The much-anticipated Maharashtra Assembly Elections for 2024 kicked off on Wednesday, with all 288 constituencies heading to the polls. With a total of 4,140 candidates in the running, the real competition lies between the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and Mahayuti alliances. The MVA, composed of Shiv Sena (under Uddhav Thackeray), NCP (led by Sharad Pawar), and Congress, is going head to head with Mahayuti, which includes Shiv Sena (under Eknath Shinde), NCP (under Ajit Pawar), and BJP. Mark your calendars for key dates of the election: Gazette Notification on October 22, Last Date for Nominations on October 29, Nomination Scrutiny on October 30, Last Date for Withdrawal of Nominations on November 4, and Voting Day on November 20.
Despite wanting a member of the Gandhi family to contest from the Amethi Lok Sabha seat, Kishori Lal Sharma has accepted the Congress' order to fight the election. A close aide of the Gandhi family, Sharma has been entrusted with the responsibility to reclaim the seat in the upcoming elections. He has declared his loyalty to the Gandhi family and will be filing his nomination papers later in the day.
In a surprising turn of events, Congress leader Akshay Kanti Bam withdrew his nomination from the Indore Lok Sabha constituency in Madhya Pradesh and was shortly after "welcomed" into the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya. This comes after speculation that another Congress candidate in Surat had colluded with the BJP, leading to their nomination being rejected. With the elections in Indore fast approaching and the last day to submit nominations passed, this move could have a major impact on the results.
The Ongole Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies in the Prakasam district of India have seen a flood of nominations from various political parties and independent candidates. Among those who filed their nominations are known candidates from YSRCP, TDP, Congress and BSP along with lesser known candidates from parties such as Pyramid Party of India and Radial Party of India. With the deadline fast approaching, the contest for these constituencies promises to be an intense one. Stay tuned for updates on the nomination process.
With the withdrawal deadline closing in for the third phase of Karnataka's Lok Sabha elections, the BJP faced a shakeup as Dingaleshwar Mahaswamigalu withdrew his candidacy from the Dharwad constituency while party rebel K S Eshwarappa and Congress ticket aspirant G B Vinay Kumar remained in the race for Shimoga and Davangere. A total of 227 candidates are now in the fray for the 14 seats in northern Karnataka, with cash and valuables worth Rs 3.34 crore being seized in the past 24 hours alone. The number of FIRs filed by election officials has reached 2016, with six candidates remaining in the by-election for the Shorapur Assembly segment.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP party has won its first seat in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections after opposition candidate Nilesh Kumbhani's nomination was rejected and other candidates withdrew from the fray. Mukesh Dalal of the BJP was declared elected from Surat after candidates from smaller parties and Congress withdrew on the last day of withdrawal. The Congress has accused the BJP of "match-fixing" in an attempt to win over the anger of MSME owners and the business community in Surat.
With the Lok Sabha elections just around the corner, Congress has chosen its star campaigners and BJP has announced its list of candidates for Maharashtra and Karnataka. In other election news, Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai is confident about a huge wave for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the state, while Congress announced 14 candidates for Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Telangana. The last day for filing nomination papers is approaching, with counting of votes on June 4.
On International Women's Day, the Indian government announced the nomination of renowned writer, sociologist, and philanthropist Sudha Murthy to the Rajya Sabha. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his joy and confidence in Sudha Murthy's selection, emphasizing the importance of showcasing women's strength and capabilities in leadership roles. Sudha Murthy's impactful contributions to education, social service, and philanthropy have earned her widespread recognition and admiration, making her appointment a testament to the power of women in India's political arena.