<p>The government and opposition will discuss Prime Minister Modi&#39;s remarks on Manmohan Singh in the Rajya Sabha.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The upper house had been repeatedly adjourned on Monday with the opposition demanding an apology for the remarks.&nbsp;</p>

<p>And the Congress walked out of the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/manmohan-singh-reiterates-pain-and-anguish-in-video-26668">Pakistan meddling in Gujarat allegation: Manmohan Singh reiterates pain and anguish in video </a></p>

<p>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/paks-dig-at-pm-modi-india-should-stop-dragging-pakistan-into-electoral-debate-says-pakistan-foreign-ministry-26433">Win Gujarat election on own strength, stop dragging us: Pakistan hits back after PM Modi&#39;s jibe </a></p>

<p>After the impasse, Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu said he met informally with the opposition and treasury benches to figure out a way forward.&nbsp;</p>

<p>At the meeting, it was decided that the issue would be discussed in the Rajya Sabha.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Finance Minister Arun Jaitley reportedly also assured the opposition that the government was open to discussion.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/manmohan-to-pm-find-more-dignified-ways-to-seek-votes-25699">Manmohan to PM, find &#39;more dignified ways&#39; to seek votes</a></p>

<p>The issue was raised in the Rajya Sabha by Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Azad said a question mark had been placed on the dignity of the prime minister.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He also demanded Prime Minister Modi&#39;s presence to explain the allegations.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Media reports said Tuesday that Manmohan had met Naidu personally and told him about the allegations.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Modi had, while campaigning in Gujarat, said Manmohan Singh, former Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, and former vice-president Hamid Ansari had met with the Pakistani high commissioner and former foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri and discussed the Gujarat elections.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/narendra-modi-questions-aiyars-meeting-with-pak-high-commissioner-26372">Why did Congress leaders meet in secret with Pakistanis? PM Modi in Gujarat </a></p>


Modi had while campaigning in Gujarat said Congress leaders including former prime minister Manmohan Singh had met with Pakistani leaders and discussed the Gujarat elections

The government and opposition will discuss Prime Minister Modi's remarks on Manmohan Singh in the Rajya Sabha. The upper house had been repeatedly adjourned on Monday with the opposition demanding an apology for the remarks. And the Congress walked out of the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. Also read: Pakistan meddling in Gujarat allegation: Manmohan Singh reiterates pain and anguish in video Also read: Win Gujarat election on own strength, stop dragging us: Pakistan hits back after PM Modi's jibe After the impasse, Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu said he met informally with the opposition and treasury benches to figure out a way forward. At the meeting, it was decided that the issue would be discussed in the Rajya Sabha. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley reportedly also assured the opposition that the government was open to discussion. Also read: Manmohan to PM, find 'more dignified ways' to seek votes The issue was raised in the Rajya Sabha by Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad. Azad said a question mark had been placed on the dignity of the prime minister. He also demanded Prime Minister Modi's presence to explain the allegations. Media reports said Tuesday that Manmohan had met Naidu personally and told him about the allegations. Modi had, while campaigning in Gujarat, said Manmohan Singh, former Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, and former vice-president Hamid Ansari had met with the Pakistani high commissioner and former foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri and discussed the Gujarat elections. Also read: Why did Congress leaders meet in secret with Pakistanis? PM Modi in Gujarat

Government, opposition to discuss Modi remarks on Manmohan in RS

<p>Narendra Modi clinched a victory for BJP in Gujarat. He ensured it by consolidating his party&rsquo;s base in urban India. He has given a new political mantra for his party to function:&nbsp;hope and fear. Evidently, Indian politics has the potential to behave as T20 match and Test cricket at the same time. Gujarat result is an example in case.</p>

<p>Rahul Gandhi despite the loss, took away the sheen from BJP&rsquo;s victory. Under his leadership, the Congress brought the BJP&nbsp;down to a two-digit victory, making him the Man of the Match. Narendra Modi, however, remains the Man of the Series when it comes to elections. Modi proved, again, that he is the only one who has the stamina to either change the public mood or arrest a tsunami.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/opinion-in-spite-of-gst-how-modi-won-gujarat-27077"><strong>Also read: In spite of GST, how Modi won Gujarat</strong></a></p>

<p>Gujarat election changes a&nbsp;couple of things in the political narrative. It proves that Narendra Modi will not shy away from taking the battle to any level, provided it led to victory. Clearly, he is the only one in Indian politics who has the capacity to shape the mood of the voters if not completely shift them. It shows that Modi treats elections like a battle to be won at all the cost, and rest of the issues are shoved at the periphery.</p>

<p>Whether it is the dinner diplomacy gaffe or Mani-Kapil&#39;s quick mistakes between the wickets, the urban audience in Gujarat reacted positively to Modi&rsquo;s jibe. Urban Gujarat chose Modi despite economic distress. Ultimately, the Prime Minister is their original poster boy. To take him down would mean taking one&rsquo;s own down.</p>

<p>On the day Rahul Gandhi took over as the Congress President, the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke of politics of hope and fear. He said that hope must triumph over fear. The results in Gujarat show&nbsp;that for urban India the hope and fear do not exist in a binary but are intermeshed.</p>

<p>It was best reflected by the speeches of the prime minister on the &#39;neech&#39; comment, dinner and temple issue. Both fear and hope were stoked at the same time. The hope was in the assertion of majoritarian politics and the fear was the return to a state where minority voice mattered.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/opinion-rahul-the-only-winner-in-gujarat-election-27045"><strong>Also read: Rahul, Hardik run out BJP at 99</strong></a></p>

<p>Rahul Gandhi did neutralise his anti-Hindu stance which he inherited during 2014 elections but the political memories of hard secularism came flushing back into the electoral arena because of the mistakes committed by Congress leaders and activists. It is not to say that BJP supporters don&rsquo;t use abusive language. In fact, the correct picture is that twitter handles of far-right supporters have been far more abusive and rest seems to be only catching up now.</p>

<p>The challenge for Rahul Gandhi is to break this matrix put in place by the BJP which thrives on hard Hindutva during elections, and once the race is won it goes back to <i>sabka saath sabka vikas</i>. It works on fear and hope at the same time. It is also married to new and some repackaged government schemes which are all attributable to Narendra Modi.</p>

<p>The only thing attributable to Rahul Gandhi today is the extension of NREGA throughout India. However, it is a distant memory today. It is this politics of hope and fear which Rahul Gandhi has to battle as it is enmeshed with fear of the return of massive corruption and minority politics. The hope is pinned on assertive India sitting on the stool of identity.</p>

<p>Rahul played the match well and lost. The vote share difference was again 8 per cent but rural Gujarat supported Congress. It reinforces the image of Congress as a party which takes up agrarian issues more than BJP. He won admiration from both his own party and other regional players. This has happened for the first time. He has received sympathy and grudging respect. To borrow it from &quot;The Last Jedi&quot;, the BJP should hope that Rahul doesn&rsquo;t become the spark which fires up the entire Opposition, which today is in the doghouse, lying straight on the ground.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/opinion-what-bjp-and-congress-learned-from-gujarat-elections-27138"><strong>Also read: What BJP and Congress learned from Gujarat elections</strong></a></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>


The challenge for Rahul Gandhi is to break this matrix put in place by the BJP which thrives on hard Hindutva during elections, and once the race is won it goes back to sabka saath sabka vikas.

Narendra Modi clinched a victory for BJP in Gujarat. He ensured it by consolidating his party’s base in urban India. He has given a new political mantra for his party to function: hope and fear. Evidently, Indian politics has the potential to behave as T20 match and Test cricket at the same time. Gujarat result is an example in case. Rahul Gandhi despite the loss, took away the sheen from BJP’s victory. Under his leadership, the Congress brought the BJP down to a two-digit victory, making him the Man of the Match. Narendra Modi, however, remains the Man of the Series when it comes to elections. Modi proved, again, that he is the only one who has the stamina to either change the public mood or arrest a tsunami. Also read: In spite of GST, how Modi won Gujarat Gujarat election changes a couple of things in the political narrative. It proves that Narendra Modi will not shy away from taking the battle to any level, provided it led to victory. Clearly, he is the only one in Indian politics who has the capacity to shape the mood of the voters if not completely shift them. It shows that Modi treats elections like a battle to be won at all the cost, and rest of the issues are shoved at the periphery. Whether it is the dinner diplomacy gaffe or Mani-Kapil's quick mistakes between the wickets, the urban audience in Gujarat reacted positively to Modi’s jibe. Urban Gujarat chose Modi despite economic distress. Ultimately, the Prime Minister is their original poster boy. To take him down would mean taking one’s own down. On the day Rahul Gandhi took over as the Congress President, the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke of politics of hope and fear. He said that hope must triumph over fear. The results in Gujarat show that for urban India the hope and fear do not exist in a binary but are intermeshed. It was best reflected by the speeches of the prime minister on the 'neech' comment, dinner and temple issue. Both fear and hope were stoked at the same time. The hope was in the assertion of majoritarian politics and the fear was the return to a state where minority voice mattered. Also read: Rahul, Hardik run out BJP at 99 Rahul Gandhi did neutralise his anti-Hindu stance which he inherited during 2014 elections but the political memories of hard secularism came flushing back into the electoral arena because of the mistakes committed by Congress leaders and activists. It is not to say that BJP supporters don’t use abusive language. In fact, the correct picture is that twitter handles of far-right supporters have been far more abusive and rest seems to be only catching up now. The challenge for Rahul Gandhi is to break this matrix put in place by the BJP which thrives on hard Hindutva during elections, and once the race is won it goes back to sabka saath sabka vikas. It works on fear and hope at the same time. It is also married to new and some repackaged government schemes which are all attributable to Narendra Modi. The only thing attributable to Rahul Gandhi today is the extension of NREGA throughout India. However, it is a distant memory today. It is this politics of hope and fear which Rahul Gandhi has to battle as it is enmeshed with fear of the return of massive corruption and minority politics. The hope is pinned on assertive India sitting on the stool of identity. Rahul played the match well and lost. The vote share difference was again 8 per cent but rural Gujarat supported Congress. It reinforces the image of Congress as a party which takes up agrarian issues more than BJP. He won admiration from both his own party and other regional players. This has happened for the first time. He has received sympathy and grudging respect. To borrow it from "The Last Jedi", the BJP should hope that Rahul doesn’t become the spark which fires up the entire Opposition, which today is in the doghouse, lying straight on the ground. Also read: What BJP and Congress learned from Gujarat elections (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: Rahul is the Man of the Match. Modi is the Man of the Series

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday arrived at Lakshadweep to chair a review meeting on the aftermath of Cyclone Ockhi.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Lakshadweep: Prime Minister Narendra Modi chairs a review meeting on the aftermath of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CycloneOckhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CycloneOckhi</a> <a href="https://t.co/gIVfqrJ2bg">pic.twitter.com/gIVfqrJ2bg</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/942981818080411648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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<p>Modi arrived at Mangalore late last night and travelled to Lakshadweep early morning today.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Mangalore (Karnataka): Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaves for Lakshadweep to visit <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CycloneOckhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CycloneOckhi</a> affected areas <a href="https://t.co/EKwdVHrn3I">pic.twitter.com/EKwdVHrn3I</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/942947731537932288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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<p>Modi will be visiting Cyclone-hit Lakshadweep, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala and review the situation arising in the aftermath and the status of relief and rehabilitation operations.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Earlier today, youngsters of Lakshadweep extended a warm welcome to PM <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a>. <a href="https://t.co/bVcVDcOU75">pic.twitter.com/bVcVDcOU75</a></p>
&mdash; PMO India (@PMOIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/PMOIndia/status/942992129625808896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


Modi will be visiting Cyclone-hit Lakshadweep, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala and review the situation arising in the aftermath and the status of relief and rehabilitation operations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday arrived at Lakshadweep to chair a review meeting on the aftermath of Cyclone Ockhi. Lakshadweep: Prime Minister Narendra Modi chairs a review meeting on the aftermath of #CycloneOckhi pic.twitter.com/gIVfqrJ2bg — ANI (@ANI) December 19, 2017 × Modi arrived at Mangalore late last night and travelled to Lakshadweep early morning today. Mangalore (Karnataka): Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaves for Lakshadweep to visit #CycloneOckhi affected areas pic.twitter.com/EKwdVHrn3I — ANI (@ANI) December 19, 2017 × Modi will be visiting Cyclone-hit Lakshadweep, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala and review the situation arising in the aftermath and the status of relief and rehabilitation operations. Earlier today, youngsters of Lakshadweep extended a warm welcome to PM @narendramodi. pic.twitter.com/bVcVDcOU75 — PMO India (@PMOIndia) December 19, 2017 ×

Watch: Modi chairs review meeting at Cyclone-hit Lakshadweep

<p>After a fiercely contested election campaign for over two months now, the cat is finally out of the bag and both the states, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, have emphatically gone the saffron way in the election results that has poured in. The result puts a lid over all speculations of an impending negative verdict on PM Modi&#39;s big-ticket economic reforms.</p>

<p>This election was important, as the BJP was not only fighting for retaining its sway in Gujarat by winning its sixth term into office but was also defending a hugely-challenged narrative of Gujarat model, which seemed to have suffered a major dent under a resurgent Congress led by an aggressive and super combative Rahul Gandhi.</p>

<p>No doubt, this election has seen a resurgent Rahul Gandhi, who not only led the moribund Congress organization from the front but also managed to put up a rainbow of coalition that thrived on the years of anti-incumbency and put up a semblance of strong fight. However, the fact is that his attempt to divide the country along the various caste fault-lines and to exploit the parochial interests haven&#39;t paid.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Following are the five important takeaways from Monday&#39;s Gujarat election results:</p>

<ol>
	<li>First, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is still the king of electoral politics and the numero uno vote magnet of the party. Gujarat has voted BJP sixth time in power in the name of Modi only. It was a fact that after the exit of Modi from the state politics, the governance had become far too slower in delivering results and many of its policies were not reaching to the ground. Vijay Rupani looked far less a charmer and wasn&#39;t exactly the man needed to tame the anti-incumbency sentiments. On top of it, the heat generated around demonetisation and GST was rubbing off badly on the BJP. For the Congress, it was a now or never moment as with a firm coalition under its belt, it looked eager and full of appetite. Still, BJP walked away with the victory trophy, wholly and solely because of Modi and his reigning magic. The case is much like a football match where the Congress was given to hit a penalty kick, yet it failed to score a goal.</li>
	<li>Second, now all opposition charges around the negative effects of demonetisation and GST must be put to rest. Elections after elections, the electorate have given their mandate in favour of the BJP, the last being the landslide victory in UP early this year. Now, with the resounding victories of the party in the Gujarat and Himachal elections, all such negative narratives must be put to the rest. This becomes more pronounced especially when all the 12 seats of Surat areas, which is the hub of the traders&#39; class and is dominated by the disgruntled Patidar communities, have been retained by the BJP. It proves that the narrative of mass resentment built by the Congress against the BJP&#39;s economic policies were not valid.</li>
	<li>Third, despite all things said to the contrary, &#39;vikas&#39; (development) still resonates with the people which is apparent in the results where the voters have rejected a highly divisive identity politics initiated by Rahul Gandhi, who had cobbled up a regressive casteist coalition and riding the wave of Patidar dissidence, hoped to take on the development plank of the BJP. However, the voters gave the message that, to them, development is far more a lucrative path than divisive agenda of the Congress.</li>
	<li>Fourth, the election results give the Congress an opportunity to pause and reflect over their future election strategies. The Congress began its election campaign in Gujarat on a narrative of lies. It hit the campaign with the slogan &#39;vikas gando thayo che&#39; (development has gone mad) and tried to fool the masses with things that were obviously the opposite. Yes, of course, there have been pockets of resentments in the state where the development has failed to make a connect with the ones who needed it. Yet, dismissing the developments of one of the highly developed states altogether and creating a narrative of negativities seems to have backfired on the Congress, which needs to do a rethink before creating an agenda of negativities for future electoral campaigns. Lies have weaker legs that can&#39;t take one farther and convert in votes.</li>
	<li>Lastly, these election results must put to rest all controversies around the EVMs and impartiality of the electionECommission as the course of the counting since morning has seen huge swinging of fortunes in favour of both BJP and Congress at different points of time giving a perfect rollercoaster effect. It hasn&#39;t been a lopsided win, and with the Congress getting its own moments of celebrations at times, the results have never been a smooth sail for the BJP since the counting began. Also, the huge leads taken by the Congress over the BJP in the areas of Saurashtra, where the former was expected to do better, reflects the reality. Hence, it&#39;s hoped that the EVM controversy has walked to its full length and shall be given a decent burial.</li>
</ol>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)</em></p>


This election was important, as the BJP was not only fighting for retaining its sway in Gujarat by winning its sixth term into office but was also defending a hugely-challenged narrative of Gujarat model.

