BJP wants to weaken democracy and people of nation...: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra

BJP wants to weaken democracy and people of nation...: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party wants to weaken the democracy in the country and has pressurised every institution in the last 10 years to not comment against it. Addressing an election rally in Valsad, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, They (BJP) want to weaken the democracy and people of the nation. Institutions that protect your rights be it media have been weakened. Media used to ask us every day but nothing of that sort is happening today. Referring to remarks of BJP leader Anantkumar Hegde on ewriting constitution, Priyanka Gandhi said that it is a dangerous trend. You must have seen, the BJP leaders have said that they want to change the Constitution and PM Modi contradicts that statement. This is a dangerous trend. This constitution has given you all the rights, then what's the need to change it? she asked. She further went on to slam the BJP for argeting opposition leaders. PM Modi is weakening the democracy. He is attacking the opposition daily. He froze Congress' bank accounts. Two Chief Ministers are in jail, my brother (Rahul Gandhi) was also almost kicked out of Parliament. 150 members were suspended in the Winter session recently, only Modiji is honest, she said. Gujarat will vote on all 25 seats out of 26 in a single phase, which is slated for the third phase on May 7, 2024. BJP candidate Mukesh Dalal was elected unopposed in Surat after nomination papers of the Congress party's candidate Nilesh Kumbhani were rejected after his three proposers claimed in an affidavit to the district election officer that they had not signed his nomination form. The third phase will include constituencies from Kutch, Banaskantha, Patan, Mehsana, Sabarkantha, Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad East, Ahmedabad West, Surendranagar, Rajkot, Porbandar, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Anand, Kheda, Panchmahal, Dahod, Vadodara, Chhota Udaipur, Bharuch, Bardoli, Navsari, and Valsad. (ANI)

Gandhinagar CID crime PSI caught taking 40,000 bribe

Gandhinagar CID crime PSI caught taking 40,000 bribe - The Times of India

Gandhinagar CID crime PSI caught taking 40,000 bribe The Times of India

Gujarat: Former AAP leader Alpesh Kathiriya to join BJP

Gandhinagar: In a blow to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Alpesh Kathiriya, the key architect behind the AAPs 27-seat win in the 2021 Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) elections in Gujarat, is set to join the BJP on Saturday (April 27), along with his close aide Dharmik Malaviya. Kathiriya, a former ABVP member, termed his decision Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

Gujarat govt transfers, hands new postings to 12 IPS officers

BILKULONLINE Gandhinagar, April 26: The Gujarat government on Thursday announced immediate transfer and appointment of several IPS and SPS officers The post Gujarat govt transfers, hands new postings to 12 IPS officers appeared first on Bilkul Online .

Gujarat administration reshuffles senior police officers, assigning new roles

Gujarat administration reshuffles senior police officers, assigning new roles The Gujarat government on Thursday transferred or gave new postings to 10 Indian Police Service (IPS) and two state police service (SPS) officers through a notification. As per the state home department's order, 2004-batch Gujarat cadre IPS officer Gagandeep Gambhir, who was awaiting posting after her repatriation from the CBI, was appointed as Inspector General of Police (IGP), Administration, in Gandhinagar. Senior IPS officer Raghavendra Vatsa, who was also awaiting posting, has been posted as Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) in Surat city, whereas 2006-batch IPS officer Sharad Singhal has been appointed as JCP of Ahmedabad crime branch replacing Neeraj Kumar Badgujar, who has been made Additional CP of Ahmedabad Sector-1. IPS officer Chaitanya Mandlik, who was awaiting posting, has been made Superintendent of Police with the state CID-Crime in Gandhinagar, as per the order. Ajit Rajian, currently serving as DCP, Cyber Crime, in Ahmedabad city has been posted as DCP of Ahmedabad Crime Branch. Rajian was replaced by 2017-batch IPS officer Lavina Sinha.

BJP dismisses Congress' inheritance tax proposal as politically motivated

BJP dismisses Congress' inheritance tax proposal as politically motivated Gujarat BJP president CR Paatil on Thursday said the Congress has the habit of robbing people, but the ruling party will not let it succeed in its intentions of taking away people's assets and distributing them to a specific community. He was targeting the Congress over its leader Sam Pitroda's remarks on inheritance tax. Pitroda had spoken about inheritance tax in the US while delving into the issue of redistribution of wealth. Addressing a press conference in Gandhinagar, Paatil said, ''Pitroda suggested snatching 55 per cent of the hard-earned properties of people and giving it to whom? Former prime minister Manmohan Singh had once said minorities have the first right on our country's resources. For more clarity, he said Muslims have the first right.'' ''Rahul Gandhi made a similar remark recently. He said the Congress government will take away people's properties after a survey and distribute it to others,'' he said. The BJP leader said Hindus have the habit of saving money by having less children and reducing unnecessary expenditure so that the next generation can live a comfortable life. ''But, Rahul Gandhi wants to distribute this property. To whom? To the infiltrators and those who put burden on the country by giving birth to several children. The country can not tolerate this,'' he said. Paatil said people associated with the Congress are rattled because they are not getting anything after Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought the direct benefit transfer (DBT) system, stopping the diversion of funds by middlemen. ''Now, to get votes, the Congress is floating such ideas. But, the BJP will not let them succeed,'' he said. ''There is an age-old system wherein people create wealth through hard work and hand it over to their legal heirs. But the Congress party, which has the habit of robbing people, does not agree to this idea. Now, they want a share in that property too,'' he said. Paatil said Pitroda is the Congress' policy maker and an adviser to a party leader, thus his views are a reflection of Congress' views. ''The BJP will not let the Congress succeed in its intentions. We will not allow the Congress to tax people just to appease a specific community. This has proved that Congress' intentions are not good,'' he said. Paatil said though the Congress has now distanced itself from Pitroda's views on inheritance tax, every leader of the grand old party backed the idea and they tried to implement it in the past too.

Gujarat CM to lead BJP campaign in Telangana on April 25

Gandhinagar: Gujarat Chief Minister, Bhupendra Patel, is set to visit Telangana on Thursday to campaign for BJP candidates ahead of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections in the state. During his visit, the Chief Minister will attend the Karimnagar nomination-filing event of BJP candidate Sanjay Kumar Bandi, early in the day. Also ReadPM Modi to campaign Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

Woman Hospitalized After Alleged Domestic Abuse and Suicide Attempt

Visakhapatnam: A woman from Tota Guru in Gandhinagar, identified as Mamata, is currently receiving treatment at Arilova VIMS Hospital after attempting suicide by consuming insecticide. The incident, reported to the Arilova Police Station, has brought to light allegations of domestic abuse by her husband, Bhandari Santhosh, and extended family members. According to reports, Santhosh, who is employed in catering, along with his sister Mahalakshmi, brother-in-law Ramana, daughter-in-law Pavani, and Pavani's husband Naveen, allegedly subjected Mamata to abuse. The details of the abuse have not been disclosed by the police at this time. The Arilova Police have registered a case and are investigating the allegations.

Look forward to more Indian students coming to Australia next year: Envoy Philip Green

Look forward to more Indian students coming to Australia next year: Envoy Philip Green By Ayushi Agarwal The Australian High Commissioner to India, Philip Green on Tuesday said that he is looking forward to having more Indian students coming to Australia next year for their education. The High Commissioner said that it is wrong to say that there's been a surge in visa rejections of Indian students by Australian universities as reported by some media recently, and that they are giving a rethink to their higher education plans. He stressed the fact that the statistics have been seen by himself, and underlined that 'they are very similar this year to what they were last year' and that 'there hasn't been a surge in rejection of students.' 'There has not been a surge in rejection of students. I have looked at these statistics myself and they are very similar to this year to what they were last year. Unlike some other countries, Australia has not put a cap on the number of foreign students coming to our country. Yes, we want to make sure that students coming forward from reputable institutions will have a good experience in Australia,' said Envoy Green during an interview with ANI. 'We make apologies for the fact that we want good students and we want to make sure that they are paired with the right courses. This is utterly wrong to say that there has been a surge in rejections; we look forward to as many or perhaps even more Indian students coming to Australia in the next year,' he added. Lauding the cooperation between India and Australia in the field of Education and skill development, the High Commissioner hailed the Australian university's foreign branch opening in India which marked the first time a foreign university opened its campus in India. The country's Deakin University earlier inaugurated its branch campus in GIFT City, Gujarat. 'A large number of Indians choose to come to Australia as part of their education, and we normally work on that, and there will be more of it. But frankly, this country if it's to fulfill its development possibilities, we'll need more skills. And that's why we together with the Indian Government are saying that this shouldn't be a one-way street,' envoy Green said. 'Australian education should be available more here in India so that Indians can fulfill their possibilities. That's why I'm delighted that the first two foreign branch campuses in the world that have come to India have come from universities in Australia, and they won't be the last,' he added. This move was poised to strengthen educational ties between the two nations and provide Indian students with access to world-class Australian education. Through the new education policy brought in in 2020, India has opened floodgates for foreign educational institutes to set up brick-and-mortar infrastructure. Notably, in January this year, Vice Chancellor of Australia's Deakin University Iain Martin met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Gandhinagar, where they had a productive discussion on enhancing collaboration between government and academic institutions about cybersecurity. In a post on X, the Prime Minister welcomed Deakin University to collaborate with Indian universities to promote research and innovation. Last year in November, Union Minister for Education and Skill Development, Dharmendra Pradhan held a bilateral meeting with his Australian counterpart, Jason Clare, MP, Education Minister. Both the Ministers then comprehensively reviewed the bilateral cooperation in education and skilling and agreed to further strengthen knowledge and skilling partnerships for greater mobility, employability, and prosperity of people in both our countries. During the meeting, Pradhan highlighted 2023 as a landmark year for Australia and India, particularly for cooperation in the areas of education and skill development. He then said that education and skills as a primary and priority area of our bilateral engagements reflect PM Narendra Modi's and Australian PM, Anthony Albanese's commitment to strengthening knowledge bridges. Meanwhile, Jason Clare, MP in his address mentioned how the future of the countries will be shaped with the help of meaningful partnerships in the areas of education and skilling. He mentioned the 450 existing research partnerships between the two countries. He also commented that collaboration at the governmental, institutional, and industry levels will further strengthen the tie-up and benefit both countries. (ANI)

Shikha Mukerjee | BJP dominance in political discourse sees adjustments

Intriguingly, the Bharatiya Janata Partys dominance over the political discourse by establishing the frames of meaning and the order or even disorder of things, including interpretations and contexts, seems to be undergoing a not-so-subtle change. Instead of telling the voters that there is only a singular order of things and the rest is irrelevant, the BJP is reacting to the relentless, consistent Opposition attack on its intentions and actions. New guarantees are popping out that were never on the list. The two most significant are, first, the guarantee that the Constitution will not be rewritten and the word secular, over which controversy has raged for decades between the BJP and the secular Opposition, will not be amended and erased. The other not quite guarantee, but nevertheless a confirmation of commitment, is on democracy. The second guarantee that has been added as the election process unrolls is reservations and quotas for tribals on the scheduled list. The chinks in the BJPs armour are not all on account of the ferocity and multiplicity of a unified Oppositions counter offensive. It is in trouble with its vote banks among the Kshatriyas or the Rajputs, a caste that is spread across several key states in the Hindi heartland. The assiduously cultivated tribals by the RSS Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram as a vote bank are also vocal in questioning the BJPs intentions on removing reservation quotas. Whether a Narendra Modi government in its third term will extinguish reservations is not material; tribals are suspicious of what will happen in the future. In recent public speeches and in one-on-one interviews, the two major campaigners and masterminds of the BJP, Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, have been at pains to tell voters that the Opposition attack is unfounded that a third term for the regime would usher in an end to democracy and discarding the existing Constitution. There are, however, missteps that the party has taken, over nominations to certain caste categories and statements on reservations by the RSS that appear to have queered the pitch of the campaign. The coverup may or may not work, but its necessity suggests that the BJP, despite its organisation and masterminds and backrooms, has problems. This may not be the same as conceding that the Modi government and the BJP are accountable to the voters and the Opposition for everything that has been said and done, it is, nevertheless a concession that seems almost conciliatory. From a party and a leader who declared in 2014 that India would be liberated from the yoke of Congress rule, recall the slogan Congress Mukt Bharat, the need to clarify, explain and placate suggests a climbdown. As examples of how much more the BJP is committed to the Constitution, Amit Shah in the course of an interview on television the day he filed his nomination in Gandhinagar, talked about implementing the non-justiciable Directive Principles of State Policy as enshrined in Part IV such as the ban on triple talaq and its promise to bring in a Uniform Civil Code. The 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign of all the parties in the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance -- the Congress, the Left, the DMK, the Trinamul Congress, the Samajwadi Party the Rashtriya Janata Dal and others -- has centred around the danger to the Idea of India as the founding generation constructed it from the BJP and the Sangh Parivar, intent on establishing a Hindu Rashtra, hollowing out democracy and institutionalising autocracy. By reacting to the attack and making a public declaration, a Modi ki guarantee, that the Constitution would not be changed, the BJP is no longer dominating the discourse; it is reacting to an alternative discourse. The strength of the alternative discourse may or may not be reflected in the final seat tally on June 4, but its existence is undeniable. The other issue on which the BJPs reaction to the Opposition is significant is electoral bonds. It suggests that the Oppositions dogged pursuit -- Rahul Gandhi labelling it as extortion to the entirely personal attack by DMK leader and Tamil Nadu chief minister M.K. Stalins branding of Modi as Vasool (fund recovery) Raja -- has paid off probably because it has captured voters attention to the extent that clarifications and explanations are strategically necessary to reassure some sections of the public. The clarifications have ranged from Mr Shahs aggressive reaction that if it was extortion, then the electoral bond funding to the Congress and other Opposition parties was also extortion, and Nirmala Sitharamans follow-up that revisions would be made to the electoral bonds scheme after consultations and reintroduced in the BJPs third term. For a party that railroaded the Opposition by suspending a total of 146 Members of Parliament in the 2023 winter session, expelling Rahul Gandhi, passed 65 per cent of the 221 new laws with less than three hours of discussion, including the abrogation of Article 370, triple talaq and the three farm laws, the BJPs newfound faith in consultative politics is tweaking the narrative to nullify Opposition criticism of the Modi government as autocratic. Pitches to win a third term are notoriously difficult: the first five honeymoon years are a distant memory and there is a buildup of frustrations or disappointments over the total 10 years. Unveiling visions of Viksit Bharat 23 years down the road will not obviously satisfy the voter who is subsisting on five kilogrammes of free foodgrain every month. Youth who joined up under the 2022 Agnipath scheme of short-term recruitment in the Army are preparing to plan for a future outside the military as they near retirement. Voters will weigh these lived realities against the guarantees made earlier and new ones offered in 2024 by the Modi government. It is not just the steady stream of denunciations from the collective Opposition that is contributing to the pressure on the BJP to revise, modify and modulate its campaign. After 10 years in office, anti-incumbency and indifference are factors, especially as Phase 1 of the seven-stage process of the general election indicates voter turnout has been significantly lower across the country, with an average decreases of four per cent. As polling for the next six phases proceeds, the tweaks and adjustments in the BJPs campaign will be worth tracking. Will there be more unseen stumbling blocks? In campaign mode, the problem is that the leadership has to maintain a steady flow of words on everything, unlike in Parliament where silence or brevity is possible as a strategic retreat.

