Assembly election 2023 Highlights: Voting starts on Nov 7, counting on Dec 3

Congress working committee has decided unanimously to support the caste census in the country. It is a powerful progressive step for the emancipation of the poor in the country, said Rahul Gandhi.

On upcoming elections in 5 states, Senior Congress leader Harish Rawat says, "We welcome it and we are ready to fight. We will win in all 5 states. There is an atmosphere of enthusiasm within the party. The party is hopeful. We have performed very well wherever our government is there. Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Telangana, people of the states where we don't have a government want to come with Congress now. Congress will win a huge margin there."

On the announcement of election dates for the upcoming assembly polls, Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar says, "I welcome the decision of the Election Commission for the election program. BJP is fully prepared to participate in the Rajasthan elections and all the other state polls... I believe that workers will work hard and BJP will get the blessings of the people..."

On the announcement of dates of upcoming Assembly polls, Congress MP Randeep Surjewala says "...People in all these 5 states will take BJP out of power and prove that a huge change will come in the country in 2024. 8.5 crore people in Madhya Pradesh are ready to remove BJP. MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan is tired and retired..."

Om Prakash Mathur, BJP Chhattisgarh incharge on upcoming two-phase polls in the state says, "BJP Chhattisgarh is fully ready for the elections. We will form the government with full majority in the state...Even in Rajasthan BJP will come to power"

ANI

On the announcement of dates of upcoming Assembly polls, Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan says "Elections are the festival of democracy. I want to appeal to the voters to participate in these elections. I also want to appeal to all political parties to fight elections peacefully..."

“I welcome the announcement of assembly elections by the Election Commission,” BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nadda said in a social media post.

“Under the leadership of respected Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji, BJP will form government in all the states with an overwhelming majority and will work with determination to fulfill the aspirations of the people for the next 5 years,” he posted on X in Hindi.

"In Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections, which is scheduled for November 17, we will win with clear majority based on the developmental and welfare works done under the leadership of our PM and our CM," says Madhya Pradesh BJP chief.

“With the announcement of elections in 5 states, the farewell of BJP and its allies has also been announced,” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said in a social media post.

“In Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram, the Congress party will go to the people with strength. Public welfare, social justice and progressive development are the guarantees of the Congress Party,” he posted in Hindi.

"Voters using postal ballot becoming a force and interest group and deciding after the poll as to where to cast the vote was not perceived as right practice," Kumar said.

The election in Chhattisgarh will be held in two phases, with the first phase on November 7. In the second phase, the election in Chhattisgarh will be held on November 17. Rajasthan and Telangana will go to polls in a single phase on November 23 and November 30 respectively. Legislative elections in Madhya Pradesh will be held on November 17. Legislative elections in Mizoram will be on November 7. Read more…

In a bit to encourage informed voting, the CEC said, all the information including “criminal antecedents” of the candidates, if any, is available on the KYC App of ECI and https://affidavit.eci.gov.in portal.

The chief election commissioner said that the citizens can report any kind of electoral malpractice to the ECI through cVigil App.

“For every complaint, there will be a response in 100minutes,” he added.

Around 60 lakh first-time voters will be able to participate in elections in five states, with 15.39 lakh young voters eligible to participate in elections due to amendments on qualifying dates.

While the overall number of male voters in the five poll-bound states stands more than women voters at 8.24 crore, female voters exceed male voters in Chhattisgarh and Mizoram and equal in Telangana.

The Chief Election Commissioner presented a general overview of electors that showed the give states have 16 cr electors, which is almost 1/6th of total electors in the country.

Kumar says the Election Commission has responded to almost all the state-specific issues raised by the political parties.

CEC Rajiv Kumar said that the polls in these five states hold a unique significance as they serve as the final assembly elections before the grand stage of the National Elections in 2024.

The press briefing to announce the poll schedule for five states has started.

The Congress Working Committee's (CWC) crucial meeting began here on Monday and will see the party top brass hold discussions on its strategy for the upcoming assembly elections and a nationwide caste census.

The meeting comes on a day when the Election Commission will announce the dates for the assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, chief ministers of all the Congress-ruled states and other top leaders began deliberations on election preparedness and narratives across the poll-bound states.

The party would also hold extensive discussions on its firm pitch for a nationwide caste census and its implications.

PTI

Union Minister and Telangana BJP Chief G. Kishan Reddy says, "We have organised two meetings of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Telangana tomorrow. We have Defence Minister Rajnath Singh coming to Telangana later this month. So we are ready to face the elections. BJP will release its candidate list soon”

Ahead of the announcement to be made by the Election Commission of India on the schedule for the upcoming Assembly elections in the five states, Chhattisgarh Deputy CM TS Singh Deo said that he is hopeful that Congress will get another five years to serve the public of the state.

Speaking to ANI, TS Singh Deo said, "The sooner (elections) the better. Nowadays, there are five years to prepare for the elections, whatever work you do from the day you get the responsibility is seen as preparation for elections. We focussed on important issues for the public. Hopefully, we will get another five years to serve."

Adding that the Congress government in the state has successfully controlled Naxalism in the last five years, he said, "Recently a Naxal incident came up, an incident also surfaced from Ujjain at the same time. Such incidents are less related to the government and more related to morbid psychology. If the government knows that something is going to happen and they don't take action, then it is the government's responsibility. But when a person with a morbid mentality commits such crimes, which government can predict this?"

ANI

Mizoram comprises of 40-seat Assembly. In 2018, Mizo National Front won 26 seats with a vote share of 37.8 per cent. Whereas, Congress secured 5 seats and BJP managed to win one seat. Zoramthanga is the current chief minister of the state.

Contest in Chhattisgarh is majorly between BJP and Congress. In 2018, Congress won 68 seats out of 90 in Chhattisgarh, garnering a vote share of 43.9 per cent. Whereas, the BJP managed to win 15 seats and gather vote share of 33.6 per cent.

Telangana will witness a triangular contest between the BJP, the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi and the Congress in the upcoming elections. In the 2018 Assembly elections, BRS won 88 seats out of 119 and had a dominant vote share of 47.4 per cent. Whereas, Congress came at a distant second with 19 seats with a vote share of 28.7 per cent.