Sachin Pilot supporters burn tyres, block roads in Rajasthan
Race for Chief Minister
Jaipur, Dec 13: Sachin Pilot supporters burnt tyres and blocked roads in Rajasthan on Thursday, demanding his appointment as the next chief minister.
As the Congress leadership in Delhi deliberated over the chief minister's post, groups of people tried to stop traffic at places in Dausa, Ajmer and Karauli districts, police said.
Protesters blocked the Jaipur-Agra highway at Dausa for some time, burning old tyres. There was a similar disruption on the Jaipur-Ajmer highway, and attempts to block traffic on other roads.
In most cases, the protesters were from Pilot's Gujjar community, police said.
The protests prompted Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee president Sachin Pilot to issue an appeal on Twitter, asking people to remain calm.
Pilot and two-time chief minister Ashok Gehlot are vying for the top post in Rajasthan, following the party's victory in the December 7 assembly polls.
In Karauli, about 25 youths burnt tyres on the road, police said.
In Dausa, some people gathered at the Jaipur-Agra highway near Patoli for about 30 minutes before being dispersed, police said.
Some people also gathered at the Jaipur-Ajmer highway near Ghooghra in Ajmer and burnt tyres," Special DG (Law and Order) N R K Reddy told PTI.
The blockage was cleared by the police, he said.
Similar demonstrations were held in Karauli's Hindaun in the evening but the police controlled the situation quickly, he said.
Six people climbed atop an overhead water tank in Bandikui in Dausa but were later persuaded to come down, he added.
Bharatpur Inspector General of Police Malini Agrawal said people gathered at Hindaun and nearby areas and were later dispersed.
She said there was no violence and the situation there was back to normal.
We want Sachin Pilot as the next chief minister of Rajasthan. The party high command should declare his name as soon as possible, Sugar Singh, state secretary of Akhil Bhartiya Yuva Gurjar Mahasabha, said.
Our members were peaceful at the demonstrations, which were held in Gurjar-dominated areas in eastern Rajasthan, he said.
Pilot issued an appeal on Twitter for calm.
I request all workers to maintain peace and discipline, he wrote in Hindi.
I completely trust the party's high command, he said, adding that he will welcome any decision taken by leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi.
It is the responsibility of committed workers to maintain the party's dignity, he tweeted.
In Jaipur, supporters of both Pilot and Gehlot had gathered outside their homes.
Looking at the number of supporters, additional policemen have been deployed, Additional Police Commissioner Nitin Deep Blaggan said.
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Voting underway for local body elections in Gujarat
Ahmedabad (PTI): Voting got underway on Sunday morning for elections to several local bodies in Gujarat, including 15 municipal corporations and 84 municipalities.
Polling began at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm, as per the schedule announced by the State Election Commission.
The elections are being held for 15 municipal corporations, including Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot, 84 municipalities, 34 district panchayats and 260 taluka panchayats, making it one of the largest electoral exercises in the state.
A total of 9,992 candidates are in the fray, with more than 4.18 crore voters eligible to exercise their franchise.
A three-tier security is in place, aided by CCTV surveillance and deployment of special squads in sensitive areas, police officials said.
The polls are being conducted under revised norms for Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservations, and required extensive delimitation and restructuring of wards in several districts.
The ruling BJP, Opposition Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have emerged as the key players, while All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is also contesting in several places.
Among notable candidates are former Gujarat-cadre IPS officer M L Ninama, ex-radio jockey Abha Desai, and former AAP MLA Bhupendra Bhayani.
Ninama is contesting from the Odh seat in Shamlaji taluka for the Arvalli district panchayat elections, while the BJP has nominated Bhayani from the Bhesan seat of the Junagadh district panchayat.
Desai, popularly known as RJ Abha, is contesting as a Congress candidate from ward number 10 of the Rajkot Municipal Corporation.
Elections are also being held for the first time in nine newly-created municipal corporations, including Navsari, Gandhidham, Morbi, Vapi, Anand, Nadiad, Mehsana, Porbandar and Surendranagar.
Counting of votes will take place on April 28.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel campaigned extensively for the BJP.
The AAP had taken the lead over other parties in launching the campaign, with its national convenor, Arvind Kejriwal, and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann addressing several rallies across Gujarat.
In a first for AAP, the Kejriwal-led party is contesting around 5,000 seats in local polls.
Other contestants include the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Independents.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi campaigned in the final phase, addressing public meetings in Ahmedabad and Bhuj.
In March 2021, the BJP scored a landslide win in the local polls in Gujarat, winning 6,236 out of 8,470 seats across various municipalities and establishing a wide gap with rival Congress.
The BJP had then dominated all six municipal corporations, besides 81 municipalities, 32 district panchayats, and 231 taluka panchayats.
