In a counter-move against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's proposed fast, the state Congress, under the leadership of Shankarsinh Vaghela, has announced a parallel fast at the same time.
Long caught between two polarities, Gujarat's electoral field has expanded to include a third party with the Aam Aadmi Party challenging the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party as well as the opposition Congress that has lost ground but still has significant presence.
Former Congress leader Narhari Amin, who recently crossed over to the Bharatiya Janata Party, has alleged that senior leaders of the faction-ridden Opposition party in Gujarat subverted ticket distribution process for elections, which prompted party cadres to defect.
Gujarat Congress on Friday made scores of electoral promises targeting 75 per cent of the electorate which includes the OBC, SC-ST, minority, differently-abled and dalit voters.
Senior Gujarat Congress leaders and party workers were detained in Gandhinagar on Monday when they tried to march towards the state assembly, protesting against the Gujarat Irrigation and Drainage Bill 2013, which, they claimed, is 'anti-farmer'. State Congress president Arjun Modhwadia, Leader of Opposition Shankarsinh Vaghela, central ministers Dinsha Patel and Tushar Chaudhary were among others who were detained by the police and released later.
The leader of the opposition in the Gujarat Assembly Shankarsinh Vaghela on Wednesday alleged that Gujarat government, when Narendra Modi was chief minister here, had favoured billionaire Gautam Adani promoted Adani Group to set up private port at Mundra.
Gujarat Congress attacked the state government over its advertisements criticising the Center's cotton policy.
Former Chief Ministers Keshubhai Patel and Shankarsinh Vaghela, besides 15 of the 17 members in the Modi cabinet were also among those administered oath by Pro-tem Speaker Neema Acharya.
All the Congress Members of Legislative Assembly, who created a ruckus in the Gujarat assembly on Tuesday over the water crisis facing many parts of the state, were suspended by Speaker Vaju Vala for a day. Leader of Opposition Shankarsinh Vaghela raised the issue of water scarcity in Kutch, Saurashtra and North Gujarat region and demanded the suspension of Question Hour to discuss the issue.
Gujarat Congress leaders Shankarsinh Vaghela and Arjun Modhvadia on Saturday began their fast as a counter to Chief Minister Narendra Modi's three-day fast in Ahmedabad. The Congress leaders launched their fast an hour before Modi's fast.
The comments made by senior Congress leader Shankarsinh Vaghela at a meeting of the minority community -- that the party depends on Muslim votes for victory in the ensuing assembly elections and they should come out in large numbers to vote -- has raised eyebrows.
Narendra Modi's impressive show in the Gujarat assembly elections on Sunday stunned the Congress amidst a debate on whether its president Sonia Gandhi's 'liars and merchants of death' remarks were a 'tactical mistake' exploited by the chief minister.
The Tehelka expose on the Gujarat carnage was a "belated attempt" by the Narendra Modi government to boost his sagging image among the voters ahead of forthcoming state assembly elections.
The Congress also claimed that the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP was the "B-team" of the BJP in Gujarat.
India has overtaken China as exporter of textile to the US and Europe markets due to cap on Chinese textiles in those countries.
Leader of the Opposition in Gujarat assembly and senior Congress leader Shankarsinh Vaghela on Monday termed the transfer of Governor Kamla Beniwal as a "vindictive" step.
The Patel community, a decisive vote bank in Gujarat, has two main sects -- Leuva and Kadva. Maa Umiya is the reigning deity of Kadva Patel community.
Patel said the I-T raids on the Congress minister shows the utter desperation and frustration of the BJP.
The sources said Gandhi wants India to lead in the niche area which comes after software development.
Congress Member of Parliament DK Suresh on Sunday said that the Gujarat Congress is united and all the 44 MLAs are ready to vote for Ahmed Patel in the election scheduled for August 8.
The former Gujarat chief minister has been at loggerheads with the Congress leadership for quite some time.
Fourteen of 17 board members move no-confidence motion; proximity to Rahul Gandhi seen as trigger.
These MLAs are: Shankarsinh Vaghela, his son Mahendrasinh, Raghavji Patel, Bhola Gohil, Dharmendra Jadeja, P K Raulji, Amit Chaudhary, Karan Patel.
Meira Kumar launches prez campaign from Sabarmati Ashram.
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Monday asked party leaders from Gujarat to focus on issues to build pressure on the Narendra Modi-led government.
A u-turn by the BJP will be an apocalyptic occurrence in Indian politics and society, argues Amulya Ganguli.
The case pertains to the sale of NTC land in upmarket Worli area of Mumbai to a private Kolkata-based firm for a meagre Rs 29.35 crore when Vaghela was the minister for textiles
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and chief ministers of various BJP-ruled states attended the ceremony.
Making clear the government's resolve on the issue, Chief Minister Anandiben Patil said process of framing rules for default voters is underway.
In a letter to Sonia Gandhi, he alleged that he was forced to resign as some Congress leaders were conspiring against him.
Retired Gujarat High Court Judge D P Buch was Wednesday sworn-in as the state's fourth Lokayukta by Governor Kamla Beniwal. The post that had been lying vacant for a decade.
The Congress had sent the 44 legislators to the resort to fend off 'poaching' attempts by BJP.
The elections to the Upper House from the state, where assembly polls are due later this year, have received greater attention with BJP president Amit Shah and Union Minister Smriti Irani entering the fray and the Congress putting up its heavyweight Ahmed Patel.
A delegation of Bharatiya Janata Party leaders on Monday lodged a complaint with the Election Commission seeking action against Rahul Gandhi for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct by appealing to votes on communal lines and inciting hatred among different communities.
The move comes after at least six Congress MLAs in Gujarat resigned from the party to join the BJP.
The resignation of Balwantsinh Rajput (who was also the chief whip), Tejashreeben Patel and Prahlad Patel reduced the Congress's tally to 54 in the 182-seat assembly.
Narendra Modi on Wednesday fought back tears again as he wished Gujarat to "surge ahead" after his departure from the state and sought forgiveness if he had done "anything wrong".
The quota stir by Patels has led to the emergence of new leaders on the political scene of Gujarat.
'Certainly if Advani had agreed to Vajpayee in sacking Modi, then we would never have been talking of Modi today.'
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