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Assembly elections updates: 58.43% voter turnout recorded till 5 pm in Maharashtra, 68% in Jharkhand

Maharashtra, Jharkhand Election Voting: Catch all the updates on the Assembly elections here

Exit polls show Mahayuti dominance in Maharashtra, tough challenge from MVA

Maharashtra Assembly Elections: To achieve a majority and form the state government, a party or coalition must secure at least 145 seats

Maharashtra Assembly polls: 32.18% voter turnout recorded till 1 pm

A voter turnout of 32.18 per cent was recorded till 1 pm on Wednesday in Maharashtra, where polling is underway in all 288 assembly constituencies, election officials said. Polling began at 7 am in the state assembly elections, where the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance is vying to retain power and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) combine is hoping for a strong comeback. Voting will continue till 6 pm. There are a total of 1,00,186 polling booths in Maharashtra this time, compared to 96,654 booths in the 2019 assembly elections, the officials said. Gadchiroli district recorded 50.89 per cent voter turnout. The Aheri assembly seat in the district saw 52.84 per cent voting, while Armori registered 51.05 per cent polling. Mumbai city district recorded 27.73 per cent voting and Mumbai suburban district saw 30.43 per cent turnout. The Colaba assembly segment in the megapolis registered 24.16 per cent polling, Mahim 33.01 per cent and Worli 26.96 per cent. Shivadi recorded 30.5 per cent ...

Jharkhand polls: Presiding officer replaced after favouritism allegations

Jharkhand BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Wednesday said he had filed a complaint with the Election Commission against a presiding officer for allegedly "favouring a ruling party candidate" in Madhupur assembly constituency during voting. Dubey claimed that following his complaint, the officer was arrested. "I filed a complaint with the Election Commission against the presiding officer at booth number 111 in Madhupur, Deoghar district, for favouring Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) candidate and Minister Hafizul Hassan. The commission took my complaint seriously and arrested the officer," Dubey told reporters in Deoghar. However, the Deoghar administration said the officer was replaced after being found too close to the voting compartment, which is against Election Commission rules. An official statement from Deoghar administration clarified that the presiding officer at booth number 111 had been replaced. "During monitoring in the webcasting room, the presiding officer was found too close

Jharkhand Assembly elections: Voting begins for 38 seats in 2nd phase

Polling for 38 assembly seats in the second and final phase of Jharkhand elections commenced on Wednesday, amid tight security arrangements, officials said. Voting began at 7 AM in 14,218 booths across 12 districts and will continue till 5 PM. However, polling in 31 booths will end at 4 PM though people standing in the queue at that time will be able to exercise their franchise, the officials said. A total of 1.23 crore voters, including 60.79 lakh women and 147 third-gender electors, are eligible to exercise their franchise on Wednesday. Altogether 528 candidates, including Chief Minister and JMM leader Hemant Soren, his wife Kalpana Soren and Leader of Opposition Amar Kumar Bauri of the BJP, are trying their luck in the second phase of the elections. Eighteen of the 38 constituencies are in the Santhal Pargana region comprising six districts - Godda, Deoghar, Dumka, Jamtara, Sahibganj and Pakur. The remaining 18 seats are in North Chotanagpur division and two in South ...

Maharashtra elections: BJP plays 'voice notes of MVA leaders', targets Oppn

The BJP on Tuesday played purported voice notes of Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole and NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule to allege attempts to encash Bitcoins to influence Maharashtra elections, claiming it poses a serious question on the conduct of polls in a free and fair manner. BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi claimed that the development has "unmasked" the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and sought replies from the Congress and Sule, a Lok Sabha MP and daughter of NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar. Ahead of the BJP's scheduled press conference, Sule posted on X about the "familiar tactics of spreading false information to manipulate the righteous voters" before the polling day on Wednesday. She said, "We have filed a criminal complaint to the ECI & the Cybercrime Department against the fake allegations made of bitcoin misappropriation. The intent and mala fide actors behind it are amply evident, condemn-worthy that such practices are taking place in a healthy ...

