1. Will Address 100 Rallies, Says Hardik
The Supreme Court decision’s not to give an urgent hearing to Patidar leader and now Congressman Hardik Patel, on his plea to stay his conviction in a rioting case, has rendered him unable to contest these elections.
The 25-year-old leader has now contented himself with “a larger responsibility” to campaign for his party. He believes that the Congress, which did not win a single seat in the state in 2014, will win at least one more seat than the BJP in Gujarat.
“I will hold 100 rallies in Gujarat and other parts of the country, including a massive rally of youth in Mumbai on 7 April,” he said.
(Source: The Times of India)
2. Congress, BJP Workers Clash Outside Surat Collector Office
Congress and BJP workers clashed outside the collector’s office in Gujarat on Thursday, 4 April, when candidates of both the parties arrived there to file their nominations for the Surat Lok Sabha seat, police said.
Some persons from both the sides received minor injuries in the incident, Deputy Commissioner of Police Vidhi Chaudhary said, adding that no FIR was registered yet.
The clash took place soon after BJP candidate Darshana Jardosh and Congress nominee Ashok Adhewada reached outside the collector’s office along with their supporters to file their nomination papers, she said.
However, the police managed to disperse the angry workers without using any force and quickly brought the situation under control, she said. Videos of the incident recorded by mediapersons present at the spot showed some persons, including women, of the rival parties engaging in a verbal and physical fight.
(Source: PTI)
3. Gujarat Congress MLA Quits as Party Gives Ticket to Ex-BJP Leader
The Congress unit of Kheda district in Gujarat is witnessing a crisis ever since the party declared former BJP leader Bimal Shah as its Lok Sabha candidate from the seat on Wednesday, 3 April.
Congress MLA from the seat Kalu Dabhi has resigned from all party posts and memberships in protest and is likely to file his nomination as an independent candidate on Thursday, 4 April.
Dabhi had won the Kheda seat defeating BJP candidate Kanu Dabhi and Bimal Shah himself, who had contested as an independent candidate backed by Shankarsingh Vaghela.
In a letter addressed to GPCC President Amit Chavda, Dabhi said, “The party’s decision to field Bimal Shah as the candidate from Kheda Lok Sabha constituency has deeply hurt me. I am resigning from all party posts.”
(Source: The Indian Express)
4. GIFT City Group CEO Quits over IL&Fs ‘Inability’ to Pay Him
Ajay Pandey, Managing Director and Group CEO of ambitious Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) Co Ltd, has stepped down after crisis-hit Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Ltd (IL&FS) decided to discontinue his services.
According to Gujarat government sources, IL&FS could not longer “afford” paying him salary.
The GIFT City is a 50-50 joint venture between the IL&FS and state-owned Gujarat Urban Development Company Limited. “The IL&FS has informed that they were not in a position to continue paying the salary of Ajay Pandey and so his term was not renewed. Salaries in the private sector are very high.
He was a nominee from IL&FS, while the chairman is a state government nominee,” Gujarat Chief Secretary J N said. “We are now trying to see how quickly a replacement can take over,” he adds.
(Source: The Indian Express)
5. At 43.7°C City Breaks 9-Year April Heat Record
On Thursday, the city broke a nine-year-old heat record, for the hottest April day, with the maximum temperature hitting 43.7°C, 5.7 degrees above normal.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the city had recorded a temperature of 44.6°C in 2010 and 44.3°C in 2009.
However, both these temperatures were in the middle or end of April. Thursday was thus the hottest April day in more than a decade, it added.
Ahmedabad was the hottest place in Gujarat on Thursday, followed by Deesa and Amreli (43.2°C), Rajkot and Bhuj (42.8°C), Gandhinagar (42.6°C) and Kandla (42.2°C).
(Source: The Times of India)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)