Assembly elections 2023 Highlights: Nearly 69% voter turnout in Mizoram till 3pm

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- Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan said that in Congress party, leaders are deceiving each other.

- Adressing a rally he said, "Digvijaya is deceiving Kamal Nath, and vice versa. Their main objective appears to be securing a future for their own sons."

- Union Home Minister Amit Shah said Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot should have resigned over the "red diary", which a sacked minister had alleged contained details of financial irregularities.

- Addressing a rally in Makrana ahead of the November 25 assembly polls, Shah said that before asking for votes, the chief minister should disclose to the people of the state what is written in the "red diary".

- Asserting that the BRS stands for the welfare of Dalits, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday alleged it was the Congress party which defeated Dr BR Ambedkar in a parliamentary election (in 1950s).

- Speaking at a poll rally, Rao said it was his government which erected the 125-ft tall Ambedker statue, tallest in the world, near the state secretariat in the capital Hyderabad and also introduced schemes like Dalit Bandhu for the uplift of SCs.

- Nearly 69 per cent of 8.57 lakh electors cast their votes till 3 pm on Tuesday in the Mizoram assembly elections, officials said.

- Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Congress of indulging in corruption during its rule.

- He said after the BJP came to power at the Centre, its government stopped all scams and saved the money involved in it that helped in providing free ration to over 80 crore poor people.

- Modi also alleged that the Congress keeps abusing him everyday, and slammed the party for having an "anti-tribal mindset" as he cited its opposition to the candidature of the country's first tribal woman President Droupadi Murmu.

- BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla said, "...In Rajasthan, 3 different Congress fighting the election. One is Gehlot's Congress, 2nd one is Pilot's Congress and 3rd is 'Parivaarvadi' Congress..."

- "There are talks that during the ticket distribution, there was conflict between Rahul Gandhi and Ashok Gehlot...Rahul Gandhi did not come for election campaign for Gehlot govt...Rahul Gandhi must be conducting Congress Jodo Yatra instead of Bharat Jodo Yatra"

- Three security personnel injured in an exchange of fire with Naxals near Minpa in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh

- More details are awaited.

- A 65-year-old social activist in Mizoram staged a hunger strike against the Election Commission's silence over the demand for rescheduling the day of the counting of votes, as polling for the 40-member assembly continued across the state.

- All major political parties of the Christian-majority state have urged the poll panel to change the counting day (December 3) as it will clash with church programmes.

- From FM radio talk shows and interviews with Telugu cine actors to captivating content on YouTube and LinkedIn, BRS party has strategically utilised various mediums to foster positivity about its governance among voters in the state.

- Despite his busy campaign schedule for the November 30 asssembly polls, BRS Working President K T Rama Rao, popularly known as KTR, tried to demonstrate his culinary skills on a YouTube channel which has over two million subscribers.

- The Congress launched a yatra in Rajasthan to make people aware about its seven promises, including an annual honorarium of Rs 10,000 to women head of family and cooking gas cylinders at Rs 500, made to the people ahead of the November 25 assembly elections.

- Congress candidates of different assembly constituencies, including Archana Sharma from Malviya Nagar, also took part in the yatra.

- Union Home Minister Amit Shah slammed Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, saying he has crossed "all limits of appeasement" and asked the people of the state to uproot the Congress government.

- Addressing a rally in Rajasthan's Kuchaman, he also attacked Gehlot over the issue of corruption and termed his government as the most corrupt.

- Mizoram has seen 52.73% voter turnout so far, while Chhattisgarh saw 44.55% as the first phase of voting got underway for 20 seats in Chhattisgarh, including many that fall under the Naxal-affected Bastar division.

- Adressing a rally in Madhya Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the Ayushman Bharat Yojana.

- He said, "Under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, we have provided guarantee cards to the poor to avail treatment upto Rs 5 lakhs. If there was no Ayushman card, more than Rs 1 lakh crore would have been spent by the poor and middle class for healthcare services."

- "We have opened over 10,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendra to provide medicines at 80% discount..." he added.

- Adressing a rally in Madhya Pradesh, BJP president JP Nadda said now MP is a developed state.

- "I am talking about 1994, 1996, and 1997. I was told then that there are some Bimaru states in the country... Then M in Bimaru states was Madhya Pradesh. Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh were the Bimaru states."

- "Today, after 20 years, we can say Madhya Pradesh is not a Bimaru state, it's a developed state now..."

- The BJP announced its fourth list of 12 candidates for the November 30 assembly elections in Telangana.

