Maharashtra, Jharkhand Election Live Updates: PM Narendra Modi holds roadshow in Pune

Haryana minister Anil Vij expressed confidence that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's influence will yield similar results in Jharkhand and Maharashtra assembly elections as seen in recent polls. He emphasised that PM Modi's focus on development has transformed political discourse in the country, with the nation embracing his vision of 'Viksit Bharat'.

In his conversation with ANI, Vij stated, "The same magic will work in Jharkhand and Maharashtra elections as it did in the recent elections and now wherever elections are held, the same magic will work because PM Modi has changed the direction of politics. Earlier, politics was done by making false promises, now Modi ji has changed it into the politics of development. PM Modi wants to take the country towards a 'Viksit Bharat' and people want to walk with PM Modi's developed India."

The Haryana BJP leader highlighted PM Modi's distinctive approach, noting, "Why to date no Prime Minister could think about a developed India. Only Narendra Modi thought that the countries that became independent after us have also become developed but India is still struggling for basic facilities. That is why the goal of a 'Viksit Bharat' was decided by Modi ji."

The first phase of Jharkhand assembly elections concluded its campaign on Monday. The state will conduct polling in two phases on November 13 and 20, with 43 seats out of 81 being contested in the initial phase.

During the campaign, Union Home Minister Amit Shah criticised Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren regarding his treatment of Champai Soren. He stated, "Champai Soren has been loyal for so many years, standing with Hemantji, but how he was humiliated and removed is not just an insult to Champai Soren but an insult to the entire tribal community. The main issue was that Champai Soren stated that corruption should stop, but the JMM was not willing to end it."

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out raids at multiple locations in Jharkhand and West Bengal on Tuesday, as part of a money laundering investigation linked to the alleged illegal infiltration of Bangladeshi nationals. Official sources confirmed that 17 sites across the two neighbouring states are being searched by the ED's Jharkhand office.

The investigation follows a case filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in September, focusing on the alleged trafficking of Bangladeshi women into Jharkhand and the creation of illicit financial networks linked to this infiltration.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders have accused the Jharkhand state government of facilitating such infiltration, claiming it has altered the demographic makeup of tribal regions in Santhal Pargana and Kolhan, particularly during recent election campaigns.

The first phase of Jharkhand's Assembly elections, covering 43 constituencies, is scheduled for Wednesday, while the second phase, covering 38 seats, will take place on 20 November.

The Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) filed by the ED under various sections of the PMLA is based on an FIR lodged by Jharkhand Police at the Bariyatu police station in Ranchi in June.

Following his suspension from the Congress party due to anti-party activities, Aba Bagul, a rebel candidate from Parvati assembly constituency, spoke out on Monday, challenging the party's leadership.

Bagul, who was not given a ticket from Parvati Assembly Constituency of Pune city, raised questions about why senior leaders had not contacted him before the November 4 deadline for withdrawing candidatures.

"Why were they silent until November 10? The last date was November 4 (for withdrawal of candidatures) before that did you meet anyone (referring to rebel candidate), did you try to convince them (to withdraw their nomination)?" Aba Bagul said while speaking to ANI.

He voiced his frustration about receiving assurances of a ticket for four years, only to be disregarded by senior party leaders. He alleged that state-level senior leaders were undermining the Congress party, stating, "You were appointed to manage the Congress; do not try to become its owner."

Bagul, who is currently receiving medical treatment in hospital, indicated he would continue his campaign activities soon.

As the election approaches, political activities across Maharashtra are gaining momentum.

The Parvati Assembly Constituency seat was given to coalition partner NCP SP, with Ashwini Kadam as their candidate. She has faced three previous defeats against BJP's Madhuri Misal.

The opposition MVA alliance, which includes Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and the Nationalist Congress Party (SCP), is working to regain control of the state, opposing the Mahayuti alliance, which consists of Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Ajit Pawar-led NCP.

In a joint operation conducted by the Election Commission and Thane Police, approximately Rs 2.5 crore in cash was discovered and confiscated from a row-house situated in Sector 16 of Nerul, Navi Mumbai. This operation occurred during the enforcement of the model code of conduct for the November 20 Maharashtra assembly elections, as confirmed by officials on Monday.

