In a swift move, the President appointed Gyanesh Kumar as the new Chief Election Commissioner of India, along with the appointment of Haryana Chief Secretary Vivek Joshi as the Election Commissioner. The decision was made after a meeting between the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister, and Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, who expressed disapproval and gave a dissent note. This is the first time the appointment was made under the new CEC and Other ECs Act, 2023, which was implemented based on a Supreme Court ruling in 2023 to establish a Selection Committee for the appointment process. However, the Opposition has challenged the new law in the court and the next hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.
The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has strongly denied former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's claims that the Haryana government deliberately released "poison" into the raw water supply to the national capital. The DJB clarified that the increase in ammonia levels in the Yamuna River during winter is a natural phenomenon and the Board has measures in place to treat and manage it. In a letter to the Election Commission of India, Kejriwal had referred to the situation as "water terrorism," but DJB has deemed his allegations as "factually incorrect, without any basis and misleading."
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has announced his plans to file a defamation suit against former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, who recently accused the state government of polluting Yamuna water. Meanwhile, the BJP is also taking action and filing a complaint against Kejriwal with the Election Commission of India. This comes as tension between the two parties continues to escalate ahead of upcoming elections.
The BJP has announced its candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha by-elections in Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, and Odisha, after the resignation of several members. The Election Commission has announced the polling date to be on December 20, with the results to be declared on the same day. The BJP has fielded Ryaga Krishnaiah from Andhra Pradesh, Rekha Sharma from Haryana, and Sujeet Kumar from Odisha, and will be facing opposition from other parties for the vacant seats.
On the final day of campaigning in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath urged voters to support BJP candidates and accused the Congress party of making false promises and resorting to divisive tactics. He also highlighted the significance of Kurukshetra and vowed to protect society from criminal and anti-national elements. With the election being compared to a battle against modern-day demons, the political arena is heating up in Haryana.
As the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secures a lead in Haryana Assembly elections, it has received support from three Independent MLAs, bringing its tally to 51 seats. BJP state president Mohan Lal Badoli has credited this victory to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policies and the hard work of party workers. Haryana MLA Savitri Jindal, whose son is a BJP MP, has also extended support to the party.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has secured a historic third term in Haryana, winning 48 Assembly seats. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini is set to meet with senior BJP leaders in Delhi to discuss finalizing his cabinet. Despite this victory, the Congress party has raised concerns about the integrity of the counting process and functioning of electronic voting machines (EVMs). The elections in Jammu and Kashmir also saw a significant increase in BJP's tally and its government at the Centre claims credit for holding the elections for the first time since Article 370 was abrogated.
In a surprising turn of events, the ruling BJP secured a historic third term in the Haryana Assembly Elections, winning 48 seats. However, the Congress has raised concerns over the integrity of the counting process and functioning of EVMs in some districts and has promised to bring it up with the Election Commission. The results defied pollsters' predictions of a Congress win and experts attribute BJP's success to its consolidation of non-Jat votes, fresh candidate selection, extensive campaigning, and a fragmented opposition. Meanwhile, Congress supporters started celebrating outside the party headquarters as early trends showed a big victory for the party in Haryana and a lead for the Congress-National Conference alliance in Jammu and Kashmir.
Congress leaders have raised concerns about EVM tampering in Haryana, citing results from machines with varying battery strength. However, sources from the Election Commission have rejected these claims, stating that alkaline batteries used in EVMs have the property of regaining voltage when switched off, which explains the discrepancies in battery percentages. The EC further clarified that initial battery strength is determined on the day of commissioning in the presence of candidates, and the control unit remains functional as long as the battery has more than 5.8 volts, similar to a vehicle running on reserve fuel.
The highly contested Haryana assembly elections have seen the BJP's candidate Anil Vij leading against independent candidate Chitra Sarwara with a significant margin of over 8,000 votes. Vij, who previously served as the state's home minister, has won the Ambala Cantt seat multiple times, first as an independent candidate and later on the BJP ticket. His opponent Sarwara, who was a runner-up in the 2019 elections, was reported to have given a tough fight and even held a meeting with her supporters prior to the election.