Opposition parties and industry bodies have come down on the Pramod Sawant-led BJP government in Goa after it declared May 10 as a paid holiday in the state in view of Assembly elections in neigbouring Karnataka.

On Monday, the BJP regime issued a notification declaring May 10 as a paid holiday in the state in view of the Karnataka Assembly polls.

As per the notification, the holiday also covers government servants and workers in private establishments and the industrial sectors.

However, the decision has invited sharp criticism from industry bodies and opposition parties with Goa State Industries Association president Damodar Kochkar questioning the rationale behind the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant-led government’s “absurd and stupid” decision.

In a statement, Kockhar accused the BJP government of taking industries to ransom for electoral gains and said that they are considering legal means to tackle such unilateral decisions by the government that harm the state’s industrial and private sector.

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Opposition, including the Bharatiya Janata Party’s bitter rival, the Delhi Chief Minister-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also slammed the goverment’s decision.

Calling the holiday a “foolish decision”, AAP’s Goa chief Amit Palekar that it comes as no surprise that the BJP takes “unilateral and dictatorial” decisions in the most “undemocratic” manner possible.

The Goa Forward Party (GFP) also condemned the state government over the decision.

Meanwhie, the state government has defended the decision saying that Karnataka had also declared a paid holiday on the day of Goa Assembly polls last year and the Pramod Sawant dispensation was merely returning the favour.

Responding to the criticisms over the holiday, Goa industries minister Mauvin Godinho on Tuesday claimed that some Opposition members are merely creating an unnecessary issue over the holiday as the state government was merely following a practice.

Godinho said the Goa State Industries Association has “over-reacted”.

Karnataka elections: PM Modi pens open letter to electorate, highlights BJP’s commitment to development

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Disgrunted Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Tuesday fired a fresh salvo at Ashok Gehlot, claiming that BJP leader and former CM Vasundhara Raje seems to be the Rajasthan Chief Minister’s leader instead of Sonia Gandhi.

Addressing a presser, the former Rajasthan deputy CM announced a “Jan Sangharsh Yatra” from Ajmer to Jaipur to “highlight corruption” and said that despite his differences with Gehlot, he will not quit the Congress as he did not want to ruin the party’s chances ahead of next year’s Assembly polls in the state.

Reacting to Ashok Gehlot’s remarks last weekend wherein he said that Raje saved her government when Sachin Pilot and his supporting MLAs revolted against the CM in 2020, Pilot said its seems like Vasundhara Raje is Gehlot’s leader, not Congress leader Sonia Gandhi.

Taking potshots at the Rajasthan CM, Pilot said that on one hand, Gehlot claims that the BJP tried to topple his government, while on the other he credits a senior BJP leader (Raje) of helping him save his dispensation, adding that Gehlot must explain his contradictory remarks.

Speaking at a rally on Sunday, Ashok Gehlot had said that former Rajasthan CM that Vasundhara Raje and two other BJP leaders helped save his government by refusing to side with rebel Congress leader led by Sachin Pilot in 2020.

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Gehlot claimed that the rebel MLAs had been bribed to switch sides in a bid to overthrow his government but the coup failed due to Raje’s intervention and that the said MLAs “should return the money”.

Gehlot had also accused Pilot of damaging his own party ahead of polls and insulting his own MLAs.

Responding to Gehlot’s accusations, Pilot alleged that the Gehlot-led dispensation had a “secret understanding” with the BJP and thus was “going soft” against them, adding that he now understood why no action was taken against corruption by the Vasundhara Raje government despite his repeated requests.

Sachin Pilot’s scathing assault against his bitter rival Ashok Gehlot comes a day ahead of the key Karnataka elections to be held tomorrow, where the Congress is seeking wrest power from the ruling BJP which will provide a boost to the Opposition’s campaign ahead of next year’s Lok Sabha elections.

Karnataka elections: PM Modi pens open letter to electorate, highlights BJP’s commitment to developmenthttps://apnlive.com/india-news/breaking-newscast-delhi/delhi-armed-robbery/

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday penned an open letter addressed to the people of Karnataka, day ahead of Assembly elections in the BJP-ruled state.

In his letter, PM Modi said that during ‘Azaadi Ka Amrit Kaal’, Indians have strived to make the country a developed nation and Karnataka is keen to the movement towards that cherished goal, adding that the “love and affection” people of Karnataka have showered upon him is a “divine blessing.”

The Prime Minister highlighted the fact that India is the fifth largest economy in the world and aims to reach the top three but this would only be possible if Karnataka is developed.

He said that Karnataka’s development would speed up India’s goal towards becoming a $1 trillion economy.

PM Modi also reiterated BJP’s poll promises and its commitment to the development of Karnataka and its people, saying that the saffron party aims to make the poll-bound state number one in investment, industry and innovation and also “No.1 in education, employment and entrepreneurship.”

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The Prime Minister, who has been on a vigorous campaign trail over the past week as the BJP attempts to break the nearly four decade old anti-incumbency factor in the state and remain in power in tomorrow’s polls, said that under BJP rule, Karnataka was granted Rs 90,000 crore annually during the Covid-19 pandemic compared to Rs 30,000 under the previous dispensation.

PM Modi assured voters that the BJP will continue to work towards creating next-gen urban infrastructure, modernizing transport, raising the quality of life in rural and urban areas, and creating opportunities for women and youth in  Karnataka, adding that the “dream of every citizen of Karnataka is my dream.”

The Prime Minister also released a video message in which urged people to come out and vote in tomorrow’s polls to make Karnataka number one.

Karnataka Assembly elections will be held tomorrow (May 10) and counting of votes for the 224-seat Assembly will take place on May 13.

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