"We have seized the cash from a row-house. We are investigating whose money it is and where it came from. The seizure was made jointly by the Election Commission and the police," Senior Inspector Bramhanand Naikwadi told ANI.

Additional information regarding this case is pending.

The Maharashtra Assembly elections are scheduled for November 20, with the vote counting process set to commence on November 23.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi cited an election advertisement from Congress's 1991 Lok Sabha campaign, which criticized the reservation system for determining people's fate based on caste rather than merit. He used it to accuse Congress of opportunism, pointing to the party's current push for a caste census and advocating for an expansion of quotas.

During a virtual interaction with BJP volunteers in Jharkhand as part of the 'Mera Booth Sabse Majboot' initiative, Modi said, "People have shared a Congress campaign when Rajiv Gandhi was the party leader in which they have talked about SC/ST people in a highly objectionable manner. Congress party has openly opposed the quota system and the language they have used for SC/ST/OBC people was clumsy."

"Like I was telling you now, fake narrative is peddled by leaders of Congress and Maha Vinash Aghadi again and again through their trolling ecosystem. We received information just now that an old video of Amit Shah regarding reservation, which was proved to be completely fake and morphed, regarding which an FIR has also been lodged. Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar's party tried to run an old, fake narrative once again; they are so dejected, they can see their defeat so clearly," Goyal said.

The manifesto focuses on 9 points like agriculture, education; promises 33 pc reservation for women in govt jobs.

"Modi-ji believes in toppling governments. He purchases MLA. Unka kaam MLAs ko bakri ke jaise apne pas rakh lena, palna aur fir baad me kaat kar khana hai…(Modi keeps MLAs like goats, feeds them and later feasts on them). This is Modi," Kharge alleged.

"Modi, Shah, Adani and Ambani are running the country, while Rahul Gandhi and I trying to save the Constitution and democracy," he alleged.

"The Congress candidate (from Shiggaon Assembly Constituency Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan) has given false affidavits in his nominations and misguided the people and the officials. I request the State Election Commission and Central Election Commission to take immediate action against him," he said.

BJP dividing country for which Indira Gandhi faced 36 bullets, Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed his life, he said.

"A delegation of the BJP met the Chief Election Commissioner today...We told him that on 6th November, LoP Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi tried to lie once again for Maharashtra election, he attempted to pit states against each other, he waved the Constitution and lied again that the BJP is about to destroy the Constitution. This is false. We said that this should be stopped. We also told the Commission that Rahul Gandhi is habitual in doing this and is not deterring from this despite warnings and notices...We said that an FIR be lodged against Rahul Gandhi under sec 353 of BNS," said Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal.

"As such, this Commission rejects your allegations regarding inaction and delayed response as completely baseless, devoid of facts and misleading. However, without further elaborating, you are most welcome to attend the meeting at 3.30pm today, as already conveyed on November 10," the poll authority said.

"Demography of Jharkhand is being changed, religious conversions are being done on a large scale in Jharkhand. Anarchical activities are being promoted in the name of love jihad and land jihad. Whether it is love jihad or land jihad, it is posing a threat to the 'maati and beti' here," he said.

"The chief minister of Assam came here. He threatened and intimidated our workers, but we are not going to be afraid. Their Chief Minister talks about dividing and cutting, while he is the administrator of a monastery. Does it befit a saint to say such things?" he said.

"We should be united. 'Ek rahenge to safe rahenge'. Today we should not get influenced by Congress, JMM, RJD because these people are not your well-wishers, these people are the well-wishers of Bangladeshi infiltrators, Rohingyas…'BJP aayegi toh patharbaazo ka upchar kar dengi'… BJP will provide security to everyone," he said.

"When I first went on the Bharat Jodo Yatra, I was a bit surprised because it was a political walk. The purpose of the walk was political...but at the beginning of the yatra already I noticed that I was hugging people and people were kissing me. I was saying, I love you. They were saying, we love you. I realised while I was on the plane today that for many years I did not use the word 'love' in politics. After I came to Wayanad suddenly I started using the word 'love' in politics. I realized that it was because the people of Wayanad gave me so much love and affection that my entire politics changed...People at Wayanad taught me that the word has a very important place in politics. That is why I am wearing this t-shirt," he said.

