Aditi Raja

The election campaign is conspicuous by its absence -- only two hoardings of the four BJP candidates contesting the Narmada District Panchayat elections serve as a reminder that an election is coming up on Sunday.

Among the 69 winners of the BJP were two 22-year-olds -- both first-time contestants and youngest in the city -- Bhoomika Rana and Shrirang Ayare, while Congress heavyweight and six-term corporator Chirag Zaveri suffered a setback in Ward 18.

A total of 192 seats in Ahmedabad, 72 in Rajkot, 64 in Jamnagar, 52 in Bhavnagar, 76 in Vadodara and 120 in Surat were up for grabs in the elections. The AAP had fielded 470 candidates across the six corporations.

As leaders of political parties gauged the indications of a low voter turnout in most wards, party workers fanned out in their respective wards and urged residents to vote.

A High Court advocate from Juhapura area, Sufi Anwar Hussain (45) says lawyers are still distressed due to the pandemic.

Homes of people from Hindu and Muslim communities sharing a common wall, neighbours calling out to one another to share a cup of tea and joining in one voice to complain about the lack of amenities as the civic polls approach — all signs indicative of the ‘communal sensitivity’ of understanding.

This was the third major suspension since its launch on October 31, 2020.

The BJP reacted to the manifesto saying it was an “influence of Italian culture” that has “offended the people of sanskaari nagri (cultural city) Vadodara”.

A plan to launch the second service to connect Sabarmati Riverfront to Shatrunjay Dam for Palitana has been put on hold as of now.

Says stepping into Hiren Patel’s shoes to fulfil his ‘incomplete dreams’

The circular has been received by the Primary Health Centres (PHCs) under the taluka.

Three candidates from the Municipal Corporations of Vadodara and Rajkot were disqualified on Monday under the two-child policy in place in the state for candidates. The nominations were challenged because each candidate had three children.

Everyday, close to 20 kilos of acacia leaf branches and twigs make their way into the enclosure for the three-year-old female giraffe, which is now the only surviving of the four that were shipped into the park in October 2019 from Africa.

The Gujarat government had banned gatherings and celebrations, including festivals, during lockdown and unlock period due to the Covid-19 pandemic, while it opened several new tourism avenues attracting huge crowds and allowed certain political rallies and gatherings.

Anwesh Patel, president of GBFCC and owner of around 10 poultry farms in Anand district, said the consumption of broiler chicken in Gujarat is pegged at 600 tonnes per day, and the industry has seen a 90% dip in sales since Monday.

The Samarpan Society was at the centre of controversy after some residents lodged a criminal complaint against one of its members, Feroz Contractor, for “hiding his religion” when he sold a plot in the society to Firoz Patel.

However, the authorities are “yet to decide” if the crocodiles on display will be from the Narmada river, which has been home to the muggers or whether they will be brought in as part of an “exchange” programme from elsewhere.

However, celebrations will be muzzled with no mass gatherings, DJ or orchestra performances as police have warned of legal action against both the hosts and party goers if social distancing norms are violated.

Tribal communities have been protesting since the beginning of November, when the district administration served the first notice to execute the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) order.

SpiceJet officials said the aircraft being brought in will be newer and “about a decade-old”. The bookings for the Ahmedabad-Kevadia seaplane route have commenced from December 28, they added.

The fraud came to light when whistleblower Indravadan Parikh, an advocate in Santrampur wrote letters to various government departments seeking an inquiry after he learnt about the scam of Rs 19 lakhs in Santrampur.

A municipal bond is a kind of debt instrument where investors offer loans to local governments. They are issued by civic bodies for specific projects and usually have a 10-year tenure.

The church will also, similarly, hold the New Year Service virtually.

The HC order comes a fortnight after the State Crime Investigation Department (CID) filed a chargesheet against six policemen for the alleged murder. The chargesheet also booked two other police personnel as accused.