After world leaders criticized the recent execution in Afghanistan, the Taliban said that the punishment was carried out after many investigations and it is also a “divine command.”
A spokesperson for the Islamic Emirates, Bilal Karimi said, “The execution yesterday took place after many investigations, which were aligned with Islamic (law). All sides should not have any concern in this regard and should respect it,” according to TOLONews.
“The supreme leader spoke and said we have struggled this much and fought for 20 years with the pagans to ensure an Islamic system and that now that God has given it to us, (God) means for us to ensure his divine commands,” Mohammad Ismail Rahmani, a senior member of the interim government of Afghanistan said.
On Thursday, the Taliban Supreme Court announced the public flogging of 27 convicts, including nine women, in Parwan province. The decision of the Taliban Supreme Court comes a day after publicly executing a man charged with murder for the first time since they took over Afghanistan last year.
Taliban’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid had confirmed the public execution of a man. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said that the execution took place in a sports stadium in western Farah province on Wednesday, according to a Voice of America (VOA) News report. He said that hundreds of people witnessed the execution, including the top officials of the group, as per the VOA News report.
Following the execution, UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan strongly opposed the action and tweeted, “The UN strongly opposes the death penalty in all circumstances, and calls on de facto authorities to establish an immediate moratorium with a view to abolishing the death penalty.”
“The implementation of (Hudud) is a Sharia command and its implementation is a must, but only if the situation warrants it,” said Aziz Maarij, a former diplomat said.
Zabihullah Mujahid said that the executed person was tried in the Taliban courts and subsequent appellate tribunals. He claimed that the executed person in the court had “confessed to stabbing to death” a resident of Farah and stealing his belongings, including a motorcycle, VOA reported.
According to the spokesperson, the execution was carried out by the victim’s father.
Meanwhile, the United States also criticized the Taliban after reports regarding public execution emerged. US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said, “We’ve seen the reports that the Taliban has ordered judges to impose their interpretation of Sharia law. That includes public executions; it includes amputations; it includes floggings.”
While addressing a press briefing, Ned Price said, “We’ve seen despicable videos that have circulated online in recent days regarding some of these tactics. This indicates to us that the Taliban seek to return to their regressive and abusive practices of the 1990s. It was an affront to the dignity and the human rights of all Afghans then; it would be an affront to the dignity and the human rights of all Afghans now.”
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
The results of the Gujarat Assembly elections were announced on 8th December 2022. The victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party was being predicted and looking at the atmosphere, it was almost certain that the Bharatiya Janata Party was winning this election. But it was not anticipated that BJP will win such a grand majority and a historic victory, as the party won 156 out of 182 seats. The Congress, on the other hand, slipped from 77 to 17. The Aam Aadmi Party had nothing to lose, but could not perform the way it had created hype. In this election, the AAP got only 5 seats.
However, Aam Aadmi Party leaders have found a reason for their supporters to be happy. It is that they have become a national party. According to the rules, one of the criteria for declaring a party as a national party is that a party can become a national party if it gets more than 6% votes in assembly elections in a minimum of four states. As Aam Aadmi Party got more than 6% votes in Delhi in 2020 (54%), Punjab (42%) and Goa (6.8%) earlier this year and now in Gujarat (12.9%), it has fulfilled the criteria and thus has become a national party now.
The Aam Aadmi Party has won 5 seats in this election. Out of which 4 are from Saurashtra and 1 from Central Gujarat. In all the remaining seats that the party contested, their candidates lost. In 128 seats they lost so badly that they lost deposits. The party’s big faces — Isudan Gadhvi, Gopal Italia, Alpesh Kathiria, Dharmik Malaviya — none could win. However, the Aam Aadmi Party got 12.92 per cent or about 13 percent of the votes. So a question is also being discussed who can be these voters?
There were three types of voters in this election. The first voters who vote for the BJP, and support the BJP, irrespective of the election and the candidate. These people did vote for the BJP. There is a very large section of such voters in Gujarat. There is another class who are pro-Congress voters. Those who vote for Congress under any circumstances. However, the number of such people is gradually decreasing. But there is a third category of voters who are not sure and vote considering many aspects. The Aam Aadmi Party got a lot of help from such voters in getting so much vote share.
