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Tuesday, Dec 26, 2023
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Correspondent who has been covering Delhi’s courts, police and labour issues for over 4 years. Twitter handle: @mohanreports

Anand Mohan J
Anand Mohan J

Manoj C G is Chief of National Political Bureau. He has been covering or writing on politics for nearly two decades. He has worked with the PTI before joining The Indian Express in 2008. He tweets @manojcg4u

Manoj C.G
Manoj C.G

Have been in journalism covering national politics for 23 years. Have covered six consecutive Lok Sabha elections and assembly polls in almost all the states. Currently writes on ruling BJP. Always loves to understand what's cooking in the national politics (And ventures into the act only in kitchen at home). 

Liz Mathew
Liz Mathew

Vandita is The Indian Express National Opinion Editor

Vandita Mishra
Vandita Mishra

Sukrita is a reporter based in Guwahati, covering India’s North East for The Indian Express. She was earlier a correspondent covering the education beat for The Indian Express in Delhi. She tweets at @BaruahSukrita

Sukrita Baruah
Sukrita Baruah

Deep Mukherjee is a senior correspondent based in Jaipur. He covers Rajasthan for The Indian Express. Follow his tweets @manwithaquill

Deep Mukherjee
Deep Mukherjee

Rahul V Pisharody is an Assistant Editor with the Indian Express Online and has been reporting from Telangana on various issues since 2019. Besides a focused approach to big news developments, Rahul has a keen interest in stories about Hyderabad and its inhabitants and looks out for interesting features on the city’s heritage, environment, history […]

Rahul V Pisharody
Rahul V Pisharody

Jayprakash S Naidu is a state correspondent for Chhattisgarh.

