Written by RITU SHARMA | Updated: November 25 2017 10:24 am Gujarat elections 2017: OBC youth leader Alpesh Thakor (File) Related News Gujarat elections LIVE updates: Rahul Gandhi to start poll campaign from GandhinagarGujarat elections: Rahul Gandhi bonds with audience accepts tricolour CM Vijay Rupani rejected hugs a teacherGujarat elections: Actor who plays Vikas in campaign video among 13 named in BJP s 5th listOBC leader Alpesh Thakor who recently joined Congress tells The Indian Express why he thinks the BJP government failed the people and why he joined politics. Why did you join politics and the Congress? Because of outrage (aakrosh) against the BJP. It was the mandate (janadesh) of the people. We conducted public meetings and took people s mandate. We said earlier that we would enter politics if they (BJP) did not improve. If I had joined the BJP I would have been blamed and asked how much I have been bought for. This is a fight against ideology and against the BJP s failure. Your rivals say your stature has been reduced because you joined the Congress unlike Hardik Patel. We are still meeting workers so we will get to know . Let the time come . We are preparing everybody. Only when the candidates in north Gujarat are announced will we get to know the mahaul (atmosphere). The BJP has criticised you for vowing in public that you will never contest elections. Is there a change of mind? We have repeatedly said that if you (BJP) do not improve or reform then we will join politics . In these two years they did nothing for issues I raised loan waivers for farmers unemployment addiction poor state of education. People s outrage is evident. How do you see the demand for Patidar reservation since it will eat into OBC quota? Why does all talk start and end with reservation? There are so many other issues: unemployment education the poor state of farmers small industries dying. Even demonetisation and GST are issues . Why was the demand for reservation raised by the prosperous (samrudh) caste? That is because of the frustration due to which such a situation has arisen in Gujarat. And where a prosperous caste is in such a condition imagine the condition of the downtrodden and backward castes. This fight is of the middle class and the poor against arrogance. Do you say there should not be a demand for reservation but a change in policies and governance? No I don t say that. Why has the need to demand reservation arisen? It is because the BJP failed on every policy and front. They are not demanding reservation in 49 per cent (OBC quota) they are seeking this for their poor children. I believe that poor children of upper caste (people) should be given constitutional rights not only in Gujarat but in the entire country. Reservation rights that have been given to backward castes should be given to poor children of upper castes too. There are reports that you will contest from Chanasma? No. I am watching every Assembly constituency. After that I will contest from wherever my party and workers say. You started your campaign as a vyasan mukti abhiyan . Do you think the youth in Gujarat is into addiction? Despite prohibition there is a huge addiction problem among youths of alcohol as also drugs tobacco. Every year 10 000-15 000 youths in Gujarat are dying due to alcohol. Strict law and implementation are both necessary which is not being done. Are these numbers based on a survey by your outfit OBC Ekta Manch? We hold meetings in villages. Everywhere we hear of deaths due to alcohol that too locally brewed. This problem is worse in urban areas. After seeing this we started the campaign against alcohol. We can see the results. Why will the youth vote for Congress? What did the BJP do in the last 22 years? Today there are 60 lakh unemployed youth in Gujarat. The entire youth (population) has joined agitations movements. Youth farmers the poor and even women are a part of this movement. These people need change This is a fight between the BJP and Gujarat not between the BJP and the Congress. Are you focusing on a particular part of Gujarat for campaigning? From November 27 I am planning public meetings and campaigns. They will take off from Saurashtra north and central Gujarat. I am telling voters to ask the BJP what they have brought for us. Only lies and fake promises . The BJP is trying to divert voters attention by creating caste-based issues. How will the Congress counter the BJP s huge force of workers and booth management? The Congress has planned its booth management. If we are able to take voters to the booths we will certainly turn votes in favour of the Congress . Against BJP s page pramukhs we have reached out to every house. In one booth we have appointed 100 volunteers which means two persons for every page and this includes youths children and women. We have tried to include every section of society. Also EVMs should undergo major testing. After voting they should be guarded until counting is over. Do you think Rahul Gandhi s elevation in the party will impact Gujarat elections? Since Rahul has a major following among the youth it will certainly impact elections in a good way. The youth today demand a fresh leadership. What is your take on the Padmavati row? They (government) are making it a political issue but I also believe that history has its own significance. Breaking or twisting glorious history projecting it in a different manner is also damaging history. For all the latest Elections News download Indian Express App More Related News Pilgrim spot linked to Lord Krishna among PM s pit stops on Gujarat poll tour next week Gujarat elections: People fear KHAM Congress trying to revive caste formulations in state says Sitharaman Tags: Gujarat Assembly Elections 2017
