The Congress on Friday opposed India signing the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement, saying it will be the "third big jolt" to the Indian economy after demonetization and GST and will result in liberalising Chinese imports to the Indian market.

Addressing a press conference here, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that there was a possibility of India signing the RCEP agreement.

"After demonetisation and GST, it will be the third big jolt to our economy when the Prime Minister goes to Bangkok the next month and expresses India`s agreement to Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership," he said.

He said the government was not talking about` Made in India` now and the agreement will encourage `Made in China`.

Ramesh said that the balance of trade was heavily in favour of China.

"RCEP will result in the liberalisation of imports from China. We do not know what was discussed in Wuhan or Mahabalipuram but we can see the results, there will be liberalisation in imports from China. `Made in India` is not mentioned now. It`ll encourage `Made in China`," he said.

He said that managing director of Amul has written a letter to Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal in which he has expressed concern and said that Indian dairy cooperative will be ruined if India proceeds with RCEP.

"Managing Director of Amul has written to Minister Piyush Goyal stating that India should not do RCEP, else dairy cooperative would be ruined. The milk will be imported from New Zealand, sugar from Australia, dairy products would be imported and it will also ruin our agriculture," he said.

"India will accept the free flow of data under RCEP. The national interest particularly the national security has been removed from the draft RCEP," he added.

Ramesh alleged that the government was keen to sign the agreement due to "mismanagement of the economy".

"There is a text to RCEP, there is context to RCEP. The text to RCEP is bad, the concept is worst," he added.

RCEP is a proposed free trade agreement among 10 ASEAN countries and their six FTA partners China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.&nbsp;

The Congress on Friday opposed India signing the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement, saying it will be the "third big jolt" to the Indian economy after demonetization and GST and will result in liberalising Chinese imports to the Indian market.

The Congress on Friday opposed India signing the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement, saying it will be the "third big jolt" to the Indian economy after demonetization and GST and will result in liberalising Chinese imports to the Indian market. Addressing a press conference here, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that there was a possibility of India signing the RCEP agreement. "After demonetisation and GST, it will be the third big jolt to our economy when the Prime Minister goes to Bangkok the next month and expresses India`s agreement to Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership," he said. He said the government was not talking about` Made in India` now and the agreement will encourage `Made in China`. Ramesh said that the balance of trade was heavily in favour of China. "RCEP will result in the liberalisation of imports from China. We do not know what was discussed in Wuhan or Mahabalipuram but we can see the results, there will be liberalisation in imports from China. `Made in India` is not mentioned now. It`ll encourage `Made in China`," he said. He said that managing director of Amul has written a letter to Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal in which he has expressed concern and said that Indian dairy cooperative will be ruined if India proceeds with RCEP. "Managing Director of Amul has written to Minister Piyush Goyal stating that India should not do RCEP, else dairy cooperative would be ruined. The milk will be imported from New Zealand, sugar from Australia, dairy products would be imported and it will also ruin our agriculture," he said. "India will accept the free flow of data under RCEP. The national interest particularly the national security has been removed from the draft RCEP," he added. Ramesh alleged that the government was keen to sign the agreement due to "mismanagement of the economy". "There is a text to RCEP, there is context to RCEP. The text to RCEP is bad, the concept is worst," he added. RCEP is a proposed free trade agreement among 10 ASEAN countries and their six FTA partners China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

RCEP will be third big jolt to economy by PM Modi, says Congress' Jairam Ramesh

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday here said that according to a study by an NGO, the health of poor people has increased up to 70 per cent due to Ujjwala Yojana and as well as the mission of providing a toilet to each house.

Shah also said that such schemes are the finest example of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision about poor people as he has also experienced poverty in childhood.

"During the dedication, cum foundation stone laying ceremony in Gujarat's capital, Home Minister also distributed token aids to various beneficiaries," stated a Home Ministry press release.

Shah laid the foundation stones of various development projects in his Lok Sabha constituency Gandhinagar.

In the morning, he laid the foundation stone for Gandhinagar Mahanagar Palika's degraded and control centre in Sector 11.

At 10 am, the Union Home Minister also inaugurated a bridge and also laid the foundation stone of an office for Kalol APMC.

Apart from these, the Union Home Minister also laid the foundation for the Agricultural produce market committee (APMC) in the afternoon and visited KIRC college where he issued orders to dispatch equipment for the disabled.

"The Minister has appealed to all the MPs to strengthen their representative constituencies organisationally and infrastructural which will make entire India a holistically developed country," the press release added.

Speaking on the Centre's Ayushman Bharat scheme, he said: "Every citizen in his constituency will get facility within the range of 10 km."

The Chief Minister of Gujarat Vijaybhai Rupani and Deputy Chief Minister Shri Nitinbhai Patel along with Minister of State for Home Pradipsinh Jadeja, State Revenue Minster Kaushikbhai Patel, Mayor of Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation Ritaben Patel and other dignitaries also attended the function.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday here said that according to a study by an NGO, the health of poor people has increased up to 70 per cent due to Ujjwala Yojana and as well as the mission of providing a toilet to each house.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday here said that according to a study by an NGO, the health of poor people has increased up to 70 per cent due to Ujjwala Yojana and as well as the mission of providing a toilet to each house. Shah also said that such schemes are the finest example of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision about poor people as he has also experienced poverty in childhood. "During the dedication, cum foundation stone laying ceremony in Gujarat's capital, Home Minister also distributed token aids to various beneficiaries," stated a Home Ministry press release. Shah laid the foundation stones of various development projects in his Lok Sabha constituency Gandhinagar. In the morning, he laid the foundation stone for Gandhinagar Mahanagar Palika's degraded and control centre in Sector 11. At 10 am, the Union Home Minister also inaugurated a bridge and also laid the foundation stone of an office for Kalol APMC. Apart from these, the Union Home Minister also laid the foundation for the Agricultural produce market committee (APMC) in the afternoon and visited KIRC college where he issued orders to dispatch equipment for the disabled. "The Minister has appealed to all the MPs to strengthen their representative constituencies organisationally and infrastructural which will make entire India a holistically developed country," the press release added. Speaking on the Centre's Ayushman Bharat scheme, he said: "Every citizen in his constituency will get facility within the range of 10 km." The Chief Minister of Gujarat Vijaybhai Rupani and Deputy Chief Minister Shri Nitinbhai Patel along with Minister of State for Home Pradipsinh Jadeja, State Revenue Minster Kaushikbhai Patel, Mayor of Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation Ritaben Patel and other dignitaries also attended the function.

Health of poor improved up to 70 per cent due to Ujjawala, Swachha Bharat: Amit Shah

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar said here on Friday that the party will play the role of an "efficient Opposition".

"Our role is, that people have given us the opportunity to sit in the Opposition and not form the government. We will carry out our work efficiently," said Pawar.

The results for 288 Assembly <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/maharashtra-assembly-election-results-2019-bjp-shiv-sena-set-to-form-govt-but-fall-short-of-their-projected-target-258072">constituencies of Maharashtra </a>were declared on Thursday with the BJP securing a total of 105 seats and its alliance partner Shiv Sena, 56 seats. As per the Election Commission, BJP secured 105 seats, Shiv Sena (56), Congress (44) and the Nationalist Congress Party (54). 
BJP-Shiv Sena alliance won an absolute majority in the Maharashtra assembly polls.