Jayprakash S Naidu
Jayprakash S Naidu
My Constituency
Candidate name Party/ Alliance Constituency name State
My Constituency 2018
Candidate name Party/ Alliance Constituency name State
FAQ's
  • When are the elections going to take place in Madhya Pradesh?
    Voting for 230 assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh will take place on November 17, coinciding with the second phase of Chhattisgarh elections. The total number of voters is 5,61,36,229 of which 2,88,25,607 are male and 2,72,33,945 are female. A total of 1372 voters belong to the third gender adn rest included service voters.
  • Who are the main players in the Madhya Pradesh polls
    For the 2023 assembly elections, BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan faces the challenge of countering anti-incumbency and retaining the CM's position.. Meanwhile, a recent entrant to the BJP, Jyotiraditya Scindia is a prominent leader who switched from the Congress to the BJP in 2020. Kailash Vijayvargiya is expected to play a pivotal role in breaking the Congress stronghold in Indore and the larger Malwa Nimar region. For the Congress, Govind Singh, a seven-time MLA from Lahar in Bhind district, is an influential Thakur community. Kantilal Bhuria, a senior Adivasi leader and former Union Minister of Tribal Affairs in the UPA government, leads the Congress's election campaign committee. Arun Subhashchandra Yadav representing the influential Yadav community, is vital for the Congress's OBC outreach and is working to woo Scindia loyalists within the community. The BSP is allying with the Gondwana Gantantra Party to target reserved seats.
  • What are the key issues raised by parties in Madhya Pradesh?
    Both Congress and BJP are focusing on the OBC factor, which constitutes a significant portion of the population in Madhya Pradesh. The Congress is demanding a caste census to appeal to OBC voters, while the BJP, with PM Modi's OBC background, seeks to maintain its stronghold in this community. Women constitute a significant voter base in the state. Both parties are offering policies targeting women, such as reservation in government jobs and safety measures. The BJP has promised a 35% quota in some government jobs for women. Tribals form a crucial demographic in the state, with a substantial number of reserved seats. The BJP is trying to regain its tribal voter base, which it lost in the 2018 elections.
  • What was the result of the 2018 Madhya Pradesh assembly elections?
    The BJP has been the ruling party in Madhya Pradesh since 2003, with Shivraj Singh Chouhan as the Chief Minister. Chouhan took office in 2005, and under his leadership, the BJP maintained its grip on power, winning both larger seat tallies and vote shares in the 2013 elections. The 2018 assembly elections resulted in a hung Assembly, with the Congress emerging as the single largest party. The party nearly doubled its seat tally from the previous election at the expense of the BJP, and its vote share increased by over 4%, resulting in one of the narrowest gaps in vote share between the two parties.
  • When are the elections going to take place in Rajasthan?
    Voting for 200 assembly seats in Rajasthan will take place on November 23. The total number of voters in the state amounts up to 5.25 crores with 2.51 crores being women voters.
  • Who are the main players in the Rajasthan polls
    Key BJP candidates include Vasundhara Raje, a two-time former Rajasthan chief minister. There is Rajendra Rathore who has been critical of the Gehlot government since becoming LoP, focusing on issues like law and order and question paper leaks. Satish Poonia is also a prominent figure in the Rajasthan BJP, served as the state party president during most of the period when the BJP was out of power. For the Congress party, there is Ashok Gehlot, the current chief minister who has successfully navigated leadership challenges, including a rebellion in 2020. State unit chief Sachin Pilot sought the CM position during a leadership crisis, but he has been advised by the high command to wait his turn. The party will look to him to shore up its votes in eastern Rajasthan, especially of Gujjars. Meanwhile, the tie-up between the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP), which is seen as a Jat party, and the Azad Samaj Party (ASP), a new entrant in Rajasthan politics, is significant as it forms a Jat-Dalit combination.
  • What was the result of the 2018 Rajasthan Assembly Elections?
    In the 2018 Rajasthan Assembly elections, the Congress secured victory with 100 seats, while the BJP won 73. However, there were 38 Assembly seats where the margin of victory was less than 5,000 votes, indicating a close contest.
  • When are the elections going to take place in Chhattisgarh?
    Voting for 90 assembly seats in Chhattisgarh will take place in two phases: on November 7 and 17. There are a total of 2.03 crore voters, including 1.01 crore males and 1.02 crore females eligible to cast their ballots in the state
  • Who are the main players in the Chhattisgarh polls
    The Congress has fielded Bhupesh Baghel from the Patan constituency, indicating his role as the party's face in the elections. Deputy Chief Minister T S Singh Deo is contesting from Ambikapur. Chhattisgarh Congress President and Lok Sabha MP from Bastar, Deepak Baij has been fielded from Chitrakot. As for the BJP, Raman Singh the longest-serving CM of Chhattisgarh, with six terms in office, has been fielded from Rajnandgaon. Former Congress leader, Vijay Baghel is contesting against incumbent CM Bhupesh Baghel in the Patan seat. State BJP President Aron Sao who comes from the OBC Sahu Samaj and has been fielded from Lormi.
  • What was the result of the 2019 Chhattisgarh Assembly elections?
