Assembly elections 2023 Updates: BJP to implement UCC in Telangana, promises free laptops to girl college students

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Saturday, held four rallies in support of BJP candidates ahead of the Rajasthan elections.

CM Yogi expressed his concern about the direction Rajasthan has taken in the past five years under Congress rule and brought attention to the alarming rise in youth suicides in Rajasthan, attributing this distressing trend to a severe shortage of employment opportunities in the state.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and actor-turned-politician Khushbu Sundar on Saturday claimed that the people of Telangana are tired of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) party and want a change.

"The environment among the people is clear. People are tired of the BRS party. They want a change. They are saying that there has been enough corruption and family politics. Whether it is Congress or BRS, there is corruption everywhere," Khushbu said while speaking to ANI while campaigning in Hyderabad.

As Telangana is set to hold Assembly elections on November 30, the Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched the BJP manifesto in Hyderabad and said that the assurances made in the manifesto are 'PM Modi guarantee' to the public.

According to the party's manifesto, BJP has decided to officially commemorate Hyderabad Liberation Day on September 17th every year.

"We will observe August 27 as Razakar Horrors Remembrance Day to pay homage to the martyrs of Bairanpally and Parkal. Further, on assuming office, will establish a museum and a memorial in Hyderabad, to document the brave struggle of the people of Telangana against the Razakars and the Nizams," BJP manifesto read.

The BJP on Saturday said the Uniform Civil Code would be implemented in Telangana if the party came to power in the state in the November 30 Assembly elections.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who released BJP's manifesto for the Legislative Assembly polls, said a committee would be constituted on UCC.

"The BJP government to be formed would constitute a committee to bring UCC in Telangana which will implement Uniform Civil Code within six months," Shah said.

The Madhya Pradesh assembly polls may have concluded but elements tied to it continue to amuse citizens, particularly those on social media.

A video of the Congress candidate from Ratlam, Paras Saklecha, gladly taking slipper slaps doled out by a fakir is being widely shared on the internet.

Saklecha, who lost the elections in 2013 and 2018, visited the fakir on Thursday with a pair of new slippers to seek his blessing.

Saklecha could not be reached despite multiple attempts.

The video shows the fakir, who lives at a dargah on Mhow road, hitting the former legislator on the head and then cheeks.

As the elderly ascetic, affectionately called by locals as ‘Abba’, continues hitting Saklecha, the Congress leader requests him to stop saying “bas, bas, ho gaya (that is enough)”, as per the video.

On Saturday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah emphasized that the imminent Assembly election in Telangana revolves around Prime Minister Narendra Modi's effective governance versus the alleged negligence demonstrated by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao. Shah asserted that the term "Bharat Rashtra Samithi" translates to 'corruption,' pointing out that various scams occurred during Chief Minister KCR's tenure.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will address public meetings in Kotputli and Shahpura in Rajasthan tomorrow.

Accusing both the BJP and the Congress of collaborating to restrict his political initiatives and hinder the expansion of the BRS into Maharashtra, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao asserted these claims on Saturday. During a campaign rally, Rao criticized both national parties, asserting that Telangana suffered during the Congress rule and highlighting that the BJP-led Central Government had not approved the establishment of a single medical college or Navodaya School in the state.

On Saturday, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge raised doubts about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assertion of working for Dalits. Kharge pointed out that the BJP fielded an MLA who was denied a Congress ticket due to allegations of assaulting a Dalit engineer. Harshadhipati Valmiki, the engineer in question, has reportedly been bedridden for a year after an alleged assault by Girraj Malinga, the Congress' Bari MLA, and his supporters. Kharge's comments followed Modi's criticism of the Congress government in Rajasthan for purported atrocities against women and Dalits during a poll rally in Bharatpur.

Congress leader Uttam Kumar Reddy on Saturday hit out at the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and accused the party of "spreading lies" due to "fear of losing" the Telangana assembly polls scheduled on November 30.

"The BRS party, under fear of defeat, is spreading lies in their campaign. As promised in our manifesto, the Congress government will provide 24-hour free electricity to farmers if voted to power," said Reddy, a Congress Lok Sabha MP.

No matter how hard Prime Minister Narendra Modi attempts, the Congress will maintain its government in Rajasthan, affirmed party chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday. He also criticized the BJP, accusing them of striving to widen the gap between the rich and the poor by favoring the affluent. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi can try as much as he wants, the Congress will retain its government in Rajasthan," Kharge said at a public meeting in Bharatpur district's Weir.

"The Ashok Gehlot government stopped nine lakh houses from reaching you...Now you stop him on the 25th...20 lakh houses will get ready...You make our government come to power, farmers will get ₹12,000 per year", said BJP President JP Nadda in a rally in Jaisalmer

“We celebrated Diwali just now. We have seen that though women keep the house tidy all through the year, during Diwali, they clean every corner of the house...In these elections, we need to learn from the women. We too have to do such 'safai' that Congress does not remain even in corners...”, PM Modi said in an election rally in Rajasthan's Nagaur.