In this election, the BJP vociferously raised the issues of national security and development during the polls while the opposition sought to keep the campaign focused on issues such as "economic slowdown" and "job losses".

However, the NCP increased its numbers as compared to the 2014 elections.

The Congress slipped to the fourth position in a state where it was once the dominant player.

The NCP also won the prestigious by-poll to Satara Lok Sabha seat, where its candidate Shriniwas Patil defeated BJP's Udayanraje Bhosale, a descendant of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji. Bhosale had left the NCP and joined BJP last month.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar had campaigned extensively in the state to boost the party's prospects.

It will be the first time that Maharashtra will have the BJP chief minister for the second successive term in office.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar said here on Friday that the party will play the role of an "efficient Opposition". "Our role is, that people have given us the opportunity to sit in the Opposition and not form the government.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar said here on Friday that the party will play the role of an "efficient Opposition". "Our role is, that people have given us the opportunity to sit in the Opposition and not form the government. We will carry out our work efficiently," said Pawar. The results for 288 Assembly constituencies of Maharashtra were declared on Thursday with the BJP securing a total of 105 seats and its alliance partner Shiv Sena, 56 seats. As per the Election Commission, BJP secured 105 seats, Shiv Sena (56), Congress (44) and the Nationalist Congress Party (54). BJP-Shiv Sena alliance won an absolute majority in the Maharashtra assembly polls. In this election, the BJP vociferously raised the issues of national security and development during the polls while the opposition sought to keep the campaign focused on issues such as "economic slowdown" and "job losses". However, the NCP increased its numbers as compared to the 2014 elections. The Congress slipped to the fourth position in a state where it was once the dominant player. The NCP also won the prestigious by-poll to Satara Lok Sabha seat, where its candidate Shriniwas Patil defeated BJP's Udayanraje Bhosale, a descendant of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji. Bhosale had left the NCP and joined BJP last month. NCP chief Sharad Pawar had campaigned extensively in the state to boost the party's prospects. It will be the first time that Maharashtra will have the BJP chief minister for the second successive term in office.

We will play the role of an efficient Opposition: Sharad Pawar

Haryana voted en masse for the BJP in the recent Lok Sabha election and gave Narendra Modi all 10 Lok Sabha seats. But that's just that. The BJP found itself unable to convert the widespread support for the Prime Minister into a mandate for its government led by Manohar Lal Khattar. This, despite the fact that the party managed to increase its vote share over its 2014 performance.

The BJP won 40 of the 90 constituencies in the Haryana Assembly, which means it is six seats short of the simple majority needed to form a government on its own. It scored 36.45 per cent of the votes, which was an increase of 3.25 percentage points over its 2014 performance of 33.2 per cent, which had give it 47 seats in the Assembly.

However, the sticking point that led most observers to expect a massive electoral sweep for the BJP in the 2019 Assembly election was the fact that the party had received a mind-boggling 58 per cent of the votes. This was an extremely steep increase from the 34.84 per cent the party had scored in the 2014 Lok Sabha election.

However, this very real Modi wave doesn't seem to have translated to the Assembly elections for the BJP.

The Congress managed to hold on to its vote share in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and notched an increase of eight percentage points over its score in the 2014 Assembly elections. This gave the party victories in 31 seats, up from 15 seats in 2014.

But, if the BJP's vote share increased and the Congress's vote share increased, where did these votes come from? The likely answer to that is that they came from the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), which crashed from an inelastic and steady vote share between 22 and 24 percentage points over the past few elections to a mere 2.45 per cent.

The Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), which broke away from the INLD in a family feud, seemed to be the biggest beneficiary of the INLD's decimation. The fledgeling party managed to score victories in 10 seats. The JJP's vote share was not presented separately by the Election Commission of India since it is not yet recognised. Whether the votes that abandoned the INLD vote shifted in totality to the JJP remains to be seen.

Simply put, this many not exactly have been a vote against the government of ML Khattar. It is just that vote bloc migrations as a result of the collapse of the INLD put in place a situation where the increases in vote share just didn't convert into seats for the BJP. Only one thing is certain, there was a massive Modi wave in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, and the Prime Minister's popularity need not necessarily translate to victories for the Chief Ministers he put in place over the past five years. 
 
(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-haryana-election-result-shows-pm-modi-s-popularity-does-not-automatically-assure-bjp-victory-2798544">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Haryana voted en masse for the BJP in the recent Lok Sabha election and gave Narendra Modi all 10 Lok Sabha seats. But that's just that. The BJP found itself unable to convert the widespread support for the Prime Minister into a mandate for its government led by Manohar Lal Khattar.

Haryana voted en masse for the BJP in the recent Lok Sabha election and gave Narendra Modi all 10 Lok Sabha seats. But that's just that. The BJP found itself unable to convert the widespread support for the Prime Minister into a mandate for its government led by Manohar Lal Khattar. This, despite the fact that the party managed to increase its vote share over its 2014 performance. The BJP won 40 of the 90 constituencies in the Haryana Assembly, which means it is six seats short of the simple majority needed to form a government on its own. It scored 36.45 per cent of the votes, which was an increase of 3.25 percentage points over its 2014 performance of 33.2 per cent, which had give it 47 seats in the Assembly. However, the sticking point that led most observers to expect a massive electoral sweep for the BJP in the 2019 Assembly election was the fact that the party had received a mind-boggling 58 per cent of the votes. This was an extremely steep increase from the 34.84 per cent the party had scored in the 2014 Lok Sabha election. However, this very real Modi wave doesn't seem to have translated to the Assembly elections for the BJP. The Congress managed to hold on to its vote share in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and notched an increase of eight percentage points over its score in the 2014 Assembly elections. This gave the party victories in 31 seats, up from 15 seats in 2014. But, if the BJP's vote share increased and the Congress's vote share increased, where did these votes come from? The likely answer to that is that they came from the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), which crashed from an inelastic and steady vote share between 22 and 24 percentage points over the past few elections to a mere 2.45 per cent. The Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), which broke away from the INLD in a family feud, seemed to be the biggest beneficiary of the INLD's decimation. The fledgeling party managed to score victories in 10 seats. The JJP's vote share was not presented separately by the Election Commission of India since it is not yet recognised. Whether the votes that abandoned the INLD vote shifted in totality to the JJP remains to be seen. Simply put, this many not exactly have been a vote against the government of ML Khattar. It is just that vote bloc migrations as a result of the collapse of the INLD put in place a situation where the increases in vote share just didn't convert into seats for the BJP. Only one thing is certain, there was a massive Modi wave in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, and the Prime Minister's popularity need not necessarily translate to victories for the Chief Ministers he put in place over the past five years. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Haryana election result shows PM Modi's popularity does not automatically assure BJP victory

The European Union looked set on Friday to delay a decision on Britain's request for a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-pm-boris-johnson-sends-unsigned-letter-seeking-brexit-delay-256989">Brexit extension</a> to give time for Britain's parliament to decide on Prime Minister Boris Johnson's call for an election.

