India News
Gujarat Polls: A glance at key candidates, constituencies that vote today
On the numerous constituencies that will vote on Thursday morning, a tough contest is anticipated as the BJP seeks to hold onto power and the AAP seeks to make inroads into yet another state.
The phase-1 polling has begun in Gujarat on Thursday and after weeks of intense campaigning by all the political parties, Gujarat’s citizens are ready to cast their votes in the first round of the assembly elections.
The fate of political parties will be decided by over 2 crore
With 89 constituencies spread across 19 districts in Kutch, Saurashtra, and South Gujarat up for election today. Political parties including the Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress, and Aam Aadmi Party have been racing to make election promises.
Voting is being held from 8 am to 5 pm, according to the Indian Election Commission.
There are now 39 political parties running for office, and they have fielded 788 candidates, including 718 men and 70 women.
Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP is taking a chance by attempting to capitalise on anti-incumbency and concerns like inflation and unemployment in order to gain power, while the state’s current ruling BJP is displaying confidence in maintaining its 27-year reign.
On the numerous constituencies that will vote on Thursday morning, a tough contest is anticipated as the BJP seeks to hold onto power and the AAP seeks to make inroads into yet another state.
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Jamnagar North (Jamnagar)
The first on the list is Jamnagar North, where the contest is between Rivaba Jadeja of the BJP, the wife of cricketer Ravindra Jadeja, Bipendrasinh Jadeja of the Congress, and Karsan Karmur of the AAP.
Ahir Jivanbhai Karubhai Kumbharvadiya, a candidate for the Congress, was defeated by incumbent MLA Dharmendrasinh Merubha in the 2017 Assembly elections.
The race for the seat gained attention after a political spat between two members of the same family came to light. Rivaba, who is running for office for the first time, is supporting the BJP, while her sister-in-law and father-in-law are supporting the Congress candidate.
Morbi
The second name on the list is Morbi, which gained attention after the recent tragedy in which a suspension bridge collapsed into the river, killing over 130 people.
Kantilal Amrutiya, a replacement for the outgoing MLA and Cabinet Minister Brijesh Merja, is running against Jayantilal Jerajbhai Patel of the Congress and Pankaj Ransariya of the AAP.
In an effort to pressure the administration over the Morbi tragedy, the opposition parties brought up the matter of “mismanagement” in the incident during the campaign.
Prior to Amrutiya’s loss to Merja, a member of the Congress in 2017, the BJP had previously won the Morbi Assembly seat in 1995, 1998, 2002, 2007, and 2012, according to records.
Merja later joined the BJP and won the Morbi by-elections once more. In 2022, the BJP will have Merja and Amrutiya.
Khambalia (Devbhoomi Dwarka)
The seat gains significance because Isudan Gadhvi, the AAP’s nominee for chief minister, is running from here. Vikram Madam of the Congress and Mulu Ayar Bera of the BJP are his opponents.
The BJP and AAP are anticipated to engage in a close race in the triangular conflict. Ahir Vikrambhai Arjanbhai Madam, a Congress contender, was successful in winning the seat in 2017. Congress has changed who will be running in the 2022 elections.
Rajkot West (Rajkot)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi previously ran in a by-election for Rajkot West in 2002. Vijay Rupani, a former chief minister, ran from the location in the 2017 Assembly elections.
Darshita Shah, a two-time deputy mayor, will compete against Dinesh Joshi of the AAP and Mansukhbhai of the Congress on the BJP ticket.
The seat, which the BJP has held since 1985, is regarded as one of its strongholds.
In the 2017 Assembly elections, Rupani defeated INC candidate Indranil Rajguru by a margin of 53,755 votes to win the seat.
Devboomi Dwaraka
The BJP’s Pabubha Manek is running against the AAP’s Nakum Lakhmanbhai Boghabhai and the Congress’ Malubhai Kandoria, who hasn’t lost an election in 32 years for the Devbhoomi Dwarka seat.
Manek had won the first three elections (1990, 1995, and 1998) as an independent leader. After joining the Congress, he won the seat in 2002. Later, running for the BJP, he prevailed in the Assembly elections of 2007, 2012, and 2017.
Manek defeated Ahir Meraman Markhi of the Congress in the 2017 Gujarat Assembly elections by a margin of 5,739 votes.
Katargam (Surat)
Gopal Italia, the state president of the AAP and a prominent Patidar leader, has been nominated by the constituency and is expected to engage in an exciting fight for the seat. He had been instrumental in the 2015 Patidar quota movement. He will compete against BJP candidate Vinodbhai Amrishbhai Mordiya and Congress candidate Kaplesh Variya, a member of the Prajapati community (OBC).
