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Ahead of Rahul’s visit to Gujarat, senior Congress MLA threatens to quit
Jamnagar, July 6 (IANS) Senior Congress legislator and OBC leader from Gujarat’s Saurashtra region Vikram Madam on Friday threatened to resign if the party failed to address “several issues” worrying him.
His announcement, a few days before Congress President Rahul Gandhi visits Gujarat on July 16 and 17, comes less than a week after another veteran MLA from the same region Kunwarji Bavaliya resigned and joined the BJP to be made a cabinet minister.
Incidentally, Gandhi is scheduled to tour the same Saurashtra region, according to informed sources. BJP President Amit Shah, who is “credited” with engineering problems in the Congress, will also be in the state on July 13 and 14.
Madam, the legislator from Khambhalia and two-time Jamnagar Lok Sabha member, said that there were “several” issues that were bothering him. “I would continue to raise them within party forum and but if I do not get satisfactory answers, I may leave Congress,” he told reporters.
Madam said even if he happened to quit he “would never join” the BJP. Incidentally, Bavaliya, who is a three-day-old cabinet minister, had also made similar claims.
Other than meeting state party leaders, Madam is pinning his hopes on a probable meeting with Gandhi during his visit.
Madam and Bavaliya are not the only ones from the crucial Saurashtra region to rebel. Rajkot strongman and earlier the richest MLA, Indranil Rajyaguru, called it quits late last month.
Rajyaguru, who had won from Rajkot East constituency in 2012, vacated this safe seat to take on Chief Minister Vijay Rupani during the December 2017 assembly elections but lost.
Party sources claimed they were upset with the Congress leadership for trying to bring in a generational shift in the party’s Gujarat unit by ushering in two young men, Amit Chavda as state party President and Paresh Dhanani as leader of Opposition in Gujarat Assembly.
Madam, like Bavalia, is an OBC strongman. He lost out to Dhanani, who is a Patel, and the party needed to keep the community in good humour, the sources added.
Saurashtra region, which sends maximum 52 legislators to the 182-member Assembly, has been a bastion of the Bharatiya Janata Party for over two decades but the Congress made a huge comeback in the 2017 elections winning as many as 30 seats. It is also in this context that the going of these leaders is bad news for the party with the 2019 elections less than a year away.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.