Page 14 - Assembly Elections

J&K polls: Apni Party releases manifesto, promises to work for statehood

The Apni Party on Wednesday released its manifesto for the assembly elections, promising to press the Centre for constitutional guarantees to preserve culture and special identity of Jammu and Kashmir, and to work for the restoration of statehood of the Union territory. The manifesto was released at a press conference here by the party's general secretary Rafi Mir along with other senior leaders. "The Apni Party will press for constitutional guarantees to preserve the culture and special identity of Jammu and Kashmir, similar to the provisions of Article 371 in some north-eastern states. This includes land and job protection, addressing the people's sense of loss," the manifesto read. The party said it will work tirelessly to restore statehood as promised by the Union Home Minister on August 5, 2019. It also promised the restoration of repealed and amended laws. "The Apni Party will revisit and restore all the laws that were withdrawn or amended over time. Our party will secure ..

Kharge, Rahul to visit Jammu, Srinagar in preparation for Assembly polls

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi will be visiting Jammu and Srinagar on August 21 and 22 for key meetings in preparation for the upcoming assembly elections. The visit comes after Congress president Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi met general secretaries, in-charges and screening committee members of four poll-bound states on Monday. "On 21st and 22nd August, Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge ji and Leader of Opposition Shri Rahul Gandhi ji will be visiting Jammu and Srinagar for key meetings in preparation for the upcoming assembly elections," Congress general secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal said on X. Congress National General Secretary Gulam Ahmed Mir told PTI in Jammu that "Kharge ji and Rahul ji will be visiting Jammu and Kashmir for two days, starting tomorrow. They will arrive in Jammu tomorrow afternoon". Mir said that during their stay, they will engage in extensive meetings with leaders

Election Commission issues notification for first phase of polls in J&K

The Election Commission on Tuesday issued notification for the first phase of the three-phased assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir in which 24 segments will go to polls on September 18. With the issuance of the notification, the nomination process for the candidates has started. The last date for making nominations for the first phase is August 27, while the scrutiny of the nominations will take place on August 28. The last date for the withdrawal of candidature is August 30 and the date of poll, if necessitated, is September 18. In the first phase, 16 assembly segments in the valley that are in south Kashmir and eight in Jammu region will go to polls. The seats are Pampore, Tral, Pulwama, Rajpora, Zainapora, Shopian, D H Pora, Kulgam, Devsar, Dooru, Kokernag (ST), Anantnag West, Anantnag, Srigufwara-Bijbehara, Shangus-Anantnag East, and Pahalgam in the Kashmir valley. Inderwal, Kishtwar, Padder-Nagseni, Bhadarwah, Doda, Doda West, Ramban, and Banihal will go to polls in Jammu re

Jammu and Kashmir's economic landscape: Of progress and challenges

But the region spends a considerably higher amount on generating assets relative to its economic size compared to the average seen in other states

News updates: Madhya Pradesh HC asks protesting doctors to return to work immediately

Latest news updates: From Sabarmati train derailment to the doctors' ongoing protest, catch all the news developments from around the world here

BJP will form govt for third time in Haryana with big mandate: CM Saini

Asserting the BJP is completely ready for the Haryana Assembly elections, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Saturday said his party will form the government for a third time in the state with a big mandate. The Election Commission on Friday announced that assembly polls in Haryana would be held in a single phase on October 1 and the results would be declared on October 4. Addressing the media here after the Cabinet meeting, Saini said that he welcomed the announcement of the assembly elections in Haryana. "We are completely ready for the elections. The BJP will form the government for a third time in Haryana with a big mandate," he added. Saini said the BJP government in Haryana undertook overall development in the state without any bias. In the last 10 years, Haryana scaled new heights in terms of development in each sector, he claimed. Targeting the opposition Congress, Saini asked that it would be better to give details about their works to the people of the state rather tha

Polls in J&K to further strengthen roots of democracy: Home minister Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday welcomed the announcement of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly election and said the polls will further strengthen the roots of democracy and open the doors to a new period of development for the region. Shah also welcomed the announcement of polls in Haryana and said in the last 10 years, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state has written a new chapter of good governance under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Appealing to the people of Jammu and Kashmir to actively participate in the election, Shah said they should vote in large numbers to form a government that will sustain peace and development, and ensure a brighter future for youngsters. "I welcome the announcement of the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir made by the Election Commission of India today. In the last 10 years, the Modi govt through a series of relentless initiatives has created a new era of peace, development and strengthening democracy in

