Gujarat Bypolls: BJP wins all 8 seats; party hopper retains Abdasa seat

News Network
November 10, 2020

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Ahmedabad, Nov 10: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has bagged all eight Assembly seats in Gujarat for which the bypoll was held on November 3, as per the Election Commission. The Congress, meanwhile, drew a blank in bypoll in Gujarat.

As many as 81 candidates contested the bypoll across the eight seats -- Abdasa, Karjan, Morbi, Gadhada, Dhari, Limbdi, Kaprada and Dang. All eight seats were bagged by the BJP.

BJP’s Pradhyumansinh Jadeja, one of the five turncoat MLAs of the Congress who had joined the saffron party after resigning earlier this year, on Tuesday defeated his nearest Congress rival Shantilal Senghani by a margin of 36,778 votes from Abdasa Assembly seat in Kutch district of Gujarat, the Election Commission said.

While Jadeja secured 71,848 votes, Senghani was polled 35,070 votes. Independent candidate Hanif Padyar garnered 26,463 votes. Jadeja had won Abdasa seat in 2017 on the Congress ticket.

With the BJP winning all eight seats in Gujarat, party workers broke into celebration and burst firecrackers at the party headquarter in Gandhinagar.

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani told reporters earlier in the day that the BJP's showing in the byelection was just a "trailer" of the outcome to be expected in upcoming elections to local bodies and in 2022 assembly poll.

Gujarat CM Rupani said voters have rejected the "negative campaign and activities" of the Congress in Gujarat, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

"Today BJP has emerged victorious across the country, whether it is Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh or Gujarat. This outcome is the result of the work done by Narendra Modi government and the support of people for the BJP," the Gujarat CM said.

Hailing voters for exercising the franchise for the bypoll held on November 3 amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, CM Rupani said the constituencies were spread in different regions of Gujarat and consisted of areas dominated by Muslims, Adivasis, Kolis and Patidars among others.

“In all these areas, the BJP has received a huge lead. The BJP bagged more votes than the Congress everywhere. As I had said earlier, this election will prove to be the last nail in the Congress' coffin,” CM Rupani said.

He said Gujarat will continue to remain a BJP bastion where the Congress has recorded its worst-ever electoral performance.

Gujarat bypoll

The bypolls in Gujarat were necessitated after sitting Congress MLAs resigned ahead of Rajya Sabha polls in June this year. Five of them then joined the ruling BJP, which fielded them from the same seats they had won in the 2017 elections. As many as 81 candidates contested the bypolls across the eight seats.

A 60.75 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the bypolls held on November 3 in Abdasa (Kutch), Limbdi (Surendranagar), Morbi (Morbi district), Dhari (Amreli), Gadhada (Botad), Karjan (Vadodara), Dang (Dang district) and Kaprada (Valsad) Assembly seats.

India Today-Axis My India exit poll earlier predicted a huge victory for BJP in the eight-seat assembly bypolls in Gujarat. The exit poll predicted 6-7 seats' win for BJP with a whopping 49 per cent vote share.

As per the prediction, Congress will get 0-1 seats with a vote share of 40 per cent while others will have 11 per cent vote share. Polling for the 8 seats' bypolls concluded on November 3 while counting is scheduled to take place on November 10. The voter turnout during the polls was above 60 per cent.

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News Network
November 27,2025

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Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday announced that he will convene a high-level meeting in New Delhi with senior leaders — including Rahul Gandhi, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar — to resolve the escalating leadership turmoil in Karnataka and “put an end to the confusion.”

Kharge said the discussions would focus on the way forward for the ruling party, as rumours of a possible leadership change continue to swirl. The speculation has intensified after the Congress government crossed the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20, reviving talk of an alleged 2023 “power-sharing agreement” between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar.

“After reaching Delhi, I will call three or four important leaders and hold discussions. Once we talk, we will decide how to move ahead and end this confusion,” Kharge told reporters in Bengaluru, according to PTI.

When asked specifically about calling Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar to Delhi, he responded: “Certainly, we should call them. We will discuss with them and settle the issue.”

He confirmed that Rahul Gandhi, the Chief Minister, the Deputy Chief Minister and other senior members would be part of the deliberations. “After discussing with everyone, a decision will be made,” he said.

Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah held a separate strategy meeting at his Bengaluru residence with ministers and leaders seen as his close confidants, including G. Parameshwara, Satish Jarkiholi, H.C. Mahadevappa, K. Venkatesh and K.N. Rajanna.
Signalling calm, the Chief Minister told reporters, “Will go to Delhi if the high command calls.”