"I'd be surprised if we land today," said an EU official before ambassadors to the 27 other EU member states went into a meeting to discuss postponing Britain's departure from the bloc, less than a week before the current deadline of October&nbsp;31.

Separately, a senior EU official said the 27 may agree in principle to a delay but set no new date until after parliament's vote on Monday on whether to have a snap election on December&nbsp;12.

Johnson admitted on Thursday that he would not meet his <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/johnson-adamant-on-brexit-deadline-despite-delay-request-257170">"do or die" deadline</a> of October&nbsp;31 and demanded a pre-Christmas poll to end what he cast as the "nightmare" of the Brexit crisis.

EU envoys to Brussels were due to discuss the length of a third delay to Brexit on Friday, though officials said they would be reluctant to set a date because it could dictate the direction of political events in London.

According to a draft decision by the 27, which was seen by Reuters on Thursday evening, a delay would be granted "with the view to allowing for the finalisation of the ratification" of the divorce agreement sealed with Johnson last week.

The draft text left the new Brexit date blank, but said the split could take place earlier if ratification was completed earlier - an idea known as "flextension", an amalgamation of the words "flexible" and "extension".

An EU official explained: "It's basically between a three-month flextension or a two-tier one."

Under the first idea, Britain would leave on Jan. 31, three months after the current departure date, but earlier if it and the EU raify an agreement before that. The second one would include a second specific date when Britain could leave.

Johnson won the leadership of the ruling Conservative Party to become prime minister in a minority government by staking his career on getting Brexit done by October&nbsp;31, but after parliament rejected his proposed legislative timetable on Tuesday he will fail to do that.

Brexit was initially supposed to have taken place on March 29 but Johnson's predecessor, Theresa May, was forced to delay twice as parliament defeated her Brexit deal by margins of between 58 and 230 votes earlier this year. Her failure cost May her job.

Johnson said in a letter to opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on Thursday he would give parliament more time to approve his Brexit deal by Nov. 6 but lawmakers must on Monday back a December election, Johnson's third attempt to try to force a snap vote.

"Prolonging this paralysis into 2020 would have dangerous consequences," he said. "If I win a majority in this election, we will then ratify the great new deal that I have negotiated, get Brexit done in January and the country will move on."

Corbyn said he would wait to see what the EU decides on a Brexit delay before deciding which way to vote on Monday, repeating that he could only back an election when the risk of Johnson taking Britain out of the EU without a deal to smooth the transition was off the table.

It is not clear how Corbyn would respond if the EU makes no decision on a date on Friday.

The European Union looked set on Friday to delay a decision on Britain's request for a Brexit extension to give time for Britain's parliament to decide on Prime Minister Boris Johnson's call for an election.

The European Union looked set on Friday to delay a decision on Britain's request for a Brexit extension to give time for Britain's parliament to decide on Prime Minister Boris Johnson's call for an election. "I'd be surprised if we land today," said an EU official before ambassadors to the 27 other EU member states went into a meeting to discuss postponing Britain's departure from the bloc, less than a week before the current deadline of October 31. Separately, a senior EU official said the 27 may agree in principle to a delay but set no new date until after parliament's vote on Monday on whether to have a snap election on December 12. Johnson admitted on Thursday that he would not meet his "do or die" deadline of October 31 and demanded a pre-Christmas poll to end what he cast as the "nightmare" of the Brexit crisis. EU envoys to Brussels were due to discuss the length of a third delay to Brexit on Friday, though officials said they would be reluctant to set a date because it could dictate the direction of political events in London. According to a draft decision by the 27, which was seen by Reuters on Thursday evening, a delay would be granted "with the view to allowing for the finalisation of the ratification" of the divorce agreement sealed with Johnson last week. The draft text left the new Brexit date blank, but said the split could take place earlier if ratification was completed earlier - an idea known as "flextension", an amalgamation of the words "flexible" and "extension". An EU official explained: "It's basically between a three-month flextension or a two-tier one." Under the first idea, Britain would leave on Jan. 31, three months after the current departure date, but earlier if it and the EU raify an agreement before that. The second one would include a second specific date when Britain could leave. Johnson won the leadership of the ruling Conservative Party to become prime minister in a minority government by staking his career on getting Brexit done by October 31, but after parliament rejected his proposed legislative timetable on Tuesday he will fail to do that. Brexit was initially supposed to have taken place on March 29 but Johnson's predecessor, Theresa May, was forced to delay twice as parliament defeated her Brexit deal by margins of between 58 and 230 votes earlier this year. Her failure cost May her job. Johnson said in a letter to opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on Thursday he would give parliament more time to approve his Brexit deal by Nov. 6 but lawmakers must on Monday back a December election, Johnson's third attempt to try to force a snap vote. "Prolonging this paralysis into 2020 would have dangerous consequences," he said. "If I win a majority in this election, we will then ratify the great new deal that I have negotiated, get Brexit done in January and the country will move on." Corbyn said he would wait to see what the EU decides on a Brexit delay before deciding which way to vote on Monday, repeating that he could only back an election when the risk of Johnson taking Britain out of the EU without a deal to smooth the transition was off the table. It is not clear how Corbyn would respond if the EU makes no decision on a date on Friday.

Any government that BJP forms in Haryana will be illegitimate, illegally constituted: Congress

Assembly Election results in Haryana and Maharasthra have shown that there is still some hope left for regional parties in electoral politics of India.&nbsp;

While BJP continues to dominate the political landscape of the country, Sharad Pawar and Dushyant Chautala have managed to make inroads.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Chautala’s Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), despite divisions within his family, has firmly grabbed the reins of Jat politics and sentiments in districts which are their traditional strongholds.

While the Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar was the last man standing who did not give up even in the face of the mass exodus from NCP-Congress to Shiv Sena and BJP.&nbsp;

In Haryana, the BJP won 40 seats, with the main opposition Congress party cornering 31 seats. The state has a 90-member assembly, meaning either party will need an ally to form a government.

Jannayak Janata Party, a regional party that has emerged a likely kingmaker in the state with 10 seats, has not announced who it will side with.

"The keys to the Haryana assembly will be with the Jannayak Janta Party," party leader Dushyant Chautala told reporters on Thursday.

The results for 286 Assembly constituencies of Maharashtra were declared on Thursday with the BJP securing a total of 105 seats and its alliance partner Shiv Sena, 56 seats.&nbsp;

As per the Election Commission, BJP secured 105 seats, Shiv Sena (56), Congress (44) and the Nationalist Congress Party (54).&nbsp;

While Bahujan Vikas Aaghadi won 3 seats, the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen, Prahar Janshakti Party and Samajwadi Party won 2 seats each.

One seat each was bagged by Sawbhimani Pakasha, Rashtriya Samaj Paksha, Peasants and Workers Party of India, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, Krantikari Shetkari Party, Jan Surajya Shakti and Communist Party of India (Marxist).

