Skip to main content

Under Modi pressure? Poll panel may wait for "auspicious" Labh Pancham, Oct 25, to announce Gujarat polls

Chief election commissioner AK Joti 
By A Representative
Senior Gujarat government officials are learnt to have been told by their counterparts in Delhi that, “in all likelihood”, the Election Commission of India (ECI) would announce state assembly polls on or after the auspicious Labh Pacham, October 25, which is the fifth day of the new Gujarati New Year.
The Gujarati New Year is on October 20, a day after Diwali. On Labh Pancham, Gujarati Hindu middle class entrepreneurs reopen shops, closed on the Diwali day after, praying for Goddess Laxmi, or Goddess of Wealth. While many middle class families go holidaying for about a week, the more traditional ones keep all lights on at night and doors and windows open for considerable time to “allow” the Goddess to enter in their house.
Talking with me on condition of anonymity, a senior official, who claims to be in direct touch with ECI, has said it is “quite possible” for the poll dates to be announced after the “auspicious date.” Announcement of polls bring in force the model code of conduct, forcing the ruling party not to declare new sops to the people.
However, a Counteview message to Chief Election Commissioner AK Joti, asking him specific question whether this was true, went without a reply, though his juniors said, requesting not to be named, that there would be “no announcement” at least before October 18.
Two days ago, while the ECI announced November 8 as the date for Himachal Pradesh assembly polls, it did not announce any date for Gujarat, leading to many eyebrows being raised across India. One who has had excellent rapport with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Joti was Gujarat cadre IAS bureaucrat and retired as state chief secretary in January 2013, when Modi was Gujarat chief minister.
Not only the Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Left, but even former chief election commissioner SY Quraishi said the decision not to announce Gujarat polls along with that of Himachal Pradesh has “:justifiably raised the hackles of the people”, as the terms of the two state Assemblies almost coincide.
“If the government does announce new populist schemes and freebies, it would cause the EC a huge embarrassment. It would be accused of giving the government of Gujarat the few extra days before invoking the model code of conduct”, Quraishi insists in his opinion piece.
While Gujarat Assembly’s term ends on January 22, 2018, and of Himachal Pradesh it ends on January 7. ECI, meanwhile, also announced that the counting date for both Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh polls would be on December 18.
Justifying his decision not to announce Gujarat polls, Joti reportedly said that the election timetable should ideally not exceed 46 days, adding, any announcement for more than that would “obstructed governance.”
A major reason given by the ECI for not announcing Gujarat polls, said Joti, is the Gujarat government “seeking” more time before the election announcement, as the model code of conduct would “disrupt” flood relief in Gujarat.
Meanwhile, what Quraishi said is already proving to correct. The Gujarat government is already starting to open purse-strings, says a report. The BJP-ruled Vadodara Municipal Corporation has finalized a mega event for Sunday, where Chief Minister Vijay Rupani is expected to inaugurate development works worth Rs 780 crore.
Earlier on Friday, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation concluded its ninth “Shahri Garib Kalyan Mela” in Ahmedabad, where of a total 4103 beneficiaries, 3,262 were distributed kits including cheques, funds and bonds under the “Manav Garima Yojana”.
The kits included sewing machines, utensils, tri-cycles, dairy products, street-vending carts and other household items. 1,087 people were given kits, as also cheques ranging from Rs 2,000 as Vidyalakshmi bonds to Rs 50,000, for intercaste marriage were distributed.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh are in South Gujarat to address a public meetings as part of the Gaurav Yatra, which would be concluded on Sunday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi off Gandhinagar.
Knowledgeable circles say, senior state officials, including those from the police, have been given the target of bringing “at least 10 lakh people” as a show of strength for Modi’s rally.

Comments

Post a Comment

TRENDING

When democracy becomes a performance: The Tibetan exile experience

By Tseten Lhundup*  I was born in Bylakuppe, one of the largest Tibetan settlements in southern India. From childhood, I grew up in simple barracks, along muddy roads, and in fields with limited resources. Over the years, I have watched our democratic system slowly erode. Observing the recent budget session of the 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, these “democratic procedures” appear grand and orderly on the surface, yet in reality they amount to little more than empty formalities. The parliamentarians seem largely disconnected from the everyday struggles faced by ordinary exiled Tibetans like us.
Post a Comment
»

Civil society flags widespread violations of land acquisition Act before Parliamentary panel

By Jag Jivan   Civil society organisations and stakeholders from across India have presented stark evidence before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj , alleging systemic violations of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RFCTLARR) Act, 2013 , particularly in Scheduled Areas and tribal regions.
Post a Comment
»

Beyond the island: Top mythologist reorients the geography of the Ramayana

By Jag Jivan   In a compelling new analysis that challenges conventional geographical assumptions about the ancient epic, writer and mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik has traced the roots of the Ramayana to the forests and river systems of Central and Eastern India, rather than the peninsular south or the modern island nation of Sri Lanka.
Post a Comment
»

Dr. Ram Bux Singh: Biogas pioneer’s legacy gains urgency amid energy crisis

By A Representative   In an era defined by a global energy crisis and a desperate search for sustainable solutions, the visionary work of an Indian scientist from the mid-20th century is finding renewed, urgent relevance. Dr. Ram Bux Singh , a pioneering figure in biogas and renewable energy , is being posthumously honored by the Government of India, even as his decades-old innovations provide a blueprint for today’s challenges.
1 comment
»

Alarming decline in India's repair culture threatens circular economy goals: Study

By Jag Jivan  A comprehensive new study by environmental research and advocacy organisation Toxics Link has painted a worrying picture of India's fading repair culture, warning that the trend towards replacement over repair is accelerating the country's already critical e-waste crisis.
1 comment
»

The soundtrack of resistance: How 'Sada Sada Ya Nabi' is fueling the Iran war

​ By Syed Ali Mujtaba*  ​The Persian track “ Sada Sada Ya Nabi ye ” by Hossein Sotoodeh has taken the world by storm. This viral media has cut across linguistic barriers to achieve cult status, reaching over 10 million views. The electrifying music and passionate rendition by the Iranian singer have resonated across the globe, particularly as the high-intensity military conflict involving Iran entered its second month in March 2026.
Post a Comment
»

Protesters in UK cities voice concerns over alleged developments in Bastar region

By A Representative   Demonstrations were held across several cities in the United Kingdom on March 28, as groups and activists gathered to protest what they described as state actions in India under the reported “Operation Kagar.”
Post a Comment
»

Manufacturing, services: India's low-skill, middle-skill labour remains underemployed

By Francis Kuriakose* The Indian economy was in a state of deceleration well before Covid-19 made its impact in early 2020. This can be inferred from the declining trends of four important macroeconomic variables that indicate the health of the economy in the last quarter of 2019.
Post a Comment
»

Food security? Gujarat govt puts more than 5 lakh ration cards in the 'silent' category

By Pankti Jog* A new statistical report uploaded by the Gujarat government on the national food security portal shows that ensuring food security for the marginalized community is still not a priority of the state. The statistical report, uploaded on December 24, highlights many weaknesses in implementing the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in state.
Post a Comment
»