10,321 centenarians, 255,000 voters aged 85 & above in Haryana: ECI

Among those who will be casting their votes in the upcoming assembly polls in Haryana are 10,321 centenarians and 2.55 lakh voters aged 85 years and above, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said on Friday. The Election Commission announced that polls to the 90-member Haryana Assembly will be held on October 1. Kumar said the Election Commission will make all efforts to ensure they all come out to vote. "Haryana has a robust, healthy lifestyle and among the voters, there are 10,321 centenarians. We salute all of them and we will make every effort to ensure they all come out to vote," he said as he announced the elections in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir. The Election Commission of India has released the draft electoral rolls for Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana, highlighting significant voter demographics as both regions gear up for the upcoming elections. Haryana's draft roll, published on August 2, 2024, revealed a total of approximately 2.01 crore electors. The state has abo

Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana Assembly election dates announced; check details

The Election Commission on Friday, August 16, announced the Assembly election dates for Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir. Watch the video for more details.

Maharashtra polls: MNS to contest Worli seat against Aaditya Thackeray

With the lead of Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate falling to less than 7,000 in Worli in the recent Lok Sabha polls, the MNS senses an opportunity and is likely to field Sandeep Deshpande from this assembly seat currently held by Aaditya Thackeray. A home to some of India's wealthiest residents, Worli, part of Mumbai South Lok Sabha constituency, is marked by high-rises and thriving business hubs. However, it also contains dilapidated chawls awaiting redevelopment, such as the BDD chawls and police colonies. Many slum rehabilitation projects are stalled, and some redeveloped buildings have not provided the promised monthly rentals to residents. On Saturday, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray met Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to discuss issues plaguing Worli. The meeting is significant, given the focus on Worli-related concerns. Following the meeting, Shinde directed officials to prioritise addressing Worli's issues, according to the Chief Minister's Office. MNS leade

Political pundit Prashant Kishor to float own party in Bihar: What we know

Prashant Kishor's coming involvement in the Bihar assembly elections represents a full circle, as he was the strategist of Nitish Kumar's 2015 victory against the BJP in the state

Victory of Himachal CM's wife in Assembly bypolls creates new record

The victory of Kamlesh Thakur, the wife of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, in the assembly by-election from Dehra seat has scripted history as for the first time both husband and wife are members of the house. No independent was elected in the by-election and it was also for the first time that the house was without any independent member. The strength of Congress, which had won 40 seats in the 2022 assembly polls, has increased to 40 again and the government which had become stable with 38 seats in the 68 member Vidhan Sabha after winning four by-elections in June this year has become stronger. In the 2017 assembly elections, a record was set as former chief minister Virbhadra Singh and his son Vikramaditya Singh were elected and incidentally the duo were oldest and youngest members of the house. Veteran Congress leader Sarla Sharma and her husband Parasram (CPIM) also remained members of the Vidhan Sabha but they were never members of the same house. Parasram was elected i

Assembly bypolls results: INDIA bloc candidates lead in 11 of 13 seats

Candidates of INDIA bloc parties -- Congress, AAP, TMC and DMK -- on Saturday were leading in 11 of the 13 assembly seats where bypolls were held earlier this week, according to the counting trends on the Election Commission (EC) website. While the BJP was in the lead in Himachal Pradesh's Hamirpur, its partner in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the JD(U), was leading in Rupauli in Bihar. Voting for the bypolls in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Tamil Nadu were held on Wednesday. In Punjab, Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Jalandhar West assembly bypoll candidate Mohinder Bhagat appears to be heading for a victory from the seat as he was leading by more than 23,000 votes against his nearest rival and Congress nominee Surinder Kaur, according to the EC. Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidates Krishna Kalyani, Mukut Nami Adhikari, Madhuparna Tahkur and Supti Pandey are in the lead in assembly bypolls in Raiganj, Ranaghat Dakshin, Bagda and ...

