Page 5 - Himachal Pradesh Elections

Re-elect BJP in Himachal for development to continue: Anurag Thakur

Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Thursday urged the people of Himachal Pradesh to vote the BJP again to power for development to continue in the hilly state. The wheel of development in the state should continue. So it is very important to bring back the BJP government, he said. Thakur was addressing public meetings at Chamboh, Jauh Badhani and Mundkhar villages of the Bhoranj assembly constituency. The Union Information and Broadcasting Minister said the double-engine governments of the BJP at the Centre and the state had provided a tension-free environment to the people across the country and Himachal Pradesh. Thakur counted various "achievements" of BJP governments at the Centre and in the state on the occasion.

BJP will retain power in Himachal Pradesh: Union minister Anurag Thakur

Union Minister and BJP leader Anurag Thakur on Saturday exuded confidence that his party will again form government in Himachal Pradesh as people have seen the working of the "double-engine" government. The "double-engine" phrase is used by BJP leaders to emphasise that development will be expedited if the same party is at the helm in states and the Centre. Voting for the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections will take place on November 12 and the counting will be held on December 8. Speaking to reporters, Thakur said the BJP will again form the government in Himachal Pradesh. "Results will be in favour of the BJP because people have seen the working of the BJP and the double-engine government. We will get the benefit of the leadership which Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave in the country and (Chief Minister) Jai Ram Thakur at the state level," he added. He said the BJP will also retain power in Gujarat. Earlier also, the BJP had retained power in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa a

BJP names candidates for 62 seats, drops 11 sitting MLAs for HP polls

The BJP on Wednesday released its first list of 62 candidates for the polls to the 68-member Himachal Pradesh assembly, fielding Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur from his current constituency Seraj. The party dropped 11 sitting MLAs, including a cabinet minister, and changed the seats of two ministers -- Suresh Bharadwaj and Rakesh Pathania. Bharadwaj, a senior BJP leader in the state and a sitting MLA from Shimla Urban constituency, has been fielded from Kasumpti, while Nurpur MLA Pathania has been given a ticket from the neighbouring Fatehpur. Minister Mahendra Singh, MLA from Dharampur, has been replaced by his son Rajat Thakur. The BJP has fielded Chetan Bragta from Jubbal-Kotkhai, who contested as an independent in the by-election after the party had denied him a ticket. Anil Sharma, son of former Union minister Sukh Ram, has been fielded from Mandi. The name of former chief minister and veteran party leader Prem Kumar Dhumal did not figure in the list. Party sources said the .

Congress will get full majority in Himachal assembly polls, says Alka Lamba

Congress leader Alka Lamba expressed confidence of the party winning the forthcoming assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh

Himachal goes to polls on November 12; announcement for Gujarat later

A new actor in Himachal Pradesh is the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)

Hours after EC announces HP poll date, Shah, Gujarat CM meet PM Modi

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, along with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and the party's state unit chief C R Patil, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Friday, sources said. The meeting was held at the prime minister's official residence here and the three leaders are likely to have discussed several issues related to Gujarat, they said. The meeting comes hours after the Election Commission announced that assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh will be held on November 12. The poll panel is expected to announce dates for Gujarat elections later this month. In 2017, Gujarat elections were held in early December. The BJP has won Gujarat for six consecutive times and has been in power for 27 years. This time, the Aam Aadmi Party is trying to make inroads in the saffron-party's stronghold, where the Congress has been the traditional rival.

Followed 2017 convention in not announcing HP, Guj polls together: CEC

The Election Commission on Friday cited convention followed in 2017 for not announcing the assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat together and underlined that the model code this time has not been "unnecessarily extended". Responding to a volley of questions on why the poll panel did not announce the two polls together, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said "the Commission actually goes by the convention in announcing the schedule of elections. It went by the convention last followed." In 2017, the polls in the two state were announced on different dates but the counting took place together on December 18. The EC on Friday announced the schedule for Himachal Pradesh assembly polls. The notification will be issued on October 17 and the polls will be held on November 12. The counting of votes will take place on December 8. Asked whether the counting of votes for Gujarat will be held along with Himachal Pradesh on December 8, Kumar said "when we come for Gujarat (poll .

