<p>Three Muslim candidates, all fielded by the Congress, emerged victorious in the Gujarat Assembly elections this time, against two in the previous House.</p>

<p>The ruling BJP did not put up any Muslim candidate in the state where the minority community accounts for 9.67 per cent of the population.</p>

<p>The Congress this time put up&nbsp;six Muslim candidates, three of them in urban seats.</p>

<p>The party nominees romped home in Jamalpur-Khadia, Dariapur in Ahmedabad and Wankaner in Rajkot. Whereas the party candidates in Surat-West, Vagra in Bharuch and Bhuj rpt Bhuj lost to their BJP rivals.</p>

<p>Javid Peerzada (Wankaner), Gyasuddin Sheikh (Dariapur) and Imran Khedawala (Jamalpur-Khadia) are the candidates who made it to the Assembly on Congress&#39; ticket.</p>

<p>The Congress nominee wrested the Jamalpur-Khadia seat from the BJP.</p>

<p>The Aam Aadmi Party, which entered the Gujarat polls for the first time, fielded Muslim candidate Usman Gani Sherasiya from Wankaner seat. He finished way behind other nominees by securing just 2,808 votes.</p>

<p>The Janata Dal (United), which contested independently this time, unlike in 2012 when it was in alliance with the Congress, put up a Muslim candidate in Dariapur, but he got only 82 votes, as per figures of the Election Commission.</p>

<p>The Muslim candidates fielded by the BSP and the NCP in Jamalpur-Khadia also failed to make a mark.</p>

<p>In the 2012 Assembly elections also, the Congress had offered tickets to six Muslims, out of whom two had won.</p>


The three Muslims were all fielded by the Congress

Three Muslim candidates, all fielded by the Congress, emerged victorious in the Gujarat Assembly elections this time, against two in the previous House. The ruling BJP did not put up any Muslim candidate in the state where the minority community accounts for 9.67 per cent of the population. The Congress this time put up six Muslim candidates, three of them in urban seats. The party nominees romped home in Jamalpur-Khadia, Dariapur in Ahmedabad and Wankaner in Rajkot. Whereas the party candidates in Surat-West, Vagra in Bharuch and Bhuj rpt Bhuj lost to their BJP rivals. Javid Peerzada (Wankaner), Gyasuddin Sheikh (Dariapur) and Imran Khedawala (Jamalpur-Khadia) are the candidates who made it to the Assembly on Congress' ticket. The Congress nominee wrested the Jamalpur-Khadia seat from the BJP. The Aam Aadmi Party, which entered the Gujarat polls for the first time, fielded Muslim candidate Usman Gani Sherasiya from Wankaner seat. He finished way behind other nominees by securing just 2,808 votes. The Janata Dal (United), which contested independently this time, unlike in 2012 when it was in alliance with the Congress, put up a Muslim candidate in Dariapur, but he got only 82 votes, as per figures of the Election Commission. The Muslim candidates fielded by the BSP and the NCP in Jamalpur-Khadia also failed to make a mark. In the 2012 Assembly elections also, the Congress had offered tickets to six Muslims, out of whom two had won.

In Gujarat Assembly, three Muslim MLAs

<p>Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jairam Thakur, who is likely to take over as Himachal Pradesh chief minister, said on Tuesday that he will do whatever the party decides and will work for the development of the state.</p>

<p>&quot;Whatever the party will decide I will do. I am very happy that there is going to be BJP government in Himachal Pradesh. I thank all the people of the state for voting for us. We will work for the development of the state. The party will also improve the law and order situation in Himachal Pradesh,&quot; Thakur told.</p>

<p>Thakur won from Seraj constituency by defeating Chet Ram of the Congress.</p>

<p>Thakur was a cabinet minister in the BJP ministry in the hill state. He was Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj.</p>

<p>He was elected to Himachal Pradesh Assembly from Mandi and had won his first election in the year of 1998.</p>

<p>Prem Kumar Dhumal, the original chief ministerial candidate, lost to Congress&#39; Rajinder Rana.</p>

<p>Dhumal won 18,559 votes while Rana bagged 21,492.</p>

<p>The BJP has won 36 seats and was leading in eighty seats, while the Congress won 19 seats and was leading in 21 seats in the 68-member Himachal Pradesh Assembly.&nbsp;</p>


Thakur was a cabinet minister in the BJP ministry in the hill state

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jairam Thakur, who is likely to take over as Himachal Pradesh chief minister, said on Tuesday that he will do whatever the party decides and will work for the development of the state. "Whatever the party will decide I will do. I am very happy that there is going to be BJP government in Himachal Pradesh. I thank all the people of the state for voting for us. We will work for the development of the state. The party will also improve the law and order situation in Himachal Pradesh," Thakur told. Thakur won from Seraj constituency by defeating Chet Ram of the Congress. Thakur was a cabinet minister in the BJP ministry in the hill state. He was Minister of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj. He was elected to Himachal Pradesh Assembly from Mandi and had won his first election in the year of 1998. Prem Kumar Dhumal, the original chief ministerial candidate, lost to Congress' Rajinder Rana. Dhumal won 18,559 votes while Rana bagged 21,492. The BJP has won 36 seats and was leading in eighty seats, while the Congress won 19 seats and was leading in 21 seats in the 68-member Himachal Pradesh Assembly.

BJP leader Jairam Thakur assures Himachal of development

<p>Rahul Gandhi tweeted Monday that the Congress party &quot;accepts the verdict of the people&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Congress is set to lose in both Gujarat and Himachal.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Congress party accepts the verdict of the people and congratulates the new governments in both states. I thank the people of Gujarat and Himachal with all my heart for the love they showed me.</p>
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/942709778836471808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">My Congress brothers and sisters, you have made me very proud. You are different than those you fought because you fought anger with dignity. You have demonstrated to everyone that the Congress&rsquo;s greatest strength is its decency and courage.</p>
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/942711009789190144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The latest figures from the Election Commission show the BJP leading in 99 seats in Gujarat and the Congress in 80.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/himachal-election-results-i-accept-the-bjps-victory-says-congresss-virbhadra-singh-27075">Himachal election results: &#39;I accept victory of BJP,&#39; says Congress&#39;s Virbhadra Singh</a></p>

<p>The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/assembly-poll-results-bjp-on-victory-march-in-gujarat-himachal-pradesh-27047">victory mark in Gujarat is 92 seats.</a>&nbsp;</p>

<p>In Himachal, the BJP is leading in 27 seats and the Congress in 11.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The victory mark in Himachal is 35 seats.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;My Congress brothers and sisters, you have made me very proud,&quot; Gandhi said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;You are different than those you fought because you fought anger with dignity. You have demonstrated to everyone that the Congress&rsquo;s greatest strength is its decency and courage,&quot; he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Gujarat of course was the new Congress president&#39;s -- Rahul took over as Congress president from his mother only on Saturday -- first test.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But despite the loss, commentators will look at the increase in the number of seats the Congress wins (in Gujarat) this time.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Current projections say the Congress will increase its tally from the last time by as many as 19 seats.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In Himachal, the Congress is expected to win 15 fewer seats than last time.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Gandhi&#39;s critics however will say the new president jettisoned the Congress&#39;s trademark platform of secularism for the first time in the history of India&#39;s grand old party.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Over three months of campaigning in Gujarat, Gandhi visited a total of 27 temples, and took to speaking at public rallies with a tilak on his forehead.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He was, like the BJP, courting the HIndu vote. And did not really mention the Muslim who make up 10 per cent of Gujarat&#39;s population.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Which, Gandhi&#39;s critics will say, leaves the country with a choice (between the BJP and the Congress) of two competing variants of Hindutva.&nbsp;</p>


The Congress is set to lose in both Gujarat and Himachal

Rahul Gandhi tweeted Monday that the Congress party "accepts the verdict of the people". The Congress is set to lose in both Gujarat and Himachal. The Congress party accepts the verdict of the people and congratulates the new governments in both states. I thank the people of Gujarat and Himachal with all my heart for the love they showed me. — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) December 18, 2017 × My Congress brothers and sisters, you have made me very proud. You are different than those you fought because you fought anger with dignity. You have demonstrated to everyone that the Congress’s greatest strength is its decency and courage. — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) December 18, 2017 × The latest figures from the Election Commission show the BJP leading in 99 seats in Gujarat and the Congress in 80. Also Read: Himachal election results: 'I accept victory of BJP,' says Congress's Virbhadra Singh The victory mark in Gujarat is 92 seats. In Himachal, the BJP is leading in 27 seats and the Congress in 11. The victory mark in Himachal is 35 seats. "My Congress brothers and sisters, you have made me very proud," Gandhi said. "You are different than those you fought because you fought anger with dignity. You have demonstrated to everyone that the Congress’s greatest strength is its decency and courage," he added. Gujarat of course was the new Congress president's -- Rahul took over as Congress president from his mother only on Saturday -- first test. But despite the loss, commentators will look at the increase in the number of seats the Congress wins (in Gujarat) this time. Current projections say the Congress will increase its tally from the last time by as many as 19 seats. In Himachal, the Congress is expected to win 15 fewer seats than last time. Gandhi's critics however will say the new president jettisoned the Congress's trademark platform of secularism for the first time in the history of India's grand old party. Over three months of campaigning in Gujarat, Gandhi visited a total of 27 temples, and took to speaking at public rallies with a tilak on his forehead. He was, like the BJP, courting the HIndu vote. And did not really mention the Muslim who make up 10 per cent of Gujarat's population. Which, Gandhi's critics will say, leaves the country with a choice (between the BJP and the Congress) of two competing variants of Hindutva.

Congress accepts verdict of the people: Rahul Gandhi

<p>Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath attacked the Congress Party for their unparliamentary language, saying the outcomes of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh state polls are a lesson for those who forget political courtesy.</p>

<p>Yogi stated that BJP&#39;s performance in both the states is a victory of Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s policies and economic reforms.</p>

<p>&quot;Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh results are a lesson to those who forget political courtesy and indulge in unparliamentary language. Those raising question mark on the Prime Minister will now have to accept his leadership,&quot; Yogi said.</p>

<p>&quot;We, on behalf of the people of UP congratulate Modiji and Amit Shahji. It&#39;s victory of economic reforms. Modi&#39;s leadership has established country economically. Those who raised questions on Gujarat model should now look at the results. It&#39;s victory of policies of Modiji,&quot; he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Yogi reiterated that Congress President Rahul Gandhi showed casteist, divisive and despicable thinking during his campaigning for the state elections, ending up losing Himachal Pradesh, one of the strongholds of the Congress party.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Chief Minister stressed that change in Congress leadership is a positive sign for the BJP and will help them win other Congress strongholds also.&nbsp;</p>

<p>During the elections campaigning, Rahul Gandhi had criticised the prime minister for ignoring the poor people and farmers and implementing policies to benefit only the rich people of this country.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


BJP's performance is a victory of PM Modi's policies and economic reforms.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath attacked the Congress Party for their unparliamentary language, saying the outcomes of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh state polls are a lesson for those who forget political courtesy. Yogi stated that BJP's performance in both the states is a victory of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policies and economic reforms. "Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh results are a lesson to those who forget political courtesy and indulge in unparliamentary language. Those raising question mark on the Prime Minister will now have to accept his leadership," Yogi said. "We, on behalf of the people of UP congratulate Modiji and Amit Shahji. It's victory of economic reforms. Modi's leadership has established country economically. Those who raised questions on Gujarat model should now look at the results. It's victory of policies of Modiji," he added. Yogi reiterated that Congress President Rahul Gandhi showed casteist, divisive and despicable thinking during his campaigning for the state elections, ending up losing Himachal Pradesh, one of the strongholds of the Congress party. The Chief Minister stressed that change in Congress leadership is a positive sign for the BJP and will help them win other Congress strongholds also. During the elections campaigning, Rahul Gandhi had criticised the prime minister for ignoring the poor people and farmers and implementing policies to benefit only the rich people of this country.

People questioning PM Modi's policies will now have to accept his leadership: UP CM Yogi on election results

<p>The Congress&#39;s Virbhadra Singh said Monday that he accepted the BJP&#39;s victory in the HImachal elections.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Congress is set to lose Himachal to the BJP.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I accept the victory of BJP. I, being the CM, take full responsibility of our performance here. I hope Vikramaditya (Singh) keeps winning in future, like he won today: Virbhadra Singh <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HimachalPradesh?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HimachalPradesh</a> <a href="https://t.co/ImNkW32qdy">pic.twitter.com/ImNkW32qdy</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/942702342645755904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/himachal-pradesh-elections-prem-kumar-dhumal-loses-bjp-to-choose-new-cm-face-27069">Himachal Pradesh elections: Prem Kumar Dhumal loses, BJP to choose new CM face</a></p>

<p>The latest figures from the Election Commission show the BJP leading in 28 seats and the Congress in 13.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Himachal&nbsp;has a total of 68 seats. A party needs to win 35 seats to be declared winner.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/amit-shah-hails-gujarat-himachal-results-has-eyes-set-on-2019-27079">Amit Shah hails Gujarat, Himachal results; has eyes set on 2019</a></p>

<p>Virbhadra also added that he took full responsibility for the Congress loss.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;I accept the victory of BJP. I, being the CM, take full responsibility of our performance here,&quot; said Virbhadra.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also read:<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/i-bow-to-people-of-gujarat-and-himachal-modi-27072"> I bow to people of Gujarat and Himachal says Modi</a></p>


The Congress is set to lose Himachal to the BJP

The Congress's Virbhadra Singh said Monday that he accepted the BJP's victory in the HImachal elections. The Congress is set to lose Himachal to the BJP. I accept the victory of BJP. I, being the CM, take full responsibility of our performance here. I hope Vikramaditya (Singh) keeps winning in future, like he won today: Virbhadra Singh #HimachalPradesh pic.twitter.com/ImNkW32qdy — ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2017 × Also read: Himachal Pradesh elections: Prem Kumar Dhumal loses, BJP to choose new CM face The latest figures from the Election Commission show the BJP leading in 28 seats and the Congress in 13. Himachal has a total of 68 seats. A party needs to win 35 seats to be declared winner. Also read: Amit Shah hails Gujarat, Himachal results; has eyes set on 2019 Virbhadra also added that he took full responsibility for the Congress loss. "I accept the victory of BJP. I, being the CM, take full responsibility of our performance here," said Virbhadra. Also read: I bow to people of Gujarat and Himachal says Modi

Himachal election results: 'I accept victory of BJP,' says Congress's Virbhadra Singh

<p>The BJP is on course to take Gujarat, and most of Surat with it.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Congratulations to all candidates in Surat for winning 12/12 seats! The people of Gujarat have rejected those who tried to divide us in the name of caste! The vision of Shri <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> ji &amp; Shri <a href="https://twitter.com/AmitShah?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@amitshah</a> ji will march ahead! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BJPWinsGujarat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BJPWinsGujarat</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GujaratVerdict?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GujaratVerdict</a> <a href="https://t.co/JOeQnkWEis">pic.twitter.com/JOeQnkWEis</a></p>
&mdash; Darshana Jardosh (@DarshanaJardosh) <a href="https://twitter.com/DarshanaJardosh/status/942671566835367936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Surat was being closely watched because of the trader protests there against the GST.&nbsp;</p>