Traffic Advisory for Hanuman Jayanthi in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: City police commissioner K. Sreenivasa Reddy has imposed traffic restrictions and diversions in connection with the Hanuman jayanti Vijaya Yatra on Tuesday. The restrictions will be in place from 11.30 am till 8 pm. The main procession that will start from Gowliguda Ram Mandir and proceed 12 km to the Hanuman Mandir at Tadbund. There will be restrictions or diversions on route from Gowliguda, Ram Mandir to the Tadbund Hanuman Temple via Putlibowli crossroads; Andhra Bank crossroads; Koti, DM & HS; Sultan Bazaar crossroads; Ramkote crossroads; Kacheguda crossroads; YMCA Narayanguda; Chikkadpally crossroads; RTC crossroads; Ashoknagar; Gandhinagar; the road behind Viceroy Hotel; Kavadiguda; Bansilalpet Road; Bible House; City Light Hotel; Bata Showroom; Ujjaini Mahankali Temple; Old Ramgopalpet PS; Paradise crossroads; CTO Junction; Le Royal Palace; Brooke Bond; Imperial Garden and Mastan Caf. A procession from Karmanghat Hanuman Temple in Rachakonda limits will enter city limits at Champapet and pass through Champapet crossroads; IS Sadan; Dhobi Ghat; Saidabad Y Junction; Saidabad Colony Road; Sankeshwar Bazaar; Saroornagar tank; Dilsukhnagar Rajiv Gandhi statue; Moosarambagh Junction; Malakpet; Nalgonda crossroads; Azampura Rotary; Chaderghat crossroads and join the main procession at DM&HS 9 am till 2 pm: Suggested route for fommuters from Lakdikapul towards Dilsukhnagar OR south zone via Koti, Bank Street and Chaderghat: Basheerbagh, Old MLA Quarters, Himayatnagar Y Junction, Narayanguda flyover, Barkatpura, Tourist Jn., Nimboliadda, Chaderghat causeway, Nalgonda crossroads. Commuters from Dilsukhnagar towards Mehdipatnam via Koti: Alternative route LB Nagar, Uppal, Tarnaka, Secunderabad or via LB Nagar, Chandrayangutta, Aramghar, Attapur, Mehdipatnam. 2 pm till 7 pm: Commuters from Lakdikapul towards Secunderabad or Uppal: Alternative route via VV Statue, Somajiguda, Greenlands, Begumpet, Prakashnagar and Paradise flyovers.

Amit Shah, wife own more than Rs 1 crore worth of shares in these 10 stocks

The home minister and top BJP leader, who is contesting the Lok Sabha election from Gujarat's Gandhinagar, has declared in an affidavit before the Election Commission that he owns shares of around 180 companies which includes unlisted ones as well. His wife Sonal has stakes in around 80 companies.

Tinder, Yuvaa encourage, educate first-time voters

BENGALURU : With 20 million voters eager to cast their votes for the first time in the Lok Sabha elections, brands are doing their best to encourage the youth to make an informed decision. Tinder, an app for meeting new people launched Every single vote counts awareness campaign across the country in collaboration with Yuvaa a youth media organization and Mark Your Presence, a non-partisan organization that aims to empower and educate young voters. The company witnessed a three-times increase in the number of individuals who are adding voting in their Tinder Bios. The platform introduced in-app voting-themed stickers such as Voting partner needed, First-time voter, and I voted for users to display on their profiles. Until May 15 users will see Swipe Cards on the app highlighting the process of voting and tips for documentation. Each Swipe Card will direct the relevant Tinder user to the Mark Your Presence website for information on voter registration and how to complete the process. A survey conducted by Yuvaa of 18-24-year-olds across Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata in 2024 showed that when it comes to voting and dating preferences, 60% of GenZ respondents strongly prefer dating someone who votes and 1 in 3 of surveyed young adults expressed that they would find a potential match more attractive if they know the person is taking the elections seriously. Speaking to TNIE, Chaitanya Prabhu, founder, Mark Your Presence said that everyone wants youngsters to contribute to the electoral process, but have very little information on how to navigate through the system. We dont want to influence their decisions but in the most non-partisan ways we want to make them aware of how the Lok Sabha polls and state elections affect their everyday lives, the role of an MP, MLA and other leaders. The 25-year-old added that he has been receiving a good response and the tide is changing with more individuals from the community wanting to contribute. Aahana Dhar, Tinders Communications director in India said, Over half of Tinders users are aged between 18 to 25 years old and this collaboration is a great opportunity to encourage younger and newer voters to go to the ballot. We know young daters are passionate about key events that impact their lives and Tinder is giving them a way to express their intent directly apart from raising awareness about voter registration for first-timers. Change your mindset and vote: Girinath to youth District Election Officer (DEO) and Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath appealed to students to change their mindset and vote without fail in the Lok Sabha elections. He was speaking after launching a voting awareness programme held on Saturday at Seshadripuram College, Gandhinagar. To fulfil your aspirations, you should go to the polling stations, cast your votes without fail and choose the best candidate, Girinath said. He also added that India has a huge number of young people, which is why everyone should vote voluntarily. Every vote is important in an election and voting should be everyones first priority on April 26, he said.

BNI Symposium 2024 to be Ahmedabad's biggest business conclave

BNI Symposium 2024 to be Ahmedabad's biggest business conclave PNN Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], April 20: The countdown has begun for the much-anticipated BNI Symposium 2024, the flagship event of BNI Ahmedabad and the city's biggest business conclave, promising to be an unparalleled celebration of entrepreneurship, collaboration, and success. Breaking new ground, Symposium 2024 will be open to BNI members nationwide, facilitating collaboration and networking on an even bigger scale. BNI executive directors from across India will participate in the festivities and witness the legacy of 10 years of BNI Ahmedabad. In sync with BNI's vision of expanding collaboration and connectivity, BNI Ahmedabad has also introduced the Champion Connector Award at Symposium 2024. This award recognises the member who excels in facilitating the highest number of cross-region participants, underscoring the spirit of collaboration that defines BNI. Yash Vasant, Founder and Executive Director of BNI Ahmedabad, said, We are truly thrilled to organise Symposium 2024 to mark a decade of impactful growth and networking. The response to the event has been overwhelming from our members in Ahmedabad as well as from other regions. We look forward to hosting the esteemed guests in our vibrant city. The symposium is a unique event centred around celebrating the BNI community and maximising the value of their connections. It is not only the city's biggest business extravaganza but also an excellent platform to connect and network with members across the country and spread wings. Symposium 2024 will take place at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar from April 26 to 28, packed with activities focused on promoting business, networking, creativity, learning, and fun. Participants can look forward to engaging with industry leaders, participating in insightful sessions, and expanding their network amidst a dynamic atmosphere. They can also showcase their innovative products and services at the business expo. Renowned actor Anupam Kher and celebrated author Amish Tripathi will grace the event with their presence, sharing their wisdom and insights with attendees. Their participation presents a unique opportunity for the BNI community to learn from the best and draw inspiration from their remarkable journeys. The participation of Anupam Kher and Amish Tripathi as the keynote speakers for our symposium will make the celebrations and the symposium all the more special. Their participation is a unique opportunity for the BNI community to learn from the best, to be inspired by greatness, and to fuel our aspirations for success and excellence, said Mr Vasant. Adding to the excitement, BNI Ahmedabad will also present BNI's Got Talent 6.0, providing 3,000 BNI Ahmedabad members with a platform to showcase their hidden talents. Whether it is singing, dancing, reciting poetry, or stand-up comedy, participants will be able to unleash their creativity and captivate the audience. Reflecting on the last ten years of BNI Ahmedabad, Mr Vasant said, We have facilitated business of more than Rs. 7,000 crores in these years. But, more than that, what defines us is the impact we have had on 70 lakh lives and the strong and meaningful community we have been built. Every member of BNI Ahmedabad has contributed to this. BNI Ahmedabad is the largest BNI community in India with over 3,000+ members in Ahmedabad and 6,000 members in Gujarat. The symposium will contribute to the expansion of network, connections and business in the city amongst MSME business owners, startups and entrepreneurs from various sectors and industries, and facilitate BNI Ahmedabad's aim of achieving Rs. 10,000 crore businesses in the next five years. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)

Police recover stolen property worth Rs 30 lakh in last one month: SP South

Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Apr 19: The South Zone of Jammu Police achieved a major success by recovering 8 stolen vehicles and property worth about Rs 21 lakh in last 30 days. The total value of recovery is around Rs 30 lakh. This was stated by SP South Zone Jammu, Ajay Sharma while addressing a press conference, here today. He said this has become possible by the hard work put in by Sudhir Sadhotra (SHO Gandhinagar), Sushil Sharma (SHO Satwari) and [] The post Police recover stolen property worth Rs 30 lakh in last one month: SP South appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

Amit Shah Submits Poll Paper

GANDHINAGAR: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday submitted his nomination papers for the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat from where he is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate. Shah was accompanied by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel when he submitted the nomination papers to Gandhinagar collector and district election officer in the state capital exactly []

Amit Shah picks 12.39pm 'vijay muhurat' to file his papers

At precisely 12:39 pm on Friday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah officially submitted his nomination for a second consecutive term in Parliament from Gandhinagar. He highlighted Gandhinagar as the constituency where his political journey flourished over three decades, evolving from a humble booth worker of the BJP to a Member of Parliament.

'Proud to contest from seat held by Vajpayee, Advani': Amit Shah files nomination in Gandhinagar

AHMEDABAD: Union Home Minister Amit Shah formally entered the electoral arena by filing his nomination papers for the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency on Friday, representing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He expressed his pride in contesting from a seat previously held by BJP stalwarts such as LK Advani and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He emphasized his journey from a grassroots party worker to a member of Parliament. Today, I have officially filed my nomination from the Gandhinagar constituency. It fills me with immense pride to contest from a seat previously held by luminaries like LK Advani and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, with Narendra Modi himself being a voter here, said Shah, speaking to the media after submitting his nomination. I've had the privilege to serve from this constituency for three decades, both as an MLA and MP, dedicating myself to public welfare. The unwavering support and affection from the people of Gandhinagar have been my driving force. From a humble booth worker, I have ascended to the halls of Parliament, he said. BJP will never allow reservations to end, will implement UCC in Modi's third term: Amit Shah Under the leadership of Modi, first as Chief Minister and later as Prime Minister, the BJP government has undertaken extensive development initiatives. Over five years, projects exceeding Rs 22,000 crores have been implemented in the Gandhinagar region. I'm immensely gratified by the unwavering support and overwhelming blessings of the people every time I've sought their votes. Their resounding endorsement has consistently led to my victory with significant margins, he added. Meanwhile, Chandrakant Raghunath Patil, popularly referred to as CR Patil, the BJP candidate for the Navsari Lok Sabha constituency, submitted his nomination papers on Friday. It's worth mentioning that Patil could not file his nomination on April 18 at an auspicious time due to the overwhelming turnout of supporters during his morning roadshow.

Lok Sabha Elections: Amit Shah Files Nomination From Gandhinagar Seat

The former BJP president had won from the Gandhinagar constituency in the 2019 general elections.

Congress | NDTV Exclusive

Lok Sabha elections 2024: (Amit Shah NDTV Exclusive) (Gandhinagar Lok Sabha Seat) . NDTV .

Lok Sabha Election 2024: Amit Shah Says Modi's Popularity Will Lead To BJP's 'Best-Ever Showing' In South

Amit Shah submitted his nomination papers to contest from the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat earlier on Friday.

Lok Sabha Election 2024: Amit Shah files nomination from Gandhinagar

Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah on Friday filed his nomination for the upcoming Lok Sabha election. He was accompanied by Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel. The veteran BJP leader has represented Gandhinagar as an MLA and then as an MP for 30 years.

Pasted Posters In Gandhinagar, People's Love Made Me Home Minister: Amit Shah

Having filed his nomination from Gujarat's Gandhinagar, a constituency he won by a margin of 5.5 lakh votes in 2019, Amit Shah on Friday reflected on his journey from a worker who pasted posters for the BJP to the party's de facto number two.

General Elections 2024 | Amit Shah files nomination from Gandhinagar

The former BJP president had won from the Gandhinagar constituency in the 2019 general elections by a margin of more than five lakh votes, which also marked his debut as a Lok Sabha member.

Home Minister Amit Shah files nomination from Gandhinagar, confident that NDA will cross 400 seat mark

The News Mill

BREAKING: Amit Shah Files Lok Sabha Poll Nomination From Gujarat`s Gandhinagar

BJP Leader Amit Shah exuded confidence of scoring a victory from Gandhinagar.

Amit Shah files nomination from Gandhinagar: 'Rose from booth worker to MP'

Amit Shah files nomination from Gandhinagar Rose from booth worker to MP

Amit Shah Files Nomination From Gandhinagar Lok Sabha Seat

Union Home Minister Amit Shah today filed his nomination for the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat in the upcoming general elections.

Lok Sabha elections: Home Minister Amit Shah files nomination from Gujarat's Gandhinagar - The Economic Times

Lok Sabha elections: Home Minister Amit Shah files nomination from Gujarat's Gandhinagar The Economic Times

Amit Shah slams Opposition, says probe agencies doing their duties

AHMEDABAD : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday expressed confidence that BJP will win all 26 LS seats in Gujarat. Be it the East, West, North or South, the atmosphere in the country suggests that we will get more than 400 seats. BJPs performance in south India will be the best-ever this time In Gujarat, we will win 26 of 26 seats, with a larger lead than in the previous election, Shah said at a rally in Gandhinagar. Addressing concerns over Kshatriya communitys resentment in Gujarat, Shah said, Rupalaji sincerely apologised. Kshatriyas have been protesting against Union minister Parshottam Rupala, contesting from the Rajkot seat, after a video clip of his remarks went viral in the last week of March. The protesters demanded that the BJP cancel the ticket to Rupala to contest from Rajkot. The BJP is poised for victory in states like Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh. Our tally in Uttar Pradesh will be the highest ever, he said. Reflecting on his political career, Shah emphasized his long-standing connection with many states. I was the election in-charge for Atalji and Advaniji, he said. Referring to Gandhinagar, he said, This area has given me everything Ive got. Ahead of the roadshow in Sanand, Shah in a post on X said, Today I will appeal to my brothers and sisters of Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency to make BJP victorious and give their blessings to Modi ji so that he becomes Prime Minister once again to make the country No. 1 in every sector and to make Gandhinagar one of the most developed Lok Sabha seats in the country. He added, Our lead will increase in every seat, signaling a significant rise in support. Reacting to Opposition outcry over the investigation agencies, Shah said, The probe agencies perform their duties diligently. If anyone has any issues with them, they should address them in courts. The veteran BJP leader, vying for re-election from the Gandhinagar seat for a second term, is scheduled to file his nomination papers on Friday, according to Gujarat party spokesperson Yagnesh Dave. Shah had won from Gandhinagar by more than five lakh votes in the 2019 elections. He conducted three roadshows in the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency on Thursday, followed by an evening rally in the Vejalpur area of Ahmedabad. Vijay Muhurat for state party president Gujarat BJP president CR Paatil faced a delay in filing his nomination for the Navsari seat at an auspicious time on Thursday due to an overwhelming turnout of supporters at his morning roadshow. Consequently, the MP will file his nomination at the auspicious Vijay Muhurat of 12.39 pm on Friday.