Strongly criticizing his Assam counterpart and BJP leader, Himanta Biswa Sarma, for his statements during a poll rally in Rajasthan the previous day, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot stated on Saturday that Sarma was speaking excessively to appease his political leaders.

During a public meeting in the poll-bound state on Friday, the Assam CM raised the question of whether the BJP should talk about "Babar and Aurangzeb" (Mughal emperors) if not about the 'Hindus.'

Responding to this statement, Gehlot told ANI, "I don't want to comment on his (Assam CM's) statement. He is saying things to please his masters in the BJP top brass. He is raising his decibels to prove his loyalty to the BJP, as he was with us (Congress) earlier. He is speaking more than he should."

The Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, is presently in Telangana, seeking backing for the Bharatiya Janata Party in the forthcoming assembly election. On Saturday, he strongly criticized the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) party, suggesting that BRS could be interpreted as 'Bhrashtachar Rishwat Samiti,' indicating allegations of corruption and bribery.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah declared on Saturday that if the BJP secures victory in the upcoming assembly elections, the party will ensure free visits to the Ram temple in Ayodhya for all residents of Telangana. Speaking at an election rally in Gadwal, Shah accused the Congress of obstructing and prolonging the construction of the Ram temple for the past 70 years. He mentioned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had conducted the 'Bhumi Puja' for the temple, and the 'pran pratishtha' would be carried out on January 22, 2024.

BJP Member of Parliament Kirodi Lal Meena has asserted that the Gurjar community in Rajasthan has returned to the BJP in a "ghar wapsi (homecoming)" movement because the Congress betrayed their "big leader" Sachin Pilot by not appointing him as the chief minister. Meena, who is contesting as the BJP candidate from Sawai Madhopur against incumbent Congress MLA Danish Abrar, also alleged that the Gurjar community felt "insulted" due to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's use of derogatory language towards Pilot.

On Saturday, BJP President J.P. Nadda asserted that corruption and malpractice are inevitable wherever the Congress is in power, while under the governance of the saffron party, development is assured. Speaking at an election rally in Pipad, Jodhpur, Nadda criticized the Congress government led by Ashok Gehlot in Rajasthan, claiming that it has propelled the state to the top position in the country for corruption and crimes against women. Nadda expressed confidence that justice for farmers and women would prevail once the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) takes charge in the desert state.

Presenting his Assembly election battle against Congress leader Sachin Pilot as a "local-versus-outsider" conflict, Ajit Singh Mehta, the BJP candidate from Tonk, refers to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's statement about Pilot's position, asserting that Pilot lacks the "chief ministerial face advantage" he had in 2018. Mehta, a former MLA from this constituency from 2013 to 2018, faces the challenging task assigned by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of challenging Pilot, the former Rajasthan deputy chief minister, who secured a significant victory in 2018 by defeating BJP's Yoonus Khan with a record margin of over 54,000 votes.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly criticized the Congress government in Rajasthan on Saturday, accusing the party of allowing a surge in crimes and riots through its policy of appeasement, which allegedly unleashed anti-social elements in the state. Speaking at a rally in Bharatpur, Modi mocked Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, suggesting that the people have decided not to support the "jadugar" (magician), and predicted that the Congress would fade away from the state after the upcoming elections. It's worth noting that before entering politics, Gehlot, the son of a professional magician, traveled across the country performing magic tricks. The Assembly polls in Rajasthan are scheduled for November 25, with the vote count set for December 3.

According to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, women's votes will play a crucial role in the recently concluded Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls. He noted their significant enthusiasm for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The elections for the 230 seats in Madhya Pradesh took place on Friday, with the counting of votes scheduled for December 3.

BRS MLC and daughter of Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao, K Kavitha fainted while campaigning for the party in Jagtial, Telangana earlier today. She later resumed her election campaign.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused the BJP of copying the guarantees offered by Congress and include them in their agenda.

“The BJP has neither the intentions, nor policies. The Congress has given concrete programmes for public welfare in the form of guarantees in Rajasthan and other states,” he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched sharp attacks at the Congress for giving ticket to Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot's ‘favourite minister’ to contest the upcoming assembly election despite the ‘derogatory’ remarks made by him in relation to incidents of rape in the state, and questioned the kind of vernacular the Congress leader had used to justify the heinous crime. He was referring to Rajasthan minister Shanti Dhariwal's remarks in which he linked ‘masculinity’ with cases of rape in the state. Read more

“Voting is going to take place in Rajasthan exactly a week from now. There is only one echo everywhere, this is the call of the people for the BJP government. Some people call themselves magicians here. Now the people of Rajasthan are telling them ‘3 December, Congress Choomantar,” PM Modi said in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur