Gujarat elections highlights: Congress is going to form government, declares Rahul Gandhi in Bhavnagar

9:20 pm: In Bhavnagar, Rahul Gandhi announced, “If we come to power, there will be free education in all government universities and govt aided colleges. 80 per cent of fees will be reduced.” He also announced that Policies to waive off the loan of farmers will be made withing 10 days of coming to power in Gujarat.

9:14 pm: Continuing his attack on the PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi further said ,” Modijee has spent Rs 33,000 crore on his pet project – Tata Nano. Land, electricity and the waters of Narmada are available for Nano but not for you people. Tell me if you can see a single Nano car on the streets. Money goes to industrialist but not to the people who need it and they speak about Vikas.”

9:12 pm: “Modiji doesn’t want any discussion on Amit Shah’s son Jay Shah in the Parliament. This is the main reason behind not letting the Parliament function until polls are over in Gujarat. The Rafale deal is the second reason,” said Rahul

9:00 pm: Rahul Gandhi evoked Krishnakumarsinh Gohil and Sardar Patel and said ,” While talking about Sardar Patel, I am also taking the name of Maharaja Krishnakumarsinh Gohil. Krishnakumarsinh gave the land to the country and Sardar used it for development. Modiji talks about about making statue of Sardar Patel. But he is doing exactly the opposite of what Sardar and Krishnakumarsinh did.” “Both of them worked for the people while Modiji is working for 5-10 industrialist of the country. He gave acers of land that belonged to the people of Gujarat to one industry. These were the land given by Sardar. He snatched it and then says Jai Sardar,” said Rahul while addressing the gathering at Bhavnagar.

8:29 pm: “BJP has everything, Congress has nothing other than the truth of Gujarat.Congress is going to form its government in Gujarat in December this year,” said Rahul Gandhi while addressing a rally in Bhavnagar.

8:20 pm: “When you listen to PM Modi, you think that there is only one person who runs the nation. But, this is not the truth. The truth is that the country is run by you.”

8:15 pm: Rahul Gandhi said, “PM Modi has destroyed many things in the last three years. A number of small businesses shut down after the demonetisation.”

8:00 pm: Rahul Gandhi addresses a public meeting in Bhavnagar, Gujarat.

(Source: Twitter/Congress)

6.30 pm: In Vallabhipur, Rahul Gandhi said: “What happened to the promises of Modiji. In his rule, Jay Shah was able to convert Rs 50,000 to 80 crores in three months. The common person has not benefitted from anything.”

6.00 pm: Rahul Gandhi, after spending a few minutes in Kanpara village, is on his way to Vallabhipur.

5:35 pm: The Congress vice-president, in his short speech at Barwala, says, “Narendra Modi will not tell you about what happened to the black money. Do vote for Congress. We will help small farmers.” He is now leaving for Vallabhipur.

(Source: Express photo by Preeti Das)

5:34 pm: Rahul Gandhi has now arrived at Barwala in Botad district.

(Source: Express photo by Preeti Das)

4:58 pm: Rahul Gandhi also spoke about the Nano plant and said how land of farmers have been used for the same.

4:54 pm: In Botad, Rahul Gandhi spoke about the cotton rates and told farmers, “During the UPA rule, you got Rs 1200 and in BJP rule you are getting Rs 800 for the cotton even when Modijee said you will get Rs 2000. The farmers are committing suicide while the Modi government is helping a handful of industrialist.”

4:50 pm:  Rahul Gandhi said, “If Congress comes to power, we will waive off all loans given to farmers within 10 days.”

3:58 pm: Rahul Gandhi arrives Lakshmi Narayana society in Botad.

(Source: Express photo by Preeti Das)

(Source: Express photo by Preeti Das)

(Source: Express photo by Preeti Das)

3:12 pm: Rahul Gandhi offered prayers at Shree Swaminarayan Mandir in Botad’s Gadhada.

(Source: ANI photo)

2.50 pm:

Congress VP Rahul Gandhi meets and addresses a corner meeting with the citizens of Dhasa. #Navsarjan_With_Congress pic.twitter.com/10iIGAYw3e

— Congress (@INCIndia) November 30, 2017

(Source: AICC)

(Source: AICC)

(Source: AICC)

2.04 pm:

INC COMMUNIQUE @rssurjewala issues a statement on the huge scam in purchase of power by BJP, involving private companies in Gujarat. pic.twitter.com/HryM9iGKsc

— INC Sandesh (@INCSandesh) November 30, 2017

1.15 pm: The farmers have got nothing in the last 22 years, the Congress leader said during his rally in Amreli.