<p>They had not been happy with the Goods and Services Tax.&nbsp;</p>

<p>(It is important to note though that counting is still underway in Surat and the results of all 16 assembly seats in Surat have not yet been declared.)&nbsp;</p>

<p>But the Election Commission, which has declared leads, is at the moment giving the BJP the lead in at least 12 seats in Surat.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Surat is the hub of the baniya or trader community, which makes up 14% of Gujarat&#39;s population.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The protest that really got the BJP&#39;s attention was the one by Surat&#39;s textile traders. Surat is the country&#39;s largest man-made fabric hub.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The BJP was quick to act on the disenchantment.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It cut the GST rate on yarn from 18% to 12%, increased the customs duty on fabric by 25% to curb imports from China, and offered relief in the filing of GST returns.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It also cut the tax rate on khakhra, a popular Gujarati snack, and some namkeens.&nbsp;</p>

<p>And announced a number of relief measures for exporters.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Surat was being closely watched because of the trader protests there against the GST

The BJP is on course to take Gujarat, and most of Surat with it. Congratulations to all candidates in Surat for winning 12/12 seats! The people of Gujarat have rejected those who tried to divide us in the name of caste! The vision of Shri @narendramodi ji & Shri @amitshah ji will march ahead! #BJPWinsGujarat #GujaratVerdict pic.twitter.com/JOeQnkWEis — Darshana Jardosh (@DarshanaJardosh) December 18, 2017 × Surat was being closely watched because of the trader protests there against the GST. They had not been happy with the Goods and Services Tax. (It is important to note though that counting is still underway in Surat and the results of all 16 assembly seats in Surat have not yet been declared.) But the Election Commission, which has declared leads, is at the moment giving the BJP the lead in at least 12 seats in Surat. Surat is the hub of the baniya or trader community, which makes up 14% of Gujarat's population. The protest that really got the BJP's attention was the one by Surat's textile traders. Surat is the country's largest man-made fabric hub. The BJP was quick to act on the disenchantment. It cut the GST rate on yarn from 18% to 12%, increased the customs duty on fabric by 25% to curb imports from China, and offered relief in the filing of GST returns. It also cut the tax rate on khakhra, a popular Gujarati snack, and some namkeens. And announced a number of relief measures for exporters.

Gujarat election results: Hub of trader protests, BJP on course to winning most seats in Surat

<p>Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday took a dig at Congress, confidently claiming that BJP will win the 2019 polls and asked them to prepare for the 2024 general elections.&nbsp;</p>

<p>With BJP in the lead with 99 seats in Gujarat, the government is set to rule the state for the sixth time.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Speaking to reporters in Lucknow, Adityanath heaped praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah and further went on to say that people have removed the Congress and its leadership day-by-day.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The CM challenged them and said that Congress must come up with a strong strategy to compete in 2024.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Adityanath suggested that the support of people in Himachal and Gujarat have continuously proved their inclination towards positive and development-oriented politics.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;The victories in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh have proven that Modiji&#39;s leadership is glorious. The country has approved of the revolutionary steps taken towards complete reform by the honorable Prime Minister. These steps will take the country closer to becoming an economic superpower,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>The UP CM urged opposition leaders to finally accept PM Modi&#39;s leadership, following the favorable election results.</p>

<p>Also Read:<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/by-2022-there-will-not-be-any-person-without-a-roof-over-his-head-yogi-adityanath-26981" target="_blank">&nbsp;Adityanath promises roof over every head by 2022</a></p>

<p>Adityanath has previously spoken about his focus on reforming different sectors of the state.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The party hopes it will be able to convert the momentum of its victories in a number of states since 2014 into a historic win for Narendra Modi in 2019.</p>


With BJP in the lead with 99 seats in Gujrat, the government is set to rule the state once again after 22 years.?

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday took a dig at Congress, confidently claiming that BJP will win the 2019 polls and asked them to prepare for the 2024 general elections. With BJP in the lead with 99 seats in Gujarat, the government is set to rule the state for the sixth time. Speaking to reporters in Lucknow, Adityanath heaped praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah and further went on to say that people have removed the Congress and its leadership day-by-day. The CM challenged them and said that Congress must come up with a strong strategy to compete in 2024. Adityanath suggested that the support of people in Himachal and Gujarat have continuously proved their inclination towards positive and development-oriented politics. "The victories in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh have proven that Modiji's leadership is glorious. The country has approved of the revolutionary steps taken towards complete reform by the honorable Prime Minister. These steps will take the country closer to becoming an economic superpower," he said. The UP CM urged opposition leaders to finally accept PM Modi's leadership, following the favorable election results. Also Read: Adityanath promises roof over every head by 2022 Adityanath has previously spoken about his focus on reforming different sectors of the state. The party hopes it will be able to convert the momentum of its victories in a number of states since 2014 into a historic win for Narendra Modi in 2019.

BJP will win in 2019, prepare for 2024 general elections: Yogi Adityanath tells Congress

<p>Patidar leader Hardik Patel has&nbsp;claimed that there has been tampering in EVMs in Surat, Rajkot and Ahmedabad.</p>

<p>He said that the gap between the rival candidates was very less in places wherever tempering happened.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">There has been tampering in EVMs in Surat,Rajkot and Ahmedabad, hence the gap is very less wherever tampering happened. EVMs are hackable: Hardik Patel <a href="https://t.co/cPNaItPrbw">pic.twitter.com/cPNaItPrbw</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/942691759900975105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Before the announcement of election results on Monday morning, the Election Commission had assured that there could not be any tampering of EVMs.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Chief Election Commissioner AK Joti had assured that no tampering could have been done with the EVMs. He said questions being raised about EVMs were already answered in the media.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He said that there was VVPATs in every polling stations in Gujarat which enabled voters to see whom they voted for and therefore&nbsp;raising of issues was not a right thing.</p>

<p>The Chief Election Commissioner of India, HS Brahma also said that the matter was &quot;tried and tested&quot; and&nbsp;should be closed once and for all.</p>

<p>He said, &quot;I firmly believe that our EVMs, VVPATs cannot be tampered with. This matter should be closed once and for all as it is tried and tested. EVM is a standalone machine, question of hacking doesn&#39;t arise&quot;.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">&quot;I firmly believe that our EVMs, VVPATs cannot be tampered with. This matter should be closed once and for all as it is tried and tested. EVM is a standalone machine, question of hacking doesn&#39;t arise&quot; says former Chief Election Commissioner of India, HS Brahma <a href="https://t.co/3PwBqP8IA7">pic.twitter.com/3PwBqP8IA7</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/942663065358626816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Former CEC Naveen Chawla,&nbsp;also clarified that EVMs cannot be tampered with, not even in future.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He said &quot;EVMs cannot be tampered with, even in the future.I am very clear about this. During my time, BJP had raised doubts on EVM so we had also held a demonstration like earlier this earlier this year for all to come and try rig it.&quot;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">&quot;<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EVMs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EVMs</a> cannot be tampered with, even in the future. I am very clear about this. During my time, BJP had raised doubts on EVM so we had also held a demonstration like earlier this year for all to come and try rig it&quot; says Naveen Chawla, former CEC <a href="https://t.co/xXRpduibUK">pic.twitter.com/xXRpduibUK</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/942666671801503744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>N. Gopalaswami, former CEC also assured that EVMs cannot be tampered with.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He said that EVM are&nbsp;standalone machines and that they are not connected to any network and therefore they cannot be influenced over Bluetooth or wireless messages.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He further said that EVMs were only a glorified calculator and it goes dead after it is opened.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">&quot;EVMs are stand alone machines, aren&#39;t connected to any network, can&#39;t be influenced over Bluetooth or wireless message,so to say EVMs have something wrong is absolutely incorrect. It&#39;s only a glorified calculator, moment you open it, it goes dead&quot; says N Gopalaswami, Former CEC <a href="https://t.co/jKWQiV5Gky">pic.twitter.com/jKWQiV5Gky</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/942667680091213825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The clarifications over Electronic Voting Machines came after the accusations of opposition parties. The Congress and Patidars had accused during the elections that the EVM machines were tampered with. They claimed that the tampering was manipulated by BJP and would help the party to win over the other.&nbsp;</p>


The gap he said was very little wherever tampering occurred

Patidar leader Hardik Patel has claimed that there has been tampering in EVMs in Surat, Rajkot and Ahmedabad. He said that the gap between the rival candidates was very less in places wherever tempering happened. There has been tampering in EVMs in Surat,Rajkot and Ahmedabad, hence the gap is very less wherever tampering happened. EVMs are hackable: Hardik Patel pic.twitter.com/cPNaItPrbw — ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2017 × Before the announcement of election results on Monday morning, the Election Commission had assured that there could not be any tampering of EVMs. Chief Election Commissioner AK Joti had assured that no tampering could have been done with the EVMs. He said questions being raised about EVMs were already answered in the media. He said that there was VVPATs in every polling stations in Gujarat which enabled voters to see whom they voted for and therefore raising of issues was not a right thing. The Chief Election Commissioner of India, HS Brahma also said that the matter was "tried and tested" and should be closed once and for all. He said, "I firmly believe that our EVMs, VVPATs cannot be tampered with. This matter should be closed once and for all as it is tried and tested. EVM is a standalone machine, question of hacking doesn't arise". "I firmly believe that our EVMs, VVPATs cannot be tampered with. This matter should be closed once and for all as it is tried and tested. EVM is a standalone machine, question of hacking doesn't arise" says former Chief Election Commissioner of India, HS Brahma pic.twitter.com/3PwBqP8IA7 — ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2017 × Former CEC Naveen Chawla, also clarified that EVMs cannot be tampered with, not even in future. He said "EVMs cannot be tampered with, even in the future.I am very clear about this. During my time, BJP had raised doubts on EVM so we had also held a demonstration like earlier this earlier this year for all to come and try rig it." "#EVMs cannot be tampered with, even in the future. I am very clear about this. During my time, BJP had raised doubts on EVM so we had also held a demonstration like earlier this year for all to come and try rig it" says Naveen Chawla, former CEC pic.twitter.com/xXRpduibUK — ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2017 × N. Gopalaswami, former CEC also assured that EVMs cannot be tampered with. He said that EVM are standalone machines and that they are not connected to any network and therefore they cannot be influenced over Bluetooth or wireless messages. He further said that EVMs were only a glorified calculator and it goes dead after it is opened. "EVMs are stand alone machines, aren't connected to any network, can't be influenced over Bluetooth or wireless message,so to say EVMs have something wrong is absolutely incorrect. It's only a glorified calculator, moment you open it, it goes dead" says N Gopalaswami, Former CEC pic.twitter.com/jKWQiV5Gky — ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2017 × The clarifications over Electronic Voting Machines came after the accusations of opposition parties. The Congress and Patidars had accused during the elections that the EVM machines were tampered with. They claimed that the tampering was manipulated by BJP and would help the party to win over the other.

EVMs tampered in Surat, Rajkot, Ahmedabad, says Hardik Patel

<p>The state of Himachal Pradesh is all set to welcome the new BJP government.</p>

<p>The results announced on Monday morning showed favourable results for BJP. The BJP is leading in over 40 seats, while Congress fluctuating in twenty plus seats.</p>

<p>Haryana Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh who contested from Arki assembly seat is leading.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The BJP chief ministerial candidate Prem Kumar Dhumal has also regained the lead&nbsp;after trailing by&nbsp;over 1700 votes.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Election Commission has said that the vote share of BJP in the elections is 48.6 per cent, which is 10 per cent more than the assembly elections held in 2012.</p>

<p>The vote share of Congress came out as 41.8 per cent votes, reducing to 1 per cent from the 2012 elections.&nbsp;</p>

<p>There was a close battle between the BJP and the Congress in the assembly election held in the state in 2012. The Congress won 36 seats while the BJP bagged 26 seats.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Since the past 24 years, Himachal Pradesh has had alternative governments between the BJP and the Congress.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The state underwent single phase polling&nbsp;on November 9. The total number of seats in the state is 68. For winning the elections a party needs to win 35 seats or more.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The elections were fought by 337 candidates which include 19 women.</p>

<p>The voter turnout in the election this year was recorded to be 74.61 per cent, which is the highest ever turn out for assembly election in Himachal.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The results announced on Monday morning showed favourable results for BJP. The BJP is leading in over 40 seats, while Congress fluctuating in twenty plus seats

The state of Himachal Pradesh is all set to welcome the new BJP government. The results announced on Monday morning showed favourable results for BJP. The BJP is leading in over 40 seats, while Congress fluctuating in twenty plus seats. Haryana Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh who contested from Arki assembly seat is leading. The BJP chief ministerial candidate Prem Kumar Dhumal has also regained the lead after trailing by over 1700 votes. The Election Commission has said that the vote share of BJP in the elections is 48.6 per cent, which is 10 per cent more than the assembly elections held in 2012. The vote share of Congress came out as 41.8 per cent votes, reducing to 1 per cent from the 2012 elections. There was a close battle between the BJP and the Congress in the assembly election held in the state in 2012. The Congress won 36 seats while the BJP bagged 26 seats. Since the past 24 years, Himachal Pradesh has had alternative governments between the BJP and the Congress. The state underwent single phase polling on November 9. The total number of seats in the state is 68. For winning the elections a party needs to win 35 seats or more. The elections were fought by 337 candidates which include 19 women. The voter turnout in the election this year was recorded to be 74.61 per cent, which is the highest ever turn out for assembly election in Himachal.

BJP set to form government in Himachal

<p>The stock market today inched closer to the all-time intra-day high as the BJP sniffed victory in Gujarat and also stayed on course to take power from the Congress in Himachal Pradesh.</p>

<p>According to trends available on the Election Commission&#39;s website, the BJP is leading in 101 of the 182 assembly segments in Gujarat. As for Himachal Pradesh, it is leading in 40 seats as against the Congress&#39; 21.</p>

<p>The 30-share BSE index hit a high of 33,724.08 at 1152 hrs, a gain of 261.11 points -- 0.78 per cent. The reading is closer to the all-time high 33,865.95, reached on November 7.</p>

<p>For the 50-share Nifty, the reading was above the key 10,400-mark at 10,415.50, up 82.25 points, or 0.80 per cent.</p>

<p>Early in the beginning of the session, the benchmark BSE Sensex had tanked as much as 867 points to breach below the psychological 33,000-mark while the NSE Nifty plunged 258 points within one hour of counting of votes.</p>

<p>However, evolving equations showed that the BJP is pushing ahead in both the states.</p>

<p>Metal, auto, healthcare, realty, and banks all showed up in the green.</p>

<p>The big mover was M&amp;M 2.93 per cent, with SBI and Adani Ports closely following the leader.</p>

<p>Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) net sold shares worth Rs 921.03 crore last Friday. But domestic institutional investors (DIIs) offloaded equities to the tune of Rs 635.44 crore.</p>

<p>Asian stocks were mixed. US stocks rose to all-time highs last Friday, as prospects of the passage of a Republican tax Bill increased.</p>


The 30-share BSE index hit a high of 33,724.08 at 1152 hrs, a gain of 261.11 points -- 0.78 per cent. The reading is closer to the all-time high 33,865.95, reached on November 7.

