1. HC Judge Recuses From Hearing Hardik’s Rioting Case
A Gujarat High Court judge on Wednesday, 14 March, recused himself from hearing a plea of Patidar community leader Hardik Patel seeking a stay on his conviction in a 2015 rioting case.
The 25-year-old had joined the Congress at a party rally in Gandhinagar on Tuesday and expressed his desire to contest the Lok Sabha polls. "Not before me," Justice RP Dholaria said while recusing himself.
In July last year, a sessions court had sentenced Patel to two years' imprisonment for rioting and arson in Visnagar town in 2015, when the Patidar quota stir started gaining momentum in the state.
Due to the conviction by the court in Mehsana district's Visnagar, Patel was barred from contesting the polls, as per the Supreme Court order.
(Source: PTI)
2. Liquor Worth Rs 1 Crore Seized in Gujarat Since Poll Announcement
Only three days have passed since the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into force following announcement of Lok Sabha polls by the Election Commission (EC), and the Gujarat police has already seized liquor of worth Rs 1.06 crore in the meantime.
At an average, about 10,000 litres of liquor was seized per day and the total seizure made till Wednesday afternoon was recorded at 31,885 litres.
The chief electoral officer (CEO) in Gujarat, Dr S Murali Krishna addressed the press conference on Wednesday, 14 March, divulging information regarding the Model Code of Conduct and its implementation in the state.
Nodal officer for law and order in the state appointed by EC for elections and Additional Director General of Police in Gujarat Sanjay Srivastava said that the authorities would ensure that liquor prohibition was implemented strictly across the state.
(Source: DNA)
3. Gujarat: With Patidars Drifting Away, BJP Woos OBC Votes; 5 Congress MLAs in Its Camp
With Hardik Patel joining the Congress, the BJP is no longer confident of the Patidar vote. But the party has been preparing for such a situation by assiduously wooing non-Patidar OBC leaders from the Opposition camp.
So far, five Congress MLAs have walked over the BJP camp, bringing down the Congress tally in the Assembly from 77 to 71 (a sixth MLA, Bhagabhai Barad from Talala seat in Junagadh Lok Sabha constituency, was disqualified after being convicted in a mining case). Four of the five are non-Patidars.
Patidars or Patels form the second largest group of voters in the state and had been committed supporters of the BJP for the last three decades. But after Hardik launched the reservation stir in 2015, the community has been drifting away from the BJP.
(Source: The Indian Express)
4. Father Moves Gujarat High Court to Seek Euthanasia for 22-Year-Old With Cerebral Palsy
A pharmacist in Ahmedabad has approached the Gujarat High Court to seek permission to end the life of his 22-year-old daughter who suffers from cerebral palsy.
Vaidehi Rajgor was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when she was six months old. "It took 12 years of physiotherapy and two surgeries to improve her limb movement," said her mother Palak, "but extreme muscle rigidity over the past year has left her in extreme pain."
It is now difficult for Vaidehi to even sit on a chair. "She needs help for everything, including going to the bathroom," said Palak. "We need to carry her, and every time she is moved, she cries out in pain. She also has difficulty eating. Who will care for her when we are gone," the mother said.
(Source: DNA)
5. Divyangs to Manage 21 Booths in District
As many as 21 polling booths in Ahmedabad in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections will be manned by Divyangs (differently abled), Ahmedabad collector and District Election Officer Vikrant Pandey said on Wednesday, 13 March.
"One polling booth in each of the 21 Assembly constituencies in Ahmedabad district will be managed by Divyangs. This is a new initiative aimed at empowering Divyangs," Pandey told reporters while sharing details about the administration's preparations for the Lok Sabha polls on 23 April. On similar lines, five booths in each of the 21 Assembly constituencies will be managed entirely by women.
Pandey said that the number of registered voters in Ahmedabad district is 54,30,917, which includes 28,39,556 males, 25,91,222 females, and 139 belong to the third gender. "The number of voters in the age group of 18-19 is 70,717. These voters will be voting in the elections for the first time," he said.
(Source: DNA)
6. Revoke Bhaga Barad Disqualification, Congress to Assembly Speaker
The Congress MLAs in Gujarat on Wednesday, 13 March, gave a memorandum to the speaker of Gujarat Assembly, Rajendra Trivedi, seeking to revoke the disqualification of Talala MLA Bhaga Barad.
Barad was disqualified by the speaker on 5 March after a local court sentenced him to 2 years and 9 months imprisonment in an illegal mining case. The delegation of Congress MLAs, led by the leader of Opposition Paresh Dhanani, told the speaker that Barad was not given the opportunity to make representation in his defence.
The Opposition leader said that the sessions court had stayed the conviction order of the lower court on 7 March. Dhanani, talking to media persons after the formality said, "We have all trust over the judiciary and legal system.”
(Source: DNA)
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