Whose votes could the Aam Aadmi Party have got?
The Aam Aadmi Party created hype on social media, due to which there was some impact on the youth in particular. In addition, the Aam Aadmi Party also held the hands of so-called young revolutionaries and this also led to some support from the youth. So some of the votes from first-time voters and youth went to the Aam Aadmi Party.
Apart from this, the Aam Aadmi Party and Arvind Kejriwal visited Gujarat and campaigned a lot to give free schemes and benefits. Due to the announcements of making electricity, water, and everything free, especially those living in poor and remote villages and living separately from the world, also trusted the party and some of them voted for the party.
Some people from the working class might also have voted for AAP
Also, there is a large section of employees and the working class in Gujarat, who are anti-government for their own reasons. And this anti-government atmosphere in the workforce was there not only in this election but also when Narendra Modi was serving as the chief minister of the state. However, due to the very low number of votes in proportion to the population, it does not make any difference to the government, but it definitely makes a difference for the Aam Aadmi Party. Especially considering the way the Aam Aadmi Party was leading the movements going on before the elections, the possibility of getting the votes of this class can not be ruled out.
Did AAP get any Muslim votes in Gujarat?
The Aam Aadmi Party may also have got good support from Muslim votes. A few days before the polling, a ‘Muslim Fighters Club’ in Ahmedabad organized a meeting and appealed to vote in support of the Aam Aadmi Party, which was also in the news. Although Muslim voters have been pro-Congress, the inaction of the Congress may have shifted them to the Aam Aadmi Party. In several Muslim-majority areas, AAP govt much more votes than AIMIM, which shows that the party got Muslim votes in good numbers.
As mentioned above, many of the voters in the third category also saw the work of the BJP and chose to vote for it and that can be seen in the results. The votes of voters dissatisfied with the rest of the government were then divided between the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress. Therefore, the Aam Aadmi Party also got some benefit from the inaction of the Congress and they reached a 13 per cent vote share.
However, the reason why the Aam Aadmi Party could not make a big difference is that its votes were divided. The party could not get more seats because it had fewer voters in the first place and then they were already divided across the state in different seats. A person sitting in Kutch comments on a post on social media and a person sitting in Valsad can also comment on the same post. But to win a single seat, a party needs a majority of votes concentrated together in one place, which the Aam Aadmi Party did not have. Also, those who come and support on social media are also not required to vote.
Will the Aam Aadmi Party perform even better in 2027?
However, after contesting 182 seats for the first time and getting a vote share of 12 per cent, there is also a claim from the leaders and supporters of the Aam Aadmi Party that they will do well in the year 2027 and some claims are even there that they can remove the BJP from power. But such claims are highly optimistic.
Because, in politics, five years is a very big period. During these five years, if the BJP government sticks to the promises of the manifesto, if the government runs without getting into any controversy, then why should the voter who goes to vote after five years choose another option? Besides, by then, the BJP will also be even stronger benefitting in the elections.
On the other hand, the Aam Aadmi Party still has a lot of hard work to do in the organization. Besides, after the disappointing performance in this election, the enthusiasm of the workers may decrease and they may also go out to work hard. The possibilities are many, and there is ample time as well. But one thing has become very clear from these results – the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress – there may be a discussion about who will be the opposition from these two, but removing the Bharatiya Janata Party from Gujarat does not seem possible for these two parties at any time in the current situation.
The Amroha Police in Uttar Pradesh arrested Mohd Anwar for killing his wife because she refused to “have sex twice in one night”.
In his police interrogation, Anwar confessed to the murder and narrated why he murdered his wife. He said on Monday night he woke up his wife for sex. It took her some time to be awake, but she eventually did and Anwar had his wish fulfilled. However, after some, he asked her to have sex again. But her refusal drew Anwar’s ire and in a fit of rage, he strangled her to death with a rope.
After murdering his wife, he packed her corpse in a polythene bag and disposed of it around 50 kilometres from his house. He went to the police station the same day and reported his wife missing.
