With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) set to script a record victory in the Gujarat Assembly elections and return to power for the seventh staright term, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel joined the party on Thursday by routing his nearest Congress candiadte by nearly 2 lakh votes at the Ghatlodia Assembly constituency in Ahmedabad district.
While Patel got 2,12,480 votes, Congress' Amee Yajnik finished a distant second with 21,120 votes.
In Jamnagar North, BJP candidate Rivaba Jadeja, who's the wife of India cricketer Ravindra Jadeja, made an impressive electoral debut by defeating AAP's Karshanbhai Karmur by close to 60,000 votes.
Among other prominent BJP candidates, OBC leader Alpesh Thakor won by 43,322 votes from Gandhinagar, Hardik Patel won from Viramgam by a margin of 56,215 votes, while senior leader Yogesh Patel won from Manjalpur by 1,00,754 votes.
Meanwhile, the candidates fielded by the Asaduddin Owaisi-led All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) failed miserably this time. In Vadgam, AIMIM's Sundhiya Kalpeshkumar could poll just 1,832 votes till the time of filing this report, trailing behind Congress' Jignesh Mevani (78,845) and BJP's Manibhai Vaghela (75,005).
AIMIM candidate Sabir Kabliwala managed 15,655 votes in the Jamalpur Khadia Assembly constituency in Ahmedabad, which was won by Congress' Imran Khedawala who defeated BJP's BJP's Bhusan Bhatt by 13,658 votes.
In Danilimda, Congress' Shailesh Manubhai Parmar defeated Nareshbhai Vyas of the BJP by 13,487 votes, while AIMIM's Dilipbhai Parmar could manage just 2,434 votes.
Similarly, in Godhra, BJP's C.K. Raulji beat Congress' Dushyantsinh Chauhan by 35.198 votes with AIMIM's Hasan Shabbir Kachaba finishing a distant fourth with 9,508 votes.
Over 30 LS seats from Bengal assured this time, says Home Minister Amit Shah
He also said that Trinamool Congress can't relieve the people of the state from such menaces. He also appealed to the people to vote without fear, since the Election Commission of India (ECI) this time has made watertight security arrangements in the state.
PPE-clad thieves clean Nashik ICICI Home Finance locker of Rs 5 cr gold jewellery
In a sensational operation, at least two thieves, one shrouded in a PPE kit, broke into the locker hold of the ICICI Home Finance Co. Ltd Nashik branch and scooted off with gold jewellery worth around Rs 4.93 crore, police said here on Monday.
Excise policy scam: Delhi court denies regular bail to BRS leader K. Kavitha
A Delhi court on Monday denied regular bail to Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K. Kavitha in connection with the money laundering cases being probed by CBI and ED related to the alleged excise policy scam.
11 Bangladeshi nationals including 2 children held in Tripura
A total of 11 Bangladeshi nationals including three children and two women have been arrested at a village in Tripura's mountainous Dhalai district which shares a border with the neighbouring nation of Bangladesh, the police said on Sunday.
No reservation based on religion till I am alive: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that he will not allow anyone to play with the Constitution, especially when it comes to the issue of reservation based on religion.
IAF convoy attack: Several detained in searches in J&K's Poonch, LeT believed to be responsible
Several people were detained on Sunday as security forces launched a massive search operation in J&K's Poonch district in the aftermath of a terrorist attack on two IAF vehicles that left one personnel dead.
Illegally kept in Tripura, ailing elephant and her calf rescued to Gujarat's 'Vantara'
After being illegally kept and severely neglected for several weeks, an ailing elephant ‘Pratima’ and her calf ‘Manik Lal’ in Tripura sent for intensive treatment and care in ‘Vantara’ in Gujarat after the persistent intervention of an ardent animal lover and PETA India.
Tripura: Election official cautions BJP MLA for misbehaving with poll officer
North Tripura District Election Officer cautioned ruling BJP’s sitting MLA Jadab Lal Nath after he apologised for misbehaving with a poll officer, officials said here on Saturday.