Live Updates | Assembly Election 2024: Campaigning Turns High Voltage As NDA, INDIA Mount Attack

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The upcoming November 20 Assembly elections in Maharashtra and the second phase of the Jharkhand elections are drawing high energy and anticipation. In the first phase of voting in Jharkhand, held on Wednesday, a solid voter turnout of 64.86% was recorded across 43 constituencies. The second phase will follow on November 20, with results expected on November 23.

Maharashtra's 288-seat Assembly has seen considerable political shifts. Eknath Shinde emerged as chief minister after breaking from Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena to align with the BJP. The BJP initially held 122 seats after the 2014 elections, but over time, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, comprising the Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, Congress, and Sharad Pawar’s NCP, gained power until Shinde’s rise in 2022.

In Jharkhand, the JMM-led coalition seeks to retain power, emphasizing its welfare programs like the Maiyan Samman Yojna. Meanwhile, the BJP has taken a strong Hindutva stance, critiquing the JMM on alleged corruption and infiltration issues.

Top BJP leaders, including PM Modi and Amit Shah, held rallies targeting the JMM on these grounds. INDIA bloc leaders, such as Congress’s Rahul Gandhi and Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, countered by highlighting welfare programs and accusing the BJP-led Centre of misusing agencies like the ED and CBI against opposition leaders.

14 November 2024

16:03 IST

Assembly Polls LIVE: Congress, Allies Hatching Scheme For Separate Constitution In Kashmir, Says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the Congress and its allies are hatching a scheme to have a separate Constitution for Kashmir, and making all efforts for restoration of Article 370. “Will the people of Maharashtra support the Congress and its allies who speak the language of Pakistan,” Modi said, addressing a rally in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar for the November 20 state assembly elections.

“Congress and its colleagues have passed a resolution to restore Article 370,” he said. “When we made Kashmir free from Article 370, Congress opposed this in Parliament and court. Now they are again hatching a scheme to restore Article 370 and have a separate Constitution in Kashmir,” Modi said. "Kashmir is an integral part of India. Every Indian wants that there should be only Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar's Constitution in Kashmir," Modi said.

“The Congress used to say that reservations were against the country. It considered reservations were against merit. The mentality and agenda of the Congress remains unchanged. Therefore, they can't come to terms with the fact that someone from OBC has been the PM of the country for the last 10 years,” he said. “The Prince of Congress, while he is abroad, openly claims that his party will scrap reservations. To further their agenda, Congress and Maha Vikas Aghadi are conspiring to divide SCs, STs and OBCs into small castes,” he said.

15:50 IST

Assembly Elections 2024 Live Updates: We Will Wipe Out Infiltrators From Jharkhand, Says Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah hit out at Hemant Soren government and alleged that the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) was mired in corruption and if the BJP came to power would wipe out the infiltrators from the state and would bring a law to return the encroached land of tribals.

Addressing an election campaign in Giridih, Amit Shah said, "Hemant Soren government has not allowed to implement schemes of PM Modi as it is mired in corruption. We will ensure industries in Jharkhand so that the labourers do not have to go to other states for work. Hemant Soren is not bothered to build industries in Jharkhand or create electricity. There are mines of aluminium and iron ore but Hemant Soren is not bothered that they are manufactured here. He is only concerned about allowing the infiltrators to enter Jharkhand."

He further alleged that these infiltrators marry innocent locals and encroach on their lands.