Cong Releases Haryana Polls Manifesto; Special Focus on Women
The Maharashtra Assembly’s term ends on 9 November, and the Haryana Assembly’s term expires on 2 November.
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The Maharashtra and Haryana Assembly elections will be held in a single phase on 21 October, the CEC said on 21 September. Counting will take place on 24 October.
Haryana has 1.82 crore registered voters and Maharashtra has 8.94 crore voters.
By-elections will be held in 64 constituencies across 18 states and union territories as well on 21 October. Counting will take place for the same on 24 October.
- Haryana and Maharashtra Assembly elections will be held on 21 October
- Votes will be counted in both states on 24 October
- The 288-member Maharashtra Assembly’s term ends on 9 November
- The 90-member Haryana Assembly’s term comes to an end on 2 November
- The Model Code of Conduct has come into force with the announcement of dates
- By-elections in 64 constituencies will be held on 21 October and polls counted on 24 October
Cong Releases Haryana Manifesto, Special Focus on Women
The Congress, on Friday 11 October, released its manifesto for the upcoming Haryana elections, on 21 October. The party released the manifesto, with a special focus on women voters, news agency PTI said.
The party, in its manifesto is eyeing a 33 percent reservation for women in government and private jobs, Haryana Congress chief Kumari Selja said.
The part also promises to tackle the drug menace in the state, by forming a Special Task Force to keep a check on the same.
The party also promised 50 percent reservation for women in Panchayati Raj institution, municipality corporations and city councils.
Haryana Congress chief Kumari Selja announced a loan waiver for farmers in the state if voted to power.
The party also promised to give an annual scholarship of Rs 12,000 to students from Class 1 to 10 and Rs 15,000 for students from class 11 to 12 who belong to Scheduled Caste community and extremely backward class, she said.
Congress-NCP Alliance Will Come to Power: Thorat
The Congress-NCP alliance will form the next government in Maharashtra, state Congress president Balasaheb Thorat said on Saturday.
"There is a lot of resentment among people about the the BJP-Sena government, and they want a change. Voters will bring the Congress-NCP and their allies back to power with a thumping majority," Thorat said.
The seat-sharing formula between the Congress, NCP and other allies was almost finalised, he said. Under the BJP-led government, Maharashtra recorded the highest number of farmer suicides in last five years, Thorat said.
Election Machinery Ready for Polls: CEO Baldev Singh
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Maharashtra, Baldev Singh, on Saturday said the state election machinery is geared up to conduct Assembly polls in a "free, fair and transparent" manner.
Addressing a press conference in Mumbai, Singh said enrollment of new names in voter list will continue till the end of the process of filing of nomination papers.
"We intend to ensure that voting percentage rises as compared to 60.32 percent in 2014 assembly elections, 50.67 percent in 2009 assembly elections and 60.79 percent in 2019 Lok Sabha polls," he added.
Compared to the 2014 assembly elections, the number of voters has increased by 59,17,901, he said.
Polling stations in the state have increased by 5,325 in the last five years, Singh said.
A total of 1.80 lakh EVMs will be deployed in the elections on 21 October elections, he added.
Maharashtra Polls: Congress, NCP to Raise 'Economic Decline', Joblessness
Former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on Saturday said the Congress would take on the saffron parties on these issues as well as on "the attempts to dismantle opposition parties".
"We will take on the ruling party and the government on issues facing the people," Chavan told PTI. He said some leaders may have defected from the Congress-NCP camp "but the common people are with us".
"We will raise the dictatorial attitude of the ruling party to finish off the Opposition," the former chief minister said.
Meanwhile, NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik exuded confidence that there will be a change of guard in the state. On the issues his party was planning to highlight, the NCP leader said, "Unemployment is on the rise, the problem of economic slowdown has deepened and the number of farmers' suicides has gone up. The people are waiting for the change of guard, which is bound to happen".
