GUJARAT CAPSULE: Assembly Election 2017 Special
Gujarat elections: Oldest voter of Rajkot casts her vote
The oldest voter in Rajkot, 126-year-old Chandravadiya Ajiben Sidabhai, cast her vote in the first phase of Gujarat assembly elections on Saturday. Chandravadiya Ajiben heils from Upleta town in Rajkot district. She is a mother of six daughters and a son. She does not use a walking stick, does not wear glasses and has never suffered any major illness.
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How do the Congress and BJP manifestos say the same things, but differently:
1) Loan Waivers
In his election speech, Rahul Gandhi had promised that Congress will waive off loan of poor farmers in 10 days. The manifesto promises scrapping of amended Land Acquisition Bill and giving 16-hours of electricity to farmersThe BJP manifesto promises to increase farmers income through various means, such as cheap fertilisers and seeds, better irrigation, proper Minimum Support Prices and (access to) food processing.
2) Women’s rights
Congress has pledged awarding ownership of LIG (Low Income Group) houses to women. For girl students, Congress manifesto pledges 100 per cent free education will be provided from primary to higher education.
On the other hand, BJP has promised to increase the pension for widows at regular intervals.
3) For the poor
Congress plans to start Indira Canteens in order to provide 'affordable nutritious and delicious food' for the labour class at Rs 10 per plate. Rahul Gandhi in his poll speech said that it is looking to emulate the Karnataka model in Gujarat.
BJP on the other hand has promised pucca houses for poor families, affordable healthcare for poor workers from the unorganised sector.
4) Healthcare
The Congress plans to introduce 'Sardar Patel Universal Healthcare Card' for healthcare at government hospitals and free medicines through 'Rajiv Gandhi Pharmacy' chains.The BJP has promised that it will open more generic medicine shops and introduce mobile clinics and laboratories, apart from making Gujarat free of vector-borne diseases.
5) SC/ST and other minorities
The Congress party in its manifesto has pledged to set up a minority commission to look at their needs. It also plans to provide 'Babasaheb Ambedkar Samajik Suraksha Card' for unorganised workers.
BJP is looking to bolster the existing schemes already in place. Additionally, it has promised to set up district-level "Tribal Welfare Boards" and an "Adivasi University". BJP manifesto also mentions new hostels for Scheduled Caste students and doubling of grant given to the Thakor and Koli Development Board.
6) Infrastructure development
The Congress plans to adopt a Smart Village Policy to stop migration and make provision of ponds, playgrounds, sanitation and drinking water supply to villages. It also promised to construct 25 lakh houses in the next five years under various schemes like Indira Aawas Yojana, Rajiv Gandhi Aawas Yojana and Ambedkar Aawas Yojana.
BJP manifesto promises to convert villages into 'smart villages'. For urban centres, the BJP is looking to implement the Smart City project construction. It has also promised new tourism circuits, development of ports. BJP hopes to construct toilers for all rural houses in next five years.
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Rahul Gandhi’s 10 questions to PM Modi
1) The BJP government promised 50 lakh new households to the people. However, only 4.72 lakh houses have been built so far. Will it take 45 years to build all the houses?
2) In 1995, Gujarat had a debt of Rs 9,183 crores. In 2017, it is Rs 2,41,000 crore. This means every Gujarati has a debt of Rs 37,000. Why should the people of Gujarat pay for your financial mismanagement and publicity?"
3) “Why did you fill the pockets of four private companies between 2002-2016 by buying electricity worth Rs 62,549 crore from them? Why was electricity worth Rs 3 a unit bought at Rs 24 by reducing the capacity of state-owned power plants by 62 per cent?"
4) "Why is Gujarat at the 26th position when it comes to investing money in education? What wrong have the youths done?"
5) “The women got neither safety, nor education or nutrition, but only exploitation. From Anganwadi to ASHA workers, everyone was disappointed. Only promises were made to the women of Gujarat and it was never their intention to fulfil them”
6) “Despite Rs 18,000 salary per month as per the 7th Pay Commission, why only Rs 5,500 and Rs 10,000 is being paid to the fix and contract workers?”
7) On GST and Demonetisation: Will BJP serve only the rich?
8) 33% children are suffering from malnutrition. 33 out of every 1000 new born die. Why are the costs of medication increasing day by day? Why was a government hospital given as a ‘gift’ to a friend? (Adani medical college)
9) No farmer loans waived, no right price for crops, no tubewells. The GST took away land from the farmers and made the farmer’s work useless?
