India TV, the Country’s leading news channel, is all set to host its mega election conclave “Chunav Manch” in Ahmedabad on Sunday, October 15.
The upcoming episode of “Chunav Manch” series is titled “Faisala Gujarat Ka” and it will unofficially mark the commencement of the high-decibel election campaign by all major political parties of the state, including the ruling BJP and the principal opposition Congress, ahead of the state Assembly polls.
The schedule of the upcoming state Assembly elections is likely to be announced soon by the Election Commission (EC). The EC has already announced that Gujarat Assembly elections will be held before December 18 this year. The term of the current Assembly expires on 22 January, 2018.
India TV team led by its Chairman & Editor-in-Chief Rajat Sharma will grill the representatives of these parties on their respective agendas for the upcoming Assembly elections.
These leaders will be asked probing questions on their track record, manifestoes, political alliances and promises that they are going to make to the people of the state during the election campaign.
The top-line political leaders who are likely to attend India TV conclave include BJP President Amit Shah, Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani, former chief minister Shankersinh Vaghela, Congress leaders Ahmed Patel and Arjun Modhwadia and young social activist Hardik Patel.
As far as Gujarat Assembly elections are concerned, there will be direct contest between the two national parties i.e. the BJP and the Congress with very little space left for other players like Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
In Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress will once again try to dislodge the ruling BJP which is holding power in the state for almost two decades now. The upcoming elections would be a litmus test for the new BJP leadership in the state as the party will be contesting the elections without Narendra Modi in the driver’s seat after a long time. Obviously, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has his task cut out in these elections.
In 2012 elections, the BJP under the leadership of Narendra Modi had won 115 out of 182 seats in the Assembly and the saffron party had garnered 47.85% vote share. The Congress, on the other hand, had won 61 seats with 38.93% vote share.
Is the BJP in a position to once again romp home to victory in the state in the absence of its most popular CM Narendra Modi who has now moved over to 7, Lok Kalyan Marg in New Delhi? Will CM Vijay Rupani succeed in winning yet another term in power for the party in the face of the double-incumbency that the BJP faces after forming government at the centre as well?
Can the Congress stop the BJP juggernaut in the state that has become unstoppable, invincible for last two decades? What strategy the grand old party has to take full advantage of the absence of Narendra Modi from the state politics? Who will be its face in these elections? Who will be the Congress CM, if the party springs a surprise and delivers a blow to the BJP in these elections?
What role leaders like Shankarsinh Vaghela and activists like Hardik Patel will play in these elections. Can Vaghela spoil the game for the Congress? Will Hardik Patel, with his overt anti-BJP leanings, be able to help the Congress dislodge the BJP government in the state?
After winning the UP elections, the BJP had called it a referendum on “demonetisation”. Will the Gujarat elections be a referendum on “GST rollout” this time?
All these questions will be discussed, debated and analysed by the actual players of the electoral game in India TV’s mega election conclave on October 15.
The programme will be telecast live on India TV throughout the day on Sunday.
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