The stock market today inched closer to the all-time intra-day high as the BJP sniffed victory in Gujarat and also stayed on course to take power from the Congress in Himachal Pradesh. According to trends available on the Election Commission's website, the BJP is leading in 101 of the 182 assembly segments in Gujarat. As for Himachal Pradesh, it is leading in 40 seats as against the Congress' 21. The 30-share BSE index hit a high of 33,724.08 at 1152 hrs, a gain of 261.11 points -- 0.78 per cent. The reading is closer to the all-time high 33,865.95, reached on November 7. For the 50-share Nifty, the reading was above the key 10,400-mark at 10,415.50, up 82.25 points, or 0.80 per cent. Early in the beginning of the session, the benchmark BSE Sensex had tanked as much as 867 points to breach below the psychological 33,000-mark while the NSE Nifty plunged 258 points within one hour of counting of votes. However, evolving equations showed that the BJP is pushing ahead in both the states. Metal, auto, healthcare, realty, and banks all showed up in the green. The big mover was M&M 2.93 per cent, with SBI and Adani Ports closely following the leader. Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) net sold shares worth Rs 921.03 crore last Friday. But domestic institutional investors (DIIs) offloaded equities to the tune of Rs 635.44 crore. Asian stocks were mixed. US stocks rose to all-time highs last Friday, as prospects of the passage of a Republican tax Bill increased.

Sensex eyes higher ground as BJP pulls ahead in Gujarat poll

<p>The BJP is all set to form the government in Himachal Pradesh as its candidates were on the victory lap in 36 of the 68 Assembly elections on Monday.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/2017himachal-pradesh-elections-himachal-poll-live-results-27015">Trends from counting </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/2017himachal-pradesh-elections-himachal-poll-live-results-27015">centres</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/2017himachal-pradesh-elections-himachal-poll-live-results-27015"> across Himachal Pradesh</a> showed the Congress was ahead in 21 constituencies while smaller parties and independents had inched ahead of all others in three seats.</p>

<p>The Bharatiya Janata Party needs 35 seats to form the government.&nbsp;</p>

<p>State BJP spokesperson Ganesh Dutt told: &quot;We have crossed the half-way mark. This clearly indicates we are going to form the government in the state.&quot;</p>

<p>Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh (Arki) and his son Vikramaditya Singh (Shimla Rural) were, however, ahead of their BJP rivals.</p>

<p>State BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti trailed to the Congress from Una.</p>

<p>A total of 337 candidates contested the November 9 election. A total of 37,83,580 people voted in the hill state -- a record 75.28 per cent polling.</p>

<p>The Congress and the BJP contested in all the 68 constituencies. Most exit polls had predicted the BJP`s return to power with a majority.</p>

<p>The state has alternately elected Congress and BJP since 1985. In 2012, the Congress won 36 seats and the BJP 26. Independents bagged six seats.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


The Bharatiya Janata Party needs 35 seats to control the Himachal Assembly.

The BJP is all set to form the government in Himachal Pradesh as its candidates were on the victory lap in 36 of the 68 Assembly elections on Monday. Trends from counting centres across Himachal Pradesh showed the Congress was ahead in 21 constituencies while smaller parties and independents had inched ahead of all others in three seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party needs 35 seats to form the government. State BJP spokesperson Ganesh Dutt told: "We have crossed the half-way mark. This clearly indicates we are going to form the government in the state." Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh (Arki) and his son Vikramaditya Singh (Shimla Rural) were, however, ahead of their BJP rivals. State BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti trailed to the Congress from Una. A total of 337 candidates contested the November 9 election. A total of 37,83,580 people voted in the hill state -- a record 75.28 per cent polling. The Congress and the BJP contested in all the 68 constituencies. Most exit polls had predicted the BJP`s return to power with a majority. The state has alternately elected Congress and BJP since 1985. In 2012, the Congress won 36 seats and the BJP 26. Independents bagged six seats.

BJP poised to form government in Himachal Pradesh

<p>New Congress President Rahul Gandhi has his work cut out for him.</p>

<p>Following the election results in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh on Monday, the Congress -- the country&#39;s &quot;grand old party&quot; -- is now left in power in only four states in the country.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The four states are Punjab, Karnataka, Meghalaya, and Mizoram.</p>

<p>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/election-results-bjp-wins-gujaratand-himachal-27098">Election results prove country ready for reform: Modi after Gujarat win</a></p>

<p>Since coming to power at the Centre -- Modi had at the time promised to deliver a &quot;Congress- mukt Bharat&quot; -- the BJP has wrested Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Assam, and Manipur from the Congress.</p>

<p>The Congress had ruled Maharashtra for over 15 years, and Assam for over 10.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/it-is-a-temporary-and-face-saving-win-for-bjp-says-mamata-banerjee-27094">It is a temporary and face-saving win for BJP, says Mamata Banerjee</a></p>

<p>The next battleground will be Karnataka, which is expected to go to the polls sometime in April or May next year.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Victory in Gujarat and Himachal shows people have once again accepted PM Modi, his policies and Gujarat model. They&#39;ve voted for development and against corrupt Congress. It&#39;ll have positive impact in Karnataka,&quot; Karnataka BJP President said Monday after the BJP won Gujarat and HImachal.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On Sunday, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had attacked Karnataka&#39;s Congress government over what he said was the deteriorating law and order situation.</p>

<p>He cited the murder of the&nbsp;journalist Gauri Lankesh, saying if&nbsp;the&nbsp;BJP came to power in the state it would catch her killers.&nbsp;</p>

<p>There have also been killings of members of right-wing Hindu groups in Karnataka in recent months.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Singh also accused the&nbsp;Siddaramaiah government of trying to &quot;divide&quot;&nbsp;society, saying the state government should have refrained from celebrating Tipu Sultan&#39;s birthday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The &quot;divide&quot; though is really between two different forms of nationalism.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Karnataka has been mulling the adoption of a state flag and there have been protests in the state against Hindi signboards.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Commentators say&nbsp;Siddaramaiah will deploy this &quot;sub-nationalism&quot; to counter Modi and the BJP&#39;s exhortation of &quot;nationalism&quot;.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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The four states are Punjab, Karnataka, Meghalaya, and Mizoram

New Congress President Rahul Gandhi has his work cut out for him. Following the election results in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh on Monday, the Congress -- the country's "grand old party" -- is now left in power in only four states in the country. The four states are Punjab, Karnataka, Meghalaya, and Mizoram. Also read: Election results prove country ready for reform: Modi after Gujarat win Since coming to power at the Centre -- Modi had at the time promised to deliver a "Congress- mukt Bharat" -- the BJP has wrested Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Assam, and Manipur from the Congress. The Congress had ruled Maharashtra for over 15 years, and Assam for over 10. Also read: It is a temporary and face-saving win for BJP, says Mamata Banerjee The next battleground will be Karnataka, which is expected to go to the polls sometime in April or May next year. "Victory in Gujarat and Himachal shows people have once again accepted PM Modi, his policies and Gujarat model. They've voted for development and against corrupt Congress. It'll have positive impact in Karnataka," Karnataka BJP President said Monday after the BJP won Gujarat and HImachal. On Sunday, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had attacked Karnataka's Congress government over what he said was the deteriorating law and order situation. He cited the murder of the journalist Gauri Lankesh, saying if the BJP came to power in the state it would catch her killers. There have also been killings of members of right-wing Hindu groups in Karnataka in recent months. Singh also accused the Siddaramaiah government of trying to "divide" society, saying the state government should have refrained from celebrating Tipu Sultan's birthday. The "divide" though is really between two different forms of nationalism. Karnataka has been mulling the adoption of a state flag and there have been protests in the state against Hindi signboards. Commentators say Siddaramaiah will deploy this "sub-nationalism" to counter Modi and the BJP's exhortation of "nationalism".

After Himachal loss, Congress left in power in only four states

<p>The Gujarat and Himachal election results show the country is ready for reform, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said after winning Gujarat.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Modi was speaking at BJP headquarters in Delhi after the win.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: PM Narendra Modi at BJP HQ in Delhi <a href="https://t.co/Yf3azqwLW9">https://t.co/Yf3azqwLW9</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/942738207036207104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The BJP has reached the victory mark of&nbsp;92 in Gujarat -- but is looking like it will struggle to reach the 100 mark</p>

<p>The BJP has also won Himachal, getting to the victory mark of 35.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-accepts-verdict-of-the-people-rahul-gandhi-27081" target="_blank">Congress accepts verdict of the people, says&nbsp;Rahul Gandhi</a></p>

<p>The election results and &quot;in this day and age, for a party to keep winning for so long,&quot; Modi said, &quot;are historic&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Recent elections results have proven that the country is ready for reform, is looking towards things that perform in a positive way and believes in transformation,&quot; he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;After 2014, there is hunger for development. Even if you do not like BJP, do not try to derail the progress being made towards development,&quot; he said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/people-questioning-pm-modis-policies-will-now-have-to-accept-his-leadership-cm-yogi-on-elections-results-27083" target="_blank">People questioning PM Modi&#39;s policies will now have to accept his leadership, says Yogi</a></p>

<p>He also added that &quot;So many conspiracies were hatched in Gujarat by Congress, misinformation was being spread.&quot; But &quot;People cannot bear if anyone makes fun of vikas&nbsp;(development)&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Development was the key theme of Modi&#39;s speech, with a few exceptions:&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">30 years back, poison of caste was spread so badly in Gujarat that it took workers like me 30 years to get rid of it. In last few months there were attempts again to sow seeds of casteism, but people rejected it,I congratulate them, but ppl must be alert: PM Narendra Modi <a href="https://t.co/srlI5bsa3Y">pic.twitter.com/srlI5bsa3Y</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/942746690645237760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Taking of the Himachal elections, he said the results there &quot;show that if you don&#39;t do development and are embroiled in all wrong acts then after five years people will not accept you.&quot;</p>

<p>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/amit-shah-hails-gujarat-himachal-results-has-eyes-set-on-2019-27079" target="_blank">Amit Shah hails Gujarat, Himachal results; has eyes set on 2019</a></p>

<p>And he thanked the people of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh for choosing the path of development.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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The Gujarat and Himachal election results show the country is ready for reform, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said after winning Gujarat. Modi was speaking at BJP headquarters in Delhi after the win. #WATCH: PM Narendra Modi at BJP HQ in Delhi https://t.co/Yf3azqwLW9 — ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2017 × The BJP has reached the victory mark of 92 in Gujarat -- but is looking like it will struggle to reach the 100 mark The BJP has also won Himachal, getting to the victory mark of 35. Also read: Congress accepts verdict of the people, says Rahul Gandhi The election results and "in this day and age, for a party to keep winning for so long," Modi said, "are historic". "Recent elections results have proven that the country is ready for reform, is looking towards things that perform in a positive way and believes in transformation," he added. "After 2014, there is hunger for development. Even if you do not like BJP, do not try to derail the progress being made towards development," he said. Also read: People questioning PM Modi's policies will now have to accept his leadership, says Yogi He also added that "So many conspiracies were hatched in Gujarat by Congress, misinformation was being spread." But "People cannot bear if anyone makes fun of vikas (development)". Development was the key theme of Modi's speech, with a few exceptions: 30 years back, poison of caste was spread so badly in Gujarat that it took workers like me 30 years to get rid of it. In last few months there were attempts again to sow seeds of casteism, but people rejected it,I congratulate them, but ppl must be alert: PM Narendra Modi pic.twitter.com/srlI5bsa3Y — ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2017 × Taking of the Himachal elections, he said the results there "show that if you don't do development and are embroiled in all wrong acts then after five years people will not accept you." Also read: Amit Shah hails Gujarat, Himachal results; has eyes set on 2019 And he thanked the people of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh for choosing the path of development.

Election results prove country ready for reform: Modi after Gujarat, Himachal win

<p>The BJP has won the Gujarat election but failed to cross the 100 mark.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It won 99 of the state&#39;s 182 seats, while the Congres won 77.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In Himachal, the BJP won 44 of the state&#39;s 68 seats, while the Congress won 20.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Counting is still underway in Himachal in two seats -- with the Congress leading in one of them.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/election-results-bjp-wins-gujaratand-himachal-27098" target="_blank">Election results prove country ready for reform, says Modi</a></p>

<p>Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-slowly-losing-power-ruling-only-four-states-following-election-27109" target="_blank">After Gujarat, Himachal losses, Congress left in power in only four states</a></p>

<p>An independent candidate is leading in the other.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the last elections, the BJP had won 115 seats in Gujarat. Which means it has won 16 fewer seats than last time.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Anti-incumbency of course might have been to blame; the BJP has been in power for 22 years in the state.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But the BJP has probably taken a bigger hit because of the various protest movements against it led by Hardik Patel (the Patidars), Jignesh Mevani (the Dalits), and Alpesh Thakor (the OBCs).&nbsp;</p>

<p>Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav was quick to pick on the drop in the BJP&#39;s tally, saying it pointed to the hollowness of the Gujarat model of development.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Commentators have also pointed out that the Gujarat model of development (one which sees high growth) has not been accompanied by a growth in jobs.&nbsp;</p>

<p>That they say is what explains the Patidar agitation for reservations in government jobs and educational institutions.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In Himachal, the BJP won 18 more seats than last time.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But in Himachal, anti-incumbency would have worked for the BJP and not against it.&nbsp;</p>


In Gujarat, the BJP won 16 fewer seats than last time

The BJP has won the Gujarat election but failed to cross the 100 mark. It won 99 of the state's 182 seats, while the Congres won 77. In Himachal, the BJP won 44 of the state's 68 seats, while the Congress won 20. Counting is still underway in Himachal in two seats -- with the Congress leading in one of them. Also read: Election results prove country ready for reform, says Modi Also read: After Gujarat, Himachal losses, Congress left in power in only four states An independent candidate is leading in the other. In the last elections, the BJP had won 115 seats in Gujarat. Which means it has won 16 fewer seats than last time. Anti-incumbency of course might have been to blame; the BJP has been in power for 22 years in the state. But the BJP has probably taken a bigger hit because of the various protest movements against it led by Hardik Patel (the Patidars), Jignesh Mevani (the Dalits), and Alpesh Thakor (the OBCs). Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav was quick to pick on the drop in the BJP's tally, saying it pointed to the hollowness of the Gujarat model of development. Commentators have also pointed out that the Gujarat model of development (one which sees high growth) has not been accompanied by a growth in jobs. That they say is what explains the Patidar agitation for reservations in government jobs and educational institutions. In Himachal, the BJP won 18 more seats than last time. But in Himachal, anti-incumbency would have worked for the BJP and not against it.

