Assembly election 2023 highlights: Telangana set to vote tomorrow, preparations underway

The Election Commission of India on Thursday suspended three police officers for dereliction of duties in connection with the seizure of ₹18 lakh cash from Musheerabad.

ECI has suspended Jahangir Yadav, Inspector of Police, Musheerabad, A. Yadagiri, ACP, Chikkadpally and M. Venkateshwarlu, DCP, Central Zone.

As the countdown began to the Telangana Assembly elections on Thursday, polling paraphernalia was distributed to officials in the Nizamabad Urban Assembly constituency on Wednesday.

The southern state will poll for the Assembly in a single phase on Friday and the votes will be counted on December 3.

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Wednesday demanded the removal of the Bhind collector accusing him of depriving eligible service voters of their right to franchise by not issuing postal ballots to them in the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections.

In a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Singh alleged that “gross irregularities” took place at Lahar assembly seat in Bhind district where over 500 service voters were not issued postal ballots.

Days before the counting of votes of Madhya Pradesh assembly polls, a sub-divisional magistrate from Balaghat district has been suspended amid a controversy over some officials allegedly opening the strong room and segregating postal ballots ahead of the daily schedule on Monday.

A case has been registered against a Congress candidate contesting from Nampally assembly constituency here for allegedly trying to distribute money to voters, police said on Wednesday. Based on the complaint of the flying squad on election duty, the case was registered under IPC sections 171(E) (punishment for bribery) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and under relevant sections of the Representation of the People Act against Feroz Khan, the Congress candidate from Nampally segment, they said.

Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party Telangana President, G Kishan Reddy has alleged that the opposition parties like Congress and Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) have been distributing money and liquor in the poll-bound state.

G Kishan Reddy said "Since yesterday morning, different parties, especially Congress and the BRS party, have been distributing money. It is the duty of the Election Commission and officers to stop it. The election should happen peacefully. Freedom should be there. I urge the Election Commission that the distribution of liquor should be stopped. One should not scare anyone. If such work is happening despite the presence of an officer, then action should be taken against that officer. Elections should be peaceful and fair."

"...I do not do calculations... The people that we have been meeting for the last two to three months, the talks that have taken place, and the comments that are coming from that, it can be said that people have made up their minds to repeat the government... We will accept the decision with humility... I feel that this time it will be repeated...", Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said speaking about poll results in his state.

The counting of votes will be held in Rajasthan on Dec 3.

All preparations are underway for the smooth conduct of polling for the Telangana State Assembly elections on November 30.

In Hanumakonda district, almost 2500 polling personnel have reported, the district collector Sikta Patnaik said.

"In this Hanumakonda district, the arrangement for two assembly constituencies have been made so almost 2500 polling personnel are reporting here today and all food facilities have been provided for them...," she said.

Rajasthan Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra exuded confidence in his party winning the assembly elections. “This time the Rajasthan elections was on the good governance of Rajasthan... on the budget and flagship policies that were launched. It was not only a topic of discussion in Rajasthan but in the whole of India. The BJP was going through internal conflict, and they didn't raise any concerns related to the people of Rajasthan. That's why the voting has been done in favour of Congress... Congress will come in power again,” he said.

A case has been booked against Congress Nampally MLA candidate Feroz Khan for allegedly offering an amount of ₹1 lakh to a voter, reported ANI. The case has been booked under sections 171C, 188, and 123 RP Act.

Ahead of the voting for state assembly elections in Telangana on Thursday, polling material is being distributed to the election officials in Nizamabad.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday hit out at Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde over his visit to neighbouring Telangana for poll campaigning while farmers in his home state suffered crop losses due to unseasonal rains.

Around 18% of the candidates contesting the assembly polls in five states have declared criminal cases against them, while 29% are ‘crorepatis’, according to a report released on Tuesday. Think-tank Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) examined the self-sworn affidavits of 8,051 of the 8,054 candidates in the poll fray in Mizoram, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Telangana, reported PTI.

On the last day of the campaigning on Tuesday, Telangana CM KCR made an emotional appeal to the people of the state, saying he will turn 70 in a few months’ time and all he wishes for is the development of the state as “posts” are not important. He also attacked Congress leaders over the promise of bringing back “Indiramma Rajyam” (rule of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi) if voted to power in Telangana.

BJP leader Rajendra Singh Rathore on Tuesday expressed confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will win 135 seats in the Rajasthan elections and secure one of the "biggest" victories in the state. He also attacked the Congress over chief minister Ashok Gehlot's remarks that there was an "undercurrent" in favour of Congress.

The polling for the 119 seats in Telangana will be held on Thursday - in which there will be a three-way contest between Congress, BJP, and the currently-ruling BRS. In view of the polls, Hyderabad district collector Anudeep Durishetty declared a holiday for all educational institutions on November 29 and 30.

"In view of the Telangana Assembly Elections 2023, all educational institutions in Hyderabad district will remain closed on November 29 and 30. Regular activities will resume on December 1," Durishetty posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.