India News

Election Commission decision on Gujarat poll dates under cloud?

Published

8 years ago

December 7, 2017

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Election Commission of India’s (EC) reasons for its decision to defer announcement of Gujarat election dates have come under a cloud following information obtained under a right to information (RTI) query.

While the doubts over dependability of electronic voting machines (EVMs) refuse to die down despite EC’s stout defence, this has given rise further questions about the EC’s handling of elections.

On October 12, the EC announced dates for elections to Himachal Pradesh Assembly but withheld dates for Gujarat Assembly polls. Both state assemblies’ terms expire within two weeks of each other and this seemed unusual. The EC explained that announcement of Gujarat election dates was withheld so that the model code of conduct does not affect flood relief work necessitated by unprecedented rains in Gujarat.

The model code of conduct is intended to provide a level playing field to all candidates and bars the government from announcing new schemes to woo voters once the election dates are announced. It remains in force till polling is over.

The Indian Express (IE) has reported that replies to RTI queries show that model code of conduct was in force in Jammu and Kashmir when relief work was on following massive flooding in the state in 2014. The code of conduct did not come in the way of relief work. The September 2014 Jammu and Kashmir floods, in which over 300 died and thousands affected, were considered one of the worst to hit the state in decades. The EC, then headed by VS Sampath, had decided against delaying the polls and held it in five phases between 25 November and 20 December. The state recorded 65 per cent voter turnout, the highest in 25 years.

In October this year, replying to questions from reporters about reasons for withholding announcement of Gujarat poll dates, Chief Election Commissioner AK Joti had cited some office memorandums issued earlier to justify the delay in the announcement. He had said the EC had a statutory 21 days to carry out elections that can extend up to 45 days. He had also said that besides availability of central forces and festive season, the Gujarat government had told the Commission that several relief and rehabilitation works were on in the state following the July floods.

According to Joti, the Gujarat chief secretary had written to EC asking for additional time as the relief and rehabilitation for July floods had begun only in September and were yet to be completed. “They have suggested that the Model Code of Conduct should be imposed for a reasonable time, so that they do not face problems in carrying out relief and rehabilitation work,” Joti had said.

While the EC found merit in Gujarat’s request, records showed that the model code of conduct did not affect relief and rehabilitation work for J&K floods. According to the IE report, EC records for Jammu and Kashmir 2014 election show that there was no official request from the state chief secretary to delay announcement of election dates. On November 5, 2014, the EC wrote to the cabinet secretary, state chief secretary and state chief electoral officer, informing them that it had relaxed model code provisions and they could continue with relief and rehabilitation “as per approved schemes of the central/ state governments” and no prior approval from EC was required for this.

The state government was also allowed to give out ex-gratia payment and gratuitous relief directly to victims and families without approval from EC in this case.

The IE reported that it had filed a separate RTI application seeking copies of letters written by the Gujarat Chief Secretary requesting delay in announcement of polls on account of relief work. The EC acknowledged the receipt of two letters, on September 27 and October 2, but did not provide their copies on the ground that the file was “under submission”. The EC also said that it had not issued any reply to the Gujarat Chief Secretary in response to the two letters.

The delay in announcement of Gujarat election dates, in the name of flood relief work, was used by BJP government in Gujarat for announcing a number of sops right up to a day before the election dates were finally announced on Nov 1.

The BJP government effected a 50 percent hike in the incentive paid to Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA), village-level women workers who are a key component in the implementation of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).

For farmers, the Vijay Rupani-government said it would waive off 18 percent Goods and Service Tax (GST) charged on the purchase of equipment meant for drip or sprinkler irrigation.

The government raised the ceiling on the annual income of OBC, SC and ST beneficiaries for availing benefits of state-funded schemes and scholarships.

On 22 October, Modi inaugurated a Rs 650 crore roll on-roll off (Ro-Ro) ferry service that reduces travel time by six hours between Saurashtra and South Gujarat.

418 cases against Patidars filed during the reservation protests were withdrawn by the police, reported News18.

The EC decision to delay Gujarat election dates came in for severe criticism.

Congress leader P Chidambaram had criticised the EC saying that by not announcing the Gujarat poll schedule, it has “authorised” Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare the dates at his last rally, after all “freebies” for the state were doled out. The Congress had also alleged that the government put “pressure” on the poll panel to “delay” the announcement of Gujarat Assembly poll schedule to enable the prime minister to act as a “false Santa Claus” and offer sops.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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India News

Centre pushes states to cut levies to boost PNG adoption

The Centre has asked states to reduce local levies and streamline approvals to accelerate PNG adoption and city gas infrastructure growth.

Published

26 mins ago

March 18, 2026

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The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has urged states and Union Territories to ease local levies and procedural barriers affecting City Gas Distribution (CGD) projects, in a bid to accelerate the adoption of piped natural gas (PNG) as a cleaner fuel alternative.