After a fiercely contested election campaign for over two months now, the cat is finally out of the bag and both the states, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, have emphatically gone the saffron way in the election results that has poured in. The result puts a lid over all speculations of an impending negative verdict on PM Modi's big-ticket economic reforms. This election was important, as the BJP was not only fighting for retaining its sway in Gujarat by winning its sixth term into office but was also defending a hugely-challenged narrative of Gujarat model, which seemed to have suffered a major dent under a resurgent Congress led by an aggressive and super combative Rahul Gandhi. No doubt, this election has seen a resurgent Rahul Gandhi, who not only led the moribund Congress organization from the front but also managed to put up a rainbow of coalition that thrived on the years of anti-incumbency and put up a semblance of strong fight. However, the fact is that his attempt to divide the country along the various caste fault-lines and to exploit the parochial interests haven't paid. Following are the five important takeaways from Monday's Gujarat election results: First, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is still the king of electoral politics and the numero uno vote magnet of the party. Gujarat has voted BJP sixth time in power in the name of Modi only. It was a fact that after the exit of Modi from the state politics, the governance had become far too slower in delivering results and many of its policies were not reaching to the ground. Vijay Rupani looked far less a charmer and wasn't exactly the man needed to tame the anti-incumbency sentiments. On top of it, the heat generated around demonetisation and GST was rubbing off badly on the BJP. For the Congress, it was a now or never moment as with a firm coalition under its belt, it looked eager and full of appetite. Still, BJP walked away with the victory trophy, wholly and solely because of Modi and his reigning magic. The case is much like a football match where the Congress was given to hit a penalty kick, yet it failed to score a goal. Second, now all opposition charges around the negative effects of demonetisation and GST must be put to rest. Elections after elections, the electorate have given their mandate in favour of the BJP, the last being the landslide victory in UP early this year. Now, with the resounding victories of the party in the Gujarat and Himachal elections, all such negative narratives must be put to the rest. This becomes more pronounced especially when all the 12 seats of Surat areas, which is the hub of the traders' class and is dominated by the disgruntled Patidar communities, have been retained by the BJP. It proves that the narrative of mass resentment built by the Congress against the BJP's economic policies were not valid. Third, despite all things said to the contrary, 'vikas' (development) still resonates with the people which is apparent in the results where the voters have rejected a highly divisive identity politics initiated by Rahul Gandhi, who had cobbled up a regressive casteist coalition and riding the wave of Patidar dissidence, hoped to take on the development plank of the BJP. However, the voters gave the message that, to them, development is far more a lucrative path than divisive agenda of the Congress. Fourth, the election results give the Congress an opportunity to pause and reflect over their future election strategies. The Congress began its election campaign in Gujarat on a narrative of lies. It hit the campaign with the slogan 'vikas gando thayo che' (development has gone mad) and tried to fool the masses with things that were obviously the opposite. Yes, of course, there have been pockets of resentments in the state where the development has failed to make a connect with the ones who needed it. Yet, dismissing the developments of one of the highly developed states altogether and creating a narrative of negativities seems to have backfired on the Congress, which needs to do a rethink before creating an agenda of negativities for future electoral campaigns. Lies have weaker legs that can't take one farther and convert in votes. Lastly, these election results must put to rest all controversies around the EVMs and impartiality of the electionECommission as the course of the counting since morning has seen huge swinging of fortunes in favour of both BJP and Congress at different points of time giving a perfect rollercoaster effect. It hasn't been a lopsided win, and with the Congress getting its own moments of celebrations at times, the results have never been a smooth sail for the BJP since the counting began. Also, the huge leads taken by the Congress over the BJP in the areas of Saurashtra, where the former was expected to do better, reflects the reality. Hence, it's hoped that the EVM controversy has walked to its full length and shall be given a decent burial. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: What BJP and Congress learned from Gujarat elections

<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>Indian shares reversed earlier losses to end higher on Monday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s party appeared to win elections in his home state of Gujarat for a sixth term as counting of votes progressed.</p>

<p>The BSE Sensex rose 0.41 percent to 33,601.68, while the broader NSE Nifty ended 0.54 percent higher at 10,388.75. Both indexes were led by gains in financial stocks.</p>

<p>The rupee recovered from early losses, but was still trading marginally lower against the US dollar, while bond yield hit a fresh 16-month high</p>

<p>The indexes dropped as much as 2.5 percent each in early trading as initial counting showed a close fight between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the main opposition Congress party.</p>


The BSE Sensex rose 0.41 percent to 33,601.68, while the broader NSE Nifty ended 0.54 percent higher at 10,388.75.

Indian shares reversed earlier losses to end higher on Monday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s party appeared to win elections in his home state of Gujarat for a sixth term as counting of votes progressed. The BSE Sensex rose 0.41 percent to 33,601.68, while the broader NSE Nifty ended 0.54 percent higher at 10,388.75. Both indexes were led by gains in financial stocks. The rupee recovered from early losses, but was still trading marginally lower against the US dollar, while bond yield hit a fresh 16-month high The indexes dropped as much as 2.5 percent each in early trading as initial counting showed a close fight between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the main opposition Congress party.

Sensex ends higher as Modi's party leads in state polls

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/election-results-bjp-wins-gujarat-27098">Election results prove country ready for reform: Modi after Gujarat win</a></p>

<p>The BJP has won the Gujarat election, reaching the victory mark of&nbsp;92.</p>

<p>Ninety-two is the victory mark in the 182-seat state.&nbsp;</p>

<p><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>&quot;I bow to the people of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh for their affection and trust in BJP,&quot; Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted on Monday.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/hardik-patel-claims-tampering-of-evms-in-surat-rajkot-ahmedabad-27070">EVMs tampered </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/hardik-patel-claims-tampering-of-evms-in-surat-rajkot-ahmedabad-27070">in</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/hardik-patel-claims-tampering-of-evms-in-surat-rajkot-ahmedabad-27070"> Surat, Rajkot, Ahmedabad, says </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/hardik-patel-claims-tampering-of-evms-in-surat-rajkot-ahmedabad-27070">Hardik</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/hardik-patel-claims-tampering-of-evms-in-surat-rajkot-ahmedabad-27070"> Patel</a></p>

<p>Patidar leader Hardik Patel has claimed that there has been tampering in EVMs in Surat, Rajkot <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/hardik-patel-claims-tampering-of-evms-in-surat-rajkot-ahmedabad-27070">and</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/hardik-patel-claims-tampering-of-evms-in-surat-rajkot-ahmedabad-27070"> Ahmedabad.</a></p>

<p>He said that the gap between the rival candidates was very less in places wherever tempering happened. &nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-to-lay-out-america-first-security-strategy-27092">President Trump to lay out &#39;America First&#39; security strategy</a></p>

<p>President Donald Trump is set to lay out Monday a new National Security Strategy built upon his trademark &quot;America First&quot; slogan, which is expected to have economic security at its core.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/entertainment-k-pop-band-shinees-lead-singer-kim-jonghyun-reportedly-commits-suicide-27096">K-pop band SHINee&#39;s lead singer Kim Jonghyun reportedly commits suicide</a></p>

<p>The lead singer of South Korean boy band SHINee, Kim Jong-hyun, died Monday.</p>

<p>He was found unconscious at his home in Seoul, South Korea before being taken to hospital where he was declared dead.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Election results prove country ready for reform: Modi after Gujarat win The BJP has won the Gujarat election, reaching the victory mark of 92. Ninety-two is the victory mark in the 182-seat state. I bow to people of Gujarat and Himachal: Modi "I bow to the people of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh for their affection and trust in BJP," Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted on Monday. EVMs tampered in Surat, Rajkot, Ahmedabad, says Hardik Patel 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. President Trump to lay out 'America First' security strategy President Donald Trump is set to lay out Monday a new National Security Strategy built upon his trademark "America First" slogan, which is expected to have economic security at its core. K-pop band SHINee's lead singer Kim Jonghyun reportedly commits suicide The lead singer of South Korean boy band SHINee, Kim Jong-hyun, died Monday. He was found unconscious at his home in Seoul, South Korea before being taken to hospital where he was declared dead.

WION Evening News Brief, December 18, 2017

<p>Congress president Rahul Gandhi today wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding a comprehensive special financial package for Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Lakshadweep for the rehabilitation of the families of those fishermen who lost their lives due to Cyclone Ockhi.</p>

<p>In his first letter as the Congress chief to the prime minister, Gandhi also requested the latter to put in place adequate measures for strengthening the weather updating system and an advance cyclone warning communication mechanism in the coastal areas.</p>

<p>The Congress leader highlighted the sufferings of the cyclone-hit fishermen, whom he had met during his recent visit to Kerala and Tamil Nadu on December 14.</p>

<p>Gandhi also urged the prime minister for constructing seawalls and groynes along the vulnerable sea coasts of the two southern states.&nbsp;</p>


Rahul Gandhi demanded comprehensive special financial package for, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Lakshadweep for the rehabilitation of the families of those fishermen who lost their lives due to Cyclone Ockhi

Congress president Rahul Gandhi today wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding a comprehensive special financial package for Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Lakshadweep for the rehabilitation of the families of those fishermen who lost their lives due to Cyclone Ockhi. In his first letter as the Congress chief to the prime minister, Gandhi also requested the latter to put in place adequate measures for strengthening the weather updating system and an advance cyclone warning communication mechanism in the coastal areas. The Congress leader highlighted the sufferings of the cyclone-hit fishermen, whom he had met during his recent visit to Kerala and Tamil Nadu on December 14. Gandhi also urged the prime minister for constructing seawalls and groynes along the vulnerable sea coasts of the two southern states.

Rahul Gandhi writes to PM Modi, demands special package for cyclone-hit victims

<p>A battle-hardened veteran, who was in the midst of heavy action in Dacca (now, Dhaka) during the 1971 Indo-Pak war, Colonel (retired) Ashok Kumar Tara, is no stranger to limelight.</p>

<p>During the war, Colonel Tara was told to rescue Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman&#39;s wife and family, which included his 24-year-old daughter Sheikh Hasina (current prime minister of Bangladesh) and her child.</p>

<p>The family was held hostage by a dozen trigger-happy, heavily armed Pakistani troops at a fortified house in the Dhanmondi area in East Pakistan (now, Bangladesh).</p>

<p>Tara, then a 29-year-old Major, managed to rescue the Bangabandhu family, in a do-or-die situation as he himself puts.</p>

<p>&quot;During this operation I had to face trigger-happy, heavily-armed Pakistani forces, who just killed a media person who had tried to reach to them. I was alone. And unarmed. I took this bold decision to win over them psychologically because asking an extra force would have taken a lot of time. I knew chances were very bleak, but I went ahead, in what can be known as &#39;The Battle of Guts and Wits&#39;,&quot; says Colonel Tara.</p>

<p>He added, &quot;Reaching the house where Sheikh Mujibur Rehman&#39;s family was under house arrest, they threatened to kill me. Their commander even ordered his men to load the weapon and was ready to shoot, but I stood my ground and repeatedly told them to surrender. However, I gave them an assurance of safe passage, so that they could go to their HQ. And from there to Pakistan to meet their families waiting for them. I finally got them surrendered and rescued the family. This was a do-or-die situation.&quot;</p>

<p>Colonel Tara, who retired in 1994, had already been awarded the Vir Chakra in the Battle of Gangasagar a few days ago.</p>

<p>Elaborating on the above-mentioned battle, he said, &quot;It was a railway station in East Pakistan (now, Bangladesh) opposite Agartala (in Tripura). It was an attack in file formation along the railway lines and was &#39;Hand To Hand&#39;, &#39;Bunker to Bunker&#39;. The battle went for about two hours. During the attack, I had to use maltove cocktail (patrol bomb), threw a hand grenade and pulled enemy medium machine gun from a bunker to destroy the enemy. For this, I was awarded the Vir Chakra.&quot;</p>

<p>Colonel Tara got recognition for his valour in 2012, when Dhaka announced it was conferring the &#39;Friend of Bangladesh&#39; Award to him.</p>

<p>Indira Gandhi, India&#39;s Prime Minister in 1971, was conferred the award in her time.</p>

<p>Earlier this year, Colonel Tara featured with Hasina and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the &quot;Sommanona Ceremony&quot; in New Delhi to honour the 1971 war martyrs.</p>


The family was held hostage by a dozen trigger-happy, heavily armed Pakistani troops at a fortified house in the Dhanmondi area in East Pakistan (now, Bangladesh)

A battle-hardened veteran, who was in the midst of heavy action in Dacca (now, Dhaka) during the 1971 Indo-Pak war, Colonel (retired) Ashok Kumar Tara, is no stranger to limelight. During the war, Colonel Tara was told to rescue Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's wife and family, which included his 24-year-old daughter Sheikh Hasina (current prime minister of Bangladesh) and her child. The family was held hostage by a dozen trigger-happy, heavily armed Pakistani troops at a fortified house in the Dhanmondi area in East Pakistan (now, Bangladesh). Tara, then a 29-year-old Major, managed to rescue the Bangabandhu family, in a do-or-die situation as he himself puts. "During this operation I had to face trigger-happy, heavily-armed Pakistani forces, who just killed a media person who had tried to reach to them. I was alone. And unarmed. I took this bold decision to win over them psychologically because asking an extra force would have taken a lot of time. I knew chances were very bleak, but I went ahead, in what can be known as 'The Battle of Guts and Wits'," says Colonel Tara. He added, "Reaching the house where Sheikh Mujibur Rehman's family was under house arrest, they threatened to kill me. Their commander even ordered his men to load the weapon and was ready to shoot, but I stood my ground and repeatedly told them to surrender. However, I gave them an assurance of safe passage, so that they could go to their HQ. And from there to Pakistan to meet their families waiting for them. I finally got them surrendered and rescued the family. This was a do-or-die situation." Colonel Tara, who retired in 1994, had already been awarded the Vir Chakra in the Battle of Gangasagar a few days ago. Elaborating on the above-mentioned battle, he said, "It was a railway station in East Pakistan (now, Bangladesh) opposite Agartala (in Tripura). It was an attack in file formation along the railway lines and was 'Hand To Hand', 'Bunker to Bunker'. The battle went for about two hours. During the attack, I had to use maltove cocktail (patrol bomb), threw a hand grenade and pulled enemy medium machine gun from a bunker to destroy the enemy. For this, I was awarded the Vir Chakra." Colonel Tara got recognition for his valour in 2012, when Dhaka announced it was conferring the 'Friend of Bangladesh' Award to him. Indira Gandhi, India's Prime Minister in 1971, was conferred the award in her time. Earlier this year, Colonel Tara featured with Hasina and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the "Sommanona Ceremony" in New Delhi to honour the 1971 war martyrs.