10) “Migration has affected severely affected our tribals. Modiji, where is Rs 55,000 crore of the Vanbandhu Yojana,”
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Gujarat-bound illegal liquor worth Rs 2 crore seized in Rajasthan
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Two brother-in-laws to clash in Amreli polls
The upcoming Gujarat polls has hit a more domestic turn for two brother-in-laws, who will contesting through rival parties. Jaysukh Kakadiya, Congress candidate from Dhari, in Amreli district, will be facing his brother-in-law Kamlesh Kanani, BJP’s face in Savarkundla, on December 9 elections. While their wives are sisters, both Kakadiya and Kanani maintain that their political affiliation does not affect their relation. “I have number of committed voters. We do not need to bring it in our family relation,” Kakadiya said, who claims of assured 75,000 votes from his Patidar community. Kanani, is well-known for his welfare works in the 2,38,315 voters based Savarkundla Assembly.
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Battle of the Temples for Patidar community
Amidst the election buzz, two temples of the Patidar community that has grabbed the limelight that is the Khodaldham Temple in Rajkot of the Leuva sect and the Umiya Dham temple in Mehsana, of the Kadva community. Built over a period of two years, the temples have become “the pride and power of the Patidar community.” The Leuvas, constitute 70% population of the Patidar community, while the Kadvas form the 30%. Two trustees of the Khodaldham Temple are contesting the polls from Rajkot (South) and Jetpur on Congress ticket, while another trustee is contesting from BJP’s ticket in Lathi Babra seat of Amreli. The meeting of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samita (PAAS) leader Hardik Patel, a Kadva Patidar and Khodaldham’s chairman Nareshbhai Patel, was also seen as a move towards alliance between the two communities.
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55 families in Morbi to boycott elections
People of the Satwara community from Paneli village in Morvi district, are boycotting the Gujarat polls, Mijaaj Gujarat reported on Friday. The villagers, who are mostly farmers by profession have been demanding for electricity since the last 10 years, for every household under the Jyotigram scheme, but to no avail. 55 families have submitted applications to the District Collector, expressing their intention not excising their vote. The Paschim Gujarat Vij (PGVCL) Company Ltd. has failed to provide electricity as the villagers reside in the dark. Morbi is set to go on polls on November 9
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Meet Gujarat’s most educated female legislator
Shweta Brahmbhatt, a 34-year old candidate is Congress’s pick against Suresh Patel in BJP stronghold Maninagar. Shweta is the daughter of congress leader Narendra Bramhmbhatt and has completed her MBA from the University of Westminster, London. She further pursued a political leadership course in IIM- Ahemdabad and also holds a United Nations Scholarship. Maninagar’s demography is interesting as 75% of the population are women, or below the age of 40.
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Ahmed Patel Mystery posters appear with a communal twist
Days ahead of the Gujarat 1st phase assembly polls, a poster controversy has erupted after banners were put up in some parts of Surat urging Muslims to vote for the Congress to ensure its senior leader Ahmed Patel becomes Chief Minister. Patel, who is the Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat has alleged that the ‘BJP’ is behind those fake posters and accused the BJP "trying very very hard to divert the narrative from its performance of last 22 years to a divisive agenda."
The posters show Mr Patel with Rahul Gandhi and read, in Gujarati, "To maintain unity within the Muslim community and to make Ahmed Patel the 'Wazir-e-Alam' (grand minister) of Gujarat, we request the Muslim community to vote only for Congress."
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Ready for punishment if Congress suffers in Gujarat: Aiyar
Mani Shankar Aiyar, suspended from the Congress for making derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday said he would accept any punishment if the party suffers damage in the Gujarat polls because of his comments. Aiyar, who was suspended on Thursday, said the Congress party had given him a lot and there was no future for India without the party. The disciplinary action against the senior leader came after he called the prime minister "neech” (despicable).
Arundhati Roy tops donor’s list for Jignesh Mewani’s campaign
Jignesh Mewani, who is contesting the Gujarat assembly elections as an independent candidate, has raised more than 9 lakh rupees for his election campaign. Arundhati Roy has topped the donor’s list by giving 3 lakh rupees for the Dalit leader’s aid. 236 people have donated money to Mewani since the last 22 days.
