Elections 2023 Updates: Vasundhara Raje Figures in BJP's 2nd List of Candidates for Rajasthan Polls; Sachin Pilot, Ashok Gehlot on Congress List

The BJP on Saturday released its second list of 83 candidates for the Rajasthan assembly polls, fielding former chief minister Vasundhara Raje from her traditional Jhalrapatan seat. The party also fielded Narpat Singh Rajvi from Chittorgarh.

BJP is likely to release more names for Madhya Pradesh and its first list for Telangana Assembly elections later today. On the other hand, Congress also released its first list of candidates for the Rajasthan Assembly elections comprising of 33 names.

A war of words broke out between political rivals ahead of the Assembly elections in five states next month. BRS Working President KT Rama Rao on Friday clapped back at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his ‘dorala, prajala remarks’, calling him “devil preaching the sermons”. Meanwhile, Congress general secretary, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, while addressing a public meeting in Rajasthan, hit out at the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, saying its sole focus is to remain in power and not public welfare.

Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, and Telangana are scheduled to go to polls in November 2023.

Latest Updates Assembly Elections 2023

• Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Friday dared the BJP to hold elections there.
• “I can only speculate but the only conclusion I can draw is that the BJP is afraid of what the results will look like. They don’t want to damage their chances in the Parliament elections,” said Abdullah, Vice President of Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC), according to a PTI report.
• BJP President JP Nadda attended the meeting of the BJP Central Election Committee on Telangana elections at the party HQ in New Delhi yesterday.
• Rahul Gandhi at various meetings in Telangana during the last three days alleged that the fight during the November 30 Assembly polls is between Dorala (feudal lords) Telangana and Prajala (people’s) Telangana.
• Rahul Gandhi concluded his three-day tour in Telangana claiming that those (BJP leaders) who used to swagger around earlier are now queuing up to join the Congress party.
• Congress workers expressed disappointment over the names of some nominees and the denial of tickets to others after the party announced its second list of 88 candidates for next month’s Madhya Pradesh assembly polls.
• On the other hand, the rift between the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress over the seat-sharing arrangement in Madhya Pradesh on Friday turned worse after MP Congress President Kamal Nath snubbed a media query about Akhilesh Yadav.
• On being asked about SP’s allegations of betrayal over seat-sharing, Kamal Nath said, “Are bhai chhodo Akhilesh Vakhilesh (leave questions on Akhilesh).”
• Union Minister Anurag Thakur, while addressing a rally in Chhattisgarh, said on Friday that incidents of Naxalite violence have declined by 52% in Chhattisgarh under the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre.
• Assembly polls will be held in Chhattisgarh in two phases on November 7 and 17, while votes will be counted on December 3.
• BJP clapped back at Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra calling her a “political tourist” and accusing her of not raising the issues of “rising” crimes against women and corruption under the Gehlot government in Rajasthan.