BJP wins Gujarat but does not cross 100 mark, takes Himachal easily

<p>Defying the early morning trends, Sensex&nbsp;recovered and surged over 100 points.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the early morning trade, the Sensex was down 867 points&nbsp;as the BJP began trailing&nbsp;in Gujarat election polls.</p>

<p>Nifty also slumped 258.45 points to 10,074.80 as early leads in Gujarat&nbsp;assembly polls began to trickle in.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/2017himachal-pradesh-elections-himachal-poll-live-results-27015">Though the BJP took the lead immediately after the counting started,</a> the trend reversed with Congress closing the gap. However, the BJP established its lead in the polls and is now leading in more than 100 seats.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Rupee tumbled&nbsp;68 paise to 64.72 against the dollar after early trends in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh poll results.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Rupee tumbled?68 paise to 64.72 against the dollar after early trends in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh poll results

Defying the early morning trends, Sensex recovered and surged over 100 points. In the early morning trade, the Sensex was down 867 points as the BJP began trailing in Gujarat election polls. Nifty also slumped 258.45 points to 10,074.80 as early leads in Gujarat assembly polls began to trickle in. Though the BJP took the lead immediately after the counting started, the trend reversed with Congress closing the gap. However, the BJP established its lead in the polls and is now leading in more than 100 seats. Meanwhile, Rupee tumbled 68 paise to 64.72 against the dollar after early trends in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh poll results.

Sensex recovers after early shock, surges over 100 points

<p>Mamata Banerjee on Monday&nbsp;congratulated the people in Gujarat for their &#39;balanced verdict&#39;, following the election results.&nbsp;</p>

<p>She further claimed that this is just a &#39;temporary and face-saving win for BJP, however, it shows their defeat&#39;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>She posted a Tweet saying: &quot;I congratulate Gujarat voters for their very balanced verdict at this hour.&nbsp;It is a temporary and face-saving win, but it shows a moral defeat for BJP.&quot;</p>

<p>The Trinamool Congress leader further added: &quot;Gujarat voted against atrocities, anxiety, and injustice caused to the common people. Gujarat belled the cat for 2019&quot;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I congratulate Gujarat voters for their very balanced verdict at this hour.<br />
It is a temporary and face-saving win, but it shows a moral defeat for BJP.<br />
Gujarat voted against atrocities, anxiety and injustice caused to the common people. Gujarat belled the cat for 2019</p>
&mdash; Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/MamataOfficial/status/942705505042014208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The BJP is in the lead in 99 seats in Gujarat and Congress is trailing with 80 seats in the state.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/himachal-election-results-i-accept-the-bjps-victory-says-congresss-virbhadra-singh-27075">Himachal election results: &#39;I accept victory of BJP,&#39; says Congress&#39;s Virbhadra Singh</a></p>

<p>Earlier, Rahul Gandhi had tweeted expressing his gratitude towards the people of Gujarat and said that he <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-accepts-verdict-of-the-people-rahul-gandhi-27081">&quot;accepts the verdict of the people</a>&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He further told his supporters that they have demonstrated to everyone that the &#39;Congress&rsquo;s greatest strength is its decency and courage.&#39;</p>

<p>Also&nbsp;read:<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/i-bow-to-people-of-gujarat-and-himachal-modi-27072"> I bow to people of Gujarat and Himachal: Modi</a></p>

<p>BJP has taken a clean sweep from Congress in both Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


BJP has taken a clean sweep from Congress in both Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh

Mamata Banerjee on Monday congratulated the people in Gujarat for their 'balanced verdict', following the election results. She further claimed that this is just a 'temporary and face-saving win for BJP, however, it shows their defeat'. She posted a Tweet saying: "I congratulate Gujarat voters for their very balanced verdict at this hour. It is a temporary and face-saving win, but it shows a moral defeat for BJP." The Trinamool Congress leader further added: "Gujarat voted against atrocities, anxiety, and injustice caused to the common people. Gujarat belled the cat for 2019" I congratulate Gujarat voters for their very balanced verdict at this hour. It is a temporary and face-saving win, but it shows a moral defeat for BJP. Gujarat voted against atrocities, anxiety and injustice caused to the common people. Gujarat belled the cat for 2019 — Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) December 18, 2017 × The BJP is in the lead in 99 seats in Gujarat and Congress is trailing with 80 seats in the state. Also read: Himachal election results: 'I accept victory of BJP,' says Congress's Virbhadra Singh Earlier, Rahul Gandhi had tweeted expressing his gratitude towards the people of Gujarat and said that he "accepts the verdict of the people". He further told his supporters that they have demonstrated to everyone that the 'Congress’s greatest strength is its decency and courage.' Also read: I bow to people of Gujarat and Himachal: Modi BJP has taken a clean sweep from Congress in both Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.

Temporary and face-saving win for BJP, says Mamata Banerjee

<p>The Election Commission tonight withdrew the notice to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his TV interviews during Gujarat polls, and said it will revisit a provision in the election law under which it was issued.</p>

<p>The poll body had on December 13 issued the show cause notice to Rahul Gandhi for &quot;prima facie&quot; violating the provisions under the election law and the model code by giving interviews to TV channels.</p>

<p>While withdrawing the notice, it told the Congress and the BJP, &quot;The Commission is of the considered view that due to multi-fold expansion of digital and electronic media, the extant Model Code of Conduct, Section 126 of the RP Act, 1951, and other related provisions require revisiting to cater to the requirement and challenges of the present and emerging situations.&quot;</p>

<p>The poll body also decided to set up a panel to suggest amendments to a provision in the election law barring campaigning 48 hours ahead of polling, following complaints that it has failed to keep pace with information technology.</p>

<p>The order comes in the wake of controversies over Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s FICCI meeting, Rahul Gandhi&#39;s TV interviews and the release of BJP manifesto in Gujarat -- all after campaigning had ended in the state.</p>

<p>After the EC passed the order, the Congress said if the commission had issued the notice just to prevent the telecast of Rahul Gandhi&#39;s interviews.</p>

<p>Congress communications in charge Randeep Surjewala tweeted, &quot;If Election Commission has withdrawn its notice issued to Sh. Rahul Gandhi, two bonafide questions must be asked-: 1. Was it a mere ploy to prevent TV channels from showing his interview? and 2. Is it a justification for no action or registration of an FIR against PM &amp; Ministers?&quot;</p>

<p>The commission also said that proposed panel to review section 126 of the Representation of the People Act will have members drawn from the EC, Information &amp; Broadcasting, law and IT ministries as also National Broadcasters Associations (NBA) and the Press Council of India (PCI).</p>

<p>The commission said Section 126 of the RP Act does not take into account communication revolution and &quot;it appears imperative to revisit the provisions relating to the last 48 hours before completion of poll to appropriately address challenges unleashed by fast-changing technologies in the context of multi-phase polls.&quot;</p>

<p>The proposed panel will &quot;examine these provisions in the prevailing context of communication technologies and suggest required changes,&quot; it said.</p>

<p>It also told the BJP about the complaint by the Congress that model code was allegedly violated by the prime minister and union ministers Arun Jaitley and Piyush Goyal.</p>

<p>Without issuing any directions, the Commission said, &quot;BJP is advised not to make mention of any election matter pertaining to area going for the poll during the prohibited period of 48 hours, henceforth.&quot;</p>


The order comes in the wake of controversies over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's FICCI meeting, Rahul Gandhi's TV interviews and the release of BJP manifesto in Gujarat -- all after campaigning had ended in the state.

The Election Commission tonight withdrew the notice to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his TV interviews during Gujarat polls, and said it will revisit a provision in the election law under which it was issued. The poll body had on December 13 issued the show cause notice to Rahul Gandhi for "prima facie" violating the provisions under the election law and the model code by giving interviews to TV channels. While withdrawing the notice, it told the Congress and the BJP, "The Commission is of the considered view that due to multi-fold expansion of digital and electronic media, the extant Model Code of Conduct, Section 126 of the RP Act, 1951, and other related provisions require revisiting to cater to the requirement and challenges of the present and emerging situations." The poll body also decided to set up a panel to suggest amendments to a provision in the election law barring campaigning 48 hours ahead of polling, following complaints that it has failed to keep pace with information technology. The order comes in the wake of controversies over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's FICCI meeting, Rahul Gandhi's TV interviews and the release of BJP manifesto in Gujarat -- all after campaigning had ended in the state. After the EC passed the order, the Congress said if the commission had issued the notice just to prevent the telecast of Rahul Gandhi's interviews. Congress communications in charge Randeep Surjewala tweeted, "If Election Commission has withdrawn its notice issued to Sh. Rahul Gandhi, two bonafide questions must be asked-: 1. Was it a mere ploy to prevent TV channels from showing his interview? and 2. Is it a justification for no action or registration of an FIR against PM & Ministers?" The commission also said that proposed panel to review section 126 of the Representation of the People Act will have members drawn from the EC, Information & Broadcasting, law and IT ministries as also National Broadcasters Associations (NBA) and the Press Council of India (PCI). The commission said Section 126 of the RP Act does not take into account communication revolution and "it appears imperative to revisit the provisions relating to the last 48 hours before completion of poll to appropriately address challenges unleashed by fast-changing technologies in the context of multi-phase polls." The proposed panel will "examine these provisions in the prevailing context of communication technologies and suggest required changes," it said. It also told the BJP about the complaint by the Congress that model code was allegedly violated by the prime minister and union ministers Arun Jaitley and Piyush Goyal. Without issuing any directions, the Commission said, "BJP is advised not to make mention of any election matter pertaining to area going for the poll during the prohibited period of 48 hours, henceforth."

EC withdraws notice to Rahul over TV interviews ahead of Gujarat polls

<p>With several exit polls predicting BJP&#39;s return with a clear majority in Gujarat, an independent candidate from Vadgam, Jignesh Mewani on Sunday rejected the predictions of the saffron party&#39;s win, saying the polls predictions are nonsense.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Jignesh, who is a social activist and Dalit lawyer, said that BJP is definitely going to lose this time in Gujarat.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Exit Polls are nonsense. BJP is definitely going to lose this time and will not form the govt: Jignesh Mevani, Activist and candidate from Vadgam constituency <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GujaratElection2017?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GujaratElection2017</a> <a href="https://t.co/BCbRed4FHz">pic.twitter.com/BCbRed4FHz</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/942271155917922304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Jignesh also attacked the Gujarat model, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlights in his every address to the public, saying that it is nothing but a deception and the people of the state understand it.</p>

<p>In his earlier interview to a leading daily, the social activist went on to say that nobody in Gujarat wants a bullet train and people would be more happy with decent medical facilities in primary and district healthcare centres.</p>

<p>Vadgam constituency has an electoral population of about 2.42 lakhs, of which there are about 74,000 Muslims, 42,000 Dalits, 25,000 Thakors, 8,000 Darbars, 9,000 Prajapatis, 4,000 Brahmins and about 25,000 Chaudharies.</p>

<p>The counting of votes for the 182 assembly seats of Gujarat will begin at 8 a.m. on Monday.&nbsp;</p>


The independent candidate from Vadgam also attacked the 'Gujarat model', saying it is nothing but a deception

With several exit polls predicting BJP's return with a clear majority in Gujarat, an independent candidate from Vadgam, Jignesh Mewani on Sunday rejected the predictions of the saffron party's win, saying the polls predictions are nonsense. Jignesh, who is a social activist and Dalit lawyer, said that BJP is definitely going to lose this time in Gujarat. Exit Polls are nonsense. BJP is definitely going to lose this time and will not form the govt: Jignesh Mevani, Activist and candidate from Vadgam constituency #GujaratElection2017 pic.twitter.com/BCbRed4FHz — ANI (@ANI) December 17, 2017 × Jignesh also attacked the Gujarat model, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlights in his every address to the public, saying that it is nothing but a deception and the people of the state understand it. In his earlier interview to a leading daily, the social activist went on to say that nobody in Gujarat wants a bullet train and people would be more happy with decent medical facilities in primary and district healthcare centres. Vadgam constituency has an electoral population of about 2.42 lakhs, of which there are about 74,000 Muslims, 42,000 Dalits, 25,000 Thakors, 8,000 Darbars, 9,000 Prajapatis, 4,000 Brahmins and about 25,000 Chaudharies. The counting of votes for the 182 assembly seats of Gujarat will begin at 8 a.m. on Monday.

Gujarat election result: Jignesh Mewani rejects BJP win predictions, says 'exit polls are nonsense'

<p>Wishes started pouring in for&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-invites-party-office-bearers-legislators-for-dinner-26964">Rahul Gandhi</a>&nbsp;after he took charge as the 87th Congress Party president yesterday.</p>

<p>Political veterans, leaders, celebrities and eminent personalities have congratulating Rahul Gandhi, wishing him all the luck and success for his new innings.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a congratulatory message, Delhi chief ministers Arvind Kejriwal tweeted, &quot;Congratulations Rahul ji for this big responsibility and our best wishes for all your endeavours,&quot; tweeted Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Congratulations Rahul ji for this big responsibility and our best wishes for all ur endeavours.</p>
&mdash; Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArvindKejriwal/status/941917860548395008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Riteish&nbsp;Deshmukh, Sushil Kumar and Kamal Hassan were among the others who wished Congress president after he took charge as party president. While Kamal Hassan said &#39;&#39;Your seat does not define you but you can define your position while Riteish in his congratulatory message said &#39;&#39;May you continue to be the voice for the voiceless.&#39;&#39;&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Congratulations Mr. Rahul.G. Your seat does not define you but you can define your position. I have admired your elders. I am sure you would work and deserve my admiration too. All the strength to your shoulders.</p>
&mdash; Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) <a href="https://twitter.com/ikamalhaasan/status/941909045828399105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Congratulations Shri Rahul Gandhi ji on taking over as the Congress President. May you continue to be the voice of the voiceless. <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OfficeOfRG</a> <a href="https://t.co/WFV9afvlN0">pic.twitter.com/WFV9afvlN0</a></p>
&mdash; Riteish Deshmukh (@Riteishd) <a href="https://twitter.com/Riteishd/status/942031384742432768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Heartiest congratulations and best wishes to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RahulGandhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RahulGandhi</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OfficeOfRG</a> for taking charge as <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CongressPresident?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CongressPresident</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/INCDelhi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@INCDelhi</a>.</p>
&mdash; Sushil Kumar (@WrestlerSushil) <a href="https://twitter.com/WrestlerSushil/status/941912484922974208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


Riteish?Deshmukh, Sushil Kumar and Kamal Hassan among others wished the new Congress president

