Electioneering ends in Rajasthan, polling on December 7 ## Electioneering ends in Rajasthan, polling on December 7

A high-decibel campaign that witnessed hundreds of election rallies and road shows across Rajasthan ended Wednesday evening, ahead of the December 7 assembly polls. As many as 2,274 candidates including 189 women are in the fray for 199 out of a total 200 constituencies in the state.

Election in Alwar district's Ramgarh constituency has been postponed due to the death of the Bahujan Samaj Party candidate.

Electioneering ended at 5 pm today. Polling will take place from 8 am to 5 pm on December 7 in 199 constituencies, Rajasthan's chief electoral officer Anand Kumar said.

He said elaborate security arrangements have been made for free and fair polls.

There are 4.77 crore registered voters in Rajasthan.

Dec 5, 2018 6:47 PM

Rahul Gandhi attacks Narendra Modi over rejection of armed forces demand for higher military service pay ## Rahul Gandhi attacks Narendra Modi over rejection of armed forces demand for higher military service pay

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday over the government's rejection of the armed forces' demand for higher Military Service Pay for over 1.12 lakh personnel, alleging that he was only concerned about the likes of Anil Ambani. "Modi ji, those who did surgical strike for the country, is this your behaviour towards them," Gandhi asked in a Facebook post in Hindi.

"You are neither concerned about farmers, nor soldiers, you are only concerned about Anil Ambani-like 'suit-boot' people," he said.

Gandhi has often accused the prime minister of helping the industrialist, a charge that has been strongly rebutted.

Dec 5, 2018 6:24 PM

Dec 5, 2018 6:06 PM

Telangana set for change, says Rahul Gandhi ## Telangana set for change, says Rahul Gandhi

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday charged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and caretaker Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao with having a "partnership" and vowed to end their rule at the Centre and in the state.

"In a few days, a storm will come in Telangana, a storm of change will come, and the voice of people of Telangana will again control the state, and fulfil the dreams of Telangana," he said predicting victory for the Congress-led alliance in the December 7 Assembly polls.

Dec 5, 2018 5:44 PM

Modi is protector, benefactor, promoter of AgustaWestland, says Congress ## Modi is protector, benefactor, promoter of AgustaWestland, says Congress

Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being the "protector, benefactor and promoter" of AgustaWestland and its parent company Finmeccanica, the Congress on Wednesday demanded a CBI probe into Modi's role in "exonerating" the Italian defence and aerospace major which was blacklisted by the UPA.

A day after British national Christian Michel James, a middleman wanted in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal case, was extradited to India, the Congress attacked Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of "using him to launch a smear campaign" against opposition leaders.

Citing Michel's advocate Rosemary Patrizi Dos Anjos' July 17 statement, Congress spokesperosn Randeep Singh Surjewala said the "Modi government and its agencies were forcing Michel to sign a false confessional statement naming UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi in return for complete exoneration from any charge whatsoever in the AgustaWestland Case".

"Even Michel's sister had come out and reiterated the coercions of falsely naming opposition leaders as a ticket for exoneration of Christian Michel. Their interviews were recorded by many Indian TV channels also," said Surjewala.

"Never before in the history of India has a Prime Minister been found complicit in gaining false evidence against opposition leaders to seek revenge.

"This shocking expose is also a testimony to the disease prevailing in CBI/ED prostrating before the Prime Minister to collect fake and false evidence with a single minded aim of tarnishing the reputation of opposition leaders and serving the political masters as a captive puppet and a willing tool of malicious conspiracy," alleged Surjewala.

The Congress attack came on a day when both Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah hit out at the Congress saying Michel who has taken Sonia Gandhi's name, "will spill the beans" on the deal during the UPA government's tenure.

However, the Congress alleged that the Modi government was indulging in cover-up to "hide its sinister role in helping and promoting the AgustaWestland and Finmeccanica which were blacklisted by the UPA.

"The most intriguing part of the conspiracy is the undisclosed reason on part of Modi government for permitting a blacklisted company to get clearances from Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) and permit its entry as partner or sub-contractor to various Indian corporates.

Dec 5, 2018 5:09 PM

PM Modi addresses BJP campaign rally in Dausa##PM Modi addresses BJP campaign rally in Dausa

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently addressing his second election rally in Dausa, just an hour ahead of the Election Commission deadline for the end of campaigning. Speaking at the rally, Modi again targeted the Congress. He said that the Congress never thought about scheduled tribes and their welfare. It was Atalji who created a ministry for tribals and allocated budget for them. For the Congress, only one family matters, but for us what matters is the welfare of the 1.25 billion Indians, Modi said.

