In 2017, Vansh Punjabhai Bhimabhai of the Indian National Congress won the seat by defeating Haribhai Boghabhai Solanki of the Bharatiya Janata Party with a margin of 4928 votes.

Voting will be held on Monday (December 5,) in 93 Assembly seats across 14 central and northern districts of Gujarat during the second phase of the Vidhan Sabha elections. The 93 Assembly segments which will go to polls on Monday are spread across Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Gandhinagar and other districts.

In the 2017 Assembly polls, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 51 of these seats, Congress 39, while three seats went to independent candidates.

In the 2nd phase of Gujarat election 2022, 833 candidates are in the fray from 61 political parties, including the BJP, the Congress and the new poll entrant Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The nominees also include 285 independents, as per the state election body.

The Gujarat Assembly has a total of 182 seats. The first phase of voting for 89 seats in Saurashtra, Kutch and south Gujarat regions was held on December 1, when an average voter turnout of 63.31 per cent was recorded.

Counting of votes for all seats will take place on Thursday (December 8) and the final Gujarat Assembly Election Result 2022 will be announced on the same day.

Stay tuned to India.com for all the updates related to this constituency as well as other seats of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly. Find out who will be the winners, losers, victory margin, and all other details during our special election result coverage.

In 2017, Imran Yusufbhai Khedawala of the Indian National Congress won the seat by defeating Bhushan Ashok Bhatt of the Bharatiya Janata Party with a margin of 29339 votes.

Voting will be held on Monday (December 5,) in 93 Assembly seats across 14 central and northern districts of Gujarat during the second phase of the Vidhan Sabha elections. The 93 Assembly segments which will go to polls on Monday are spread across Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Gandhinagar and other districts.

In the 2017 Assembly polls, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 51 of these seats, Congress 39, while three seats went to independent candidates.

In the 2nd phase of Gujarat election 2022, 833 candidates are in the fray from 61 political parties, including the BJP, the Congress and the new poll entrant Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The nominees also include 285 independents, as per the state election body.

The Gujarat Assembly has a total of 182 seats. The first phase of voting for 89 seats in Saurashtra, Kutch and south Gujarat regions was held on December 1, when an average voter turnout of 63.31 per cent was recorded.

Counting of votes for all seats will take place on Thursday (December 8) and the final Gujarat Assembly Election Result 2022 will be announced on the same day.

Stay tuned to India.com for all the updates related to this constituency as well as other seats of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly. Find out who will be the winners, losers, victory margin, and all other details during our special election result coverage.

In 2017, Patel Himmatsinh Prahladsinh of the Indian National Congress won the seat by defeating Rajput Jagrupsinh Girdansinh of the Bharatiya Janata Party with a margin of 3067 votes.

Voting will be held on Monday (December 5,) in 93 Assembly seats across 14 central and northern districts of Gujarat during the second phase of the Vidhan Sabha elections. The 93 Assembly segments which will go to polls on Monday are spread across Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Gandhinagar and other districts.

In the 2017 Assembly polls, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 51 of these seats, Congress 39, while three seats went to independent candidates.

In the 2nd phase of Gujarat election 2022, 833 candidates are in the fray from 61 political parties, including the BJP, the Congress and the new poll entrant Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The nominees also include 285 independents, as per the state election body.

The Gujarat Assembly has a total of 182 seats. The first phase of voting for 89 seats in Saurashtra, Kutch and south Gujarat regions was held on December 1, when an average voter turnout of 63.31 per cent was recorded.

Counting of votes for all seats will take place on Thursday (December 8) and the final Gujarat Assembly Election Result 2022 will be announced on the same day.

Stay tuned to India.com for all the updates related to this constituency as well as other seats of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly. Find out who will be the winners, losers, victory margin, and all other details during our special election result coverage

In 2017, Arvidkumar Gandabhai Patel (dalal) of the Bharatiya Janata Party won the seat by defeating Dr. Jitubhai Patel of the Indian National Congress with a margin of 68810 votes.

