16th November 2022: India is the largest democracy, and elections are its essential pillar. In the run-up to the upcoming Gujarat Legislative Assembly election, News18 India, the country’s No.1 Hindi News channel, hosted ‘Gujarat Adhiveshan’ to understand the pulse of the political scenario of the state. The event was held at Hyatt Regency, Ahmedabad, November 14, 2 PM onwards and was livestreamed on the News18 India website and on YouTube.

Leading political figures from Congress and BJP gathered for the event to address issues affecting voters in Gujarat. Threadbare discussions on a range of issues related to unemployment, anti-incumbency factor, inflation, law and order were held as each side demonstrated their viewpoints on Gujarat before and during BJP rule. The event commenced with a debate between BJP’s Hardik Patel and Congress party’s Rohan Gupta on the fate of the upcoming election. Later, intense verbal debates between Alpesh Thakor of BJP and Alok Sharma of Congress, Sudhanshu Trivedi of BJP and Prithviraj Chavan of Congress, and Dr. Amit Nayak of Congress and Amit Thakar of BJP highlighted pressing concerns of corruption and poverty lingering in the state.

The event continued with one-on-one interactions with personalities such as Congress national spokesperson Pawan Khera, who spoke about the increasing relevance of Congress in the era of social media. Rajya Sabha member Parshottam Rupala discussed about the impact of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra on the voting ballot. Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi discussed development activities, the state’s volatile political atmosphere in the aftermath of the tragic Morbi bridge collapse, and the government’s timely crisis management and recovery attempts. BJP’s C.R. Patil also took the stage to share their viewpoints. “Only the BJP government can bring in real development in Gujarat, as its workers remain united irrespective of getting tickets for election.” said Patil.

In his address, Gujarat chief minister Bhupendrabhai Patel discussed the achievements of the double-engine government. “Gujarat ranks #1 in terms of ease of doing business, logistics, and the NITI Aayog ranking. Gujarat’s industrial sector has grown after COVID-19. The Gujarat administration has also excelled in higher education, expanding from 21 institutions in 2001 to 103 universities today.” he stated, adding that the state has set an example by issuing digital health cards to pregnant women, the first such initiative across India.

The marquee event was graced by the Union Home Minister of India, Mr. Amit Shah, and the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Bhupendrabhai Patel. News18 India’s editor-in-chief Rahul Joshi interviewed Mr. Amit Shah, who commented on the upcoming Gujarat elections saying, “BJP will form the government with a thumping majority by breaking all the electoral records. We want to make a safe, well-developed, Sanskrit, and educated Gujarat with strong governance. BJP has not lost any election in Gujarat since 1990 and the state has never accepted the concept of a third party. If we win the election, Bhupendrabhai Patel will be re-elected as the CM of Gujarat.” Amit Shah also stated that PM Narendra Modi is sure to become Prime Minister of India in 2024 with a bigger majority than before.

Commenting on the importance of the event, Rahul Joshi, Editor-in-chief, News18 India, said, “The whole country is eyeing the upcoming legislative assembly election in the state of Gujarat. News18 India’s Gujarat Adhiveshan became the platform for them to get those answers from the horse’s mouth. The thoughts and perspectives shared by the leaders from the ruling and opposition parties on the upcoming election here will surely help voters to take their wise decisions.”