Updates: BJP accuses Congress-led MVA of shady transactions day before polling in Maharashtra

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Congress targets BJP over NDA MLAs skipping meeting called by Manipur CM

The Congress on Tuesday took a swipe at the BJP over some MLAs of the ruling NDA reportedly skipping a meeting called by Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, saying the writing on the wall is clear and asked whether Home Minister Amit Shah is reading it. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh also asked how long will the "excruciating agony" of the people of Manipur continue like this. Noting that the Manipur Assembly has 60 MLAs, Ramesh said that on Monday night, the CM of Manipur called a meeting in Imphal of all MLAs belonging to the NDA. "Other than him, only 26 showed up. Of these 26, 4 belong to the NPP whose National President has already written to the BJP National President withdrawing support to the present CM," he said. "The writing on the wall is clear. But is the grand sutradhar of Manipur - the Union Home Minister, to whom the PM has abdicated and outsourced all responsibility for the state - reading it?" Ramesh said in his post on X. Amid

CPI(M) remarks of blocking fake voters aimed at scaring real electors: Cong

The Congress and BJP on Tuesday contended that the ruling CPI(M)'s reported remarks about stopping fake voters from entering polling stations during the voting for the Palakkad assembly seat were aimed at deterring electors and would amount to taking the law into its own hands. The bypoll will be held on November 20. During the silent campaign in the Palakkad assembly constituency, Congress-led UDF candidate Rahul Mamkootathil, while visiting homes seeking votes, said the election officials were officers of the government and therefore, how did fake voters' names get registered on the electoral roll? Mamkootathil, the state president of the Youth Congress, said that even the UDF was opposed to fake voters, but that issue should not be used to intimidate other electors from voting. BJP's C Krishnakumar, who also visited homes in the constituency seeking votes, contended that such statements by CPI(M) shows the Left party's tendency to take law into its own hands. He said that his p

Indira Gandhi protected environment, which is under assault now: Ramesh

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday hailed former prime minister Indira Gandhi's contribution in shaping laws and institutions protecting the environment and natural heritage, which he claimed were under "systematic assault" these past few years. Ramesh's remarks came on the birth anniversary of Indira Gandhi. "Today is the 107th birth anniversary of an extraordinary woman, who was not just born into history but who went on to shape it in so many ways. She would often quote the advice given by her grandfather - There are those who work and there are those who claim credit; try to be in the first group since there is far less competition there!" he said. Indira Gandhi worked untiringly but without making bombastic claims, Ramesh said. He said Indira Gandhi gave Indian science and technology a renewed push and fresh momentum - especially in agriculture, space, atomic energy and defence. Public sector giants that have done the country proud owe much to her leadership, he said.

Pune court summons Rahul Gandhi on Dec 2 over Savarkar defamation case

A Pune court ordered Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to appear in person before it on December 2 in connection with a defamation complaint filed against him by Hindutva icon V D Savarkar's grandnephew. Satyaki Savarkar had filed a complaint in a Pune court claiming Gandhi, in his speech in London in March 2023, stated that Savarkar had written in a book that he and five to six of his friends once beat up a Muslim man and he (Savarkar) felt happy. As per the plea, Savarkar has not written this anywhere. The court had asked the police to investigate the allegations and file a report. The Vishrambaug police station had carried out the enquiry and said that there is a prima-facie truth in the complaint. On October 4, Special court for MP/MLA, presided over by Joint Civil Judge and Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Amol Shinde, had issued summons to Gandhi asking him to appear before it on October 23. However, Gandhi did not appear as it was told that he did not receive the summons. ...

Pollution harming health while govts blame each other: Robert Vadra

It's embarrassing when people ask how do you live in this gas chamber, he said

Maharashtra polls: Rahul mocks PM Modi's 'Ek hai toh safe hai' slogan

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday brought a safe to his press conference in Mumbai, to mock Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Ek hai toh safe hai' slogan. Claiming a link between the slogan and the Dharavi redevelopment project being given to the Adani Group, Gandhi pulled out two posters from the safe, one featuring a picture of industrialist Gautam Adani and PM Modi with the caption "Ek hai toh Safe hai," and another showing a map of the project. Gandhi said the November 20 Maharashtra assembly election is a contest between billionaires and the poor, adding that the Maha Vikas Aghadi government would prioritize farmers, the underprivileged, and the unemployed. The "Ek hai toh safe hai" slogan primarily serves to help Adani acquire Rs one lakh crore land through the Dharavi redevelopment project, he claimed. "Narendra Modi's slogan is: If we are united, we are safe. The question is: who is safe, Gandhi said. The Congress leader criticised the tendering process in the Dharavi .

