1. Will Join Congress on 12 March in Presence of Rahul Gandhi: Hardik Patel
Patidar quota leader Hardik Patel on Sunday, 10 March, formally announced that he will join Congress on 12 March in the presence of the party’s national President Rahul Gandhi.
“To give shape to my intentions, to serve the society and the country at large, I have decided to join the Indian National Congress, the oldest political party of India on 12th March 2019 in the presence of its national president Rahul Gandhi and other seniors leaders,” said Hardik.
“I would also like to state that if there is no legal hindrance and the party decides to field me in electoral politics, I would abide by the party’s decision and contest the elections,” he added.
(Source: The Indian Express)
2. Gujarat: Congress Seeks Withdrawal of Order Disqualifying MLA
The Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) on Sunday, 10 March, has sought withdrawal of order disqualifying its MLA from Junagadh, failing which it will knock the doors of the court on Monday, 11 March.
The decision of Congress came an hour before the election dates were announced. Congress also alleged that leaders of BJP had pressurised the speaker of Gujarat legislative assembly to disqualify Barad, an MLA from Talala in Junagadh.
Last week, Barad, convicted in a case of illegal mining was barred from contesting elections for six years after the jail term ends. Senior Congress leader Arjun Modhwadia said, "On 5 March itself, without even hearing him out, the speaker passed an order of disqualification. After the order on 1 March, there was three days holiday yet the state government somehow managed to pressurise the speaker to pass an order."
(Source: DNA Ahmedabad)
3. Cong Turncoat Chavda Gets Tourism and Fisheries Ministries
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Sunday, 10 March, allocated portfolios to new inductees in his cabinet, including Congress turncoat Jawahar Chavda who will head Tourism and Fisheries departments.
On Saturday, 9 March, Rupani expanded his cabinet by inducting three members including Chavda who quit the Congress on 8 March to join the BJP, the latest such exercise since July 2018.
At that time, veteran leader Kunvarji Bavaliya was made a minister on the same day of him quitting the Congress.
(Source: Business Standard)
4. Karni Sena Is Supportive. Your Community Remains Your Backbone: Rivaba Solanki
A mechanical engineer who aspired to be a civil servant, Rivaba Solanki got married to Indian cricket star Ravindra Jadeja in 2016.
In October 2018, Karni Sena, the Rajput group that led protests against the Bollywood film ‘Padmaavat’, chose her as the president of its women’s wing in Gujarat.
Weeks later, she and her husband paid a courtesy visit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. On 3 March, the 28-year-old took the political plunge, joining the BJP on the eve of Modi’s visit to Jamnagar, the city Jadeja hails from.
(Source: The Indian Express)
5. Gujarat Cop Booked After Car Accident
A Gujarat police sub-inspector was seriously injured after his car, loaded with liquor bottles, collided with a tempo, an official said on Sunday, 10 March.
Prohibition is in force in Gujarat and police said PSI Kaushik Gokulbhai Dadhaniya would be arrested after he is discharged from state-run SSG Hospital where he was rushed post the accident.
The incident happened late on Saturday night, 9 March, at Dena Crossing in Harni on the outskirts of Vadodara, Inspector BM Rana said.
"Indian-made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) worth Rs 49,800 has been seized from the PSI's car. He was bringing it illegally from neighbouring Union Territory Daman and taking it to Manavadar in Junagadh for a cousin's marriage function. We have booked him for violating prohibition laws," Rana added.
(Source: PTI)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)