Indian soldier, who saved a future PM, recounts Bangladesh liberation war

<p>In a recent video posted by Jama&#39;at-ud-Da&#39;wah on Twitter, its chief Hafiz Saeed has blamed India for the fall of Dhaka.</p>

<p>&quot;India is behind the Fall of Dhaka, as confessed by Narendra Modi in his speech in Dhaka University, Bangladesh,&quot; said Hafiz Saeed.</p>

<p>He also added that &quot;the avenge for Dhaka is due.&quot;</p>

<p>Saeed also said that &quot;to avenge East Pakistan, a way of revenging Kashmir is underway and is in the process, it will go very long way.&quot;</p>

<p>Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/hafiz-saeed-hopes-detention-will-boost-kashmiris-struggle-against-india-11917">Hafiz Saeed hopes detention will boost Kashmiris&#39; &#39;struggle against India&#39;</a></p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">Mashriqi Pakistan (East Pakistan) ka badla lena hai toh, Kashmir se intequam ka rasta ban raha hai, nikal raha hai, chal raha hai aur Inshallah yeh tehreek jaari hai, isne bahut aage jana hai: Jammat-ud-Dawah&#39;s Chief Hafiz Saeed in Lahore, Pakistan <a href="https://t.co/BK6UxKbCTk">pic.twitter.com/BK6UxKbCTk</a></p>
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<p>Hafiz Saeed spoke on the day of Vijay Diwas that marks the military victory over Pakistan who was defeated by the joint Indo-Bangladesh command.</p>

<p>Following the Pakistan military surrender on 16 December, it led to the disintegration of east and west Pakistan and Bangladesh liberated from Pakistani Occupation forces.</p>

<p>Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/hafiz-saeed-hopes-detention-will-boost-kashmiris-struggle-against-india-11917">Hafiz Saeed&#39;s release an attempt by Pakistan to &#39;mainstream&#39; UN-proscribed terrorists: India</a></p>


Hafiz Saeed spoke on the day of Vijay Diwas that marks the military victory over Pakistan who was defeated by the joint Indo-Bangladesh command

In a recent video posted by Jama'at-ud-Da'wah on Twitter, its chief Hafiz Saeed has blamed India for the fall of Dhaka. "India is behind the Fall of Dhaka, as confessed by Narendra Modi in his speech in Dhaka University, Bangladesh," said Hafiz Saeed. He also added that "the avenge for Dhaka is due." Saeed also said that "to avenge East Pakistan, a way of revenging Kashmir is underway and is in the process, it will go very long way." Also read: Hafiz Saeed hopes detention will boost Kashmiris' 'struggle against India' Mashriqi Pakistan (East Pakistan) ka badla lena hai toh, Kashmir se intequam ka rasta ban raha hai, nikal raha hai, chal raha hai aur Inshallah yeh tehreek jaari hai, isne bahut aage jana hai: Jammat-ud-Dawah's Chief Hafiz Saeed in Lahore, Pakistan pic.twitter.com/BK6UxKbCTk — ANI (@ANI) December 16, 2017 × Hafiz Saeed spoke on the day of Vijay Diwas that marks the military victory over Pakistan who was defeated by the joint Indo-Bangladesh command. Following the Pakistan military surrender on 16 December, it led to the disintegration of east and west Pakistan and Bangladesh liberated from Pakistani Occupation forces. Also read: Hafiz Saeed's release an attempt by Pakistan to 'mainstream' UN-proscribed terrorists: India

'The avenge for Dhaka is due': Hafiz Saeed threatens India in new video

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-took-india-to-21st-century-but-the-pm-today-is-taking-us-back-to-medieval-times-rahul-gandhi-26892">PM Modi taking India back to medieval times: Rahul Gandhi</a></p>

<p>In his inagurual speech after taking over as Congress president, Rahul Gandhi attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s policies and alleged &#39;&#39;Modi is taking us back to the medieval times&#39;&#39;.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-takes-charge-as-congress-president-26891">&#39;&#39;Congress took India to&nbsp;</a>21st century, but the PM, today, is taking us back to the medieval times,&#39;&#39; Congress president Rahul Gandhi said.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-administration-may-revoke-rule-allowing-spouses-of-h-1b-visa-holders-to-work-in-the-united-states-26905">Trump administration may revoke rule allowing spouses of H-1B visa holders to work in </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-administration-may-revoke-rule-allowing-spouses-of-h-1b-visa-holders-to-work-in-the-united-states-26905">United</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-administration-may-revoke-rule-allowing-spouses-of-h-1b-visa-holders-to-work-in-the-united-states-26905"> States</a></p>

<p>Trump administration had decided to revoke the rule that allows spouses of H-1B visa holders to work in the United States, likely causing a muddle in technology jobs, reports said on Saturday.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-26898">Only PM after Morarji Desai to take part in meeting of North-East Council: PM Modi in Shillong</a></p>

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Shillong-Nongstoin-Rongjeng-Tura Road in Meghalaya capital Shillong on Saturday.</p>

<p>The prime minister said the road will boost economic activity and establish a direct link between the important towns of the state.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sonia-gandhi-will-fight-from-rae-bareli-priyanka-gandhi-26907">Sonia Gandhi will fight from Rae Bareli: Priyanka Gandhi</a></p>

<p>Congress party leader Priyanka Gandhi has denied the rumours of her mother, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi retiring from politics.</p>

<p>Priyanka Gandhi said that Sonia Gandhi will be fighting in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from her constituency, Raebareli, in Uttar Pradesh.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/coal-scam-madhu-koda-gets-3-year-imprisonment-26890">Coal Scam: Madhu Koda gets 3-year imprisonment, 2 months interim bail granted</a></p>

<p>A special CBI court in Delhi has sentenced former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda and his former coal secretary H C Gupta to 3-year imprisonment.</p>

<p>Koda has also been slapped with a fine of Rs 25 lakh while a Gupta has been fined Rs.1 lakh; three others to appeal in the high court reports ANI.&nbsp;</p>


PM Modi taking India back to medieval times: Rahul Gandhi In his inagurual speech after taking over as Congress president, Rahul Gandhi attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policies and alleged ''Modi is taking us back to the medieval times''. ''Congress took India to 21st century, but the PM, today, is taking us back to the medieval times,'' Congress president Rahul Gandhi said. Trump administration may revoke rule allowing spouses of H-1B visa holders to work in United States Trump administration had decided to revoke the rule that allows spouses of H-1B visa holders to work in the United States, likely causing a muddle in technology jobs, reports said on Saturday. Only PM after Morarji Desai to take part in meeting of North-East Council: PM Modi in Shillong Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Shillong-Nongstoin-Rongjeng-Tura Road in Meghalaya capital Shillong on Saturday. The prime minister said the road will boost economic activity and establish a direct link between the important towns of the state. Sonia Gandhi will fight from Rae Bareli: Priyanka Gandhi Congress party leader Priyanka Gandhi has denied the rumours of her mother, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi retiring from politics. Priyanka Gandhi said that Sonia Gandhi will be fighting in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from her constituency, Raebareli, in Uttar Pradesh. Coal Scam: Madhu Koda gets 3-year imprisonment, 2 months interim bail granted A special CBI court in Delhi has sentenced former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda and his former coal secretary H C Gupta to 3-year imprisonment. Koda has also been slapped with a fine of Rs 25 lakh while a Gupta has been fined Rs.1 lakh; three others to appeal in the high court reports ANI.

Evening News Brief, December 16, 2017

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Mizoram and Meghalaya tomorrow to address public rallies and inaugurate development projects.</p>

<p>The PM is expected to reach Lengpui Airport in Aizawl around 9 am, Mizoram&#39;s state protocol officer David L Pachuau said.</p>

<p>&quot;He will address a public meeting and inaugurate a 60-megawatt hydroelectric project at Assam Rifles ground in Aizawl before leaving for Shillong later in the day,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner PS Dkhar said PM Modi was likely to land at the Upper Shillong helipad around 1 pm.</p>

<p>PM Modi will address a rally at the Sports Training Centre Complex on Polo Grounds in Shillong where he would also announce the opening of a party office and unveil a plaque for Shillong-Tura National Highway, Dkhar said.</p>

<p>Elaborate security arrangements have been put in place in Shillong for the prime minister&#39;s visit, district SP Davis Marak said.</p>

<p>BJP leader Bashai Khongwir said leaders from different parts of Meghalaya will be attending the rally tomorrow.</p>

<p>The party volunteers here have geared up to ensure that the programme turns out to be a success, Khongwir said.&nbsp;</p>


Modi will address a public meeting and inaugurate a 60- Megawatt hydroelectric project at Assam Rifles ground in Aizawl before leaving for Shillong later in the day.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Mizoram and Meghalaya tomorrow to address public rallies and inaugurate development projects. The PM is expected to reach Lengpui Airport in Aizawl around 9 am, Mizoram's state protocol officer David L Pachuau said. "He will address a public meeting and inaugurate a 60-megawatt hydroelectric project at Assam Rifles ground in Aizawl before leaving for Shillong later in the day," he said. East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner PS Dkhar said PM Modi was likely to land at the Upper Shillong helipad around 1 pm. PM Modi will address a rally at the Sports Training Centre Complex on Polo Grounds in Shillong where he would also announce the opening of a party office and unveil a plaque for Shillong-Tura National Highway, Dkhar said. Elaborate security arrangements have been put in place in Shillong for the prime minister's visit, district SP Davis Marak said. BJP leader Bashai Khongwir said leaders from different parts of Meghalaya will be attending the rally tomorrow. The party volunteers here have geared up to ensure that the programme turns out to be a success, Khongwir said.

PM to address rallies in Mizoram and Meghalaya on Saturday

<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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<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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<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>As voting for the final phase of Gujarat assembly ends today, a look back at how the motif of Modi&rsquo;s campaign rhetoric has evolved.</p>

<p><strong>2002: Aggressive BJP harvests polarisation</strong></p>

<p>Gujarat has been called a laboratory after Narendra Modi was sent from Delhi to take over the reins of the state. During the 2002 &nbsp;campaign, Modi and BJP had a simple job. The polarisation after the communal riots ensured all they had to do was to harvest the communal rift. The Congress, at that time the opposition party in the&nbsp;centre as well as the state, was clueless. It probably thought that to speak on justice for Muslims will impact their poll prospects. Six months after the riots broke happened the Akshardham terror attack, which took place just before the polls, ensured that Modi made it a Mia Musharraf vs Modi theme for the campaign that BJP won handsomely.</p>

<p><em><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/opinion-lanka-vikas-seaplanes-and-pesticides-the-curious-case-of-hardik-patel-26620"><strong>Also read: Opinion: Lanka, </strong></a></em><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/opinion-lanka-vikas-seaplanes-and-pesticides-the-curious-case-of-hardik-patel-26620"><strong><em>vikas</em></strong></a><em><strong><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/opinion-lanka-vikas-seaplanes-and-pesticides-the-curious-case-of-hardik-patel-26620">, seaplanes and pesticides - The curious case of Hardik Patel</a></strong></em></p>

<p><strong>2007: CM Modi firmly at the helm, Congress tries to get &nbsp;aggressive</strong></p>

<p>Buoyed by its 2004 Loksabha victory and winning 12 seats in the state, Congress took CM Modi head on. By this time, Mr Modi had already been established as the supreme leader of Gujarat, leaving behind, among others, Keshubhai Patel and Suresh Mehta. As riot victims were still waiting for justice, polarisation continued unabated. Since the Congress government was at the centre, it became Modi&rsquo;s prime target.</p>

<p>Congress, in turn, did what it could not dare in 2002, called <i>Modi Maut ka Saudagar</i> (merchant of death) suggesting his direct role in riots. This backfired big time. BJP made it Gujarati Pride versus Congress rule of Sonia and Ahmed Mia. BJP&rsquo;s tally came down by 10 but it won the state.</p>

<p><b>2012: &lsquo;Gujarat Model&rsquo; emerges as social media booms, Congress reels under graft charges</b></p>

<p>2012 was PM Modi&rsquo;s last election as CM. The BJP had surged ahead by its clever use of new social media tools like the Facebook and Twitter. It boosted the &lsquo;unique Gujarat Model&rsquo; &mdash; sometimes truthfully and other times not. But Gujarat, development and Modi became synonymous terms even as Congress suffered huge image crisis during the Anna Hazare agitation of 2011-12.</p>

<p><em><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/opinion-gujarat-elections-is-26530"><strong>Also read: Opinion: Gujarat elections, a litmus test for Rahul</strong></a></em></p>

<p>Now Mr Modi needed no Praveen Togadiya or Acharya Dharmendra to serve as development planks. It soon became evident that Chief Minister Modi has the potential to be India&#39;s prime minister. Despite the party having 40 per cent vote, the Congress was unable to compete and lost to BJP again.</p>

<p><strong>2017 &lsquo;Gujarat Model&rsquo; goes on back burner and Pakistan returns</strong></p>

<p>A 15-year rule under one leader is really a long time in politics. What worked in 2012 is looking doubtful as crowd size at Modi rally was shrinking. By now, the BJP was no longer the exclusive player in the social media nor the biggest crowd puller. Opponents had taken a leaf out of BJP&rsquo;s books, including the Patidars.</p>

<p>The disgruntled youth flocking Hardik Patel and Jignesh Mewani&rsquo;s rallies were probably 6-10 year old during 2002-2007 but have been denied decent primary education; Gujarat ranks 33 among 35 states in terms of providing access to schools. Anti-incumbency ensured that basic issues, such as primary education, infant mortality, unemployment started factoring in.</p>

<p>Once the backbone of the party, Patels had turned into BJP&rsquo;s staunch baiters. With the presence of 15 per cent or more in most seats - they have potential to cover the gap between Congress and BJP. Add Dalit and OBC votes to it, and BJP suddenly looked vulnerable.</p>

<p>From &lsquo;Mia Musharraf&rsquo; in 2002, &lsquo;Gujarat Model&rsquo; in 2012 to again &lsquo;Pakistan connection&rsquo; in 2017, Modi had tried various catch-lines for his quest for Gujarat.</p>

<p>As desperate BJP tries to cling on to something or other, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh&rsquo;s secret &lsquo;Pakistan connection,&#39; the small traders were upset with BJP&rsquo;s GST and note-ban decisions, and Rahul and Hardik were pulling a huge crowd.</p>

<p>If BJP loses, it would be its second major loss after Bihar, wherein caste mobilisation of RJD-JDU-Congress had overcome religious polarisation of BJP in 2015. &nbsp;If Hardik - Jignesh - Alpesh&rsquo;s caste conscious agenda helps Congress win, it will once again prove that religious mobilisation can be countered by caste mobilisation.</p>

<p>If BJP still manages the victory, an emboldened BJP may opt for an unprecedentedly vicious 2019 campaign to beat anti-incumbency.</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).</em></p>


From ?Mia Musharraf? in 2002, ?Gujarat Model? in 2012 to again ?Pakistan connection? in 2017, Modi had tried various catch-lines for his quest for Gujarat