    In the 2018 Chhattisgarh Assembly elections, the Congress emerged victorious, ending the BJP's 15-year rule in the state. The Congress secured a landslide win, capturing 68 seats with 43.04% of the vote share. Meanwhile, BJP's seat tally was significantly reduced to 15, and its vote share dropped to 32.97%. Bhupesh Baghel, who led the Congress's campaign, became the CM.
  • What are the key issues in Chhattisgarh elections?
    Chhattisgarh sets itself apart due to its significant tribal vote. Roughly one-third of the state's legislative seats are reserved for Scheduled Tribes (STs). One of the notable challenges in southern Chhattisgarh is the presence of Naxalite-Maoist strongholds. The fight against left-wing extremism (LWE) has been a recurring issue in the state's elections. In the previous year, several districts in Chhattisgarh reported instances of LWE-related violence, with Bijapur, Dantewada, and Sukma being among the most affected areas.
  • When are the elections going to take place in Telangana?
    In Telangana the incumbent Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS and erstwhile TRS), led by K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), is facing competition mainly from the Congress, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is attempting to establish a foothold. All three Congress Lok Sabha MPs from the state have been included in the candidate list. Revanth Reddy, the state Congress president, will contest from Kodangal, while former state Congress chief N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, and Bhongir MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, will run for the Huzurnagar and Nalgonda seats, respectively. As for the BJP, the candidates in the fray include G Kishan Reddy, the Union Minister for Tourism, Culture, and Development of the Northeastern region, assumed the role of Telangana BJP President in July. Bandi Sanjay Kumar is expanding the party's support base through his statewide Praja Sangram Yatra. K Laxman plays a vital role in the party's strategy to appeal to Other Backward Classes (OBC) voters in Telangana.
  • What are the key issues raised by parties in Telangana?
    Current CM KCR has initiated a campaign centred around invoking regional pride and Telangana sentiments among voters. He has conducted an extensive campaign drive with 41 rallies across the state, emphasizing the sacrifices made during the statehood movement. The irregularities and problems in conducting public service examinations have become a significant issue. Notifications for government jobs were issued in 2022 after a four-year gap, but these exams have faced delays and controversies The Opposition is targeting the BRS over allegations of corruption involving KCR and his family. KCR's warning to some of his MLAs, who were reportedly seeking money from beneficiaries of welfare schemes, has been highlighted.
  • What was the result of the 2018 Telangana assembly elections?
    The 2014 Assembly polls were conducted for unified Andhra Pradesh and held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections. Soon after, Telangana officially became a separate state. KCR and the TRS won a narrow majority, securing 63 Assembly seats and 11 of the state's 17 Lok Sabha seats. In 2018, KCR's government called for early elections, breaking the state's synchronicity with the Lok Sabha polls. The TRS extended its seat and vote share margins, winning a majority with 88 seats and 47% of the vote. Despite an Opposition alliance of the Congress, the Left, and other minor parties, the TRS strengthened its position. Its vote share increased by almost 13% points.
  • When are the elections going to take place in Mizoram?
    Voting for 40 assembly seats in Mizoram will take place on November 7. As per the finally published electoral roll, there are 4,12,969 male electors, 4,38,925 female electors, 4,973 service electors and the total number of electors in the State of Mizoram is 8,51,895
  • Who are the main players in the Mizoram polls
    The elections to the 40-member Mizoram Assembly are largely anticipated to be a three-way contest, with the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) aiming for another term, the Congress hoping to make a comeback after a poor show in 2018, and the much-younger Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) emerging as a serious contender.
  • What are the key issues raised by parties in Mizoram?
    Congress positioning itself as a bulwark against the BJP's Hindutva agenda in the Christian-majority state.The Congress's leader in Mizoram, Lalsawta, emphasizes that the fear of the BJP is a key factor in their campaign strategy, and the Manipur crisis serves as a stark example of the BJP's potential impact on the region. BJP is focusing on garnering support from non-Mizo communities, such as the Brus and Chakmas, who have been provided facilities by the central government. Meanwhile, the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) is a relatively new political formation in the Indian state of Mizoram, and aims to provide an alternative to the established Congress and MNF. It’s primary plank is to introduce a Minimum Support Price for locally produced items such as ginger, turmeric, chilli, and broomgrass. The ZPM aims to implement this "new system" through administrative reforms, land reforms, and economic reforms. MNF leader Zoramthanga's government has been known for its efforts to provide shelter to Chin refugees from Myanmar, despite directives from the Central government. He has also extended support to internally displaced Kuki-Zomi people from Manipur, further cementing his position as a leader representing a wider ethnic group
  • What was the result of the 2018 Mizoram assembly elections?
    After ruling Mizoram for consecutive two terms, the Congress with just five out of 40 seats had then plunged to third position in 2018, behind its arch-rival, Mizo National Front (MNF), which bagged 26 seats The debutant Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM), won eight seats.
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