Maharashtra Polls: Sena, BJP Confident of Winning over 220 Seats
Leaders of the Shiv Sena and the BJP on Saturday exuded confidence of winning a second consecutive term in Maharashtra, hours after the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the poll schedule.
State BJP chief Chandrakant Patil said given the overwhelming response to the 'Mahajanadesh Yatra' of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the BJP alliance is likely to get more than 220 seats.
"The 'Yuti' (alliance) will burst crackers a day before Diwali (due later in October). Our preparations are complete," Sena spokesman Sanjay Raut told reporters in Mumbai.
Senior BJP leader Vinod Tawde said a BJP-led alliance government under Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will emerge victorious once again.
"In the next one month, we will ensure the report card of our development work of the last five years reaches the people as against the erstwhile 15-year rule of the Congress-NCP combine. That's what we intend to do in the next five years," said the School Education Minister.
DMK, Cong to Contest One Seat Each in TN By-Elections
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Congress to contest one seat each in Tamil Nadu by-elections, while Congress to contest one seat in Puducherry by-elections, ANI reported.
'I Appeal to Everyone to Cast Their Votes': Devendra Fadnavis
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday, 21 September, welcomed the poll dates for the assembly elections in the state and appealed to all people to cast their votes.
“Election Commission has declared dates for largest festival of democracy. I appeal to all to cast their votes. In a democracy, people question the government and have expectations from the government. But only those who vote have a moral right to do so,” Fadnavis said, according to ANI.
By-Elections in 64 Constituencies to be Held on 21 October
By-elections to 64 constituencies will be held on 24 October. Polls will happen in constituencies across Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, MP, Meghalaya, Odisha, Puducherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh on 21 October. The polls will be counted on 24 October.
Assembly Elections 2019: CEC Urges Environmentally Friendly Campaigns
CEC Sunil Arora, while announcing the election dates, urged parties to not use plastic during their campaigns.
“Election campaigns impose an environmental cost upon us. We appeal to political parties to avoid use of plastic and use only environment-friendly material in their campaigns,” Arora said.
Haryana & Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2019: What's The Schedule?
- Last date for nomination of candidates is 4 October
- Scrutiny of candidates will take place on 5 October
- Notifications will be issued on 27 September
- Last date for withdrawal of candidature on 7 October
Assembly Elections 2019: 'Special Arrangements to Be Made for LWE Affected Areas in Maharashtra': CEC
Special security arrangements will be made for the LWE affected areas in Gadchiroli and Gondia in Maharashtra, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said.
Assembly Elections 2019: EC to Announce Maharashtra, Haryana Election Dates Shortly
Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora addresses the media regarding the Maharashtra and Haryana assembly elections.
The election officials have visited both the states and conducted surveys on the ground, Arora said.
“Haryana has 1.82 crore registered voters, while Maharashtra has 8.94 crore voters,” Arora added.
Further, Arora said that two special expenditure observes will be sent to keep tab on the elections.
Assembly Elections 2019: Only Pulwama-like Incident Can Change Sentiment in Maharashtra: Sharad Pawar
There is a lot of resentment against the BJP-led government in Maharashtra, and only a Pulwama-like incident can change this sentiment ahead of the elections, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said on Friday.
"There was anger against the Narendra Modi government before 2019 Lok Sabha polls. But Pulwama attack changed the entire situation," Pawar said at the press conference on 20 September.
Forty paramilitary personnel were killed in the Pulwama terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir in February this year, prompting the Indian government to launch airstrikes against a terror base at Balakot inside Pakistan's territory.
Assembly Elections 2019: Model Code of Conduct to Come Into Effect After Announcement
The Model Code of Conduct will come into force after the announcement of dates.
In 2014, the EC had announced the dates for the Maharashtra and Haryana Assembly elections on 12 September. The voting had taken place on 15 October and results were announced by 19 October.
The BJP-Shiv Sena alliance came to power in Maharashtra in 2014, defeating the Congress. The Congress has allied with the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) this year.
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