Gujarat elections LIVE updates: Due to notebandi, Congress is facing votebandi, says CM Vijay Rupani

Chief Election Commissioner of India AK Joti on Sunday said that VVPAT machines will be used along with EVMs in all 50,264 voting booths of 182 constituencies in the state. The elections for the 182-member Gujarat Assembly will take place on December 9 and 14 and the counting is slated to be held on December 18.

Gujarat Elections LIVE UPDATES

7.30 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing four rallies starting at Dharampur in Valsad, followed by Bhavnagar, Junagadh and Jamnagar in Saurashtra.

04.12.2017

9.12 pm: “Lakshmi aati hai toh haath pakad kar nahi kamal par baith kar aati hai (Lakshmi doesn’t come holding a hand, but comes sitting on a lotus),” Irani says

9.11 pm: “After Modi Ji came to power, banks which used to shut their doors on the face of poor, now go to their doors requesting them to open a Jan Dhan Account,” says Irani

9.10 pm: Addressing an election rally in Surat, Union Minister Smriti Irani said, “This is not an election only for BJP but for every Gujarati who was called a ‘gadha’ by Rahul Gandhi and his friend Akhilesh Yadav in Uttar Pradesh.”

8.50 pm: “Congress leaders are in tears due to demonetisation. That is because they have lost all that they had looted from the poor,” says PM Narendra Modi

8.45 pm: “Do you remember how expensive LED bulbs were when Congress was in power,” asks PM

8.40 pm: “In every indicator – be it health, education, agriculture – the progress of Gujarat under BJP has been better than under previous Congress governments in the state,” asserts Modi

8.38 pm: “Be it corruption, casteism, communalism or nepotism, it is the Congress which is associated with these evils. The youth are not ready to accept the Congress,” says PM

8.37 pm: “India’s rise in the world stage has rattled many. They are going out of the way to discredit the rankings. Yes that is fine but will they also discredit the people of UP who have rejected them comprehensively,” says PM Narendra Modi in Rajkot

8.30 pm: PM Narendra Modi starts addressing election meeting in Rajkot

8.25 pm: “Congress alleges 13,000 government schools have closed down in Gujarat. But as a matter of fact 58,000 primary and secondary government schools are functional in Gujarat,” Rupani claims

8.20 pm: “Lies being spread by Congress will not work. It has been uprooted from UP as it couldn’t win a single mayoral seat in that seat. Similar will be situation of Congress in Gujarat,” the CM says

8.17 pm: “Congress cries foul over GST and notebandi (demonitisation). But due to notebandi, Congress is facing votebandi (ban on votes),” says Rupani

8.15 pm: “Once bats called a meeting saying there was talk of the sun shining too much& that if anyone can go& check. Will a bat dare to come out of roost at daytime? Similarly, will Congress, which lives miles away from devp will ever be able to see development?” says Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani

6.22 pm: “It is our ‘nationalism’ that made us get Father Tom and Father Prem back. When Judith D’Souza was kidnapped, we once again did whatever we could to bring this daughter of India back,” Modi says

6.20 pm: “Those who are releasing Fatwas against ‘nationalists’ should see the effort we undertook to get Father Tom back. Father Tom was guided by his love for Lord Christ and was working. We got Father Tom back. We also got back Father Prem, who was kidnapped in Afghanistan,” says PM Modi.

6.19 pm: “Our nurses were stranded in West Asia. When these nurses, who are doing such humanitarian work, are stranded how can anyone sleep in peace. Every effort was undertaken to bring them back home,” says Modi.

6.18 pm: “Have you seen how active Sushma Swaraj ji is? Guided by humanitarian values, she is serving so many people in need – they can be in any part of the world but she helps them,” PM says.

6.15 pm: Priority is to improve health infrastructure and boost innovation in the sector, says Modi.

6.10 pm: Lack of healthcare facilities affects the poor adversely. We want to change that and that is why we made stents cheaper: PM Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad.

05.30 pm: If a candidate thinks that the EVM is malfunctioned, he can complain about it to the Returning Officer. The RO can refer to the slip by VVPAT Machines: AK Joti

05.15 pm: On EVM tampering, CEC AK Joti said that the local body election is under jurisdiction of state election commissions and CEC plays no role in that. We lend them M1 EVMs if they ask for it. We never lend M2 EVMs, currently used by CEC. M1 EVMs have not been used by CEC since 2006, as reported by ANI.