The police eventually discovered the dead body of a lady, who is yet to be recognised. Her corpse was found in the town of Ratupura in the Thakurdwara district on Tuesday. The police began their investigation after filing a murder report (FIR) at the Thakurdwara police station and distributing photos of the corpse to other local police stations. Moradabad police asked Anwar to identify the corpse after they discovered a match with a missing person’s report from Amroha. Later during the investigation, Anwar broke down and confessed to the crime of murdering his wife for her refusal to have sex twice in one night.
Anwar married the Amroha victim Rukhsar in 2013. The couple had three children of the marriage. The ground floor of Anwar’s house is reserved for his bakery, while the upper story is where he and his family lived.
Even before the World Cup began, there were complaints from some quarters about the dancing celebrations of some Brazilian strikers. However, they didn’t pay any heed to that and kept dancing, and they have danced their way to the World Cup Quarter Finals, where they are overwhelming favourites against the last World Cup finalists, Croatia.
Croatia has in their ranks the battle-hardened midfield of the legend Modric, with Brozovic and Kovacic alongside him. Still, in response, Brazil has the most irresistible attacking line-up ever assembled. With Neymar leading the side, they also have Vinicius Jr, Richarlison, Raphinha, Rodrygo, and people like Antony and Martinelli waiting in the wings.
Overwhelming favourites to win the whole thing, Tite’s side will be wary of a Croatian side led by the Real Madrid legend Luka Modric. Croatia, which progressed to the final in the last World Cup in Russia without winning any knockout game in the stipulated 90 minutes, has started the 2022 knockouts in the same fashion, beating Japan in penalties.
Brazil may have appeared irresistible so far in the tournament, but Tite will know that you underestimate Croatia at your own peril. With a nice blend of experience and youth, Croatia is a team that can upstage the best of them, especially with Modric running things in the midfield.
The Qatar World Cup is the swansong for Modric, even though he may appear ageless, the 2026 World Cup appears too difficult even for the ageless Luka. He will want to go out with a bang and losing a Quarter Final will not be that bang. We know Modric will be motivated enough to ruin the Brazilians’ party, but will Neymar and Co survive that threat?
Brazil has looked like a complete team throughout this tournament. Allison is a rock in their goal, and when their deputy goalkeeper is Ederson, you know they have a great goalkeeper starting. With the ageless Thiago Silva marshalling their defense and Casemiro in front of that, they are incredibly difficult to break down, and of course, their attacking line-up is one of the best ever assembled with Neymar leading the way.
*Brazil vs Croatia Quarter Final kicks off at 8:30 PM India Time today
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Rajya Sabha MP Kirodi Lal Meena on Friday introduced the ‘Uniform Civil Code in India Bill, 2020’ in the Upper House.
BJP Rajya Sabha MP presented the highly discussed Bill during private members’ business, while Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar was ex-officio chairman, with an aim to carry forward the BJP’s promise to implement the Uniform Civil Code in the country. The Uniform Civil Code is a proposal in India to formulate and implement personal laws of citizens which apply to all citizens equally regardless of their religion, sex, gender, and sexual orientation.
Currently, the personal laws of various communities are governed by their religious scriptures.
The code comes under Article 44 of the Constitution which lays down that the state shall endeavour to secure a Uniform Civil Code for the citizens throughout the territory of India.
Notably, in BJP’s 2019 Lok Sabha election manifesto, the party promised the implementation of UCC if it came to power.
The Winter Session of the Parliament began on December 7 and will have 17 working days.
The government plans to introduce a total of 16 new Bills during the session according to the notified schedules.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
According to reports, two young students, Mohammed Imtiyaz (20) and his 18-year-old girlfriend, both from the same community, were allegedly beaten in front of a movie theatre in Sullia, Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka, by a group of Muslim men. The young couple was there to watch the blockbuster ‘Kantara’.
Imtiyaz and his friend later filed a complaint with Sullia police, naming the perpetrators of the assault. Abdul Hameed, Ashraf, Sadique, Jabeer Jattipalla, and Siddique Borugudde have been named as the suspects. According to the complaint, they allegedly threatened them with death.
According to a police official, “A complaint has been registered over the incident in the Sullia police station and investigation is on.” According to authorities, it is unclear if the duo was attacked on the theatre grounds because they were suspected of having a relationship or for any other reason.
