Haryana, J&K Assembly Elections 2024 Live Updates: JJP-led alliance releases candidates list for Haryana polls, Dushyant Chautala to contest from Uchana

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi kickstarted Congress campaign in Jammu and Kashmir. Addressing a rally in Jammu, he said that the Congress will bring back Jammu and Kashmir's statehood as soon as the party comes to power.

Meanwhile for J&K polls, state Congress president Tariq Hameed Karra will contest from Central Shalteng while Mohd Shahnawaz Choudhary contests from Surankote. Karra said the CEC discussed 29 names for the second and third phases of elections in J&K, of which 23 were cleared. In J&K, Congress has tied up with National Conference, and the two are contesting 32 and 51 seats respectively. BJP also released its fourth list for J&K Assembly election which included BJP's J&K unit chief Ravinder Raina, who will be contesting from Nowshera.

Earlier, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday met wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia. This comes amid speculations that Congress might field wrestlers in the upcoming Haryana polls.

Haryana will go to polls in a single phase on October 5 while J&K will have three phased voting with starting from September 18, second phase on September 25 and concluding on October 1. The counting of votes will be done for both states on October 8.

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09:17 (IST) Sep 03

Haryana Assembly elections live: EVM randomisation: Over 500 ballot units shortlisted

The first randomisation of the EVM machines for the upcoming Haryana assembly elections was conducted on Monday in presence of deputy commissioner-cum-district election officer Dr Yash Garg and representatives of political parties at the mini-secretariat conference hall here. A total of 546 ballot units, 546 control units, and 592 voter verifiable paper audit trails (VVPAT) machines were shortlisted during the process.

08:48 (IST) Sep 03

Congress decision on fielding wrestler Vinesh Phogat from Haryana likely today

Congress will provide clarity on fielding wrestler Vinesh Phogat for the Haryana elections by Tuesday, party general secretary Dipak Babaria said after a meeting of the AICC central election committee on Monday. Sources said the CEC meeting cleared 34 of the 49 names that it discussed. Party chief Mallikarjun Kharge will take a call on Lok Sabha MP Kumari Selja and Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Surjewala, who are said to have expressed a wish to fight the state polls.

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08:47 (IST) Sep 03

J&K Assembly elections: 'Ideology keeps changing,' says Omar Abdullah on politicians joining PDP ahead of Assembly polls

Omar Abdullah, the Vice President of Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC), remarked that political ideologies tend to shift as elections draw near. His statement was made in reference to numerous politicians aligning themselves with the People's Democratic Party, which is headed by Mehbooba Mufti. "I won't go into that, ideology keeps changing. Elections are here, they are ready to contest. Whenever we faced elections, they (PDP) gave calls for boycotts. Now, they are ready to enter the electoral arena. So, a change has come into their ideology," Omar Abdullah said while speaking to reporters in Jammu and Kashmir's Ganderbal

Abdullah's observation highlights the fluid nature of political allegiances, especially during the lead-up to elections. He suggests that some politicians may prioritize their own electoral prospects over long-held ideological commitments, leading them to switch parties or form new alliances based on the prevailing political climate.

08:41 (IST) Sep 03

Haryana elections: 'There was a long list, everyone is being surveyed,' said BJP Leader Mohan Lal Badoli on candidates for polls

Mohan Lal Badoli, the BJP Haryana state president, discussed the ongoing process of selecting candidates for the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections on Monday. He mentioned that the party is considering input from all levels before the central leadership makes the final decision.

In his statement to the media, Badoli said, "There was a long list, everyone is being surveyed. Feedback is being taken from below. After that, the central leadership will make the final decision."

In a separate development, Devender Singh Babli, Sunil Sangwan, and Sanjay Kablana, who were previously associated with the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), joined the BJP on Monday. Arun Singh, the National General Secretary of BJP, and Mohan Lal Badoli, the Haryana BJP state president, welcomed them during a press conference.

08:39 (IST) Sep 03

J&K Assembly elections live: Omar Abdullah wanted to form govt with BJP in 2014: Former National Conference leader

Devender Singh Rana, a former senior leader of the National Conference (NC) who has now joined the BJP, alleged that in 2014, Omar Abdullah had meetings with BJP leaders Amit Shah and Ram Madhav to request the formation of a government with the NC.

In a statement to ANI on Monday, Rana said, "Omar Abdullah is trying to mislead the people of Kashmir by telling them that every political party except National Conference is with the BJP. In 2014, when I was a part of the National Conference, we knocked on every door asking people to form govt with us as we had only 15 people. Omar Abdullah says that at the time they met Amit Shah and Ram Madhav to urge them to form govt with NC. As at the time BJP had declined NC's request, they are saying all this now."

Furthermore, Rana claimed that between August 2019 and October 2021, the National Conference made several attempts to establish contact with the BJP leadership to form some kind of association. He urged Omar Abdullah to be truthful and stated that the National Conference will not form a government, as they have no alliance with any political party in Jammu and Kashmir.

08:35 (IST) Sep 03

Haryana Assembly Elections Live: Meeting held under chairmanship of BJP President Nadda to discuss list of candidates

A meeting was held in the national capital, chaired by BJP National President Jagat Prakash Nadda, to discuss the list of candidates for the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections. The meeting, which lasted about 3.5 hours at the BJP HQ Extension office, included senior leaders like Union Home Minister Amit Shah and others from Haryana. However, Haryana Chief Minister Naib Singh Saini was absent.

The BJP is still deliberating on candidate names due to changing political dynamics in Haryana. A previous meeting on August 29, chaired by Prime Minister Modi, approved more than 50 candidates, but some are now being reconsidered. The first candidate list will be released soon. Voting in Haryana is scheduled for October 5, with the last nomination date on September 12. Counting will take place on October 8, along with Jammu and Kashmir.