Assembly Elections 2023 Highlights: Congress can only think of dynastic politics, corruption, says PM

"Flaw in Ashok Gehlot's intentions has hurt Rajasthan. Rajasthan, the land of bravehearts and freedom fighters, has been tarnished by the Gehlot government," said BJP chief JP Nadda at a public rally in Fatehpur.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address two public meetings on Tuesday, one in Anta town in the Baran district and the other in Kota's Dusshera Ground. Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister and BJP Rajasthan in-charge, travelled Anta and Kota on Monday and oversaw preparations for the prime minister's public meetings.

Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot said, "We had passed a proposal in Raipur that a caste-based census should be done and we have issued directions also... They (BJP) are not debating on our achievements, passed laws or our guarantees. They are coming to Rajasthan and instigating people and leaving. The people have made up their minds and they will repeat the government... Let people decide who is wrong and who is right... They are not even talking about the issues of Rajasthan. They are making issues out of non-issues..."

During his roadshow in Amit Shah Rangareddy, Telangana, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, "CM KCR's government is involved in scams worth crores of rupees and that's why BJP has decided to constitute a commission to probe such scams (if voted to power) and put those who committed these scams behind bars."

While addressing the crowd in Udaipur, the president of the BJP, JP Nadda, said, "... Today the crowd of people here shows that the people of Rajasthan have made up their mind to make BJP win with a majority in the upcoming assembly."

"We will do away with the four percent reservation for Muslims and we will give those to SCs. OBCs, and STs," Amit Shah said while campaigning at Jagtial. Shah also announced reservations for the Madiga community in the state under the SC category.

"The Congress government - Sonia Gandhi and former PM Dr Manmohan Singh - provided employment under NREGA. It gave employment, provided education and protected the Adivasis. But what did the BJP do? The brought three black farm laws, did demonetisation and implemented GST. They are only increasing the gap between the poor and the rich," said Congress leader Sachin Pilot at a public rally in Kekri.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi "controls" everything - from ports to airports - and he is working towards making people "slaves". Addressing a public meeting in Anupgarh in Sri Ganganagar district of Rajasthan ahead of the November 25 assembly polls, Kharge said the Congress will work to address people's issues and concerns and deliver on the promises made to them.

With election campaigning in Rajasthan hitting a fever pitch, the demand for the development of an airport in Kota is also reaching a crescendo here, even as the Congress and the BJP blame each other for the project not moving towards fruition. The issue has made way to the campaign discourse especially in the Kota North seat where Rajasthan Chief Ministers Ashok Gehlot's trusted confidant Shanti Dhariwal is taking on Vasundhara Raje loyalist and BJP leader Prahlad Gunjal.

"Parties of KCR, Owaisi and the Congress party are all family-run parties. These are the 2G, 3G, 4G parties. These parties are run by the 2-Generations, 3-Generations, and 4-Generations of the same family," said Union Minister Amit Shah in Telangana.

The Election Commission said over Rs 1,760 crore worth of freebies, drugs, cash, liquor and precious metals aimed at inducing voters in the five poll-going states have been seized so far. The poll panel said the seizures made since polls were announced on October 9 are more than seven times (Rs 239.15 crore) those made in the previous assembly elections in these states in 2018.

"The Rajasthan where five years ago steps were taken and events were organised to make development reach every village, poor, farmers, youth and women in the leadership of Vasundhara Raje, what happened to that Rajasthan in these five years that it didn't remain number 1 in development, tourism, employment...It's now number 1 in crime..." said Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at Amber assembly constituency;.

"We are getting support beyond our expectations in the support. There is a silent revolution against the BRS party. People want change, they want KCR to go. Many youths are supporting the BJP despite their families supporting Congress or BRS. The guarantees given by Congress are only for gathering votes and misleading people," said Telangana BJP president G Kishan Reddy while addressing a press conference in Hyderabad.

"The Govt of India is playing a game. The basic excise duty that is distributed to the states has almost been finished and the new excise duty including the additional excise duty 1, 2 and cess which is not being distributed to the states. They are taking all the money into the Centre's account. They are cheating the people of the country...The excise duty in Madhya Pradesh is higher than in Rajasthan. The prices of petrol and diesel are higher in MP but they will not compare this...They need to bring down the excise duty...All the BJP leaders, PM Modi, and Union Ministers keep saying almost the same thing all through the day. They will not talk about what we did for the public and what we could not do in the last 5 years..." said Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.

"For the last 9.5 years, BJP is in power in the country. They have weakened the economy, destroyed small businesses and failed to provide 2 crore jobs. As far as UCC is concerned, I hope Amit Shah goes to Adilabad and Warangal, and tell the Adivasis that they will impose the UCC," said AIMIM president
Asaduddin Owaisi on BJP promising UCC in Telangana manifesto.

"BJP, BRS and AIMIM are doing Naatu naatu," said Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi while reiterating that "BRS is the B-team of the BJP". However, the BJP slammed the Congress, saying "both BRS and Congress guarantee corruption".

The rival candidates Jyoti Patel from the Congress and Gopal Bhargava from the BJP in Madhya Pradesh's Rehli assembly seat have accused each other of plotting to kill one another.

A shining star in the 2018 Rajasthan polls, Pilot has no clearly defined role this time – but he’s not complaining. Back then, as Rajasthan Congress president, he aspired to the CM post. Now, with Ashok Gehlot firmly in the coveted seat and showing no signs of yielding, Pilot insists he has buried the hatchet with the Rajasthan CM on the advice of party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi.

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