Live Updates | Assembly Elections 2024: Maharashtra Looking For Change, MVA Working To Provide Alternative, Says Sharad Pawar

Assembly elections are set to be held in Maharashtra and Jharkhand in the month of November.

Representational Image. (ANI)

Assembly Elections 2024 Live Updates: Elections are set to be held in Maharashtra and Jharkhand. The polls in both the states will take place in the month of November. As far as the Maharashtra Assembly polls are concerned, the polls are set to be held in a single phase on November 20. The counting of the votes will be done on November 23, 2024.

In Jharkhand, elections will be held in two phases —November 13, and November 20. The results are set to be declared on November 23. The Jharkhand Legislative Assembly has 81 seats, 41 seats are needed for a majority.

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday said the people of Maharashtra want a change and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will work towards giving them that alternative after the upcoming state assembly polls. Pawar also backed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's demand for a caste census in the country.

The former Union minister was speaking to reporters at the Nagpur airport ahead of his public meetings here in connection with the November 20 state assembly polls. The MVA comprises the NCP (SP), Congress and Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT).

Talking about his campaigning, Pawar said, "We feel that the people of Maharashtra want a change and we need to work towards giving them confidence. And working towards that, me and all my associates are reaching out to the people across Maharashtra from today."

Rahul Gandhi, during his visit to Nagpur on Wednesday, said a caste-based census will happen and that his party will also "break the wall of 50 per cent" reservation limit. Asked about it, Pawar said, " I would tell the stand of my party, we have been demanding a caste census for last three years. Caste census should be conducted as it would bring the actual facts before the country."

"Prima facie, it seems the caste census would help in facilitating the decision on increasing the reservation limit. The picture will become clear after the census is completed. Besides, the reservation percentage will also have to be increased if what Rahul Gandhi is saying happens," he said.  

07 November 2024

12:49 IST

Assembly Polls LIVE: Congress In Steady State Of Decline, BJP Set To Win Maharashtra, Says Scindia

The Congress is in a steady state of decline because of its disconnect with the public and vision of India, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Wednesday, predicting a big win for the BJP in the ensuing assembly elections in Maharashtra. Scindia, who hits the campaign trail in Maharashtra this week, in a video and text interview with PTI, said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is going to win the hearts of people again in the state.

"I believe that the Congress Party is in a very steady state of decline. I think that is because of three things. I think the Congress Party has lost its connect in terms of leadership, and public, and I believe that the Congress Party has also lost its connect with regard to a vision of India. When you lose all those three attributes, then you have lost the trust of the people," he said.

Scindia, the Minister for Communications and Development of the North Eastern Region, expressed confidence in the BJP returning to power in the state where elections are due later this month.

"As far as Maharashtra is concerned, it's a state which I'm extremely emotionally attached to because I originally come from that state. I spent a lot of time in that state, and I am very, very, very confident that the Bharatiya Janata Party, under the leadership of the Prime Minister, will certainly win its place among the hearts of the people once again in this election," he said.

The Scindia family is descended from Maratha general Ranojirao Scindia, who along with Peshwa Bajirao, led the Maratha campaign to Delhi to fight against the Mughal and also fought against the Portuguese on the western coast of India.

12:46 IST

Assembly Polls 2024 LIVE: Jharkhand CM Soren Terms BJP 'Showroom Of Lies, Hatred'

 Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday termed the BJP a "showroom of lies and hatred".

He alleged that crores of rupees were being spent by the saffron party to spread hatred, social animosity and lies against him.

Sharing a report on X referring to "shadow political advertisement", Soren said, "I am not wrong when I say that the BJP is a showroom of lies and hatred."

"They are spending crores of rupees to spread hatred, violence, social animosity and lies against me," he wrote on X.

Reacting to the CM's post, Jharkhand BJP said that he was just playing the victim card to build a narrative of a series of excuses, seeing his impending defeat.

"If he has any grievance, he should go to the Election Commission. Instead of that, he is taking to social media only to play the victim card. He wants to build a narrative of a series of excuses seeing impending defeat in the upcoming election," Jharkhand BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo said.