1.12 pm: “Initially 136 air planes had to be bought from HAL. But suddenly Modiji goes to France and he changes the the contract without asking anyone. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar was spotted buying fish at a Goa market. HAL had the contract for years, but PM gave it to Ambani who has no experience.”

1.11 pm: “Modi does not want the Parliament to run as he does not want to discuss Jay Shah and Rafael deal,” he says adding that the doors of Parliament will open only after the Gujarat elections

1.08 pm: Continuing his attack against Jay Shah, Gandhi says, “Magically the company of Jay Shah comes up and rakes profit. How can Rs 50,000 be converted into 80 crore within three months? When the company performs well you continue to enjoy the profits, but Jay Shah closed his company. Corruption is happening in front of the prime minister and he is silent. Yet he says, ‘na khaaonga, na khaanedunga'”

1.06 pm: “I will waive off loans on farmers if Congress government is formed in the state. It is not a big thing to do. I will bring the policy in 10 days. The money spent on nano project could improve education, health system and waive off farmer loans.”

1.04 pm: Taking a swipe against GST, Gandhi says, “Modiji forced Gabbar Singh Tax on people. He destroyed the small and medium sized business houses with that one step.”

1.02 pm: “Prime Minister kept talking about farmers for 22 years, but neither the farmers have got proper price for their products nor enough water. Upon that the government has also snatched away the lands.”

12.59 pm: Meanwhile, Gujarat BJP has declared yet another round of campaign by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the state. PM Modi is scheduled to address eight public meetings in the districts of Bharuch, Surendranagar, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Dharampur, Bhavnagar, Junagadh, Jamnagar on December 3 and 4. PM Modi will also interact with 5500 women BJP workers on December 1 through NAMO mobile Application

12.57 pm: Targeting the Nano project initiated by the prime minister in the state, Gandhi asks the crowd, “The government has snatched the electricity from people here and gave it to the Nano project. Employment opportunities were promised, but how many Nano cars do you see moving around?”

12.55 pm: “If the Patidars, Dalits, women or people from backward caste will try to question, they will be beaten up by the Modiji’s police.”

12.52 pm: “This is for the first time that people from all sections are protesting. Only 5 to 10 people who are Modiji’s friends and roam around in private jets are the ones who are not complaining.”

12.50 pm: “Did you get the 15 lakh rupees? Many were unemployed and hundreds died because of the exercise, yet the prime minister boasts of killing corruption on November 8.”

12.45 am: Talking about demonetisation, Gandhi says, “PM did not like the old 500 and 100 notes and so he made the entire country stand in the line. Did you see any big businessman from Gujarat? PM Modi transformed all the black money into white by his note ban exercise.”

12.41 pm: Rahul Gandhi addresses the crowd in Amreli. Attacks the prime minister over his hollow promises.

11.22 am: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met the local businessmen and traders in Amreli.

Congress VP Rahul Gandhi met and interacted with a delegation of traders in Amreli, Gujarat this morning regarding the issues they are facing. #Navsarjan_With_Congress pic.twitter.com/BvPM3KT1KH

— Congress (@INCIndia) November 30, 2017

11.20 am: Attacking Rahul Gandhi over Shehzad Poonawalla’s comments, Dr.Jitendra Singh, Minister of State, PMO said that Congress is a party where ‘with every electoral defeat the leader gets a promotion.’ “It is Congress’s internal matter, but everyone knows it is one party where its already known who will be the president. One interesting feature is that with every electoral defeat the leader gets a promotion,” he said, as reported by ANI.

10.54 am: Saying “Washing dirty linen in public is wrong,” Tehseen Poonawalla, out rightly rejected brother Shehzad Poonawalla’s comments on Rahul Gandhi’s elevation as the party president. Tehseen who is married to Rahul’s brother-in-law Robert Vadra’s sister Monicka said, “It is totally unacceptable to me and my family that Shehzad has dragged Mrs Gandhi into this, he should have presented whatever issues he had in the party forum. I really don’t know why Shehzad did this, its very surprising, he did not discuss this at all with the family. Washing dirty linen in public is wrong. We now have nothing to do with him, I publicly say this,” reports ANI.