Voting will be held on Monday (December 5,) in 93 Assembly seats across 14 central and northern districts of Gujarat during the second phase of the Vidhan Sabha elections. The 93 Assembly segments which will go to polls on Monday are spread across Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Gandhinagar and other districts.

In the 2017 Assembly polls, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 51 of these seats, Congress 39, while three seats went to independent candidates.

In the 2nd phase of Gujarat election 2022, 833 candidates are in the fray from 61 political parties, including the BJP, the Congress and the new poll entrant Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The nominees also include 285 independents, as per the state election body.

The Gujarat Assembly has a total of 182 seats. The first phase of voting for 89 seats in Saurashtra, Kutch and south Gujarat regions was held on December 1, when an average voter turnout of 63.31 per cent was recorded.

Counting of votes for all seats will take place on Thursday (December 8) and the final Gujarat Assembly Election Result 2022 will be announced on the same day.

Stay tuned to India.com for all the updates related to this constituency as well as other seats of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly. Find out who will be the winners, losers, victory margin, and all other details during our special election result coverage.

In 2017, Thawani Balram Khubchand of the Bharatiya Janata Party won the seat by defeating Tiwari Omprakash Darogaprasad of the Indian National Congress with a margin of 60142 votes.

Voting will be held on Monday (December 5,) in 93 Assembly seats across 14 central and northern districts of Gujarat during the second phase of the Vidhan Sabha elections. The 93 Assembly segments which will go to polls on Monday are spread across Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Gandhinagar and other districts.

In the 2017 Assembly polls, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 51 of these seats, Congress 39, while three seats went to independent candidates.

In the 2nd phase of Gujarat election 2022, 833 candidates are in the fray from 61 political parties, including the BJP, the Congress and the new poll entrant Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The nominees also include 285 independents, as per the state election body.

The Gujarat Assembly has a total of 182 seats. The first phase of voting for 89 seats in Saurashtra, Kutch and south Gujarat regions was held on December 1, when an average voter turnout of 63.31 per cent was recorded.

Counting of votes for all seats will take place on Thursday (December 8) and the final Gujarat Assembly Election Result 2022 will be announced on the same day.

Stay tuned to India.com for all the updates related to this constituency as well as other seats of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly. Find out who will be the winners, losers, victory margin, and all other details during our special election result coverage.

In 2017, Kaushikbhai Jamnadas Patel (Kaushik Patel) of the Bharatiya Janata Party won the seat by defeating Nitinbhai Kantibhai Patel of the Indian National Congress with a margin of 66215 votes.

Voting will be held on Monday (December 5,) in 93 Assembly seats across 14 central and northern districts of Gujarat during the second phase of the Vidhan Sabha elections. The 93 Assembly segments which will go to polls on Monday are spread across Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Gandhinagar and other districts.

In the 2017 Assembly polls, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 51 of these seats, Congress 39, while three seats went to independent candidates.

In the 2nd phase of Gujarat election 2022, 833 candidates are in the fray from 61 political parties, including the BJP, the Congress and the new poll entrant Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The nominees also include 285 independents, as per the state election body.

The Gujarat Assembly has a total of 182 seats. The first phase of voting for 89 seats in Saurashtra, Kutch and south Gujarat regions was held on December 1, when an average voter turnout of 63.31 per cent was recorded.

Counting of votes for all seats will take place on Thursday (December 8) and the final Gujarat Assembly Election Result 2022 will be announced on the same day.

Stay tuned to India.com for all the updates related to this constituency as well as other seats of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly. Find out who will be the winners, losers, victory margin, and all other details during our special election result coverage.

Just five days ago, the road connecting the two villages of Kharouni and Khadampur was being used by people for years to walk on. One morning, when people were passing by they were shocked the see that the whole road had disappeared and replaced with crops. Although at first, they thought that they had lost their way.

According to a report by Dainik Bhaskar, goons from Khairani village plowed the road with a tractor and sowed wheat crops on it instead. When the people of Khadampur village opposed this, the goons started fighting and threatened them with sticks and rods.

Following the incident, a stir was triggered in the village. People started facing a lot of inconvenience as they used this road to come and go for years. For the past few days, the people of Khadampur village are now being forced to commute with the help of a footpath.

