Maharashtra, Jharkhand Election 2024 Live Updates: Congress releases list of 21 candidates for Jharkhand assembly polls

Maharashtra and Jharkhand are gearing up for high-stakes Legislative Assembly elections in November 2024. The Election Commission has scheduled Maharashtra's single-phase election for November 20, with results to be declared on November 23. The 288-member assembly has witnessed significant political shifts, most notably Eknath Shinde's rise as Chief Minister after breaking away from Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena to ally with the BJP. The BJP, which secured 122 seats in 2014, faced turbulent dynamics leading to the Maha Vikas Aghadi government before Shinde's 2022 takeover.

Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the BJP has revealed its candidate list for 66 of the 68 seats it will contest. The party announced its seat-sharing arrangement with allies Ajsu-P, JDU, and LJP (Ram Vilas), but left the Barhait (ST) and Tundi seats vacant. Barhait is expected to be contested by incumbent CM Hemant Soren. The BJP's central election committee, chaired by J P Nadda and attended by PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, finalized the candidate names.

Key figures include veteran leader C P Singh, running for the seventh time from Ranchi, and opposition leader Amar Kumar Bauri, standing in Chandankyari (SC). State BJP president Babulal Marandi will contest from Dhanwar, while former health minister Ramchandra Chandravanshi and ex-JMM leader Champai Soren will stand in Bishrampur and Seraikela (ST) respectively. Champai’s son Babulal Soren has been fielded from Ghatshila (ST).

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08:00 (IST) Oct 20

Maharashtra Election 2024 Live: 'Everyone knew that Sharad Pawar's agent had been working in Shiv Sena (UBT),' says BJP Prem Shukla

Ahead of Maharashtra elections, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Prem Shukla said that everyone was aware that Sharad Pawar's agent had been working in the Shiv Sena (UBT).

Speaking to the media, Shukla said "Everyone knew that Sharad Pawar's agent had been working in Shiv Sena (UBT) for long. Infact many of the Shiv Sainiks believed that a few leaders of Shiv Sena have kept dancing at the direction of Sharad Pawar and that is the reason why Shiv Sena split.

Meanwhile, on October 18, opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi accused the ruling coalition of misusing the government machinery to remove legitimate voters from the voter lists' ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections 2024.

Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole while addressing an MVA press conference said, "The BJP is making changes to the voter list and removing names of the voters from the electoral rolls, despite the Election Commission's assurance of free and fair elections in Maharashtra."

Notably, Maha Vikas Aghadi is the alliance of Congress, Shiv Sena-UBT (Uddhav Thackeray's faction) and NCP-SP (Sharad Pawar's faction). They are up against ruling Mahayuti is the alliance of BJP, NCP and Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction).

07:59 (IST) Oct 20

Jharkhand Election 2024 Live: 'Citadel' of corruption'; BJP's CR Kesavan hits out at JMM-Congress alliance

As the Jharkhand polls draw closer, BJP national spokesperson CR Kesavan on Saturday labelled the JMM-Congress alliance in the state a 'citadel of corruption'.
Kesavan accused the alliance of having no respect for the Constitution, adding that the 'corrupt' JMM and Congress governments will be shown the door in November.

Speaking to ANI, CR Kesavan said, "The Jharkhand government run by JMM and Congress alliance is a citadel of corruption in this country. They have no respect for the Constitution. They only respect corruption. Rahul Gandhi will come today and cunningly lie about protecting the Constitution... The people of Jharkhand will not believe his lies... In the coming elections in November, the corrupt JMM and Congress governments will be shown the door..."

The 81-seat Jharkhand Assembly is going to elections on November 13 and 20. Votes will be counted in the two states on November 23.

Earlier in the day, the Bhartiya Janata party announced the first list of 66 candidates for the Jharkhand Assembly elections.

Bharatiya Janata Party will contest the upcoming Jharkhand assembly elections along with NDA allies All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU), Janata Dal (United), and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), the party said on Friday.

07:58 (IST) Oct 20

Jharkhand Election 2024 Live: JMM, Congress seat-sharing deal leaves RJD fuming

Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren on Saturday said that the INDIA bloc partners will contest the upcoming assembly polls together and the Congress and the JMM will field candidates in 70 of 81 seats. Seat-sharing talks are on with alliance partners - the RJD and the Left parties - for the remaining 11 seats, he said.

The assembly polls for 81 seats will be held in two phases on Nov 13 and 20, and counting will take place on Nov 23. “INDIA bloc will contest the Jharkhand assembly polls together. It has been decided during the seat-sharing talks with the allies that the Congress and the JMM will field candidates in 70 of 81 seats,” Soren said after meeting with the alliance partners here.

He said the decision was taken after consultations with allies and candidates would be announced soon.

Maharashtra and Jharkhand are set for major political showdowns as they prepare for their Legislative Assembly elections in November 2024. In Maharashtra, the Election Commission has scheduled a single-phase election on November 20, with votes to be counted on November 23. The 288-member assembly has seen dramatic changes, with Eknath Shinde becoming Chief Minister after splitting from Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena and forming an alliance with the BJP. The BJP, which won 122 seats in 2014, experienced significant political shifts, leading to the formation of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, before Shinde's rise in 2022.

In Jharkhand, the BJP has released its first list of 66 candidates for the upcoming elections, following a seat-sharing agreement with its allies Ajsu-P, JDU, and LJP (Ram Vilas). However, the party has yet to announce candidates for Barhait (ST), where CM Hemant Soren is expected to contest, and Tundi. The BJP’s central election committee, chaired by J P Nadda and attended by PM Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, finalized the candidates.

Veteran leader C P Singh will run for a record seventh time from Ranchi, while opposition leader Amar Kumar Bauri will contest in Chandankyari (SC). State BJP president Babulal Marandi is running from his stronghold in Dhanwar, and former health minister Ramchandra Chandravanshi will contest Bishrampur. Former CM Champai Soren will contest from Seraikela (ST), while his son Babulal Soren has been fielded from Ghatshila (ST).