Every vote of yours has power to create secure, developed, and self-reliant India: Amit Shah

Every vote of yours has power to create secure, developed, and self-reliant India: Amit Shah Appealing to the voters to vote in large numbers in the first phase of elections, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said that every vote of the public has the power to create a secure, developed, and self-reliant India. It is an important day today, as the first phase of voting is taking place in the country. I appeal to all the voters who are voting in this phase to vote in large numbers because every vote of yours has the power to create a secure, developed, and self-reliant India. Your vote is not only meant to determine the fate of a Lok Sabha or a candidate but also to shape a bright future for India, Amit Shah posted on X. My appeal is to choose a strong and decisive leadership that has shown the determination to free the country from corruption, nepotism, and appeasement while fulfilling its promises, Shah said. Amit Shah is the BJP candidate from Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat, a constituency he won in 2019. Earlier the Prime Minister also called upon the people to vote in large numbers saying 2024 Lok Sabha Elections Begin Today! As 102 constituencies across 21 states and UTs are going to polls, I appeal to all those voting for these constituencies to vote in record numbers. I especially appeal to young and first-time voters to vote in large numbers. After all, every vote counts and every voice matters! Voting for the first phase of Lok Sabha elections 2024 began on Friday across 102 parliamentary constituencies spread over 21 states and Union Territories as the mega seven-phase electoral exercise commenced at 7:00 am. Voters will exercise their franchise until 6:00 pm. According to the data released by the Election Commission of India (ECI), a total of 1.87 lakh polling stations have been set up, while 18 lakh personnel have been deployed across the 102 constituencies going to the polls. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking his third consecutive term, while the opposition bloc-INDIA- a coalition of opposing parties formed to take on the BJP in the general elections, is eyeing to oust him from power. The second phase will be held on April 26 and the remaining phases will be May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1 accordingly. The last general elections in 2019 were also held in seven phases. (ANI)

FACTBOX-India's Lok Sabha election 2024: the main political parties and candidates

FACTBOX-India's Lok Sabha election 2024: the main political parties and candidates India, with nearly a billion eligible voters, set off on the world's largest electoral exercise on Friday. The country has more than 2,500 political parties but just 10 of them hold 86% of all seats in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament. A serious contest between a few parties will likely be dominated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. BHARATIYA JANATA PARTY (BJP) The BJP, the world's largest political outfit with nearly 180 million members, was born out of the Jan Sangh party, an offshoot of a men-only Hindu nationalist organisation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). After struggling on the political margins early after it was formed in 1980, the BJP delivered its first prime minister 16 years later in an unstable government that lasted 13 days. The party formed a government with a majority of its own for the first time in 2014 under Modi. It's been formidably in power since. Narendra Modi: Modi, 73, was born and raised in a small town in the western state of Gujarat. He joined the BJP's ideological parent, the RSS, in his 20s and the Jan Sangh nearly a decade and a half later. He's risen through the ranks over years and was Gujarat's chief minister for more than three terms before leading the BJP into a decisive victory in the 2014 general election. A decade in power, Modi remains enduringly popular as he seeks a record-equalling third straight term. Pollsters predict an easy win for him and the BJP, powered by consistent wooing of the Hindu majority, strong economic growth and handouts. Modi is seeking to be re-elected from Varanasi, a city of religious significance to Hindus in the populous northern state of Uttar Pradesh. Amit Shah: A close Modi aide, Shah is India's home affairs minister - a position critical to matters of national security. He became the president of the ruling BJP in 2014 after Modi stormed to power and took up a cabinet position in Modi's second term in 2019. Shah is credited with helping shepherd Modi's Hindu-first agenda such as stripping Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir of its special status as a state and implementing a contentious citizenship law that critics say discriminates against Muslims. Shah is seeking to be re-elected from Gujarat's Gandhinagar, the capital of the state. INDIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS The Congress is India's oldest political party and governed India for more than two-thirds of the years since independence in 1947 but has struggled after Modi swept to power. Congress gave the its first and only woman prime minister, Indira Gandhi, and introduced comprehensive economic reforms in 1991 making way for the evolution of an open market economy. But it crashed out of power in 2014 against the Modi onslaught and a series of corruption allegations. Rahul Gandhi: Modi's fiercest opponent and Congress's star campaigner, Gandhi has never been a minister in a federal or state government, has not led his party to a general election victory, and quit as party chief after a miserable performance at the last parliamentary polls in 2019. Yet he remains at the centre of India's opposition politics and Modi's main target. His father, grandmother and great-grandfather were all prime ministers and led the country for more than 37 years. Gandhi, 53, is a four-time parliament member who has struggled to mobilise masses to support a wobbly 26-member opposition alliance he helped stitch together. He set off on two cross-country walks to invigorate his campaign and tap into disenchantment over lack of jobs, income inequality and rural distress. Gandhi is fighting this election from Wayanad in the southern state of Kerala. The matriarch of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, Sonia Gandhi, has decided to not contest in this year's election. AAM AADMI PARTY (AAP) The Aam Aadmi or Common Person's Party emerged from a strong anti-corruption movement in 2011 that swelled amid protests led by Anna Hazare - a self-styled crusader backed by close aide Arvind Kejriwal. Kejriwal formed the AAP in 2012 and formed a local government in the national capital Delhi in 2015, staging an unexpected political upset for established parties like the BJP and Congress. Kejriwal, who has been Delhi's chief minister since, is a staunch Modi critic and a Congress ally in the upcoming elections. However, AAP's prospects are clouded by pre-election arrests of most of its high-profile leaders, including Kejriwal, in an alleged graft case. The party that also runs Punjab state dismisses the allegations as a desperate attempt to malign the image of Kejriwal. DRAVIDA MUNNETRA KAZHAGAM (DMK) A strong regional force in India's south, the DMK is India's third-largest party in terms of the number of seats it holds in the lower house of parliament. A Congress ally, DMK also runs Tamil Nadu state, where the poverty rate is 2%, one of the lowest in the nation, and boasts a high literacy rate. ALL INDIA TRINAMOOL CONGRESS (TMC) India's fourth-largest party by seats in parliament, the Trinamool Congress holds power in West Bengal in the east, another state the BJP has struggled to crack. The party came into being nearly 25 years ago after it splintered from the Congress. Founder of the party Mamata Banerjee has been the state head for nearly 13 years and is now a reluctant Congress ally in fighting the BJP in the 2024 polls. Her party has joined the 26-member opposition bloc but failed to clinch an agreement over who will fight from which seat in the state. One of the TMC candidates for the election is Mahua Moitra, a persistent critic of Modi. A former investment banker, Mitra was expelled from parliament last year over allegations of accepting bribes from a businessman in exchange for parliamentary questions. Mitra says the charges are trumped-up. (Writing by Shivangi Acharya; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

At his Gandhinagar bastion, Amit Shah promises 2036 Olympics

BJP will win all 26 seats in Gujarat: Amit Shah

The party achieved a clean sweep of Gujarat seats in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections; there is a pro-government wave across the country, says Mr. Shah, who is seeking re-election from Gandhinagar

BJPs performance in South this time will be its best so far, says Amit Shah

Ahmedabad: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday expressed confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party will give its best performance so far in south India in the Lok Sabha elections this time. Shah, the BJP candidate from Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency, was talking to PTI during a campaign roadshow in Ahmedabad city. Also ReadBJP not Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

Amit Shah holds roadshow in Gandhinagar LS seat; appeals to people to ensure BJPs win

AHMEDABAD, Apr 18: Union Home Minister Amit Shah embarked on a roadshow on Thursday morning in Sanand town of Gujarats Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency, from where he is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate. Shah, while standing on a specially-designed vehicle, greeted the people and BJP workers who gathered in large numbers on the route from the APMC Chowk to Nalsarovar Chowk. Ahead of the roadshow in Sanand, Shah in a post on X said, Today I will appeal [] The post Amit Shah holds roadshow in Gandhinagar LS seat; appeals to people to ensure BJPs win appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

Amit Shah holds roadshow in Gandhinagar LS seat; appeals to people to ensure BJP's win

Amit Shah holds roadshow in Gandhinagar LS seat; appeals to people to ensure BJP's win Union Home Minister Amit Shah embarked on a roadshow on Thursday morning in Sanand town of Gujarat's Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency, from where he is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate. Shah, while standing on a specially-designed vehicle, greeted the people and BJP workers who gathered in large numbers on the route - from the APMC Chowk to Nalsarovar Chowk. Ahead of the roadshow in Sanand, Shah in a post on X said, ''Today I will appeal to my brothers and sisters of Gandhinagar Lok Sabha Constituency to make BJP victorious and give their blessings to Modi ji so that he becomes Prime Minister once again to make the country No. 1 in every sector and to make Gandhinagar one of the most developed Lok Sabha constituencies in the country.'' The senior BJP leader, who is seeking re-election from the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency for a second term, will file his nomination papers on Friday, state party spokesperson Yagnesh Dave said. This is one of the three roadshows to be held by Shah in Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency during the day before addressing a rally in Vejalpur area of Ahmedabad in the evening. After Sanand town of Ahmedabad district, Shah will hold a roadshow in Kalol town of Gandhinagar district. It would be followed by a third roadshow in Ahmedabad city covering areas under Sabarmati, Ghatlodia, Naranpura and Vejalpur assembly segments, all part of the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat, which the senior BJP leader won in 2019. The Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency consists of seven assembly segments -- Gandhinagar North, Kalol, Sanand, Ghatlodia, Vejalpur, Naranpura and Sabarmati. All these assembly seats are with the BJP. The former BJP president won from Gandhinagar in 2019 by a margin of more than 5 lakh votes. In the past, the seat had been represented by BJP veteran and former Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani. The opposition Congress has fielded party secretary Sonal Patel from Gandhinagar. Patel filed her nomination papers on Tuesday. Voting for all the 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat will take place in a single phase on May 7.

Lok Sabha polls: HM Amit Shah to campaign in Gujarat, BJP chief Nadda to visit Assam today

Shillong, April 18: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will campaign for the BJP in Gujarat on Thursday. He is scheduled to hold three roadshows and a public meeting in the state. The Home Minister will hold roadshows in Ahmedabads Sanand and Vejalpur at 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. respectively, and in Gandhinagars Kalol at 10:15 [] The post Lok Sabha polls: HM Amit Shah to campaign in Gujarat, BJP chief Nadda to visit Assam today appeared first on The Shillong Times .

UPSC Results 2023 | Jammu And Kashmirs Anmol Rathore Secures AIR 7

JAMMU, Apr 16: Union Public Service Commission, UPSC has released the UPSC 2023 results. Amng the 1016 candidates shortlisted; Anmol Rathore has secured AIR 7. Amol has secured 7th Rank in UPSC Final Exam 2023. She hails from Udrana village Bhaderwah and is a law graduate from Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar. The post UPSC Results 2023 | Jammu And Kashmirs Anmol Rathore Secures AIR 7 appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

LS polls: Rupala seeks support of Kshatriyas in country's interest, files nomination from Rajkot

LS polls: Rupala seeks support of Kshatriyas in country's interest, files nomination from Rajkot Union minister and BJP candidate from the Rajkot Lok Sabha seat in Gujarat, Parshottam Rupala, whose remarks on Kshatriyas have sparked massive protests by the Rajput community, on Tuesday filed his nomination papers following a two-km long roadshow in the city. Former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, BJP's Rajya Sabha member Kesridevsinh Jhala and cabinet minister in the Gujarat government Bhanuben Babariya were present when Rupala submitted his nomination papers to District Election Officer Prabhav Joshi. ''As decided by my party, I filed my nomination papers today. A large number of people turned up to give their blessings to me. Senior party leaders, corporators as well as sitting MLAs and MPs also remained present in my support,'' Rupala told reporters after filing his papers. While addressing a gathering at the end of the roadshow near the Race Course ground, the BJP leader appealed to the Kshatriya community, which has been holding protests to press for the cancellation of his nomination, to support him and his party ''in the interest of the nation''. ''I want to make an appeal to the Kshatriya community. Your support is also crucial in the interest of the nation. I request you to show a big heart and support BJP,'' Rupala said. He said since there is no doubt that the BJP will once again form a government at the Centre after the polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already prepared a blueprint about the work to be done in the first 100 days of his next government. ''PM Modi believes in 100 per cent saturation of all government schemes. When the PM is working hard to achieve that goal, BJP workers should also try to ensure 100 per cent voting at their respective booths. Let's give Modi record break seats this time so that he gets strength to put India on global map,'' he said. The BJP this time dropped two-time MP Mohan Kundariya and fielded Rupala instead. The Congress gave candidature to former MLA Paresh Dhanani for this Patidar-dominated seat, considered a stronghold of the BJP since late 1980s. Rupala has irked the Rajput community by claiming that erstwhile 'maharajas' succumbed to the persecution of foreign rulers as well as the Britishers. He further said these 'maharajas' broke bread with these rulers and also married off their daughters to them. Since majority of the erstwhile rulers in Gujarat were Rajputs, the community saw the remarks as an insult to them and has asked the BJP multiple times in the recent past to withdraw Rupala's candidature or else the community will go against BJP in this election. Though Rupala has already tendered an apology over his remarks and sought forgiveness, Rajput community leaders have refused to back down. To press for their demand, the Rajput community has been holding protests in several parts of Gujarat, where elections to all the 26 Lok Sabha seats will be held in a single phase on May 7. Key Rajput leaders held a meeting with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi and Gujarat BJP president C R Paatil at the CM's residence in Gandhinagar on Monday night. After the meeting, convener of the Rajput Coordination Committee, Karansinh Chavda, said the BJP leaders have promised to convey the demand of the community to the party high command. ''We want nothing else except removal of Rupala as the Rajkot candidate. When BJP leaders asked us to find another solution, we said the only way out is cancellation of Rupala's ticket. If that does not happen, we will intensify our protest and also stage protests in each and every poll rally of BJP in Gujarat,'' Chavda told reporters.

Nearly 40,000 students admitted under RTE Act in Gujarats round One

BILKULONLINE Gandhinagar, April 16 : The Gujarat government has admitted 39,979 children into unaided private primary schools in the first The post Nearly 40,000 students admitted under RTE Act in Gujarats round One appeared first on Bilkul Online .

