Assembly Elections 2024 Highlights | EC ignored J&K's nomadic communities: PDP candidate

Asserting that the crisis of credibility is the biggest challenge facing Indian politics, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah should have sought an apology from people for changing his mind to contest the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. ( PTI )

. Farmers under the banner of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha held a 'Kisan Mahapanchayat' in Pipli here on Sunday and asked people to defeat the BJP in the upcoming Haryana assembly polls.

. Rebel Congress leader Chitra Sarwara, who is contesting the October 5 Haryana Assembly polls as an independent candidate, has been suspended by the party for a period of six years for anti-party activities.

Sarwara, who was an aspirant for the Congress ticket from Ambala Cantt, was denied the nomination. ( PTI )

. "The sole objective of the MVA is to remove the BJP from power and establish our government (in Maharashtra). We will discuss the matter of the CM after the elections, and there is no discussion on it at the moment. Any party worker or leader can express their views in meetings, but our primary goal is to remove this corrupt BJP government, and we are all working together towards that," Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala told PTI .

. "Omar Abdullah is infiltrating in Budgam. The way he is portraying himself makes it seem like people from all the constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir want him to come, but in reality, everyone wishes he wouldn’t. He is forcibly infiltrating. I don't think people have placed their trust in him yet," Budgam PDP candidate Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi told PTI in an interview.

. "We had taken permission from the ECI for an event at Garnala village, but the Congress Sarpanch and other workers masqueraded and tried to create ruckus, block road, but our workers took them away, my event happened," Congress leader Anil Vij alleged on Monday.

He further added, "Congress is seeing their defeat in Ambala, and hence is doing hooliganism. They have been doing such things for long. They are now resorting to hooliganism."

Source: PTI

. Former Haryana CM and Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda told the media, "Satpal Rathi & Beena Rathi have left BJP and joined Congress along with their supporters. We welcome them. This will strengthen Congress...We are getting a lot of support from the people and on that basis, I can say that the Congress government will be formed in Haryana."

. Gandhi said that if elected to power in the union territory, his government will strive to restore the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir.

"In India, a Union Territory (UT) has been changed to a state. Two parts of a state have also been done...But for the first time in the history of India, a state has been changed to UT here. Your democratic right has been snatched from you...Therefore, our first demand is once again you should be given statehood," he said.

Via: ANI

. Mocking Rahul Gandhi's remarks during his J&K campaign, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said, "You should ask him this question that when he goes to Srinagar and makes snowballs and plays with his sister, goes to Lal Chowk and eats ice cream, was it possible when there was a Congress government at the centre and the state? ... It was the result of their spread hatred that J&K had to bear the shadow of terrorism for 30 years... Today PM Modi has changed the atmosphere and normalized the situation... PM Modi has freed us from the politics that was going on for 30 years under the guise of hatred ..."

. Unleashing cutting words at the state of administration in J&K, Rahul Gandhi, Lok Sabha LoP & Congress leader, said, "...They have made a king here. The Lieutenant Governor is the king, he is an outsider and not from Jammu & Kashmir. The development that the people of J&K want, this person can not do that. He has no idea how to do it..."

. Reacting to Amit Shah's statement that "no stone-pelter will be released in J&K," JKNC Vice President Omar Abdullah said, "Everyone has the right to prove one's innocence and come out of jail. All I would like to know is if a case has been registered against those who have been arrested, has their crime been proven in a court. You have kept them jailed for 5 years, tell me how many of them had their crime proven in a court? Most of them are such against whom a case has not even been initiated to this day..."

. Hitting out at Modi, Rahul Gandhi at the Srinagar rally also said, "Unemployment is rising across country as educated people are not finding jobs; this is Narendra Modi's gift."

. Dismissing both BJP and sometimes ally-AAP's prospects in the Haryana polls, Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda said, "People have decided for a change, Congress is going to form government in Haryana with a huge majority... BJP has completely ignored Haryana... The party is fighting this election under the leadership of Bhupendra Singh Hooda and Uday Bhan and after the election, the high command decides after knowing the opinion of the MLAs... We aim to oust the BJP from power and form a Congress government... Aam Aadmi Party does not have much say in Haryana... All the Congress leaders are united, you will see them on one platform and all of them will also campaign ..."

. In Ganderbal, J&K, Democratic Progressive Azad Party Chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad said, "It's a matter of happiness that elections are happening but the sad thing is that it wasn't held earlier... I thought that the issues would change in this election but unfortunately, the issues haven't changed. I am listening to the same slogans which were used to be there in elections when I was in college... Roads, schools, and education are not an issue but Islam is in danger - that is the issue. How Islam can be in danger? Many big powers came into the world but couldn't finish Islam, how it can be finished now? We oppose the BJP as they divide people based on religion, but here also, people are doing the same. It means they are also dividing people in the name of religion... Even in the places where the Muslim population contributes to 5%, they are not in danger, but here where Muslims are 98%, they are saying that Islam is in danger..."

. AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal during his roadshow in Sirsa, said: "They kept me in jail for five months. What was my fault? For the past 10 years, I am serving the people of Delhi as CM, ran the government with honesty. I ask you... there are only states in the country where electricity is free and round the clock, Delhi and Punjab. The costliest electricity is there in states ruled by the BJP."

. Speaking on the occasion of Ralebhat's induction into BJP, Mahrashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said, "I welcome Madhukar Ralebhat to the party. Many other leaders have also joined the party along with him... None of them was born with a silver spoon, all of them are very hardworking and do good work. Only a respectable person can understand the pain of a respectable person and we listen to the pain of such people. In Maharashtra, our government takes decisions immediately. Whether it is a water problem or any other problem, we take every decision as soon as possible. The entire Karjat Jamkhed district is facing a water problem, we will solve it...."

. AAP National Convener Arvind Kejriwal during his Haryana road show said: "In the entire world no one believes that Kejriwal is a thief. No one leaves even a job of peon but I have resigned and asked the people of Delhi that elect me as your CM only if you believe that I am honest. If you will vote for me again, then only I'll sit in CM's chair..."

. Amid murmurs of infighting in the Haryana Congress, Sirsa MP Kumari Selja on Monday said the aim is to bring the party to power in the state and that she will campaign in the assembly polls this week.

Selja's statement comes after the ruling BJP targeted the Congress over the Dalit leader staying away from the poll campaign amid reports that she was sulking.

The 61-year-old Selja, who is the Congress general secretary, said that she will start campaigning in two-three days.

Earlier, in a post on X, Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said Selja will address a public meeting in Narwana on September 26 and will campaign for the Congress.

Selja, when asked if she was still upset, quipped, "maybe the BJP is more worried".

"In party, there are many things, but these are party's internal matters. To make party win, we worked hard earlier too, in the Lok Sabha polls. We further worked to strengthen the Congress party on the ground, fight battle of people of Haryana, and that of the workers. And taking this work forward, we now have to form a Congress government," Selja said.

. Lashing out at BJP, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren on Monday alleged that over a dozen CMs, Prime Minister and Union Home minister are after a tribal chief minister to remove him.

He said that financial assistance under 'Jharkhand Mukhyamantri Maiyan Samman Yojana' (JMMSY) would be hiked to Rs 2,000 per month if the Centre provides Rs 1.36 lakh crore dues or its interest to Jharkhand.

Addressing a government function—'Apki Yojana, Apki Sarkar Apke Dwar' (your scheme, your government at your doorstep)—in Khunti district, Soren alleged that BJP leaders are hovering like "vultures" in Jharkhand in an apparent reference to BJP's ongoing 'Parivartan Yatra'.

"The BJP gang from all over the country are entering Jharkhand in view of upcoming elections. Around a dozen chief ministers, the Prime Minister and Home minister of the country are after a tribal chief minister here to remove him. Let's see who is more powerful, the capitalists or the poor of the state," he said.

He said that big leaders of the saffron party are hovering in Jharkhand and making an attempt to divide people in the name of Hindu-Muslim, tribal and non-tribal, backward and forward.

. National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Monday said they will continue to knock at the Supreme Court's door for the restoration of Article 370 as “it is linked with the honour of the people” of Jammu and Kashmir. The former chief minister said the "frequent" terror attacks, especially in the peaceful Jammu region, contradicts the BJP-led government’s claim terrorism "finished" with the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of an election rally in Budhal in support of party candidate Choudhary Javid, who is pitted against former minister and BJP candidate Choudhary Zulfikar Ali, Abdullah expressed confidence in his party forming the government with its coalition partner Congress after the elections. Responding to a question on the BJP’s clear message that Article 370 has become history and nobody is going to restore it, Abdullah said they will knock the door of the Supreme Court till the constitutional provision is restored in the Union Territory.

“It (restoration of Article 370) is a legal battle because two earlier SC judgments by three-judge benches have made it clear that it is permanent and not a temporary provision. We will go to the top court again and again till we get it back. It is linked with the honour of the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” Abdullah said.

. Assam CM and BJP's Jharkhand election co-incharge Himanta Biswa Sarma also spoke to the media in Ranchi, saying: "We have no issue, whether the election happens in November or December but it should happen peacefully. It is up to Election Commission to decide, we won't interfere in this... today also a youth died while giving physical test for Police Constable post, so because of election, nothing wrong should happen... if you go in a hurry because of election, some kind of accident will take place... till now 18 people have lost lives while taking physical test for Police constable post... govt is silent... no compensation has been given to victims..."

. "We have worked with honesty and bravery... they have tried to scare us a lot. They said that we will put you in jail, you will die in jail; but we were not afraid... We are not afraid, we will live in the hearts of the people of Delhi..." says AAP leader Manish Sisodia, ahead of assembly polls in the Capital scheduled for before February 2025.

. “Elections are being held here after 10 years. They are taking place at a time when nomads (pastoralist communities) have migrated and not returned yet. Election Commission had said in their press conference that they would take care of nomads and hold elections when they would return. So, I believe this is a conspiracy and not (free and fair) election. This is a betrayal of democracy,” says PDP candidate from Rajouri Assembly constituency, Master Tassaduq Hussain.