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Challenges before Congress in Gujarat to defeat BJP and counter AAP

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The Congress in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home turf is out of power since 1989 and despite all the efforts it could not dislodge the BJP which is ruling the state since then except when Shankar Singh Vaghela formed a government with the help of Congress for a brief period.

The party is out of power as in UP, but has the flickering hope that it is still a main challenger to the BJP in Gujarat while AAP is trying to make inroads into the state. In 2017 elections, the Congress showed up well but could not reach the magic figure and later its MLAs walked into the BJP fold. But in 2019 general elections, BJP swept the polls and the Congress could now win even a single seat.

To counter AAP and BJP, the Congress has been given a new team with state in-charge Raghu Sharma, Koli leader and former Lok Sabha member Jagdish Thakor as State President.

Former state president Arjun Modwadia says, “AAP is not a big challenge but the BJP is, and we have to fight on the perception front that only Congress could defeat BJP. The party will launch a series of agitations to highlight failures of the BJP.”

Top Congress leaders of Gujarat had a marathon meeting with former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and held a detailed discussion regarding the upcoming assembly elections in Gujarat which are likely to be held in December next year.

In order to launch a joint attack on the BJP the Congress has roped in Hardik Patel who has raked up Patidar issue raising the pending demands related to agitation in 2015. Patel has reiterated his earlier demands about various pending issues related to the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS).

Patel, who is the working president of Gujarat Congress, has justified his and the PAAS’ demands for reservation for the Patidar community established by the very fact that the state government and the Centre had made provisions to give reservation to the poor and backward classes and 10 per cent quota for the economically backward upper castes.

As many as 438 cases were registered during the Patidar reservation movement which started in Gujarat in July 2015. Fourteen Patidar youths lost their lives during that movement.

“After the PAAS agitation, the Gujarat government’s home department had promised to withdraw 391 cases, but this assurance has not been kept yet,” Hardik Patel said in a letter to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.

The Congress, which posed a tough challenge to the BJP in in last assembly elections, was decimated in the 2021 municipality polls as BJP had swept the state, but surprisingly the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) made inroads in Gujarat’s urban centres which is a bigger threat for the Congress. Securing 27 seats in the Gujarat Municipal elections held in February, AAP national head and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said the people of Gujarat have voted for politics of performance as they were fed up with the politics of BJP and the Congress.

Meanwhile, BJP has changed its entire team in the state to counter the anti-incumbency factor and after the recently concluded elections in October, the BJP won the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation (GMC) elections. The BJP also won in two other civic bodies in Gujarat, Okha and Thara municipalities.

After the GMC win, Prime Minister Modi had said, “Results of the local body polls across Gujarat and Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation reaffirm the deep-rooted bond between the people of Gujarat and the BJP. Gratitude to the people for repeatedly blessing us. Kudos to all BJP Gujarat Karyakartas for working hard at the grassroots.”

The BJP has now a strong grip over the state which became a launch-pad for Modi’s Delhi win but the Congress wants this state very much to send a message before the big elections in the country.

Crime

RG Kar rape victim’s parents dismiss NCRB report calling Kolkata ‘safest city’

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Kolkata, Oct 4: The parents of the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, on Saturday, have refuted the latest report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) published, where Kolkata has been termed as the safest city across the country.

As per the NCRB report, Kolkata for 2023 (latest available) has recorded the lowest cognisable offences per lakh people, which is the fourth time in a row.

On Saturday, while speaking to the media persons, the parents of the R.G. Kar victim rubbished this part of the NCRB report, and claimed that these findings were not based on proper field research and probably the report was prepared to please anyone.

“Was my daughter secured, and that too at her workplace? Was the senior citizen at Kultali in South 24 Parganas district, who became a victim of gang-rape this week, safe? No one is secure here. I do not know who prepared the report. It seems that the report was prepared while sitting in the comfort of the office and without any proper field-based research,” the victim’s mother said.

The victim’s father expressed doubts over the credibility of those in the NCRB who have prepared the report.

“I do not know who in NCRB is responsible for preparing such reports. Even if I believe that the report of Kolkata being the safest city in the country, does that not mean the safety aspect in other Indian cities is unimaginable? I doubt that the NCRB had been misled, and hence the outcome was such a report,” the victim’s father said.

According to him, the only possibility is that the police personnel in Kolkata do not register most of the complaints filed by common people, and hence the crime figures in the city are projected as low.

“We can realise what the reality is since our daughter left. Probably, the experiences are the same,” he added.

As per the latest report of NCRB, Kolkata recorded 83.9 cognisable offences per lakh people in 2023, the lowest among the 19 cities.

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Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray Slams BJP For Vitiating Harmony; Calls Devendra Fadnavis ‘Helpless’ CM Amid Corruption, Farmer Distress

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Pune, Oct 4: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday dubbed Devendra Fadnavis a “helpless” chief minister who has failed to crack down on “rampant corruption” under his watch.

Citing the announcement of various welfare schemes in poll-bound Bihar, he appealed to the Centre to extend financial assistance to women in Maharashtra.

