delay in announcement of the Gujarat assembly elections, the Election Commission said on Thursday. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar told a press conference that the commission would also examine whether the release of the inquiry report into the Morbi tragedy, which left 135 people dead, would disturb the level playing field in the two-phase elections scheduled for Gujarat on December 1 and December 5. The Morbi assembly seat, currently represented by Brijesh Merja of the BJP, goes to polls in the first phase on December 1. "The Model Code of Conduct guidelines have been prescribed specifically. If any decision disturbs the level playing field, then the commission will look into it," Kumar said responding to questions on whether the release of the inquiry report into the bridge collapse would violate the model code. He indicated that the elections could have been announced a couple of days earlier, but

Gujarat Assembly elections to be held in 2 phases, results on Dec 8

EC rubbishes Opposition parties' charge that it delayed announcing dates

BJP chief Nadda says party will form govt in Gujarat with big majority

BJP president J P Nadda on Thursday welcomed the announcement of the Gujarat assembly polls and claimed that his party will again form "double engine" government in the state with a big majority under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. In a tweet after the Election Commission announced the poll schedule, Nadda added that the BJP will work with commitment to fulfil people's aspirations in the next five years. Assembly elections in Gujarat will be held in two phases on December 1 and 5 with the counting of votes on December 8 along with that of Himachal Pradesh, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar announced on Thursday. Of the total 182 assembly seats in Gujarat, voting for 89 seats will be held on December 1 and the remaining 93 seats on December 5, Kumar told a press conference that was also attended by Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey and senior officials from the poll authority. The BJP has won six consecutive assembly polls since 1995 with the Congress ...

Gujarat: 3-way poll contest in bipolar state politics, all eyes on AAP

Long caught between two polarities, Gujarat's electoral field has expanded to include a third party with the Aam Aadmi Party challenging the ruling BJP as well as the opposition Congress that has lost ground but still has significant presence. Elections to the 182-member state assembly will take place over two phases on December 1 and 5, the Election Commission announced on Thursday in the backdrop of the Morbi bridge collapse four days ago. As campaign knives get sharpened, the October 30 tragedy in which 135 people lost their lives could find emotive resonance. Besides, the freebie versus welfarism debate - over which challenger AAP and BJP have been sparring over the last several weeks -- and the ruling party's main poll planks of Hindutva, 'double engine' growth' and continuity in governance are likely to remain centrestage. Though elections were announced today, the buzz for what will be a three-cornered contest has been getting steadily louder over the last few weeks. Prime .

Amit Shah chairs meeting in Gandhinagar ahead of Gujarat state polls

Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah on Thursday chaired a meeting with party leaders in the state's capital, Gandhinagar ahead of the Gujarat Assembly Elections

Gujarat elections to be held in two phases on Dec 1, 5; result on Dec 8

Gujarat has a 182 member assembly and the BJP had pulled off its sixth consecutive victory winning 99 seats in the last polls, while the Congress put up a spirited fight by bagging 77 seats

Election Commission to announce Gujarat poll schedule at 12 pm today

The Election Commission will announce the schedule for the Gujarat assembly polls at 12 noon on Thursday. The poll panel has convened a press conference to announce the schedule. The term of the 182-member Gujarat assembly ends on February 18 next year. Citing the convention followed in 2017, the poll panel had not announced the Gujarat election schedule when it came out with Himachal Pradesh poll dates last month. While elections in Himachal Pradesh will be held in a single phase on November 12, the counting of votes will take place on December 8. By keeping the counting date for Himachal Pradesh nearly a month after the polling, the commission had given a clear hint that votes for Gujarat would also be counted on December 8. In 2017, the polls in the two states were announced on different dates but the counting took place together on December 18. Floods in Gujarat had led the EC to hold polls in the state after the Himachal Pradesh poll schedule was announced.

Won't allow BJP to implement CAA, says Mamata; it will be done: Minister

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday slammed the Centre for the possible implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, claiming that the BJP was raking the issue ahead of the Gujarat assembly election. Hours later, Union Minister of State for Home Nisith Pramanik asserted that the CAA will be gradually implemented across the country. The Centre had on Monday decided to grant Indian citizenship to minorities mostly from Pakistan, who have migrated to India, and are currently living in two districts of Gujarat, under the Citizenship Act, 1955, and not the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 (CAA). "Stop all these politics. They (BJP) are doing it because there are elections in Gujarat. We will not let them implement it. To us, all are citizens (of India). We are against this," Banerjee told reporters at the Kolkata airport before leaving for Chennai. She has travelled to the southern Indian city to attend a family gathering of West Bengal Governor La Ganesan. "I

Will win Gujarat polls, AAP only in air, nothing on ground: Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday exuded confidence that his party will win the upcoming Gujarat assembly elections, contending that there is "massive" anti-incumbency against the BJP while the Aam Aadmi Party has created a buzz in the state purely based on advertisements and has no support on the ground. Addressing a press conference here during his Bharat Jodo Yatra, Gandhi said the march is ''not a magic wand'' but a good first step to connect with people. He ruled out any alliance with the TRS, saying it is "diametrically opposite" to what the Congress stands for. Gandhi dismissed the challenge posed by AAP in Gujarat and said the Congress has a solid base in the state. "Congress is fighting the Gujarat elections effectively and the Congress will win the polls. AAP is only in the air. It has nothing on the ground," he told reporters here to questions on his party's prospects in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state. "There is massive anti-incumbency. The media has cre

Ahead of polls, Gujarat govt decides to form committee to implement UCC

Ahead of the Assembly polls in Gujarat to be held by the year-end, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state on Saturday decided to set up a committee to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghvi said the state cabinet cleared a proposal to constitute the committee during its meeting held on Saturday. This is considered the last meeting of the Bhupendra Patel-led cabinet as the schedule for the state elections is expected to be announced next week. "The committee will be headed by a retired high court judge and will have three to four members," Union minister Parshottam Rupala said. Earlier, the BJP governments in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh had announced implementation of the UCC in their states.