Some media reports have called it an incident of ‘moral policing’.
Mohammed Imtiyaz, 20, a resident of BMooda village near BC Road, said in a complaint sent to the police through email on Thursday that he was assaulted as he and his friend, an 18-year-old Muslim female from Sullia, were waiting to see the movie “Kantara” at Santosh Cinema Theatre.
According to the police, Imtiyaz and his companion arrived at the theatre at approximately 10:20 AM. They were conversing with one another in the theatre’s parking lot because the show started at 11 AM. When a group of 5–10 individuals noticed Imtiyaz speaking to the girl, they drew near to them. The complainant and the girl sped away out of terror and avoided the crowd.
But, Imtiyaz and his partner were stopped by accused Abdul Hameed, Ashraf, Sadiq, Jabir Jattipalla, and Siddique Borugudde in the group. The accused used hostile language and questioned the two for standing together. Later, the accused attacked and threatened to murder Imtiyaz. Meanwhile, a mass on the theatre premises interfered and stopped the accused from attacking Imtiyaz, according to police.
Following this, Imtiyaz and his companion left and subsequently discussed the situation with their parents. Imtiyaz filed a complaint with the police through email on Thursday, requesting action against the accused, who harassed and intimidated him.
The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea filed by a person seeking Rs 75 lakh compensation from YouTube for allegedly carrying sexually explicit advertisements which distracted him during the preparation for the Madhya Pradesh Police exam.
A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Abhay S Oka slammed petitioner Anand Kishor Choudhary for filing an “atrocious” petition and imposed a cost of Rs 25,000 on him. The petitioner could have chosen not to watch the advertisements, said the apex court.
It said that such petitions are an utter waste of judicial time.
“One of the most atrocious petitions filed by the petitioner stating that while preparing for MP Police exams, he subscribed to YouTube where there were sexual advertisements. He sought notice to YouTube and a ban on nudity in ads and Rs 75 lakh compensation. If you do not like the ad, do not watch it. Why he watched the ad is his prerogative. Such petitions are an utter waste of judicial time,” the bench said.
Choudhary moved the apex court seeking Rs 75 lakh compensation from Google-owned streaming platform, YouTube and alleged that he was distracted by the sexual content in advertisements on the platform while he was preparing for the exam and hence unable to pass a Madhya Pradesh police recruitment examination.
He also sought a blanket ban on nudity on social media platforms.
Initially, the bench was imposing a cost of Rs one lakh on the petitioner, however, he apologised to the court, claiming his parents are labourers and sought to withdraw the petition.
To this, Justice Kaul said, “Aap ko lagta hain ki publicity ke liye jab chahe idhar aa sakte ho. Cost kam kar dunga lekin maaf nahi karuna (You think you can come to this court whenever you want publicity. I will reduce the costs but will not forgive you).”
The bench then reduced the costs to Rs 25,000 and asked the MA student to deposit it with the Supreme Court’s Mediation Centre.
As the petitioner told the bench that he is unemployed to which Justice Kaul said, “Rozgaar nahi hain toh hum recovery karenge (If you are unemployed, recovery will be done if you don’t pay).”
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
On December 8, the results of the Gujarat Assembly Elections 2022 were announced. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) performed beyond expectations in the elections and won 156 seats out of 182 Assembly seats breaking all the previous records. With a 52.5 per cent vote share, BJP is the single largest party in Gujarat, with next to nil opposition in the house for the next five years.
As per the Election Commission of India, BJP got a total of 1,67,07,957 votes combined on all seats. Compared to its 2017 performance, BJP secured 57 more seats and increased its vote share by 3.45 per cent. In the 2017 elections, BJP had got a total of 1,47,24,031 votes, combined on all seats.
BJP’s vote share in 2022 Gujarat Assembly Elections. Source: ECI
Congress has reduced from 77 seats to 17 seats, losing its strength by 60 constituencies. In the 2017 elections, the grand old party had received 1,24,37,661 votes, which was 41.44 per cent of the total votes cast on all seats. However, this year, the party got only 86,83,966 votes, which was 27.3 per cent of the total votes cast. In totality, the party lost 14.14 per cent vote share.