Wishes started pouring in for Rahul Gandhi after he took charge as the 87th Congress Party president yesterday. Political veterans, leaders, celebrities and eminent personalities have congratulating Rahul Gandhi, wishing him all the luck and success for his new innings. In a congratulatory message, Delhi chief ministers Arvind Kejriwal tweeted, "Congratulations Rahul ji for this big responsibility and our best wishes for all your endeavours," tweeted Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. Congratulations Rahul ji for this big responsibility and our best wishes for all ur endeavours. — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) December 16, 2017 × Riteish Deshmukh, Sushil Kumar and Kamal Hassan were among the others who wished Congress president after he took charge as party president. While Kamal Hassan said ''Your seat does not define you but you can define your position while Riteish in his congratulatory message said ''May you continue to be the voice for the voiceless.'' Congratulations Mr. Rahul.G. Your seat does not define you but you can define your position. I have admired your elders. I am sure you would work and deserve my admiration too. All the strength to your shoulders. — Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) December 16, 2017 × Congratulations Shri Rahul Gandhi ji on taking over as the Congress President. May you continue to be the voice of the voiceless. @OfficeOfRG pic.twitter.com/WFV9afvlN0 — Riteish Deshmukh (@Riteishd) December 16, 2017 × Heartiest congratulations and best wishes to #RahulGandhi @OfficeOfRG for taking charge as #CongressPresident @INCDelhi. — Sushil Kumar (@WrestlerSushil) December 16, 2017 ×

Wishes pour in for Rahul Gandhi

<p>Newly-elected Congress president Rahul Gandhi threw a lavish dinner party for party members, senior leaders as well as leaders of the opposition party on Sunday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The dinner party included senior opposition leaders along with Congress MP&#39;s with an aim to bring them closer to Rahul Gandhi.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The dinner party was hosted ahead of winter session of Parliment which began on December 15, with hopes to corner the government on a number of issues.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Congress plans to build strategies after the Assembly election results of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh on Monday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Rahul Gandhi took charge of the Congress party&#39;s reins yesterday at a formal function from his mother Sonia Gandhi, with objectives of reviving a moribund party.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In his first speech as the Congress president, Rahul Gandhi hit out at the BJP, accusing it of spreading hatred and violence in the country.</p>

<p>&quot;They break, we unite. They ignite fire, we douse it. They get angry, we love. This is the difference between them and us,&quot; he told party workers.</p>

<p>Sonia Gandhi, 71, who helmed the party for 19 years, in her last address as the party President, said the Congress has been playing the role of opposition since 2014 and never before has it faced the challenge that it faces today.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


The dinner party included senior opposition leaders along with Congress MP's with an aim to bring them closer to Gandhi

Newly-elected Congress president Rahul Gandhi threw a lavish dinner party for party members, senior leaders as well as leaders of the opposition party on Sunday. The dinner party included senior opposition leaders along with Congress MP's with an aim to bring them closer to Rahul Gandhi. The dinner party was hosted ahead of winter session of Parliment which began on December 15, with hopes to corner the government on a number of issues. Congress plans to build strategies after the Assembly election results of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh on Monday. Rahul Gandhi took charge of the Congress party's reins yesterday at a formal function from his mother Sonia Gandhi, with objectives of reviving a moribund party. In his first speech as the Congress president, Rahul Gandhi hit out at the BJP, accusing it of spreading hatred and violence in the country. "They break, we unite. They ignite fire, we douse it. They get angry, we love. This is the difference between them and us," he told party workers. Sonia Gandhi, 71, who helmed the party for 19 years, in her last address as the party President, said the Congress has been playing the role of opposition since 2014 and never before has it faced the challenge that it faces today.

Rahul Gandhi hosts dinner for Congress MPs, leaders of opposition parties

<p>President Donald Trump said Saturday that the sweeping tax overhaul set to be adopted next week in Congress would be a &quot;great&quot; gift for the middle class.</p>

<p>Passage of the measure would mark a massive win for a leader who has yet to notch any major legislative victory after nearly a year in office.</p>

<p>The Democratic minority has repeatedly denounced the measure as benefiting companies and the wealthiest Americans, including Trump himself, the most.</p>

<p>Trump has promised Americans that the legislation would pass before Christmas, so that it would take effect from the beginning of 2018.</p>

<p>&quot;The Democrats have their soundbite, the standard soundbite before they even know what the bill is all about. They talk about &#39;for the wealthy,&#39;&quot; Trump told reporters as he left the White House for the Camp David presidential retreat for the weekend.</p>

<p>&quot;But this is going to be one of the greatest gifts for the middle-income people of this country that they&#39;ve ever gotten for Christmas.&quot;</p>

<p>The president said the changes would boost employment, adding that it was essential for US growth.</p>

<p>&quot;The economy now has hit three percent (growth). Nobody thought it would be anywhere close. I think we could go to four, five or even six percent, ultimately,&quot; Trump said.</p>

<p>&quot;We are back. We are really going to start to rock. We need this as our final push. And you&#39;re going to see some numbers that are great. You&#39;re going to see great job numbers. Jobs are going to come pouring back into this country.&quot;</p>

<p>Asked about the increase in the national debt that the reform will trigger, Trump stressed that the measure would also generate extra revenues as growth increases.</p>

<p>According to the final text, the federal tax on businesses would drop from 35 to 21 percent, while the top income tax will fall from 39.6 to 37 percent, with the number of tax brackets remaining the same.</p>


Passage of the measure would mark a massive win for a leader who has yet to notch any major legislative victory after nearly a year in office.

President Donald Trump said Saturday that the sweeping tax overhaul set to be adopted next week in Congress would be a "great" gift for the middle class. Passage of the measure would mark a massive win for a leader who has yet to notch any major legislative victory after nearly a year in office. The Democratic minority has repeatedly denounced the measure as benefiting companies and the wealthiest Americans, including Trump himself, the most. Trump has promised Americans that the legislation would pass before Christmas, so that it would take effect from the beginning of 2018. "The Democrats have their soundbite, the standard soundbite before they even know what the bill is all about. They talk about 'for the wealthy,'" Trump told reporters as he left the White House for the Camp David presidential retreat for the weekend. "But this is going to be one of the greatest gifts for the middle-income people of this country that they've ever gotten for Christmas." The president said the changes would boost employment, adding that it was essential for US growth. "The economy now has hit three percent (growth). Nobody thought it would be anywhere close. I think we could go to four, five or even six percent, ultimately," Trump said. "We are back. We are really going to start to rock. We need this as our final push. And you're going to see some numbers that are great. You're going to see great job numbers. Jobs are going to come pouring back into this country." Asked about the increase in the national debt that the reform will trigger, Trump stressed that the measure would also generate extra revenues as growth increases. According to the final text, the federal tax on businesses would drop from 35 to 21 percent, while the top income tax will fall from 39.6 to 37 percent, with the number of tax brackets remaining the same.

Trump calls tax overhaul 'Christmas gift' for middle class

<p>Twitter users have been having a laugh at Amul&#39;s new ad campaign featuring Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, famous for his excellent diction and vocabulary, on Friday.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>The post comes following Tharoor&#39;s earlier tweet where he explained his reason for using big words which lead an introduction to a new one in the process - rodomontade.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">To all the well-meaning folks who send me parodies of my supposed speaking/writing style: The purpose of speaking or writing is to communicate w/ precision. I choose my words because they are the best ones for the idea i want to convey, not the most obscure or rodomontade ones!</p>
&mdash; Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShashiTharoor/status/941019065136451584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Amul quickly took note and released an ad which says - &ldquo;Tharooraurus anyone?&rdquo; - showing a confused girl going through a dictionary whilst talking to the MP.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Amul?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Amul</a> Topical: MP&#39;s fondness for tweeting big words like &#39;Rodomontade&#39;! <a href="https://t.co/26HlzjTM4U">pic.twitter.com/26HlzjTM4U</a></p>
&mdash; Amul.coop (@Amul_Coop) <a href="https://twitter.com/Amul_Coop/status/941642748624605185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>However, what caught people&#39;s attention more was Tharoor&#39;s humorous response to the post saying:&nbsp;&ldquo;Butterly honoured. But I feel like a Tharoorosaurus Rex, an ancient creature soon to be extinct, snuffed out in a cloud of incomprehension&hellip;. &rdquo;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Butterly honoured. But I feel like a Tharoorosaurus Rex, an ancient creature soon to be extinct, snuffed out in a cloud of incomprehension.... <a href="https://t.co/2VnkHlla1c">https://t.co/2VnkHlla1c</a></p>
&mdash; Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShashiTharoor/status/941752787548778496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Twitterverse had another laugh at his well-versed reply.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Ha HA! This is thoroughly enjoyable! A refreshing change from the otherwise, polarized political disquisition!</p>
&mdash; Ravikumar MD., MPH (@Chockalingam_Ra) <a href="https://twitter.com/Chockalingam_Ra/status/941753362051198976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Wit is worth its weight in Gold. Refreshing to see a politician with a sense of humour !</p>
&mdash; Renuka Kirpalani (@Renuks) <a href="https://twitter.com/Renuks/status/942004379242188801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="fr">????Touch&eacute;</p>
&mdash; SUKI IYER (@sukiyer18) <a href="https://twitter.com/sukiyer18/status/941855623930507264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">That&rsquo;s supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!</p>
&mdash; Rajiv Bishnoi ????? (@rajiv_bishnoi) <a href="https://twitter.com/rajiv_bishnoi/status/941755791207489536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


The post comes following Tharoor's earlier tweet where he explained his reason for using big words which lead an introduction to a new one in the process - rodomontade

Twitter users have been having a laugh at Amul's new ad campaign featuring Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, famous for his excellent diction and vocabulary, on Friday. The post comes following Tharoor's earlier tweet where he explained his reason for using big words which lead an introduction to a new one in the process - rodomontade. To all the well-meaning folks who send me parodies of my supposed speaking/writing style: The purpose of speaking or writing is to communicate w/ precision. I choose my words because they are the best ones for the idea i want to convey, not the most obscure or rodomontade ones! — Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) December 13, 2017 × Amul quickly took note and released an ad which says - “Tharooraurus anyone?” - showing a confused girl going through a dictionary whilst talking to the MP. #Amul Topical: MP's fondness for tweeting big words like 'Rodomontade'! pic.twitter.com/26HlzjTM4U — Amul.coop (@Amul_Coop) December 15, 2017 × However, what caught people's attention more was Tharoor's humorous response to the post saying: “Butterly honoured. But I feel like a Tharoorosaurus Rex, an ancient creature soon to be extinct, snuffed out in a cloud of incomprehension…. ” Butterly honoured. But I feel like a Tharoorosaurus Rex, an ancient creature soon to be extinct, snuffed out in a cloud of incomprehension.... https://t.co/2VnkHlla1c — Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) December 15, 2017 × Twitterverse had another laugh at his well-versed reply. Ha HA! This is thoroughly enjoyable! A refreshing change from the otherwise, polarized political disquisition! — Ravikumar MD., MPH (@Chockalingam_Ra) December 15, 2017 × Wit is worth its weight in Gold. Refreshing to see a politician with a sense of humour ! — Renuka Kirpalani (@Renuks) December 16, 2017 × ????Touché — SUKI IYER (@sukiyer18) December 16, 2017 × That’s supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! — Rajiv Bishnoi ????? (@rajiv_bishnoi) December 15, 2017 ×

Amul releases ad featuring Shashi Tharoor. His response is hilarious

<p>Congress party headquarters in Delhi wore a festive look ahead of Rahul Gandhi&#39;s take over as party<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-to-swear-in-as-congress-president-today-26869"> president today</a>&nbsp;with several&nbsp;supporters and party workers thronging 24, Akbar Road, early morning to celebrate the &#39;coronation&#39; of party&#39;s new Chief.</p>

<p>The party workers were seen carrying Rahul Gandhi&#39;s posters and chanting slogans.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Posters &amp; hoardings put up in area around AICC HQ in Delhi, Rahul Gandhi will take charge as Congress President, today. <a href="https://t.co/Mdp7zQOZl7">pic.twitter.com/Mdp7zQOZl7</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/941853471686344704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The headquarters of the Indian National Congress for four decades has seen the party through the glorious Indira Gandhi years, Rajiv Gandhi&#39;s experiments, Sonia Gandhi&#39;s reluctant introduction&nbsp;into politics in the past.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Supporters &amp; party workers burst crackers &amp; raise slogans in support of Rahul Gandhi outside Congress HQ at Delhi&#39;s Akbar Road, ahead of him taking over as the party president. <a href="https://t.co/gM4ZXhrI2c">pic.twitter.com/gM4ZXhrI2c</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/941862459396067329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Gandhi&#39;s elevation comes at a tumultuous time. Rahul Gandhi led his party&#39;s campaign from the front in just concluded Gujarat election. Though his party billed it as a sign of an overhauled public image, nearly all exit polls have predicted the Congress losing to the BJP by a huge margin. The Congress is also widely expected to lose Himachal Pradesh. Results for both the state elections will be declared on Monday.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Visuals from outside Congress HQ in Delhi; sweets brought in, supporters continue to celebrate &amp; raise slogans ahead of Rahul Gandhi&#39;s takeover as party President. <a href="https://t.co/e62Fgumr7t">pic.twitter.com/e62Fgumr7t</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/941871726484271105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


Congress headquarters in Delhi is swarmed with hundreds of supporters carrying Rahul Gandhi's posters and chanting slogans in his name.?