Gujarat: Kejriwal, Mann greeted with black flags, chants of Modi in Navsari

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann were on Saturday shown black flags by BJP supporters, who also chanted 'Modi, Modi' slogans when the AAP leaders were on their way to address a public rally at Chikhli in Gujarat's Navsari district. Several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters standing on the roadside between Khudvel and Golvad villages in Chikhli taluka waved black flags as the motorcade of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders passed by. They also shouted 'Modi, Modi' as the vehicles made their way to the National Cricket Ground in Chikhli town, where the two chief ministers were to address the rally. Referring to the incident while addressing the rally later, Kejriwal said he considers those showing black flags to him as his brothers, and said he was confident that one day he would win over their hearts and make them join his party. Kejriwal said that people can vote for whichever party they like, but the AAP will make sure that their childr

CEC intentionally not announcing Gujarat poll dates, alleges Ashok Gehlot

Ashok Gehlot alleged that CEC is "intentionally" holding back the announcement of the Gujarat Assembly poll dates, so that PM Modi can address more meetings to woo electorate

AAP to declare CM face for Guj polls on Nov 4, seeks public opinion

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said that his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will announce on November 4 the name of its chief ministerial face for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections on the basis of opinion given by the people of the state. Addressing a press conference, the AAP's national convener urged people to contact the party through SMS, WhatsApp, voice mail and e-mail to give their views about who should be the CM candidate from the party. He said there is an atmosphere of change in Gujarat and people believe that AAP is going to form a government in the state. "Today, I would like to ask the people of Gujarat as to who they want to see as the next CM of Gujarat. To know the opinion of the public, we are releasing a number - 6357000 360. You can send SMS, WhatsApp messages, and leave voice messages. We are also releasing e-mail - aapnocm@gmail.com," Kejriwal said. He said people can give their choice in four ways - SMS, WhatsApp, voice mail or e-mail till 5 pm

BJP faces 27 years of anti-incumbency, AAP non-existent in Gujarat: Gehlot

Exuding confidence about his party Congress winning the ensuing Assembly elections in Gujarat, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday said the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is facing its "highest-ever" anti-incumbency in the state. Gehlot, a senior Congress observer for Gujarat polls, did not see the possibility of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) creating any impact in elections, saying the Arvind Kejriwal-led outfit has just created a hype in the media and it was "non-existent" on the ground in Gujarat. "The BJP has been ruling Gujarat for the last 27 years and I can say that anti-incumbency against the BJP is the highest this time. While people are opposing BJP's ongoing Gaurav Yatras, they are welcoming the Congress in the state during poll campaigning. "We (Congress) will definitely form a government this time. It is necessary to end the BJP's misrule," said the Rajasthan Chief Minister. He was talking to media persons in Vadodara city after addressing a poll rally in

Poll-bound Gujarat, Himachal on different inflation trajectories in 2022

Gujarat has since February consistently witnessed higher retail price inflation than national average

Amit Shah meets BJP leaders from Saurashtra ahead of Gujarat polls

Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah on Tuesday met party leaders from the Saurashtra region of Gujarat to formulate strategy for the coming Assembly elections in the state. The meeting, which lasted for several hours, took place at Veraval in Gir Somnath district, party sources said. The meeting centred on the Bharatiya Janata Party's efforts to avoid its poor performance of 2017 in the region which accounts for 48 out of 182 seats in the Assembly, they said. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Gujarat BJP president C R Paatil were also present at the meeting. Present and past elected representatives as well as office- bearers and senior leaders from the region attended the meeting which was held at a marketing yard building in Veraval town. The BJP is aiming to win 150 seats in the elections, surpassing the record of 149 seats won by the Congress in 1985. Shah has been conducting marathon meetings with party leaders at the zone level and this was the fourth such .

17 IPS officers reshuffled in top level changes in Gujarat ahead of polls

The Gujarat government on Monday transferred 15 Indian Police Service (IPS) officers and allotted postings to two other senior cops waiting for new assignments, a top level reshuffle carried out ahead of Assembly elections due in the next few months. The state home department transferred 15 IPS officers and promoted officer Neeraj Badgujar, who was waiting for a new posting, and appointed him Additional Commissioner of Police (ACP) (sector-1), Ahmedabad city, as per a notification. Manoj Ninama, another officer waiting for a new assignment, was appointed ACP (crime and traffic), Vadodara city, it said. Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) (Surat range) Rajkumar Pandian was transferred to Ahmedabad as ADGP (Railways), said the notification. He will also hold the additional charge of Executive Director of Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd (GUVNL), a state-run power company, in Vadodara. IPS officer Anupamsinh Gehlot earlier held the additional charge at GUVNL. Among other changes