Congress’s vote share in 2022 Gujarat Assembly Elections. Source: ECI
Coming to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which contested 29 seats in the 2017 elections and got 29,509 votes in total, which was 0.10 per cent of the total votes cast. However, in the 2022 elections, the party contested all seats except Surat (East), where its candidate withdrew his nomination. The party got 41,12,055 votes, which is 12.9 per cent of the total votes cast. AAP won 5 seats that are Dediyapada, Gariadhar, Botad, Jamjodhpur and Visavadar.
AAP’s vote share in 2022 Gujarat Assembly Elections. Source: ECI
In his statement, AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwal said, “Gujarat is BJP’s stronghold, and we have penetrated their fort”. But is it true that AAP managed to steal the vote share of the BJP in Gujarat? OpIndia did a detailed analysis of Gujarat’s 2022 and 2017 election results, and this is what we found.
First of all, let’s talk about the deposit AAP has lost in Gujarat. It is true that AAP has a massive vote share jump compared to the previous election. However, it is notable that the party has lost its deposit on 126 seats.
AAP lost the deposit on 126 seats. Not in alphabetic order. Data Source: ECI
Its candidates managed to save the deposit only on 55 seats.
AAP managed to save the deposit on 55 seats. Not in alphabetic order. Data Source: ECI
Now the question is, does AAP managed to take over the vote share of the BJP? Or it was more of Congress’s and other parties’ loss that helped AAP in getting most of the votes.
Performance on five seats AAP won
In Dediapada, AAP got 1,03,433, BJP got 63,151 votes, and Congress got 12,587 votes. In 2017, BJP got 61,275 votes and Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) got 83,026 votes. This year, BTP managed to get only 2,991 losing over 80,000 vote shares. It was majorly BTP’s vote share that got shifted to AAP as BJP, in fact, gained almost 2,000 in these elections on this seat.
Source: ECI
In Gariadhar, AAP got 60,944 votes, BJP got 56,125 votes, and Congress got 15,099 votes. In 2017, BJP got 50,635 votes, and Congress got 48,759 votes. While BJP has gained got around 5,500 more votes, Congress has lost over 33,000 votes. On this seat as well, AAP did not get any benefit from BJP voters.
Source: ECI
In Botad, AAP got 80,581 votes, BJP got 77,802 and Congress got 19,058 votes. In 2017, BJP got 79,623 votes, and Congress got 78,717 votes. AAP got a major share of Congress’s votes to win the seat. BJP indeed lost a couple of thousand votes in this seat, but that cannot be considered a major win of AAP over BJP.
Source: ECI
In Jamjodhpur, AAP got 71,397 votes, BJP got 60,994 votes, and Congress got 13,514 votes. In 2017, BJP got 61,694 votes, and Congress got 64,212 votes. While BJP got 700 more votes, Congress lost over 50,000 votes, giving AAP an edge to win the seat.
Source: ECI
In Visavadar, AAP got 66,210 votes, BJP got 59,147 votes, and Congress got 16,963 votes. In 2017, BJP got 58,781 votes, and Congress got 81,882 votes. While BJP got over 300 more votes this year, Congress lost over 64,000 of its vote share, giving AAP a convenient edge to win the seat.
Source: ECI
Analysis of the seats where BJP lost vote share
As per our analysis, BJP lost vote share on 37 seats. Here is a detailed analysis of these 37 seats. Out of these 37 seats, BJP won on 23 seats and Congress won on 9 seats. AAP managed to win 2 seats out of these 37 but on those two seats BJP had lost only 2,521 votes compared to 2017 assembly elections.
Data source: ECI
If you look closely, AAP lost a deposit on 19 out of these 37 seats. There are eleven seats where BJP lost more than 10,000 votes. Let’s check how many votes AAP managed to get on these seats.
In Dhari, BJP lost 25,064 votes, and AAP got 37,749 votes. On this seat, Congress lost 48,666 votes. It cannot be definitely stated that AAP got any share from BJP’s lost vote share as Congress lost more votes compared to what AAP got. BJP won this seat.
