
Several panchayats declared ‘Samras' – won without contest – in Central Gujarat; BJP leaders felicitate winners
In Vadodara district, the entire panel of Por gram panchayat in Vadodara taluka as well as Vacchesar gram panchayat in Desar taluka were declared Samras while three gram panchayats in Padra taluka also headed the same way, heeding to the 'appeal' from BJP MLA Chaitanyasinh Zala, who had also announced an incentive of Rs 11 lakh from his MLA fund for villages opting for Samras means.
Led by Sarpanch Sanjay Vasava, members of the Por gram panchayat, who were declared uncontested winners, celebrated the victory at Vadodara taluka panchayat on Wednesday. Additionally, two out of the 14 wards of Koyali gram panchayat were also declared uncontested winners.
Desar Taluka's Vacchesar gram panchayat — a village with a prominently mixed neighbourhood — saw its body being declared uncontested winner on Wednesday, in a first such occurrence.
In Padra taluka, three of 49 gram panchayats — Bamanwasi, Nedra and Tajpura — were declared 'samras' as the sarpanch candidate as well as ward candidates were declared uncontested winners. BJP's Zala felicitated the members of the three samras villages in Padra and also handed over the promised letter of Rs 11 lakh incentive.
Zala said, 'I had appealed to villages to opt for Samras initiative and even announced that I would hand out a special grant from the MLA fund. Many gram panchayats had shown interest and we are glad that three gram panchayats of Bamanwasi, Nedra and Tajpura opted for the Samras way… I have felicitated the uncontested members and handed over the letter of Rs 11 lakh.'
Zala said that Samras panchayats ensure 'no enmity' among villages. He said, 'Samras way of panchayats leads to a unity in the village as there is no ill-feeling or vengeance between villagers… I want to appeal to people, who are contesting the upcoming polls, that they have the right to contest elections but they should follow the law, and not harbour enmity with each other.'
In Narmada district, 112 gram panchayats are going to polls out of 238 villages. As many as 765 nomination forms have been filed for 60 posts of sarpanches while 980 nominations have been filed for 532 ward seats.
Puchpura, Jalodra and Vajeria gram panchayat of Tilakwada taluka were declared 'samras' as no contestants were found to have filled nominations for the wards. Leaders of the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) felicitated the 'uncontested' winners of Vajeria gram panchayat on Wednesday.
In Panchmahal district, seven villages were declared 'Samras', including Navagam, Jodhpur, Hanselav, Bhotwa, and Sagrala. Three of the seven Samras gram panchayats were going to polls for the first time.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hans India
29 minutes ago
- Hans India
Gujarat CM unveils Rs 358.37 crore development package for Banaskantha
Banaskantha: Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Thursday inaugurated and laid foundation stones for development projects worth Rs 358.37 crore in Banaskantha district. Speaking at a public gathering in Suigam near Nadabet, the CM emphasised the government's resolve to transform border villages into engines of growth and tourism. "Where once there was barren land, we now see emerging tourism hubs, thanks to sustained efforts in water connectivity and grassroots infrastructure," said Patel, adding that the benefits of development are now reaching the last mile. Patel launched new projects worth Rs 55.68 crore and highlighted Gujarat's focus on health, education, water management, and green initiatives, pointing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaigns like 'Catch the Rain' and 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' as timely responses to global warming and environmental degradation. 'In Gujarat, every district now has a medical college, and over 7,000 new doctors are being trained annually. Citizens are now receiving free medical treatment up to Rs 10 lakh under schemes like Ayushman Bharat,' Patel said. He also acknowledged the success of the Amrit Sarovar Mission, noting that Gujarat exceeded its target by constructing more than 75 reservoirs in each district, with over 30,000 recharge wells completed in Banaskantha alone through a partnership with Banas Dairy. Gujarat Assembly Speaker Shankarbhai Chaudhary, who also addressed the event, praised the CM's leadership and recalled how Banaskantha - once seen as underdeveloped - has now become a model for rural rejuvenation and border tourism. He emphasised the role of schemes like school enrolment drives, girls' education campaigns, and Gunotsav in transforming education in the district. "Banaskantha topped the state in this year's Class 10 and 12 results - a moment of pride for all of us," he said. Industries Minister Balvantsinh Rajput, the district in charge, noted that the government had allocated Rs 7,200 crore to Banaskantha in the past three years, facilitating job growth through cooperative institutions like Banas Dairy and new GIDC estates across Talukas. Highlighting Gujarat's strong fiscal management, Patel attributed the state's progress to transparent governance and long-term planning - a legacy, he said, initiated by Narendra Modi during his tenure as Gujarat's Chief Minister. In a symbolic gesture, the Jay Bhole Group from Ahmedabad gifted the CM a replica of 51 Shakti Peeths and a Shri Yantra made from sacred soil. Citizens also warmly welcomed the recent approval of the new Vav-Tharad district, viewing it as a step toward better administration and local development. The event witnessed the presence of several state dignitaries and local MLAs, including Swarupji Thakor, Praveen Mali, Aniket Thakor, Keshaji Chauhan, and Mavji Desai, along with District Collector Mihir Patel, DDO M.J. Dave, SP Akshayraj Makwana, and other officials from various departments.


