Gujarat polls: impending cyclone forces cancellation of rallies, road shows

Bad weather forced the BJP and the Congress to cancel campaign meetings of Amit Shah, Rahul Gandhi, CMs of U.P and Rajasthan

Fishing vessels in Porbandar, Gujarat all strapped down to ensure minimum damage as Cyclone Ockhi is set to make landfall on the southern coast of Gujarat later on Tuesday night.

In the middle of a major political storm, Gujarat has now been hit by an actual storm as inclement weather, impending Cyclone Ockhi, and non-seasonal rains in various parts and more particularly in coastal areas, have disrupted the high-pitched electioneering just a few days before voting in Gujarat.

Sporadic rains and bad weather forced the BJP and the Congress to cancel campaign meetings of Amit Shah, Rahul Gandhi, Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan and others on Tuesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally in Surat, scheduled for Wednesday, also had to be cancelled.

On Tuesday, BJP President Amit Shah’s rallies in Shihor, Rajula Mahuva, and all coastal towns in Saurashtra region, were cancelled while Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi’s election meetings in Dhrangadhra and Surendranagar were also called off.

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Besides, the campaign meetings of the Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan and other Congress leaders were also cancelled, while the State administration swung into action to deal with the impending cyclone that is set to make landfall on Tuesday midnight.

In the first phase of polling, 89 constituencies of Saurashtra and South Gujarat will be going for voting on December 9. Around 50 assembly segments in the first phase are located on the 1600-long coast, increasing their vulnerability in case of natural disasters like cyclone.

As two dozen-odd rallies and road shows were called off by respective parties, Mr. Modi and Mr. Gandhi instructed their respective party workers and volunteers to assist people during the cyclone.

As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD), it is very likely to cross south Gujarat and north Maharashtra coasts near Surat and develop into a deep depression by December 5 midnight.

The authorities have moved more than 5000 people to safer locations, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed in vulnerable places, fishermen have been called back and schools and colleges have been shut ahead of the tropical cyclone.

“We have issued high alert in all coastal districts and taken all precautionary measures,” Gujarat’s Principal Secretary (Revenue) Pankaj Kumar told media persons in Gandhinagar after Chief Secretary Dr J.N Singh held a review meeting with the top officials.

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and other top officials have also rushed to Surat to monitor the situation as the cyclone is likely to make landfall in South Gujarat region.