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PM Modi says Congress leaders consider themselves above Lord Ram
PM Modi slammed Congress during a rally in Chhattisgarh, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections 2024
Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed the Congress party for declining to attend the pran pratishtha ritual at the Ayodhya Ram temple on January 22 this year.
The prime minister said Congress leaders consider themselves above Lord Ram and denied invitation for Pran Pratishtha at Ram Temple, while speaking at a rally in Janjgir-Champa, Chhattisgarh. The PM question the people present at the rally that is it not a disrespect of Mata Shabri? Congress leaders inclination toward appeasement politics runs in their family.
For political appeasement, they won’t think twice about stealing the rights of Adivasis, the poor, and Dalits. Poor, young, and women are BJP’s top priorities, Modi said.
PM Modi criticized the Congress again during the rally for claiming that the BJP would alter the constitution.
The leaders of Congress recite the same old phrases whenever an election is about to happen, the PM said. He also said they claim that if the BJP wins power, it will renounce the constitution and abolish reservations. For how long will you continue selling lies?” he asked.
The prime minister continued saying that nobody can change the Constitution, even if Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar were to come and insist on it, it wouldn’t happen.
Those in the Congress threaten to break Modi’s head. Nobody can harm Modi as long as the mothers and sisters of this county stands by him. These mothers and sisters are Raksha Kavach, Modi remarked.
The prime minister further attacked the Congress after Viriato Fernandes, the party’s candidate for South Goa, asserted that Goa was forced to adopt the Indian Constitution.
Referring to his conversation with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Fernandes said he had told him, when Goa was liberated in the year 1961, the Indian Constitution was forced upon us.
The prime minister said, Congress candidate from Goa says Constitution was forced upon Goans; is this not an insult of Ambedkar and Constitution.
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Amit Shah says neither Congress nor Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee can interfere with CAA
Amit Shah revealed the BJP’s target for West Bengal and said they have set a target of winning 35 Lok Sabha seats from West Bengal.
Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said neither Congress nor Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee can interfere with the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). He was speaking at the Karandighi rally in West Bengal where he also made the prediction as to how many seats BJP will win in the Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal.
The union home minister asked the masses to cut the money culture. Amit Shah revealed the BJP’s target for West Bengal and said they have set a target of winning 35 Lok Sabha seats from West Bengal. In 2019 Lok Sabha elections the BJP had won 18 out of 42 seats in West Bengal. He asked Mamata Banerjee, what problem will she have if the Buddhist and Hindu refugees from Bangladesh get citizenship in India?
Shah further added if the people of West Bengal want to stop infiltration in the state, then they will have to make Narendra Modi the Prime Minister of India again. He said if the people of West Bengal want to free Bengal of violence, stop infiltration in the state, give citizenship to refugees, to stop disrespecting mothers and sisters of the state as it happened in Sandeshkhali, then only way is to make Narendra Modi the Prime Minister.
Amit Shah said that PM Modi had sent Rs 7 lakh crore to West Bengal but the TMC indulged in corruption. He said one can see the houses of Trinamool Congress leaders; 10 years ago they used to live in a hut, moved on cycle and now all of them have 4-storey houses and move around in big cars. He added this is the money of people of West Bengal.
The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), will make it easier for non-Muslim refugees from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh to get Indian citizenship, was enacted in 2019. But the rules were notified in March this year by the Centre.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi says listening to Hanuman Chalisa under Congress rule is a crime
PM Modi was addressing an election rally in Rajasthan’s Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, on a day as India celebrates Hanuman Jayanti.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hit out at the Congress and said even listening to Hanuman Chalisa has become a crime under the party’s rule. The Prime Minister also said it was difficult to follow one’s faith under the party and accused it of hatching a deep conspiracy to snatch people’s wealth and distribute it among selected few people in the society. PM Modi was addressing an election rally in Rajasthan’s Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, on a day as India celebrates Hanuman Jayanti.
PM Modi said in a state like Rajasthan where people chant Ram-Ram, Congress banned Ram Navami. He reffered to the redistribution of wealth remarks he had made during a rally in Rajasthan’s Banswara on Sunday and said it has angered the Congress and INDI Alliance so much that they have started throwing abuses at Modi everywhere.
The Prime Minister said that Congress has written in their manifesto that they will survey the wealth. He said the Congress leadership had said in a speech that an X-ray of wealth will be done. He added when Modi exposed the secret then the hidden agenda came out and this has left the people trembling. PM Modi further added that the Congress party has played with the Constitution of the India.
He said when the Constitution was drafted, reservations based on religion were opposed, so that Scheduled Casts (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) could get protection. He said former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh had said that Muslims have the first right to the country’s resources. The prime minister further added Congress’s ideology has always been of appeasement and vote bank politics. He said stones would still be pelted in Jammu and Kashmir, and enemies would still be cutting off the heads of India’s soldiers had Congress been in power.
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