Gujarat: Only 4 women candidates figure in BJP and Congress lists

AHMEDABAD: Despite the rhetoric surrounding womens empowerment and the advocacy for a 33 per cent reservation for women, political parties in Gujarat display reluctance in nominating female candidates for electoral positions. Both the BJP and Congress, as major parties in the state, are guilty of this reluctance. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP secured six women MPs out of 26 seats in Gujarat. However, in the current 2024 elections, the BJP has fielded only four women candidates. Similarly, the Congress party has also nominated just four women candidates for the Lok Sabha elections this time. Its worth noting that Gujarat has approximately 2.39 crore women voters, constituting around 50 per cent of the total registered voters. The representation of women MPs and candidates in Gujarat is on a consistent decline. Among the total of 26 seats in Gujarat, both major parties have only nominated four women candidates collectively. Among the four women nominated by the BJP are Poonam Madam for the Jamnagar seat, Shobhana Baraiya for the Sabar Kantha seat, Neemu Bambhania for the Bhavnagar seat, and Rekha Ben Chaudhary for the Banas Kantha seat. Notably, in the upcoming elections, a Congresswoman candidate will be contesting against a BJP woman candidate for the Banaskantha seat in North Gujarat. This marks the sole instance in Gujarat where both BJP and Congress have fielded female candidates against each other. Among the four women candidates nominated by the Congress party, Geni Ben Thakor is contesting from the Banaskantha seat. Additionally, Congress has fielded Sonal Patel from the Gandhinagar seat, where Union Home Minister Amit Shah is contesting. Other notable nominations include Jeni Thummar in Amreli and Prabha Taviyad in Dahod. Remarkably, there are nine constituencies in Gujarat where no woman candidate from any party has ever been elected, including Ahmedabad West, Gandhinagar, Porbandar, Patan, Panchmahal, Kheda, Bharuch, Valsad, and Navsari Representation of women on decline The representation of women MPs and candidates in Gujarat is on a consistent decline. Of 26 seats in Gujarat, both major parties have only nominated four women candidates each

LS polls: Top Gujarat BJP, Congress leaders set to file nominations

LS polls: Top Gujarat BJP, Congress leaders set to file nominations Gandhinagar: Top BJP and Congress leaders in Gujarat are set to file their nomination papers for the Lok Sabha polls. The list of BJP leaders who will be filing nominations on Monday includes Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya from Porbandar, Dinesh Makwana from Ahmedabad [] The post LS polls: Top Gujarat BJP, Congress leaders set to file nominations appeared first on Mangalorean.com .

Meet IASofficer, who failed in school exams, later cracked UPSC in her first attemptatageof22

At the present day, Anju is a remarkable example of success, serving as Principal Secretary to the Government Education Department (Higher & Technical Education) at Sachivalaya in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Her story is proof of the transformational potential of patience, persistence, and hard work.

Gujarat Congress yet to finalize candidates for key Lok Sabha seats

AHMEDABAD: As the election season gears up in Gujarat with the election commission announcing the date for filing nominations from April 12 to 19, the Congress is yet to disclose the candidates for four crucial seats in the state. The Congress initially intended to contest former MLA and Patidar leader Lalit Kagathara to challenge BJP candidate Purusottam Rupala in the Rajkot Lok Sabha constituency. However, amid recent controversy with Rupala commenting on the Kshatriya community and the following protests demanding his candidacy withdrawal, Paresh Dhanani, the former opposition leader of the Congress, has expressed his willingness to enter the electoral fray. Dhanani had previously refused to contest the elections, however, sources suggest that his readinss now comes after the mounting opposition against the BJP candidate Rupala. 'Not hesitant to fight LS poll against Amit Shah,' says Sonal Patel, Congress candidate in Gujarat's Gandhinagar Meanwhile, Congress is also struggling to choose a candidate for the Mehsana seat which is considered to be a BJP bastion for several years. The party aims to experiment by fielding an OBC candidate against the BJP's Patidar candidate. However, internal divisions within the Congress are hindering this decision. With one faction of the party favouring Patidar candidates, another is advocating for OBC representation. Moreover, the Vijapur By-Election, which falls within the Mehsana Lok Sabha constituency, will also influence the selection for the Mehsana seat. If Congress selects a Patidar candidate for the Vijapur Assembly seat, then Congress will likely nominate an OBC candidate for the Lok Sabha seat to maintain demographic balance. For the third seat, Navsari Lok Sabha, several party leaders, including Mumtaj Patel, daughter of the late Mr. Ahmed Patel, Surat Congress spokesperson Naishad Desai, and Navsari Congress leader Shailesh Patel, are said to be expressing their interest in contesting. However, the party is yet to finalize a candidate as it is one of the hottest seats in the state. BJP has chosen its state president CR Patil to contest from the Navsari Lok Sabha. Patil secured this seat with the largest margin in India prompting the Congress to strategize and nominate a formidable contender to challenge him. The last and final seat without a Congress candidate is the Ahmedabad East Lok Sabha seat in Gujarat. Rohan Gupta, the president of the Congress's social media department, was selected as the party's candidate for the seat but Gupta shifted to the BJP. The Congress is now facing difficulty in finding the right candidate for the Ahmedabad East Lok Sabha seat. With this, sources revealed that the party is contemplating nominating either the city Congress president, Himmatsinh Patel, or a candidate from the Patidar community.

'Not hesitant to fight LS poll against Amit Shah,' says Sonal Patel, Congress candidate in Gujarat's Gandhinagar

GANDHINAGAR: Sonal Patel, whom the Congress has fielded against Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Gujarat's Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency, said she was not at all hesitant to fight the upcoming election against the senior BJP leader. The 62-year-old leader, who is All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary and the party co-incharge of Mumbai and western Maharashtra, claimed that anti-incumbency prevails as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has failed to fulfil the aspirations of people. She also accused the ruling party of intimidating Congress workers in her constituency and sought a level-playing field in fighting elections. In an interview to PTI, Patel said, I had not asked for a ticket from the party as I was busy with Congress's affairs in Maharashtra, where I am co-incharge of Mumbai and Western Maharashtra.But the party fielded me from Gandhinagar and I accepted it. Our workers are being intimidated, nobody is ready to rent a space to us for organising meetings of party workers fearing that they will be targeted once the elections are over. Police are calling our city and district leaders to police stations in some frivolous cases from the past. BJP is using administrative machinery to fight elections, she alleged. This shows that they are scared and not on a firm footing, Patel said, adding, I don't know if Amit Shah is aware of these tactics that BJP's local leaders are employing.Everybody should get a level-playing field to fight elections. An architect by profession, Patel said she was not hesitant in taking on Shah in Gandhinagar, a BJP bastion from where former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and former deputy prime minister L K Advani had contested elections. He (Shah) may be the home minister of the country, but we have seen him from the days when he was a common BJP worker, she said. From a grassroot worker from Naranpura (Amit Shah's assembly constituency when he was MLA) he has risen to be the home minister of the country. My father was Congress municipal councillor from Naranpura and we have seen him grow.I have also worked my way up from grassroots like him, she said. And when people cast their vote, they will not choose (their MP) thinking that he is the home minister or that I am a simple party worker, she said, adding that that was the reason she did not hesitate even a bit to contest the election against Shah. The Congress had earlier fielded bigwigs like former election commissioner T N Seshan, actor Rajesh Khanna to give a fight to BJP heavyweights from Gandhinagar seat. Explaining the reason why the Congress did not field any heavyweight candidate from outside against Shah, she said, There are two problems in calling heavyweight candidates from outside - the person does not know anything about the area and he has to be hand-held, and after the defeat when the candidate leaves, a vacuum is created. So it is better to choose a local candidate instead. After her name was announced, Patel began campaigning by organising voters' meetings and visiting different areas of the constituency. Our campaigning is going on and it will pick up pace, she said. A video went viral, which showed her being stopped from campaigning in Pethapur village in Gandhinagar due to the ongoing controversy over BJP's Rajkot candidate and Union minister Parshottam Rupala's remarks against the Rajput or Kshatriya community. We are not linked to the controversy in any way and we have criticised Rupala's remark against the Kshatriya community, but we were not allowed in Pethapur village. A video of the incident went viral and we later came to know those who stopped us were BJP workers. As they cannot campaign in villages dominated by the Kshatriya community, they did not allow us to do the same, she said. On the main issues in the constituency, she said anti-incumbency prevails as the BJP has failed to fulfil the aspirations of the people of the state. They have built infrastructure, but the poor are becoming poorer and the rich are becoming richer. There are no employment opportunities in villages and land holding by farmers is reducing as it keeps on getting divided through generations. When a villager moves to a city, he faces extreme inflation. BJP has no answer to these problems, she said. BJP's claim of winning over 400 seats is nothing but rhetoric and I am sure that it will not be able to win all 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat this time, she said. In 2014 and 2019, the BJP had all 26 seats in the state. Patel, who studied architecture from Centre of Environment Planning and Technology (CEPT) University, is urban and regional planner and is a member of many architecture organisations. She also served as president of Gujarat Pradesh Mahila Congress Committee from 2012 to 2018. After that she was elevated to the post of AICC secretary. Patel said she has decided to file her nomination papers without any pomp and show as she does not want to trouble party workers. I have decided to go with just four or five women to file the nomination form on April 16. Why give trouble to party workers? she said. The Lok Sabha elections in Gujarat will be held in a single phase on May 7 and the deadline for filing of nominations is April 19.

Sonal Patel, Congress' pick in Gandhinagar, says not hesitant to fight Lok Sabha poll against Amit Shah - The Economic Times

Sonal Patel, Congress' pick in Gandhinagar, says not hesitant to fight Lok Sabha poll against Amit Shah The Economic Times

Sonal Patel, Congress' pick in Gandhinagar, says not hesitant to fight Lok Sabha poll against Amit Shah

Sonal Patel bravely challenges Amit Shah in Gujarat's Gandhinagar, criticizing BJP's failures and intimidation of Congress workers. She demands a fair electoral process and accuses the party of anti-incumbency, showcasing her determination in the election.

Sonal Patel, Cong's pick in Gandhinagar, says not hesitant to fight LS poll against Amit Shah

Sonal Patel, Cong's pick in Gandhinagar, says not hesitant to fight LS poll against Amit Shah Sonal Patel, whom the Congress has fielded against Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Gujarat's Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency, said she was not at all hesitant to fight the upcoming election against the senior BJP leader. The 62-year-old leader, who is All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary and the party co-incharge of Mumbai and western Maharashtra, claimed that anti-incumbency prevails as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has failed to fulfil the aspirations of people. She also accused the ruling party of intimidating Congress workers in her constituency and sought a ''level-playing field'' in fighting elections. In an interview to PTI, Patel said, ''I had not asked for a ticket from the party as I was busy with Congress's affairs in Maharashtra, where I am co-incharge of Mumbai and Western Maharashtra. But the party fielded me from Gandhinagar and I accepted it.'' ''Our workers are being intimidated, nobody is ready to rent a space to us for organising meetings of party workers fearing that they will be targeted once the elections are over. Police are calling our city and district leaders to police stations in some frivolous cases from the past. BJP is using administrative machinery to fight elections,'' she alleged. This shows that they are scared and not on a firm footing, Patel said, adding, ''I don't know if Amit Shah is aware of these tactics that BJP's local leaders are employing. Everybody should get a level-playing field to fight elections.'' An architect by profession, Patel said she was not hesitant in taking on Shah in Gandhinagar, a BJP bastion from where former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and former deputy prime minister L K Advani had contested elections. ''He (Shah) may be the home minister of the country, but we have seen him from the days when he was a common BJP worker,'' she said. ''From a grassroot worker from Naranpura (Amit Shah's assembly constituency when he was MLA) he has risen to be the home minister of the country. My father was Congress municipal councillor from Naranpura and we have seen him grow. I have also worked my way up from grassroots like him,'' she said. ''And when people cast their vote, they will not choose (their MP) thinking that he is the home minister or that I am a simple party worker,'' she said, adding that that was the reason she did not hesitate even a bit to contest the election against Shah. The Congress had earlier fielded bigwigs like former election commissioner T N Seshan, actor Rajesh Khanna to give a fight to BJP heavyweights from Gandhinagar seat. Explaining the reason why the Congress did not field any heavyweight candidate from outside against Shah, she said, ''There are two problems in calling heavyweight candidates from outside - the person does not know anything about the area and he has to be hand-held, and after the defeat when the candidate leaves, a vacuum is created. So it is better to choose a local candidate instead.'' After her name was announced, Patel began campaigning by organising voters' meetings and visiting different areas of the constituency. ''Our campaigning is going on and it will pick up pace,'' she said. A video went viral, which showed her being stopped from campaigning in Pethapur village in Gandhinagar due to the ongoing controversy over BJP's Rajkot candidate and Union minister Parshottam Rupala's remarks against the Rajput or Kshatriya community. ''We are not linked to the controversy in any way and we have criticised Rupala's remark against the Kshatriya community, but we were not allowed in Pethapur village. A video of the incident went viral and we later came to know those who stopped us were BJP workers. As they cannot campaign in villages dominated by the Kshatriya community, they did not allow us to do the same,'' she said. On the main issues in the constituency, she said anti-incumbency prevails as the BJP has failed to fulfil the aspirations of the people of the state. ''They have built infrastructure, but the poor are becoming poorer and the rich are becoming richer. There are no employment opportunities in villages and land holding by farmers is reducing as it keeps on getting divided through generations. When a villager moves to a city, he faces extreme inflation. BJP has no answer to these problems,'' she said. ''BJP's claim of winning over 400 seats is nothing but rhetoric and I am sure that it will not be able to win all 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat this time,'' she said. In 2014 and 2019, the BJP had all 26 seats in the state. Patel, who studied architecture from Centre of Environment Planning and Technology (CEPT) University, is urban and regional planner and is a member of many architecture organisations. She also served as president of Gujarat Pradesh Mahila Congress Committee from 2012 to 2018. After that she was elevated to the post of AICC secretary. Patel said she has decided to file her nomination papers without any pomp and show as she does not want to trouble party workers. ''I have decided to go with just four or five women to file the nomination form on April 16. Why give trouble to party workers?'' she said. The Lok Sabha elections in Gujarat will be held in a single phase on May 7 and the deadline for filing of nominations is April 19.

Amid protests Gujarat BJP candidate Rupala to file LS nomination on April 16; Amit Shah on 19

AHMEDABAD: With the nomination process for the 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat began on Friday, the BJP has announced that six candidates including Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandviya, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will file their nominations. Meanwhile, the BJP candidate Purusottam Rupala has signalled that he will filing his nomination papers on April 16 along with three other candidates. This move comes at a time when there are ongoing protests by the Kshatriya community against Rupala demanding his replacement. Rupala during a programme held in Rajkot stated, Friends, there are efforts to disrupt the atmosphere. Yet, I earnestly urge you all to exercise patience and restraint. Let's proceed with caution. While the election commission has set April 20 as the deadline for candidates filing their nominations, the State BJP announced the dates of various candidates filing their nominations. The party sources revealed that the candidates are directed to file their nominations in three phases starting from April 15. Mansukh Mandviya is said to file his forms on April 15 along with five other party candiadates, while 16 other BJP candidates are expected to file their nominations on the following day (April 16). On April 18, three BJP candidates will submit their nominations, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will conclude the process by filing his nomination from the Gandhinagar seat on April 19. Before his nomination on April 18, Amit Shah will lead a roadshow in Gujarat. Gujarat Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister of BJP-governed states, prominent BJP leaders, and state office bearers are expected to be attending Amit Shah's roadshow. On April 18, Gujarat BJP state president and Navsari Lok Sabha candidate C.R. Patil, along with three other BJP candidates, will complete their form submissions.

