Will fight legally and politically for Mahadayi water: Goa CM Sawant
Panaji (PTI): Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has said the coastal state will win the battle for the Mahadayi river water as his government is making efforts on legal, technical and political fronts and leaving no stone unturned.
Goa and Karnataka are at loggerheads over diversion of the Mahadayi water through the construction of dams by Karnataka on the river's tributaries Kalasa and Banduri.
The Central Water Commission recently approved a detailed project report (DPR) submitted by Karnataka for the construction of the two dams, to which the Goa government has objected.
The Goa government has contended that Karnataka cannot divert water from the Mahadayi river, as it passes through the Mahadayi Wildlife Sanctuary, which is located downstream in North Goa.
"Whoever may say anything, we are firm on our decision. Whatever we have to do for Mahadayi, we are doing it legally, technically and politically. We will do whatever is required and we are confident that we will win the battle," Sawant said on Tuesday.
He was reacting to a purported statement of Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on a resolution by the Goa Assembly against the Mahadayi river water diversion.
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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 After your form was rejected by the authorities, BJP went ahead and got form of other eight candidates withdrawn.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.
