Maharashtra Elections: Country will never agree to the demand for restoration of Article 370 in Kashmir, says PM

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, "For many years there was a demand to give the Marathi language the status of a classical language. Sharad Pawar ji, you were a minister at the center for 10 years and also the Chief Minister of the state, what did you do?  Our Prime Minister Modi honoured Maharashtra by giving Marathi the status of a classical language ."

Country will never agree to the demand for restoration of Article 370 in Kashmir, says PM Modi at rally in Pune ahead of Maharashtra polls

Addressing a public meeting in Ghatkopar East Assembly Constituency, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, "A Mahayuti government is going to be formed and the Maha Vikas Aghadi is going to be wiped out"

BJP leader Smriti Irani said, "The Prime Minister has been appealing to the nation to stay united and move ahead on the path of development for years. He gave the slogan of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' in 2014. Today, all of the BJP workers are elated that what no one had expected in the opposition, we have made it possible today with the blessings of the people. Once again, a government led by PM Narendra Modi has been formed at the centre and in the Maharashtra Assembly, a state government is going to be formed under the leadership of BJP. I express my gratitude to the people of Maharashtra. BJP is coming to power."

"For the next five years, Maharashtra needs a Mahayuti government that is stable, and which aims to develop the state. However, there is constant infighting within the Maha Vikas Aghadi and everyone is fighting for the driver's seat," says PM Modi at a rally in Solapur.

"When Congress was in power, hardly 2-3 per cent ethanol was blended with petrol. But when the Modi government was formed in 2014, we decided to increase the blending of ethanol with petrol to benefit our sugarcane farmers. We aim to blend 20 per cent of ethanol with petrol," says PM Modi in Solapur.

Solapur, Maharashtra | During a public rally, PM Modi said, " Mahayuti govt is working day and night to empower women. Everyone is talking about Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana. It is an example of our commitment towards women. But Maha Vikas Aghadi went to the court to make sure that women do not get this.Today, we are keeping women at the centre of all welfare schemes of the government. We are working on the mission to make three crore women 'Lakhpati didi'."During a public rally, PM Modi said, " Mahayuti govt is working day and night to empower women. Everyone is talking about Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana. It is an example of our commitment towards women. But Maha Vikas Aghadi went to the court to make sure that women do not get this...Today, we are keeping women at the centre of all welfare schemes of the government. We are working on the mission to make three crore women 'Lakhpati didi'."

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Nirupam said, "Every leader's helicopters and cars should be checked so that the use of black money can be finished. The EC has formed strict laws to ensure this and everyone needs to follow the rules..."

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath said, "There are many elections. But some elections become important. There are some elections which make the fate of the country and some which spoil the fate of the country. In 1946 also, there was an election which changed the fate of India, which turned the fate into misfortune. The unfortunate partition of India took place. Then the Congress, greedy for power, got caught in the clutches of the Muslim gang which deceived the countrymen and whatever happened after that was in front of everyone. The country was divided into parts. India which was one from the beginning, was divided into pieces."

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said the BJP and its allies would spare no effort and make up for the losses they faced during the Lok Sabha elections to emerge victorious in the assembly polls.

Addressing rallies for the November 20 assembly elections at three locations in Palghar district, he said once the Mahayuti is voted to power in Maharashtra, its government would waive farm loans.

"We will make up for whatever losses we faced during this year's Lok Sabha elections. We are confident that the Mahayuti will retain power," Fadnavis said.

The CPI (M) is pulling out all the stops to retain the Dahanu (ST) assembly constituency, its lone bastion in Maharashtra, in the November 20 assembly elections by organising several rallies and women-centric events. These rallies will be addressed by CPI (M) veterans Brinda Karat and other leaders besides Maha Vikas Aghadi politicians.

The CPI (M) has renominated the party MLA, Vinod Nikole, from the tribal-dominated Dahanu constituency in Palghar district.

The Assembly elections are happening. Haryana elections concluded. It was being said that Congress will win there, but BJP formed the government with 2/3rd majority. Similarly, BJP-led Mahayuti alliance will form the government with brute majority here, because people have decided to compensate for the LS elections," says UP CM Yogi Adityanath addressing an election rally in Achalpur.