Congress party headquarters in Delhi wore a festive look ahead of Rahul Gandhi's take over as party president today with several supporters and party workers thronging 24, Akbar Road, early morning to celebrate the 'coronation' of party's new Chief. The party workers were seen carrying Rahul Gandhi's posters and chanting slogans. Posters & hoardings put up in area around AICC HQ in Delhi, Rahul Gandhi will take charge as Congress President, today. pic.twitter.com/Mdp7zQOZl7 — ANI (@ANI) December 16, 2017 × The headquarters of the Indian National Congress for four decades has seen the party through the glorious Indira Gandhi years, Rajiv Gandhi's experiments, Sonia Gandhi's reluctant introduction into politics in the past. Supporters & party workers burst crackers & raise slogans in support of Rahul Gandhi outside Congress HQ at Delhi's Akbar Road, ahead of him taking over as the party president. pic.twitter.com/gM4ZXhrI2c — ANI (@ANI) December 16, 2017 × Gandhi's elevation comes at a tumultuous time. Rahul Gandhi led his party's campaign from the front in just concluded Gujarat election. Though his party billed it as a sign of an overhauled public image, nearly all exit polls have predicted the Congress losing to the BJP by a huge margin. The Congress is also widely expected to lose Himachal Pradesh. Results for both the state elections will be declared on Monday. Visuals from outside Congress HQ in Delhi; sweets brought in, supporters continue to celebrate & raise slogans ahead of Rahul Gandhi's takeover as party President. pic.twitter.com/e62Fgumr7t — ANI (@ANI) December 16, 2017 ×

Celebrations at Congress headquarters ahead of Rahul Gandhi's take over as party president

<p>Rahul Gandhi is all set to be sworn-in&nbsp;as the party chief today after he was elected unopposed as president of the Indian National Congress on Monday.</p>

<p>It was only four years ago Rahul Gandhi was handed over the baton to lead the party as its vice-president.</p>

<p>Rahul was&nbsp;appointed as party&#39;s vice-president in January 2013.</p>

<p>Rahul&#39;s mother <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sonia-gandhi-to-retire-from-politics-after-rahuls-coronation-as-party-chief-report-26809">Sonia Gandhi has stepped down</a> as the president after serving for nearly two decades. She assumed office in 1998.</p>

<p>Rahul has led the campaign for the 14th Gujarat assembly elections on behalf of the Congress party. He had also recently shown the door to&nbsp;Mani Shankar Aiyar after the latter refused to follow Rahul&#39;s directive to apologise to the PM for his &#39;neech aadmi&#39; remark. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Recently, an&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-posts-an-erroneous-tweet-deletes-later-25910">erroneous Tweet from the official handle of Rahul Gandhi </a>associated with price rise during PM Modi&#39;s regime proved to be a major embarrassment for Gandhi and Congress. Gandhi later&nbsp;deleted the Tweet and apologised. &nbsp;</p>

<p>The Gandhi scion&#39;s first test would be Gujarat Assembly elections, how he&nbsp;carries forward his mother&#39;s legacy will be crucial.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As of now, nearly all exit polls and political analysis point toward BJP&#39;s win in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh; results for both the states are due on Monday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


It was four years ago Rahul Gandhi was handed over the baton to lead the party as its vice-president

Rahul Gandhi is all set to be sworn-in as the party chief today after he was elected unopposed as president of the Indian National Congress on Monday. It was only four years ago Rahul Gandhi was handed over the baton to lead the party as its vice-president. Rahul was appointed as party's vice-president in January 2013. Rahul's mother Sonia Gandhi has stepped down as the president after serving for nearly two decades. She assumed office in 1998. Rahul has led the campaign for the 14th Gujarat assembly elections on behalf of the Congress party. He had also recently shown the door to Mani Shankar Aiyar after the latter refused to follow Rahul's directive to apologise to the PM for his 'neech aadmi' remark. Recently, an erroneous Tweet from the official handle of Rahul Gandhi associated with price rise during PM Modi's regime proved to be a major embarrassment for Gandhi and Congress. Gandhi later deleted the Tweet and apologised. The Gandhi scion's first test would be Gujarat Assembly elections, how he carries forward his mother's legacy will be crucial. As of now, nearly all exit polls and political analysis point toward BJP's win in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh; results for both the states are due on Monday.

Rahul Gandhi to be sworn-in as Congress president today

<p>Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Saturday said party president-elect Rahul Gandhi had always been a unanimous choice of the lakhs of workers across India and would infuse a new energy into the party.</p>

<p>&quot;It is a momentous occasion for the Congress Party. For 19 years, Sonia Gandhi has led the Congress. Rahul Gandhi has been a unanimous choice of the lakhs of workers across India who has elected him as the president of the party. It&#39;s a matter of great joy. Rahul Gandhi has a lot of challenges ahead of him. He is an honest person. He allows space for discussion with humility. His becoming the president will infuse a new energy into the Congress Party,&quot; Pilot told ANI.</p>

<p>He also stated that in 2019 Assembly elections, the Congress would remain the only party to challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nationally, which it even now it is.</p>

<p>&quot;In 2019 elections, the only party to challenge the BJP nationally is and will remain the Congress party. I am very confident that he will lead the party with a lot of energy and be able to overcome the challenges,&quot; he added.</p>

<p>Rahul, erstwhile Congress vice president, has succeeded his mother Sonia Gandhi and will ascend to the party throne on Saturday at 11 pm. He was elected unopposed.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, a day ahead of his formal elevation as the Congress president, the Youth Congress office in New Delhi was lit up, yesterday.</p>

<p>The celebrations began as party workers danced outside the office with drum rolls.</p>

<p>The Congress office in Lucknow was also decorated with lights.</p>

<p>The party is also set to organise a grand celebration in the national capital.&nbsp;</p>


Rahul, erstwhile Congress vice president, has succeeded his mother Sonia Gandhi and will ascend to the party throne on Saturday at 11pm. He was elected unopposed.

Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Saturday said party president-elect Rahul Gandhi had always been a unanimous choice of the lakhs of workers across India and would infuse a new energy into the party. "It is a momentous occasion for the Congress Party. For 19 years, Sonia Gandhi has led the Congress. Rahul Gandhi has been a unanimous choice of the lakhs of workers across India who has elected him as the president of the party. It's a matter of great joy. Rahul Gandhi has a lot of challenges ahead of him. He is an honest person. He allows space for discussion with humility. His becoming the president will infuse a new energy into the Congress Party," Pilot told ANI. He also stated that in 2019 Assembly elections, the Congress would remain the only party to challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nationally, which it even now it is. "In 2019 elections, the only party to challenge the BJP nationally is and will remain the Congress party. I am very confident that he will lead the party with a lot of energy and be able to overcome the challenges," he added. Rahul, erstwhile Congress vice president, has succeeded his mother Sonia Gandhi and will ascend to the party throne on Saturday at 11 pm. He was elected unopposed. Meanwhile, a day ahead of his formal elevation as the Congress president, the Youth Congress office in New Delhi was lit up, yesterday. The celebrations began as party workers danced outside the office with drum rolls. The Congress office in Lucknow was also decorated with lights. The party is also set to organise a grand celebration in the national capital.

Rahul Gandhi will infuse new energy into Congress: Sachin Pilot

<p>Patidar leader Hardik Patel on Saturday questioned Supreme Court&#39;s decision to reject Congress&#39; plea, seeking cross-verification of Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trails with votes cast with Electronic Voting Machines and asked why they were used in the Gujarat elections.</p>

<p>&quot;Why are VVPATs used in the first place&nbsp;It is used for smooth counting of votes wherever there is a fault. I do not understand Supreme Court&#39;s stand on the issue,&quot; the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) convener said.</p>

<p>He also said if EVMs were not tampered with then the exit polls&#39; results, which showed Bharatiya Janata Party&#39;s victory in the state polls, would be proven wrong.</p>

<p>&quot;I think exit polls&#39; results will be proven wrong. If EVMs do not malfunction then BJP will lose the election. I have 100 percent doubt on EVMs,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Patel&#39;s statement comes a day after the apex court dismissed the Congress&#39; plea seeking directions to the Election Commission (EC) to count and cross verify at least 25 percent of VVPAT with votes cast with EVM.</p>

<p>Yesterday, the apex court said it found no merit in Congress&#39; plea and asked that the Gujarat Congress could approach it through filing a writ petition for electoral reforms.</p>

<p>It further maintained that electoral process in a democracy was of utmost importance and the Supreme Court cannot interfere only to allay apprehension of a party.</p>

<p>The voting for the two-phase Gujarat Assembly election ended on Thursday and counting of votes will be held on December 18.</p>


The voting for the two-phase Gujarat Assembly election ended on Thursday and counting of votes will be held on December 18

Patidar leader Hardik Patel on Saturday questioned Supreme Court's decision to reject Congress' plea, seeking cross-verification of Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trails with votes cast with Electronic Voting Machines and asked why they were used in the Gujarat elections. "Why are VVPATs used in the first place It is used for smooth counting of votes wherever there is a fault. I do not understand Supreme Court's stand on the issue," the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) convener said. He also said if EVMs were not tampered with then the exit polls' results, which showed Bharatiya Janata Party's victory in the state polls, would be proven wrong. "I think exit polls' results will be proven wrong. If EVMs do not malfunction then BJP will lose the election. I have 100 percent doubt on EVMs," he said. Patel's statement comes a day after the apex court dismissed the Congress' plea seeking directions to the Election Commission (EC) to count and cross verify at least 25 percent of VVPAT with votes cast with EVM. Yesterday, the apex court said it found no merit in Congress' plea and asked that the Gujarat Congress could approach it through filing a writ petition for electoral reforms. It further maintained that electoral process in a democracy was of utmost importance and the Supreme Court cannot interfere only to allay apprehension of a party. The voting for the two-phase Gujarat Assembly election ended on Thursday and counting of votes will be held on December 18.

Gujarat polls: Hardik Patel questions Supreme Court rejection of Congress's plea

<p>In a major set back to the Congress party, the Supreme Court on Friday dismissed their plea seeking directions to the Election Commission to count and cross verify at least 25 per cent of paper trails generated by the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines with the actual vote tally in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">SC dismisses Congress&#39; plea seeking directions to EC to count &amp; cross verify at least 25% of VVPAT paper trail with EVM votes. <a href="https://t.co/uabJs37oJ5">pic.twitter.com/uabJs37oJ5</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/941600200316960768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Just three days prior to the counting of votes for held Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly elections, the Congress party had today approached the apex court demanding cross-verification.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Senior lawyers and Congress leaders Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Kapil Sibal had appeared for the Congress in this regard.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Congress moves Supreme Court seeking directions to the Election Commission of India to count and cross verify at least 25% of the VVPAT paper trail with the EVM votes. Abhishek Manu Singhvi &amp; Kapil Sibal to appear for Congress, matter likely to be heard today.</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/941587454355677185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p><br />
The plea was submitted just a day after the second and final phase of polling concluded in the Gujarat assembly polls.</p>

<p>This year in July, the EC had made it mandatory to verify the paper trail slips with the results of EVMs in 5 per cent of polling stations in each assembly seat, for all state and Lok Sabha elections.</p>

<p>VVPAT machines were inducted to generate a printed slip confirming the voter&#39;s choice when he voted on an EVM.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


The plea was submitted just a day after the second and final phase of polling concluded in Gujarat assembly polls.

In a major set back to the Congress party, the Supreme Court on Friday dismissed their plea seeking directions to the Election Commission to count and cross verify at least 25 per cent of paper trails generated by the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines with the actual vote tally in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). SC dismisses Congress' plea seeking directions to EC to count & cross verify at least 25% of VVPAT paper trail with EVM votes. pic.twitter.com/uabJs37oJ5 — ANI (@ANI) December 15, 2017 × Just three days prior to the counting of votes for held Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh assembly elections, the Congress party had today approached the apex court demanding cross-verification. Senior lawyers and Congress leaders Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Kapil Sibal had appeared for the Congress in this regard. Congress moves Supreme Court seeking directions to the Election Commission of India to count and cross verify at least 25% of the VVPAT paper trail with the EVM votes. Abhishek Manu Singhvi & Kapil Sibal to appear for Congress, matter likely to be heard today. — ANI (@ANI) December 15, 2017 × The plea was submitted just a day after the second and final phase of polling concluded in the Gujarat assembly polls. This year in July, the EC had made it mandatory to verify the paper trail slips with the results of EVMs in 5 per cent of polling stations in each assembly seat, for all state and Lok Sabha elections. VVPAT machines were inducted to generate a printed slip confirming the voter's choice when he voted on an EVM.

Congress approaches SC seeking cross verification of at least 25% VVPAT slips, plea dismissed

<p>The Congress party dismissed rumours that its chief <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sonia-gandhi-to-retire-from-politics-after-rahuls-coronation-as-party-chief-report-26809">Sonia Gandhi was retiring </a>from politics.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The clarification came from party MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly) Randeep Surjewala who wrote on Twitter that Sonia Gandhi had retired as president of the Congress and not from politics.</p>

<p>Randeep Surjewala also requested &quot;friends in the media to not rely upon innuendos.&quot;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Would sincerely request friends in the media to not rely upon innuendos.<br />
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Smt. Sonia Gandhi has retired as President of Indian National Congress and not from politics. Her blessings, wisdom and innate commitment to Congress ideology shall always be our guiding light.</p>
&mdash; Randeep S Surjewala (@rssurjewala) <a href="https://twitter.com/rssurjewala/status/941569953114742784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Earlier today, media reports had quoted Sonia Gandhi as saying that she will retire from politics once her son Rahul Gandhi takes over the leadership of the party.</p>

<p>Rahul Gandhi, who has led the party in its campaigning for the Gujarat assembly elections, was elected as Congress president last week. He is expected to take over officially as Congress president on December 16.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Sonia Gandhi has been struggling with health issues having had to cut short an election rally in Uttar Pradesh on one occasion this year and a visit to Shimla on another on account of ill-health.</p>

<p>In 2011, she had visited the US for surgery but the Congress refused to provide information about her health. She has been regularly visiting the US for health check-ups ever since.</p>


The clarification came from party MLA Randeep Surjewala who wrote on Twitter that Sonia Gandhi had retired as president of the Congress and not from politics

The Congress party dismissed rumours that its chief Sonia Gandhi was retiring from politics. The clarification came from party MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly) Randeep Surjewala who wrote on Twitter that Sonia Gandhi had retired as president of the Congress and not from politics. Randeep Surjewala also requested "friends in the media to not rely upon innuendos." Would sincerely request friends in the media to not rely upon innuendos. Smt. Sonia Gandhi has retired as President of Indian National Congress and not from politics. Her blessings, wisdom and innate commitment to Congress ideology shall always be our guiding light. — Randeep S Surjewala (@rssurjewala) December 15, 2017 × Earlier today, media reports had quoted Sonia Gandhi as saying that she will retire from politics once her son Rahul Gandhi takes over the leadership of the party. Rahul Gandhi, who has led the party in its campaigning for the Gujarat assembly elections, was elected as Congress president last week. He is expected to take over officially as Congress president on December 16. Sonia Gandhi has been struggling with health issues having had to cut short an election rally in Uttar Pradesh on one occasion this year and a visit to Shimla on another on account of ill-health. In 2011, she had visited the US for surgery but the Congress refused to provide information about her health. She has been regularly visiting the US for health check-ups ever since.