Union home minister Amit Shah, while addressing a rally, said, "The way Champai Soren was humiliated and thrown out, this is not an insult to Champai Soren but an insult to the tribal people. Champa Soren said that corruption should be stopped but they were not ready to stop corruption. I have come to ask all of you has anyone seen Rs 350 crore? Rs 350 crore was found at the house of a Congress MP. 27 machines had to be brought to count the notes. Rs 30 crores were seized from Alamgir Alam's residence. Whose is this Rs 350 crores, Rs 30 crores? This was sent by PM Modi for the youth of my Jharkhand which the Hemant Soren government ate up..."

In a address at a BJP booth-level workers' programme 'mera booth sabse mazboot' in Jharkhand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a comprehensive critique of the Congress, JMM and RJD, highlighting their inability to fulfil promises despite grand rhetoric. He specifically responded to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's comments about his party providing "false guarantees" to citizens.

The Prime Minister expressed confidence that Jharkhand's residents have resolved to usher in political transformation during these elections.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Monday expressed concern over the Election Commission of India's (ECI) response time to their complaints regarding upcoming bypolls in West Bengal. The party met with the ECI on Monday, just 90 minutes before the campaign period ended, after lodging complaints about alleged misconduct.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal said, "Mahayuti Government is what the people want. Mahayuti is going to win Maharashtra with a thumping majority. People do not trust the false promises of Maha Vinash Aghadi. Public has understood that a party that can insult even its Founder Balasaheb Thackeray."

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said, "...When I first went on the Bharat Jodo Yatra, I was a bit surprised because it was a political walk. The purpose of the walk was political...but at the beginning of the yatra already I noticed that I was hugging people and people were kissing me. I was saying, I love you. They were saying, we love you. I realised while I was on the plane today that for many years I did not use the word 'love' in politics. After I came to Wayanad suddenly I started using the word 'love' in politics. I realized that it was because the people of Wayanad gave me so much love and affection that my entire politics changed...People at Wayanad taught me that the word has a very important place in politics. That is why I am wearing this t-shirt..."

Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi is also present in the roadshow.

The Congress levelled serious allegations on Monday against Maharashtra's BJP-led Mahayuti administration, asserting that it was purposefully injecting divisive elements into its electoral campaign and seeking to disrupt religious harmony within the state. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh criticised the approach taken by the BJP.

"The Mahayuti, led by the BJP, has only one agenda in its campaign. It is simply and only to polarize society on the basis of religion and to disturb communal harmony in the state. Such an awful campaign reveals its sick mindset," Ramesh wrote in a post on X.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that a robust anti-conversion legislation would be implemented in Maharashtra under Mahayuti governance to completely prevent religious conversions. During the release of BJP's "Sankalp Patra" in Mumbai on Sunday, he outlined 25 commitments that the Mahayuti alliance pledges to fulfil upon securing electoral victory.

The Election Commission's enforcement agencies' crackdown on poll-time inducements in both Maharashtra and Jharkhand yielded record seizures. Precious metals led the haul in Maharashtra, while freebies topped the charts in Jharkhand, ECI officials said late last week. Maharashtra's total seizures reached Rs 280.93 crore since the announcement of elections, with precious metals accounting for Rs 90.53 crore – the highest component.

Prakash Javadekar, the former Union minister and senior BJP figure, criticised Congress sharply regarding their electoral manifesto commitments. He dismissed their announced promises as utter "nonsense."

"Congress and BJP have announced their manifesto today. BJP calls it Sankalp Patra which means that it is a promise given to people. However, the announcement that they made is complete nonsense because we have seen their performance in the three states - Karnataka, Telangana and Himachal Pradesh - where they are in power," Javadekar said.

The Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) has so far suspended a total of 28 rebel candidates, who were contesting against the official nominees of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition in the upcoming assembly elections.

Earlier on Sunday, 21 candidates were suspended but seven more names were added to the list by night, bringing the total to 28 across 22 constituencies.

The Indian National Congress filed a formal complaint with the ECI on Sunday, alleging that the BJP had published a deceptive social media advertisement containing inaccurate details about the leadership of JMM, INC and RJD.