As voting for the final phase of Gujarat assembly ends today, a look back at how the motif of Modi’s campaign rhetoric has evolved. 2002: Aggressive BJP harvests polarisation Gujarat has been called a laboratory after Narendra Modi was sent from Delhi to take over the reins of the state. During the 2002 campaign, Modi and BJP had a simple job. The polarisation after the communal riots ensured all they had to do was to harvest the communal rift. The Congress, at that time the opposition party in the centre as well as the state, was clueless. It probably thought that to speak on justice for Muslims will impact their poll prospects. Six months after the riots broke happened the Akshardham terror attack, which took place just before the polls, ensured that Modi made it a Mia Musharraf vs Modi theme for the campaign that BJP won handsomely. Also read: Opinion: Lanka, vikas, seaplanes and pesticides - The curious case of Hardik Patel 2007: CM Modi firmly at the helm, Congress tries to get aggressive Buoyed by its 2004 Loksabha victory and winning 12 seats in the state, Congress took CM Modi head on. By this time, Mr Modi had already been established as the supreme leader of Gujarat, leaving behind, among others, Keshubhai Patel and Suresh Mehta. As riot victims were still waiting for justice, polarisation continued unabated. Since the Congress government was at the centre, it became Modi’s prime target. Congress, in turn, did what it could not dare in 2002, called Modi Maut ka Saudagar (merchant of death) suggesting his direct role in riots. This backfired big time. BJP made it Gujarati Pride versus Congress rule of Sonia and Ahmed Mia. BJP’s tally came down by 10 but it won the state. 2012: ‘Gujarat Model’ emerges as social media booms, Congress reels under graft charges 2012 was PM Modi’s last election as CM. The BJP had surged ahead by its clever use of new social media tools like the Facebook and Twitter. It boosted the ‘unique Gujarat Model’ — sometimes truthfully and other times not. But Gujarat, development and Modi became synonymous terms even as Congress suffered huge image crisis during the Anna Hazare agitation of 2011-12. Also read: Opinion: Gujarat elections, a litmus test for Rahul Now Mr Modi needed no Praveen Togadiya or Acharya Dharmendra to serve as development planks. It soon became evident that Chief Minister Modi has the potential to be India's prime minister. Despite the party having 40 per cent vote, the Congress was unable to compete and lost to BJP again. 2017 ‘Gujarat Model’ goes on back burner and Pakistan returns A 15-year rule under one leader is really a long time in politics. What worked in 2012 is looking doubtful as crowd size at Modi rally was shrinking. By now, the BJP was no longer the exclusive player in the social media nor the biggest crowd puller. Opponents had taken a leaf out of BJP’s books, including the Patidars. The disgruntled youth flocking Hardik Patel and Jignesh Mewani’s rallies were probably 6-10 year old during 2002-2007 but have been denied decent primary education; Gujarat ranks 33 among 35 states in terms of providing access to schools. Anti-incumbency ensured that basic issues, such as primary education, infant mortality, unemployment started factoring in. Once the backbone of the party, Patels had turned into BJP’s staunch baiters. With the presence of 15 per cent or more in most seats - they have potential to cover the gap between Congress and BJP. Add Dalit and OBC votes to it, and BJP suddenly looked vulnerable. From ‘Mia Musharraf’ in 2002, ‘Gujarat Model’ in 2012 to again ‘Pakistan connection’ in 2017, Modi had tried various catch-lines for his quest for Gujarat. As desperate BJP tries to cling on to something or other, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s secret ‘Pakistan connection,' the small traders were upset with BJP’s GST and note-ban decisions, and Rahul and Hardik were pulling a huge crowd. If BJP loses, it would be its second major loss after Bihar, wherein caste mobilisation of RJD-JDU-Congress had overcome religious polarisation of BJP in 2015. If Hardik - Jignesh - Alpesh’s caste conscious agenda helps Congress win, it will once again prove that religious mobilisation can be countered by caste mobilisation. If BJP still manages the victory, an emboldened BJP may opt for an unprecedentedly vicious 2019 campaign to beat anti-incumbency. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion:?BJP's catchlines which helped to win Gujarat elections

<p>The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its order on a clutch of pleas seeking a stay on the government&#39;s decision to link Aadhaar with various welfare schemes.</p>

<p>The order will be pronounced on Friday.</p>

<p>A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said the final hearing on petitions challenging the Aadhaar scheme itself would start from January 17 next year.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Attorney General KK Venugopal, arguing for the Centre, said Thursday that the government was willing to extend the deadline (for the linking of Aadhaar to avail the benefits of welfare schemes) up to March 31 next year.</p>

<p>Venugopal, however, told the bench, also comprising Justices A K Sikri, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Ashok Bhushan, that Aadhaar should remain mandatory for the opening of new bank accounts.</p>

<p>Gopal Subramanium, arguing for the petitioners, said &quot;the voluntary nature of Aadhaar must be underscored. This is an encroachment on judicial path. 139 government notifications have made it compulsory. The sanctity of judicial order must remain intact.&quot;</p>

<p>KTS Tulsi and Anand Grover, also arguning for the petitioners, said &quot;without data protection law, Aadhaar cannot be made compulsory. 210 government websites have been breached once the data is exposed there is no process of rescinding or withdrawing. The agencies obtain this data and further supply it to Pakistan and unverified sources. And if data is breached, Aadhaar cannot protect it.</p>

<p>The government had on Wednesday extended the deadline, till March 31, for the linking of Aadhaar and PAN numbers for bank accounts and certain financial transactions.&nbsp;</p>

<p>There is however no word yet on extending the February 6, 2018 deadline for the linking of mobile SIM cards with Aadhaar.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from PTI)</em></p>


The order will be pronounced on pleas seeking a stay on the mandatory linking of Aadhaar to avail various welfare schemes

The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its order on a clutch of pleas seeking a stay on the government's decision to link Aadhaar with various welfare schemes. The order will be pronounced on Friday. A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said the final hearing on petitions challenging the Aadhaar scheme itself would start from January 17 next year. Attorney General KK Venugopal, arguing for the Centre, said Thursday that the government was willing to extend the deadline (for the linking of Aadhaar to avail the benefits of welfare schemes) up to March 31 next year. Venugopal, however, told the bench, also comprising Justices A K Sikri, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Ashok Bhushan, that Aadhaar should remain mandatory for the opening of new bank accounts. Gopal Subramanium, arguing for the petitioners, said "the voluntary nature of Aadhaar must be underscored. This is an encroachment on judicial path. 139 government notifications have made it compulsory. The sanctity of judicial order must remain intact." KTS Tulsi and Anand Grover, also arguning for the petitioners, said "without data protection law, Aadhaar cannot be made compulsory. 210 government websites have been breached once the data is exposed there is no process of rescinding or withdrawing. The agencies obtain this data and further supply it to Pakistan and unverified sources. And if data is breached, Aadhaar cannot protect it. The government had on Wednesday extended the deadline, till March 31, for the linking of Aadhaar and PAN numbers for bank accounts and certain financial transactions. There is however no word yet on extending the February 6, 2018 deadline for the linking of mobile SIM cards with Aadhaar. (With inputs from PTI)

Aadhaar linking with welfare schemes: Supreme Court to pronounce order Friday

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday commissioned Scorpene-class submarine Kalvari into the Indian Navy.</p>

<p>Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba and top defence officials were present at the commissioning ceremony here.</p>

<p>On the occasion, Modi said Kalvari is an excellent example of &#39;Make in India&#39; and will boost the Navy&#39;s might.</p>

<p>Kalvari is named after the dreaded tiger shark, a deadly deep sea predator of the Indian Ocean.</p>

<p>It underwent around 120 days of extensive sea trials and tests for various equipment, an official earlier said, adding the vessel is expected to bolster India&#39;s maritime prowess.</p>

<p>The submarines, designed by French naval defence and energy company DCNS, are being built by Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in Mumbai as part of Project-75 of the Indian Navy.</p>

<p>The first Kalvari, commissioned on December 8, 1967, was also the first submarine of the Indian Navy. It was decommissioned on May 31, 1996 after nearly three decades of service.&nbsp;</p>


On the occasion, Modi said Kalvari is an excellent example of 'Make in India' and will boost the Navy's might.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday commissioned Scorpene-class submarine Kalvari into the Indian Navy. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba and top defence officials were present at the commissioning ceremony here. On the occasion, Modi said Kalvari is an excellent example of 'Make in India' and will boost the Navy's might. Kalvari is named after the dreaded tiger shark, a deadly deep sea predator of the Indian Ocean. It underwent around 120 days of extensive sea trials and tests for various equipment, an official earlier said, adding the vessel is expected to bolster India's maritime prowess. The submarines, designed by French naval defence and energy company DCNS, are being built by Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in Mumbai as part of Project-75 of the Indian Navy. The first Kalvari, commissioned on December 8, 1967, was also the first submarine of the Indian Navy. It was decommissioned on May 31, 1996 after nearly three decades of service.

Modi commissions Scorpene-class submarine Kalvari into Indian Navy

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday paid floral tribute to the bravehearts who died in the gruesome Parliament attack on 2001 on its 16th anniversary.</p>

<p>Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, foreign minister Sushma Swaraj, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan&nbsp; were also present.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sonia Gandhi and EAM Sushma Swaraj pay tribute to people who lost lives in 2001 Parliament attack <a href="https://t.co/oiXqvuMp9y">pic.twitter.com/oiXqvuMp9y</a></p>
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<p>On December 13, 2001, five heavily-armed terrorists belonging to terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), stormed Parliament complex in New Delhi and opened fire indiscriminately.</p>

<p>Around 14 people, mostly security forces and one civilian, were killed in the attack.</p>

<p>The incident took place around 40 minutes after the Parliament was adjourned and about 100 Members of Parliament were present in the building.</p>

<p>Extensive investigations revealed the involvement of four accused namely Afzal Guru, Shaukat Hussain, SAR Geelani and Navjot Sandhu.</p>


Around 14 people, mostly security forces and one civilian, were killed in the attack.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday paid floral tribute to the bravehearts who died in the gruesome Parliament attack on 2001 on its 16th anniversary. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, foreign minister Sushma Swaraj, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan were also present. Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sonia Gandhi and EAM Sushma Swaraj pay tribute to people who lost lives in 2001 Parliament attack pic.twitter.com/oiXqvuMp9y — ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2017 × On December 13, 2001, five heavily-armed terrorists belonging to terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), stormed Parliament complex in New Delhi and opened fire indiscriminately. Around 14 people, mostly security forces and one civilian, were killed in the attack. The incident took place around 40 minutes after the Parliament was adjourned and about 100 Members of Parliament were present in the building. Extensive investigations revealed the involvement of four accused namely Afzal Guru, Shaukat Hussain, SAR Geelani and Navjot Sandhu.

India remembers gruesome Parliament attack, PM pays tribute to martyrs

<p>Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused Pakistan of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/modi-claims-pakistan-trying-to-influence-gujarat-elections-26391" target="_blank">conspiring with the Congress</a> to influence the Gujarat election results, former Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri rejected Modi&#39;s allegations, saying there was &quot;no basis&quot; to the story.</p>

<p>Kasuri -- for whom the dinner was hosted by former Congress leader Mani Aiyer -- said it was an &quot;open&quot; dinner at which the conversation focused on India-Pakistan relations.</p>

<p>He added that there was no mention of the Gujarat elections.</p>

<p>&ldquo;I am astonished&hellip; I had gone for dinner and I hear Pakistan is hatching a conspiracy &hellip; in that dinner former PM Manmohan Singh, former vice-president Hamid Ansari, former Army chief Deepak Kapoor, four foreign secretaries and former Indian diplomats to Pakistan, military analysts were present&hellip; are they also part of Pakistan&rsquo;s conspiracy? It is a strange story with no basis,&rdquo; Kasuri told a Pakistani channel.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Prime Minister Modi had also attacked Congress on the basis of a Facebook post by a former &quot;director general&quot; (the post does not exist) of the Pakistani army, Sardar Arshad Rafiq, saying Congress leader Ahmed Patel should be the next chief minister of Gujarat.</p>

<p>&quot;Pakistan Army&#39;s former DG is interfering in Gujarat&#39;s election, on the other hand, Pakistani people are holding a meeting at Mani Shankar Aiyar&#39;s house. After that meeting, people of Gujarat, backward communities, poor people and Modi were insulted. Don&#39;t you think such events raise doubts?&quot; Modi said while campaigning for the Gujarat elections. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Kasuri added that Modi&#39;s accusations were unfortunate, saying he might have made the remarks with the hope of getting votes in return.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Kasuri stressed, to a Pakistani TV news channel, that it was an open dinner at which the conversation focused on Indo-Pak ties

Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused Pakistan of conspiring with the Congress to influence the Gujarat election results, former Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri rejected Modi's allegations, saying there was "no basis" to the story. Kasuri -- for whom the dinner was hosted by former Congress leader Mani Aiyer -- said it was an "open" dinner at which the conversation focused on India-Pakistan relations. He added that there was no mention of the Gujarat elections. “I am astonished… I had gone for dinner and I hear Pakistan is hatching a conspiracy … in that dinner former PM Manmohan Singh, former vice-president Hamid Ansari, former Army chief Deepak Kapoor, four foreign secretaries and former Indian diplomats to Pakistan, military analysts were present… are they also part of Pakistan’s conspiracy? It is a strange story with no basis,” Kasuri told a Pakistani channel. Prime Minister Modi had also attacked Congress on the basis of a Facebook post by a former "director general" (the post does not exist) of the Pakistani army, Sardar Arshad Rafiq, saying Congress leader Ahmed Patel should be the next chief minister of Gujarat. "Pakistan Army's former DG is interfering in Gujarat's election, on the other hand, Pakistani people are holding a meeting at Mani Shankar Aiyar's house. After that meeting, people of Gujarat, backward communities, poor people and Modi were insulted. Don't you think such events raise doubts?" Modi said while campaigning for the Gujarat elections. Kasuri added that Modi's accusations were unfortunate, saying he might have made the remarks with the hope of getting votes in return.

Kasuri rejects PM Modi's claim of Pakistan meddling in Gujarat elections

<p>Campaigning has ended, and every political party is putting all its might before the second and final phase of assembly election in Gujarat.</p>

<p>While Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ministers have expressed hope that his party will win these elections, Rahul Gandhi, the opponent, has hoped for <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gujarat-election-results-will-be-zabardast-says-rahul-26578">&#39;zabardast&#39; results</a> for his Congress.</p>

<p>Speaking to Zee Kalak, Zee media group&#39;s Gujarati channel, Rahul said this election is about truth.</p>

<p>&quot;This election will be fought on truth - the truth of note ban, &#39;Gabbar Singh Tax&#39; (in reference to GST) etc. You go to Surat, Ahmedabad or any other place in Gujarat, all the small businessmen are saying the Goods and Services Tax (GST) has destroyed them,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>This election is not about Modi, not about me but about the people of Gujarat, he added.</p>

<p>Attacking PM Modi and his government, Rahul said that all those with black money converted it to white after GST. &quot;Even BJP workers in Gujarat are saying this time, the road is tough,&quot; Rahul said.</p>

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<p>Campaigning has ended, and every political party is putting all its might before the second and final phase of assembly election in Gujarat. (WION Web Team)</p>
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<p>When asked about his or Congress&#39; vision for Gujarat, Rahul said, &quot;Gujarat&#39;s vision will be formed by its electorate. It will be formed on the basis of what the people of Gujarat want. I will help in its formulation, but Gujarat&#39;s vision will be based on the wishes of people.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-tells-modi-will-beat-you-in-gujarat-with-love-without-anger-26397">love and affection</a> Gujarat gave me in these three-four months has won my heart. I am at the sevice of Gujarat,&quot; Rahul said.</p>

<p>After the first round of voting on December 9 for 89 seats, the remaining 93 constituencies spread across 14 districts of northern and central Gujarat will see balloting on Thursday to pick a new state assembly.</p>

<p>A total of 851 candidates are in the fray, with the BJP determined to continue its 22-year-long rule and the Congress equally confident of coming to power. Over two crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-takes-over-as-congress-president-but-faces-greater-challenges-than-mother-sonia-gandhi-26480"><strong>Also read: Rahul takes over as Congress president, but faces greater challenges than mother Sonia Gandhi</strong></a></p>

<p>The stakes are high for both BJP and Congress in the Gujarat election. This is the first assembly election in Gujarat since PM Modi left the state after his 13-year rule. It is also crucial for Rahul, who was recently elected Congress president.</p>


While Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ministers have expressed hope that his party will win these elections, Rahul Gandhi, the opponent, has hoped for a 'zabardast' results for his Congress.