NEWSMAKER-He once sold tea, now India's Modi seeks his own 'tryst with destiny'

NEWSMAKER-He once sold tea, now India's Modi seeks his own 'tryst with destiny' Narendra Modi often says he likes to think big, dream big and act big. Having sold tea at a railway station as a boy while his mother washed dishes to make ends meet, the man who looks set to be only the second Indian to win three national elections in a row has come a long way from his humble beginnings. And, he is still thinking big. Opinion polls ahead of the election starting on April 19 predict he will equal the three-term record of India's first prime minister, the Western-educated and wealthy Jawaharlal Nehru, who famously called India's independence in 1947 a ryst with destiny. If he wins, it may be the 73-year-old Modi's last term in office and he wants to cement a legacy of setting India on the path to abolishing poverty and becoming a fully developed nation by 2047, the 100th year of independence from British colonial rule. He has set a tentative target of increasing the size of the economy by about eight times to $29 trillion by then and the per-capita income by about seven times to nearly $18,000, apart from securing a permanent seat at the U.N. Security Council. I am dedicating every moment to making India a developed country, Modi said at a campaign rally this month. That's why I am working 24X7 for 2047. The opposition says another term for Modi could severely damage India's secular and democratic traditions, arguing his Hindu nationalist agenda has polarised the country. He has also been accused of authoritarian rule, a clampdown on dissent and politically motivated arrests of key opposition leaders for alleged corruption. In a relentless pursuit of votes for nearly 23 years, beginning in 2001 when he became chief minister of his native Gujarat state, Modi has not shied away from using his modest upbringing to build a following in a country where hundreds of millions of its 1.42 billion people are poor. I know the pain of living under a weak roof, he said this week in Bastar, one of the most underdeveloped regions in India. I know what a mother goes through when there is no food at home. I know how helpless one feels when there is no money to buy medicine. Therefore, I decided that I will not rest until I remove every worry of the poor. He regularly ridicules the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty for what he sees as its entitled control of the main opposition Congress party despite heavy defeats in the last two elections, while he himself has kept his family at a distance - and out of politics. I have left my family. Not for myself, not for fun, but for my country. This is my country, this is my family, he told a rally last month. TOO SUCCESSFUL? Modi has not visited his family since his mother, who used to live in Gujarat with one of her four other sons, died in late 2022, said his younger brother Pankaj. Modi's estranged wife Jashodaben lives separately in the western state. My brother has always maintained a very clear boundary between his work and family, Pankaj Modi, a retired Gujarat government official, told Reuters in Gandhinagar, the state capital. Modi's ability to overcome a difficult childhood has made him successful, but he may be too successful, said Surendra Kumar Dwivedi, a former head of the Department of Political Science at Lucknow University. My sole issue with Modi today is that he has become larger than the party itself, he said. In a democratic system... a party should always supersede an individual. HINDU FERVOUR Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have consistently wooed the majority Hindu community, including by shepherding the building of a Hindu temple on the site of a razed mosque, igniting a wave of religious fervour. His approval rating is 75%, the highest among 25 world leaders tracked by U.S. data intelligence company Morning Consult. Modi was once a pariah in the Western world because of deadly religious riots when he was chief minister of Gujarat in 2002. But he is now courted, thanks to India's world-beating economic growth and its position as a counter-balance against China. At least 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed across Gujarat in the riots, although activists put the toll at more than twice that number. Critics accused Modi of failing to protect Muslims, but he denied the charges and a Supreme Court-ordered investigation found no evidence to prosecute him. The United States, nevertheless, has raised concerns over the treatment of Muslims, underprivileged Hindus, Christians and other religious minorities in India in his rule. Modi says his government works for the welfare of all without discriminating. Modi has not addressed a single press conference in the past decade, but the Indian media fawns over him, giving him wall-to-wall coverage as he tours Hindu temples or speaks at rallies. He honed his oratory as a full-time propagandist for the Hindu nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the de facto parent of the BJP that he joined after school, distancing himself from his family. With thinning white hair, a neatly trimmed white beard and immaculate Indian attire, Modi is the dominant face of election campaigns for the BJP. In 2015, he was ridiculed for wearing a suit embroidered repeatedly with his name while meeting U.S. President Barack Obama. The suit was later auctioned and sold to a Gujarat diamond merchant for over half a million U.S. dollars that was used on a project to clean the Ganges river. Modi's aides and his ministerial colleagues say the demands on his time mean he sleeps little. I am working with a boss who practically works 20 hours a day and has not taken a single vacation in whatsoever number of years I have seen him, Ashwini Vaishnaw, minister for railways and electronics, told a recent event. (Additional reporting by Saurabh Sharma; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

Amidst BJP's Rajkot seat turmoil, Congress pits Paresh Dhanani against Parshottam Rupala

AHMEDABAD: The BJP faces ongoing challenges in Rajkot as the Kshatriya community vehemently opposes the party's nominee, Parshottam Rupala. They demand the cancellation of Rupala's ticket for the Rajkot seat, warning of further protests and unrest if their demands aren't met. Capitalizing on this discord, Congress saw an opening. During an event on Tuesday, party leader Lalit Kagathara announced that senior party politician Paresh Dhanani will contest for the Rajkot seat. This sets the stage for a crucial electoral showdown between the two leaders after 22 years. Under a new strategy, the Kshatriya Community plans to convene a large-scale gathering to protest against Parshottam Rupala in Rajkot. Meanwhile, Karni Sena leader Raj Shekhawat, en route to challenge the BJP at their Gandhinagar headquarters today, was apprehended by police at Ahmedabad airport. During a Congress event, Paresh Dhanani rallied the workers, declaring, This is a battle for dignity, a battle to admonish those who have besmirched the reputation of women. If these haughty leaders refuse to relent, then in the saga of the modern Mahabharata. Subsequently, speaking to the press in Rajkot, Congress leader Lalit Kagathara asserted, If the BJP fails to replace Purushottam Rupala in the Rajkot seat, Paresh Dhanani will stand as the Congress candidate. Senior journalist Dilip Patel said, If Paresh Dhanani is handed a ticket in this seat, the BJP will face a tough fight against Rupala because this seat is dominated by leuva Patidars from the Patidar Community. The caste equation and history support Congress. The Leuva Patel Community commands around four lakh votes, whereas the Kadwa Patidar Community holds approximately one lakh votes in the Rajkot constituency. Parasottam Rupala, a BJP candidate, hails from the Kadwa Patidar community, while Paresh Dhanani represents the Leuva Patidar community. Based on current trends, Congress is poised for an advantage here, he added. It is noteworthy that 22 years ago, (i.e., in 2002) Paresh Dhanani defeated Rupala by a margin of sixteen thousand votes in the Amreli Assembly seat. Now, after two decades, both leaders find themselves contending against each other once again in the Lok Sabha elections.

Karni Sena leader gheraos Gujarat BJP office; detained later

Ahmedabad: Police detained Karni Sena leader Raj Shekhawat from outside the Ahmedabad airport on Tuesday, hours before his plan to gherao the BJPs Gujarat headquarters in Gandhinagar, an official said. Shekhawat, the national president of Karni Sena, an outfit of the Kshatriya or Rajput community, on Sunday gave a call to Gherao the state BJP Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

Outdoor workers face health risks amid rise in temperature

NEW DELHI: Rising heat will reduce the working capacity of outdoor workers and cause severe health impacts, says a study. India is among the tropical countries where outdoor workers get severely impacted due to humid heat which leads to loss of over 20 per cent working hours, it said. It underlines the rise in 1 degree C of additional warming, heat and humidity, which will hinder the ability of one in eight people living in the tropics during most daylight hours. Recently, the Indian Meteorological Department forecast an above-normal heat wave days and higher temperature in April-June. It would have a detrimental effect on outdoor workers such as farmers, construction workers, small-scale fish workers and others. The study, Impacts of warming on outdoor worker well-being in the tropics and adaptation options published in One Earth journal, underlines the heat-impact on outdoor workers in the tropics that leads to loss of labour productivity as wages push outdoor workers into a web of poverty. Contestants take all precautions to beat the summer heat The heat affects work capacity and productivity through its physiological effects. Excessive heat enhances blood flow to the skin which can reduce the ability of muscles to perform physical work. Dry heat is relatively easier to handle. When the body heats up and we drink water, there is evaporation and the body cools down. However, in humid heat, evaporation reduces because of high moisture in the air which hampers the bodys cooling mechanism, says Dr Vimal Mishra, Vikram Sarabhai Chair Professor, Civil Engineering and Earth Sciences, IIT Gandhinagar. Another study, conducted in Tamil Nadu and published in October last year, found that occupational exposure to extreme heat more than doubled the risk of miscarriage among pregnant women, with the heat generally raising the overall risk of adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes. Researchers warn of extreme heat impact on outdoor workers, call for awareness, fewer hours Heat affects work capacity The heat affects work capacity and productivity through its physiological effects. Excessive heat enhances blood flow to the skin, which can reduce the ability of muscles to perform physical work. Dry heat is relatively easier to handle. When the body heats up and we drink water, there is evaporation and the body cools down, says Vimal Mishra from IIT-Gandhinagar.

Researchers warn of extreme heat impact on outdoor workers, call for awareness, fewer hours

Researchers warn of extreme heat impact on outdoor workers, call for awareness, fewer hours As the country braces for extreme heat in the April-June period with the temperatures already starting to rise, researchers have sounded the alarm over detrimental effects it can have on outdoor workers in farming, construction and other sectors. The India Meteorological Department recently said above-normal maximum temperatures were likely over most parts of the country in April-June this year, and the central and western peninsular parts are expected to face the worst impact. Above-normal heatwave days are likely over most parts of the plains, it said. Following the adverse weather warning, researchers are advocating for novel ways of working outdoors, including flexible hours and mandatory breaks, to help workers adapt to the effects of heat, made increasingly humid because of climate change. ''Dry heat is relatively easier to handle. When the body heats up and we drink water, there is evaporation and the body cools down. However, in humid heat, evaporation reduces because of high moisture in the air which hampers the body's cooling mechanism,'' Vimal Mishra, Vikram Sarabhai Chair Professor, Civil Engineering and Earth Sciences, IIT Gandhinagar, told PTI. ''Doing intensive labour in such conditions can raise body heat to a level where it can also cause mortality,'' he warned. An international study examining how tropical heat impacts outdoor workers has found that for one degree Celsius of additional warming, roughly 800 million people will live in areas needing hours of heavy work to be cut down by more than half over the entire year. In other words, ''one degree Celsius of additional warming, heat, and humidity, will hinder the ability of one in eight people living in the tropics to safely work (outdoors) during most daylight hours,'' Mishra, the study's co-author, wrote in a comment for Nature India, an online publication of the Nature Portfolio. The study, co-led by the US-based Paul G Allen Family Foundation, was published in the journal One Earth in March 2024. According to the study, the world is edging closer to breaching the temperature goals of the Paris Agreement, with heat and humidity levels in the tropics having been studied to be closer than ever to human tolerance thresholds. The increasingly humid heat is likely to affect outdoor workers in Africa and Asia the most because of their large working-age populations, likely to rise in coming decades, coupled with high reliance on agriculture, forestry and fisheries, the authors said. Another study, conducted in Tamil Nadu and published in October last year, found that occupational exposure to extreme heat more than doubled the risk of miscarriage in pregnant women, with the heat generally raising the overall risk of adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes. ''We also observed that because of limited access to toilets, the women were eating and drinking less, resulting in malnutrition. This too can impact pregnancy outcomes,'' Vidhya Venugopal, the study's corresponding author and professor at the Faculty of Public Health of the Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research in Chennai, told PTI. The study assessed 800 pregnant women, 47 per cent of whom were exposed to heat while working outdoors. Among the women exposed to extreme heat, 6.1 per cent had still and preterm births, compared to 2.6 per cent of the women exposed to heat within safe limits, it said. Further, 8.4 per cent of the women exposed to high heat levels birthed babies having low weight, compared to 4.5 per cent of the women exposed to safe levels of heat, the ''first-of-its-kind'' study to be conducted in India found. It is published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. ''Biologically, the external heat adds to the internal heat generated in pregnant women because of hormones. So, when these women sweat in the heat, the blood flow rushes more towards their organs, which lowers the amount flowing towards the foetus, thereby hindering their growth and development,'' Venugopal said. Mishra said that unless adaptation measures were implemented, the vulnerable tropical outdoor workers were in store for a future with more extreme heat, accompanied by more pronounced adverse impacts. The researchers also called for the empowerment of outdoor workers by raising their self-awareness and agency in decision-making. ''We suggest workers to avoid labour under harsh conditions. We also suggest fewer working hours with changes in working routine in line with the external ambient conditions. We further advise workers to take breaks, which can also be mandated by agencies employing them,'' Mishra added. Venugopal said outdoor women workers needed to be made more aware of the effects of extreme heat on their health and that primary healthcare centres can play an important role. ''Through primary healthcare centres, which the women frequent during their gestation period, they can be sensitised about how the extreme heat is impacting them and their offspring's health. The government can adopt such measures in mitigating the effects of extreme heat on outdoor women workers,'' she said.

Rajput women threaten jauhar if BJP fails to withdraw Rupala from LS fray; Karni Sena leader held

AHMEDABAD, Apr 6 : A high drama prevailed in Ahmedabad on Saturday when some women from the Kshatriya community threatened to perform jauhar (self-immolation) outside the BJP headquarters in Gandhinagar demanding the party withdraw Parshottam Rupalas candidature over anti-Rajput remarks. Police detained five women and Shree Rashtriya Karni Sena president Mahipal Singh Makrana before he could meet them in Ahmedabad. In other parts of the state, members of the Kshatriya community organised a march in Rajkot while in Jam Khambhalia [] The post Rajput women threaten jauhar if BJP fails to withdraw Rupala from LS fray; Karni Sena leader held appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

Australian envoy to India meets Gautam Adani, discusses future collaboration

Australian envoy to India meets Gautam Adani, discusses future collaboration Australia's High Commissioner to India, Philip Green, had a meeting with Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani on Friday, and they discussed the Indian conglomerate's existing investments in Australia. They also discussed future collaboration on renewables, critical minerals and rooftop solar, the envoy to India posted on his X handle sharing a photograph with both shaking hands. According to Adani Enterprises' website, its Adani Australia is a multi-dimensional energy and infrastructure company, dedicated to delivering energy solutions for an advancing world. It provides energy solutions in Australia and the Asia Pacific region from thermal and renewable energy sources. Adani Australia owns and operates Abbot Point Terminal which has been exporting Queensland coal responsibly for more than 35 years. It is Australia's most northerly coal port and is located 25 kilometres north-west of Bowen, in North Queensland. The port is a modern, high volume, fast turnaround port complex with natural deep water, and is a multi-user port facility that currently has capacity to throughput up to 50 Mtpa. Adani Renewables Australia's first solar farm Rugby Run near Moranbah was officially opened in October 2019, supplying 65 MW of renewable energy powering about 23,000 Queensland homes. Adani Mining Pty Ltd is an Australian mining company that operates out of regional Queensland. Adani Mining's flagship development is the Carmichael mine and rail project. Located more than 300km west of the Queensland coast, the Carmichael Project is ideally positioned to maximise the opportunities that the Galilee Basin presents. The Carmichael Project is a thermal coal mine and rail project, which will transport coal from the Galilee Basin to countries in Asia, including India, delivering thousands of jobs for Queenslanders in the process. Today, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel too met the Australian envoy to India and Mumbai-based Australian Consulate General Paul Murphy, in Gandhinagar. Discussed with him the prospects of collaboration between Australia-India-Gujarat on production of renewable energy, solar rooftop and critical minerals-lithium battery storage, Bhupendra Patel wrote on his X timeline in Gujarati after the meeting. (ANI)

Australia's High Commissioner, Consul General meet Gujarat CM

Australia's High Commissioner, Consul General meet Gujarat CM A high-level Australian delegation led by the country's High Commissioner Philip Green and Consul General in Mumbai Paul Murphy on Friday met Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel in Gandhinagar, an official release said. Opportunities for collaboration between Australia, India and the state of Gujarat in the production of renewable energy, solar panels, critical minerals and lithium batteries were discussed during the meeting, it said. Chief minister Patel appreciated the support extended by the Australian delegation during the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit held in January. He apprised the delegation of Gujarat's potential in the solar rooftop and lithium battery storage sector and informed the Australian envoys about the huge hybrid renewable energy park coming up in Kutch region. A consultation was also held to explore Australia's expertise in various sectors for the benefit of Gujarat, the release said. As Gujarat is keen on hosting the Olympics in 2036, Patel showed interest in understanding how Sydney and Brisbane cities in Australia are utilising the infrastructure and accommodation facilities created for the Games in a sustainable manner after the completion of the Olympics. There were opportunities for cooperation in the sports sector as well, the high commissioner said. Courses offered by Australia's Deakin University operating in the GIFT City were also discussed. The high commissioner gave an indication that two more universities may also set up their campuses in Gujarat in the near future, the release said.