In its submission, Congress stated that the advertisement breached the Model Code of Conduct and electoral regulations. The party contended that the advertisement deliberately presented JMM, INC and RJD leaders unfavourably through unfounded and incorrect representations aimed at tarnishing their reputation.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Sunday slammed the BJP, Congress and other regional parties for depriving SC, ST, and OBC communities of their rightful benefits, especially reservations. Addressing a rally at Karpoori Maidan in Hussainabad in Jharkhand's Palamu district, Mayawati urged people to support BSP candidate Shiv Pujan Mehta, who was first elected from Hussainabad on a BSP ticket in 2014, and asserted that the time for experimenting with Congress, BJP, and caste-based parties was over.

She accused these parties of ignoring the interests of Dalits, tribals, and backward classes besides weakening the reservation system for political gain.

Highlighting her tenure as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati claimed that her government had made significant strides in providing land to the poor and landless, working for the uplift of all communities. She emphasised that BSP is the only party committed to building the nation envisioned by Dr BR Ambedkar and Kanshi Ram. (PTI)

With just days to go for the first phase of polling in Jharkhand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday held a road show in Ranchi and two rallies - one in Bokaro and another in Gumla, where he slammed Congress and its allies for "attempting to create a divide between SCs, STs, and OBCs."
He also said that Congress and its allies "can't see Adivasis on top," and have kept Jharkhand backward.

PM Modi, launching a scathing attack on JMM and Congress alliance, during his rally in Bokaro, said, "BJP-led government is needed in Jharkhand to drive out infiltrators,"

He alleged that both Congress and JMM were attempting to create a divide between SCs, STs, and OBCs saying it enjoyed power by creating divisions. "Everyone needs to stay alert and aware of the major conspiracy by JMM and Congress. They can do anything for power."

"Congress has always been opposed to the unity of ST, SC, and OBC communities. After independence, as long as our Dalit community remained divided, Congress enjoyed power at the Centre based on the policy of 'divide and rule'," he said. (ANI)

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav on Sunday claimed that Bangladeshi infiltration was posing a threat to 'Sanatan Sanskriti' in Jharkhand. He also accused the JMM-led alliance government of being neck-deep in corruption and looting people.

"The Bangladeshi infiltrators are not only posing a threat to our land and women but also the Sanatan Sanskrit. They want to ruin our culture", Yadav said while addressing a rally in Deoghar.

He said that the JMM-led alliance formed a government in Jharkhand in 2019 by making "false promises" such as providing jobs and gold coins.

"The government is neck deep in corruption with land scam of Rs 1,000 crore and MGNREGA scam of Rs 1,000 crore. It is shameful that a CM goes to jail on corruption charges", he said. (PTI)

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday criticised the Maha Vikas Aghadi's (MVA) manifesto and said there should be no doubt that a "double-engine government" will also be formed in Maharashtra.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) manifesto was launched on Sunday for the upcoming Assembly polls, which includes 25 key promises to the people of Maharashtra if the party is re-elected for another term.

While speaking to ANI, CM Dhami highlighted the BJP's track record of fulfilling commitments made to the public. He emphasised that the BJP's "Sankalp Patra" has been designed to advance Maharashtra's development and uplift every section of society.

"The manifesto of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is always fulfilled because it is our resolution. The resolution presented for Maharashtra is for the overall development of the state, to bring every section of society forward, for the upliftment of mothers, sisters, youth, and farmers. This resolution will be fulfilled because every resolution taken under the leadership of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in every election, has been completed. So, the same will happen for Maharashtra," he said. (ANI)

Maharashtra Congress on Sunday suspended 28 rebel candidates for six years for "anti-party" activity. These candidates from 22 assembly constituencies are in the fray for the November 20 elections against the official nominees of the Maha Vikas Aghadi.

Prominent leaders who faced action include former minister Rajendra Mulak (Ramtek constituency), Yagnyavalk Jichkar (Katol), Kamal Vyawhare (Kasba), Manoj Shinde (Kopri Pachpakhadi), and Aaba Bagul (Parvati).

This decision has been taken on directives of AICC in-charge Ramesh Chennithala, a Congress statement said.