The land of Maharashtra is an inspirational land, it is the same land, which ignited the spirit of 'swaraj'. Bal Gangadhar Tilak started his movement from here. Sahuji Maharaj is also from here. Peshwa Bajirao had united India. Veer Savarkar was also from here. BR Ambedkar ensured quality for us from this land. Nitin Gadkari is ensuring infrastructure for India. Hence, Maharashtra is an inspirational land," said UP CM Yogi Adityanath addressing an election rally in Achalpur.

Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole has courted fresh controversy after he asked OBC voters in Akola district if they would vote for the BJP who calls them "kutta" (dog).

Patole, while addressing a public meeting in Akola for Congress's candidate from the Akola West constituency on Monday, alleged that the BJP has become so arrogant that it calls the Other Backward Class community dog.

"I want to ask the people belonging to the OBC in Akola district, will you vote for the BJP who calls you kutta (dog)? Now the time has come to make the BJP 'kutta' (dog)," he said.

On Maharashtra Assembly elections, Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini said NDA is going to form the govt for the second time.

He said, " This time Jalebi will be distributed in Maharashtra also...With a big mandate, NDA is going to form the govt for the second time in the state..."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that has always been the mentality of Congress’ 'shahi parivar' that it was born to rule the country.

“That is the reason that after Independence, the Congress never allowed Dalits, backward classes and Adivasis to progress,” Modi said, addressing a rally at Chimur in Maharashtra’s Chandrapur district.

Addressing a public meeting at Chandrapur, PM Modi speaks on India's tribal population and claims Congress wants to divide the Adivasi community.

He said, "The tribal population in our country is around 10%. Congress wants to divide the Adivasi community into castes and weaken them... Congress wants you to fight internally and break your unity... If the Adivasi community gets divided into castes, it will end its identity and strength... The prince of Congress has announced this in a foreign country... We don't have to become a part of Congress conspiracy and we have to stay united... 'Ek rahenge toh safe rahenge'..."

Addressing a public meeting in Chimur, PM Modi said, "You have seen the double speed of development in the last 2.5 years. Maharashtra is the state with maximum foreign investment... There are new airports and expressways, one dozen Vande Bharat trains are running, and more than 100 railway stations are being transformed... The people of Chandrapur have been demanding rail connectivity for years, but Congress and Aghadi did not let that happen... The rapid development of Maharashtra is beyond the reach of Aghadi. They have done a PhD in breaking development... And Congress is a double PhD in it."

"Along with Mahayuti in Maharashtra, BJP-NDA in the centre, this means double-engine government in Maharashtra. This means 'double-raftaar' of development," says PM Modi

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday slammed the Congress over its Maharashtra unit chief Nana Patole's 'dog' remark, saying such comments show Maha Vikas Aghadi's dejection over impending defeat in the assembly election.

"They are going from disappointment to dejection. Sharad Pawar is saying something; Uddhav Thackeray is verbally abusing the Election Commission. Now, Rahul Gandhi's Congress is calling the BJP a 'kutta' because opinion polls show a clear majority for Mahayuti. So, I can understand their disappointment," said BJP leader Kirit Somaiyya.

More here.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday claimed his bag was inspected by election authorities when he arrived in Maharashtra's Yavatmal to campaign for the November 20 assembly elections.

The former chief minister asked if the election authorities would also inspect the bags of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior leaders.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday claimed his bag was inspected by government authorities when he arrived in Maharashtra's Yavatmal to campaign for the November 20 assembly elections.

The former chief minister asked if the election authorities would also inspect the bags of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior leaders.

Thackeray shared this experience while addressing a public meeting at Wani in Yavatmal for Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Sanjay Derkar.

he BJP "toppled" elected governments in several states and it was time for "revenge" by making the Maha Vikas Aghadi victorious in the November 20 Maharashtra polls, former Rajasthan chief minister and senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot said on Monday.

