Nationwide strike near total in Kerala; hits normal life
Thiruvananthapuram: The nationwide strike, called by various trade unions in protest against the BJP-led NDA government's economic policies, was near total in Left-ruled Kerala on Thursday with shops downing the shutters and state-owned KSRTC buses keeping away from roads.
The normal life in the southern state affected as the 24 -hour-long agitation, called by a central committee of joint trade unions, hit all major sectors including government offices, banking, and insurance.
All government offices and major business establishments remained closed across Kerala, the lone state in the country ruled by a Marxist government.
Private buses, auto-rickshaws, and taxis kept off from the road while private vehicles could be seen plying everywhere cutting across villages and cities.
As Sabarimala pilgrims were exempted from the strike, KSRTC buses, operated in the hill temple route, ferried devotees as usual.
In some districts, tiny shop owners could be seen complaining that the closure of business would make their life further worsen in the wake of the dull economic situation after the Coronavirus outbreak.
In the wake of the widespread virus infection, major trade unions kept themselves away from organizing mass rallies, in which thousands of workers in the state participated.
Instead of that, they organized protest gatherings and human chains across Kerala.
Leaders and workers took part in the state-level inauguration of the protest by the center of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) at the Gandhi Park here, following social distancing.
Trade unions like Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC), Trade Union Co-ordination Centre (TUCC) and Self-Employed Women''s Association (SEWA) are part of the strike.
BJP-aligned Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), however, is not participating in the strike.
The strike has been called to protest the new farm and labor laws and also to raise various demands, a statement issued by the trade unions said.
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Surat LS candidate Nilesh Kumbhani whose nomination form was rejected suspended from Congress
Ahmedabad, Apr 25: The Gujarat Congress on Friday suspended from the party for six years its Surat Lok Sabha candidate Nilesh Kumbhani, whose nomination form was rejected over discrepancies leading to the BJP's Mukesh Dalal getting elected unopposed.
A statement from the Congress said the party's disciplinary committee decided to suspend Kumbhani after thorough discussion, adding it had come to the conclusion that the nomination form was rejected due to gross negligence on his part or "in connivance with the BJP".
"To be fair to you we have given time to you to explain your case but instead of coming before the party disciplinary committee you have gone incommunicado. After your form was rejected by the authorities, BJP went ahead and got form of other eight candidates withdrawn. This has deprived people of Surat their voting rights," the Congress disciplinary committee headed by Balu Patel said.
"People of Surat and party workers have become very angry due to your action and are expressing their anger in different ways. The Congress party has decided to suspend you for six years from the party," the press note said.
Kumbhani's nomination form was rejected on April 21 after his three proposers submitted affidavits to the district returning officer claiming the signatures on the document was not theirs.
The nomination form of Suresh Padsala, the Congress' substitute candidate from Surat, was also invalidated on the same grounds.
In his order, Returning Officer Sourabh Pardhi said the three nomination forms submitted by Kumbhani and Padsala were rejected after prima facie discrepancy was found in the signatures of the proposers and they did not appear to be genuine.
Kumbhani, a former corporator from Surat, had unsuccessfully fought the 2022 Assembly polls from Kamrej there.
The Bharatiya Janata Party's Mukesh Dalal was elected unopposed from Surat Lok Sabha constituency on April 22 after all other nominees, including one from BSP, withdrew from the fray one by one on the last day of withdrawing papers.