GNLU rape-harassment allegations: High-level panel to assess varsitys 5-year performance

GNLU rape-harassment allegations: High-level panel to assess varsitys 5-year performance The Gandhinagar-based Gujarat National Law University (GNLU) has informed the High Court that a High-Level Review Committee (HLRC) headed by former Supreme Court judge Indu Malhotra will be constituted to assess the institution's performance in the last five years. The assurance came in the wake of allegations of harassment of a queer student and rape of a female student at the varsity. A division bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice Aniruddha P Mayee is hearing a suo motu PIL (public interest litigation) on the issue. Earlier, the bench had described the findings of a committee, which looked into the students' allegations, as ''scary''. During a hearing on the suo motu PIL on Thursday, Advocate General Kamal Trivedi, appearing for the GNLU, informed the bench that the governing council of the university met on March 23 and resolved to constitute the HLRC. Apart from Justice Indu Malhotra, the committee will have Attorney General R Venkataramani and State Finance Department's former additional chief secretary MM Srivastava as its members. Moreover, Trivedi said a sub-committee will also be appointed by the varsity ''for the reconstitution of a transparent and vigilant Internal Complaints Committee''. It will consist of Additional Advocate General Manisha Luvkumar Shah and senior advocate Asim Pandya. ''The Governing Council was extremely concerned about the welfare of the students of the university and therefore University should take all possible measures to create a safe and secure environment among the students so that they should not feel inhibited to come forward with such experiences,'' Trivedi told the bench while reading out the affidavit of GNLU. To address these issues, the Governing Council has resolved to constitute the HLRC with the aim of ''assessing past five years performance of the university in the field of academics, administration, finance as well as safety and security aspects of students and for suggesting further correcting measures to be undertaken in the future'', he said. Trivedi further submitted that the reports of both these committees will be placed before the Executive Council of the GNLU. He added that the council also directed the university administration to immediately appoint a full-time Registrar for GNLU. After taking into consideration GNLU's submissions, Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal directed the varsity to submit an Action Taken Report before the next date of hearing on April 29. During the last hearing held on February 28, the bench had described the findings of a committee, which looked into the allegations of harassment of a queer student and rape of a female student at GNLU, as ''scary''. After going through parts of the report, submitted in a sealed cover, the bench had expressed shock at ''incidents of molestation, rape, discrimination, homophobia, favouritism, suppression of voices'' going on at the Gandhinagar-based institute. ''This report is really scary,'' the court had said while hearing the suo motu PIL taken up by it based on a newspaper report dated September 22 last year.

Gujarat: Caste cauldron causes unease in BJP as Patidar, Kshatriya get into fight

AHMEDABAD: As the Kshatriya community has remained firm on their demand that Union minister Purushottam Rupala be replaced as the BJP candidate from the Rajkot Lok Sabha seat, Patidars have started a social media drive in support of him, leaving the ruling party caught between two dominant castes in Gujarat With about 18 per cent of Gujarats population, the Patidar community holds sway over more than seven of the 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat. For the past week, the Kshatriyas, also known as Rajputs, have been staging protests over Rupalas remarks about the community. Jyoti Tilwa, a BJP leader and a prominent figure among the Patidars, circulated a message urging for unity. Even after Rupala apologised many times, it is not appropriate for anyone to have such a concern. Let us wake up, my brothers and sisters, and support Rupala sahib. the message read. Kshatriya stir hits BJP in Gujarat bastion Many other Patidar leaders have taken to social media to express their support for Rupala. The community had planned to hold a meeting in Vadodara on Thursday, but it was cancelled at the last moment. Instead, a meeting took place at Rupalas residence in Gandhinagar with BJP leaders. Lalit Vasoya, the Congress Lok Sabha candidate from Porbandar and a Patidar leader, has accused the BJP of attempting to drive a wedge between the two communities. Certain BJP leaders are turning a personal feud with Rupala into a rift between two communities. I denounce this attempt. Efforts must be made to uphold amicable relations between the two communities, Vasoya told the media.

IIT Gandhinagar Opens Applications for MTech Programme in ICDT; Eligibility Criteria Detailed

Embark on a journey of excellence with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Gandhinagar, as it invites aspiring engineers to apply for the MTech programme in Integrated Circuit Design and Technology (ICDT). With the release of the application form, the doors to a promising career in cutting-edge technology are now open. Read on to discover more about this exciting opportunity and how you can be a part of it.

Gujarat NMMS hall ticket 2024 out at sebexam.org, download link here

The State Examination Board, Gandhinagar, has released hall tickets for the National Means cum Merit Scholarship (NMMS) for Class 8th students in Gujarat. The exam is scheduled for April 7, 2024. Applicants can download their admit cards from the official website by logging in with their confirmation number and Aadhar Dise Number or Date of Birth. The process involves visiting the SEB website, clicking on the NMMS Hall Ticket Download link, entering login credentials, and downloading the hall ticket.

TRS Supremo Named in Snoopgate Case

Hyderabad: For the first time, the TRS Supremo figured in the phone-tapping case that has been creating political tremors in Telangana state. P. Radha Kishan Rao, retired deputy commissioner of police of the city task force, in his confession statement, he made references to TRS supremo more than once. This is expected to have far-reaching consequences particularly in the backdrop of the Congress and the opposition BJP accusing BRS (formerly TRS) president K. Chandrashekar Rao and his son and party working president K.T. Rama Rao of being the chief architects and ultimate beneficiaries of snoopgate. In the confession statement, a copy of which is available with Deccan Chronicle, Radha Kishan Rao said he was posted as DCP, Task Force, in 2017 by TRS supremo to maintain a hold on Hyderabad city for political and other reasons. He went on to explain how he along with former IG intelligence T. Prabhakar Rao, who emerged as the kingpin in phone-tapping and was Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) head at that time, and other accused conspired to ensure BRS victory for third time in 2023 elections and keep tight control of BRS party and its supremo (over the political rivals and dissidents within the party). The former cop told the investigators that surveillance was put on activities of political leader(s) of opponent parties, their family members, associate supporters, business persons, critics of BRS party and also suspicious activities of person(s) within BRS. Sources also said there were indications that Radha Kishan Rao, Accused No. 4 in the case, might turn approver and unconfirmed reports suggested that Prabhakar Rao had also sent feelers on spilling the beans. Other accused, N. Bhujanga Rao and G. Thirputanna, ASP rank officials, were arrested and their inputs gave authentic leads in investigation. Radha Kishan Rao said Prabhakar Rao was brought into the SIB because of caste equations (he belonged to former chief minister K. Chandrashekar Raos Velama caste) and he in turn handpicked other team members either on caste equation or with acquaintance in previous postings. Radha Kishan Rao in his statement stated on the directions of Prabhakar Rao, during the Assembly election in December 2018, D. Praneeth Rao, suspended DSP of the SIB, shared inputs to him and based on that they seized `70 lakh that belonged to Anand Bhaskar, owner of Bhavya Cements at Paradise. Anand Bhaskar was a TD contestant from the Serilingampally Assembly constituency. During the Dubbak byelections in 2020, Praneeth Rao shared technical surveillance and identified the target and the city task force seized `1 crore in Begumpet from the relatives of BJP contestant M. Raghunandan Rao, who run a chit fund in Siddipet. During the Munugodu bypoll in the second week of October 2022 the team intercepted G. Sai Kumar Reddy, Kunde Mahesh, D. Sandeep Kumar, M. Mahender, A. Anush Reddy and V. Bharat, associates of then BJP candidate Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy, and seized `3.5 crore cash and handed it over to the Gandhinagar police. Prabhakar Rao allegedly created special operations team (SOT) war rooms in different districts exclusively for the purpose of surveillance over targeted political leaders and their associates, rebels and dissidents within the TRS/BRS and candidates to induce rivals to join the BRS which was clearly against the mandate of the SIB. Radha Kishan Rao also stated that after his superannuation in 2020, he influenced the then BRS government by using his caste equation, got appointed as officer on special duty of the city task force for three years till 2023 and continued till the elections. Further, on Radha Kishan Raos recommendation, Gattu Mallu was posted as inspector, west zone task force, and later in the SIB to accomplish the conspiracy. Further, they decided to communicate with each other in encrypted social media apps such as Whatsapp, SnapChat from not being detected about their clandestine and unauthorised activities using the technology and tools manpower at their disposal, Radha Kishan Raos confession statement stated. However, Radha Kishan Raos counsel filed a counter on his police custody at the court on Monday and orders have been served.

Internal rift hits BJP as rebellion erupts in 5 seats

AHMEDABAD: For the first time in 22 years, the BJP in Gujarat is facing serious internal resistance over five of the 26 Lok Sabha seats in the run-up to the May 7 polls. What initially started as dissent in one of the constituencies has now spread to about half a dozen others, including Sabarkantha, Rajkot, Vadodara, and Valsad districts, posing a challenge for the party. To make matters worse, circulating on social media is a letter to the BJP state president urging a change in the partys candidate for the Junagadh constituency. In the viral letter addressed to state BJP president CR Patil, a Jan Sangh worker has highlighted various concerns about BJP candidate Rajesh Chudasama. He has not done a single worth mentioning developmental work in Junagadh, nor has he taken any interest in conveying the central and state government schemes to the beneficiaries, reads the letter. In the wake of the resistance from local leaders, the party candidate in Vadodara, Ranjan Bhatt, was replaced. However, there is growing demand to replace the new candidate, Dr Hemang Joshi. Sources indicate that several BJP workers question Joshis roots, claiming that he was in the state for education and that his involvement with the party was only for three years. Expressing dissent, a BJP worker criticised Joshi on social media. During a live stream featuring state BJP president CR Patil, the worker commented, It is an insult to Vadodaras womens power; first, they were given the ticket and then withdrawn. What has he contributed to the party? Yet, BJP candidate Hemang Joshi asserted that There is no discontent within the BJP. As of now, the controversy concerning the candidacy in Sabarkantha remains unresolved. A meeting was convened at the Chief Ministers residence earlier in the day to deliberate on the Sabarkantha candidate. On Friday, state Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi visited Sabarkantha amid protests against the BJPs nominated candidate, Shobnaben Baraiya. After this visit, sources suggest that the Home Minister submitted a report to the state president and chief minister. Despite BJP candidate Rupala issuing two apologies for his remarks concerning the Rajput community, efforts persist within the community to seek a change in the candidate for Rajkot. On Saturday, the Rajput community gave a memorandum to the Gandhinagar collector and also urged the BJP to reconsider their choice. Kshatriya leader quits Gujarat BJP over Rupalas remarks about community Kshatriya community leader Raj Shekhawat on Saturday resigned from the BJP in protest against Union Minister and Rajkot Lok Sabha candidate Parshottam Rupalas remarks earlier. Rupala, while speaking at a public event, had claimed several Rajput rulers collaborated with the British, a statement that drew widespread condemnation from community members. Shekhawat is also national president of a faction of the Karni Sena, an outfit of the Rajput or Kshatriya community. He said he was resigning from the primary membership of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party with immediate effect. Shekhawat said that he had joined the BJP ahead of the Assembly polls for the welfare of the community and Sanatan Dharma.

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Facts about key BJP candidate Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is seeking reelection from Gujarat's key constituency Gandhinagar, a seat formerly held by BJP stalwarts like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani.

BJP struggles with internal conflict over five Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat

AHMEDABAD: BJP in Gujarat is at the brink of a huge crisis as internal conflicts are rife within the party over candidates announced in five of the 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat. This is the first time in 22 years, the saffron party is facing resentment from its own workers in the Lok Sabha polls. What initially sparked as dissent in one constituency has now spread to about half a dozen others, including Sabarkantha, Rajkot, Vadodara, and Valsad districts, posing a serious threat for the party. Additionally, circulating on social media is a letter addressed to Gujarat BJP state President CR Patil, urging for a change in the party's candidate for the Junagadh constituency. In the letter, a Jan Sangh worker has highlighted various concerns about BJP's candidate Rajesh Chudasama. He has not done a single eye-catching work in Junagadh, nor has he taken any interest in conveying the central and state government schemes to the beneficiaries, the letter reads. The letter also detailed other concerns about the candidate and demanded his replacement. Following resistance from local leaders, Ranjan Bhatt, the BJP candidate in Vadodara, was replaced. However, there is now growing demand to replace the new candidate, Dr. Hemang Joshi. Sources indicate that several BJP workers had questioned Dr. Hemang's Vadodara roots, claiming that he lacked experience and was involved with the party for just three years. During a live stream featuring the state president, the worker commented, It is an insult to Vadodara's women's power; first, they were given the ticket and then withdrawn. What has he contributed to the party? Odisha: Dismay follows joy for BJP as two vital leaders quit Another constituency where conflict has been brewing is Sabarkantha. In this context, a meeting was convened at the Chief Minister's residence today at 11AM to discuss and finalise the Sabarkantha candidate. Yesterday, Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi visited Sabarkantha amidst protests against the BJP's nominated candidate, Shobnaben Baraiya. Following his visit, sources suggest that the Home Minister submitted a report to the State President and Chief Minister. Another BJP candidate, Rupala, who is contesting from the Rajkot constituency has become in the bad books of a section of party workers after he allegedly passed derogatory remarks about the Rajput community. Though Rupala had issued two apologies, efforts persist within the Rajput community to seek his replacement as candidate. On Saturday, the Rajput Community gave a memorandum to the Collector in Gandhinagar and also urged the BJP to reconsider their choice. Karni Sena leader in Gujarat, Raj Sekhawat, resigned from the BJP in protest on Saturday. Notably, Kshatriya votes constitute 17 percent of Gujarat's electorate, with the Rajkot constituency alone accounting for over three lakh Kshatriya voters. Sources indicate that failure to resolve this issue promptly could spell trouble for the BJP. In another incident, messages were sent through multiple social media channels, addressed to CR Patil and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the replacement of Dhaval Patel, the BJP's nominee for the Valsad constituency, with a new candidate. The BJP contended that these letters were orchestrated by the opposition, while the Congress denied any association with them. Karnataka BJP leader Tejaswini Gowda joins Congress ahead of LS polls

Best Of This Week's The Breakfast Club With Sonal Mehrotra Kapoor | Social Media Ban | Unique School

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation Monday that prohibits people under 14 years old from having social-media accounts, regardless of parental consent, one of the most restrictive laws aimed at curbing social-media access for minors.School for the blind and visually impaired children in Gandhinagar is designed for children from remote villages and towns in Gujarat and professors eager to offer them a better education and opportunities in society. Initially, the school occupied an existing building, previously a primary school. The India Meteorological Department on Friday predicted that temperatures across the country will rise abnormally, and heatwave conditions are expected to hit parts of India in the months of April and May.