Source: ECI
In Dhanera, BJP lost 20,459, and AAP got 1,130 votes. On this seat, Congress lost 44,649 votes. AAP lost the deposit on this seat. Independent candidate won this seat.
Source: ECI
In Santrampur BJP lost 18,398 and AAP got 24,554 votes. On this seat, Congress lost 27,551 votes. It cannot be definitely stated that AAP got any share from BJP’s lost vote share as Congress lost more votes compared to what AAP got. BJP won this seat.
Source: ECI
In Dhoraji, BJP lost 16,789 votes, and AAP got 29,794 votes. On this seat, Congress lost 30,888 votes. It cannot be definitely stated that AAP got any share from BJP’s lost vote share as Congress lost more votes compared to what AAP got. BJP won this seat. Dhoraji saw a significant fall in the vote cast as well. In 2017, 1,95,383 voters voted but in 2022 only 1,55,049 voters voted.
Source: ECI
In Keshod, BJP lost 15,623 votes, and AAP got 24,497. On this seat, Congress lost 9,025 votes. AAP lost the deposit on this seat. BJP won this seat.
Source: ECI
In Halol, BJP lost 14,704 compared to their 2017 performance, and AAP got 21,788 votes. On this seat, Congress lost 51,459 votes. AAP lost the deposit on this seat. BJP won this seat with a huge margin.
Source: ECI
In Jetpur (Chhota Udaipur), BJP lost 12,907, and AAP got 48,262 votes. On this seat, Congress lost 39,695 votes. BJP won this seat.
Source: ECI
In Dharampur, BJP lost 11,400 votes, and AAP got 50,217 votes. On this seat, Congress lost 39,191 votes. AAP got benefitted from the loss of both the BJP and Congress. BJP won this seat.
Source: ECI
In Jasdan, BJP lost 11,236, and AAP got 47,636 votes. On this seat, Congress lost 38,526 votes. AAP got benefitted from the loss of both the BJP and Congress. BJP won this seat.
Source: ECI
In Amraiwadi, BJP lost 11,083, and AAP got 7,787 votes. On this seat, Congress lost 4,534 votes. AAP lost the deposit on this seat. BJP won this seat.
Source: ECI
In Bayad BJP lost 10,395 and AAP got 5,647 votes. On this seat, Congress lost 49,682 votes. AAP lost the deposit on this seat. Independent candidate won this seat.
Source: ECI
It is clear that on seats where BJP lost over 10,000 votes, AAP may have profited from BJP’s share but that appears to be limited because Congress has lost a significant chunk on the majority of these seats, and it is likely that Congress support based had shifted its loyalty toward AAP.
Stats of seats where AAP got over 50,000 votes
There are 19 seats where AAP has received over 50,000 votes. Out of a total of 41,12,055 votes the party received, these 19 seats are responsible for 12,49,233 (30.37 per cent) votes. Notably, on these seats, Congress has lost 7,91,785 of its vote share, and BJP gained 1,20,268 compared to the 2017 vote share. In Kamrej, Rajkot Rural, Gariadhar, Limdi and Olpad, BJP got more votes than in 2017. However, in Botad, Jamjodhpur, Limkheda, Katargram, Khedbarahma, Varachha Road and Dharampur, BJP lost vote share. However, this loss was only 35,661 votes. It is evident that AAP gained mostly from the loss of Congress and other parties, even in the seats where it has performed at its best.
By comparing the vote shares of BJP and Congress from 2022 and 2017, it is evident that AAP did not dent BJP’s vote share in the Gujarat Assembly Elections but got benefited from the loss of Congress and other parties. While AAP has become a national party by winning a substantial chunk of the vote share in Gujarat, it is far from comparing itself with BJP in the state.
There were a lot of speculations about the elections in Gujarat. The election results have come. The Bharatiya Janata Party has not only managed to save its stronghold but has also broken all the records with the thumping majority. The Congress has now started to mark its end here and the very beginning of the Aam Aadmi Party in the state seems to be the end of it.
The Gujarat assembly elections were an election for the BJP to save its fortress and for the opposition to break it. In the end, the BJP won. The saffron party has not only secured a victory but it has shined like never before by securing 156 out of 182 seats. On the other hand, the opposition parties have completely failed in their ‘Stop BJP Campaign’.
