1. In Four of Six Urban Lok Sabha Seats, Turnout Lower Than 2014
Near-record turnout in the state in Tuesday's (23 April) Lok Sabha elections was primarily because of higher turnout in rural seats, even as turnout in most of the urban seats was lower than in the 2014 elections, an analysis of voting figures released by the chief electoral officer's office shows.
The state recorded all-time high turnout of 64.11% in elections for the 26 Lok Sabha seats on Tuesday, bettering the turnout of 63.77% achieved way back in 1967.
An analysis of the voter turnout figures reveals that 15 Lok Sabha constituencies recorded higher turnout as compared to 2014 elections, which saw the BJP sweeping all 26 seats. Ten seats saw lower turnout than in 2014, while the Gandhinagar seat recorded the exact turnout as in 2014.
(Source: DNA Ahmedabad)
2. 5 % Drop in Unjha Bypoll Turnout — Cong, BJP Have Different Takes
The by-election to Unjha Assembly constituency has witnessed close to five per cent dip in voting this year as compared to 2017 Assembly elections for the seat.
It is to be noted that the by-election was necessitated after the resignation of Congress MLA Asha Patel, who then went on to join the BJP. She was fielded by the ruling BJP in the by-election for the same seat amid a lot of discontent among the party cadre.
The Congress has fielded Kanti Patel, popularly known as Kamu Patel, against Asha Patel. In the 2017 Assembly election, Asha Patel, riding on the Patidar quota agitation wave, had delivered an upset by defeating five-time BJP MLA and former minister Narayan Patel.
(Source: Indian Express)
3. Will Use Compensation to Create Fund for Rape Victims: Bilkis Bano
A day after Supreme Court asked the Gujarat government to provide her with Rs 50 lakh compensation, Bilkis Bano on Wednesday, 24 April, said she wants to use a portion of the compensation money to create a fund to help other women who are victims of rape and communal violence.
“I want to give the money I have received from the Supreme Court to help in the battles of other sisters like me who have been victims and for the education of their children,” Bano said.
She added that she will name the fund after Saleha, her three-year-old daughter who was killed by the mob which gangraped her and killed six other members of her family during the 2002 riots.
(Source: Indian Express)
4. Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation's Solid Waste Department in Soup Regarding Centre's Fund
The Solid Waste Management (SWM) department of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) is in trouble over excess spending of funds that they received from the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM).
Since last few days, the officers of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) is struggling to get details on the civic bodies expenditure under SBM. The central government had allocated more than Rs 200 crore to the civic body under the SBM for they financial year 2018-19.
The officers visiting the civic body demanded a full report on the spendings for the various projects they undertook for keep the city clean. The central body were stern in their approach and informed the civic body that they were legally liable to know the details.
However, the civic officials didn't permit the CAG officials to conduct the audit on Wednesday, 24 April.
(Source: DNA Ahmedabad)
5. Met Issues Red Alert for Weekend, Mercury Likely to Touch 45 Degrees Celsius
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert, citing heat wave warning for three days from 26 to 28 April across Gujarat, except the southern districts.
“Heat wave conditions very likely to prevail at isolated pockets in the districts of Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Banaskantha, Sabarkantha, Vadodara, besides Kutch, Rajkot, Surendranagar and Amreli in Saurashtra-Kutch region,” the IMD forecast issued on Wednesday, 24 April stated.
Both the IMD and Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) have issued an orange alert for 25 April in the city, forecasting the maximum temperature to be around 44 degree Celsius. The IMD had also issued the orange alert in the city for Tuesday, 23 April.
Besides, the IMD has issued a red alert warning for the city on 26, 27 and 28 April when the temperature is “very likely” to touch 45 degree Celsius.
(Source: Indian Express)
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