Around 35 people of Khadampur village have submitted an application to Circle Officer Mohammad Moinuddin on Wednesday regarding this matter.

The officer promised an investigation into the matter and assured the villagers that action will be taken against the accused if they are found guilty of encroachment. He also said that the encroached land which is being used for farming will be cleared and replaced back with a road.

According to police, a challan of Rs 6,500 was issued against the accused under the Motor Vehicles Act. Police have also charged the five persons for disturbing the peace. They were produced in court and sent to jail.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Traffic Ashoke Kumar said, “A video went viral on social media in which five people could be seen riding a motorcycle in Kotwali police station limits. In the video number plate of the motorcycle was visible and based on that identification was done and action was taken. The motorcycle was seized and five persons were arrested.”

WATCH THE VIRAL VIDEO BELOW:

Hi @UPPViralCheck FYI pls.

How many people can ride a bike?
You might suggest one or two, but this scene from Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh proves that as many as five can fit on one!
Warning: this is not safe, so we do not advise you try it.
via Sputnik news, Russia pic.twitter.com/IrOr7ZjjoF

— Bhavika Kapoor (@bhavi_kap) November 29, 2022

The motorcycle belonged to a person named Raees Ahmed. The accused have been identified as Arif, Asif, Irshad, Shamim and Wasim. All are residents of the Asalatpura area in Moradabad.

(With inputs from ANI)

The couple, who live in Kanshi Ram colony, invited all their relatives and friends and cut a cake on the occasion. They had also arranged for a DJ.

A video of the party is going viral on social media.

According to reports, one Raja and his wife have remained childless after their wedding. Last year, their pet goat gave birth to two kids and they decided to celebrate their first birthday.

Raja said, “We have treated the animals as our children and we decided to celebrate their birthday with fanfare. We have named the kids Kuber and Laxmi and I take them out for a ride on the rickshaw.”

He said that the guests even brought gifts for the kids on their birthday. “We got blankets and other gifts for them,” he added.

In the 23-second clip, students can be seen engaging in some arguments in the Masuri area. Suddenly they started running seeing the car heading towards them. The vehicle hits them from behind and the slipper of one of the students flung off.

SPEEDING CAR HITS STUDENTS IN GHAZIABAD

गाजियाबाद में कॉलेज छात्रों की लड़ाई के बीच कार ने आकर दो युवकों को मारी जबरदस्त टक्कर, वीडियो देख हो जाएंगे हैरान !

.
.
.#Ghaziabad #collegestudents #UttarPradesh #collegefights #studentfight #caraccident #ViralVideos #ghaziabadnews #bhnupdates #GhaziabadPolice pic.twitter.com/oZZDy7gx1p

— BHN न्यूज़ (@bhn_news) September 21, 2022

Police said that the car seen in the viral video has been seized and strict action will be taken against those found guilty.

“There was a brawl among some college students in Masuri police station area during which a car hit some of them. Some of the students were taken into custody after a preliminary investigation. They are being questioned,” NDTV reported quoting the police statement.

Farmers who grow the ‘Ratnadeep Guava’ variety in the region have associated with Pune’s Kayani Bakery, famous for its Shrewsberry biscuits and other products, to introduce a unique eggless guava preparation with the brand name ‘Purandar Peru Cake’.

A co-owner of the bakery claimed this cake, which they started making since last month, has been receiving a huge response from customers.

“The cake is made using the red guava bread spread, produced by Purandar Highlands Farmers Producers Company (PHFPC), a firm started by 14 individuals who are full-time farmers having a deep knowledge of farming and allied practices,” the company’s chairman, Rohan Ursal, told PTI.

He said the objective of setting up the PHFPC was to take the figs, custard apples and red guavas grown in the region to the world market.

“Farmers who grow figs, custard apples and red guavas bring their produce to us. We send these fruits to seven states and make them available on e-commerce sites. While doing this, we thought there was a need to get into the processing of these fruits as their shelf life very less,” Ursal said.

“We then started a state-of-the-art fruit processing unit and launched fig bread spread, which is GI tagged, and also the red guava spread,” he said.