10.15 am: Targeting PM Modi over his ‘Mann ki Baat’ program, the Congress scion said, “Modiji emotional ho jaatey hain, aansu bahatey hain. Abhi ek-do din mein bahayenge. Ho sakta hai na bhi bahayein, kyunki maine ye kah diya. Khokhle hain…. Modiji Amitabh Bachchan se bhi badey abhineta hain — Amitabh toh contact lens laga ke rotey hain, Modi-ji ko is lens ki bhi zaroorat nahin hai (Modi becomes emotional, sheds tears. He will do that in a day or two. But then again, he may not, as I am pointing it out. He is shallow…. Modi is a better actor than Amitabh Bachchan — he doesn’t need contact lens to weep).”

9.45 am: Responding to PM’s barb of ‘Grand Stupid Thought’, Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram hit back asking if ‘the then CEA Dr Arvind Subramaniam and many other economists are stupid?’ In a series of tweets, Chidambaram adds, “Has PM read the CEA’s report on Revenue Neutral Rate? Did not CEA recommend an RNR of 15-15.5%? Why can’t the normal GST rate be 15% and RNR plus rate on luxury goods be 18%? Tax and spend is the credo of the BJP government. Example: when crude oil prices fell by 50%, prices of petrol and diesel remained the same.”

If it is Grand Stupid Thought to argue for a cap of the tax rate at 18%, then CEA Dr Arvind Subramaniam and many other economists are stupid. Is that what PM is saying?

— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) November 30, 2017

9.30 am: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s schedule for the day

Rahul Gandhi will be visiting Lathi, Gopinathji Mandir, Botad, Vallabhipur and Bhavnagar in Gujarat today. #Navsarjan_With_Congress pic.twitter.com/MJOuSueAPi

— Congress (@INCIndia) November 30, 2017

9.15 am: Another controversy was triggered on Wednesday after reports emerged that Gandhi’s name was entered in a register meant for “non-Hindu” visitors at the Somnath temple, which he had visited earlier in the day. Calling it a fake conspiracy, Congress’s communication in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala said, “Rahul Gandhi is not only a Hindu, but a ‘janeu-dhari’ Hindu (one who wears the sacred thread).”

9.03 am: Maharashtra Congress Secretary Shehzad Poonawalla on Wednesday said the process of organisational elections in the organisation is manipulated to favour Rahul Gandhi’s election as the party president. Alleging that the dynasts were getting “overwhelming” share of election tickets, Poonawalla asked, “Is the post of president directly or indirectly reserved for ‘Gandhis’?”

8.56 am: Meanwhile, ten companies of PAC have left from Lucknow for Gujarat ahead of elections in the state.

8.41 am: Launching a fresh attack, Rahul Gandhi accused PM Modi of pushing the state of Gujarat under debts. Taking to Twitter he questioned why people are made to suffer at the cost of PM Modi’s publicity and financial mismanagement.

22 सालों का हिसाब,#गुजरात_मांगे_जवाब

गुजरात के हालात पर प्रधानमंत्रीजी से दूसरा सवाल:

1995 में गुजरात पर क़र्ज़-9,183 करोड़।
2017 में गुजरात पर क़र्ज़-2,41,000 करोड़।
यानी हर गुजराती पर ₹37,000 क़र्ज़।

आपके वित्तीय कुप्रबन्धन व पब्लिसिटी की सज़ा गुजरात की जनता क्यों चुकाए?

— Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) November 30, 2017

8.40 am: Welcome to our live blog. Today, we will be getting you all the latest updates from Rahul Gandhi’s Navsarjan Yatra in Gujarat.

Starting from Amreli, Rahul Gandhi will then hold public meetings at Botad and Bhavnagar districts. He is also scheduled to offer his prayers at Gopinath Temple during the second day of his visit.

The Congress leader and PM Modi on Wednesday engaged in a war of words during their rallies in Saurashtra. While the Prime Minister slammed Gandhi’s demand of uniform 18 per cent GST slab, dubbing it as ‘Grand Stupid Thought’, Rahul countered BJP’s campaign of ‘anti-Gujarat UPA.’ “Modi has snatched and sold off Gujarat villages in the last two decades to industrialists,” Gandhi had said.

Meanwhile, Patidar leader Hardik Patel who also addressed rallies in Morbi district urged the people to not vote for the BJP. “There are no cowards like Amit Shah and Narendra Modi. They draw their power only from police. So don’t be afraid of them, fight them.” The two-phase Gujarat elections will take place on December 9 and 14, while the counting of votes is scheduled for December 18.