BJP-Shiv Sena alliance won an absolute majority in the Maharashtra assembly polls.

(With inputs from agencies)

Assembly Election results in Haryana and Maharasthra have shown that there is still some hope left for regional parties in electoral politics of India. While BJP continues to dominate the political landscape of the country, Sharad Pawar and Dushyant Chautala have managed to make inroads.

Assembly Election results in Haryana and Maharasthra have shown that there is still some hope left for regional parties in electoral politics of India. While BJP continues to dominate the political landscape of the country, Sharad Pawar and Dushyant Chautala have managed to make inroads. Chautala’s Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), despite divisions within his family, has firmly grabbed the reins of Jat politics and sentiments in districts which are their traditional strongholds. While the Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar was the last man standing who did not give up even in the face of the mass exodus from NCP-Congress to Shiv Sena and BJP. In Haryana, the BJP won 40 seats, with the main opposition Congress party cornering 31 seats. The state has a 90-member assembly, meaning either party will need an ally to form a government. Jannayak Janata Party, a regional party that has emerged a likely kingmaker in the state with 10 seats, has not announced who it will side with. "The keys to the Haryana assembly will be with the Jannayak Janta Party," party leader Dushyant Chautala told reporters on Thursday. The results for 286 Assembly constituencies of Maharashtra were declared on Thursday with the BJP securing a total of 105 seats and its alliance partner Shiv Sena, 56 seats. As per the Election Commission, BJP secured 105 seats, Shiv Sena (56), Congress (44) and the Nationalist Congress Party (54). While Bahujan Vikas Aaghadi won 3 seats, the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen, Prahar Janshakti Party and Samajwadi Party won 2 seats each. One seat each was bagged by Sawbhimani Pakasha, Rashtriya Samaj Paksha, Peasants and Workers Party of India, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, Krantikari Shetkari Party, Jan Surajya Shakti and Communist Party of India (Marxist). BJP-Shiv Sena alliance won an absolute majority in the Maharashtra assembly polls. (With inputs from agencies)

Future of regional parties looks hopeful amid national BJP wave

The counting of votes for Haryana and Maharashtra assembly election is currently underway. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ally Shiv Sena is in lead in Maharashtra. Meanwhile in Haryana, there is a neck and neck fight between BJP and Congress.

Haryana & Maharashtra Assembly Eelections 2019: Counting underway, BJP leads in Maharashtra

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is leading in 103&nbsp;assembly constituencies in Maharashtra, while its ally Shiv Sena is ahead in 63 seats, as per official trends from the Election Commission (EC).

 
Congress, on the other hand, is leading on five seats while its alliance partner, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is ahead in 41&nbsp;seats.

 
Independents are leading on four seats and the Krantikari Shetkari Party is ahead in one constituency, according to the EC. 
There are 288 seats in the Maharashtra assembly. Counting of votes began at 8 am today.

 
The state went to polls in a single phase on October 21.

 
The electoral fate of 3,237 candidates in Maharashtra was sealed in EVMs by the voters who had exercised their franchise in the assembly polls. At least 96,661 polling booths were set up in Maharashtra for citizens to cast their votes.

 
BJP had contested on 150 seats while Shiv Sena had fielded it candidates in 124 constituencies in the state. The remaining seats were left for smaller allies. On the other hand, Congress contested the polls in alliance with the NCP.

 
The assembly poll results will be crucial for the NCP as well as for Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), AIMIM and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA).

 
Most exit polls have predicted the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena alliance getting elected in Maharashtra but have differed in their projection of the number of seats.

 
The assembly elections are the first after the BJP-led government's decision to revoke Article 370. A verdict in its favour will give a boost to the party ahead of the winter session of Parliament next month.

 
A victory will also keep the political momentum with the BJP after its emphatic victory in the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

 
The polls are equally as crucial for the Congress which has faced desertions after its second successive debacle in the Lok Sabha polls. A strong performance will help the party in its process of electoral revival.

 
The BJP has already declared that incumbent Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will continue to lead the state government if the party is voted to power.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is leading in 103 assembly constituencies in Maharashtra, while its ally Shiv Sena is ahead in 63 seats, as per official trends from the Election Commission (EC).

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is leading in 103 assembly constituencies in Maharashtra, while its ally Shiv Sena is ahead in 63 seats, as per official trends from the Election Commission (EC). Congress, on the other hand, is leading on five seats while its alliance partner, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is ahead in 41 seats. Independents are leading on four seats and the Krantikari Shetkari Party is ahead in one constituency, according to the EC. There are 288 seats in the Maharashtra assembly. Counting of votes began at 8 am today. The state went to polls in a single phase on October 21. The electoral fate of 3,237 candidates in Maharashtra was sealed in EVMs by the voters who had exercised their franchise in the assembly polls. At least 96,661 polling booths were set up in Maharashtra for citizens to cast their votes. BJP had contested on 150 seats while Shiv Sena had fielded it candidates in 124 constituencies in the state. The remaining seats were left for smaller allies. On the other hand, Congress contested the polls in alliance with the NCP. The assembly poll results will be crucial for the NCP as well as for Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), AIMIM and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA). Most exit polls have predicted the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena alliance getting elected in Maharashtra but have differed in their projection of the number of seats. The assembly elections are the first after the BJP-led government's decision to revoke Article 370. A verdict in its favour will give a boost to the party ahead of the winter session of Parliament next month. A victory will also keep the political momentum with the BJP after its emphatic victory in the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The polls are equally as crucial for the Congress which has faced desertions after its second successive debacle in the Lok Sabha polls. A strong performance will help the party in its process of electoral revival. The BJP has already declared that incumbent Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will continue to lead the state government if the party is voted to power.

BJP leading in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena not far behind

The counting of votes for Haryana and Maharashtra assembly election is currently underway. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ally Shiv Sena took is in lead in Maharashtra. Meanwhile in Haryana, there is a neck and neck fight between BJP and Congress.

India Votes: Close fight between BJP & Congress in Haryana

Opposition has done better-than-expected in both states & BJP's over-reliance on PM Modi & 'national' issues may have failed to make the desired impact.

WION Edit: Local Issues Matter To People & Opposition Is 'alive'

Summarising The Results Of Maharashtra & Haryana Assembly Elections BJP-led NDA registers a clear victory in #Maharashtra, while Haryana throws up a fractured mandate.

Gravitas: Assembly Polls 2019: The Verdict From Haryana & Maharashtra

What Prime Minister Modi Thinks Of The Assembly Election Results In Maharashtra & Haryana. You may have heard from a host of analysts and journalists about the results of the Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana.

Gravitas: PM Modi's Verdict On Assembly Election Results

Here's What The Assembly Election Results Mean For BJP, Congress, NCP, JJP & Others.

Gravitas: Assembly Poll Results: Interpreting The Key Factors & Events

The fate of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray, former Maharashtra deputy CM and senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar, former chief ministers Ashok Chavan and Prithviraj Chavan, will be decided on Thursday as counting for the 288-member Maharashtra assembly election is underway.