We are ready, confident of getting people's mandate in Himachal: AAP

The Aam Aadmi Party on Friday said it is ready for the Himachal Pradesh elections and fully confident of getting the people's mandate after the Election Commission announced the schedule of the assembly polls in the hill state. Himachal Pradesh will go to polls on November 12 and the counting of votes will take place on December 8, the poll panel said on Friday. "We are ready for the elections," AAP leader Durgesh Pathak said at a press conference when asked for his party's reaction to the announcement. He said teams formed by the party in every village of the Himachal Pradesh has been "working hard" to reach out to the masses and convey the AAP's message to the electors. Pathak is an MLA from Delhi's Rajinder Nagar and a member of the AAP's political affairs committee, the highest decision making body of the Arvind Kejriwal-led party. "I am fully confident that the way the Congress and the BJP have looted the state during their respective reins, people of Himachal Pradesh will ..

Constant social media monitoring to check fake news in upcoming polls: EC

The Election Commission on Friday said its teams will constantly monitor social media platforms to check fake news in the upcoming assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh and respond immediately as it asserted it will not hesitate in taking criminal action wherever required. Announcing the dates for Himachal Pradesh assembly polls, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar said the panel has "established social media teams to keep strict vigil on fake news being spread during elections. Social media will be monitored constantly and any fake news would be acted upon immediately penal actions can be taken too". Addressing a press conference, Kumar said keeping in view increasing incidents of "misuse of social media", social media platforms agreed to observe Voluntary Code of Ethics formulated by them in March, 2019. Citing an example of fake news about EVMs during elections, Kumar said the commission works so hard to conduct free and fair polls and then a particular news comes up and a

Gujarat poll dates not out along with HP to give PM more time: Congress

The Congress on Friday alleged that dates for Gujarat assembly polls were not announced along with Himachal Pradesh so that Prime Minister Narendra Modi gets more time to make "mega promises and inaugurations". Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said his party is not surprised over the development after the Election Commission announced poll dates only for the hill state and not for Gujarat. "Obviously, this has been done to give more time to the PM to make some mega promises and carry out more inaugurations. Not at all surprising," Ramesh said. Earlier in the day, the Election Commission announced that elections to the Himachal Pradesh assembly will be held on November 12. On not announcing the dates for Gujarat assembly polls, it said various factors, including convention, gap in qualifying dates, and weather had been considered before taking a decision. The poll panel also said announcement of multiple state elections leads to longer wait in declaration of results.

Himachal Pradesh goes to polls on Nov 12; Gujarat announcement later

Elections to the Himachal Pradesh assembly will be held on November 12, the Election Commission announced on Friday. The counting of votes will be on December 8, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar told a press conference here. The Commission did not announce the elections for the Gujarat assembly, the term of which ends on February 18, 2023. Over 55 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise for 68 assembly seats in Himachal Pradesh, Kumar said. The CEC said the Commission was following past precedence in keeping the announcing in abeyance the schedule for Gujarat assembly. There are 1.86 lakh first-time voters, 1.22 lakh aged 80-plus and 1,184 voters who are above 100 years of age. Himachal Pradesh has a 68-member assembly and the BJP had won a clear majority by winning 44 seats in the 2017 elections. The Congress managed to win 21 seats, Independents bagged two seats and the CPI(M) emerged victorious on one seat. In percentage terms, the BJP won 48.79 per cent o

Development becomes reality with double engine govt: Modi in Himachal rally

Launching projects related to pharmaceuticals, education and railways just weeks ahead of the Assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh, PM Modi said these will have positive impact on the region's progress

Assembly elections: A test of BJP's defence in Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh

Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh will go to the polls in a few weeks. Aditi Phadnis explains everything you wants to know about the political state of play in these two states

Congress urges EC to declare Himachal assembly schedule, accuses BJP

The Congress on Saturday urged the Election Commission to immediately declare the election schedule for Himachal Pradesh Assembly so that the model code of conduct comes into effect, as it accused the ruling BJP of misusing state funds and machinery. The state Congress also sought a ban on 'Amritmahotsav' functions in Himachal Pradesh. Just about two months are left for the tenure of the BJP government in the state but the BJP is openly misusing power and government machinery for political gains, Himachal Pradesh Congress President Pratibha Singh alleged in a statement. She alleged "crores of rupees" in government expenditure was being made for hosting BJP central ministers and leaders. The EC should take cognisance of this and immediately stop the misuse of government money and machinery, she said and urged the poll panel to declare the dates for Assembly elections in the state and implement the model code of conduct immediately. "The BJP in the state is openly using party banne