Shivakumar echoed a similar stance, saying he too would head to the national capital if summoned by the party leadership.

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News Network
December 2,2025

A major upgrade in safety and monitoring is planned for Haj 2026, with every Indian pilgrim set to receive a Haj Suvidha smart wristband linked to the official Haj Suvidha mobile app. The initiative aims to support pilgrims—especially senior citizens—who may struggle with smartphones during the 45-day journey.

What the Smart Wristband Will Do

Officials said the device will come with:
•    Location tracking
•    Pedometer
•    SOS emergency button
•    Qibla compass
•    Prayer timings
•    Basic health monitoring

SP Tiwari, secretary of the UP State Haj Committee, said the goal is to make the pilgrimage safer and more comfortable.

“Most Hajis are elderly and not comfortable with mobile apps,” he said. “The smartwatch will help locate pilgrims who forget their way or cannot communicate their location.”

The wristbands will be monitored by the Consulate General of India in Saudi Arabia, similar to mobile tracking via the Haj Suvidha App.

Free Distribution and Training

•    Smart wristbands will be given free of cost.
•    Training for pilgrims will be conducted between January and February 2026.
•    Sample units will reach state Haj committees soon.
•    Final devices will be distributed as pilgrims begin their journey.

New Rules for Accommodation

Two major decisions have also been finalised for Haj 2026:
1.    Separate rooms for men and women – including married couples. They may stay on the same floor but must occupy different rooms, following stricter Saudi guidelines.
2.    Cooking banned – gas cylinders will not be allowed; all meals will be provided through official catering services arranged by the Haj Committee of India.

These decisions were finalised during a meeting of the Haj Committee of India and state representatives in Mumbai.

Haj Suvidha App Launched Earlier

The government launched the Haj Suvidha App in 2024, offering:

•    Training modules
•    Accommodation and flight details
•    Baggage information
•    SOS and translation tools
•    Grievance redressal

Haj 2026 Quota and Key States

•    India’s total Haj quota for 2026: 1,75,025 pilgrims
•    70% (1,25,000) allotted to the Haj Committee of India
•    30% (around 50,000) reserved for Haj Group Organisers

Uttar Pradesh has the largest allocation (around 30,000 seats), though approximately 18,000 pilgrims are expected to go this year. States with high pilgrim numbers include Kerala, Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Dates of Haj 2026

The pilgrimage is scheduled to take place from 24 May to 29 May, 2026 (tentative).
Haj is one of the five pillars of Islam and is mandatory for Muslims who meet the required conditions.

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News Network
December 6,2025

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With IndiGo flight disruptions impacting thousands of passengers, the airline on Saturday said that it will offer full waiver on all cancellations/reschedule requests for travel bookings between December 5, 2025 and December 15, 2025.

Earlier in the day, the civil aviation ministry had directed the airline to complete the ticket refund process for the cancelled flights by Sunday evening, as well as ensure baggage separated from the travellers are delivered in the next two days.

In a post on X, titled 'No questions asked', IndiGo wrote, "In response to recent events, all refunds for your cancellations will be processed automatically to your original mode of payment."

"We are deeply sorry for the hardships caused," it further added.

Several passengers, however, complained of not getting full refund as promised by the airline.

Netizens have shared screenchots of getting charged for airline cancellation fee and convenience fee.

"Please tell me why u have did this airline cancellation charges when u say full amount will be refunded (sic)," a user wrote sharing a screenshot of the refund page.

"Well, but you have still debited the convenience charges," wrote another.

Passengers have also raised concerns about the "cancel" option being disabled on the IndiGo app. "First enable the 'Cancel' button on your App & offer full refund on tickets cancelled by customers between the said dates," wrote a user.

A day after the country's largest airline, IndiGo, cancelled more than 1,000 flights and caused disruptions for the fifth day on Saturday, the ministry said that any delay or non-compliance in refund processing will invite immediate regulatory action.

The refund process for all cancelled or disrupted flights must be completed by 8 pm on Sunday, the ministry said in a statement.

"Airlines have also been instructed not to levy any rescheduling charges for passengers whose travel plans were affected by cancellations," it said.

On Saturday, more than 400 flights were cancelled at various airports.

IndiGo has also been instructed to set up dedicated passenger support and refund facilitation cells.

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