Thackeray addressed gatherings of women and Sena (UBT) workers in Pune. He also interacted with the media.

Addressing an interaction organised by the Pune Union of Working Journalists, Thackeray said the Sena (UBT) did not need a certificate on Hindutva from the Bharatiya Janata Party, which was “creating walls within the country.”

“India is a beautiful country. It has a great culture. However, these people (BJP) have vitiated the entire atmosphere and made it hell. These people have created walls within the country. I have been working hard to prevent further deterioration.

“I have said time and again that the BJP cannot run governments in the state or at the Centre. The Narendra Modi government has failed to address issues in Kashmir and Manipur,” the former Maharashtra chief minister alleged..

The BJP is taking the country on the path of dictatorship, Thackeray added. Attacking Fadnavis, he said, “I don’t consider anybody as an enemy, not even the prime minister. But considering the state’s current situation, the chief minister looks ‘hatbal’ (helpless) despite (BJP-led Mahayuti) having a brute majority. Despite several instances of corruption, the CM is helpless to act against corrupt individuals,” he claimed.

Thackeray alleged the Fadnavis government had failed to help farmers, hit by heavy rains and floods..

Responding to criticism that he had abandoned the Hindutva fold (after his alliance with the Congress and NCP (SP) in 2019), the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader claimed it was the BJP that had started ‘Saugat-e Modi’ campaign to appease Muslims.

“I do not require any certificate on Hindutva from the BJP. My grandfather (Prabhodankar Thackeray) was a well-known reformer. Our Hindutva has been progressive,” he said.

Thackeray also slammed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for “big talks” against Pakistan.

Singh on Friday asserted that the NDA government has demonstrated, through the 2016 surgical strike, 2019 Balakot airstrike, and the recent Operation Sindoor, that the country can cross any border whenever necessary to protect citizens and safeguard India’s unity and integrity.

Addressing a gathering of women, Thackeray stated that the state government provided financial assistance to women for two to three months during elections, just to win votes.

“This is cheating. Ladki Bahins desperately need financial help. I hope PM Modi will announce some aid during his upcoming visit to Maharashtra”, he added.

Thackeray said the (Central) government acted promptly when Bihar needed financial help. “If you are providing assistance, do not restrict it to Bihar; extend it to all women in the country. These women are not paid voters,” he added.

Addressing Sena (UBT) workers, Thackeray called for expanding the party network by setting up “shakhas” or branch offices.

Without naming Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, he said the attempt to break the Shiv Sena will never succeed. He said the Sena (UBT) can win the upcoming elections to local bodies in Maharashtra, provided it works hard.

“Vote theft is the result of illegal voting. Why can’t we do the same thing that Rahul Gandhi ji has done? Find bogus voters. We won the Lok Sabha polls, but lost assembly polls, which were held shortly,” he told the party workers..

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Mumbai: BMC Chief Bhushan Gagrani Inspects Goregaon-Mulund Link Road & Coastal Road (North) Projects, Orders To Expedite Work

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Mumbai: Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner and Administrator Bhushan Gagrani, on Saturday, inspected key infrastructure projects in Mumbai, including the twin tunnel site at Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari in Goregaon under Phase 3(B) of the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR) project and the Versova–Bhayander stretch of the Mumbai Coastal Road (North).

During the visit, Gagrani reviewed project layouts, interacted with engineers and issued firm directives to speed up the work. He stressed that all necessary permissions and no-objection certificates (NOCs) for the Coastal Road (North) project must be secured without delay and instructed officials to fast-track land acquisition for areas affected by the alignment.

Deputy Commissioner (Infrastructure) Shashank Bhore, Chief Engineer (Bridges) Uttam Shrote, P North Ward Assistant Commissioner Kundan Valvi, along with other senior officials and project consultants, accompanied him on the inspection.

The BMC chief’s visit also highlighted progress on the six-lane flyover between Dindoshi Court and Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari, a crucial part of Phase 3(A) of the GMLR project. Out of 31 planned piers, 27 have already been completed, with work on the remaining four currently underway near Ratnagiri Junction. The flyover, stretching 1,265 meters, is being built using box girders and reinforced concrete and will also feature a pedestrian bridge equipped with escalators.

According to the project timeline, girder launching, deck slab casting, and approach road construction will begin soon. The approach road at Dindoshi Court is expected to be finished by January 31, 2026, while the one at Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari will be completed by April 30, 2026. The flyover is targeted to open for traffic by May 16, 2026. Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Abhijeet Bangar also reviewed the project’s progress at the BMC headquarters on Friday.

A senior BMC bridge department official said that of the 26 spans, 12 have been completed, with the remaining 14 scheduled for completion by February 15, 2026. While construction is progressing steadily on most parts, some work on the Mulund side is facing delays due to rehabilitation and land acquisition challenges. Once resolved, the pending flyover work will resume.

The Rs 14,000-crore GMLR project, spanning 12.2 km, will link the Western Express Highway at Goregaon with the Eastern Express Highway at Mulund, slashing travel time between the suburbs from 75 minutes to just 25. Once completed, it promises to deliver seamless east-west connectivity across Mumbai, easing congestion and commuter woes.

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