NEW DELHI: The BJP may be facing possibly the strongest challenge in the Prime Minister Narendra Modi s home state Gujarat but Christopher Wood author of the Greed and Fear Report is putting all his money on a BJP victory for the sixth consecutive time! Gujarat goes to poll in two phases on December 9 and December 14. The results will be out on December 18. The market veteran however warned that should the BJP lose Gujarat it might prove Modi s Waterloo. Modi will be finished in an event of the BJP s loss in Gujarat he said. In a note to clients the CLSA Managing Director and Equity Strategist said the odds of the BJP winning Gujarat elections remain high even through the ruling party could secure the win with fewer seats than in the 2012 elections. While market watchers remain cautious over a possible swing among Gujarat s trading community in the wake of the cash ban and GST rollout Wood feels the opposition Congress has created a strategic blunder in trying to fight the election on GST and demonetisation. The CLSA strategist feels the Congress should have fought Gujarat not on national issues but on local issues. The opposition Congress is unconvincing under Rahul Gandhi s leadership he observed. Investors need to focus on long-term benefits and not short-term noise Wood said. He feels Modi remains popular among small businesses and traders despite the hit from the cash ban and in all likelihood Modi s core team is now focusing on their jobs - one area where there has been lack of progress - ahead of the 2019 elections Wood foresees acceleration in economic activity in India over the next 18 months. Modi seems keen on job creation with stronger focus on roads affordable housing and textiles he said. The impact of RERA implementation was clear in the September quarter results which has led to a sharp decline in real estate sales and profits. RERA will be positive for realty players with strong balance sheets Wood said adding that positive effects of affordable housing would show in next 12-18 months.
Written by PREETI DAS RITU SHARMA | Ahmedabad | Updated: November 25 2017 10:01 am Rahul Gandhi (File) Related News Rahul Gandhi mocks PM Modi s hugplomacy with Trump says it failed to prevent release of Hafiz SaeedGujarat elections LIVE updates: Rahul Gandhi to start poll campaign from GandhinagarPeople need change this is a fight between BJP and Gujarat says OBC leader Alpesh ThakorIn a bid to counter BJP s nationalism narrative Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Friday accepted a 125 x 83.3 feet tricolour weighing 240 kg which was presented to Chief Minister Vijay Rupani four months ago only to be reportedly refused by officials citing lack of space. In another event in an attempt to connect with his audience Rahul hugged a part-time woman teacher after listening to her plight during an interactive session with the teaching community of the poll-bound Gujarat. Addressing a gathering at Dalit Shakti Kendra in Ahmedabad s Nani Devati village near Sanand Rahul said: Even if the flag is 15 km long I would have accepted it. How could the Chief Minister of Gujarat say that there is no space for the flag? One should have space in the heart for the country s flag. This is the thinking of BJP ministers. They have no space for flag but have space for the handful of industrialists. He said the Prime Minister or the Gujarat chief minister had no space for Dalits farmers poor and small businessmen. The giant flag was taken in a van which had pictures of various Congress leaders including Rahul. Dalits from various villages of Sanand stood on paved roads leading to Sanand from Nani Devati village and paid their respect to the flag. The flag will kept at Indira Gandhi Memorial Museum in Delhi. In a release days ahead of Rahul s event the Dalit Shakti Kendra had stated: India s largest national flag about 125 ft wide and 83.3 ft high was supposed to be handed over to Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani asking him to take steps to annihilate untouchability practices as called by Babasaheb Ambedkar. But the officials of the Gandhinagar Collectorate on behalf of the chief minister said that they do not have enough space to keep the flag Rahul Gandhi will accept the national flag with full respect and dignity on behalf of citizens of India and vow to make India free from untouchability practices. This is an historical move by a politician to fight back the forces