05.00 pm: As per ANI reports, AK Joti, Chief Election Commissioner of India in Ahmedabad said that VVPAT machines will be used along with EVMs in all 50,264 voting booths of 182 constituencies in state.

VVPAT machines will be used along with EVMs in all 50,264 voting booths of 182 constituencies in state: AK Joti, Chief Election Commissioner of India in Ahmedabad pic.twitter.com/08ZoilanOL

— ANI (@ANI) December 3, 2017

3.37 pm: “The biggest disservice to Gujarat by the Congress was to divide communities. Congress ensured people earlier friendly were divided,” the PM said.

3.32 pm: “My Gods are 125 crore Indians. I am serving them,” Modi said.

3.27 pm: “Congress has no worry for Gujarat. They prefer resorts in Bengaluru,” Modi said, referring to the Congress’ move to transfer their Gujarat MLAs to Bengaluru before the Rajya Sabha polls to prevent horse trading.

3.25 pm: “Water scarcity in Surendranagar is now history. The BJP has got the Narmada waters here and helped farmers,” asserted Modi.

3.24 pm: “It was the Congress which made the nation a prison. Media had to ask Indira Ji before publishing something. So, what the youngster Shehzad is saying is not unusual it is the Congress culture,” Modi said.

3.20 pm: “A youngster Shehzad has exposed the rigging that is taking place in the Congress president poll. Shehzad is a senior Congress leader in Maharashtra. Congress has tried to muzzle his voice and wants to even remove him from their social media groups. What tolerance is this,” the PM said. Modi was referring to Congress leader Shehzad  Poonawalla, who last week cast aspersions on the party’s organisational polls and doubted if the Congress delegates were elected.

3.15 pm: “Those who have no internal democracy can’t work for people. I want to say to this youngster Shehzad – you have done a brave thing but this is sadly what has always happened in Congress,” says Modi

3.12 pm: “A few days ago I said said there are 3 polls whose results are certain- UP local polls, Gujarat polls where I said BJP will win and the INC President election where 1 family will win. We saw what happened in UP,” says PM Narendra Modi, referring to the landslide win for BJP in the UP civic elections.

2.53 pm: PM Narendra Modi arrives in Surendranagar.

2.43 pm: “Within ten days Indian Army went to Pakistan, took revenge and came back. Pakistan was left red faced and Rahul Gandhi was demanding proof. He was asked who saw the surgical strikes taking place. Rahul bhai, please respect the honour and valour of our jawans guarding the borders,” Shah said.

2.40 pm: BJP President Amit Shah is also campaigning in Mahuva, Bhavnagar. “When Uri terror attack took place, anger was brewing in the entire nation. Everyone thought PM would give a statement and things will get over but this time it wasn’t the government of Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh. It was a government. chosen by you,” Shah was quoted as saying by ANI.

2.30 pm: “The people of Gujarat know what the Congress is up to. It changes colour time and again, creates a wall between brothers,” PM Modi said in Bharuch. “They keep you busy in fighting with each other. You may die but the Congress will eat ‘malai’ (cream),” he said.

2.20 pm: Similar instances were reported from Surendranagar. Along with media persons, who were stopped from taking black bags inside the MP Shah College ground, Mahila Morcha members were also asked to leave their black purses and handbags outside before entering the venue. “We were instructed a day before not to carry anything in black colour or even wear black in any form,” Hansaben Thakor, one of the mahila members, told The Indian Express in Surendranagar.

Mahila morcha team in saffron turbans preps up for PM Narendra Modi's 'vikas rally' in Surendranagar, Gujarat @IndianExpress pic.twitter.com/eDuqtP8etv

— Ritu Sharma (@2ritusharma) December 3, 2017

2.15 pm: While one police official said it was done for security reasons, another told The Indian Express that a few weeks ago, Congress workers with black scarves had entered PM’s meeting and protested by waving black flags. That might be the reason why black clothes were not being allowed in the meeting.

2.10 pm: Tight security arrangements were made at Amod in Bharuch where PM Modi addressed the first public rally of the day. The Indian Express on the ground found out that people wearing black upper garments were not allowed to enter the venue. All those who came in black clothes to campaign for the party candidates in south Gujarat’s Bharuch district were sent back by security personnel.