Cong asks PM to visit state; seeks Shah's resignation amid Manipur violence

Amid spike in violence in Manipur, the Congress on Monday asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi must visit the troubled state before the Parliament session and demanded Home Minister Amit Shah's resignation for the "double engine government's complete failure" there. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the PM must first meet an all-party delegation from Manipur and then also call an all-party meeting at the national level ahead of the Parliament session starting November 25. Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters here along with Manipur Congress chief K Meghachandra Singh and AICC in-charge of state Girish Chodankar, Ramesh demanded that Shah and Chief Minister N Biren Singh must resign. "From May 3, 2023, Manipur is burning and Prime Minister Modi visits various countries of the world, gives sermons, but could not find time to visit Manipur. So, our first demand is that PM should take time out before the Parliament session to

Kharge seeks justice, slams PM Modi after NPP withdraws support from BJP

Condemning the attitude of Central Government, Kharge emphasised that the Prime Minister's absence is conspicuous

AAP a sinking ship: Delhi Congress chief after Gahlot's resignation

Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav on Sunday called the Aam Aadmi Party a sinking ship after its senior leader and Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot quit the party. While Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said many of the issues consistently raised by his party have now been pointed out by Gahlot in his resignation letter. Yadav said that two of the reasons cited by Gahlot in his resignation letter to former chief minister and party chief Arvind Kejriwal were the AAP government's failure to clean the polluted Yamuna river and the corruption in the construction of the 'sheeshmahal'. The BJP had dubbed Kejriwal's former official residence 6 Flagstaff Road as 'sheeshmahal', alleging that he spent crores on luxury items and modern facilities. Gahlot has also heaped more charges on Kejriwal by mentioning the "embarrassing and awkward controversies like the 'sheeshmahal' which are now making everyone doubt whether we still believe in being the AAM AADMI", Yadav said. The AAP has lost t

Maharashtra polls: Two alliances, six regions, and many fierce rivalries

Indivjal Dhasmana analyses regional dynamics, voter divides, and economic disparities in the regions crucial in the Assembly polls

BJP leaders trying to polarise, people shouldn't fall for it: Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday claimed that divisive slogans raised by some BJP leaders was an attempt to polarise the society and asserted it should not be allowed. Addressing a rally at Umred in Nagpur ahead of the November 20 Maharashtra assembly polls, Kharge said the BJP leaders have already been trying to divide the society, and raising slogans like 'batenge to katenge' (divided we fall) to further polarise it. "But, there is no unanimity among the Mahayuti leaders on such slogans. Such polarisation shouldn't be allowed," he said. Kharge also said categorising Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Dr B R Ambedkar to a particular community is not right. The Congress and its leaders laid down their lives for the country's unity, unlike the BJP and RSS which have made "no contribution" to the country, Kharge claimed. "The Maharashtra assembly elections are important as there is a need to defeat the incumbent government which has come to power by theft and intimidatio

Nobody should take Rahul Gandhi seriously, says Union Minister Gadkari

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday said that nobody should take Congress leader Rahul Gandhi seriously, and asserted that people of Maharashtra will repose trust in the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance in the November 20 state assembly elections. The way Rahul Gandhi speaks, nobody takes him seriously.. I think people should not take his remarks seriously, Gadkari said in an interview to PTI. On Gandhi's allegations about PM Modi "suffering from memory loss like US President Joe Biden", Gadkari said the Congress leader speaks irresponsibly. Asked about the challenges faced by the Mahayuti alliance after a dismal show during the Lok Sabha elections, Gadkari said, voters were confused (by the opposition) on a large scale during the Lok Sabha polls. A narrative was created that if we win 400-plus seats, we will amend the Constitution drafted by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, the senior BJP leader said. There is no question of changing the Constitution. We will neither do it, nor allow others ..

Cong supported J&K Assembly resolution on statehood for land, jobs: Karra

Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president Tariq Hameed Karra on Sunday said his party supported the resolution in the assembly in favour of "statehood" with guarantees for land, jobs and natural resources. The Congress leader asserted that after the Supreme Court's verdict on the abrogation of Article 370, the only viable demand left is for "statehood". He strongly backed the recent statement of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Article 370, aimed at countering the BJP's attacks on the grand old party during campaigning. Kharge's remarks reflects the stance of the JKPCC but is rooted in the resolution passed by the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on August 6, 2019, he said. "As far as the Congress is concerned, we made our position clear. After the Supreme Court's verdict on abrogation, the only viable demand left is for statehood. This is because the Supreme Court clearly stated that whatever happened was constitutional as far as Parliament is concerne