which are promoting anti-nationalism by insulting national pride. Senior BJP leaders have been raising the issue of nationalism with CM Rupani recently saying that the nation is our priority. We will live for the nation and die for it . For us politics is a tool to serve the nation. We have a dream to have uniform civil code in India zero tolerance for terrorism and no petrodollar in the country which means development (and it) is above caste and religion he had told a gathering at a Haridham Sokhada in Vadodara recently. The Congress vice-president during his speech in Sanand also targeted the BJP-led central and the state governments over the Una Dalit flogging incident and the suicide of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula at the University of Hyderabad (UoH). On one hand there is the Una incident and on the other is the case of Rohit Vemula. I had said in Hyderabad that Rohit Vemula did not commit suicide but was killed by the Government of India. We stood by Rohit Vemula and also stood by the Una victims Rahul said. Rahul Gandhi hugs part-time teacher Ranjana Awasthi at an event in Nikol. Twitter Later in Nikol at his party s Navsarjan Gyan Adhikar Sabha Rahul while interacting with teaching fraternity came down the stage to console one of the teachers and hugged her. Ranjana Awasthi who did her PhD in Sanskrit in 1994 became emotional while sharing her woes. Even after 22 years of service as a part-time lecturer our salary is just Rs 12 000 per month We were not even granted maternity leave. We have seen some of the worst days of our life during this service said Awasthi with a heavy heart. Now the government is planning to annul our entire service by offering us Rs 40 000 salary under a fixed-pay regime. Like others we also wanted to retire with pension benefits to be able to live a respectable life. To this Rahul replied Sometimes such questions come us to which we cannot reply in words. Saying this he walked to the centre of the hall and hugged her. At this point Ashok Gehlot Gujarat affairs in-charge said This is an issue in Gujarat. Even in Rajasthan there were private teachers but we converted all those to government teachers with a single order. Rahul assured the teachers that if the Congress comes to power the fraternity will be one of the stakeholders in framing the policies. Gandhi termed the fixed-pay system of the Gujarat government as unfair and promised to change it. The policy was introduced by the Gujarat government in 2006 wherein such direct recruits were only entitled to get a fixed salary for a period of five years. It is not fair to call it a Gujarat model. The Gujarat model is something else We want to make everybody relax and comfortable and if we frame some policy and I say this from this stage here that you are our stakeholders we report to you. We will ask you before framing it he said. Later speaking with the media Awasthi said I have written 10 books and attended 15 seminars. Despite this we are going through such a pathetic situation. Rahul Gandhi came to me and hugged me I felt like my younger brother hugged me seeing me in such a pain. For all the latest Elections News download Indian Express App More Related News Gujarat elections: Actor who plays Vikas in campaign video among 13 named in BJP s 5th list Pilgrim spot linked to Lord Krishna among PM s pit stops on Gujarat poll tour next week Tags: Gujarat Assembly Elections 2017 Rahul Gandhi
In Gujarat s season of protests by different social groups chief minister Vijay Rupani s decision to follow several of his peers into announcing a ban on Padmavati has failed to appease Rajputs in the state. This had added to the list of issues which BJP has to address in its attempt to win another term in office. Rajput Yuva Sanghs have become active and on Friday a motorcycle rally was taken out across the hinterlands of Mehsana and Patan districts. Taken out under the leadership of former princely family of the Katosan state the local protest has the potential to snowball into a more widespread movement. Dharampal Singh the yuvraj of this clan and Shailendra Singh his cousin said that they are in touch with other Rajput leaders on the issue. In recent days BJP has faced the community s ire after state president Jitu Vaghani and a significant Rajput Samaj leader from Saurashtra clashed publicly. An estimated 100 000 Rajputs recently gathered in Gujarat s capital Gandhinagar to demand a ban on Padmavati . This was followed by a protest in Rajkot. Despite Rupani s announcement members of the community are demanding a personal assurance from PM Narendra Modi. They contend that Rupani s declaration is little but an election gimmick. Vikram Singh Vaghela resident of Modera in Mehsana famous for its 11th century Sun temple who is among the protesters said BJP needs to promise the film will never be released . Banners that have mushroomed in the countryside prohibit BJP and Congress leaders from canvassing for votes but the ire is directed more towards the former because it is the incumbent. Moreover Congress ambivalence on Padmavati is much to the dislike of its liberal supporters. Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh s decision has also ensured the party not earning Rajput anger. The refusal of the Rajputs to take Rupani s words at face value is indicative of the trust deficit that the state government faces in this politically significant tract of north Gujarat. Several participants in the rally when asked reasons for their doubting the chief minister said BJP made many promises to other castes which were not fulfilled. In the region BJP is already battling disgruntlement among numerically significant Patidars and OBCs. The addition of the Rajputs to this lot is not happy augury. Though they may not be numerically very large the issue they are propounding is populist and emotional. Moreover since it is founded on cultural traditions being belittled by market forces and political opponents which had been the basis of BJP s politics the party will find it awkward to ignore the Rajput protest. Most of the Rajput youngsters enlisted in the agitation are from rural backgrounds and though educated remain unemployed. Moreover they are from agricultural families bearing the brunt of non-remunerative prices. Joita Bhai Patel a wisened former Patidar sarpanch of Modera said that the protestors had seen other youth taking to path of agitation since 2015 but they had no issue of their own. This matter of the film is useful because this is also a question of their heritage and asmita he said. The credibility gap which Patel and the others who joined him pointed towards is a pointer to the delay on the part of BJP to address issues that have recently caused anxiety in the party circles. This has left Modi with the unenviable task of reversing a significant deficit. The saving grace is that protesters on the Padmavati issue or others are mainly from rural Gujarat. Though these rallies eventually culminate in cities and towns these have failed to secure urban backers. The urban challenge for BJP is of a different nature and not related to issues of identity heritage and culture.
Ahmedabad: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman flagged off the last leg of the BJP s mega campaign in Gujarat today in which the party plans to carpet-bomb the state with 26 cabinet ministers 6 Chief Ministers and a dozen parliamentarians. At a press conference in Ahmedabad the Defence Minister who never campaigned in Gujarat took on the Congress alleging that the party spoke the language of separatists talked of dividing the nation and undermined the army. Today the Congress talks in separatists voice and enthusiastically joins them. The Congress vice-president supports those misdirected youths of the JNU who talk about break-up of the country she said.Without naming former home minister P Chidambaram the defence minister said a senior Congress leader advocates autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir. This minister says separatists talk about autonomy and not independence. He gives different definitions of azadi . When he was the home minister (in the UPA government) he said the Army is against peace process she said.Another Congress leader she said had compared the army chief to a goon on the street . The Congress is always ready to break the morale of the Army and reduce the Army s stature she said. The minister s reference was to Sandeep Dikshit s comment for which she had earlier demanded an apology from the Congress.The minister also had a response to Ghulam Nabi Azad s sharp attack in which the Congress leader had alleged that the entire cabinet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been converted into a campaign committee . Agreed we are ministers but we are BJP workers too and we need to meet both ends. We can multi-task and work 24x7 and take care of both Ms Sitharaman said.Tomorrow Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad is expected to carry the baton before Sunday s mega programme across the state in which a dozen union ministers are expected attends rallies and public meetings across the state. Union ministers Rajnath Singh Arun Jaitley Nitin Gadkari and Sushma Swaraj are expected to be among the top leaders who would visit the state.The BJP also plans to launch a mass contact program -- Chai ke saath on Sunday in which BJP workers and leaders will invite the people at each of Gujarat s 50 000 booths to a cup of tea and listen to PM Modi s monthly radio address Mann Ki Baat .
VADODARA: Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh who is on 3 300 km Narmada Parikrama (circumambulation of the river Narmada) has entered Gujarat with his companions. Singh started his journey on foot from the Brahman Ghat at Narsinghpur in Madhya Pradesh on September 30. Talking to reporters after arriving at the Shoolpaneshwar temple near Sardar Sarovar dam at Kevadiya on Thursday Singh said he wouldn t discuss politics. He would be walking through 20 assembly constituencies in pollbound Gujarat including tribal-dominated ones like Nandod Dediapada Jhagadia and Netrang where polling would be held on December 9.
