Assembly elections Highlights: AAP leaders Kejriwal, Bhagwant Mann hold roadshow in Chhattisgarh

Assembly election 2023 LIVE: Former MP and MLA Premchand Guddu, who submitted his nomination as an independent candidate for the Alot assembly constituency in Madhya Pradesh, officially resigned from the Congress on Friday, news agency PTI reported. Notably, he refrained from withdrawing his candidacy on Thursday, which was the final day for nomination withdrawals.

The Alot constituency, situated in Ratlam district, is designated for Scheduled Castes. Guddu's key opponents in the upcoming November 17 elections are Manoj Chawla from the Congress and Chintamani Malviya from the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Assembly election 2023 LIVE: Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday released the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) manifesto for the upcoming Chhattisgarh assembly elections during a function at Kushabhau Thakre Parisar in the state. The manifesto titled ‘Modi ki guarantee 2023’ includes several promises including yearly financial assistance to married women, and providing cooking gas cylinders at ₹500 to poor families.

Assembly election 2023 LIVE: Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath responded to remarks made by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament Ravi Shankar Prasad, saying that he should win an election himself before passing judgment.

Nath made this statement during an interview with ANI in Bhopal, in light of Prasad's comment that Nath is facing challenges in Chhindwara in the upcoming state assembly elections.

He said, "He (Ravi Shankar Prasad) may say whatever he wants. Ravi Shankar Prasad should first secure victory in an election somewhere, and then he can express his opinion."

Earlier in the day, during a press conference in Bhopal, Prasad commented on Kamal Nath, stating that he had visited Chhindwara on November 2 and believed that Nath was facing difficulties in the upcoming state assembly polls. Prasad noted, "It would not be a surprise if he loses there in the upcoming state assembly polls. There is a campaign of desperation there, according to my observation."

Assembly election 2023 LIVE: Amidst the vigorous election campaigning in Chhattisgarh, political leaders have engaged in verbal confrontations. During a BJP campaign in Kabirdham, Union Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah took a dig at the ruling Congress party and Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, labeling him a 'pre-paid' CM of the party.

The Union Home Minister alleged that Bhupesh Baghel has turned Chhattisgarh into the Congress's ATM. Shah stated, "If Baghel becomes the Chief Minister again, then thousands of crores of rupees will be withdrawn by swapping the 'pre-paid' cards daily." He made these remarks while addressing the Vijay Sankalp Maharally in the Pandariya Assembly constituency.

In his speech, Shah encouraged the public to vote for Bhawna Bohra, the Bharatiya Janata Party's candidate for the November 7 (first phase) polls. He emphasized that voters' choices extend beyond selecting an MLA or a minister and play a role in shaping Chhattisgarh's future by addressing issues such as Naxalism and the development of Adivasi regions.

(With ANI inputs)

Assembly election 2023 LIVE: Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge during an election campaign in Chhattisgarh's Raipur on Friday said that his party is not asking for votes without doing and that what is being seen today “is not because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”

“We are not asking for votes without doing anything... When we were in the centre, we brought the MGNREGA scheme, brought the Food Security Act, and worked for the education of children...What is being seen today is not because of PM Modi,” Kharge was quoted as saying by ANI.

AIMIM to contest in nine seats in Telangana Assembly polls, announced its chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday.

Assembly election 2023 LIVE: Rajasthan Congress president Govind Dotasra filed his nomination for the Laxmangarh seat in the upcoming Assembly elections scheduled for November 25.

“I have filed my nomination today. I have worked for the people, our government has worked for the people, and I am 100 per cent sure that people would give their blessings to me for the fourth time,” he was quoted as saying by PTI, after filing nomination.

Assembly election 2023 LIVE: YSR Telangana Party led by Y S Sharmila, declared that they would not participate in the state's upcoming assembly election scheduled to take place on November 30, news agency PTI reported.

Instead, they have chosen to extend their support to the opposition party in the state, Congress. Sharmila, the daughter of the late undivided Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, made this announcement with the aim of putting an end to the "corrupt and anti-people rule" led by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao's BRS party.

Assembly election 2023 LIVE: Amid the war of words among party leaders ahead of the assembly elections, Telangana minister and BRS leader KT Rama Rao (KTR) on Friday took a jibe at Congress and BJP over comments on All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi.

Speaking to news agency ANI, KTR said, “As long as Asaduddin Owaisi was with Congress, they liked him. Today when he left them and came with us, they felt bad. Neither Rahul Gandhi nor PM Modi like it when some other leader emerges and faces them. If KCR ji wants to contest in Maharashtra, if Asaduddin Owaisi wants to contest somewhere, they dislike it because they feel that the prospects of their party and candidates will go down...They should decide who is the B team of BJP.”

Assembly election 2023 LIVE: Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday took a dig at the INDIA alliance in response to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's recent comments about the INDIA bloc, news agency ANI reported.

In a press conference in Satna district, Chouhan said, “The INDIA alliance has fallen apart before it could even be established. Nitish Kumar has also expressed that Congress does not consider the concerns of other parties. It's evident that Congress primarily focuses on its own interests and family matters. Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi seems preoccupied with promoting her son and daughter, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi.”

He went on to mention that former chief minister Kamal Nath followed a similar pattern by concentrating on establishing his son, Nakul Nath, who is a Member of Parliament. Chouhan also said that Congress Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh was occupied with promoting his son, Jaivardhan Singh, an MLA from the Raghogarh assembly seat.

The Election Commission of India issued a notification on Friday announcing that the Telangana assembly election is slated for November 30, to be held in a single phase. Presently, the state is governed by the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) under the leadership of K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) and his cabinet.

Notably, over 17 lakh new voters have been included in the state's electoral rolls. The deadline for candidate nominations is November 10, with the withdrawal deadline set for November 15. The vote counting is scheduled for December 3. Telangana, located in the southern region of India, was established on June 2, 2014, following a prolonged struggle for statehood.

In the initial elections, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), led by KCR secured a resounding majority, with KCR becoming the first chief minister of the state. In the 2018 elections, the TRS retained power, and KCR was re-elected as chief minister. The party maintained a strong presence in the assembly, winning the majority of seats in both the 2014 and 2018 elections. The term of the Telangana legislative assembly is set to conclude on January 16, 2024.

Assembly election 2023 LIVE: Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) leader and their chief minister candidate Lalduhoma said that if their party comes to power in the upcoming assembly polls in Mizoram, the party will not align itself with the BJP-led NDA or the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc.

Lalduhoma said that ZPM intends to preserve its identity as an independent regional party, free from any influence from Delhi. He said, "We will not associate with any national-level coalition, even if we secure power. Our aim is to maintain our integrity and remain an autonomous regional party that operates independently of Delhi's control."

He further clarified, "We do not wish to be subject to Delhi's authority."

However, Lalduhoma also mentioned that ZPM will continue to foster cooperative relations with the central government. "We will maintain amicable ties with the Central government. If their policies are reasonable, we will support them; otherwise, we will voice our opposition," he conveyed.

(With PTI inputs)

Assembly election 2023 LIVE: In around 40 interior villages of the Bastar district of Chhattisgarh, a total of 126 polling stations have been set up and elections here will be taking place for the first time. Conducting elections in the remote areas of Bastar has been a significant challenge for the Election Commission and security forces, given the historical opposition by the Maoist organisation to elections.

In the first phase of Chhattisgarh's elections scheduled for November 7, voting will occur in 20 constituencies, with 12 of them located within the Bastar division.

These areas were previously under Naxalite control, and the establishment of polling stations was hindered by security concerns and complex geographical conditions.

(With ANI inputs)