Raman Vasava, a youth from Shahpur village in Bharuch taluka, who had come to listen to PM Modi had to return disappointed. “I wanted to see PM and listen to him. But the security personnel at the entry gates sent me back saying people in upper garments in black are not allowed. They did not give me the reason banning the black garment,” Vasava said.

A reporter of a national daily from Delhi, who had come to cover the meeting, was forced to remove his black jacket before entering the venue. While he handed over his black jacket to the driver, many people put their black jackets on the railings outside the meeting ground.

1.56 pm: PM Narendra Modi’s scheduled public rally at Surendranagar delayed, expected arrival at 3.30 pm.

Children dressed up in various characters reach at PM Narendra Modi's rally in Surendranagar, Gujarat @IndianExpress pic.twitter.com/s978QVBamo

— Ritu Sharma (@2ritusharma) December 3, 2017

1.36 pm: “Do you remember the poor law and order situation in Bharuch when Congress was in power? Curfews and violence were common here. BJP changed this, not only in Bharuch but all over Gujarat,” PM Modi said. In his interview to The Sunday Express, BJP President Amit Shah had also mentioned that BJP changed the frequent curfews in Gujarat. Read the full interview here.

1.32 pm: Citing the example of bullet trains, PM Modi said Congress opposed everything for the sake of it. “My problem with Congress politics is simple- they oppose us just for the sake of opposing. They oppose things like bullet train only because they could not take this initiative forward and are envious someone else is,” he said.

1.25 pm: “When there were floods in Banaskantha, Congress leaders were in Bengaluru to save 1 leader from losing a Rajya Sabha poll. That same leader is the topmost Congress leader but what did he do for Bharuch. He was unable to work for Narmada, neither did he think about ro-ro ferry,” PM said.

1.22 pm: Meanwhile Finance Minister Arun Jaitley too said that the Congress divided people along several lines for power. “As the election nears, it is increasingly becoming a contest between development and political stability on one hand and an opportunist alliance and anarchy on the other. BJP track record of 22 years is of providing excellent governance,” Jaitley said. “Congress here has no leadership, it has mortgaged its leadership to such forces which are only dividing the state on caste lines,” he said.

1.20 pm: PM Modi said, “Bharuch and Kutch are districts with significant Muslim populations. And, if you see the districts which developed rapidly under the BJP tenure in Gujarat, the names of these two districts figure prominently.”

1.17 pm: “Congress strategy is to divide people- divide people on lines of caste, community, urban-rural…all this just for power,” PM Modi said.

1.16 pm: “In Uttar Pradesh, where the Congress ruled for decades, the state from where generations of top Congress leaders belong…we saw what happened there in the local elections. Congress was wiped out. UP knows the Congress well and so does Gujarat,” Modi said.

1.14 pm: PM Narendra Modi begins addressing the rally in Bharuch.

12.50 pm: “Aatankvadi aatankwadi hota hai, na Hindu hota hai, na Musalman hota hai, na Isai hota hai, uska koi mazhab nahi hota. Lekin keval vote ke chakkar mein jaat-paat mazhab ke aadhar par baant ke ye sarkaar banana chahte hain (A terrorist is a terrorist. Not a Hindu, Muslim or Christian. But they want to divide people in the name of caste and religion just to get votes),” Rajnath Singh was quoted as saying by ANI.

12.30 pm: Rajnath Singh also said, “Prime Minister is an institution. One should not hurl any allegation at him. One should never violate ‘maryada’. But these people (Opposition) are crossing it.” The Home Minister also said that people should not look at the candidate but at the symbol of Lotus.

Gujarat Election LIVE updates: At a public meeting in Sanand of Ahmedabad district. (Express photo/Javed Raja)

12.25 pm: Meanwhile BJP leaders ridiculed Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for posing a series of questions to PM Modi on social media. In his ‘a question a day’ campaign, Gandhi had questioned the Gujarat model of development. “Its high time he gets his script writer changed. This college-level poetry type statements do not deserve a response,”MoS PMO Jitendra Singh was quoted as saying by ANI. “Jinhe baigan aur burger ka fark nahi pata, pyaz aur pizza ka fark nahi pata vo sawaal kar rahe hain. Pehle vo desh ki siyasat aur sankstriti ki ABCD batayein, jis din unhe pata chala us din sab jawab khud mil jayenge (Someone who doesn’t know the difference between basic things, they are raising questions. They would know the answer the day they learn the basics of the country’s politics and culture),” Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh at a public meeting in Sanand of Ahmedabad district. (Express photo/Javed Raja)

12.19 pm: “People of Gujarat have already given their verdict on work done by BJP in Gujarat in 2014 (Lok Sabha elections),” the Home Minister said.