Ursal said the red guava spread is made from the Ratnadeep guava variety.

In a bid to take the red guava variety to the next level, they approached several bakers including Rustom Kayani, the co-owner of the Kayani Bakery.

Ursal said Rustom Kayani mentored them to make some modifications in the fruit spread required for preparing the cake.

“Kayaniji remarked that he never experienced such an amazing taste. He decided to make a recipe out of it and finally the red guava cake was baked,” said Ursal.

It was a proud moment for all the farmers here as the baker named it ‘Purandar Guava Cake’, he said.

Kayani told PTI that he knows Ursal’s family, who have been fruit vendors, for many years.

“Rohan once presented to me the red guava spread developed by them with no intention to make a cake out of it. When I tasted the spread, I was surprised to experience the real depth of its flavour,” he said.

“The first thought that came into my mind was to use the spread in our products. Since the Ganpati festival was around the corner, we thought of trying to make a cake out of it,” he said.

Fortunately, it worked well as the flavour of guava really got into the cake, he said.

The good thing is the guava spread does not have any artificial essence used in it. It is pure fruit and good pulp, Kayani said.

“Since the red guava variety used in making the fruit spread is from the Purandar region, we named our product as ‘Purandar Guava Cake’,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ursal said their company is committed to delivering high-quality processed products made from the lesser known but great tasting local varieties of fruits, which they intend to de

According to the revised tariff, the price is Rs 4.50 per unit (up to 400 units). There will not be any subsidy for domestic consumers.

The 100-unit free supply for all domestic consumers will continue and those who don’t want the subsidy can withdraw it after registering an application with Tangedco.

A separate tariff slab, LT Tariff 1D is newly introduced for common supply for lighting, water supply, lift, etc.

Gyms, swimming pools, sewage treatment plants, water treatment plants, and fire hydrant systems in gyms in residential complexes are brought under a common supply tariff. These were earlier under commercial tariff.

Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) has introduced a peak hour system for LT tariff II-B (1), IIB(2), IIIB and V.

Tangedco will collect 25 per cent energy charges for commercial consumers through the new system.

The duration of peak hours is 6 to 10 in the morning and evening.

It may be noted that there was stiff opposition to the hike in tariff in Tamil Nadu with several organizations including MSME’s and farmer associations have requested the power utility not to hike the charges as the industrial units were slowly coming back to normalcy after the lockdown associated with the Covid-19 pandemic.

(With IANS inputs)

She can then be seen beating up the man as people recorded the ruckus on their phones. The woman also attacked the man with a flower pot placed at the entrance of the pub. The incident took place in Summit Building under the jurisdiction of Vibhuti Khand police station on Thursday.

The scuffle continued for a while before it was stopped by the bouncers and other operators of the pub. Police identified the two women in the video and arrested them. Police have filed an FIR against the duo, however, the man who was beaten up has not turned up to file a complaint.

Watch the viral video below:

लखनऊ अनप्लग्ड कैफे के बाहर चले लात-घूंसे, लड़की ने एक शख्स को जमकर पीटा #Video Viral #Lucknow #UnpluggedCafe @Live_Hindustan pic.twitter.com/r8Ks3cVQAI

— Hindustan UP-Bihar (@HindustanUPBH) July 22, 2022

Earlier, a police outpost was set up at the building gate after frequent incidents of brawl were reported from the pubs housed in the building.

As the nearby areas get flooded, crocodiles start coming out of the river and swimming near buildings. In some cases, these crocodiles even reach the doors of the locals and threaten to bite or drag them.

A video is going viral on Twitter that shows two bikers stopping while a crocodile crosses a road in Vadodara’s Jambuwa village.

Watch the viral video below:

Due to heavy rain in #Vadodara ,crocodiles are coming out of rivers and entering residential areas. video of a crocodile crossing road in Vadodara’s Jambuwa village has gone viral,showing two bikers stopping while the crocodile was crossing road@NewIndianXpress @TheMornStandard pic.twitter.com/83Ttvt5yuO

— Dilip Singh Kshatriya (@Kshatriyadilip) July 17, 2022

On average, the authorities get around 25-30 calls of crocodiles being spotted every day during monsoon. The majority of locals who dare to step out to purchase groceries have to use a rescue boat that ferries them out of the apartment.

