Page 47 - Assembly Elections

BJP's bid to loot votes in 2023 polls will be resisted: Manik Sarkar

Calling all "secular and democratic forces" to unite against the "assault on people's liberty" by the BJP, Manik Sarkar, the leader of opposition in Tripura, said that the saffron camp's "bid to loot votes" during the upcoming assembly polls would be resisted by all means. Addressing a press conference here on Thursday night, Sarkar said that the Left parties are expecting a positive response from all "secular" outfits. "The CPI (M) seeks to corner the BJP and the RSS, intensify political struggle and defeat the divisive forces. All secular and democratic forces are welcome to join the battle," he insisted. Sarkar also said that his party, during a high-level meeting, has decided that the local leadership will be allowed to take a call on formation of electoral alliances in respective states. Coming down heavily on the ruling BJP, he said that the saffron camp, "scared of defeat" in 2023 elections, is trying to scuttle political programmes organized by opposition parties in the ...

Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls: PM Modi to address two rallies on Nov 12

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address two rallies in Sindar Nagar and Solan on Saturday in his campaign for the BJP in the Himachal Pradesh assembly polls scheduled for November 12. Official sources said he will also visit Radha Soami Satsang in Beas in Punjab. The sect has a large following in the hill state as well. The BJP will release its 'vision document' (manifesto) for Himachal Pradesh a day later in Shimla on Sunday. It was earlier expected to be released on Friday. The BJP is in power in the state and is pulling out all stops to remain in the saddle by breaking the precedent of the incumbent being voted out.

Gujarat Assembly elections to be held in 2 phases, results on Dec 8

EC rubbishes Opposition parties' charge that it delayed announcing dates

Himachal's high debt-GSDP ratio makes poll freebies promises a tough task

Though comparatively prosperous than other Indian states, Himachal has a huge debt-GSDP ratio

Himachal Assembly polls: A total of 5,093 cast vote through postal ballot

The number of postal ballot cast were 366 in Kangra, 297 in Kullu, 1,991 in Mandi, 528 in Una, 838 in Bilaspur, 315 in Solan, 669 in Shimla, and 89 in Kinnaur

Assembly byelections 2022: Polls for 7 vacant seats over 6 states tomorrow

Voting will be held on Thursday in bypolls to seven assembly seats in six states - a contest symbolic of the fierce turf war between the BJP and regional parties. While in Haryana former chief minister Bhajan Lal's family is trying to hold on to its bastion of five decades, Bihar will see the first electoral test for the Nitish Kumar-led 'Mahagathbandhan' government, formed less than three months ago after the JD(U) parted ways with the BJP. The saffron party is seeking to retain Gola Gorakhnath seat in Uttar Pradesh and Dhamnagar in BJD-ruled Odisha, banking on sympathy votes as it has fielded the sons of sitting MLAs whose death necessitated the bypolls. The BJP and the ruling TRS had been campaigning aggressively in Manugoda in Telangana, where the Congress MLA had resigned and is fighting on the saffron party's ticket. The Election Commission has made elaborate arrangements for polling, including the deployment of 3,366 state police and 15 companies of central security personne

Gujarat elections 2022: EC likely to announce poll schedule this week

The Election Commission is likely to announce schedule for the Gujarat Assembly polls this week. Citing convention followed in 2017, the poll panel had not announced the Gujarat poll schedule when it came out with Himachal Pradesh election dates earlier this month. While election in HP will be held in a single phase on November 12, the counting will take place on December 8. By keeping the counting date for Himachal Pradesh nearly a month after polling, the Commission had given a clear hint that votes for Gujarat would also be counted on December 8. In 2017, the polls in the two state were announced on different dates but the counting took place together on December 18. Floods in Gujarat had led the EC to hold polls in the state after Himachal poll schedule was announced. According to the EC website, assembly polls in Gujarat and HP were held together at least in 1998, 2007 and 2012. The term of the 182-member Gujarat legislative assembly ends on February 18, 2023.

BJP govt in Haryana not undertaken any projects in Adampur: Former CM Hooda

Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Friday alleged that the BJP-led government in the state had not undertaken a single development work in Adampur, where Assembly bypolls are scheduled for November 3. The veteran Congress leader also alleged that the state's BJP government was working on a five-point agenda "to increase inflation, unemployment, corruption, crime and drugs". "That is why the people want to get rid of this government, which will start from Adampur," he said. Hooda, the Leader of Opposition in Haryana Assembly, told reporters here, "The people of Adampur say that the BJP government has not undertaken a single development work in Adampur in eight years. People want a Congress government to be formed in Haryana so that the wheel of development can spin again. "That is why the Congress is getting the love and support of all sections of society. The victory of the party's candidate in these bypolls is certain. Leaders and workers from different parties