12.11 pm: “Rahul Gandhi says ‘Vikas paagal ho gaya hain.’ Vikas can be fast or slow, it cannot be ‘paagal’. What to say about a person who calls vikas ‘paagal’? Rajnath Singh said in Sanand. “If Vikas is pagal (in Gujarat), I want to ask Rahul Gandhi, ‘why did Rajiv Gandhi Foundation awarded Gujarat in 2008?”

12.07 pm: BJP has fielded Kanu Makwana, son of Karamshi Makwan, from Sanand constituency. Karamshi was Congress MLA from Sanand and had joined BJP after voting against Congress whip in Rajya Sabha elections in August this year under controversial circumstances.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh at a public meeting in Sanand of Ahmedabad district. (Express photo/Javed Raja)

12.01 pm: Home Minister Rajnath Singh arrives in Sanand, Ahmedabad to address a public meeting.

11.24 am: “At 5 PM this evening, will inaugurate the Shree Jogi Swami Holistic Hospital in Ahmedabad. The various efforts of the SGVP family towards serving society are commendable,” PM Modi wrote on Twitter.

11.15 am: Meanwhile, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani begins his road show in Umra and PAAS convener Hardik Patel begins his road show from Katargam in Surat.

Hardik Patel roadshow in Surat on Sunday. (Express photo/Hanif Malek)

11.00 am: “The need for Mr Modi to make himself the election issue and ask for votes in his name. I think it is unusual for a Prime Minister to do so,” former finance minister P Chidambaram wrote in a column published in The Sunday Express. “Like in every state, sections of the people of Gujarat are dissatisfied. The farmers are particularly unhappy. The Sardar Sarovar dam is an example of poor governance. Less than a quarter of the planned 18.45 lakh hectares receives water for irrigation. Over 30,000 km of canals are yet to be completed. The Dalits and the Scheduled Tribes believe they have been neglected and are the victims of oppression and violence. The minorities believe they are discriminated against and a majoritarian agenda is being imposed upon them,” Chidambaram said. Read the column here.

10.30 am: Election Commission data on the 2012 Gujarat elections shows the BJP had received 47.85 per cent of the valid votes, while the Congress garnered 38.93 per cent votes. The Congress this time is banking on Rahul Gandhi and support from Hardik Patel, Alpesh Thakor and Jignesh Mevani to bridge the 9 per cent vote share gap.

Will be addressing rallies in Bharuch, Surendranagar and Rajkot today. @BJP4Gujarat

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 3, 2017

10.00 am: Meanwhile, BJP President Amit Shah is confident of a win in Gujarat. BJP president Amit Shah told The Sunday Express that the public is not bothered about what the media writes and that the BJP will win 150 seats in Gujarat. Read here.

9.20 am: Congress leader Sheila Dikshit on Saturday said the PM’s claims of development were hollow slogans. The former Delhi chief minister claimed that Modi was visiting Gujarat after every three-four days because the BJP was facing a tough time in the state. She also said that PM Modi could not complete the metro rail in Ahmedabad during his 13 years of rule in Gujarat. Read more here.

9.05 am: Indranil was later detained by police after he went to Rupani’s residence with his supporters. The Congress candidate for Rajkot East Assembly seat was also detained. The BJP, on the other hand, claimed the clashes erupted over setting up hoardings on Raiya Road. Rajkot BJP President alleged that BJP workers were trying to prevent Congress workers who were trying to pull down a BJP hoarding, leading to the clash. BJP spokesperson Raju Dhruv also alleged this is a handy work of Congress a day before PM Modi’s election meeting in Rajkot city.

9.00 am: On Saturday night, a scuffle broke out between Congress and BJP workers in Rajkot. Brother of Congress candidate Indranil Rajyaguru, who is challenging Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani in Rajkot West Assembly seat, was allegedly attacked on Raiya Road. Indranil alleged that his brother Divyanil was attacked by BJP workers when he was campaigning for his brother.