The tiny hill state of Himachal Pradesh, which acquired its present shape after merger of Punjab Hill areas on November 1, 1966, has remained a Congress bastion with the party winning all but three state assembly elections since 1967.
Taking a stern view of the failure of Gujarat government officials to send a compliance report on transfer and posting of officials ahead of the assembly polls, the Election Commission has sought an explanation from the state chief secretary and the director general of police (DGP).
The term of the Gujarat assembly ends on January 8 next year, and the state is expected to go to polls this December. Besides, elections are also due in Himachal Pradesh alongside Gujarat.
The dates for the crucial assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh have been finalised and will be announced by the Election Commission on Wednesday.
They had filed nominations against official candidates for the upcoming assembly polls.
Just eight months after its good showing in the Lok Sabha polls, the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) seems to be running out of steam with internal bickering and conflicting ambitions resulting in diminishing electoral returns that have once again put the Bharatiya Janata Party in the driver's seat in national politics.
The leaders jumped the boat in the presence of Chief Minister Jairam Thakur and BJP's Sudhan Singh, in-charge of BJP state elections. BJP candidate from Shimla, Sanjay Sood was also present on the occasion.
The decision was taken to foil the attempts made by Chief Minister Mayawati to further split the party.
The Bharatiya Janata Party in Himachal Pradesh on Monday claimed there was a 'wave' in the party's favour and that the ruling Congress party will not even reach double digit figure in the assembly elections.
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said he cannot restore the river water-sharing pact with three neighbouring states that was scrapped by a unanimous vote in the state assembly earlier this week.\n\n
The Opposition can only question us if we stop them from campaigning. The opportunities are equal for all, he said.
The poll panel said the seizures made since the polls were announced on October 9 are over seven times (Rs 239.15 crore) the seizures made in the previous assembly elections in these states in 2018.
Former minister Virbhadra Singh, who resigned from the Union Cabinet after charges were framed against him in a corruption case, has been made the chairman of the Congress' campaign committee for Himachal Pradesh, ahead of the assembly polls in the state. Singh, a five time chief minister, had earlier said that his resignation should not be seen as an admission of guilt as he was going to fight the case to its logical conclusion.
Kangana Ranaut, who is the BJP candidate from her hometown Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, feels Prime Minister Narendra Modi is an 'ansh' (part) of Lord Ram and Lord Vishnu.
Uttar Pradesh and Bihar appear to have got the maximum representation in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's new council of ministers, while assembly poll-bound Maharashtra also found a significant presence.
'The government has pushed HP in a debt trap. Nepotism has reached the zenith,' says senior Congress leader Anand Sharma.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday hailed the party's performance in the Karnataka assembly polls as the victory of politics that unites the country.
Veteran Congress leader and former Union minister Sukh Ram has died, his grandson said on Wednesday. He was 94.
Ahead of the assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, the government on Monday approved the issuance of the 23rd tranche of electoral bonds that will open for sale on November 9.
Months before the Haryana assembly polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party replaced its strongman Manohar Lal Khattar as chief minister with low-profile OBC leader Nayab Singh Saini, a decision that surprised many.
A day after senior Congress leader Anand Sharma resigned from the chairmanship of the party's Steering Committee for Himachal Pradesh, interim party president Sonia Gandhi on Monday asked All India Congress Committee in charge of the Himachal Pradesh, Rajeev Shukla to pacify the issue.
The Election Commission on Wednesday announced that Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat will go to polls in November and December respectively.
Close to half of the total 543 Lok Sabha seats are bracing for multi-cornered fight this time, making the contest way more interesting and intense than it was in the 2019 elections.
Twelve candidates are in the fray for the three tribal seats, elections for which are being held ahead of the remaining 65 assembly constituencies for the first time in the state's history. In all 1,27,785 voters, including 61,902 women, will exercise their franchise for the three constituencies, while polling for the remaining 65 assembly constituencies will be held on December 19.
The agency has issued a provisional order attaching the farmhouse located in south Delhi's Mehrauli area under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. It said the book value of the asset is Rs 6.61 crore but its market value is "worth Rs 27 crore and is in the name of Maple Destinations & Dreambuild".
Chidambaram also stressed that there were lessons to be learnt by the Congress from the Gujarat loss, saying there is no such thing as a "silent" campaign in a hard-fought election.
Some of our leaders were busybusy over the weekend.
No matter how smug they sound on the surface about the potential of the dissenters to disturb the proverbial applecart, the Congress and the BJP know that their electoral calculations are precariously hinged in a seemingly tight contest.
The meeting was attended by 26 participants including Chief Ministers and Lt Governors of UTs, he said while briefing the media.
The counting is underway in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. Watch all the political action unfold in these states right here on Rediff.com.
The Haryana committee will also study laws enacted by other states on the issue, Vij said.
With four days left for campaigning to end, Kangana Ranaut, the Bharatiya Janata Party's candidate from Mandi, is hitting the campaign trail with renewed vigour.
Development is the only solution to people's problems, he said, asserting that India would have to scale new heights of development if it was to do well globally.
All aspirants will be required to fill out a lengthy form stating their qualifications, experience, vision, whether they have any cases pending against them, and why they think they can win elections.
There is a limit to ignoring genuine aspirations of the people and suppressing their legitimate voice in running the affairs of the state, notes Mohammad Sayeed Malik, the distinguished commentator on Kashmir affairs.
With the strategy working in its favour, the BJP could be encouraged to undertake similar steps in states, including Karnataka, where elections are due next year, to counter factors that might work against it.
Thakur's name was proposed by Suresh Bharadwaj and Mahender Singh and seconded by other members.
Contests in 13 seats would attract most attention during the Chhattisgarh assembly elections as they feature prominent leaders of the Congress and BJP.
Ramesh said the local leadership and admitted there were shortcomings in the party's campaign there.
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