The BJP: What is anti-incumbency?
In Gujarat, the BJP has done a very good job in three decades. Significant work has been done in Gujarat in every field, including infrastructure, electricity, water, development of tourist places. The major contribution to this is that of Narendra Modi. The people of Gujarat have reposed faith in Modi, in the BJP and it is still intact. This is one of the major reasons why the BJP wins elections from panchayat to assembly here with a huge majority.
The 2017 assembly elections were really difficult for the Bharatiya Janata Party. The Patidar agitation was going on in full swing. Other communities were also united, the party was fighting for the first time without Narendra Modi as the CM face. People were looking for an alternative to Narendra Modi. The Congress was much more active than it is now. However, the BJP somehow saved the government with 99 seats.
There was no such problem against the BJP in this election. Various communities were also attached to the BJP during these five years. Also, no new movements or agitations did arise in the state. The situation changed to such an extent that Hardik Patel and Alpesh Thakor, who had once been against the BJP government, contested this election on a BJP ticket.
Apart from this, last year, the party changed the entire cabinet, including the chief minister, and its direct effect was seen recently. Due to Corona, people had some dissatisfaction with the Vijay Rupani government. However, this was the situation in all the states then and perhaps the BJP would have retained power even if it had fought with the same government, but the party’s aim was not just to retain power. And results made it clear that the party has fulfilled what it actually aimed for.
The Bhupendra Patel government worked quietly for a year. The effect of this was seen in the results of this election. Bharatiya Janata Party bagged the top spot right from the first round of vote counting. At one point in time, BJP was leading on more than 160 out of 182 seats. From the beginning itself, it was clear that BJP will form a government with a clear majority. The BJP won 156 seats in the 2022 Gujarat assembly elections with a surge of 57 seats as compared to its performance in the 2017 Gujarat assembly elections.
The changes in Congress
After a major setback at the Centre in 2014, the graph of the Congress has been steadily going down. However, in 2017, the party won 77 seats in Gujarat. But then the same situation happened here, which happened in the country after 2014. The reason is that the party does not have leadership. And if there is no leadership, then the organization also collapses and if there is no organization, then even a respectable figure cannot be obtained, let alone forming a government. These results underlined this.
The Congress leaders who were working hard in Gujarat in 2017 also did not show much interest. The party’s high command also seemed to have just completed the formalities. Rahul Gandhi did only three rallies. Priyanka Gandhi did not come even though she was invited. Till the end, the party did not even start campaigning. At last, PM Modi had to say from the public platform that the Congress is still alive!
However, the party works hard when it gets a response from the people as well. Seeing the constantly declining graph of the party here, people did not even come out to support them. The seats where the Congress has won are the seats where the candidates were strong and they have won with their own popularity and ability and not on account of the party symbol.
The decline of seats and votes for Congress was visible from the morning sessions on the counting day. Congress looked nowhere in the race as BJP swept the majority of seats in all five sections of the state. The Congress and NCP alliance fighting against the BJP could not even cross the 50 mark in the trends anytime during the counting. Finally, it had to settle on 17 seats. For a party to claim the seat of the leader of the opposition in the house, it should at least have 19 elected members in the assembly. For the first time in the history of Gujarat, no party in the opposition qualified to claim it.
Aam Aadmi Party ended before it could get a good start in the state
The Aam Aadmi Party started campaigning this time six months ago. It started creating an atmosphere a year ago. But the party could not do much. In the end, it had to be content with breaking the Congress vote. The party did not perform well even in Surat where the party emerged.
The Aam Aadmi Party used social media extensively in this election, but social media does not win elections. To win elections, a party needs the organization and workers who work on the ground. The AAP had workers, but those who would go to a Facebook post and write ‘Only AAP’. The lack of workers seeking votes made the party suffer in this election.
Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party also made promises of freebies, but they also did not catch the inclination of the people. On the other hand, during this period, the scams of the Delhi government that came out also forced the people to vote against AAP. The rest was done by party president Gopal Italia.