Himachal Pradesh bypolls: Cong leading in all three assembly by-polls

Congress' candidates, including Himachal Pradesh Chief Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu's wife, are in the lead in all three assembly constituencies in the state where bypolls were held earlier this week, officials said on Saturday. The counting of votes for the by-elections in Dehra, Hamirpur and Nalagarh, held on Wednesday, began at 8 am. Sukhu's wife Kamlesh Thakur was leading by 636 votes against her nearest rival and BJP candidate Hoshiyar Singh after the fifth round of counting, the officials said. In the Hamirpur assembly seat, Congress' Pushpinder Verma was ahead by 1,704 votes against BJP candidate Ashish Sharma after the second round of counting, they said. Congress candidate Hardeep Singh Baba was leading by 646 votes in the first round against BJP candidate K L Thakur in the Nalagarh assembly seat, the officials. Thirteen candidates were in the fray from the three seats. The Nalagarh assembly constituency had recorded the highest polling at 79.04 per cent, followed by Hamirpur

Assembly by-polls begin for 13 constituencies across seven states

Assembly by-polls are being held in West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh

Delhi BJP holds meeting, asks workers to gear up for 2025 Assembly polls

The Delhi BJP unit on Sunday congratulated its workers on the party winning all seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital in the recent polls and asked them to step up efforts to ensure the BJP's victory in the 2025 assembly elections here. They were lauded for their work at the unit's extended executive committee meeting at the JLN stadium. It was chaired by Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva and inaugurated by Union Minister Piyush Goyal. The BJP's MPs from Delhi and the unit's functionaries as well as officer bearers and workers from the ward to the district level were part of the gathering. During the meeting, which focused on the BJP's preparedness for the assembly elections, leaders and workers were asked to inform people about the Narendra Modi-led central government's schemes and welfare projects while highlighting the "failures" of the AAP-led Delhi dispensation. Talking about the BJP's Lok Sabha win in Delhi, Goyal said, "This victory is not ordinary and Delhi's ..

Cong, Sena (UBT) and, NCP (SP) to jointly contest Maha polls: Sharad Pawar

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday said his party, Congress, and the Shiv Sena (UBT) led by Uddhav Thackeray will jointly contest the Maharashtra assembly polls, due in October this year. Addressing a news conference here, Pawar also said it is the moral responsibility of the major opposition parties in Maharashtra to protect in the state assembly polls the interests of smaller allies, which were part of the coalition in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The NCP (SP), Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT) are constituents of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which was in power in the state from November 2019 till June 2022 before the collapse of the Thackeray-led government. Pawar said the opposition will keep a collective face before the people of Maharashtra. There is need for a change in the state and it is the moral responsibility of the opposition coalition to discharge it, Pawar said. "As Arjuna's target (in the epic Mahabharata) was an eye (of a fish), our eyes are all set

Haryana assembly polls: First session of BJP meeting begins in Panchkula

The first session of the BJP's extended state executive meeting to discuss strategy for the Haryana assembly elections due later this year began in Panchkula on Saturday. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the BJP's election in-charge for Haryana, co-in-charge Biplab Kumar Deb, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, his predecessor and Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar and senior leader Saudan Singh were present during the session at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium. Union Home Minister Amit Shah will chair the meeting during the afternoon session, a BJP leader said. Besides preparing the outline for the elections, Shah will infuse fresh zeal and enthusiasm in the party workers, the leader added. Shah will also give tips to the party workers and share his roadmap and guidance for the polls, said the leader. Senior state-level BJP leaders, office-bearers and around 4,500 party workers from all 90 assembly constituencies are attending the meeting. The first session of the extended st

Ahead of Haryana polls, 23 IPS officers transferred with immediate effect

In a major administrative reshuffle ahead of assembly polls, the Haryana government Wednesday transferred 23 IPS and 27 Haryana Police Service officers with immediate effect. Among the Indian Police Service (IPS) officers who have been shuffled included some district police chiefs. According to a government order, among the IPS officers transferred included Satender Kumar Gupta, Inspector General of Police, Karnal Range, who has been posted as Sonipat Police Commissioner replacing B Satheesh Balan. Balan has been posted as Commissioner of Police, Jhajjar. Jashandeep Singh Randhawa, Superintendent of Police, Ambala, and Kurukshetra SP Surinder Singh Bhoria will swap places. Hisar SP Mohit Handa will be the new SP of Karnal in place of Deepak Saharan, who will be the new SP of Hisar. Vijay Pratap, DCP, Crime, Gurugram, has been posted as SP, Nuh in place of Narendra Bijarniya, who has been made SP, Special Task Force and DCP, Crime, Gurugram. Gaurav, DCP (East), Sonipat has been p

EC begins J&K Assembly polls prep, electoral roll expected by Aug 20

State and UT Assembly elections will be conducted in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), Haryana, Jharkhand, and Maharashtra, along with 47 by-polls