Gandhinagar: Sumitomo Mitsubishi Banking Corp gets nod to open branch in GIFT City

SMBC opens branch in GIFT City, easing Japanese investments. Special zone provides tax benefits for offshore borrowing. India's first smart city, GIFT City, caters to diverse client needs with international and domestic banks.

Japan's Sumitomo Mitsubishi Banking Corp to open branch in GIFT City, Gandhinagar

Sumitomo Mitsubishi Banking Corp. (SMBC) has been granted approval to establish a branch in GIFT City, Gandhinagar. This move aims to streamline Japanese investments into India by reducing regulatory barriers. GIFT City operates within a special economic zone, encouraging exports and foreign investments, especially from multinational corporations.

Don't have that kind of money to contest: Niramala Sitharaman opts not to fight Lok Sabha polls

Don't have that kind of money to contest: Niramala Sitharaman opts not to fight Lok Sabha polls Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday said that she would not contest the Lok Sabha election, adding that Bharatiya Janata Party asked her to contest the polls from Tamil Nadu or Andhra Pradesh. Party did ask me, after thinking over a week or days, I just went back to say ...may be not. Because my party president asked me, would you want to contest somewhere in the south-option is somewhere in South, Tamil Nadu or Andhra Pradesh, said Nirmala Sitharaman while speaking at the Times Now summit. But I don't have that kind of money to contest, I also have a problem because whether it is Andhra Pradesh or Tamil Nadu, there is also going to be a question of various winability criteria that they use, are you from this community or from that religion. I said no I dont think I am going to be able to do it. The party was graceful enough and I am very grateful to accept my argument, and I am not contesting, the Union Finance Minister said. When asked why she does not have enough funds to contest elections, Sitharaman said, My salary, my earnings, and my savings are mine and not the Consolidated Fund of India. Nirmala Sitharaman has served as the Union Defence Minister. In 2014, she was elected as Rajya Sabha MP from Andhra Pradesh. She has also served as the Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs and later the Minister for Commerce and Industry with Independent Charge. As the Defence Minister, Sitharaman is credited with expediting the decision-making process relating to procurement in defence sector. She constituted a Defence Planning Committee to formulate an action plan to effectively overcome with various security challenges facing the nation. Sitharaman joined the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) in 2008 and has served as a national spokesperson for the party since 2010. Sitharaman was born in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, on August 18, 1959. She completed her graduation from Seethalakshmi Ramasamy College, Tiruchirappalli and obtained her M.A. (Economics) from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. On March 2, Bharatiya Janata Party released its first list of 195 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will contest Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi again.Of 195 candidates, 34 are Ministers from Centre and States, while two are former Chief Ministers who are on the list. Home Minister Amit Shah will contest from Gandhinagar, while Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will contest from Porbandar. Union Minister Rajeev Chandrashekhar will contest from Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram.Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal will contest from Dibrugarh, Kiren Rijiju from Arunachal Pradesh. Former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's daughter Bansuri Swaraj has been fielded from New Delhi. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will contest from Lucknow, Smriti Irani will again contest from Amethi. Ajay Mishra Teni,MOS Home will again contest from Khiri. BJP leader Alok Sharma to contest from Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh while former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to contest from Vidisha. Jyotiraditya Scindia, who joined BJP from Congress in 2020, to contest from Guna in Madhya Pradesh. (ANI)

Razorpay Awarded 'Best Fintech Company' at Business Today & KPMG's Awards 2024; Acknowledged for Transformative Innovations and Market Leadership

Bangalore, Karnataka, India (NewsVoir) Razorpay, India's Leading Omnichannel Payments, and Business Banking Platform, was awarded the Best Fintech Company in the Payments Category at the 28th Edition of the Business Today & KPMGs Best Banks and Fintech Awards 2024, held at GIFT City, Gandhinagar. This award is another recognition of the impact Razorpay has created in the fintech sector through its industry-first products, and continuous endeavor to build the next generation of money movement infrastructure for entrepreneurs and businesses. The award was felicitated by the Honorable Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari; along with other dignitaries. Based on a comprehensive study covering over 35 quantitative parameters, the Business Today - KPMG Award seeks to recognise fintech firms and banks who have weathered storms in FY23, delivered innovations in products and services, nurtured talent, and have leveraged the strengths of fintech or technology partners to prepare for the future. The award platform is aimed to encourage collaboration, innovation and bring together experts in the fintech and banking sector. The event witnessed a stellar gathering from the banking and financial services world. Some of the other winners include HDFC Bank, Bajaj Finance Ltd, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Federal Bank. Humbled by this recognition, Arpit Chug, Chief Financial Officer of Razorpay, said, We're honored to receive the prestigious title of the Best Fintech Firm at the BT-KPMG Awards. Determined to bridge the gap in digital payment solutions for startups and SMEs, we founded Razorpay with a mission to democratize payments. What got us so far, so fast is our spirit of perseverance, our constant commitment to innovation, and our proactive approach to solving key industry payment and banking challenges to help businesses. It is a way of life at Razorpay. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to our exceptional teams, partners, and customers whose trust and support have been pivotal to our success and this recognition. With an annualized Total Payment Volume (TPV) of $150 Billion, Razorpay today has gained a majority market share, making it Indias Market Leader in the Digital Payments Processing category. At its recently concluded flagship event, FTX, Razorpay launched Indias First Full-Stack Intelligent Marketing Growth Suite - ENGAGE, and Indias First AI-Assistant for Payments & Payroll - RAY. The event also witnessed the launch of Indias First PG Built for 600 Million Users - Razorpay PG 3.0, and Indias First UPI-Led QR Stack for Enterprises - Razorpay Dynamic POS Device. With relentless industry-first solutions, Razorpay continues to remain at the forefront of innovation through its strong presence as Indias only full-stack platform for all things payments and business banking. About Razorpay Razorpay, an omnichannel payments and banking platform for businesses helps Indian businesses with comprehensive and innovative solutions built over robust technology to address the entire length and breadth of the payment and banking journey for any business. Established in 2014, the company provides technology payment solutions to Millions of businesses. Founded by alumni of IIT Roorkee, Shashank Kumar, and Harshil Mathur, Razorpay is the second Indian company to be a part of Silicon Valleys largest tech accelerator, Y Combinator. Marquee investors such as Lone Pine Capital, Alkeon Capital, TCV, GIC, Tiger Global, Sequoia Capital India, Ribbit Capital, Matrix Partners, Salesforce Ventures, Y Combinator, and MasterCard have invested a total of $741.5 Mn through Series A to F in funding. A few angel investors have also invested in Razorpays mission to simplify payments and business banking and redefine how finance works in India. (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with Newsvoir and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR PWR Disclaimer: This article is published from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Deccan Chronicle team

LIC gets GST demand notice of Rs 39.39 lakh

LIC gets GST demand notice of Rs 39.39 lakh Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) on Tuesday said tax authorities have slapped a demand notice of about Rs 39.39 lakh on it for short payment of Goods and Services Tax (GST) for 2017-18. The company has received a communication/demand order for interest and penalty from the Additional Commissioner, Central Goods & Service Tax, Gandhinagar on January 3, 2024, LIC said in a regulatory filing. The corporation has filed an appeal against the order demanding GST of Rs 19,64,584 for FY 2017-18 and interest applicable on it along with a penalty of Rs 19,74,584 before the Commissioner (Appeals), Ahmedabad on March 26, 2024, it said.

AIMIM to fight LS poll from Gandhinagar and Bharuch seats

AIMIM to fight LS poll from Gandhinagar and Bharuch seats The AIMIM on Monday said the party will contest from Bharuch and Gandhinagar constituencies in Gujarat in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Notably, the high-profile Gandhinagar seat is represented by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. ''Our Central leadership has decided to field party's candidates from Bharuch and Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seats. Names of candidates will be announced soon. Both Bharuch and Gandhinagar have significant number of Muslim population,'' said Gujarat unit All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Sabir Kabliwala, a former MLA. He said irrespective of the poll outcome, this election will prepare the AIMIM cadres for the 2027 assembly elections and also the Gandhinagar corporation polls in 2026. BJP has re-nominated sitting MP Mansukh Vasava from the Bharuch seat who will square off against Aam Aadmi Party's Chaitar Vasava. For the high-profile Gandhinagar constituency, the Congress has fielded the former president of Gujarat Congress' women wing, Sonal Patel. Voting for all 26 constituencies in Gujarat will be held in a single phase on May 7.

Holi is special this year due to Ram temple inauguration, says Amit Shah in Gujarat

Holi is special this year due to Ram temple inauguration, says Amit Shah in Gujarat Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Monday celebrated Holi with party functionaries here. At the gathering in the BJP's Gandhinagar Lok Sabha office, located in Thaltej area here, Shah and Patel applied colours on party leaders, including Rajya Sabha MP Mayant Nayak, MLA Amit Thakar, Gandhinagar Mayor Hitesh Makwana, Gujarat BJP's general secretary KC Patel and others of the women's wing. Referring to the idol consecration of Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22, Shah said Holi this year was special for all ''Ram bhakts'' because the lord was celebrating the festival of colours after a gap of 500 years. ''This Holi is special for each and every devotee of Lord Ram. There is an old folk song which says Holi Khele Raghuveera Avadh Mae..Now after 500 years, Raghuveer is playing Holi at Avadh. This is a matter of great joy for everyone. My greetings to all the citizens on the occasion of Holi,'' he said at the gathering. Addressing party workers who are engaged in his poll campaigning, Shah, who has been renominated from Gandhinagar, asked them to ''be visible'' among the masses. ''I want to tell you that you all are doing a great job. But, always remember that your candidate will be less visible while you need to be more visible among the masses,'' said Shah. In 2019, Shah won from the Gandhinagar constituency by a huge margin of more than 5 lakh votes.

Gandhinagar man held in US for ponzi scam worth $4,00,000

A 23-year-old man from Gandhinagar has been indicted in a case of ponzi scam worth $4,00,000 in Alabama in the US. The accused, Pathyam Patel, began selling securities without registration and kept collecting money after guaranteeing huge returns which he never invested in securities. Instead, he used them to meet his personal expenses.

BJPs fifth list likely to be out today

NEW DELHI: The BJPs Central Election Committee (CEC) met for the third time at the party headquarters on Saturday to finalise candidates for the remaining Lok Sabha seats. The protracted meeting took up for discussion potential candidates and considered the possibility of repeating many MPs and Union ministers following feedback received from state units. The third CEC meeting was held soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned from the Bhutan trip. The CEC members were closeted with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and JP Nadda. The criteria for potential candidates included their suitability as per social equation and winnability as per their public connect and political standing in line with the partys target of winning 370 seats. Two Union ministers, three women and two minority faces in BJP's LS candidates list from Kerala The names shortlisted in recent rounds of state core committees meetings were discussed for various states including UP, Bihar, Punjab and other states. The fifth list of candidates after the approval of the CEC is likely to come by tomorrow as the nomination for the first phase of LS elections has already begun, said a senior party leader. BJP candidate list for Kerala dampens workers zeal ahead of polls On Saturday, sources said, the discussions were held on the candidates in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha, West Bengal, and Bihar. The CEC members shared their opinion before the PM on the names of many sitting MPs. Prominent among them whose candidatures are learnt to have been discussed are Varun Gandhi (Pilibhit), Menaka Sanjay Gandhi, VK Sigh , Brij Bhusan Singh (former president of WFI) and some Union ministers, said a source. As the alliance in Odisha could not materialise, the party also discussed the potential candidates for that state too. It is expected that some new faces would be fielded in the state, said a BJP source. He said the party was considering candidates at least in 400 Lok Sabha seats. PM Modi looks at all factors that match with emerging political situations and social equations before giving approvals along with other members of the CEC. There is a possibility that only a few MPs would be dropped to accommodate new faces or newly inducted members, said a source, adding that candidates may be finalised for 90-100 LS seats. Hours before the CEC met, Shah and Nadda reportedly briefed the Prime Minister about seat-sharing with the allies as well as a breakdown of talks with some regional parties in states like Odisha. BJP releases final list; actor Radikaa among 3 women candidates in fray The BJP has so far fielded 291 candidates out of the expected figure of nearly 400 candidates. In the first phase of the list after the CEC meeting earlier, the candidates for 195 LS seats were announced followed by 72 candidates in the second list, 9 in the 3rd list and 15 in the fourth list. Prominent leaders who are in fray after the first and second meetings of the CEC are Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi, Amit Shah from Gandhinagar, Nitin Gadkari from Nagpur, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Rajnath Singh, Smriti Irani, Piyush Goyal, Anurag Thakur, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Arjun Meghwal, L Murgan, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, V Muraleedharan, and others. Among the candidates in the fray, three are former chief ministers and one a former governor. The fifth list of candidates for over 90-115 Lok Sabha seats after the approval by CEC on Saturday is expected to be released on Sunday.

Intention behind bringing electoral bonds scheme was good, says Union minister Gadkari

Intention behind bringing electoral bonds scheme was good, says Union minister Gadkari Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday said it is not possible to run a political party without funds and added the Centre had introduced the electoral bonds scheme, now struck down as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, in 2017 with a ''good intention''. The senior BJP leader said all political parties need to sit together and deliberate if the Supreme Court gives any further direction on the matter. He made the comments at an event organised by a media house in GIFT City near Gandhinagar. ''When Arun Jaitely was (Union finance) minister, I was part of that discussion (regarding electoral bonds). No party can survive without resources. In some countries, governments fund political parties. There is no such system in India. Thus, we chose this system of financing political parties,'' said Gadkari on a question about electoral bonds. He noted the main intention behind introducing electoral bonds was that political parties get funds directly, but the names (of donors) are not disclosed because ''problems arise if the party in power changes''. The road transport and highways minister said just like a media house needs a sponsor to finance an event, political parties also require funds to run their affairs. ''You need to see the ground reality. How are parties supposed to fight elections? We brought this system of electoral bonds to bring transparency. So, our intention was good when we brought electoral bonds. If the SC finds any shortcomings in it and asks us to rectify it, all parties will sit together and unanimously deliberate on it,'' emphasised the former BJP president. ''In the interest of our country and value-based democracy, everyone needs to find a transparent way (of financing parties). Because without funds, parties can't do undertake any activity,'' asserted the minister. The Supreme Court, in a landmark judgment last week, annulled the electoral bonds scheme ahead of the April-May Lok Sabha polls. The top court said the scheme violates the constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression as well as the right to information. Since then, the State Bank of India (SBI) has released different sets of data pertaining to the electoral bonds, containing details about funds received by political parties under the scheme, to the Election Commission.