- The candidates announced by the party in the fourth list are Durgam Ashok (Chennur-SC), V Subhash Reddy (Yellareddy constituency), Tula Uma (Vemulawada), Bomma Sriram Chakravarthy (Husnabad), Doodi Srikanth Reddy (Siddipet), Peddinti Naveen Kumar (Vikarabad-SC), Bantu Ramesh Kumar (Kodangal), Boya Shiva (Gadwal), Sadineni Srinivas (Miryalguda), Chalamala Krishna Reddy (Munugode), Nakarakanti Mogulaiah (Nakrekal-SC) and Azmeera Prahlad Naik (Mulug-ST)

- Voting is currently underway in Kolasib, a newly formed district of Mizoram.

- Polling for the 40-member Mizoram assembly is underway amid tight security arrangements, and it will continue till 4 pm.

- Exuding confidence that there will not be hung assembly in Mizoram as the ruling MNF will sweep the polls, Chief Minister Zoramthanga on Tuesday said his party does not have an alliance with the BJP in the state and its support to NDA at the Centre is "issue-based".

- Polling for the 40-member Mizoram assembly is underway amid tight security arrangements, and it will continue till 4 pm.

- Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit out at the Congress for failing to contain Naxalism in Chhattisgarh.

- He said whenever the party comes to power at the Centre, Naxalites and terrorists get emboldened.

- Addressing a rally in Surajpur district, Modi also targeted CM Bhupesh Baghel over the alleged Mahadev betting app scam.

- Around 33 percent of 8.57 lakh electors cast their votes in the first four hours of polling on Tuesday in the Mizoram assembly elections. The polling will continue till 4pm.

- The ruling Mizo National Front (MNF), main opposition Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) and Congress have fielded candidates in all the 40 seats.

Since 1989, power has changed hands after a government ruled for two successive terms. So Lal Thanhawla was CM between 1989 and 1998, Zoramthanga between 1998 and 2008, Lal Thanhawla again between 2008 and 2018. It was Zoramthanga's turn in 2018. But he is facing a spirited challenge from ZPM this time. Will history repeat and Zoramthanga win one more term?

BJP is aiming to regain its foothold in Telangana, which is poised for a competitive contest with the Congress also aiming to make a comeback.

This is the first elections since the state was formed in 1987 that Congress is fighting without its veteran warhorse Lal Thanhawla. Though made a Congress Working Committee member by Mallikarjun Kharge, Lal Thanhawla is sitting out this election and the baton has passed to Lalsawta who is having a tough time keeping the Congress in fighting shape since taking over in 2021

One of the VIP constituencies is Rajnandgaon where BJP has fielded ex-CM Raman Singh. His opponent is CM Bhupesh Baghel's close associate, Girish Dewangan, who is an outsider to the area. Congress leaders are clueless why the party has fielded Dewangan from Rajnandgaon

Hachhek, a crucial constituency in west Mizoram’s Mamit district near Tripura’s border, will witness a tough electoral battle as sitting legislator Lalrindika Ralte from the Congress is contesting against the state’s sports minister, Robert Romawia Royte, who shifted his constituency from Aizawl East-II

Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) working president K Sapdanga cast his vote at Aizawl North-III constituency as voting got underway in Mizoram. The state has recorded nearly 17% turnout so far

BJP has wooed the ethnic minorities in the state. There are 14 out of 40 seats where they command influence. But after the Manipur violence, BJP's campaign has suffered with PM Modi also not visiting the state. In 2018, BJP had won one seat in the state

For long a Maoist stronghold, successive governments at the state and Centre can take credit for marginalising the menace in South Chhattisgarh, which is now largely pinned down to one part of Bastar now: the remote Abhujmad. However, the local tribes resents the continuance of a large security presence in the area.

Chhattisgarh was part of old Madhya Pradesh. The mineral-rich state of Chhattisgarh was carved out of Madhya Pradesh in November 2000.

Contrary to public perception, the violence in neighbouring Manipur was not a factor in the elections as chief minister Zoramthanga's efforts to provide relief to Kuki refugees from Manipur has been grudlingly accepted by the main opposition party ZPM as adequate

Congress is hurting from the 2018 defeat. It is alleging that MNF and ZPM are B-teams of BJP. It has lost its urban vote to ZPM and is worried that the five seats it won in rural areas in 2018 are also on shaky ground.

Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga said his party would be able to buck anti-incumbency and retain power in the northeastern state. “I have full confidence that we will be able to form the government with absolute majority,” the 79-year-old said at a presser. The MNF is part of the BJP-led NDA government at Centre, but in Mizoram the parties are not in an alliance.

Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga was unable to cast his vote in the Mizoram assembly elections since the electronic voting machine was not working. The MNF President went to cast his vote at 19-Aizawl Venglai-I YMA Hall polling station under the Aizawl North-II assembly constituency. "Because the machine was not working. I was waiting for some time. But since the machine could not work I said that I will visit my constituency and I will vote after the morning meet," the Chief Minister said speaking to ANI.

The main opposition party in the state ZPM was not even a recognised outfit in the last election and they fought as Independents, and ended up winning eight seats, reducing the then ruling Congress to third position with just five seats

Shiv Sena took a jab at the BJP over the Mahadev betting app controversy, saying Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel will get a clean chit if he switches to the saffron party. Thackeray said that the betting app would become ‘har har mahadev’, if Baghel joins the BJP.

The Congress president urged voters to turn out in large numbers to ‘usher in change’. "Welcome our first-time voters to participate in this democratic process for a better future. Urge our sisters and brothers of Mizoram to participate in large numbers and usher in change," he wrote on X.

PM Modi is attending an event for Backward Classes in Telangana, days after BJP promised the state a backward class CM, while CM Ashok Gehlot will launch the Congress’s ‘Guarantee Yatra’ in Rajasthan

-- Voting began at 7 am, it will continue till 4 pm.
-- Over 8.57 lakh voters, including 4.39 lakh women, are eligible to exercise their franchise to decide the electoral fate of 174 candidates.
-- Ruling Mizo National Front (MNF), main opposition Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) and Congress are in contention.

One CRPF soldier of the CoBRA Battalion, deployed on election duty, was reportedly injured in an IED blast triggered by Naxals in the Tondamarka area of Sukma

A total of Rs 953.34 crore in cash and other poll inducements have been seized so far from Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram since the Model Code of Conduct came into force on October 9. These seizures include jewellery, precious metals, liquor, drugs, gadgets and household items.

To address the stigma around the third gender this election season, the state has set up a rainbow-themed polling station in Kanker district for active participation of transgender voters.

Bhawna Bohra is contesting from Pandariya seat against Congress' Neelu Chandravanshi. Popularly known as 'Ambulance Wali Didi', Bhawna has a significant background in social service and politics, with active involvement in the Kavardha and Bemetra districts.

MNF leader and Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga is contesting from the Aizawl East-I seat and is up against Congress candidate Lalsanglura Ralte ZPM's Lalthansanga - who is the party's vice president.

Yes, 16 out of 20 seats that go vote today in Chhattisgarh have more number of women voters than men. The total number of voters in the 20 constituencies are 40,78,681, of which 19,93,937 are male, 20,84,675 female and 69 third-gender persons.

Only 7, of the 174 candidates contesting the 2023 Mizoram Assembly poll have declared criminal cases against themselves in the mandatory self-sworn affidavits, according to the Association for Democratic Reform

Since 1986, MNF and Congress have been in power for about two decades each. No other party has been able to uproot the two. Even BJP has had little success in the tribal (39 of the 40 Assembly seats reserved for Scheduled Tribes) and Christian-majority state that borders Bangladesh and Myanmar.

MNF had won in 26 constituencies in 2018 state polls while the ZPM had clinched 8 seats. Both the Congress and the BJP had put up a poor show securing only 5 and 1 seats respectively.

The MNF is riding on Mizo nationalism for a second straight win but it is the ZPM that is being keenly watched. Led by Lalduhoma, a former IPS officer, the ZPM is riding on its promise to undertake government reforms to bring in a new system.

MNF and Congress dominate the state politics since the formation of the state in 1987, with power alternating between two CMs – Zoramthanga and the Congress’s Lal Thanhawla.

Apart from the MNF led by Chief Minister Zoramthanga and Congress, Zoram’s People Movement (ZPM) has made the fight for the state into a three-way contest. A total of 174 candidates are in the fray: the MNF, Congress and ZPM are fighting from all 40 constituencies.

Election Commission has directed for at least one polling station in every Assembly constituency managed exclusively by women. All election staff, including police and security personnel, will be women.

149 polling stations in Bijapur, Narayanpur, Antagarh, Dantewada, and Konta seats have been established within security camps and police stations to ensure safe voting.

In the naxal-affected region, there will be variations in voting times to expedite the process and minimize the risk of untoward incidents. Nine seats, namely Dantewada, Narayanpur, Antagarh, Bhanupratappur, Kanker, Keshkal, Kondagaon, Bijapur, and Konta, will conduct voting from 7 am to 3 pm, while Bastar, Jagdalpur, and Chitrakot will have polling from 8 am to 5 pm.