NEW DELHI: The Congress today accused the BJP of shamelessly indulging in horse trading in poll-bound Gujarat and demanded lodging of an FIR after Patidar leader Hardik Patel alleged that he was offered Rs 1 200 crore. The Congress claimed that this was not the sole example of the BJP allegedly resorting to misuse of money and muscle power. Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi recalled the allegations made by Narendra Patel aide of Hardik Patel that he was offered Rs 1 crore for switching loyalties a charge rubbished by the ruling party. Singhvi demanded lodging of an FIR against BJP leaders including the saffron party s chief Amit Shah Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and others. He also urged the Election Commission to probe into the allegations and publish the findings of bribery cases. Singhvi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should speak up and asked him to implement his anti-corruption slogan of na khaoonga na khane doonga completely and not selectively . The Congress leader alleged that the BJP was indulging in such activities sensing its imminent defeat in the state which it has ruled for 22 years. According to media reports Hardik Patel while addressing reporters yesterday in Gujarat alleged I m not bikau . Otherwise I could have accepted an offer of Rs 1 200 crore from a top government official when I was in jail. The Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader who spearheaded the community s agitation for quota was in jail for nine months beginning October 2015. Latching onto his allegation Singhvi alleged The BJP is shamelessly indulging in alleged acts of bribery horse trading misuse of money and muscle power coercion and threats. We reiterate our demand for registering FIR in the one- month-old case. We ask registration of FIR in the Rs 1 200 crore complaint made last night with specific names and details he added. Singhvi asked whether the Income Tax Department took any action against the Gujarat BJP leaders for this brazen display of money and power .
LUCKNOW: Muslim organisations today reacted sharply to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat s strong pitch for building a Ram Temple on the disputed site at Ayodhya terming it as a direct challenge to the apex court before which the matter wass pending and demanded action against him. They also alleged that the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RSS) chief was trying to help the BJP in the upcoming Gujarat elections by diverting the attention of voters from real issues with such statements. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board has faith in the judiciary and will try to implement its order... by issuing this statement Mohan Bhagwat has taken law into his hands the spokesman of the AIMPLB Maulana Khaild Saifullah Rehmani said. He demanded that the government take action against such people who are openly showing disrespect to the courts and taking law into their hands . Bhagwat has issued a one-sided statement that only a temple will be constructed at the site and this is unacceptable to us Rehmani said adding this amounts to showing disrespect to the court. The convenor of Babri Masjid Action Committee and member of the Board Zafaryab Jilani alleged that such remarks challenging the apex court are a threat to democracy. Jilani who is also a senior counsel said that it appears that Bhagwat has tried to help the BJP in the Gujarat Assembly elections through his statement. Bhagwat has given an open challenge to the Supreme Court .... As per the Constitution the apex court is supreme and its orders have to be implemented in the country ...it has asked for maintaining status quo on the site ...through this statement Bhagwat has given a direct challenge to the Supreme Court and this is also a threat for democracy he said. The spokesman of All India Shia Personal Law Board Maulana Yasoob Abbas said Sangh chief is not above the Supreme Court he will also have to accept the court verdict . Despite the issue pending in the court Mohan Bhagwat has given this statement only to divert the attention of voters in Gujarat from real issues Abbas said. Addressing the Dharma Sansad a congregation of 2 000 Hindu sages mutt heads and VHP leaders from across the country in Udipi earlier today Bhagwat said there should be no ambiguity that Ram Temple will be built at Ayodhya. We will construct it. It is not a populist declaration but a matter of our faith. It will not change Bhagwat said. The RSS chief said that after years of efforts and sacrifice building the Ram temple seemed possible now while also noting that the matter was in the court. Ram Mandir only will be constructed and nothing else. It will be constructed there only Bhagwat said. He said the temple would be constructed in the same grandeur as it existed before using the same stones under the guidance of those who were the flag-bearers of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement for the last 25 years. The Supreme Court will on December 5 commence the final hearing on the cross-appeals filed against the 2010 judgement of the Allahabad High Court in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute. The high court had ruled a three-way division of the disputed 2.77 acre area at Ayodhya among the parties -- the Sunni Waqf Board the Nirmohi Akhara and the Ram Lalla. PTI
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