Maharashtra, Haryana elections results: BJP likely to retain power in both states

Samajwadi Party's candidate from Rampur Assembly constituency by-election, Tazeen Fatima is leading with 6364 votes after the second round of counting.

Fatima, a Rajya Sabha MP, is the wife of Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan.

By-elections to the Rampur Assembly seat, considered an SP bastion, were necessitated after Azam Khan won the Lok Sabha elections from the constituency earlier this year.

Fatima is pitted against BJP's Bharat Bhooshan for the seat.

Samajwadi Party's candidate from Rampur Assembly constituency by-election, Tazeen Fatima is leading with 6364 votes after the second round of counting. Fatima, a Rajya Sabha MP, is the wife of Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan.

Samajwadi Party's candidate from Rampur Assembly constituency by-election, Tazeen Fatima is leading with 6364 votes after the second round of counting. Fatima, a Rajya Sabha MP, is the wife of Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan. By-elections to the Rampur Assembly seat, considered an SP bastion, were necessitated after Azam Khan won the Lok Sabha elections from the constituency earlier this year. Fatima is pitted against BJP's Bharat Bhooshan for the seat.

Rampur by-poll:Samajwadi party's Tazeen Fatima leading with over 6,000 votes

PM Modi's speech on BJP's victory in Haryana and Maharashtra Elections. To know more watch the video

PM Modi's speech on BJP's victory in Haryana and Maharashtra Elections

India Votes: Cong old guard fights back; BJP falls short of majority in Haryana. Watch video to know more.

India Votes: Cong old guard fights back; BJP falls short of majority in Haryana

The results of Assembly elections&nbsp;in Maharashtra and Haryana should set the &nbsp;BJP leadership rethink about their ‘winning’ formula. Do they need to reinvent this formula as it doesn’t seem to be working as effectively in the state assembly polls as it has worked in the national elections.

A key takeaway from these poll results is that people in India vote differently for the assembly and the parliamentary polls. While at the national level, the national leadership and the ideology of a party have a decisive impact on the poll outcome, in Assembly polls there are multiple factors that influence the poll outcome such as local leadership, ticket distribution, caste, number of parties that are contesting, profile of individual candidates and tactical understanding between different players in multi-cornered contest. But most importantly, it is the anti-incumbency that plays a significant role in assembly polls. &nbsp;&nbsp;

On all the above parameters, the performance of the BJP has been credible. It has turned upside down the key political dictum of Indian politics i.e. most governments have to be voted out of power after one term. In most of the states where the BJP has captured power, it has been able to make a comeback, even if with reduced numbers. It is a significant achievement and it underlines the fact that people believe that the BJP tries to provide good governance. In some spheres, it is able to deliver and in some spheres it is not.

But overall, the BJP has been able to build an image of a party that is concerned more with governance and less with the self-interest of the individuals. If one looks at the Assembly results of both Haryana and Maharashtra from this perspective, one would be able to understand that how the BJP lost some seats in both the states but still remains the most preferred party.

Another important takeaway from these poll results is that the Congress Party needs to shun Rahul Gandhi completely if it is interested in revival. It is clear from these poll results that Congress has performed much better than even its own expectation. One of the primary reasons for this performance is the stepping down of Rahul Gandhi. It is a well-known fact that Rahul Gandhi had backed Ashok Tanwar in Haryana and not BS Hooda.

The latter was backed by Sonia Gandhi after she again took over the reins of the Congress recently leading to exit of Rahul loyalist Ashok Tanwar. And it is former Chief Minister BS Hooda who has spearheaded the revival of Congress in Haryana.&nbsp;

The Assembly poll results would surely lead to the next round of power struggle within the Congress as the old guard is likely to strike back with greater confidence after the party has performed well without Rahul Gandhi. One of the possible outcomes of this revival of the old guard could be the comeback of Rahul as the Party President much sooner than expected as he is likely to feel more and more insecure in days to come. It would be interesting to see how long Sonia can protect him from this power struggle.

Meanwhile, the BJP also needs to go back and rethink about the gap between expectations and actual performance on the ground. &nbsp;The party needs to review where did it go wrong in Haryana and how it could have improved its tally further in Maharashtra. &nbsp;The formidable organisational network of the BJP has become probably vulnerable at the local level in certain places and the party need not overlook that.

The party also needs to rethink about the utility of high decibel campaigns. Such campaigns are effective only when they are backed by organisational outreach at the grassroots level. It seems that many ‘members’ or ‘party workers’ didn’t do the task assigned to them at the grassroots level. 
 
There was intense infighting in the party units in both the states. The same situation prevails in the state of Jharkhand and Delhi also which are going to go to polls soon.

It remains to be seen now, which of the party’s learn from these polls and do not repeat its past mistakes. If the Congress wants to revive and challenge the BJP, it needs to keep Rahul Gandhi far away, if the BJP wants to win back Delhi and retain Jharkhand, it needs to review its organisational outreach at the grassroots level and control infighting within its state units. 
 
It also needs to look at some of the distress signals in the economic sphere that affect day to day lives of the common people. The BJP must not forget amidst its high decibel campaign that ‘for a hungry man, utopia is a world full of food.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

The results of Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana should set the BJP leadership rethink about their ‘winning’ formula. Do they need to reinvent this formula as it doesn’t seem to be working as effectively in the state assembly polls as it has worked in the national elections.

The results of Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana should set the BJP leadership rethink about their ‘winning’ formula. Do they need to reinvent this formula as it doesn’t seem to be working as effectively in the state assembly polls as it has worked in the national elections. A key takeaway from these poll results is that people in India vote differently for the assembly and the parliamentary polls. While at the national level, the national leadership and the ideology of a party have a decisive impact on the poll outcome, in Assembly polls there are multiple factors that influence the poll outcome such as local leadership, ticket distribution, caste, number of parties that are contesting, profile of individual candidates and tactical understanding between different players in multi-cornered contest. But most importantly, it is the anti-incumbency that plays a significant role in assembly polls. On all the above parameters, the performance of the BJP has been credible. It has turned upside down the key political dictum of Indian politics i.e. most governments have to be voted out of power after one term. In most of the states where the BJP has captured power, it has been able to make a comeback, even if with reduced numbers. It is a significant achievement and it underlines the fact that people believe that the BJP tries to provide good governance. In some spheres, it is able to deliver and in some spheres it is not. But overall, the BJP has been able to build an image of a party that is concerned more with governance and less with the self-interest of the individuals. If one looks at the Assembly results of both Haryana and Maharashtra from this perspective, one would be able to understand that how the BJP lost some seats in both the states but still remains the most preferred party. Another important takeaway from these poll results is that the Congress Party needs to shun Rahul Gandhi completely if it is interested in revival. It is clear from these poll results that Congress has performed much better than even its own expectation. One of the primary reasons for this performance is the stepping down of Rahul Gandhi. It is a well-known fact that Rahul Gandhi had backed Ashok Tanwar in Haryana and not BS Hooda. The latter was backed by Sonia Gandhi after she again took over the reins of the Congress recently leading to exit of Rahul loyalist Ashok Tanwar. And it is former Chief Minister BS Hooda who has spearheaded the revival of Congress in Haryana. The Assembly poll results would surely lead to the next round of power struggle within the Congress as the old guard is likely to strike back with greater confidence after the party has performed well without Rahul Gandhi. One of the possible outcomes of this revival of the old guard could be the comeback of Rahul as the Party President much sooner than expected as he is likely to feel more and more insecure in days to come. It would be interesting to see how long Sonia can protect him from this power struggle. Meanwhile, the BJP also needs to go back and rethink about the gap between expectations and actual performance on the ground. The party needs to review where did it go wrong in Haryana and how it could have improved its tally further in Maharashtra. The formidable organisational network of the BJP has become probably vulnerable at the local level in certain places and the party need not overlook that. The party also needs to rethink about the utility of high decibel campaigns. Such campaigns are effective only when they are backed by organisational outreach at the grassroots level. It seems that many ‘members’ or ‘party workers’ didn’t do the task assigned to them at the grassroots level. There was intense infighting in the party units in both the states. The same situation prevails in the state of Jharkhand and Delhi also which are going to go to polls soon. It remains to be seen now, which of the party’s learn from these polls and do not repeat its past mistakes. If the Congress wants to revive and challenge the BJP, it needs to keep Rahul Gandhi far away, if the BJP wants to win back Delhi and retain Jharkhand, it needs to review its organisational outreach at the grassroots level and control infighting within its state units. It also needs to look at some of the distress signals in the economic sphere that affect day to day lives of the common people. The BJP must not forget amidst its high decibel campaign that ‘for a hungry man, utopia is a world full of food. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Assembly election results: Lessons BJP and Congress need to learn