Earlier this month, a crocodile was rescued from the Puja Garden area of Vadodara after getting stuck in one of the stormwater drain covers. Watch the video here:

Crocodiles swim to residential areas as Rainwater floods Vadodara city, #Gujarat . The Forest department of Vadodara rescued crocodiles that swam to residential areas by the rainwaters.@NewIndianXpress @TheMornStandard @santwana99 pic.twitter.com/Xxzd1CT5Yj

— Dilip Singh Kshatriya (@Kshatriyadilip) July 13, 2022

The crocodiles seek a place for shelter, so generally end up in stormwater drains and underground drainage lines. According to Neha Patel, an animal activist who rescues crocodiles, “The crocodiles travel several kilometres unnoticed through these drains. Several areas of Vadodara can spot crocodiles as now they are inside drainage lines.”

A shocking video has surfaced on Twitter that shows visuals from Mahim beach in Mumbai where heaps of garbage washed up on the shore. The video was shared by a page called Mumbai Matters with the following caption, “Beaches in Mumbai now Open. Citizens throng Mahim beach to have a look at the ReturnGift from ArabianSea…”

Mumbai civic body BMC replied to the tweet saying that while this is true that garbage thrown in the sea gets washed up on beaches, it ensures regular cleaning of the spots. The BMC also attached pictures of a cleaned beach and requested people not to throw trash in the water.

Sir, As u mentioned # Return gift its true . Citizens shall avoid throwing waste in drains & rivers which ends up un sea.BMC regularly cleaning daily throughout day all time.

Pls see attached herewith photo. pic.twitter.com/Z9BxJ5NwKO

— WARD GN BMC (@mybmcWardGN) July 17, 2022

The 10-second clip showed a Mumbai Beach filled with tons of plastic waste and plenty of garbage as people stand on the littered beach. The video has received over 100k views along with numerous angry and concerned reactions from netizens who expressed their opinions on this issue.

“Nature warns first, when it has no effect, it will react. Let’s not wait for that reaction, because we may not be able to bear that,” wrote one Twitter user. “Oh, God! It seems all will die but plastic will only survive on this planet earth!” wrote another. “Never mess with nature the sea, the forest, trees. Nature always gives a fitting reply. Sea never keeps any dirt in it. It also always throws away the dead,” commented a third Twitterati. Here are some other reactions from concerned netizens:

Nature warns first, when it has no effect, it will react. Let’s not wait for that reaction, because we may not be able to bear that.

— GK Pillai (@pillaigkp) July 16, 2022

Oh God! It seems all will die but plastic will only survive on this planet earth !

— smart shilpa jayesh (@JayeshShilpa) July 17, 2022

Never mess with nature the sea , the forest, trees . The nature always gives a fitting reply . Sea never keeps any dirt in it. It also always throw away the dead.

— Rolland Richard Mathews (@mathews_rolland) July 16, 2022

We should do our bit as our citizens to keep the beach clean!

— Shane Albuquerque (@shane5114) July 16, 2022

What are your thoughts on this?

He also distributed appointment letters to around 11,000 youths in private sector. Addressing the youths who received appointment letters, the Chief Minister said, the students who want to prepare for any competitive examinations such as JPSC, UPSC, Engineering or Medical, government will provide financial support for their preparations. “We are going to bring a policy in this regard very soon,” he said.

He noted that the recruitment exercise has been on for past few days in the state. “We recently gave appointment letters to more than 250 people, who cracked the JPSC examinations. Of the total, 35 persons belonged to below poverty line (BPL) which is a big achievement. We also made the recruitment of agriculture officers and staff in forensic labs for the first time,” Soren said.

Jharkhand is termed as backward state. But, we will be making it a leading state of the country in next five to seven years. For this, we need cooperation from all, he said.

Jharkhand’s Labour minister Satyanand Bhokta, Rural Development minister Alamgir Alam and Rajya Sabha MP Mahua Manjhi were also present on the occasion.