Desperate Cong defaming democracy fearing poll defeat: Gujarat BJP

Gandhinagar, March 21 (IANS) Gujarat BJP Spokesperson Yagnesh Dave on Thursday accused the Congress of becoming desperate and defaming Indias democracy as it faces defeat in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Addressing the media at BJPs Kamalam state office, Dave criticised Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, for allegedly spreading incomplete information regarding []

Cong's 3rd list of LS poll candidates: Adhir from Berhampore, Kharge's son-in-law from Gulbarga

Cong's 3rd list of LS poll candidates: Adhir from Berhampore, Kharge's son-in-law from Gulbarga The Congress on Thursday released its third list of 56 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, fielding Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury from Berhampore, party chief Mallikarjun Kharge's son-in-law Radhakrishna from Gulbarga and former Union minister Sushilkumar Shinde's daughter Praniti Shinde from Solapur. The Congress has left the Sikar constituency in Rajasthan for the Communist Party of India (Marxist). With this, the party has declared a total of 138 candidates for the Lok Sabha polls. In its third list, the Congress has declared candidates for two seats in Arunachal Pradesh, 11 in Gujarat, 17 in Karnataka, seven in Maharashtra, five in Rajasthan, five in Telangana, eight in West Bengal and one in Puducherry. Former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Nabam Tuki has been fielded from Arunachal West. In Gujarat, the party has named Sonal Patel from Gandhinagar, Prabhaben Taviyad from Dahod (ST) and Nilesh Kumbani from Surat, among others. Kharge's son-in-law and the children of five ministers figure in the second list of 17 candidates for Karnataka announced by the Congress. It has fielded Priyanka Jarkiholi from Chikkodi, Radhakrishna from Gulbarga (SC), Vinod Asooti from Dharwad, M Rajeev Gowda from Bangalore North, Sowmya Reddy from Bangalore South, Mansoor Ali Khan from Bangalore Central and state minister Lakshmi Ravindra Hebbalkar's son Mrunal Ravindra Hebbalkar from Belguam, among others. The Congress has fielded Shahu Shahaji Chhatrapati, a descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji, from Kolhapur in Maharashtra. It has also fielded Vasantrao Chavan from Nanded and Ravindra Hemraj Dhangekar from Pune. In Telangana, the party has fielded Sunitha Mahender Reddy from Malkajgiri, Danam Nagender from Secunderabad, Gaddam Vamsi Krishna from Peddapalle (SC), Gaddam Rajith Reddy from Chevella and Mallu Ravi from Nagarkurnool (SC). In Rajasthan, the Congress has fielded Sunil Sharma from Jaipur, Sangeeta Beniwal from Pali, Urmila Jain Bhaya from Jhalawar-Baran. The party has again fielded Chowdhury from Berhampore, setting up the much-anticipated clash between the veteran Congress leader and cricketer-turned-politician Yusuf Pathan, who has been fielded by the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal. In West Bengal, the Congress has also fielded Pradip Bhattacharya from Kolkata North, Mostaque Alam from Maldaha North, Ali Imran Ramz (Victor) from Raiganj, Mohammed Murtoja Hossain (Bokul) from Jangipur, Nepal Mahato from Purulia and Milton Rashid from Birbhum. The party has renominated its incumbent MP from Puducherry, Ve Vaithilingam. Also, the Congress has fielded Isha Khan Choudhury, son of Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury, from Maldaha South. Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury is the incumbent MP from the seat. Earlier, the Congress had announced 82 candidates in two lists for the seven-phase Lok Sabha polls beginning April 19.

Congress releases 3rd list of Lok Sabha poll candidates; Adhir re-nominated from Berhampore

Congress released 3rd list of 56 Lok Sabha candidates on Thursday. In its third list, the Congress declared candidates for two seats in Arunachal Pradesh, 11 in Gujarat, 17 in Karnataka, seven in Maharashtra, five in Rajasthan, five in Telangana, eight in West Bengal and one in Puducherry. Former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Nabam Tuki has been fielded from Arunachal West. In Gujarat, the party has named Sonal Patel from Gandhinagar, Prabhaben Taviyad from Dahod (ST) and Nilesh Kumbani from Surat, among others.

Unease in Gujarat BJP amid Congress heavyweights influx

AHMEDABAD: It ensions within the Gujarat BJP have escalated after the announcement of Lok Sabha elections following an influx of Congress leaders into the party, besides internal divisions at the local level. Adding to the turmoil, Ketan Inamdar, a three-term BJP MLA from Gujarat, announced his resignation from the state assembly on Tuesday. He cited his inner conscience for his decision, emphasizing the importance of self-respect amidst perceived inaction. However, following persuasion from the state party chief, he retracted his resignation within hours. Frustrated by the continuous migration of Congress leaders and other party members into the BJP, the Savli MLA emailed his resignation to Assembly Speaker Shankar Chaudhary on March 19. Efforts were made to persuade him to reconsider his decision. The MLA from Jamnagar, along with the Vadodara district in-charge, visited Savli to persuade the MLA. Inamdar was then called to Gandhinagar where he attended a meeting with state party chief CR Patil. He later withdrew his resignation. I shared my grievances and concerns with Patil. I engaged in introspection and spoke from my heart. Our dialogue took place in a constructive environment. It was crucial to honour the dedication of devoted party workers. Each individual has a unique approach to work. Theres no personal animosity. I withdraw my resignation, Inamdar said. The Savli constituency is located in Vadodara district. Earlier in the morning after his resignation, the three-term MLA conveyed to the media: This isnt a tactic to exert pressure. Ive long felt that the party has overlooked the welfare of its grassroots and veteran members. Ive brought this concern to the attention of the leadership. Inamdar has a history of tendering resignations and subsequently withdrawing them. In January 2020, he announced his resignation as an MLA, although the Speaker did not accept it. Congress candidate withdraws Congress candidate from Ahmedabad East Lok Sabha seat Rohan Gupta has said he has withdrawn from the contest due to his fathers serious medical condition. Gupta is the Congress national spokesperson and his name was in the list of candidates declared by the party on March 12. He also posted an image of his handwritten letter to GPCC president Shaktisinh Gohil.

Gujarat BJP MLA Ketan Inamdar quits, later withdraws resignation from party

Vadodara, March 20 (IANS) Gujarat BJP MLA, Ketan Inamdar, submitted his resignation from the state Assembly on Tuesday, only to announce hours later that he was considering taking it back hours after meeting senior state party leaders in Gandhinagar. Inamdar, a three-time MLA from Savli constituency in Vadodra district, initially resigned from the party, saying []

Ahead of polls, Gujarati folk singer Dev Pagli, others join BJP

Gandhinagar, March 19 (IANS) Former Congress MLA Joita Patel, ex-candidate Lebji Thakor, and several others, including Gujarati folk singer Dev Pagli, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the state party headquarters here on Tuesday. The presence of Dev Pagli, who is known for his rural folk music, was particularly noteworthy among the new BJP []

Considering Taking Back Resignation: Gujarat BJP MLA Hours After Quitting

Gujarat Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Ketan Inamdar tendered his resignation from the state assembly on Tuesday morning, only to announce hours later that he was considering taking it back after meeting senior state party leaders in Gandhinagar.

REC board okays third interim dividend of Rs 4.5 per share

REC board okays third interim dividend of Rs 4.5 per share State-owned REC's board on Tuesday approved a third interim dividend of Rs 4.5 per share with face value of Rs 10 each for 2023-24. Earlier, the company has already announced two interim dividends, totalling Rs 6.5 per share for the current fiscal. A regulatory filing stated that the board, in its meeting held on Tuesday, approved the declaration of interim dividend at the rate of Rs 4.50 per equity share of Rs 10 each for the financial year 2023-24. The record date for the interim dividend is Thursday, March 28, 2024, and it will be paid on or before April 17, 2024, to those shareholders. The board also approved the sale and transfer of the entire shareholding of three wholly-owned subsidiaries, presently held by REC Power Development and Consultancy Ltd (RECPDCL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of REC to the successful bidders selected through a tariff-based competitive bidding process. The three subsidiaries are Kallam Transco (sold to Indigrid 2 Limited and Indigrid 1 Limited- Consortium); Meerut Shamli Power Transmission (to Megha Engineering & Infrastructures) and Jalpura Khutja Power Transmission (to The Tata Power Company). It also approved the incorporation of a wholly-owned subsidiary company of REC Limited for dealing in permissible activities as a Finance Company in the International Financial Service Centre (IFSC), Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT), Gandhinagar, Gujarat, subject to receipt of no-objection certificate from the Reserve Bank of India. It also cleared a proposal to incorporate a project-specific special purpose vehicle as wholly-owned subsidiary of REC Power Development & Consultancy Ltd (a wholly-owned subsidiary of REC Ltd) for additional Transmission system for evacuation of power from Bhadla-III PS as part of Rajasthan REZ Phase-III scheme (20 GW) and to act as Bid Process Coordinator (BPC) for selection of Bidder as Transmission Service Provider (TSP), through tariff based competitive bidding process.

Gujarat University attack incident shows we are not fully aware of our traditions: Kerala Guv

Gujarat University attack incident shows we are not fully aware of our traditions: Kerala Guv Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan has said incidents like the attack on foreign students allegedly for offering namaz in the Gujarat University's hostel block indicate people of the country are still not fully aware of its traditions and cultural heritage. Khan made the remarks while talking to reporters on Monday at the Central University of Gujarat in Gandhinagar where he was invited to speak in a national conference on 'Indian Knowledge Tradition'. Queried on the attack, he said, ''Such incidents indicate we are still not fully aware of our own traditions and cultural heritage. Conferences like this will help us in understanding what our traditions are.'' In his address, Khan said though people follow different faiths and traditions, they are ultimately united by their soul. ''We all might be having different ways of expressing our devotion. My language, skin colour as well as customs and traditions may also differ from yours. Still, we all are united by our soul, that is what the Indian knowledge tradition teaches us,'' he said. On the occasion, Khan recited several slokas and verses from the Vedas and the Bhagavad Gita, and told the audience that majority of the scholars India has produced were ''saints''. Quoting the teachings of Swami Vivekananda, Khan said a knowledgeable person is one who will always find unity hidden behind the visible diversity in society. Citing Swami Ranganathananda, Khan said though the Indian civilisation was known for its knowledge system, it became ''vulnerable and conquerable'' because those with immense knowledge had stopped sharing it with the masses. Around two dozen people allegedly barged into the government-run Gujarat University's hostel in Ahmedabad on Saturday night and raised an objection to students from foreign countries offering namaz near the facility block where they stayed, according to the police. Two students - one from Sri Lanka and another from Tajikistan - were hospitalised after the incident, police earlier said. An FIR was registered against 20-25 unidentified assailants, and nine teams were formed to conduct a probe into the incident. So far, five persons have been arrested in connection with the incident, police said on Monday.

With a voter base of 49.5 million, Gujarat prepares for the Lok Sabha polls on May 7

BILKULONLINE Gandhinagar, March 17:As Gujarat prepares for the Lok Sabha elections to be held in the state on May 7, The post With a voter base of 49.5 million, Gujarat prepares for the Lok Sabha polls on May 7 appeared first on Bilkul Online .

Gujarat: BJP faces Congress-AAP combine in Lok Sabha polls

Gujarat: BJP faces Congress-AAP combine in Lok Sabha polls In Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state Gujarat, the BJP looks confident of retaining all 26 Lok Sabha seats, despite a combined opposition from Congress and Aam Aadmi Party, key constituents of the INDIA alliance. Lok Sabha polls in Gujarat will be held in a single phase on May 7. Counting of votes will be held on June 4. The Congress and AAP fought the 2022 state assembly polls separately, and the BJP got a record 156 of the 182 seats in the House. In the ensuing Lok Sabha poll, the Congress will contest 24 seats, while the AAP is fielding candidates from Bharuch and Bhavnagar. The BJP is so confident of making a clean sweep that its state unit chief CR Paatil has routinely said the party's sights are on a victory margin of five lakh votes in each seat. The Congress would dearly hope for a repeat of the 2009 polls when it won 11 of the state's 26 seats, while for the AAP, even a single win coming after its assembly showing, will bolster its status as the opposition party to watch out for. Gujarat is divided into four regions, namely Saurashtra and Kutch, north Gujarat, south Gujarat and central Gujarat. Saurashtra and Kutch: All the eight Lok Sabha seats in the region are with the BJP since a long time. The focus this time will be on Porbandar, where Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya has been fielded, and Rajkot, where his cabinet colleague Parshottam Rupala will try his luck. The two ministers have so far reached Parliament through the Rajya Sabha route. North Gujarat: The seven seats in the region include Gandhinagar, represented by BJP heavyweight Amit Shah, as well as two seats in Ahmedabad, the state's premier city. The party is brimming with confidence, while the only solace for the Congress is that it did well in the region in the 2004 and 2009 polls. Central Gujarat: The six seats here include Vadodara and the tribal dominated Dahod, Panchmahal and Chhota Udaipur seats. The tribal areas of this region will be crucial for the BJP to repeat its clean sweep of 2014 and 2019. South Gujarat: The region has five seats, including diamond polishing hub Surat, Bharuch and Navsari. The focus would be on Bharuch, which is being fought by the AAP in alliance with the Congress. The Arvind Kejriwal-led party has fielded Chaitar Vasava, MLA and upcoming tribal leader, against the BJP's Mansukh Vasava, who has been MP from the seat several times. Gujarat BJP chief C R Paatil will contest from Navsari, a seat he has won previously with state record margins.

Mild tremor hits Kutch in Gujarat; no casualty

Mild tremor hits Kutch in Gujarat; no casualty A mild tremor of 3.3 magnitude hit Gujarat's Kutch district shortly after midnight on Sunday, the Institute of Seismological Research (ISR) said. The tremor was recorded at 12.12 am with its epicentre 22 km east-south east of Khavda, the Gandhinagar-based institute said in its latest update. District authorities said no casualty or damage to property was reported. Kutch district is located in a very high risk seismic zone, where earthquakes of lower intensity occur regularly. This month, Kutch has so far witnessed three tremors. The district recorded a tremor of 3.2 magnitude on March 5 and of 3.5 intensity on March 11, as per the ISR record. The 2001 earthquake in Kutch was the third largest and second most destructive in India over the last two centuries. Around 13,800 persons were killed and 1.67 lakh injured, while a large number of towns and villages in the district suffered almost complete destruction.