Campaigning has ended, and every political party is putting all its might before the second and final phase of assembly election in Gujarat. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ministers have expressed hope that his party will win these elections, Rahul Gandhi, the opponent, has hoped for 'zabardast' results for his Congress. Speaking to Zee Kalak, Zee media group's Gujarati channel, Rahul said this election is about truth. "This election will be fought on truth - the truth of note ban, 'Gabbar Singh Tax' (in reference to GST) etc. You go to Surat, Ahmedabad or any other place in Gujarat, all the small businessmen are saying the Goods and Services Tax (GST) has destroyed them," he said. This election is not about Modi, not about me but about the people of Gujarat, he added. Attacking PM Modi and his government, Rahul said that all those with black money converted it to white after GST. "Even BJP workers in Gujarat are saying this time, the road is tough," Rahul said. Campaigning has ended, and every political party is putting all its might before the second and final phase of assembly election in Gujarat. (WION Web Team) × When asked about his or Congress' vision for Gujarat, Rahul said, "Gujarat's vision will be formed by its electorate. It will be formed on the basis of what the people of Gujarat want. I will help in its formulation, but Gujarat's vision will be based on the wishes of people." "The love and affection Gujarat gave me in these three-four months has won my heart. I am at the sevice of Gujarat," Rahul said. After the first round of voting on December 9 for 89 seats, the remaining 93 constituencies spread across 14 districts of northern and central Gujarat will see balloting on Thursday to pick a new state assembly. A total of 851 candidates are in the fray, with the BJP determined to continue its 22-year-long rule and the Congress equally confident of coming to power. Over two crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise. Also read: Rahul takes over as Congress president, but faces greater challenges than mother Sonia Gandhi The stakes are high for both BJP and Congress in the Gujarat election. This is the first assembly election in Gujarat since PM Modi left the state after his 13-year rule. It is also crucial for Rahul, who was recently elected Congress president.

Gujarat assembly elections not about Narendra Modi or me, it's about people: Rahul Gandhi

<p>Rahul Gandhi was elected Congress president earlier this week amid much fanfare from his party workers. Rahul will take over from his mother Sonia Gandhi, the longest serving Congress president in the history.</p>

<p>Rahul has his task cut out, and faces a huge challenge in the form of assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. Rahul has been campaigning aggressively in Gujarat against the BJP which has been ruling the state for 22 years.</p>

<p>Speaking on his new role, Rahul told Zee Kalak, Zee Media Group&#39;s Gujarati channel, &quot;I want to change the discourse which has turned very negative. The way Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about former PM Manmohan Singh, who has worked for the country for decades, is not acceptable. We have to change this discourse through love and harmony. And I will do that.&quot;</p>

<p>Targeting the former prime minister during an election rally, PM Modi alleged that Manmohan Singh had conspired with Pakistanis to defeat the BJP in Gujarat.</p>

<p>Outraged, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/no-one-can-lamely-question-my-public-service-manmohan-to-modi-on-pak-meddling-allegations-26463">Dr Singh issued a statement</a> saying he is &quot;deeply pained and anguished by the falsehood and canards being spread to score political points in a lost cause by none less than Prime Minister Narender Modi&quot;.</p>

<p>Modi also said that Aiyar, Manmohan Singh and former vice-president Hamid Ansari had met with the Pakistan high commissioner at a dinner in Delhi. And that the next day Aiyar had called him &quot;neech&quot;.</p>

<p>&quot;We <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/after-neech-jibe-on-pm-modi-congress-suspends-mani-shankar-aiyar-26159">expelled Mr Aiyar</a> from the party after that,&quot; Rahul said today saying that such language was unacceptable to him and the Congress. Rahul had earlier demanded apology from PM Modi for attacking Dr Singh and said that he won&#39;t indulge in personal attacks which the PM and BJP do daily.</p>

<p>Rahul also expressed confidence that his party will win elections in Gujarat saying the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gujarat-election-results-will-be-zabardast-says-rahul-26578">results will be &#39;zabardast&#39;</a>.</p>

<p>He also talked about the elections. &quot;This election will be fought on truth - the truth of note ban, &#39;Gabbar Singh Tax&#39; (in reference to GST) etc. You go to Surat, Ahmedabad or any other place in Gujarat, all the small businessmen are saying the Goods and Services Tax (GST) has destroyed them,&quot; Rahul told Zee Kalak.</p>

<p>This election is <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gujarat-assembly-election-not-about-narendra-modi-or-me-its-about-people-rahul-gandhi-26635">not about Modi, not about me</a> but about the people of Gujarat, he added.</p>

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<p>Campaigning has ended, and every political party is putting all its might before the second and final phase of assembly election in Gujarat. (WION Web Team)</p>
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Rahul has his task cut out, and faces a huge challenge in the form of assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. Rahul has been campaigning aggressively in Gujarat against the BJP which has been ruling the state for 22 years.

Rahul Gandhi was elected Congress president earlier this week amid much fanfare from his party workers. Rahul will take over from his mother Sonia Gandhi, the longest serving Congress president in the history. Rahul has his task cut out, and faces a huge challenge in the form of assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. Rahul has been campaigning aggressively in Gujarat against the BJP which has been ruling the state for 22 years. Speaking on his new role, Rahul told Zee Kalak, Zee Media Group's Gujarati channel, "I want to change the discourse which has turned very negative. The way Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about former PM Manmohan Singh, who has worked for the country for decades, is not acceptable. We have to change this discourse through love and harmony. And I will do that." Targeting the former prime minister during an election rally, PM Modi alleged that Manmohan Singh had conspired with Pakistanis to defeat the BJP in Gujarat. Outraged, Dr Singh issued a statement saying he is "deeply pained and anguished by the falsehood and canards being spread to score political points in a lost cause by none less than Prime Minister Narender Modi". Modi also said that Aiyar, Manmohan Singh and former vice-president Hamid Ansari had met with the Pakistan high commissioner at a dinner in Delhi. And that the next day Aiyar had called him "neech". "We expelled Mr Aiyar from the party after that," Rahul said today saying that such language was unacceptable to him and the Congress. Rahul had earlier demanded apology from PM Modi for attacking Dr Singh and said that he won't indulge in personal attacks which the PM and BJP do daily. Rahul also expressed confidence that his party will win elections in Gujarat saying the results will be 'zabardast'. He also talked about the elections. "This election will be fought on truth - the truth of note ban, 'Gabbar Singh Tax' (in reference to GST) etc. You go to Surat, Ahmedabad or any other place in Gujarat, all the small businessmen are saying the Goods and Services Tax (GST) has destroyed them," Rahul told Zee Kalak. This election is not about Modi, not about me but about the people of Gujarat, he added. Campaigning has ended, and every political party is putting all its might before the second and final phase of assembly election in Gujarat. (WION Web Team) ×

National discourse very negative, want to change that: Rahul Gandhi

<p>In exactly a week from now, we shall know whether the Lotus has bloomed or the Hand has swept aside its rivals in Gujarat. We shall also know whether Rahul Gandhi begins his new innings as Congress president with a morale-boosting win or a defeat for which his minions will need to scamper to find scapegoats. And, we shall know too if Prime Minister Narendra Modi approaches the forthcoming electoral challenges after having being endorsed as Gujarat&rsquo;s Pride or rejected in his own backyard. Both sides are confident of a decisive victory, but that is only to be expected. One has to lose and will lose. After all, while many scenarios have been discussed, none has ventured to suggest a hung Assembly where the winner-loser is unclear.</p>

<p>Election campaigns are composed of several issues, and it is rare for just one or two of these to determine the outcome. The 2014 Lok Sabha poll was one such exception where corruption and policy paralysis alone doomed the Congress. Various other matters, factual or perceptional, became subordinate to this twin overriding narrative. In the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election held earlier this year, the two issues that tamed the Samajwadi Party were minority appeasement and poor law and order.</p>

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<p>The Bihar Assembly poll was fought and won by the Lalu Prasad-Nitish Kumar combine (which has since evaporated) on pure caste arithmetic. Aside these, elections are contested and decided on multiple grounds, and this makes the democratic exercise all the more challenging &mdash; and even more challenging to predict. Rare is that political commentator who is able to say, with some amount of accuracy, that a particular issue would be the dominant factor. In hindsight, once the results are known, there are many to &lsquo;analyse&rsquo; the impact of one strand or the other.</p>

<p>The Gujarat campaign began in a simple enough manner, giving hope to the plethora of commentators of a fairly accurate assessment. Led by Prime Minister Modi, the Bharatiya Janata Party went on an overdrive, listing its achievements in the State over the two decades of its rule &mdash; especially the period 2002-14 when Modi was the Chief Minister. The Gujarat Model of development was showcased, the ease of doing the business ranking of the World Bank was flaunted, the upgrade in the country&rsquo;s ratings by Moody&rsquo;s was quoted, the robustness of the Indian economy was pointed out, and the &lsquo;exemplary&rsquo; law and order situation in the State was underlined. The Congress sought to pick holes in the Gujarat Model by citing matters of unemployment, poor social welfare indices, farmers&rsquo; distress etc.</p>

<p>Thereafter, as the campaign picked momentum, the issue of reservation for the Patidar community gained ground. While it was there from the beginning, the matter received heft after the Congress and Patidar leader Hardik Patel joined hands officially. Once the Congress formally endorsed Patidar reservation, the BJP swung into action, first by projecting that the Patidars were a divided lot and that the sensible among them &mdash; who according to BJP leaders were in a majority &mdash; would remain loyal to the BJP. Second, the ruling party forcefully projected the &lsquo;impossibility&rsquo; of the reservation in constitutional terms and said the Congress was taking the Patidars for a ride.</p>

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<h5>The BJP had been keeping an eye on Rahul Gandhi&rsquo;s sudden devotion to temples; by some accounts, he has visited more than a dozen of them during his campaigns in the State.</h5>
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<p>So far, the going was simple enough and the commentators were still a happy lot. The BJP pitched for inclusive development (reminding voters of its past record and promising more of the same for the future) while the Congress aggressively pushed for reservation as an affirmative action to benefit the Patidars who form nearly 12 per cent of the population in Gujarat. The caste rainbow of Patidar-OBC-Scheduled Caste, which the Congress had quickly put out, was supposed to extinguish the BJP&rsquo;s flame of hope. Then, the development versus reservation narrative began to change.</p>

<p>For some time, the BJP had been keeping an eye on Rahul Gandhi&rsquo;s sudden devotion to temples; by some accounts, he has visited more than a dozen of them during his campaigns in the State. But after his trip to the Somnath temple, the party got an opportunity to say something. Somebody supposedly from the Congress leader&rsquo;s side entered his name as a non-Hindu visitor to the temple. BJP leaders were quick to demand an explanation. The Congress fell in the trap and one of its senior functionaries claimed that Rahul Gandhi was a &ldquo;<em>Janeu-</em><em>dhari</em> (sacred thread wearing) Hindu&rdquo;. To top this, Rahul Gandhi said he was a Shiva devotee! His acolytes then went on to speculate on the religious affiliations of both the Prime Minister and BJP president Amit Shah.</p>

<p>The sudden turn towards religion, on which the Congress generally finds itself on the defensive given that the BJP leaders make no bones about where their inclinations lie, shaped the narrative even more decidedly when senior Congress leader and noted lawyer Kapil Sibal demanded that the Supreme Court postpone the hearing on the Ayodhya temple-mosque dispute case, and take it up after the 2019 Lok Sabha election. The direct linkage of the dispute with politics left the Congress red-faced. Worse, even the litigants who had hired Sibal condemned the senior advocate&rsquo;s stand and said they wanted an early hearing and quick settlement of the issue.</p>

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<p>The manner in which the BJP, especially Prime Minister Modi, latched on to the issue at his public rallies and converted it into a major talking point, should have alerted the Congress against more self-goals. After all, it suited the opposite party to target the BJP on the issues of reservation and lack of real and inclusive development. But, perhaps already confident that they were winning Gujarat, senior Congress leaders breached the red line. Mani Shankar Aiyar called the Prime Minister &ldquo;<em>neech</em>&rdquo;, &nbsp;a term which Modi and his team ran swiftly to the electorate and termed it as a slight to his social status of being an OBC. Now, the BJP used the occasion to not just strike at the Congress for its &lsquo;elitist&rsquo; and &lsquo;feudal&rsquo; mindset but also quoted the abuse as an insult to Gujarati asmita (pride).</p>

<p>Had these blunders come in the early stages of electioneering, the Congress could have had a better chance of glossing over them or having them dominated by other, fresher issues. But they have come towards the end stages of campaigning, and their recall value is, therefore, more likely. Does this mean that religion and personal abuse will eventually determine the outcome? The Congress must be hoping to the contrary, and the BJP praying that the issues click.</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).</em></p>


The Congress aggressively pushed for reservation as an affirmative action to benefit the Patidars who form nearly 12 per cent of the population in Gujarat