Sonia Gandhi has not retired from politics: Congress

<p>Going by the outcome of Gujarat exit polls, pollsters are indicating a clear majority for BJP in the state. It gives a fair assessment of the outcome, none denying the fact that BJP is set to form the government in Gandhinagar. Many political pundits and politicians who doubted BJP&rsquo;s victory are bound to be surprised with these projections. The perception was and is that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is fighting the toughest electoral battle of his life to retain Gujarat, to maintain &ldquo;Gujarat Model&rdquo; which he sold to win over elections after election since 2014 General Elections. This was not a battle between Congress and BJP, it was Modi vs the rest.</p>

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<h5>This was not a battle between Congress and BJP, it was Modi vs the rest.</h5>
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<p><strong>Angry Gujarat</strong></p>

<p>No doubt, there was anger amongst different sections of Gujaratis&rsquo;. The state population largely linked to the trader community, got shock&nbsp;after shock in the policies of Demonetisation and then rolling out of GST. When it hurts Gujarati&rsquo;s pocket, they are bound to be angry. Though Patel&rsquo;s which comprise 12 percent of Electorate traditionally vote for BJP. Even the tallest of their leader Keshubhai Patel who formed his own outfit, &ldquo;Gujarat Parivartan Party&rdquo; couldn&rsquo;t wean them away from the BJP.</p>

<p>In the current context, mishandling of Patel movement for reservation by Anandiben Patel and later by Vijay Rupani Government did alienate young population of the community. Una incident of attack on four Dalits skinning the carcasses of dead cow in Mota Samadhiyala village of Gir Somnath district did hurt 7 percent of caste population as many of them were in the business of skinning dead animals for a living. On the leaderless soil of politically fertile castes, anger translated into the emergence of new Turks Hardik Patel a Patidar leader, Jignesh Mewani a Dalit leader and Alpesh Thakor, a Rajput and OBC leader. They became the symbol of anger of their respective communities and, thus, raged a war against BJP.</p>

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<p><strong>Congress virtual strategy a</strong><strong> me too</strong></p>

<p>The opposition Congress built their strategies around these scenarios.&nbsp;Cyber army of Congress IT cell camping at Ahmedabad closely monitored by 15 AICC office bearers were trying to do what BJP did in 2014 General elections on social media, create content, pass on to volunteers share and flood the cyberspace. They picked up from a Facebook post by one of Hardik Patel&rsquo;s supporter, engineering student Sagar Savaliya, who wrote: &ldquo;Vikas Gando Thayo Che&rdquo; (with the photo of wheels behind a crashed bus) meaning Development has gone crazy. This created a great traction on social media and thus became the theme of Congress campaign in Gujarat.</p>

<p>They didn&rsquo;t stop here, made Rahul Gandhi ask a question to Modi in the last leg of the campaign. Made him fly passenger class like a normal citizen standing in a queue, eat lots of Fafda&rsquo;s and Jalebi at roadside Dhaba&rsquo;s and above all, pronounced him as &ldquo;Janeudhari Brahmin&rdquo; by temple pilgrimages during the campaign. Not talking about likes of Mani Shankar Iyer as for one they do not mind their language. Congress made two major mistakes, propagating caste and adopting soft Hindutva in the run-up to Gujarat polling. It was a major shift in the grand old party which has been a victim of new cast based regional parties blocking the re-emergence of Congress to reclaim its base.</p>

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<p><strong>Modi&rsquo;s art of turning anger into sympathy</strong></p>

<p>It was natural for Narendra Modi to give lesser attention to his home state Gujarat compared to when he was the chief minister before 2014 because of his larger role as Prime Minister of the country. He never lost the base with state though. Hosting Chinese President Xi-Jinping and recently Japanese PM Shinzo Abe at Ahmedabad and increasing the Hight of Sardar Sarovar Dam. Prime Minister started focusing on Gujarat post-September this year with inauguration of Ahmedabad-Mumbai high speed (Bullet) train with the assistance of his friend Abe. Congress made a joke out of it and termed it a waste of money.</p>

<p>During his visit to Ahmedabad for this ceremony, Modi noticed potholes around the city, though administration patched roads taken By Modi and Abe during their stay. Narendra Modi gave 48 hours&rsquo; time to the administration for making roads pothole free which they did. Sensing the anger Modi made Finance Minister Arun Jaitley make amendments in GST to make it easy for traders and SMSE&rsquo;s. He got CM Vijay Rupani to decrease VAT on petrol and diesel to give relief to commuters. To the Congress charges of &ldquo;Vikas Gando Thayo Che&rdquo; Modi touched the emotional chord by declaring &ldquo;Hun Vikas chum&rdquo; meaning I am development.</p>

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<h5>To the Congress charges of &ldquo;Vikas Gando Thayo Che&rdquo; Modi touched the emotional chord by declaring &ldquo;Hun Vikas chum&rdquo; meaning I am development.</h5>
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<p>Launched 31-km long RoRo ferry service between Ghogha and Dahej that cut travel time from eight hours to one and half hour will benefit people working in the diamond-cutting and polishing hub of Surat. The first phase of voting was over by now. Congress was claiming the lead in this phase and few BJP leaders also were apprehensive. Before the second round of voting, Modi asked, &ldquo;What did I do to deserve this&rdquo; on Mani Shankar Iyer&rsquo;s &ldquo;Neech&rdquo; comment during his campaign. Throughout he spoke in Gujarati. Reminded people how he used to be part of that area when he was in Gujarat. Made that connect with the masses of Gujarat. On congress&rsquo;s &ldquo;Janeudhari Brahmin&rdquo; tactic Modi raked up Mani Shankar Iyer dinner with former Pakistani former Foreign Secretary and other diplomats.</p>

<p>Former PM Manmohan Singh and Former COAS Deepak Kumar were in presence in this dinner meeting. This was the kind of the first instance wherein Prime Minister accused other nation, Pakistan of muddling in Gujarat elections. Pakistan had to clarify officially that they do not have any role in domestic politics of India, but it played well. Many in Gujarat did not perceive it well for Congress. End of the campaign was the most dramatic. Denied permission for a road show in Ahmedabad, Modi holding the door bar of Seaplane did a River Show on Sabarmati Riverfront.</p>

<p>Any Amdavadi, Gujarati or for that matter Indian would have felt proud to see this happening on Sabarmati which use to be a nullah of drains till 2005, emotionally. On polling Day standing in the queue after dedicating INS Kalvari to the nation in Arabian sea Mumbai. Taking a walk near the poll station and while returning waving to crowd from his SUV, inviting Congress to charge Chief Election commissioner working as Prime Ministers PS. This war will go on but Gujarat chapter is closed for now. Those in doubts will be clearer on 18th December by 10:30 AM.</p>

<p>One thing is clear, Modi&rsquo;s magic or Modi Election Winning machine is still intact. He is the leader who knows the pulse of people, engage with them through social media, Mann Ki Baat, Namo App, speeches. He knows when to Bow as he did after demonetisation, seek time for hardships. It is that connect which makes Modi the leader whom people relate, trust and believe.</p>

<p><em>&nbsp;(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)</em></p>


Narendra Modi is the leader who knows the pulse of people. His magic and election winning spree is still intact.

Going by the outcome of Gujarat exit polls, pollsters are indicating a clear majority for BJP in the state. It gives a fair assessment of the outcome, none denying the fact that BJP is set to form the government in Gandhinagar. Many political pundits and politicians who doubted BJP’s victory are bound to be surprised with these projections. The perception was and is that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is fighting the toughest electoral battle of his life to retain Gujarat, to maintain “Gujarat Model” which he sold to win over elections after election since 2014 General Elections. This was not a battle between Congress and BJP, it was Modi vs the rest. This was not a battle between Congress and BJP, it was Modi vs the rest. × Angry Gujarat No doubt, there was anger amongst different sections of Gujaratis’. The state population largely linked to the trader community, got shock after shock in the policies of Demonetisation and then rolling out of GST. When it hurts Gujarati’s pocket, they are bound to be angry. Though Patel’s which comprise 12 percent of Electorate traditionally vote for BJP. Even the tallest of their leader Keshubhai Patel who formed his own outfit, “Gujarat Parivartan Party” couldn’t wean them away from the BJP. In the current context, mishandling of Patel movement for reservation by Anandiben Patel and later by Vijay Rupani Government did alienate young population of the community. Una incident of attack on four Dalits skinning the carcasses of dead cow in Mota Samadhiyala village of Gir Somnath district did hurt 7 percent of caste population as many of them were in the business of skinning dead animals for a living. On the leaderless soil of politically fertile castes, anger translated into the emergence of new Turks Hardik Patel a Patidar leader, Jignesh Mewani a Dalit leader and Alpesh Thakor, a Rajput and OBC leader. They became the symbol of anger of their respective communities and, thus, raged a war against BJP. On the leaderless soil of politically fertile castes, anger translated into the emergence of new Turks Hardik Patel a Patidar leader, Jignesh Mewani a Dalit leader and Alpesh Thakor, a Rajput and OBC leader. × Congress virtual strategy a me too The opposition Congress built their strategies around these scenarios. Cyber army of Congress IT cell camping at Ahmedabad closely monitored by 15 AICC office bearers were trying to do what BJP did in 2014 General elections on social media, create content, pass on to volunteers share and flood the cyberspace. They picked up from a Facebook post by one of Hardik Patel’s supporter, engineering student Sagar Savaliya, who wrote: “Vikas Gando Thayo Che” (with the photo of wheels behind a crashed bus) meaning Development has gone crazy. This created a great traction on social media and thus became the theme of Congress campaign in Gujarat. They didn’t stop here, made Rahul Gandhi ask a question to Modi in the last leg of the campaign. Made him fly passenger class like a normal citizen standing in a queue, eat lots of Fafda’s and Jalebi at roadside Dhaba’s and above all, pronounced him as “Janeudhari Brahmin” by temple pilgrimages during the campaign. Not talking about likes of Mani Shankar Iyer as for one they do not mind their language. Congress made two major mistakes, propagating caste and adopting soft Hindutva in the run-up to Gujarat polling. It was a major shift in the grand old party which has been a victim of new cast based regional parties blocking the re-emergence of Congress to reclaim its base. Congress made two major mistakes, propagating caste and adopting soft Hindutva in the run-up to Gujarat polling. × Modi’s art of turning anger into sympathy It was natural for Narendra Modi to give lesser attention to his home state Gujarat compared to when he was the chief minister before 2014 because of his larger role as Prime Minister of the country. He never lost the base with state though. Hosting Chinese President Xi-Jinping and recently Japanese PM Shinzo Abe at Ahmedabad and increasing the Hight of Sardar Sarovar Dam. Prime Minister started focusing on Gujarat post-September this year with inauguration of Ahmedabad-Mumbai high speed (Bullet) train with the assistance of his friend Abe. Congress made a joke out of it and termed it a waste of money. During his visit to Ahmedabad for this ceremony, Modi noticed potholes around the city, though administration patched roads taken By Modi and Abe during their stay. Narendra Modi gave 48 hours’ time to the administration for making roads pothole free which they did. Sensing the anger Modi made Finance Minister Arun Jaitley make amendments in GST to make it easy for traders and SMSE’s. He got CM Vijay Rupani to decrease VAT on petrol and diesel to give relief to commuters. To the Congress charges of “Vikas Gando Thayo Che” Modi touched the emotional chord by declaring “Hun Vikas chum” meaning I am development. To the Congress charges of “Vikas Gando Thayo Che” Modi touched the emotional chord by declaring “Hun Vikas chum” meaning I am development. × Launched 31-km long RoRo ferry service between Ghogha and Dahej that cut travel time from eight hours to one and half hour will benefit people working in the diamond-cutting and polishing hub of Surat. The first phase of voting was over by now. Congress was claiming the lead in this phase and few BJP leaders also were apprehensive. Before the second round of voting, Modi asked, “What did I do to deserve this” on Mani Shankar Iyer’s “Neech” comment during his campaign. Throughout he spoke in Gujarati. Reminded people how he used to be part of that area when he was in Gujarat. Made that connect with the masses of Gujarat. On congress’s “Janeudhari Brahmin” tactic Modi raked up Mani Shankar Iyer dinner with former Pakistani former Foreign Secretary and other diplomats. Former PM Manmohan Singh and Former COAS Deepak Kumar were in presence in this dinner meeting. This was the kind of the first instance wherein Prime Minister accused other nation, Pakistan of muddling in Gujarat elections. Pakistan had to clarify officially that they do not have any role in domestic politics of India, but it played well. Many in Gujarat did not perceive it well for Congress. End of the campaign was the most dramatic. Denied permission for a road show in Ahmedabad, Modi holding the door bar of Seaplane did a River Show on Sabarmati Riverfront. Any Amdavadi, Gujarati or for that matter Indian would have felt proud to see this happening on Sabarmati which use to be a nullah of drains till 2005, emotionally. On polling Day standing in the queue after dedicating INS Kalvari to the nation in Arabian sea Mumbai. Taking a walk near the poll station and while returning waving to crowd from his SUV, inviting Congress to charge Chief Election commissioner working as Prime Ministers PS. This war will go on but Gujarat chapter is closed for now. Those in doubts will be clearer on 18th December by 10:30 AM. One thing is clear, Modi’s magic or Modi Election Winning machine is still intact. He is the leader who knows the pulse of people, engage with them through social media, Mann Ki Baat, Namo App, speeches. He knows when to Bow as he did after demonetisation, seek time for hardships. It is that connect which makes Modi the leader whom people relate, trust and believe. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: 'Modi-fied' Gujarat Polls 'Trumps' all

<p>Exit polls in the country have gone terribly wrong in the past. They have either underestimated the projected loser or overestimated the predicted winner. At times, these findings have even underestimated the numbers the eventual winner got, and the recent Uttar Pradesh Assembly election is the most recent example of that. On the other hand, exit polls have also been straws in the wind, showcasing a general trend that gets reflected in the actual results. In any case, there is nothing but these numbers one can debate upon until the votes are counted.</p>

<p>Even the stock market goes by the temporary numbers; the Sensex opened on a high on Friday. On Thursday, half a dozen exit polls conducted by psephologists on Gujarat for television news channels were in agreement that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party would gain at least a simple majority and return to power. The margin of victory fluctuated, though. The reaction of the Congress and the BJP was interestingly similar. Both said the outcome on December 18 would be better than predicted, in their respective interests.</p>

<p>Simplistically put, there are two ways to interpret the exit poll results. The first is from the Congress&rsquo;s angle and the other is from the BJP&rsquo;s perspective. Most pollsters have projected an improved performance by the Congress as compared to its 2012 showing. This is reflected in the number of seats and vote-share. The Congress can claim that it gave a real fight to the BJP this time around under Rahul Gandhi&rsquo;s leadership. The party can also gloat that it could wean away a sizeable section of the Patidar community, who have for decades staunchly supported the BJP, to its side. The Congress can also say that it succeeded in busting the &lsquo;myth&rsquo; of the Gujarat Model, which is especially reflected in the support the party has received in rural Gujarat.</p>

<p>None of the above is an entirely empty boast. By most exit poll estimates, the Congress did manage to split Patidar votes in its favour; its vote share and seats have gone up since 2012, and it has done well in the rural belt of Gujarat riding on discontent over farmer&#39;s distress. However, despite all this tailwind and the formation of a novel caste- grouping comprising the Other Backward Class, the Scheduled Castes and the Patidar community, the best that one exit pollster gave the Congress was 82 seats out of a total 182.</p>

<p>Compare this to the worst that the BJP has been projected to end up with - 99 seats - and it becomes obvious that the Congress&rsquo;s best falls way short of the requirement. Besides, if this is all that the party can manage after having invested everything it had in the election, and with the starting advantage of more than two decades of anti-incumbency that the BJP ought to have faced, then by all objective reasoning the country&rsquo;s oldest political party has failed. And, for the record, the best that the BJP has been given by an exit poll agency is 135 seats &mdash; with the prospect of a higher eventual number.</p>

<p>If the exit poll results hold on December 18, the Congress will need to find suitable scapegoats. Perhaps the process has been put into motion. The Electronic Voting Machine is a prime suspect, and so is the institution of the Election Commission of India &mdash; against whom Congress supporters agitated on the streets in an unprecedented show of hostility. A Congress spokesperson even went to the extent of calling the ECI a &ldquo;puppet&rdquo; of the Union Government. The Congress is also likely to attribute its loss to the &ldquo;divisive&rdquo; campaign the BJP and launched and for having &ldquo;misled&rdquo; the people. It should not be imagined even in the wildest dreams that the newly minted Congress president Rahul Gandhi will be held accountable for the defeat.</p>