Labour, Employment, Training and Skill Department Secretary Praveen Kumar Toppo said that as many as 11,391 youths, who got jobs in the private sector since April this year, were given appointment letters.

Of the total, 5,332 youths got jobs in the apparel sector, 1,041 in health care, 1,168 in management and entrepreneurship, 785 in automotive and 118 in telecom sector, he said.

(With PTI inputs)

The video was shared on Twitter by Eric Solheim, a former Norwegian diplomat, who credited it to a user named Raghu. “This is not Niagara Falls… This is Jog Falls, located in Shimoga district of Karnataka, India,” the caption said. The clip has received over 1.8 million views and 85k likes. The picturesque view is winning thousands of hearts online with netizens saying that they can’t wait to travel to this place.

Especially in the monsoon season, Jog Falls in Karnataka’s Shimoga district look spectacular. Waterfalls are the best to look at during monsoon as rainfall enhances nature’s grandeur. The view of the grand Jog Falls showed in the view is so calm and serene watch that you just want to be teleported there for a few seconds to experience the beauty of the waterfall.

Watch the viral video below:

This is not Niagara Falls…
This is Jog Falls, located in Shimoga district of Karnataka, India

pic.twitter.com/1C1ohXFsCn

— Erik Solheim (@ErikSolheim) July 10, 2022

Stunning, wasn’t it?

Recently, a flood-like situation was also witnessed in RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav’s constituency Raghopur in Bihar’s Vaishali district. The Ganga river was swollen and an elephant could be seen trying to cross the gushing waters of the river with a mahout on top of him.

A video going viral on social media shows the mahout trying to guide the elephant to safety as the animal is almost completely submerged in water, looking like its drowning. The heart-stopping visuals show the elephant and mahout braving through the gushing river by swimming for three kilometers to try and get to safety. In the end, the two could be seen reaching a corner of the river where people were standing. Both the elephant and the mahout were shifted to safety.

Watch the viral video below:

An Elephant and Mahaut braved the swollen river Ganga for 3 kilometers to save their lives in Raghopur of Vaishali district.

उफनते पानी से हाथी और महावत की जंग, तस्वीरें बिहार के राघोपुर की हैं. #Bihar #flood #vaishali #elephant #ganga #Rescue pic.twitter.com/dLsIuipcOz

— The Tall Indian (@BihariBaba1008) July 13, 2022

That looked so scary!

The constituency is witnessing a triangular contest this time. The Congress has fielded the former MLA’s daughter, Shilpi Neha Tirkey, as the candidate of the ruling JMM-led coalition, while the BJP has nominated former legislator Gangotri Kujur in the seat. Independent candidate Dev Kumar Dhan, backed by Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM, is also in the fray. Stay tuned for Live updates on Mandar Bypoll result 2022:

The final result for Mandar Bypoll has been declared. Shilpi Neha Tirkey of Congress is the winner by a margin of 23,690 votes. Here are the updates:  

5 pm: Shilpi Neha Tirkey of Congress leads by a margin of over 22,000 votes

3 pm: Shilpi Neha Tirkey of Congress leading by a margin of 13,357 votes, Gangotri Kujur of BJP trailing

11 am: Gangotri Kujur of BJP leading with over 8000 votes, Shilpi Neha Tirkey of Congress trailing not far behind

9.30 am: Counting underway

8.01 am: Counting of votes begins

According to India.com ground report, the AAP’s campaign revolved around getting votes from Kejriwal supporters, with their tagline for Rajinder Nagar bypoll being – “Kejriwal ki sarkaar, Kejriwal ka vidhayak (Kejriwal government, Kejriwal MLA)”. An e-rickshaw with AAP’s hoarding could be heard playing the jingle “Lage raho, lage raho, Kejriwal”.

(Photo: Kritika Bansal/India.com)

While most posters only had Arvind Kejriwal’s face on them with the same tagline, there were some posters that also featured AAP’s MCD in-charge Durgesh Pathak.