After giving BJP a phenomenal victory in the Lok Sabha elections, electors appear to have voted differently in the assembly elections.

BJP-Shiv Sena set to rule in Maharashtra

Opposition votes exist&nbsp;in India but require deft leadership. The voting pattern in Haryana and Maharashtra stands testimony to this reality. BJP’s strong grip over various states and New Delhi stands challenged by regional parties and much weakened Congress. Such political challenge stems from a strong culture of Opposition in Indian politics.

Despite massive electoral machinery in place, the Opposition has been able to get candidates elected. The best example in case is Haryana where elections have thrown a hung assembly. The presence of a resurgent Opposition should be a sigh of relief that India is not staring at brute majoritarian politics. It still has the power to rustle up regional and local concoctions to challenge national hegemony in the form of Bhartiya Janata Party. Haryana results may ape Karnataka development but still gives hope that Opposition can put a good fight under-seasoned hands.

Regional parties are integral to India

Off late, the argument was that regional parties would be subsumed by BJP. Congress would in itself turn into another regional party. The emergence of JJP in Haryana and NCP’s consolidation in Maharashtra shows us that regional parties will continue to exist in Indian electoral politics. Regional parties will continue to act as a bulwark against a very strong New Delhi. After 15 years, Haryana has thrown JJP under Dushyant Chautala and Sharad Pawar has been able to stem the decline of NCP by consolidating his vote in Maharashtra. The results show a significant drop in the share of BJP vote post-Lok Sabha reinforcing the message that regional elections will continue to have a say. The message is that regional parties are integral to Indian democracy and not an exception. Regional parties will continue to the vehicle of Indian regional diversity with competing for political interests.

National and regional voting pattern will always differ

Once again, the Assembly elections have shown that national and regional elections will have a different voting pattern. In both Maharashtra and Haryana, the vote share of BJP dropped significantly. BJP’s campaign on national security, Article 370 also failed. It failed in Bihar in 2015 and BJP had to do course correction. Its next election in Assam was fought on a local issue like Khilonjiya Sarkar (Government of Locals). BJP-Shiv Sena vote share in Maharashtra fell by 9 per cent and in Haryana by 22 per cent. It means that local and regional issues dominated or even sidelined national narrative on terrorism. This narrative is likely to continue in Indian politics and voting pattern will continue to be different.

Congress does well without Rahul Gandhi

Congress leadership under Sonia Gandhi has done better in the absence of Rahul Gandhi. Congress leaders, aligned with Rahul Gandhi, would have expected a party to do badly so that his comeback trail could be choreographed. The surprise result in Haryana and Maharashtra will strengthen the hands of the old guard and push back any chance of Rahul Gandhi taking over the Congress Party. There will be clamour within the Congress for Sonia Gandhi to serve as Congress President for a longer period. The results have also ended up exposing new leaders put up by Rahul Gandhi. Those created by Sonia Gandhi have worked well and those who climbed their way to top under Rahul Gandhi have turned out to be dud bombs.

Return to old party model by Congress

Congress under Sonia Gandhi was all about the management of regional satraps. BJP under its new leadership was able to defeat regional satraps after 2014. The response of the Congress was to centralise decision-making and ape BJP’s model of organisation. The net result was that regional satraps left Congress cursing Rahul Gandhi. Sonia after becoming Congress President again accommodated all the regional satraps. She even visited jailed Congress leaders in Tihar sending the message that she will stand by party leaders. The bump for the Congress also stems from the accommodation of regional leaders who were being systematically pushed out by Rahul Gandhi in the name of democratisation. Congress was able to organise its house in both states last minute. Insiders feel that picture would have been entirely different if the decision could have been taken earlier.

BJP will need to go regional again

BJP’s early success stemmed from local and regional leadership. When BJP was found floundering at the Centre for want of a strong voice, the regional leaders made up for the seats and political heft. BJP indeed tried its best to project Manohar Lal Khattar and Devendra Fadnavis as state leaders, but national stories failed to reap full dividends to BJP. Regional caste alignment also came to fore lending strength to regional parties. 
 
Accountability

Accountability becomes a big problem if elections results are not up to expectations. Maharashtra and Haryana qualify for the accountability problem for BJP. Lacklustre win in Maharashtra and hung assembly in Haryana will start this debate. A lot of blame will be pinned on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. The fact of the matter is that elections were fought under BJP’s acting president JP Nadda and new Organising Secretary BL Santosh. They should be held accountable for the results in Haryana and Maharashtra. Question is, who will bell the cat.

 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

Opposition votes exist in India but require deft leadership. The voting pattern in Haryana and Maharashtra stands testimony to this reality. BJP’s strong grip over various states and New Delhi stands challenged by regional parties and much weakened Congress.