<p>From the BJP&rsquo;s view, the exit poll results are a source of comfort. If they are reflected on December 18, it would mean that the party has overpowered anti-incumbency for two decades. But more importantly, it would have successfully neutralised the Patidar agitation against it, which had threatened to unseat the party. Exit poll findings have shown that the BJP has done well to retain a significant section of the Patidar votes across the State, including in Saurashtra and north Gujarat where the community has a dominant presence in electoral terms. True, it has lost ground in the region according the poll projections, to the Hardik Patel factor which worked in the Congress&rsquo;s favour, but not to the extent of staring at a catastrophe.</p>

<p>Going by the exit poll findings, the BJP has not just contained the Patidar damage but also managed to compensate for the loss by winning over a majority of the tribal and OBC votes. In the run-up to the two-phased election, commentators had observed that the party could work on the discontent among the OBCs over the Congress&rsquo;s support to Patidar reservation. This it seems to have done with results that offer a measure of self-satisfaction. According to one exit poll finding, even a significant section of the Thakore community to which OBC leader and Congressman Alpesh Thakore belongs, voted for the BJP. In sum, the Congress, in its desire to run after the Patidar votes, has lost the tribal and the OBC voters &mdash; all of whom the BJP gratefully lapped up.</p>

<p>Having outwitted the Congress in caste calculation &mdash; the major plank on which for the Congress was overly dependent to snatch power &mdash; the BJP was left with no real challenge. The &lsquo;lack of development&rsquo; narrative against the BJP simply did not work for the Congress. The Congress&rsquo;s other offensives, such as personal attacks by its senior leaders and allies on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the after-thought of &lsquo;me-too Hindu&rsquo; campaign by Rahul Gandhi, served to weaken the opposition party&rsquo;s narrative. If the exit poll results get vindicated on December 18, Rahul Gandhi will have begun his innings as president on a dismal note.</p>

<p>The impact could be cascading; Assembly elections are due for a clutch of important States in the next year, including in Karnataka &mdash; the only major State besides Punjab where the Congress is in power. And there is the Lok Sabha poll, which is less than two years away. If indeed the Congress is the vanquished one, come Monday, there is one lesson that it must learn at all costs: It does not pay to outsource leadership. It had paid the price in Uttar Pradesh where it placed its future at Akhilesh Yadav&rsquo;s doorstep. It did the same in Gujarat, depending more on the HAJ factor (Hardik-Alpesh- Jignesh) rather than on its core strengths and issues which it alone had the credibility to raise.</p>

<p>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).</p>


The BJP has not just contained the Patidar damage but also managed to compensate for the loss by winning over a majority of the tribal and OBC votes

Exit polls in the country have gone terribly wrong in the past. They have either underestimated the projected loser or overestimated the predicted winner. At times, these findings have even underestimated the numbers the eventual winner got, and the recent Uttar Pradesh Assembly election is the most recent example of that. On the other hand, exit polls have also been straws in the wind, showcasing a general trend that gets reflected in the actual results. In any case, there is nothing but these numbers one can debate upon until the votes are counted. Even the stock market goes by the temporary numbers; the Sensex opened on a high on Friday. On Thursday, half a dozen exit polls conducted by psephologists on Gujarat for television news channels were in agreement that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party would gain at least a simple majority and return to power. The margin of victory fluctuated, though. The reaction of the Congress and the BJP was interestingly similar. Both said the outcome on December 18 would be better than predicted, in their respective interests. Simplistically put, there are two ways to interpret the exit poll results. The first is from the Congress’s angle and the other is from the BJP’s perspective. Most pollsters have projected an improved performance by the Congress as compared to its 2012 showing. This is reflected in the number of seats and vote-share. The Congress can claim that it gave a real fight to the BJP this time around under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership. The party can also gloat that it could wean away a sizeable section of the Patidar community, who have for decades staunchly supported the BJP, to its side. The Congress can also say that it succeeded in busting the ‘myth’ of the Gujarat Model, which is especially reflected in the support the party has received in rural Gujarat. None of the above is an entirely empty boast. By most exit poll estimates, the Congress did manage to split Patidar votes in its favour; its vote share and seats have gone up since 2012, and it has done well in the rural belt of Gujarat riding on discontent over farmer's distress. However, despite all this tailwind and the formation of a novel caste- grouping comprising the Other Backward Class, the Scheduled Castes and the Patidar community, the best that one exit pollster gave the Congress was 82 seats out of a total 182. Compare this to the worst that the BJP has been projected to end up with - 99 seats - and it becomes obvious that the Congress’s best falls way short of the requirement. Besides, if this is all that the party can manage after having invested everything it had in the election, and with the starting advantage of more than two decades of anti-incumbency that the BJP ought to have faced, then by all objective reasoning the country’s oldest political party has failed. And, for the record, the best that the BJP has been given by an exit poll agency is 135 seats — with the prospect of a higher eventual number. If the exit poll results hold on December 18, the Congress will need to find suitable scapegoats. Perhaps the process has been put into motion. The Electronic Voting Machine is a prime suspect, and so is the institution of the Election Commission of India — against whom Congress supporters agitated on the streets in an unprecedented show of hostility. A Congress spokesperson even went to the extent of calling the ECI a “puppet” of the Union Government. The Congress is also likely to attribute its loss to the “divisive” campaign the BJP and launched and for having “misled” the people. It should not be imagined even in the wildest dreams that the newly minted Congress president Rahul Gandhi will be held accountable for the defeat. From the BJP’s view, the exit poll results are a source of comfort. If they are reflected on December 18, it would mean that the party has overpowered anti-incumbency for two decades. But more importantly, it would have successfully neutralised the Patidar agitation against it, which had threatened to unseat the party. Exit poll findings have shown that the BJP has done well to retain a significant section of the Patidar votes across the State, including in Saurashtra and north Gujarat where the community has a dominant presence in electoral terms. True, it has lost ground in the region according the poll projections, to the Hardik Patel factor which worked in the Congress’s favour, but not to the extent of staring at a catastrophe. Going by the exit poll findings, the BJP has not just contained the Patidar damage but also managed to compensate for the loss by winning over a majority of the tribal and OBC votes. In the run-up to the two-phased election, commentators had observed that the party could work on the discontent among the OBCs over the Congress’s support to Patidar reservation. This it seems to have done with results that offer a measure of self-satisfaction. According to one exit poll finding, even a significant section of the Thakore community to which OBC leader and Congressman Alpesh Thakore belongs, voted for the BJP. In sum, the Congress, in its desire to run after the Patidar votes, has lost the tribal and the OBC voters — all of whom the BJP gratefully lapped up. Having outwitted the Congress in caste calculation — the major plank on which for the Congress was overly dependent to snatch power — the BJP was left with no real challenge. The ‘lack of development’ narrative against the BJP simply did not work for the Congress. The Congress’s other offensives, such as personal attacks by its senior leaders and allies on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the after-thought of ‘me-too Hindu’ campaign by Rahul Gandhi, served to weaken the opposition party’s narrative. If the exit poll results get vindicated on December 18, Rahul Gandhi will have begun his innings as president on a dismal note. The impact could be cascading; Assembly elections are due for a clutch of important States in the next year, including in Karnataka — the only major State besides Punjab where the Congress is in power. And there is the Lok Sabha poll, which is less than two years away. If indeed the Congress is the vanquished one, come Monday, there is one lesson that it must learn at all costs: It does not pay to outsource leadership. It had paid the price in Uttar Pradesh where it placed its future at Akhilesh Yadav’s doorstep. It did the same in Gujarat, depending more on the HAJ factor (Hardik-Alpesh- Jignesh) rather than on its core strengths and issues which it alone had the credibility to raise. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: Exit poll comforts BJP; Congress may have to look for scapegoats

<p>Grace is the word for Sonia Gandhi. Good or bad, in&nbsp;success or in failure, Sonia Gandhi would be remembered as a graceful politician. A person who guarded her privacy with fierce intensity and also worked tirelessly to ensure that the role of Nehru-Gandhi family remains intact within the Congress and in public memory. She implemented seminal legislations like MNREGA, Right to Information and food which catered to the poorest and empowered the middle class. On the other hand, she willingly accommodated all the little dynasties within and outside her party like a social network, meshing political with personal.</p>

<p>Her approach towards secularism and economy remained Nehruvian but still allowed Manmohan Singh to go ahead with radical steps like Nuclear deal with America where Congress had to work hard to ensure that the government doesn&rsquo;t fall. She balanced her social commitment with a neo-liberal economic approach of Manmohan Singh who opened Indian economy to the world.</p>

<p>The beauty of Sonia Gandhi lies in her contradictions which she wore very gracefully. After taking over the reign of the Congress&nbsp;she behaved like dowagers, ensuring that top position remains warm for her son Rahul. It did not mean that she did not accommodate the others. She did. Not only she shared power unlike Indira Gandhi but also allowed them to exercise it. The best example is her Political Secretary Ahmad Patel who virtually ran the party for her.</p>

<p>She remained committed to environmental causes like Indira Gandhi. Her focus remained on poor, marginal labourer, farmers and tribals. Many laws enacted during her tenure earned her the wrath of the powerful industrial lobby which eventually sided with Narendra Modi. She almost got labelled as anti-industry and Manmohan Singh had to face the brunt of it. In fact, the downside of her legacy is the institution of the Prime Minister got weak in her tenure. The emergence and assertion of Rahul Gandhi and her own National Advisory Council became the tool by the Opposition to ram Manmohan Singh as an ineffective politician. No one tried to break this image which ultimately harmed Gandhi&rsquo;s more than Manmohan Singh.</p>

<p>It still remains a mystery as to how she allowed Congress to commit hara-kiri by mishandling Telangana issue. Today Congress remains pariah in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The burden of carrying Raja into the ministry despite Manmohan Singh will fall on Sonia&rsquo;s shoulder and not on Manmohan Singh. She was consensus maker but failed to understand the power of d&eacute;tente when the face of the enemy changed. She brought Congress to power twice but failed to build the party apparatus which got tuned to riding to power on sympathy surge.</p>

<p>At a personal level, Sonia&rsquo;s cold fury would be missed by many. It remained her style.</p>

<p>Another of her big achievement was that she ended the isolation of the Congress Party. She broke the paradigm of the 70s. She understood that Congress will not be able to match BJP&rsquo;s Hindutva either in soft or hard form, therefore, she built alliances with regional parties who also felt threatened.</p>

<p>She builds bridges across parties including DMK, which allowed her to form the first Congress government after 1996. She managed a galaxy of leaders like Pranab Mukherji to Natwar Singh to Madhav Rao Scindhia to Sharad Pawar during her tenure. Later the very gravitas at the top and inherited squabble between them damaged the Congress. Sonia failed to control them.</p>

<p>She also failed to see the hardening of the Hindu sentiment against the Congress and the cultured surrounding of Sonia came to be perceived as elitist. Perhaps her political nuance became dated. Modi was an outsider and she immediately became a quintessential insider.</p>

<p>She also belonged to a different era. Even today, she does not have a twitter account nor she is on Facebook. Despite being in public, Sonia Gandhi&rsquo;s influence on 10 years of UPA continues to remain hidden. Most of her correspondence with important functionaries are in public domain. It would be of great interest how she shaped policy in conversations. But all said and done, in her beauty and ugliness, in her great achievement and failure, she remained a graceful politician. Grace defines her.</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)</em></p>


She also belonged to a different era. Even today, she does not have a twitter account or Facebook account. Good or bad, in success or in failure, Sonia Gandhi would be remembered as a graceful politician

Grace is the word for Sonia Gandhi. Good or bad, in success or in failure, Sonia Gandhi would be remembered as a graceful politician. A person who guarded her privacy with fierce intensity and also worked tirelessly to ensure that the role of Nehru-Gandhi family remains intact within the Congress and in public memory. She implemented seminal legislations like MNREGA, Right to Information and food which catered to the poorest and empowered the middle class. On the other hand, she willingly accommodated all the little dynasties within and outside her party like a social network, meshing political with personal. Her approach towards secularism and economy remained Nehruvian but still allowed Manmohan Singh to go ahead with radical steps like Nuclear deal with America where Congress had to work hard to ensure that the government doesn’t fall. She balanced her social commitment with a neo-liberal economic approach of Manmohan Singh who opened Indian economy to the world. The beauty of Sonia Gandhi lies in her contradictions which she wore very gracefully. After taking over the reign of the Congress she behaved like dowagers, ensuring that top position remains warm for her son Rahul. It did not mean that she did not accommodate the others. She did. Not only she shared power unlike Indira Gandhi but also allowed them to exercise it. The best example is her Political Secretary Ahmad Patel who virtually ran the party for her. She remained committed to environmental causes like Indira Gandhi. Her focus remained on poor, marginal labourer, farmers and tribals. Many laws enacted during her tenure earned her the wrath of the powerful industrial lobby which eventually sided with Narendra Modi. She almost got labelled as anti-industry and Manmohan Singh had to face the brunt of it. In fact, the downside of her legacy is the institution of the Prime Minister got weak in her tenure. The emergence and assertion of Rahul Gandhi and her own National Advisory Council became the tool by the Opposition to ram Manmohan Singh as an ineffective politician. No one tried to break this image which ultimately harmed Gandhi’s more than Manmohan Singh. It still remains a mystery as to how she allowed Congress to commit hara-kiri by mishandling Telangana issue. Today Congress remains pariah in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The burden of carrying Raja into the ministry despite Manmohan Singh will fall on Sonia’s shoulder and not on Manmohan Singh. She was consensus maker but failed to understand the power of détente when the face of the enemy changed. She brought Congress to power twice but failed to build the party apparatus which got tuned to riding to power on sympathy surge. At a personal level, Sonia’s cold fury would be missed by many. It remained her style. Another of her big achievement was that she ended the isolation of the Congress Party. She broke the paradigm of the 70s. She understood that Congress will not be able to match BJP’s Hindutva either in soft or hard form, therefore, she built alliances with regional parties who also felt threatened. She builds bridges across parties including DMK, which allowed her to form the first Congress government after 1996. She managed a galaxy of leaders like Pranab Mukherji to Natwar Singh to Madhav Rao Scindhia to Sharad Pawar during her tenure. Later the very gravitas at the top and inherited squabble between them damaged the Congress. Sonia failed to control them. She also failed to see the hardening of the Hindu sentiment against the Congress and the cultured surrounding of Sonia came to be perceived as elitist. Perhaps her political nuance became dated. Modi was an outsider and she immediately became a quintessential insider. She also belonged to a different era. Even today, she does not have a twitter account nor she is on Facebook. Despite being in public, Sonia Gandhi’s influence on 10 years of UPA continues to remain hidden. Most of her correspondence with important functionaries are in public domain. It would be of great interest how she shaped policy in conversations. But all said and done, in her beauty and ugliness, in her great achievement and failure, she remained a graceful politician. Grace defines her. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: An era ends, Sonia Gandhi, a graceful politician

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