Kharge chairs Congress Central Election Committee meeting for Gujarat polls

Mallikarjun Kharge, who on Wednesday took over as Congress president, chaired a meeting of the party's Central Election Committee (CEC) to finalise candidates for the Gujarat assembly polls

BJP plays the freebies game to match AAP's goodies for the Gujarati voters

The prelude to the polls also saw mega projects unveiled by the Centre and the handing out of a few sops to match the breathless pace at which AAP has promised an array of goodies to voters

Congress announces list of 46 candidates for Himachal assembly elections

The Congress on Tuesday released its first list of 46 candidates for the Himachal Pradesh assembly elections scheduled for November 12. In the list released here, Congress Legislature Party leader Mukesh Agnihotri has been fielded from the Haroli assembly seat and former minister Asha Kumari from her Dalhousie seat. The party has nominated former state Congress chiefs Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu and Kuldeep Singh Rathore from Nadaun and Theog, respectively. The party has fielded all its sitting MLAs, including former chief minister Virbhadra Singh's son Vikramaditya Singh from the Shimla Rural constituency. However, the first list of candidates did not include the name of state Congress chief Pratibha Singh. She is the sitting MP from Mandi and the wife of former chief minister Virbhadra Singh. Former BJP leader Dyal Pyari, who switched over to the Congress a few days ago, has been fielded from the Pachhad (SC) seat. Col Dhani Ram Shandil will contest from his Solan seat and Harshward

Himachal goes to polls on November 12; announcement for Gujarat later

A new actor in Himachal Pradesh is the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)

Development becomes reality with double engine govt: Modi in Himachal rally

Launching projects related to pharmaceuticals, education and railways just weeks ahead of the Assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh, PM Modi said these will have positive impact on the region's progress

Assembly elections: A test of BJP's defence in Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh

Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh will go to the polls in a few weeks. Aditi Phadnis explains everything you wants to know about the political state of play in these two states

Election Commission announces bypolls to seven Assembly seats in 6 states

The Election Commission announced by-elections to seven vacant Assembly seats in six states to be held in November

Assembly bypolls for seven vacant seats in six states on Nov 3: EC

Bypolls to seven vacant assembly seats spread across six states will be held on November 3, the Election Commission announced on Monday. Bypolls will be held on two seats -- Mokama and Gopalganj -- of Bihar , Andheri (East) of Maharashtra, Adampur of Haryana, Munugode of Telangana, Gola Gorakhnath of Uttar Pradesh, and Dhamnagar of Odisha. The notification for the bypolls will be issued on October 7, the EC said. The counting of votes will take place on November 6, the poll panel said in a statement.

INLD eyes revival in 2024 Haryana Assembly polls as mega oppn gathers steam

The INLD is looking to make a comeback in the state riding on the support it extended to farmers when they were struggling against the now-withdrawn three central farm laws

PFI ban puts minority votes under spotlight in poll-bound Karnataka

The possible electoral impact of the ban on the PFI in poll-bound Karnataka has sparked debate in political circles as its associate political wing SDPI, which has not been outlawed, is still relevant in certain constituencies with significant presence of the minority community. With the Union government imposing ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI) and several of its associates for their alleged terror activities, its political implications in Karnataka, where Assembly elections are just months away, are bound to be keenly watched. The now-banned PFI along with its associates like the political offshoot Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and students' wing Campus Front of India (CFI) have been making their presence felt in the past few years, among the Muslim-dominated areas of the state, especially in the coastal belt. The SDPI has over 300 public representatives in various local bodies and has been trying to make inroads into several assembly segments. It remains to be s

BJP's expenses on assembly polls in five states up 58% to Rs 344 cr

In 2017, BJP had spent Rs 218.26 crore on the elections in the five states. In 2022, the expense was Rs 344 crore. Congress's bill rose from Rs 108.14 crore to Rs 194.80 during the same period

EC holds meetings in Gujarat to review preparedness for Assembly polls

A team of the Election Commission of India held a series of meetings with Gujarat director general of police, chief secretary and other senior officials during its three-day visit to review the situation in the state for the Assembly polls. Elections in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled Gujarat are due later this year. A team of nine senior officials appointed by the ECI visited Ahmedabad between Friday and Sunday and reviewed preparations for the state elections, a government release said. On Saturday and Sunday, the ECI team held a review meeting with Gujarat Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) P Bharathi on poll preparedness in the presence of district election officers, commissioners and superintendents of police. They discussed in detail various topics related to voters' roll and special summary revision, electronic voting machine (EVM/VVPAT), minimum facilities at polling stations, manpower, transportation, law and order, security, training and capacity building, the release .