In exactly a week from now, we shall know whether the Lotus has bloomed or the Hand has swept aside its rivals in Gujarat. We shall also know whether Rahul Gandhi begins his new innings as Congress president with a morale-boosting win or a defeat for which his minions will need to scamper to find scapegoats. And, we shall know too if Prime Minister Narendra Modi approaches the forthcoming electoral challenges after having being endorsed as Gujarat’s Pride or rejected in his own backyard. Both sides are confident of a decisive victory, but that is only to be expected. One has to lose and will lose. After all, while many scenarios have been discussed, none has ventured to suggest a hung Assembly where the winner-loser is unclear. Election campaigns are composed of several issues, and it is rare for just one or two of these to determine the outcome. The 2014 Lok Sabha poll was one such exception where corruption and policy paralysis alone doomed the Congress. Various other matters, factual or perceptional, became subordinate to this twin overriding narrative. In the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election held earlier this year, the two issues that tamed the Samajwadi Party were minority appeasement and poor law and order. The Gujarat campaign began in a simple enough manner, giving hope to the plethora of commentators of a fairly accurate assessment. × The Bihar Assembly poll was fought and won by the Lalu Prasad-Nitish Kumar combine (which has since evaporated) on pure caste arithmetic. Aside these, elections are contested and decided on multiple grounds, and this makes the democratic exercise all the more challenging — and even more challenging to predict. Rare is that political commentator who is able to say, with some amount of accuracy, that a particular issue would be the dominant factor. In hindsight, once the results are known, there are many to ‘analyse’ the impact of one strand or the other. The Gujarat campaign began in a simple enough manner, giving hope to the plethora of commentators of a fairly accurate assessment. Led by Prime Minister Modi, the Bharatiya Janata Party went on an overdrive, listing its achievements in the State over the two decades of its rule — especially the period 2002-14 when Modi was the Chief Minister. The Gujarat Model of development was showcased, the ease of doing the business ranking of the World Bank was flaunted, the upgrade in the country’s ratings by Moody’s was quoted, the robustness of the Indian economy was pointed out, and the ‘exemplary’ law and order situation in the State was underlined. The Congress sought to pick holes in the Gujarat Model by citing matters of unemployment, poor social welfare indices, farmers’ distress etc. Thereafter, as the campaign picked momentum, the issue of reservation for the Patidar community gained ground. While it was there from the beginning, the matter received heft after the Congress and Patidar leader Hardik Patel joined hands officially. Once the Congress formally endorsed Patidar reservation, the BJP swung into action, first by projecting that the Patidars were a divided lot and that the sensible among them — who according to BJP leaders were in a majority — would remain loyal to the BJP. Second, the ruling party forcefully projected the ‘impossibility’ of the reservation in constitutional terms and said the Congress was taking the Patidars for a ride. The BJP had been keeping an eye on Rahul Gandhi’s sudden devotion to temples; by some accounts, he has visited more than a dozen of them during his campaigns in the State. × So far, the going was simple enough and the commentators were still a happy lot. The BJP pitched for inclusive development (reminding voters of its past record and promising more of the same for the future) while the Congress aggressively pushed for reservation as an affirmative action to benefit the Patidars who form nearly 12 per cent of the population in Gujarat. The caste rainbow of Patidar-OBC-Scheduled Caste, which the Congress had quickly put out, was supposed to extinguish the BJP’s flame of hope. Then, the development versus reservation narrative began to change. For some time, the BJP had been keeping an eye on Rahul Gandhi’s sudden devotion to temples; by some accounts, he has visited more than a dozen of them during his campaigns in the State. But after his trip to the Somnath temple, the party got an opportunity to say something. Somebody supposedly from the Congress leader’s side entered his name as a non-Hindu visitor to the temple. BJP leaders were quick to demand an explanation. The Congress fell in the trap and one of its senior functionaries claimed that Rahul Gandhi was a “Janeu-dhari (sacred thread wearing) Hindu”. To top this, Rahul Gandhi said he was a Shiva devotee! His acolytes then went on to speculate on the religious affiliations of both the Prime Minister and BJP president Amit Shah. The sudden turn towards religion, on which the Congress generally finds itself on the defensive given that the BJP leaders make no bones about where their inclinations lie, shaped the narrative even more decidedly when senior Congress leader and noted lawyer Kapil Sibal demanded that the Supreme Court postpone the hearing on the Ayodhya temple-mosque dispute case, and take it up after the 2019 Lok Sabha election. The direct linkage of the dispute with politics left the Congress red-faced. Worse, even the litigants who had hired Sibal condemned the senior advocate’s stand and said they wanted an early hearing and quick settlement of the issue. The manner in which the BJP latched on to the issue at his public rallies and converted it into a major talking point, should have alerted the Congress against more self-goals. × The manner in which the BJP, especially Prime Minister Modi, latched on to the issue at his public rallies and converted it into a major talking point, should have alerted the Congress against more self-goals. After all, it suited the opposite party to target the BJP on the issues of reservation and lack of real and inclusive development. But, perhaps already confident that they were winning Gujarat, senior Congress leaders breached the red line. Mani Shankar Aiyar called the Prime Minister “neech”, a term which Modi and his team ran swiftly to the electorate and termed it as a slight to his social status of being an OBC. Now, the BJP used the occasion to not just strike at the Congress for its ‘elitist’ and ‘feudal’ mindset but also quoted the abuse as an insult to Gujarati asmita (pride). Had these blunders come in the early stages of electioneering, the Congress could have had a better chance of glossing over them or having them dominated by other, fresher issues. But they have come towards the end stages of campaigning, and their recall value is, therefore, more likely. Does this mean that religion and personal abuse will eventually determine the outcome? The Congress must be hoping to the contrary, and the BJP praying that the issues click. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: Gujarat elections, a litmus test for Rahul

<p>Over the last few days, the discourse in the media seems to be dominated by war of words between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress. At the centre of this discourse are exchanges - the verdict is still out on who-said-what - targeted at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. And poor <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/after-neech-jibe-on-pm-modi-congress-suspends-mani-shankar-aiyar-26159">Mani Shankar Aiyar</a>, now suspended from the Congress, is struggling to provide an explanation or the context to what-on-earth-prompted him to call the PM &#39;neech&#39;.</p>

<p>Much of the campaign in 2014 was dominated by political capital made from his &lsquo;chaiwalla&rsquo; comment, and one would have thought that Aiyar and his Congress friends would have learnt how personal attacks on Mr Modi don&rsquo;t bear fruit. Here was Rahul Gandhi, the president-elect of the Congress party, indulging the Prime Minister and his incumbent BJP - a party that has ruled Gujarat since 1995 - in a game of 10 questions - and along came the &lsquo;neech&rsquo; comment and put paid to a strategy that many say was well thought out.</p>

<p>My gut feeling is that this <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/why-military-intelligence-from-pakistan-suggesting-ahmed-patel-for-gujarat-cm-pm-modi-26364">&lsquo;tu-tu-main-main&rsquo;</a> will not impact the outcome greatly. Media often plays to political rhetoric and, sitting in Delhi, the two principal political parties trading barbs seems to be a good way to cover the goings-on in Gujarat. On the&nbsp;ground, these may not be reflective of the concerns of Maqsud bhai and Mansukh bhai. The people of Gujarat have made up their mind and they have real issues - unemployment and the impact of GST and demonetisation seem to be the pervading themes. The rehtoric will not sway how they vote.</p>

<p>Too much should not be read into the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gujarat-elections-live-first-phase-of-polling-begins-26288">poll percentage</a> - 68% - down from last elections 72% but still a healthy turnout. 89 of the 182 constituencies have voted and the fates of 977 candidates are already sealed in EVMs. While many pollsters have predicted a decline in fortunes for the BJP in the areas of south Gujarat and Saurashtra that have polled, these are comparisons to the wildly successful Lok Sabha campaign of 2014. Extrapolate those and the BJP won in 85 of the 89 seats that voted in the first phase. A more realistic comparison would be the 2012 assembly elections where the party won 63 of these 89 seats. An encore would not only see the BJP to a comfortable majority but would also do away with all the anti-incumbency talk. Sure, the BJP&rsquo;s claims of winning 150 seats in Gujarat could have been born out of political chest-thumping and bravado, but getting almost a two-thirds majority in a state that they&rsquo;ve ruled for 22 years is definitely creditable.</p>

<p><strong>The Hardik Patel Factor</strong></p>

<p>The Congress is not dictating the discourse in this campaign - what it has successfully managed to do is piggy-back on certain situations and ride a wave. The question that pundits don&rsquo;t seem to agree upon is how the Hardik Patel factor will affect the BJP&rsquo;s fortunes, but what is there in plain sight for everyone to see is that Hardik has done all the heavy-lifting for the Congress. There is no denying the fact that there has been resentment is many sections of Gujarat&rsquo;s population over demonetisation and GST - both measures hit business hard. But this resentment may have been overestimated - on my trip to the state a month ago, the common refrain I heard talking to both members of the Patidaar (Patel) community and traders was &lsquo;gussa hain, gaddar nahi&rsquo; (we&rsquo;re angry but we aren&rsquo;t traitors).</p>

<p>With all eyes on the second phase, the Hardik Patel-factor may play a role in North Gujarat but will hardly influence voters in the central parts of the state where there are 61 seats. It is here that the BJP could offset some losses from other regions. The overbearing Paatidar campaign against the party could also consolidate backward caste votes in its favour.</p>

<p>With the Prime Minister fervently on the campaign trail and responding to the barbs against him, the spotlight has shifted to emotive issues and optics - and even the Congress president-elect seems to be falling prey to these - the &lsquo;janeudhari brahman&rsquo; is now seen at temples.</p>

<p>People in 93 constituencies will cast their votes on Thursday, December 14. And put to rest this debate on temple visits, oonch-neech and what-have-you. Meanwhile, did anyone <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-will-score-a-historic-win-ravi-shankar-prasad-26287">miss the manifestos</a> this time? Just in case you did - the Congress released theirs on December 4 and the BJP on the eve of polling. In Gujarat, it seems, polls don&rsquo;t even need manifestos - the lip-service paid by both the principal parties certainly suggests that.</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity)</em></p>


Gujarat elections are about what the people want, not what politicians prattle over.

Over the last few days, the discourse in the media seems to be dominated by war of words between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress. At the centre of this discourse are exchanges - the verdict is still out on who-said-what - targeted at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. And poor Mani Shankar Aiyar, now suspended from the Congress, is struggling to provide an explanation or the context to what-on-earth-prompted him to call the PM 'neech'. Much of the campaign in 2014 was dominated by political capital made from his ‘chaiwalla’ comment, and one would have thought that Aiyar and his Congress friends would have learnt how personal attacks on Mr Modi don’t bear fruit. Here was Rahul Gandhi, the president-elect of the Congress party, indulging the Prime Minister and his incumbent BJP - a party that has ruled Gujarat since 1995 - in a game of 10 questions - and along came the ‘neech’ comment and put paid to a strategy that many say was well thought out. My gut feeling is that this ‘tu-tu-main-main’ will not impact the outcome greatly. Media often plays to political rhetoric and, sitting in Delhi, the two principal political parties trading barbs seems to be a good way to cover the goings-on in Gujarat. On the ground, these may not be reflective of the concerns of Maqsud bhai and Mansukh bhai. The people of Gujarat have made up their mind and they have real issues - unemployment and the impact of GST and demonetisation seem to be the pervading themes. The rehtoric will not sway how they vote. Too much should not be read into the poll percentage - 68% - down from last elections 72% but still a healthy turnout. 89 of the 182 constituencies have voted and the fates of 977 candidates are already sealed in EVMs. While many pollsters have predicted a decline in fortunes for the BJP in the areas of south Gujarat and Saurashtra that have polled, these are comparisons to the wildly successful Lok Sabha campaign of 2014. Extrapolate those and the BJP won in 85 of the 89 seats that voted in the first phase. A more realistic comparison would be the 2012 assembly elections where the party won 63 of these 89 seats. An encore would not only see the BJP to a comfortable majority but would also do away with all the anti-incumbency talk. Sure, the BJP’s claims of winning 150 seats in Gujarat could have been born out of political chest-thumping and bravado, but getting almost a two-thirds majority in a state that they’ve ruled for 22 years is definitely creditable. The Hardik Patel Factor The Congress is not dictating the discourse in this campaign - what it has successfully managed to do is piggy-back on certain situations and ride a wave. The question that pundits don’t seem to agree upon is how the Hardik Patel factor will affect the BJP’s fortunes, but what is there in plain sight for everyone to see is that Hardik has done all the heavy-lifting for the Congress. There is no denying the fact that there has been resentment is many sections of Gujarat’s population over demonetisation and GST - both measures hit business hard. But this resentment may have been overestimated - on my trip to the state a month ago, the common refrain I heard talking to both members of the Patidaar (Patel) community and traders was ‘gussa hain, gaddar nahi’ (we’re angry but we aren’t traitors). With all eyes on the second phase, the Hardik Patel-factor may play a role in North Gujarat but will hardly influence voters in the central parts of the state where there are 61 seats. It is here that the BJP could offset some losses from other regions. The overbearing Paatidar campaign against the party could also consolidate backward caste votes in its favour. With the Prime Minister fervently on the campaign trail and responding to the barbs against him, the spotlight has shifted to emotive issues and optics - and even the Congress president-elect seems to be falling prey to these - the ‘janeudhari brahman’ is now seen at temples. People in 93 constituencies will cast their votes on Thursday, December 14. And put to rest this debate on temple visits, oonch-neech and what-have-you. Meanwhile, did anyone miss the manifestos this time? Just in case you did - the Congress released theirs on December 4 and the BJP on the eve of polling. In Gujarat, it seems, polls don’t even need manifestos - the lip-service paid by both the principal parties certainly suggests that. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity)

Opinion: BJP remains buoyant in Gujarat, Congress rides a wave, Hardik Patel does some heavy lifting

<p>The station has come up in a tearing rush, but there are no tracks for the trains.</p>

<p>The renovation of the Vadnagar railway station, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is said to have worked at his father&#39;s tea stall as a child, was complete&nbsp;within four months, says Arvind Kumar, a civil engineer associated with the redevelopment of the station.</p>

<p>But the conversion of the tracks from meter gauge to broad gauge is nowhere near completion.</p>

<p>&quot;We started in June and by September, work was largely over. We were made to work till&nbsp;2 am.&nbsp;But I wonder why, considering there are no signs of tracks being laid. Even the construction of platforms, being handled by another contractor, is witnessing no such hurry,&quot; he says.</p>

<p>The facade of the station appears to have been given touches of a palace with rounded columns and latticed patterns.</p>

<p>Two parking lots have come up, for two-wheelers and cars.</p>

<p>Inside, there are sprawling waiting rooms, including some built exclusively for women passengers, all with central air- conditioning. There is an exhibition room as well.</p>

<p>But the catalyst behind the ambitious redevelopment project is placed in a quiet corner.</p>

<p>The single-tin stall, battered by age, which a local says was until recently stored in a warehouse, today attracts people from far and wide to this sleepy north Gujarat settlement, half-village, half-town, about 100kms from Ahmedabad.</p>

<p>The run-down structure looks like an ancient precious exhibit ensconced in a glass chamber, like in a museum, from a distance.</p>

<p>A tiny signboard informs visitors in Gujarati that &quot;Bal Narendra used to sell tea here&quot;.</p>

<p>Inside, there are jottings in red, accompanied by sketches of a cup and a saucer. The writings refer to the menu, a local kid, eager to relate the history of the place, points out.</p>

<p>It&#39;s not hard to find locals, including children, doubling up as tourist guides and apprising people of the significance of the structure.</p>

<p>They are of considerable help to visiting news channel crews. As Vadnagar votes on&nbsp;December 14, the race to get an exclusive shot of the tea stall is increasing by the minute.</p>

<p>Kumar says the station will cater to a broad-gauge line, which is coming up as part of the conversion of the Mehsana- Taranga Hill meter-gauge line.</p>

<p>The makeover of the station aside, the overall condition of Vadnagar troubles residents, who complain about garbage strewn roads, open drains and, most important, lack of jobs.</p>

<p>Though two bus terminals, shopping complexes and a medical college have come up, residents are not impressed.</p>

<p>&quot;Have you seen the complexes? The shutters are mostly down. Even the medical college has been opened in a rush ahead of the elections. It does not have adequate facilities,&quot; says Uttam Bhai Patel, the local chief of the Sardar Patel Group, from which Hardik Patel broke away to form the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti.</p>

<p>The area adjoining a local school, where Modi was enrolled as a student, has a sizeable presence of Muslims and Thakores. Until recently, Modi&#39;s elder brother Somabhai Modi used to stay in the neighbourhood.</p>

<p>A group of women, returning home after buying vegetables, walks into the local Congress office to air their grievances. Party workers try hard to convince them that if voted to power, all their complaints will be looked into and problems set right.</p>

<p>After the customary complaint on price rise, Urvashiben Salat, Pannaben Mare, Sumanben Vaid raise the more pressing issue of jobs.</p>