Indian Express
29 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘First 30 years it was Cong, then BJP; time for change': Kejriwal tells people to prepare for BJP's exit
'Samay ka chakra ghoomta hai…pehla tees saal Congress, phir tees saal BJP. Ab BJP ke jaane ka time aa gaya. Bye bye BJP. (The wheel of time turns…first 30 years of Congress, then 30 years of BJP. Now the time has come for BJP to go),' Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal trained his guns at the two national parties while addressing a rally along with Punjab Chief Minister Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, in support of party's arrested Dediapada MLA Chaitar Vasava. Vasava was arrested on July 5 in an alleged attempted murder case after a brawl with Dediapada taluka BJP president Sanjay Vasava during a meeting at the Dediapada Prant office. On Thursday, the two AAP leaders also talked about the MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) scam and paper leaks apart from discussing issues of employment, education, healthcare and road infrastructure during the rally in Narmada district's Dediapada. Criticising both the BJP and the Congress, Kejriwal and Mann termed party leader Gopal Italia's recent victory from Visavadar as 'a positive sign' for the AAP in the upcoming elections. Punjab CM Mann said, 'Aam public hai, chup rahe toh paanch saal, seene pe pathar rakh le dus saal, aankhein band kar le pandrah saal, jeeb ko taala laga le pachees saal, kuch bina bole tees saal… par tees saal ke baad jab janta jaagti hai toh tees saal ka hisaab tees minute me le leti hai (The common public remained silent for five years, endured for 10 years, shut their eyes for 15 years, locked their pockets for 25 years, didn't say anything for 30 years…but after 30 years when the public awakens… they will ask for accountability in 30 minutes). Kejriwal added, 'Samay ka chakra ghoomta hai…pehla tees saal Congress, phir tees saal BJP. Ab BJP ke jaane ka time aa gaya. Bye bye BJP (The wheel of time turns…first 30 years of Congress, then 30 years of BJP. Now the time has come for BJP to go).' Kejriwal and Mann, who were on a two-day visit to Gujarat, had attended the Mahapanchayat of cattle herders in Modasa on Wednesday. 'In 2022, an Adivasi man, Chaitar Vasava, fought the elections. He is an educated member of the tribal community and an honest man… so you made him your MLA. Since Vasava has become an MLA, he has raised the issues of the public regarding schools, hospitals, electricity, jal, jungle, jameen, roads… Then Chaitar began getting government records. He saw that the government money sent for school, hospitals and roads were going into these people's pockets. One small neta of theirs becomes MLA and from cycle he has now 10 big cars… from a small house, he has a palace, from where? From stealing your money. Chaitar began exposing their secrets and became the voice of the Adivasi community,' said Kejriwal. He added, 'The BJP government got scared that if Chaitar keeps speaking up for the Adivasis, they won't vote for them. Then Chaitar looked into the MGNREGA scheme, where you get a minimum wage for 100 days. Who goes to work for minimum wage? The poorest of the poor. These BJP people are so 'gande and neech' (bad and selfish), that they even stole that money. Chaitar exposed corruption in MGNREGA first in the Vidhan Sabha, then in front of the media and then on the roads'. 'The minister didn't resign but both his sons went to jail,' he said while taking a dig at Gujarat minister Bachu Khabad. Meanwhile, Vasava's wives, Varsha and Shakuntala, were also present at the gathering and the former read a message from the jailed MLA to his constituents, who in turn, raised the slogan 'jail ke tale tutenge, Chaitar Vasava chhootenge' (The jail locks will break, Chaitar Vasava will be free). Thanking the people for their support, Varsha read Vasava's message saying, 'After becoming MLA, I haven't stayed at home for a single day. My people have faced injustice by the government and I have fought against that, and so the government has falsely put me in jail. The truth is that where the meeting was held, no such incident took place. It is a made up story and the police made the CCTV footage disappear…they are trying to implicate me in a false case. When I went to file an FIR, the police made me sit for 3 to 4 hours and didn't let me speak to the media…the police are working with the government.' Varsha further read out, 'The Rs 2,500 crore MGNREGA scam was done by Bachhu Khabad and his sons are out on bail and the one who exposed them is in jail. Isn't this a political conspiracy? If anything happens to me or my family, the police will be responsible for it.' Speaking in favour of Vasava, Kejriwal said: 'They keep sending AAP leaders to jail. Last year, they kept me in jail for a year. They put Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain, Sanjay Singh in jail, they thought we would get scared, that this would break our party but our party became stronger. We are not going to be scared. There are still two years for the next election. You just see, they will send Gopal Italia and Isudan Gadhvi to jail as well.' Meanwhile, Punjab CM Mann said, 'They think the poor people can be controlled.. they have corruption money and can purchase the administration. I say collect how much money, diamonds and pearls you want, but a coffin doesn't have pockets. Chaitar hasn't been jailed for the first time. Last time, when the administration came to crush a farmer's crops under a tractor, Chaitarbhai stood in front of the tractor. He went to jail then also.' Saying that AAP gives tickets to the 'Aam Aadmi', Kejriwal exhorted the youth to step forward to take part in the upcoming Taluka Panchayat, Zilla and Nagarpalika elections. Slamming the Congress, Kejriwal added, 'Beware of the Congress. Gujarat doesn't have a BJP government. It has a Congress-BJP alliance government. They loot the people together. Till now, there was no opposition in Gujarat. Now there is. We will fight with you but you have to take responsibility.' Hitting back at Kejriwal for his remarks, Gujarat Congress spokesperson Dr Manish Doshi said, 'His habit of lying is still going on. Whether it is Delhi, Haryana or Punjab, or (during) Gujarat 2022 elections, if you see any poll results, it is clear they have helped the BJP. AAP should stop misleading the people of the country and stop cheating the public of Gujarat. Kejriwal is working to damage the Congress and help the BJP win.'


Indian Express
29 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Himachal BJP leaders meet Shah, discuss state's condition following rain-related disasters
A delegation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders from Himachal Pradesh met Union Home Minister Amit Shah under the leadership of BJP national president and Union Minister for Health, Jagat Prakash Nadda, to discuss the issue of disaster management in the state on Thursday. The delegation included Leader of Opposition and former chief minister Jai Ram Thakur, State BJP chief Dr Rajeev Bindal, former Union minister and MP Anurag Thakur, Lok Sabha MP Suresh Kashyap, Dr Rajeev Bhardwaj, actor-cum-MP Kangana Ranaut, Rajya Sabha MP Indu Goswami, Dr Sikander Kumar, Harsh Mahajan, MLAs Vinod Kumar, Hans Raj, and Deep Raj. During the meeting, Nadda and the BJP leaders briefed Shah on the disaster situation in Himachal Pradesh and urged him to visit the disaster-affected areas. They also requested greater support for the rehabilitation of affected people and the reconstruction of damaged infrastructure. They expressed their gratitude on behalf of the people of Himachal Pradesh to the Union Home Minister, who extended full cooperation during the disaster relief and rescue operations. The NDRF, ITBP, Army, and Air Force helicopters were made available immediately. At their request, Shah dispatched an inter-ministerial central team within 20 days to assess the damage caused by the disaster. Responding to their demand for a study on the causes of the disaster, a high-level expert team was also constituted. Nadda said that under the chairmanship of the Union Home Minister, a high-level committee had already approved a funding package of Rs 2,006.40 crore for Himachal Pradesh for rehabilitation and reconstruction in areas affected by floods, landslides, and cloudbursts in 2023. The first instalment of Rs 451.44 crore was released on July 7. The Centre also provided all logistical support, including the deployment of national disaster response teams, army units, and air force personnel, to Himachal and other states as required. A total of 13 NDRF teams are currently deployed for rescue and relief work in Himachal. Nadda further said that at the BJP's request, Shah had directed the formation of a multi-disciplinary central team in view of the increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters in Himachal. Ranaut, in a post on X, also mentioned the neet, saying that the central government stands firmly with Himachal Pradesh in this hour of crisis. 'Expressing deep condolences, the minister (Shah) assured that all affected families will be provided with every possible assistance and prompt rehabilitation. The central government stands firmly with Himachal in this hour of crisis,' the MP wrote. According to the news agency PTI, since the onset of the monsoon in Himachal Pradesh on June 22, at least 76 people have died and 34 have gone missing in rain-related incidents across the state. The state has also experienced 40 flash floods, 23 cloudbursts and 25 landslides this monsoon season, resulting in losses of approximately Rs 1,247 crore, the State Emergency Operation Centre said.