The Aam Aadmi Party also lacked leadership. Gopal Italia and Isudan Gadhvi, both leaders, could not even save their own seats. And if there is no capable leadership, then the organization does not survive, and even if it survives, then people do not work. And no political party in the whole world can stand in comparison with the BJP in terms of organization.
AAP made hype on social media as it contested 181 out of 182 seats as if it was going to make a government on its own. In the end, AAP was restricted to single-digit figures and could win on 5 seats only. It did not touch a double-digit figure anytime during any round of counting
AIMIM failed to lure the ‘Muslim voter’
Asaduddin Owaisi’s party AIMIM’s performance was even worse. They contested 14 seats, all of which were Muslim majority seats. The results are no different than expected. The party lost everywhere. The Congress’ votes were cut by AIMIM in many seats out of the 14, as has been the case in all elections.
In short, this election was an opportunity for the BJP to break records, for the Congress to survive and for the Aam Aadmi Party to make inroads; in which the BJP has fulfilled its target on account of Modi’s popularity, three decades of work and strong organization. The Congress could not perform as expected and the Aam Aadmi Party and AIMIM miserably failed.
Vikas Walker, father of Shraddha Walkar, who was allegedly brutally murdered, demanded the death penalty for accused Aaftab Poonawalla while also alleging that he faced “many problems” because of the Vasai Police.
Vikas alleged that if the Vasai Police had helped him, “Shraddha would have been alive”. However, he added that Delhi Police has assured his family that they will get justice.
Addressing a joint press conference with BJP leader Kirit Somaiya in Mumbai, Vikas said, “My daughter was brutally murdered. I faced many problems because of the Vasai police, if they had helped me, my daughter would have been alive.”
“Delhi Police assured us that we will get justice. Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis also assured us of the same,” he added.
Seeking a probe against the family members and relatives of the accused, Shraddha’s father also demanded Aaftab be hanged till death.
“I expect a similar lesson for Aaftab Poonwala in the way he murdered my daughter. He should be hanged. A probe should be conducted against Aftab’s family members, relatives and all others included in the incident,” he said.
Pointing out the drawbacks and misuse of some mobile applications (dating apps), he also sought “restrictions” on them.
“There should also be restrictions on some mobile apps. Children older than 18 yrs of age should be somewhat controlled and they should be given counselling. What happened to me shouldn’t happen to anyone else. I tried to talk with my daughter but she didn’t respond to me in the last two years. I was never told what was happening with my daughter,” he said.
Vikas claimed that he had a conversation with Shraddha in 2021 and Aaftab on September 26, however, he did not tell him about her whereabouts.
“The last time I had a conversation with Shraddha was in 2021. We talked about her whereabouts, she said that she was living in Bengaluru. I talked to Aaftab on September 26 when I asked him about my daughter, but he didn’t give an answer on it,” Vikas said.
He said that he was against the relationship of Shraddha and Aaftab and was unaware of the violence that she was subject to.
“I was against the relationship of Shraddha Walker and Aaftab Poonawala. I was unaware of the domestic violence Shraddha was subjected to by Aaftab. I feel, his family members knew everything about what he was doing with her,” he said.
Blaming the dating apps, Vikas said that his daughter came in contact with Aaftab because of it.
“Aaftab pursued Shraddha to make up her mind to leave. It was because of dating apps that Shraddha came in contact with Aaftab,” he said.
Earlier today, Saket Court in Delhi extended the judicial custody of Aaftab Amin Poonawala for 14 days said officials.
He was produced through video conferencing in the court today.
The 28-year-old, who dismembered Shraddha’s body and stored the chopped body parts in a refrigerator before disposing of them in the forests of south Delhi’s Chhatarpur, is currently in Judicial custody.
Aaftab is accused of strangling to death his live-in partner Shraddha and chopping her body into 35 pieces. He is also alleged to have preserved the chopped body parts in a refrigerator before dumping them in forested areas in Delhi and Gurugram.
Police had earlier said Aaftab, who confessed to killing Shraddha and chopping her body into 35 pieces, was giving misleading answers to questions.
Delhi Police had submitted in court that Aaftab was giving wrong information and was misleading the investigation.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