<p>&quot;None of our sons or daughters have a job. It is okay for stations to be built and we are indeed proud that Modiji belongs to our town, but at the end of the day we have to think about the future of our children and their well-being,&quot; Sumanben, whose daughter has completed her MA and BEd, says.</p>

<p>The Vadnagar taluka falls in the Unjha constituency of North Gujarat&#39;s Mehsana district, where BJP candidate Narayanbhai Patel, who is seeking a sixth straight term, is pitted against the Congress&#39;s Ashaben Patel.&nbsp;</p>


Modi is said to have worked at the Vadnagar railway station at his father's tea stall

The station has come up in a tearing rush, but there are no tracks for the trains. The renovation of the Vadnagar railway station, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is said to have worked at his father's tea stall as a child, was complete within four months, says Arvind Kumar, a civil engineer associated with the redevelopment of the station. But the conversion of the tracks from meter gauge to broad gauge is nowhere near completion. "We started in June and by September, work was largely over. We were made to work till 2 am. But I wonder why, considering there are no signs of tracks being laid. Even the construction of platforms, being handled by another contractor, is witnessing no such hurry," he says. The facade of the station appears to have been given touches of a palace with rounded columns and latticed patterns. Two parking lots have come up, for two-wheelers and cars. Inside, there are sprawling waiting rooms, including some built exclusively for women passengers, all with central air- conditioning. There is an exhibition room as well. But the catalyst behind the ambitious redevelopment project is placed in a quiet corner. The single-tin stall, battered by age, which a local says was until recently stored in a warehouse, today attracts people from far and wide to this sleepy north Gujarat settlement, half-village, half-town, about 100kms from Ahmedabad. The run-down structure looks like an ancient precious exhibit ensconced in a glass chamber, like in a museum, from a distance. A tiny signboard informs visitors in Gujarati that "Bal Narendra used to sell tea here". Inside, there are jottings in red, accompanied by sketches of a cup and a saucer. The writings refer to the menu, a local kid, eager to relate the history of the place, points out. It's not hard to find locals, including children, doubling up as tourist guides and apprising people of the significance of the structure. They are of considerable help to visiting news channel crews. As Vadnagar votes on December 14, the race to get an exclusive shot of the tea stall is increasing by the minute. Kumar says the station will cater to a broad-gauge line, which is coming up as part of the conversion of the Mehsana- Taranga Hill meter-gauge line. The makeover of the station aside, the overall condition of Vadnagar troubles residents, who complain about garbage strewn roads, open drains and, most important, lack of jobs. Though two bus terminals, shopping complexes and a medical college have come up, residents are not impressed. "Have you seen the complexes? The shutters are mostly down. Even the medical college has been opened in a rush ahead of the elections. It does not have adequate facilities," says Uttam Bhai Patel, the local chief of the Sardar Patel Group, from which Hardik Patel broke away to form the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti. The area adjoining a local school, where Modi was enrolled as a student, has a sizeable presence of Muslims and Thakores. Until recently, Modi's elder brother Somabhai Modi used to stay in the neighbourhood. A group of women, returning home after buying vegetables, walks into the local Congress office to air their grievances. Party workers try hard to convince them that if voted to power, all their complaints will be looked into and problems set right. After the customary complaint on price rise, Urvashiben Salat, Pannaben Mare, Sumanben Vaid raise the more pressing issue of jobs. "None of our sons or daughters have a job. It is okay for stations to be built and we are indeed proud that Modiji belongs to our town, but at the end of the day we have to think about the future of our children and their well-being," Sumanben, whose daughter has completed her MA and BEd, says. The Vadnagar taluka falls in the Unjha constituency of North Gujarat's Mehsana district, where BJP candidate Narayanbhai Patel, who is seeking a sixth straight term, is pitted against the Congress's Ashaben Patel.

Gujarat elections: At Vadnagar, tea tales by trackless station and lack of jobs

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s allegation against his predecessor Manmohan Singh over the Gujarat polls drew more condemnation today with NCP chief Sharad Pawar telling him &quot;shame on you&quot; and Congress president-elect Rahul Gandhi calling it unacceptable.</p>

<p>Key BJP ally Shiv Sena also launched a sharp attack on Modi, saying that dragging Pakistan into Gujarat election campaign was an &quot;impious&quot; way of trying to win the polls.</p>

<p>The prime minister at a poll rally in Gujarat&nbsp;on Sunday&nbsp;sought to link a dinner meeting hosted by suspended Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar for Pakistan dignitaries and attended by Manmohan Singh among others with the ongoing Assembly polls and a conspiracy against the BJP.</p>

<p>Modi had insinuated that his predecessor had colluded with Pakistan for BJP&#39;s defeat at the polls. The former premier responded by saying Modi was setting a &quot;dangerous precedent&quot; and asked him to apologise to the nation, a demand rejected by the union government.</p>

<p>Pawar criticised Modi for &quot;deliberately&quot; misconstruing the dinner meeting at Mani Shankar Aiyar&#39;s residence on December 6 and presenting it as a conspiracy by Pakistan to interfere in the Gujarat polls.</p>

<p>The meeting took place a day before Aiyar&#39;s &quot;neech aadmi&quot;(lowly person) jibe against Modi that led to his suspension from the party.</p>

<p>&quot;Shame on you, Prime Minister for making such allegations. You have made the allegations against this country&#39;s former prime minister and former Defence officials,&quot; Pawar, a former Defence minister, said.</p>

<p>&quot;Modi&#39;s government has not solved issues of farmers and other issues the country faces, but he is bringing the Pakistan angle as a diversionary tactic for Gujarat elections,&quot; Pawar said at a public rally -- &#39;Halla Bol&#39; -- organised by the Congress and the NCP in Nagpur on issues relating to agrarian crisis.</p>

<p>Modi has demeaned the office of the prime minister, Pawar alleged.</p>

<p>Rahul Gandhi hit out at the prime minister for his remarks against Manmohan Singh while addressing a press conference in Ahmedabad on the final day of campaigning for the Assembly polls.</p>

<p>&quot;What Modiji has said about former PM Manmohan Singh is not acceptable,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>In an editorial in its mouthpiece &#39;Saamana&#39;, the Shiv Sena said a prime minister is supposed to take action and not level allegations.</p>

<p>&quot;Prime Minister Modi has levelled a serious charge that Pakistan is interfering in Gujarat polls. We can understand the worries of Modi but a PM is supposed to take action and not level allegations.</p>

<p>&quot;Gujarat has become even more important than Kashmir. Until yesterday, Pakistan was interfering in Kashmir and China was interfering in Leh, Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh,&quot; it said.</p>

<p>Nowadays, in all elections, either Pakistan or fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim is brought at the forefront, the Sena quipped.</p>

<p>&quot;When sand below the feet starts moving, Pakistan and Dawood chanting begins. It is happening today as well. This is an impious way,&quot; it said.</p>

<p>The Sena further said that even in Bihar polls, BJP&#39;s national president had brought in Pakistan. Despite he saying that crackers will be burst in Pakistan if Nitish Kumar wins, the latter decimated the BJP, it said.</p>

<p>If the prime minister had all the details of the meet at Aiyar&#39;s house and knew the meeting was to undertake anti- national activities, why did he only level allegations and why were all those present at the meeting not arrested and an inquiry conducted, it asked.</p>

<p>&quot;Why are allegations levelled only in election rallies? If an interference from Pakistan is happening, let the Indian Army enter that country and take action, the Sena suggested.</p>

<p>&quot;The country expects Modi to work. How many times will you chant Pakistan&#39;s name?&quot;&nbsp;</p>


Congress president-elect Rahul Gandhi called the remarks unacceptable

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's allegation against his predecessor Manmohan Singh over the Gujarat polls drew more condemnation today with NCP chief Sharad Pawar telling him "shame on you" and Congress president-elect Rahul Gandhi calling it unacceptable. Key BJP ally Shiv Sena also launched a sharp attack on Modi, saying that dragging Pakistan into Gujarat election campaign was an "impious" way of trying to win the polls. The prime minister at a poll rally in Gujarat on Sunday sought to link a dinner meeting hosted by suspended Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar for Pakistan dignitaries and attended by Manmohan Singh among others with the ongoing Assembly polls and a conspiracy against the BJP. Modi had insinuated that his predecessor had colluded with Pakistan for BJP's defeat at the polls. The former premier responded by saying Modi was setting a "dangerous precedent" and asked him to apologise to the nation, a demand rejected by the union government. Pawar criticised Modi for "deliberately" misconstruing the dinner meeting at Mani Shankar Aiyar's residence on December 6 and presenting it as a conspiracy by Pakistan to interfere in the Gujarat polls. The meeting took place a day before Aiyar's "neech aadmi"(lowly person) jibe against Modi that led to his suspension from the party. "Shame on you, Prime Minister for making such allegations. You have made the allegations against this country's former prime minister and former Defence officials," Pawar, a former Defence minister, said. "Modi's government has not solved issues of farmers and other issues the country faces, but he is bringing the Pakistan angle as a diversionary tactic for Gujarat elections," Pawar said at a public rally -- 'Halla Bol' -- organised by the Congress and the NCP in Nagpur on issues relating to agrarian crisis. Modi has demeaned the office of the prime minister, Pawar alleged. Rahul Gandhi hit out at the prime minister for his remarks against Manmohan Singh while addressing a press conference in Ahmedabad on the final day of campaigning for the Assembly polls. "What Modiji has said about former PM Manmohan Singh is not acceptable," he said. In an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana', the Shiv Sena said a prime minister is supposed to take action and not level allegations. "Prime Minister Modi has levelled a serious charge that Pakistan is interfering in Gujarat polls. We can understand the worries of Modi but a PM is supposed to take action and not level allegations. "Gujarat has become even more important than Kashmir. Until yesterday, Pakistan was interfering in Kashmir and China was interfering in Leh, Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh," it said. Nowadays, in all elections, either Pakistan or fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim is brought at the forefront, the Sena quipped. "When sand below the feet starts moving, Pakistan and Dawood chanting begins. It is happening today as well. This is an impious way," it said. The Sena further said that even in Bihar polls, BJP's national president had brought in Pakistan. Despite he saying that crackers will be burst in Pakistan if Nitish Kumar wins, the latter decimated the BJP, it said. If the prime minister had all the details of the meet at Aiyar's house and knew the meeting was to undertake anti- national activities, why did he only level allegations and why were all those present at the meeting not arrested and an inquiry conducted, it asked. "Why are allegations levelled only in election rallies? If an interference from Pakistan is happening, let the Indian Army enter that country and take action, the Sena suggested. "The country expects Modi to work. How many times will you chant Pakistan's name?"

'Shame on you' Pawar tells PM for remarks against Manmohan

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday tweeted various uses of sea planes.</p>

<p>Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi travelled from Sabarmati River in Ahmedabad to Dharoi Dam via sea-plane, which is the first-ever flight by such a craft in the country.</p>

<p>&quot;Earlier today, I travelled on a sea plane from Ahmedabad`s Sabarmati River to Dharoi Dam, taking off and landing on water. This experience was unique and unforgettable. It adds strength to our resolve to harness waterways for India`s progress,&quot; Prime Minister Modi tweeted.</p>

<p>The Prime Minister said the sea-planes can augment tourism prospects in place like Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, and North East.</p>

<p>&quot;Effective use of waterways augurs well for tourism. Places like Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, our vibrant North East, places with many water bodies, big dams, waterways will benefit with usage of sea planes. More tourism also brings greater economic opportunities,&quot; Prime Minister Modi said in his second tweet.</p>

<p>He also said that the sea planes can prove useful in medical emergencies.</p>

<p>&quot;Sea plane services can also be helpful during times of medical emergencies. Those needing even quicker access to medical care and those living in remote areas stand to gain a lot,&quot; the Prime Minister tweeted.</p>

<p>After Prime Minister Narendra Modi became the first seaplane passenger in India, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday called it a &quot;big revolution&quot; in the field of transport.</p>

<p>Speaking to ANI, Gadkari informed that within three months the government along with the Aviation Minister will formulate its rules and regulations and start seaplanes transport in different states by 2018.</p>


The Prime Minister said the sea-planes can augment tourism prospects in place like Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, and North East

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday tweeted various uses of sea planes. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi travelled from Sabarmati River in Ahmedabad to Dharoi Dam via sea-plane, which is the first-ever flight by such a craft in the country. "Earlier today, I travelled on a sea plane from Ahmedabad`s Sabarmati River to Dharoi Dam, taking off and landing on water. This experience was unique and unforgettable. It adds strength to our resolve to harness waterways for India`s progress," Prime Minister Modi tweeted. The Prime Minister said the sea-planes can augment tourism prospects in place like Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, and North East. "Effective use of waterways augurs well for tourism. Places like Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, our vibrant North East, places with many water bodies, big dams, waterways will benefit with usage of sea planes. More tourism also brings greater economic opportunities," Prime Minister Modi said in his second tweet. He also said that the sea planes can prove useful in medical emergencies. "Sea plane services can also be helpful during times of medical emergencies. Those needing even quicker access to medical care and those living in remote areas stand to gain a lot," the Prime Minister tweeted. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi became the first seaplane passenger in India, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday called it a "big revolution" in the field of transport. Speaking to ANI, Gadkari informed that within three months the government along with the Aviation Minister will formulate its rules and regulations and start seaplanes transport in different states by 2018.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlights benefits of sea-planes

<p>Congress&#39;s president-elect Rahul Gandhi today hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over alleged atrocities on Dalits in Gujarat, insisting the community feels insecure in the state despite several laws for their protection.</p>

<p>Gandhi wanted to know who would take responsibility for the Una incident in which young Dalit men were flogged for skinning a dead cow.</p>

<p>&quot;Neither land nor employment, no health, and no education, Gujarat&#39;s Dalits received only insecurity.</p>

<p>&quot;Modiji is silent on Una&#39;s tragic incident, but who will take the responsibility for it. A number of laws were made in the name of Dalits, but who will execute them earnestly,&quot; he said on Twitter.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">22 ????? ?? ?????<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%9C%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A4_%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%87_%E0%A4%9C%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#??????_?????_????</a><br />
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14??? ????:<br />
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?????? ?? ?????? ?? ???? ?? ?? ????????<br />
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??? ?? ??????? ???? ?? ?????? ??? ???<br />
?? ???? ?? ???????? ???? ??? ????<br />
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????? ?? ???? ??? ?????? ?? ???<br />
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&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/940411904660348928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The Congress leader&#39;s posts were part of his &quot;a question a day&quot; series on social media launched in the run-up to the Gujarat Assembly elections.</p>

<p>Rahul Gandhi has been using the tagline &quot;22 salon ka hisaab, Gujarat mange jawaab (Gujarat demands answers for 22 years of BJP rule)&quot;.</p>

<p>Gandhi had earlier targeted the prime minister on various issues as part of the series, including those related to education, health, and financial management, and highlighted the plight of farmers, youth and women.&nbsp;</p>


'Neither land nor employment, no health, and no education, Gujarat's dalits received only insecurity,' Rahul said on Twitter

Congress's president-elect Rahul Gandhi today hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over alleged atrocities on Dalits in Gujarat, insisting the community feels insecure in the state despite several laws for their protection. Gandhi wanted to know who would take responsibility for the Una incident in which young Dalit men were flogged for skinning a dead cow. "Neither land nor employment, no health, and no education, Gujarat's Dalits received only insecurity. "Modiji is silent on Una's tragic incident, but who will take the responsibility for it. A number of laws were made in the name of Dalits, but who will execute them earnestly," he said on Twitter. 22 ????? ?? ?????#??????_?????_???? 14??? ????: ? ????, ? ??????, ? ?????????, ? ?????? ?????? ?? ?????? ?? ???? ?? ?? ???????? ??? ?? ??????? ???? ?? ?????? ??? ??? ?? ???? ?? ???????? ???? ??? ???? ????? ?? ???? ??? ?????? ?? ??? ??? ???? ??? ????? ??? ?????? — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) December 12, 2017 × The Congress leader's posts were part of his "a question a day" series on social media launched in the run-up to the Gujarat Assembly elections. Rahul Gandhi has been using the tagline "22 salon ka hisaab, Gujarat mange jawaab (Gujarat demands answers for 22 years of BJP rule)". Gandhi had earlier targeted the prime minister on various issues as part of the series, including those related to education, health, and financial management, and highlighted the plight of farmers, youth and women.

