Assembly Elections 2023 Live Updates: Telangana CM works like 'Raja', his family controls important portfolios like liquor: Rahul Gandhi

"Telangana CM and his family control important departments related to liquor, sand in the state. He works like a 'Raja', not like a chief minister," says Congress leader Rahul Gandhi a rally in Peddapalli, Telangana.

While addressing a gathering at Telangana Bhavan, Telangana minister and BRS working president KT Rama Rao said, "One more weird thing is, yesterday Rahul Gandhi said we are B team of BJP. We are not BJP's B team, you are only C Team of the country. C team means “chor team”. You have done A to Z scams. A means Adarsh scam, B means Bofors scam, C mean Commonwealth scam and if we continue to say, it will go on till Z. Congress has looted from the sky to underground, they have not left out anything starting from Agusta Helicopter in the skies to the coal in the underground. Your central ministers have gone to jail. Finally, there is an ED investigation which is happening even on Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi in connection with the National Herald case. (ANI)

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi promises caste census in Telangana, if Congress is voted to power in November 30 Assembly polls.

Hitting back at the comment made by AICC General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, BRS MLC K Kavitha on Thursday said the Congress leader has no right to talk about “family politics”.

Speaking to reporters in Armoor, about 180 KM from here, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's daughter cited the popular saying "People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones", directing the comment at Priyanka and saying she must look within.

Priyanka in a public rally on Wednesday at Mulugu slammed the KCR government saying the people of Telangana dreamt that there will be social justice, but three of the ministers in Telangana are from the chief minister's family itself.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who is currently on the party's campaign trail in Telangana for the November 30 Assembly polls will address two rallies in Pedapalli and Karimnagar on Thursday.

According to the Telangana Congress' message on 'X', Rahul will participate in the ongoing three-day "Vijay Bheri Yatra", organised by the party and which began on Wednesday.

Rahul will also undertake a 'Padayatra' (foot march) from Housing Board Circle to Rajiv Chowk in Karimnagar where he will address a public meeting this evening.

Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday participated in a poll rally in Mulugu, attacking the ruling BRS and the BJP, alleging that both have a "tacit understanding."

Uncertainty prevails over the names of three Congress candidates and close Ashok Gehlot confidants, including two senior ministers, in Rajasthan who were identified as responsible for the MLAs' boycott of a crucial legislature party meeting last year. The Rajasthan list of candidates is likely to be delayed till October 20, despite the AICC poll panel finalising 100 candidates on Wednesday.Sources said in the meeting of the Congress central election committee, a serious discussion ensued over the names of CM Ashok Gehlot's confidants and ministers Shanti Dhariwal, Mahesh Joshi, and Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation chairman Dharmendra Rathore. Gehlot is pushing for their retention, despite adverse reports, while the party has other thoughts.

The Samajwadi Party (SP) has released its second list of candidates for the upcoming Madhya Pradesh assembly polls, according to an official statement issued by the party on Wednesday.

The party has declared the names of a total of 22 candidates in the second list.

The list of candidates along with their assembly constituencies includes Lal Singh Rathore (Sabalgarh), Reena Kushwaha (Jaura), Manju Solanki (Sumawali), Ramnarayan Sakwar (Dimani), RR Bansal (Jatara), Shivangi Singh Yadav (Prithvipur), Lakhan Lal Yadav (Jabera), Jitendra Kumar Dahayat (Gunnaur), Sanjay Singh (Chitrakut), Chandra Prakash Patel (Maihar), Ram Sharan Kushwaha (Nagod), Trinetra Shuka (Teonthar), Ramyagya Scindia (Devtalab), Amresh Patel (Gurh), Om Prakash Singh (Singrauli), Kunti Kaul (Badwara), Vipin Verma (Chaurai), Shamsul Hasan (Narela), Shama Tanveer (Bhopal-Madhya), Rahul Maran (Huzoor), Babulal Malviya (Shujalpur), Afreen B (Ratlam Shehar).

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has written a letter to the Election Commission of India (ECI), requesting to reschedule the date of the second phase of the Chhattisgarh assembly polls in view of Chhath Puja festival.

The AAP, in its letter to the ECI, has proposed changing the second phase of polling date from November 17 to November 25.

"We all know that people from across the nation, especially from the northern region of the country, are residing in Chhattisgarh. The Chhath Puja, which is the biggest festival of devotion in North India, falls on November 17, 18, and 19. People go back to their homes during that time. As a result, the voting participation will decrease," Chhattisgarh AAP in-charge Sanjeev Jha said while speaking to ANI.

Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secretary, Bansuri Swaraj, on Wednesday, took a dig at the opposition members of the INDIA alliance, saying that no one can "eradicate" Sanatana.

"The opposition talks about uprooting 'Sanatana,' uses indecent language to describe it, and sometimes compares 'Sanatana' with diseases. But as long as parents continue to bring their children to Ram Leela events and instil Sanatana values in them, nobody can eradicate Sanatana," Swaraj said while speaking to ANI.