In a communication sent to Chief Secretaries, Petroleum and Natural Gas Secretary Neeraj Mittal highlighted that high right-of-way charges, road cutting fees, lease rentals and other local levies imposed by urban bodies are discouraging investments in CGD infrastructure.

High costs slowing expansion

The ministry pointed out that the CGD sector, particularly PNG supply to households and commercial establishments, does not receive direct subsidies. As a result, it depends heavily on viable returns, which are being impacted by excessive and inconsistent local charges across states.

It noted that these financial and procedural hurdles are slowing down infrastructure expansion and affecting the broader adoption of natural gas.

Gap between connections and usage

According to the government, while around 12.63 crore PNG connections have been recorded, only about 1.6 crore are currently active. The ministry stressed that improving ease of doing business at state and local levels could help bridge this gap and expand the consumer base.

Officials believe that rationalising levies may initially reduce local revenues but could lead to higher long-term gains through increased gas consumption and economic activity.

LPG shortage adds urgency

The push for PNG adoption comes amid supply constraints in liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), linked to ongoing tensions in the Middle East. Oil marketing companies are currently supplying only 20 per cent of normal commercial LPG demand to states.

To address this, the ministry has proposed increasing LPG allocation to 30 per cent for states that implement reforms supporting PNG and CGD expansion.

Reform-linked incentives for states

The Centre has suggested a set of measures that states can adopt to qualify for higher LPG allocations. These include:

Setting up empowered state and district-level committees for faster approvals
Introducing single-window clearance with deemed approvals within 24 hours
Implementing a dig-and-restore model using bank guarantees instead of restoration charges
Eliminating annual rental or lease charges for CGD infrastructure

The ministry said compliance with these reforms would be verified before granting additional LPG allocations.

Industry support measures

The communication also noted that GAIL and its subsidiaries have already allocated full gas supply to the commercial PNG segment to support businesses affected by reduced LPG availability.

The government reiterated that expanding natural gas usage aligns with its broader push for cleaner and domestically sourced energy.

India News

BJP seals Assam seat-sharing pact, Modi to hold 3 rallies in April

BJP has finalised its Assam seat-sharing plan with allies and is gearing up for an intense campaign led by PM Modi and Amit Shah.

Published

36 mins ago

March 18, 2026

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The Bharatiya Janata Party has finalised its seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming Assam Assembly elections, firming up its strategy alongside National Democratic Alliance partners as campaigning gathers pace in the state.

Under the agreement, the BJP will contest 89 seats, while its allies — Asom Gana Parishad and Bodoland People’s Front — will field candidates in 26 and 11 constituencies respectively. The distribution has been decided after internal deliberations, with the focus now shifting to candidate announcements and campaign execution.

Campaign push led by top leadership

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address three rallies in Assam during the final leg of the campaign. Tentative dates for the rallies are April 1, April 3 and April 6, with events likely to be held in key constituencies.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is also set to spearhead an extensive campaign across the state through March, aiming to energise party workers and strengthen voter outreach.

Candidate selection underway

The party’s Central Election Committee is currently meeting to finalise candidates. Sources indicate that approvals for most constituencies are expected soon, and the BJP may release its complete list of candidates within the next two days.

Ticket distribution remains a crucial exercise, with internal discussions highlighting its potential impact on local political dynamics. Party leaders have also touched upon the proposed delimitation exercise scheduled for 2027, which is expected to have long-term implications for Assam’s electoral landscape.

Polling and counting dates

Voting for all 126 Assembly seats in Assam is scheduled for April 9, while the votes will be counted on May 4.

India News

Delhi Palam fire leaves 6 dead, massive rescue operation underway

Six people died after a fire broke out in a residential building in Delhi’s Palam. Firefighters continue rescue efforts with 30 tenders at the spot.

Published

7 hours ago

March 18, 2026

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A tragic fire incident in southwest Delhi’s Palam area on Wednesday morning claimed the lives of six people, triggering a large-scale emergency response.

According to officials, the blaze erupted in a residential building, prompting immediate action from fire and police authorities. Around 30 fire tenders were rushed to the spot to control the flames and carry out rescue operations.

Authorities said they received a distress call at approximately 7 am reporting the fire at a house within the building. Firefighters were deployed swiftly amid concerns that several residents could be trapped inside the structure.

A fire services official stated that initial information suggested people might still be inside, leading to an intensive search and rescue effort. Emergency teams, including police personnel, reached the congested locality to assist in evacuation and crowd management.

The firefighting operation was still ongoing at the time of reporting. The exact cause of the fire has not yet been determined, and further details are awaited as authorities continue their investigation.