AAP posters in Old Rajinder Nagar market area (Photo: Kritika Bansal/India.com)

The AAP said it will inflict a crushing defeat to the BJP and will record a ‘historic victory’ in the bypoll. However, with Rajesh Bhatia’s popularity in the Rajinder Nagar area, along with top BJP leaders such as East Delhi MP Gautam Gambhir, North East Delhi MP Major Tiwari, and Union Minister Meenakshi Lekhi campaigning for him, the AAP could face a very tough competition in the area or even lose the seat. Unlike the AAP, most posters put by the BJP in Rajinder Nagar area featured only Rajesh Bhatia’s face while in some instances his picture along with PM Narendra Modi’s picture were also spotted on some posters.

(Photo: Kritika Bansal/India.com)

Meanwhile, Durgesh Pathak had no shortage of support as top AAP leaders such as Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha campaigned for him. Further, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal held several roadshows in the area. So, it will very interesting to see who wins the Rajinder Nagar seat on June 26. Will the residents vote for the work of the Kejriwal government or their former councillor from PM Modi’s party? Only time will tell.

(Photo: Kritika Bansal/India.com)

While we know where the AAP stands as it has already said it’s confident of defeating the BJP, here’s what BJP candidate Rajesh Bhatia thinks about the outcome of the upcoming bypoll. Speaking to Senior Sub Editor for India.com, Kritika Bansal, in an exclusive interview ahead of the Rajinder Nagar bypoll, Rajesh Bhatia said he is a hundred per cent confident that his party will win the election.

Several posters of the BJP featured a picture of Rajesh Bhatia with the following tagline, “Humme chahiye sthananiye nivaasi. (We want a local resident)”. The BJP’s main strategy in Rajinder Nagar is to ask them to vote for a resident as its MLA, who has lived and worked here, as opposed to an outsider. Reiterating that Dugesh Pathak, who came to Delhi from Gorakhpur a few years ago, is an outsider, Rajesh Bhatia said he has lived here since birth and worked for the people in the area. “The AAP candidate is not even a voter from our area. He lost from Karawal Nagar, ran away from there and came here. He doesn’t have a base here. And I’m living here since birth. I’ve worked here as a councillor,” he told India.com.

The bypoll was necessitated as AAP’s Raghav Chadha resigned from the Delhi Assembly after he was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab. Being a former MLA, a resident of the area, and a popular leader of the Kejriwal government, Raghav Chadha was campaigning in support of AAP’s Durgesh Pathak. When asked whether the BJP is confident of winning the poll despite Raghav Chadha’s popularity here, Rajesh Bhatia said, “Raghav Chadha has no support here. He ran away from here. The public elected him and he deserted them in the middle (of the term).”

When asked what he thinks about Raghav Chadha’s work as an MLA from Rajinder Nagar in his two-year term, Rajesh Bhatia said, “He did nothing in two years. He was never here. Neither could anybody meet him. He was not connected with the public. Whereas I am well connected with the people here. I always used to sit in my office by the main road.”

When asked if his biggest rival, AAP candidate Durgesh Pathak, is competent, Rajesh Bhatia said, “He lost in Punjab before AAP came there. Then he lost in Karawal. He doesn’t have any base.” “The people are angry with Kejriwal government that earlier they gave a chance to an outsider and now they’re fielding another outsider. AAP workers themselves are angry (with the party),” he told India.com.

On what would be the major issues that he would try to solve if he won the bypoll, Rajesh Bhatia promised that his focus would be on solving the shortage of clean drinking water in the area. He added that there are “a lot of issues” that he would tackle such as the parking problem in the area, no sports complex for young children in the area, etc. However, the “major issue”, he said, is the “water crisis”. Further, Rajesh Bhatia said that while the issue of stray dogs in the area comes under the MCD, he will do whatever he can to solve it.

About BJP candidate Rajesh Bhatia:

Rajesh Bhatia had earlier been a councillor from Rajinder Nagar from 2012 to 2017 and standing committee chairperson of the North MCD. He rose through the ranks in the party by starting off as president of the Rajinder Nagar Mandal Yuva Morcha from 1985-88. Bhatia then went on to become BJP mandal general secretary from 1988-91 and Karol Bagh district president from 2010 to 2013.