Rahul says Dalits feel insecure in Gujarat

<p>As campaigning&nbsp;for the second phase of the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/opinion-gujarat-assembly-elections-2017-bjp-remains-buoyant-congress-rides-a-wave-hardik-patel-does-some-heavy-lifting-26524" target="_blank">Gujarat assembly elections</a> wound up a while back, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gujarat-elections-modi-to-visit-ambaji-temple-on-last-day-of-election-campaign-26500" target="_blank">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> went on to share his thoughts around his experiences and what he feels will be the imminent result of Gujarat polls 2017.</p>

<p>In a series of tweets posted from his official Twitter handle, the Prime Minister expressed his happiness on being able to &quot;travel across the length and breadth of Gujarat to seek the blessings of the people&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Campaigning for the Gujarat Assembly Elections 2017 ends. After three and a half years, I got the honour to travel across the length and breadth of Gujarat to seek the blessings of the people.</p>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/940543703982018560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&quot;During my travels across Gujarat, the level of affection I have received from the people is unparalleled in my 40 years of public life. This affection gives me strength and motivates me to devote all my time for India&rsquo;s development,&quot; PM noted.</p>

<p>Mr Modi urged people of Gujarat to vote in &quot;record numbers on the 14th&quot; and facilitate &quot;an overwhelming majority&quot; for the party&quot; across the state.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I urge my sisters and brothers of Gujarat to vote in record numbers on the 14th. I call upon the people of Gujarat to not only give the BJP an overwhelming majority but also ensure that BJP wins in every polling booth across the state.</p>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/940543974686654464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Targetting the Opposition, PM Modi tweeted that the &quot;opponents&quot; have had been spreading lies about Gujarat, Gujarat&#39;s growth and about him (PM Modi).&nbsp;</p>

<p>He hoped that the combined efforts of the party in the centre and the one elected in Gujarat will bring prosperity and development to the country. &nbsp;&quot;This 1+1 is not 2 but 11 and together we will take Gujarat to new heights,&quot; he tweeted.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">With the Government of India and Government of Gujarat working together, the strength rises manifold. This 1+ 1 is not 2 but 11 and together we will take Gujarat to new heights.</p>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/940544185068699648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>PM Modi also tweeted about the significance of youth in India&#39;s bright future and noted that&nbsp;&quot;no Gujarati will let go of a golden opportunity of development of our youth and coming generations. The victory of BJP is a guarantee for a bright future.&quot;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I am devoting my life for the betterment of crores of people of Gujarat and India. Have been fortunate to always get your blessings. I am sure you will continue to bless us in these elections too by voting for BJP.</p>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/940544373955031042?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The remaining 93 constituencies in Central and northern regions in Gujarat will go to polls in the second phase on December 14.</p>

<p>Counting of votes is scheduled on December 18.&nbsp;</p>


PM Modi also tweeted about the significance of youth in India's bright future

As campaigning for the second phase of the Gujarat assembly elections wound up a while back, Prime Minister Narendra Modi went on to share his thoughts around his experiences and what he feels will be the imminent result of Gujarat polls 2017. In a series of tweets posted from his official Twitter handle, the Prime Minister expressed his happiness on being able to "travel across the length and breadth of Gujarat to seek the blessings of the people". Campaigning for the Gujarat Assembly Elections 2017 ends. After three and a half years, I got the honour to travel across the length and breadth of Gujarat to seek the blessings of the people. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 12, 2017 × "During my travels across Gujarat, the level of affection I have received from the people is unparalleled in my 40 years of public life. This affection gives me strength and motivates me to devote all my time for India’s development," PM noted. Mr Modi urged people of Gujarat to vote in "record numbers on the 14th" and facilitate "an overwhelming majority" for the party" across the state. I urge my sisters and brothers of Gujarat to vote in record numbers on the 14th. I call upon the people of Gujarat to not only give the BJP an overwhelming majority but also ensure that BJP wins in every polling booth across the state. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 12, 2017 × Targetting the Opposition, PM Modi tweeted that the "opponents" have had been spreading lies about Gujarat, Gujarat's growth and about him (PM Modi). He hoped that the combined efforts of the party in the centre and the one elected in Gujarat will bring prosperity and development to the country. "This 1+1 is not 2 but 11 and together we will take Gujarat to new heights," he tweeted. With the Government of India and Government of Gujarat working together, the strength rises manifold. This 1+ 1 is not 2 but 11 and together we will take Gujarat to new heights. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 12, 2017 × PM Modi also tweeted about the significance of youth in India's bright future and noted that "no Gujarati will let go of a golden opportunity of development of our youth and coming generations. The victory of BJP is a guarantee for a bright future." I am devoting my life for the betterment of crores of people of Gujarat and India. Have been fortunate to always get your blessings. I am sure you will continue to bless us in these elections too by voting for BJP. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 12, 2017 × The remaining 93 constituencies in Central and northern regions in Gujarat will go to polls in the second phase on December 14. Counting of votes is scheduled on December 18.

I devote my life to the betterment of people of Gujarat and India, tweets PM Modi

<p>Congress leader Anand Sharma on Monday described Modi&#39;s statement that Pakistan was trying to influence the Assembly elections in Gujarat &#39;&#39;outrageous&#39;&#39;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s allegations that the Pakistan was trying to influence the Assembly elections in Gujarat and that some Pakistani officials and ex-prime minister Manmohan Singh met a day before Mani Shankar Aiyar made the &quot;neech&quot; jibe against him, Congress leader Sharma said&nbsp;that statement was an attempt to polarize the country&nbsp;ahead of the&nbsp;second phase of voting&nbsp;and added that it showed Modi&#39;s desperation.</p>

<p>BJP&#39;s loss was now guaranteed, he added. &nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">PM has said Congress is conspiring with Pakistan for Gujarat elections.Its outrageous. This is just an attempt to polarize ahead of second phase of voting.This also shows his desperation and that BJP&#39;s loss is now guaranteed: Anand Sharma,Congress <a href="https://t.co/1Ax2qxDzvN">pic.twitter.com/1Ax2qxDzvN</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/940112995161554944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p><br />
Ex-Pakistan Foreign Minister was here to attend a wedding and&nbsp;there was a dinner organized for him in which there were former diplomats, former Army chief among other dignitaries. Does PM think they were all conspiring with Pak? Reprehensible.PM must apologize, Sharma further said.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Ex-Pakistan Foreign Minister was here to attend a wedding, there was a dinner organized for him in which there were former diplomats,former Army chief among other dignitaries.Does PM think they were all conspiring with Pak? Reprehensible.PM must apologize: Anand Sharma,Congress <a href="https://t.co/K07MwkwhFE">pic.twitter.com/K07MwkwhFE</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/940115921053421568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress on Sunday by suggesting that Pakistan was trying to influence the Assembly elections in Gujarat. Modi also claimed that some Pakistani officials and ex-prime minister Manmohan Singh met a day before Mani Shankar Aiyar made the &quot;neech&quot; jibe against him.</p>

<p>The meeting took place at Aiyar&#39;s residence, Modi claimed.</p>

<p>He also raised questions about the alleged appeal by former director general (DG) of the Pakistan Army Sardar Arshad Rafiq to make senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel the chief minister of Gujarat.</p>


Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress on Sunday by suggesting that Pakistan was trying to influence the Assembly elections in Gujarat.

Congress leader Anand Sharma on Monday described Modi's statement that Pakistan was trying to influence the Assembly elections in Gujarat ''outrageous''. Reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's allegations that the Pakistan was trying to influence the Assembly elections in Gujarat and that some Pakistani officials and ex-prime minister Manmohan Singh met a day before Mani Shankar Aiyar made the "neech" jibe against him, Congress leader Sharma said that statement was an attempt to polarize the country ahead of the second phase of voting and added that it showed Modi's desperation. BJP's loss was now guaranteed, he added. PM has said Congress is conspiring with Pakistan for Gujarat elections.Its outrageous. This is just an attempt to polarize ahead of second phase of voting.This also shows his desperation and that BJP's loss is now guaranteed: Anand Sharma,Congress pic.twitter.com/1Ax2qxDzvN — ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2017 × Ex-Pakistan Foreign Minister was here to attend a wedding and there was a dinner organized for him in which there were former diplomats, former Army chief among other dignitaries. Does PM think they were all conspiring with Pak? Reprehensible.PM must apologize, Sharma further said. Ex-Pakistan Foreign Minister was here to attend a wedding, there was a dinner organized for him in which there were former diplomats,former Army chief among other dignitaries.Does PM think they were all conspiring with Pak? Reprehensible.PM must apologize: Anand Sharma,Congress pic.twitter.com/K07MwkwhFE — ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2017 × Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress on Sunday by suggesting that Pakistan was trying to influence the Assembly elections in Gujarat. Modi also claimed that some Pakistani officials and ex-prime minister Manmohan Singh met a day before Mani Shankar Aiyar made the "neech" jibe against him. The meeting took place at Aiyar's residence, Modi claimed. He also raised questions about the alleged appeal by former director general (DG) of the Pakistan Army Sardar Arshad Rafiq to make senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel the chief minister of Gujarat.

Modi desperate about BJP loss in Gujarat, Pak trying to influence polls is outrageous: Anand Sharma

<p>Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday took aim at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that he helped all&nbsp;thieves&nbsp;to turn black money white.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The money of all thieves in India was turned white by Modi Ji.: Rahul Gandhi in Kheda&#39;s Dakor <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GujaratElection?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GujaratElection</a> <a href="https://t.co/0rAUw7BOBX">pic.twitter.com/0rAUw7BOBX</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/939758168959205376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&#39;&#39;The money of all thieves in India was turned white by Modi Ji,&#39;&#39; he said addressing a public rally in Kheda&#39;s Dakor.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">Dekhiye galat shabd ka prayog mat kariye woh PM hain, aap congress party ke ho, pyaar se baat kariye, meethe shabd prayog karo aur bhagao unko: Rahul Gandhi in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gujarat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gujarat</a>&#39;s Dakor <a href="https://t.co/FAZXwFbYS1">pic.twitter.com/FAZXwFbYS1</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/939758323816992768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&#39;&#39;Yesterday I listen to Modiji&#39;s speech and in 90 per cent of the time he was talking about himself,&#39;&#39; he said.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">Kal maine Modi Ji ka bhaashan suna. Usmein Modi Ji ne 90% Modi Ji ki baat ki.: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi in Dakor <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GujaratElection?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GujaratElection</a> <a href="https://t.co/q3drAc2CPh">pic.twitter.com/q3drAc2CPh</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/939757290487300096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The Congress vice-president also urged the Congress leaders not use bad words against Modi. &#39;&#39;We are Congress party and use only polite words and send the BJP government packing from the state,&#39;&#39; he said. &nbsp;</p>


Rhul said he listened to Modiji's speech and in 90 per cent of the time he was talking about himself.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday took aim at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that he helped all thieves to turn black money white. The money of all thieves in India was turned white by Modi Ji.: Rahul Gandhi in Kheda's Dakor #GujaratElection pic.twitter.com/0rAUw7BOBX — ANI (@ANI) December 10, 2017 × ''The money of all thieves in India was turned white by Modi Ji,'' he said addressing a public rally in Kheda's Dakor. Dekhiye galat shabd ka prayog mat kariye woh PM hain, aap congress party ke ho, pyaar se baat kariye, meethe shabd prayog karo aur bhagao unko: Rahul Gandhi in #Gujarat's Dakor pic.twitter.com/FAZXwFbYS1 — ANI (@ANI) December 10, 2017 × ''Yesterday I listen to Modiji's speech and in 90 per cent of the time he was talking about himself,'' he said. Kal maine Modi Ji ka bhaashan suna. Usmein Modi Ji ne 90% Modi Ji ki baat ki.: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi in Dakor #GujaratElection pic.twitter.com/q3drAc2CPh — ANI (@ANI) December 10, 2017 × The Congress vice-president also urged the Congress leaders not use bad words against Modi. ''We are Congress party and use only polite words and send the BJP government packing from the state,'' he said.

Money of all thieves in India was turned white by Modiji: Rahul Gandhi

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/narendra-modi-questions-aiyars-meeting-with-pak-high-commissioner-26372">Why did Congress leaders meet in secret with Pakistanis? PM Modi in Gujarat</a></p>

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday continued his tirade against suspended Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar while questioning his meeting with the Pakistan High Commissioner.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/cricket/1st-odi-sri-lanka-beat-india-by-7-wickets-26373">1st ODI: Sri Lanka beat India by 7 wickets</a></p>

<p>Sri Lanka beat India by seven wickets in the first ODI.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Sri Lankans took just 20.4 overs to get to 114, trotting past the Indian total of 112.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/hyderabad-student-shot-in-chicago-26371">Indian student from Hyderabad shot in Chicago</a></p>

<p>An Indian student from Hyderabad was shot in Chicago in the United States on Saturday.</p>

<p>The student, who is being treated in hospital, is gravely injured.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/actress-alleges-molestation-attempt-on-delhi-mumbai-flight-26352">Actress alleges molestation on Delhi-Mumbai flight</a></p>

<p>An actress has alleged molestation by a man sitting behind her on a Delhi-Mumbai flight. The man allegedly touched her neck and her back repeatedly with his feet.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/before-manchester-derby-guardiola-says-he-once-doubted-his-philosophy-26376">Before Manchester derby, Guardiola says he once doubted his philosophy</a></p>

<p>Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola&#39;s commitment to possession football is well established but ahead of Sunday&#39;s derby clash with Manchester United, the former Barcelona coach revealed he had once doubted his philosophy - but only for 48 hours.</p>


Why did Congress leaders meet in secret with Pakistanis? PM Modi in Gujarat Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday continued his tirade against suspended Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar while questioning his meeting with the Pakistan High Commissioner. 1st ODI: Sri Lanka beat India by 7 wickets Sri Lanka beat India by seven wickets in the first ODI. The Sri Lankans took just 20.4 overs to get to 114, trotting past the Indian total of 112. Indian student from Hyderabad shot in Chicago An Indian student from Hyderabad was shot in Chicago in the United States on Saturday. The student, who is being treated in hospital, is gravely injured. Actress alleges molestation on Delhi-Mumbai flight An actress has alleged molestation by a man sitting behind her on a Delhi-Mumbai flight. The man allegedly touched her neck and her back repeatedly with his feet. Before Manchester derby, Guardiola says he once doubted his philosophy Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola's commitment to possession football is well established but ahead of Sunday's derby clash with Manchester United, the former Barcelona coach revealed he had once doubted his philosophy - but only for 48 hours.

WION evening news brief, December 10, 2017

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