Opposition votes exist in India but require deft leadership. The voting pattern in Haryana and Maharashtra stands testimony to this reality. BJP’s strong grip over various states and New Delhi stands challenged by regional parties and much weakened Congress. Such political challenge stems from a strong culture of Opposition in Indian politics. Despite massive electoral machinery in place, the Opposition has been able to get candidates elected. The best example in case is Haryana where elections have thrown a hung assembly. The presence of a resurgent Opposition should be a sigh of relief that India is not staring at brute majoritarian politics. It still has the power to rustle up regional and local concoctions to challenge national hegemony in the form of Bhartiya Janata Party. Haryana results may ape Karnataka development but still gives hope that Opposition can put a good fight under-seasoned hands. Regional parties are integral to India Off late, the argument was that regional parties would be subsumed by BJP. Congress would in itself turn into another regional party. The emergence of JJP in Haryana and NCP’s consolidation in Maharashtra shows us that regional parties will continue to exist in Indian electoral politics. Regional parties will continue to act as a bulwark against a very strong New Delhi. After 15 years, Haryana has thrown JJP under Dushyant Chautala and Sharad Pawar has been able to stem the decline of NCP by consolidating his vote in Maharashtra. The results show a significant drop in the share of BJP vote post-Lok Sabha reinforcing the message that regional elections will continue to have a say. The message is that regional parties are integral to Indian democracy and not an exception. Regional parties will continue to the vehicle of Indian regional diversity with competing for political interests. National and regional voting pattern will always differ Once again, the Assembly elections have shown that national and regional elections will have a different voting pattern. In both Maharashtra and Haryana, the vote share of BJP dropped significantly. BJP’s campaign on national security, Article 370 also failed. It failed in Bihar in 2015 and BJP had to do course correction. Its next election in Assam was fought on a local issue like Khilonjiya Sarkar (Government of Locals). BJP-Shiv Sena vote share in Maharashtra fell by 9 per cent and in Haryana by 22 per cent. It means that local and regional issues dominated or even sidelined national narrative on terrorism. This narrative is likely to continue in Indian politics and voting pattern will continue to be different. Congress does well without Rahul Gandhi Congress leadership under Sonia Gandhi has done better in the absence of Rahul Gandhi. Congress leaders, aligned with Rahul Gandhi, would have expected a party to do badly so that his comeback trail could be choreographed. The surprise result in Haryana and Maharashtra will strengthen the hands of the old guard and push back any chance of Rahul Gandhi taking over the Congress Party. There will be clamour within the Congress for Sonia Gandhi to serve as Congress President for a longer period. The results have also ended up exposing new leaders put up by Rahul Gandhi. Those created by Sonia Gandhi have worked well and those who climbed their way to top under Rahul Gandhi have turned out to be dud bombs. Return to old party model by Congress Congress under Sonia Gandhi was all about the management of regional satraps. BJP under its new leadership was able to defeat regional satraps after 2014. The response of the Congress was to centralise decision-making and ape BJP’s model of organisation. The net result was that regional satraps left Congress cursing Rahul Gandhi. Sonia after becoming Congress President again accommodated all the regional satraps. She even visited jailed Congress leaders in Tihar sending the message that she will stand by party leaders. The bump for the Congress also stems from the accommodation of regional leaders who were being systematically pushed out by Rahul Gandhi in the name of democratisation. Congress was able to organise its house in both states last minute. Insiders feel that picture would have been entirely different if the decision could have been taken earlier. BJP will need to go regional again BJP’s early success stemmed from local and regional leadership. When BJP was found floundering at the Centre for want of a strong voice, the regional leaders made up for the seats and political heft. BJP indeed tried its best to project Manohar Lal Khattar and Devendra Fadnavis as state leaders, but national stories failed to reap full dividends to BJP. Regional caste alignment also came to fore lending strength to regional parties. Accountability Accountability becomes a big problem if elections results are not up to expectations. Maharashtra and Haryana qualify for the accountability problem for BJP. Lacklustre win in Maharashtra and hung assembly in Haryana will start this debate. A lot of blame will be pinned on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. The fact of the matter is that elections were fought under BJP’s acting president JP Nadda and new Organising Secretary BL Santosh. They should be held accountable for the results in Haryana and Maharashtra. Question is, who will bell the cat. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Haryana and Maharashtra elections prove that Opposition vote exists but requires leadership

The counting of votes for Haryana and Maharashtra assembly election is currently underway. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ally Shiv Sena is in lead in Maharashtra. Meanwhile in Haryana, there is a close fight between BJP & Congress.

India Votes: BJP leading in Maharashtra, Congress gains in Haryana

Haryana is headed for a hung assembly following a neck and neck fight between archrivals&nbsp;Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress.

As per the official trends released by the Election Commission of India, the BJP is leading in 34 seats whereas Congress is leading in&nbsp;32 seats.

The majority mark in Haryana Assembly is 46. 
 
Besides the two national parties, Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) led by Dushyant Chautala is leading in five&nbsp;seats.&nbsp;

JJP has won five seats while BJP three and the Congress has won two seats, according to Indian Election Commission official website.

BJP's current vote share is 36.2 per cent followed by&nbsp;Congress which has 28.4 per cent vote share.

The close fight between the BJP and Congress witnessed almost&nbsp;four lakh people voting for the former&nbsp;and three&nbsp;lakh people choosing the latter. The BJP was projected to win around 75 seats in Haryana.

The&nbsp;elections for 90 Assembly seats in Haryana were held on October 21 and the counting is currently underway in Gurugram.

Haryana is headed for a hung assembly following a neck and neck fight between archrivals Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress. As per the official trends released by the Election Commission of India, the BJP is leading in 34 seats whereas Congress is leading in 32 seats.

Haryana is headed for a hung assembly following a neck and neck fight between archrivals Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress. As per the official trends released by the Election Commission of India, the BJP is leading in 34 seats whereas Congress is leading in 32 seats. The majority mark in Haryana Assembly is 46. Besides the two national parties, Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) led by Dushyant Chautala is leading in five seats. JJP has won five seats while BJP three and the Congress has won two seats, according to Indian Election Commission official website. BJP's current vote share is 36.2 per cent followed by Congress which has 28.4 per cent vote share. The close fight between the BJP and Congress witnessed almost four lakh people voting for the former and three lakh people choosing the latter. The BJP was projected to win around 75 seats in Haryana. The elections for 90 Assembly seats in Haryana were held on October 21 and the counting is currently underway in Gurugram.

Close battle between BJP and Congress in Haryana may lead to hung assembly

As counting of votes has begun for the Haryana Assembly elections, Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) leader Dushyant Chautala said that both BJP and Congress will not cross the 40 mark in the state and JJP will have the key of the State Assembly.

''Neither BJP, nor Congress will cross 40 seats. The JJP will have the key to form the government," Chautala told media here.

"JJP will have the key of Vidhan Sabha of Haryana. Time will tell you more... Haryana wants change," he stated.

When asked whether his party will support BJP or Congress, he said, "Let the result come. We have decided to hold a meeting of MLAs. We will take a decision on this after holding discussions will all of them."

The fate of a total of 1,169 candidates is sealed will be decided today. The state went to Assembly polls on October 21.

According to the office of Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), 1,064 male and 105 female candidates are in the fray.

Ninety candidates are from the BJP, 87 from the BSP, four from the CPI, seven from the CPI-M, 90 from the Congress, one from the NCP, 81 from the Indian National Lok Dal, 375 Independent and 434 other candidates.

As counting of votes has begun for the Haryana Assembly elections, Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) leader Dushyant Chautala said that both BJP and Congress will not cross the 40 mark in the state and JJP will have the key of the State Assembly.