Once we lay foundation stone, we also inaugurate: Modi in Himachal rally

Sounding the poll bugle in Himachal, PM Modi said that BJP govt "lays the foundation stone of a project and inaugurates itself"

PM Modi sounds election bugle in Himachal Pradesh, literally

The previous governments only laid foundation stones and forgot about the actual projects once the elections were over, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Wednesday as he sounded the poll bugle literally -- in Himachal Pradesh. At a rally held here Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur presented the PM with a Ransingha, a trumpet-like traditional instrument. Modi played it and later said, This marks the beginning of each future victory. He said the BJP government not only lays the stones but also inaugurates the development projects. He was addressing the meeting at the Luhnu ground after inaugurating an AIIMS hospital and a hydro engineering college, the foundations stones for which were laid by him in 2017. The BJP government in Himachal Pradesh hopes to return to power after the assembly polls before this year-end. Modi headed next to Kullu to witness the Dussehra celebrations there. The PM was scheduled to visit Mandi in the state on September 24, but couldn't make it to the rally ve

Government approves 22nd tranche of electoral bonds; sale from October 1-10

Ahead of assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, the government on Thursday approved issuance of 22nd tranche of electoral bonds that will open for sale on October 1. Electoral bonds have been pitched as an alternative to cash donations made to political parties as part of efforts to bring transparency in political funding. State Bank of India (SBI), in the 22nd phase of sale, has been authorised to issue and encash electoral bonds through its 29 authorised branches from October 1-10, the finance ministry said in a statement. The authorised SBI branches include those in Lucknow, Shimla, Dehradun, Kolkata, Guwahati, Chennai, Patna, New Delhi, Chandigarh, Srinagar, Gandhinagar, Bhopal, Raipur, and Mumbai. Assembly election dates for Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh are likely to be announced in few weeks. The 21st tranche of bond sales took place from July 1-10, 2022. Sale of the first batch of electoral bonds happened from March 1-10, 2018. SBI is the only authorised bank

Poll promises in Punjab not fulfilled, now 'deceiving' HP youth: SAD on AAP

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Saturday slammed the Aam Aadmi Party saying it was yet to fulfil its assurances given to the people of Punjab and was now trying to "deceive" the youths of Himachal Pradesh. The hill state goes to polls later this year and the AAP has promised an unemployment allowance of Rs 3,000 per month and six lakh government jobs to youths there, if voted to power. "It seems the lies of Delhi, which were brought to Punjab, are now being taken to Himachal Pradesh," SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia said in a statement. He alleged that the AAP government led by Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi did not pay any unemployment allowance to its youths in eight years. "It has not done so in Punjab either. But now, it is making a promise to give an unemployment allowance of Rs 3,000 per month in Himachal to befool the people into voting for the party," he said. Majithia also sought to know from Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann how many jobs had been created in the six months

HP polls: AAP promises Rs 3,000 monthly allowance to jobless youth

The AAP on Friday promised to create 6 lakh government jobs in Himachal Pradesh and pay Rs 3,000 per month as unemployment allowance to jobless youth till they find work if the party is voted to power in assembly polls scheduled to be held later this year. The party said a consultation board would be formed for traders and tourism industry to end inspector raj and political corruption in the state. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia made the announcements during a public meeting in Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur's home district Mandi. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also promised free pilgrimage for senior citizens to their choice of religious place. The party said Himachal Pradesh would be made corruption-free on the lines of Delhi. The AAP leaders also promised to provide every panchayat Rs 10 lakh as grant for development and a monthly salary of Rs 10,000 for panchayat presidents. The leaders said minimum support price

'Cong will put up united face in HP polls, G23 working to strengthen party'

Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma on Thursday said the G23 grouping is working to strengthen the party, which will put up a united face in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls. Sharma said this while addressing reporters here, days after he resigned from the chairmanship of the party's steering committee for the state citing "continuing exclusion and insults". The G23 is a group of dissident senior Congress leaders who have demanded organisational overhaul. Sharma is part of the group. The senior Congress leader told reporters that the Congress must be renewed in those states where it has lost elections. "This is the wish of every Congressman," he said. The Congress will make every possible effort to overcome shortcomings and contest the coming Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh unitedly, he added. Speaking on the G23 grouping within the Congress, Sharma said it is working to make the party stronger. "The G23 is working to make the Congress stronger. Giving suggestions for ma