The BJP leader attended a 'Ram Leela' event in Delhi.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi has announced that if the party comes to power in Telangana, Scheduled Castes will receive 18% reservation and Scheduled Tribes will receive 12% reservation in the state.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, "BJP wants BRS to win in Telangana elections". He said BJP, KCR-led BRS & Owasi's AIMIM are working together to defeat Congress in the state.

In Telangana elections, the fight is between Congress and BRS. We have already defeated BJP, says Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at a rally. (PTI)

The Congress party has released a second list of 53 candidates for the Chhattisgarh assembly elections. The ruling Congress released its first 30-candidate list on October 16 wherein it gave tickets to all 12 members of the Bhupesh Baghel ministry, but dropped eight legislators and replaced them with new faces.

"Before visiting Telangana, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra should apologise to the people of the state. Under Congress' rule, a lot of injustice was done to Telangana," says Union minister and Telangana BJP chief G Kishan Reddy ahead of the Congress' bus yatra.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will announce the final list of candidates for the Mizoram Assembly election on Thursday. The party has already released its second list of 12 candidates for the upcoming assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, bringing the total number of candidates announced so far to 22.

The BRS govt waived farm loans worth Rs 37,000 cr during its two terms, says Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao at a poll rally. He said Telangana is the only state in India which provides a 24-hour power supply to farmers.

BJP national president JP Nadda said the voters of Rajasthan have made up their minds and have resolved to get rid of the "corrupt" CM Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government.

"The wave of progress and development that BJP has brought to Madhya Pradesh makes me certain that even for the fifth time the people of Madhya Pradesh will elect BJP," says Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on the upcoming Assembly Election in Madhya Pradesh. (PTI)

In a dig at Kamal Nath after his 'tear clothes' remark caused flutter and triggered speculation of rift in Congress, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said Nath had earlier given a similar power of attorney to his colleague Digvijaya Singh to run the government.

Telangana BJP president and Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, accompanied by Rajya Sabha member K Laxman on Wednesday held discussions with Janasena party founder and actor Pawan Kalyan on the possibility of pre-poll alliance for the upcoming Assembly elections. A press release from Janasena said the BJP leaders met the actor-cum-politician at the latter's office here. Janasena which has a tie-up with BJP in Andhra Pradesh, is part of NDA.

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC K Kavitha on Wednesday took a swipe at Congress MP Rahul Gandhi calling him 'Election Gandhi' as he "visits the state only during elections," she said. Kavitha also accused the Congress of making false election promises to the people of Telangana in the upcoming Assembly polls in the state which are scheduled for November 30 and the counting of which will take place on December 3. "There is an atmosphere of elections in Telangana...Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi are coming here today. They are giving guarantees and making false promises." Kavitha told ANI.

As the candidates for the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections are being declared, resentment is brewing among the established politicians of the BJP and Congress in the Vindhya region and is threatening to become a major headache for both. Disappointed after being denied tickets, the leaders from both sides are readying to jolt their parties at the last moment. Senior BJP leader and four-time MLA from Sidhi, Kedarnath Shukla, who was denied ticket this time, has announced to take a rebellious step and will contest the election against the party’s candidate. After a two-week long wait, Kedarnath Shukla while addressing a gathering of his supporters in Gauhani village, said, “I will contest the election from Sidhi to give a befitting reply to the BJP’s editorship.” Importantly, the BJP has replaced Shukla with two-time Lok Sabha MP Riti Pathak. Despite being a strong leader and having a strong base among the Brahimin voters in Sidhi, Shukla was denied ticket due to the pee-gate controversy that broke out after a video surfaced on social media in July.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday hit out at the BJP, alleging that the IT and ED raids are being carried out to blackmail rich businessmen and contractors to collect money, as the party is unable to mobilise funds like before and it is almost certain about defeat in the upcoming five state elections. Targeting the BJP and its leaders for charging the Congress government led by him with corruption, the CM claimed that the J P Nadda-led party is already looking for lame excuses to explain its drubbing in the upcoming elections.

Home Minister Amit Shah will address public meetings in Jagdalpur and Kondagaon, both parts of tribal-dominated Bastar region, on Thursday as the BJP intensifies its poll campaign in Chhattisgarh. The region is part of the state's 20 assembly seats which will go to polls in the first phase on November 7. The remainder 70 seats are scheduled to go to the polls on November 17.

On the day its top leaders brainstormed over the second list of candidates for Rajasthan assembly polls, BJP got a major boost in the poll-bound desert state with president of Karni Sena, Bhawani Singh Kalvi, son of the organisation’s founder late Lokendra Singh Kalvi, and Vishvaraj Singh Mewar, descendant of medieval period Mewar king Maharana Pratap, joining the party on Tuesday. The two leaders are from the Rajput community which had opposed BJP in the 2018 assembly polls, one of the key factors in the party's defeat.

Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday accused the Adani Group of fleecing the people of India by quoting a media report. Congress leader added that the group is over-invoicing for coal imports, resulting in fleecing Rs 12,000 crore from the "people's pockets" through electricity charges. Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters, Rahul Gandhi also criticised PM Modi for protecting Gautam Adani with his power. He urged the PM to address the Adani issue and defend his credibility. Congress leader said, "Why is the prime minister silent on the issue...I am only helping the Prime Minister and asking him to come clean by starting an investigation and defend his credibility".