As counting of votes has begun for the Haryana Assembly elections, Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) leader Dushyant Chautala said that both BJP and Congress will not cross the 40 mark in the state and JJP will have the key of the State Assembly. ''Neither BJP, nor Congress will cross 40 seats. The JJP will have the key to form the government," Chautala told media here. "JJP will have the key of Vidhan Sabha of Haryana. Time will tell you more... Haryana wants change," he stated. When asked whether his party will support BJP or Congress, he said, "Let the result come. We have decided to hold a meeting of MLAs. We will take a decision on this after holding discussions will all of them." The fate of a total of 1,169 candidates is sealed will be decided today. The state went to Assembly polls on October 21. According to the office of Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), 1,064 male and 105 female candidates are in the fray. Ninety candidates are from the BJP, 87 from the BSP, four from the CPI, seven from the CPI-M, 90 from the Congress, one from the NCP, 81 from the Indian National Lok Dal, 375 Independent and 434 other candidates.

JJP will have key of Haryana Vidhan Sabha: Dushyant Chautala

Days after three people allegedly died at an illegal coal mine in Asansol, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday staged a protest demanding that the administration should close mining operations to avoid any such incident in the future.

"Three people died during illegal coal mining, the administration took out their bodies after four days. Poor people go to work in illegal mining. If they will not stop illegal mining, we will demonstrate further," BJP leader Subrat Mishra told ANI.

On October 13, four people allegedly tried to dig the mine illegally, during which the three got trapped inside it. Later, their bodies were recovered by NDRF.

The coal mine reportedly consisted of poisonous methane gas inside and trapped persons lost consciousness due to its effect.

Days after three people allegedly died at an illegal coal mine in Asansol, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday staged a protest demanding that the administration should close mining operations to avoid any such incident in the future.

Days after three people allegedly died at an illegal coal mine in Asansol, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday staged a protest demanding that the administration should close mining operations to avoid any such incident in the future. "Three people died during illegal coal mining, the administration took out their bodies after four days. Poor people go to work in illegal mining. If they will not stop illegal mining, we will demonstrate further," BJP leader Subrat Mishra told ANI. On October 13, four people allegedly tried to dig the mine illegally, during which the three got trapped inside it. Later, their bodies were recovered by NDRF. The coal mine reportedly consisted of poisonous methane gas inside and trapped persons lost consciousness due to its effect.

West Bengal: BJP stages protest against illegal mining in Asansol

The stage is set for counting of votes for assembly polls in Haryana and Maharashtra on Thursday with stakes high for Congress, which could not do well in the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year and also for the BJP, which is incumbent in the two states.

Along with the two states, results will also be declared for assembly bypolls on 51 seats across 17 states and will have political implications for the parties in power.

The results of bypolls to Satara and Samastipur Lok Sabha seats will also be declared on Thursday.

The assembly poll results will also be crucial for the NCP in Maharashtra, which is an ally of Congress, as also for parties such as Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, AIMIM and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi.

In Haryana also, the battle is crucial for regional parties such as the Indian National Lok Dal and the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP).&nbsp;

The BSP has also fielded candidates in the two states.&nbsp;

The exit polls have predicted the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena alliance getting elected in Maharashtra but have differed in their projection of a number of seats.

Most exit polls have also predicted a clear victory for BJP in Haryana. One exit poll, however, has said that the two parties are in a close race in the state and none of them would get a majority. The BJP will create history if it again wins Haryana and returns to power with Shiv Sena in Maharashtra.

The assembly elections are the first after the BJP-led government`s decisions to repeal Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and a verdict in its favour will give a boost to the party ahead of the winter session of Parliament next month.

A victory will also keep the political momentum with the BJP after its emphatic victory in the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.&nbsp;

The polls are crucial for Congress which has faced desertions after its second successive debacle in the Lok Sabha polls. A strong performance will help the party in its process of electoral revival.

The BJP has already declared that incumbent chief ministers - Manohar Lal Khattar and Devendra Fadnavis - will continue to lead the governments if the party is voted to power. The voting took place in the two states and in the bypoll seats on Monday.

The stage is set for counting of votes for assembly polls in Haryana and Maharashtra on Thursday with stakes high for Congress, which could not do well in the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year and also for the BJP, which is incumbent in the two states.

The stage is set for counting of votes for assembly polls in Haryana and Maharashtra on Thursday with stakes high for Congress, which could not do well in the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year and also for the BJP, which is incumbent in the two states. Along with the two states, results will also be declared for assembly bypolls on 51 seats across 17 states and will have political implications for the parties in power. The results of bypolls to Satara and Samastipur Lok Sabha seats will also be declared on Thursday. The assembly poll results will also be crucial for the NCP in Maharashtra, which is an ally of Congress, as also for parties such as Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, AIMIM and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi. In Haryana also, the battle is crucial for regional parties such as the Indian National Lok Dal and the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP). The BSP has also fielded candidates in the two states. The exit polls have predicted the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena alliance getting elected in Maharashtra but have differed in their projection of a number of seats. Most exit polls have also predicted a clear victory for BJP in Haryana. One exit poll, however, has said that the two parties are in a close race in the state and none of them would get a majority. The BJP will create history if it again wins Haryana and returns to power with Shiv Sena in Maharashtra. The assembly elections are the first after the BJP-led government`s decisions to repeal Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and a verdict in its favour will give a boost to the party ahead of the winter session of Parliament next month. A victory will also keep the political momentum with the BJP after its emphatic victory in the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The polls are crucial for Congress which has faced desertions after its second successive debacle in the Lok Sabha polls. A strong performance will help the party in its process of electoral revival. The BJP has already declared that incumbent chief ministers - Manohar Lal Khattar and Devendra Fadnavis - will continue to lead the governments if the party is voted to power. The voting took place in the two states and in the bypoll seats on Monday.

Counting of votes on Thursday in Haryana, Maharashtra; stakes high for Congress, BJP  

BJP Tipped To Win Assembly Elections In Maharashtra & Haryana. BJP in both the states. Krishna Kumar summarises the predictions of exit polls

Gravitas: Assembly Polls: Exit polls hint at a landslide victory for BJP

In the Indian assembly election 2019, There are 3,237 Maharashtra candidates in the fray & 1,169 Haryana candidates are battling it out. Watch this video to know more. #AssemblyElection2019 #MaharashtraAssemblyElection2019 #HaryanaAssemblyElection2019

India Votes: 3,237 Maharashtra candidates, 1,169 Haryana candidates in the fray

PM Modi tweets ahead of assembly polls in Haryana & Maharashtra, urges everyone to cast their vote. #AssemblyElection2019 #MaharashtraAssemblyElection2019 #HaryanaAssemblyElection2019

PM Modi tweets ahead of assembly polls in Haryana & Maharashtra, urges to cast vote

In this segment, watch special coverage on Maharashtra & Haryana Assembly Elections 2019.

India Votes: Special coverage on Maharashtra, Haryana exit poll results 2019

Is BJP all set to sweep opposition in Maharashtra & Haryana today? Election fiasco in Maharashtra and Haryana today, voting will begin shortly. Watch this video to know more. #AssemblyElection2019 #MaharashtraAssemblyElection2019 #HaryanaAssemblyElection2019

Is BJP all set to sweep assembly polls, Voting underway in Maharashtra & Haryana

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