In its first list for the upcoming assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, the ruling BJP has focused on seats it lost in 2018 and some of them even in 2013, and has reposed faith in 14 candidates, including three former ministers, who lost last time.
Amit Shah wants to increase the party's nationwide vote share by at least 10 per cent from the 37.7 per cent it secured five years ago and ensure above 50 per cent vote share in the states where it came close to that benchmark, but couldn't cross it.
Chandni Kashyap's body was found buried in the field on Friday after her brothers Sunil and Sudhir, and mother Sukhrani were taken into custody, they said.
The 15-month-old Kamal Nath government in Madhya Pradesh was pushed to the brink.
On Friday, the 65-year-old Dalit leader was sworn-in as an Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister.
On Wednesday, December 29, Priyanka reached out to women voters through a Shakti Samvaad in Firozabad asking them to make their elected representative more accountable and steer clear of voting on lines of caste and religion.
'Akhilesh did politics like Rabi and Kharif crop which come once a year. Politics is not seasonal, you have to harvest your field all through the year and only then you get a good crop' Political analyst lists 12 reasons why Akhilesh Yadav lost the UP elections.
Rajasthan Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra on Tuesday announced a financial assistance of Rs 20 lakh to the family of a nine-year-old Dalit boy who died after being beaten up by his teacher in Jalore district.
'Of course, there is fear, but if we want change, then we must be ready to face the consequences.'
In veiled criticism of the Ashok Gehlot government on Tuesday, Congress leader Sachin Pilot called for zero tolerance to incidents like the recent killing of a Dalit boy and called for action against local officials for an alleged lathi-charge on the victim's family.
SP leader Akhilesh Yadav has successfully poached a number of OBC leaders from the ruling party, including Swami Prasad Maurya, in his efforts to broaden his party's social base beyond the traditional Muslim and Yadav votebank to take it on this time round.
The Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government will have a total of 30 ministers, including 18 who had resigned earlier.
Experts are monitoring them from a hole in a loft near their quarantine enclosures to ensure least human intervention
'Modi's charisma and appeal is unparalleled.' 'Yogi has his own appeal and people connect.' 'He is seen as trustworthy, hardworking and honest.' 'People feel that these qualities are both common to Yogi and Modi.'
Most candidates hailing from political families emerged victorious in the Delhi civic polls, while the richest contender faced a drubbing.
Fifteen ministers took the oath in Rajasthan on Sunday in a cabinet expansion that included 12 new faces, fulfilling a key demand of former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot whose rebellion last year shook the state's Congress government.
'Is baar vote jati par nahi, kaam par milega.'
The Thakurs opposed the wedding procession by Dalits .
The four doctors are on the run and police have fanned out teams to nab them, a senior police officer said.
Jatav youth ask tough questions about surgical strikes, expenditure on statues and organising of the Kumbh festival.
'There is dissatisfaction and disaffection for the BJP, but there is no anti-incumbency against the government in UP.'
With a surge in coronavirus cases in Delhi and its neighbouring cities, migrant workers and daily wagers fear another round of lockdown could push them into a severe financial crisis from which they might never recover.
The incident occurred under the jurisdiction of Aron police station, some 160 km from the state capital, around 3 am when the police personnel had gone to nab the miscreants.
The BSP chief said she will spend every moment of her life strengthening the party across the country and urged its members not to be disheartened.
The Whistleblower is definitely worth watching, recommends Namrata Thakker.
When the BSP formed a government in Uttar Pradesh in 2007, it had bagged 206 seats and a vote share of 30.43 per cent.
As many as 586 candidates are in the fray in this phase with the seats spread across Saharanpur, Bijnor, Moradabad, Sambhal, Rampur, Amroha, Budaun, Bareilly and Shahjahanpur.
For the post of deputy chief minister, the names of Swatantra Dev Singh, Baby Rani Maurya, Brijesh Pathak and Keshav Prasad Maurya are in talks.
'The 16th and 17th Lok Sabha and the 2017 assembly election show that Dalits and OBCs are moving towards the BJP.'
'If the Opposition does make a dent, it could encourage the efforts of regional parties to come together for the larger battle in 2024 and mark the beginning of a new anti-BJP politics.'
Madhya Pradesh police said violence in Bhind and Morena districts was 'sponsored'.
Prima facie, Kumar does not see any possibility of there being part of a larger design or conspiracy. "But we cannot take any chances and now law will take its own course against them", he added.
Successive elections have demonstrated that the BJP campaign switches towards polarisation when it is faced with palpable discontent among the electorate, notes Utkarsh Mishra.
The poll results will depend much on whether the caste and community coalition worked out by Akhilesh can withstand the onslaught of the Hindutva forces who have increased their efforts to polarise the electorate on communal lines.
'...if elections were to be held today.' 'The problem is Akhilesh is not very aggressive.' 'Had he started his campaign aggressively six months ago, the picture in UP would have been very different.'
Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM, which is going to contest next year's Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls on the promise of creating leadership among Muslims, has created unease in the political parties that so far considered the members of the minority community as their core "vote bank".
If the BJP is set to return to power in UP, Uttarakhand, Manipur and even Goa, it is not because of the party's performance or the quality of governance. No. It is essentially Modi's popularity, observes Virendra Kapoor.
BSP commands good support base in western Uttar Pradesh districts, particularly amongst Dalits and the Jatav community. Virendra Singh Rawat reports
The BJP announced names of 107 candidates for the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls.
'Economic issues do not matter during elections; it is the emotional connect that helps swing votes.'
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