Addressing a press conference in Mumbai, he also questioned why the Election Commission of India was not taking action against the BJP for slogans like "batenge toh katenge" and "ek hai toh safe hai".

"The BJP (earlier) toppled governments in Madhya Pradesh (Kamal Nath dispensation after Jyotiraditya Scindia's revolt), Karnataka, Goa (where Congress MLAs joined the ruling BJP) through horse-trading. It was a black chapter in the country's history. In Maharashtra too the BJP brought down the MVA government (of Uddhav Thackeray)," Gehlot claimed.

The Congress hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday by posing questions to him on Maharashtra, asking what is the BJP doing to prevent farmer suicides in the states.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh posed questions to the PM ahead of his rallies in Chimur and Solapur and asked why has the BJP "diluted" Adivasis' forest rights in Maharashtra.

In 2006, the Congress had passed the revolutionary Forest Rights Act (FRA) which granted Adivasis and forest-dwelling communities legal rights to manage their own forests, and economically benefit from forest produce they collect, he pointed out.

"The BJP government, however, has obstructed the implementation of the FRA, depriving millions of Adivasis of its benefits. Only 52% (2,06,620 claims) of the 4,01,046 individual claims filed have been granted, and land titles distributed cover only 23.5% (11,769 sq. km) of the 50,045 sq. km eligible for community rights," Ramesh said in his post on X.

A total of 746 persons above the age of 85 as well as those with disabilities have cast vote from their homes in Maharashtra's Thane district for the upcoming state assembly elections, an official said on Tuesday.

In all, 933 persons from 18 assembly constituencies of the district had registered for the home voting facility for the November 20 state polls.

Ahead of the Maharashtra assembly elections, authorities in Thane district have seized Rs 3.7 crore cash from a builder's bungalow and a van, officials said on Tuesday.

Acting on a tip, the police raided the bungalow located in Nerul area of Navi Mumbai on Monday night and seized Rs 2.5 crore cash from there, a police official said.

A probe was on to ascertain the source of the money and to whom it belonged, he said.

In another operation, the flying squad and police on Monday seized Rs 1.2 crore from a cash van near Bapgaon when the vehicle was on way from Bhiwandi towards Kalyan, poll officials said.

The authorities stopped the van and found the cash in it. The vehicle occupants could not give a satisfactory proof of the money and hence it was seized, they said.

As Maharashtra prepares for assembly elections on November 20, Union Minister and BJP leader Piyush Goyal on Monday emphasised that casting ballots along religious lines contradicts the fundamental values enshrined in the Constitution.

He criticised the Congress party for failing to fulfil pre-election promises in states under its governance and accused Uddhav Thackeray of the Shiv Sena (UBT) of collaborating with parties that disseminate fear and misinformation.

"It is inappropriate to encourage voters to choose or reject a party based on religion. Such a stance undermines the constitutional values we uphold," Goyal told reporters in Mumbai.

A poll flying squad seized Rs 25 lakh from a car in Latur in Maharashtra on Monday amid the model code of conduct for the November 20 assembly polls, an official said.

The car was intercepted near the Zilla Parishad office gate at 3pm, he said.

The action was taken under the guidance of Election Officer Rohini Narhe-Virole, the official said.

Police and a poll flying squad seized 2,700 ration kits containing campaign materials of independent candidate Narendra Jichkar in Nagpur, after which a case was registered, an official said on Monday.

The kits, worth Rs 15 lakh, were seized on Sunday in Mahendra Nagar and Motibagh, he added.

"We found 220 kits in Motibag's Central Railway Colony and over 2,500 kits in Mahendra Nagar. The operation was carried out by a poll team. Jichkar has been booked for violating the model code of conduct and other offences," he said.

The BJP on Monday urged the Election Commission to direct lodging of an FIR against Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi for conducting “malicious and slanderous” poll campaigns against it in Maharashtra in "violation" of the model code of conduct and other laws.

In its memorandum to the poll panel, the BJP alleged that Gandhi sought to spread falsehood and create disaffection among the people with his remarks during a poll campaign in Mumbai on November 6 that various projects including the iPhone factory and Boeing unit were taken to Gujarat from Maharashtra.