Dec 5, 2018 4:04 PM

Congress is contesting polls on politics of caste, dynasty, appeasement, BJP on performance, says Amit Shah##Congress is contesting polls on politics of caste, dynasty, appeasement, BJP on performance, says Amit Shah

Dec 5, 2018 3:19 PM

PM Modi at Rajasthan election rally: Agusta 'Middleman' will spill secrets of politicians##PM Modi at Rajasthan election rally: Agusta 'Middleman' will spill secrets of politicians

Using the extradition of alleged AgustaWestland deal middleman Christian Michel to score political points, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday tore into the Gandhi family as he looked to build the narrative of honest versus corrupt in Rajasthan on the last day of campaigning in the state, News18.com reported.

Referring to the politically sensitive Rs 3,600 crore chopper deal from the UPA era, Modi told an enthusiastic crowd that his government had brought the middleman involved in a helicopter scam from Dubai and he will now spill the secrets of the politicians he had served, the report said.

“I had mentioned the VVIP helicopter case, I spoke about it, about the letter written by Sonia Gandhi. After BJP came to power, we looked for the files, we dug around. They had hidden it away. But one middleman finally was caught after years of digging and findings,” the News18.com report quoted PM Modi as saying during his rally in Pali. "Let's see how far this goes," Modi said.

Dec 5, 2018 2:51 PM

Amit Shah leads BJP's roadshow in Ajmer##Amit Shah leads BJP's roadshow in Ajmer

Dec 5, 2018 2:14 PM

BJP president Amit Shah begins road show in Ajmer##BJP president Amit Shah begins road show in Ajmer

BJP president Amit Shah begins road show in Ajmer hours ahead of the Election Commission deadline for ending all campaigning. Rajasthan goes to polls on December 7 for 119 seats in the 200-member legislative assembly.

Earlier, speaking on Bulandshahr violence during his meeting with mediapersons in Jaipur, Amit Shah said it is ‘unfair to give it a political colour.’ The Congress, he added, had made allegations but things would be clear after the Special Investigation Team report. A police inspector and a young man were killed in mob violence that broke out after cow carcasses were found strewn in a jungle in the Uttar Pradesh district on Monday.

Dec 5, 2018 2:12 PM

TRS will form govt, we will not join it: Asaduddin Owaisi##TRS will form govt, we will not join it: Asaduddin Owaisi

AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday ruled out his party joining the TRS government in the event of it returning to power for second term in office. The Hyderabad Lok Sabha member said the TRS would form a government on its own.

"No, we will not join the government. I am pretty much sure that the people of Telangana will bless KCR (as caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is referred to by many) again. He will form the government. We will not join the government", he said.

In any case, there would not be any need for AIMIM to join the government as TRS would get a majority on its own, Owaisi said at a "meet-the-press" programme organized at Hyderabad Press Club.

Responding to questions, he claimed that both BJP President Amit Shah and Congress President Rahul Gandhi want to "stop" his party in the December seven Assembly elections to the 119-member Assembly.

"Rahul Gandhi and Amit Shah are working together against AIMIM", Owaisi alleged.

AIMIM, which won seven seats in the 2014 assembly elections, has fielded eight candidates this time.

Owaisi said his party would not only retain the seven seats but also win in Rajendranagar constituency.

TRS like the BJP is going it alone in the assembly polls.

Whereas, the Congress and TDP are part of the 'People's Front' which also comprises the CPI and Telangana Jana Samiti (TJS). (PTI)

Dec 5, 2018 1:56 PM

We got Christian Michel to India today linked with Augusta Scam, says PM Modi##We got Christian Michel to India today linked with Augusta Scam, says PM Modi

Speaking on Agusta Scam at Sumerpur, PM Modi said, this scam happened during UPA rule, a UK citizen Christian Michel had been escaping the law, we brought him to India to face the law. When Michel will open his mouth (here) many will be exposed.

Dec 5, 2018 1:12 PM

Sachin Pilot confident of Congress forming govt in Rajasthan##Sachin Pilot confident of Congress forming govt in Rajasthan

Jaipur: Congress' state president Sachin Pilot on Wednesday exuded confidence that his party will form the government with a "comfortable majority" in Rajasthan. He claimed that people were fed up with the BJP government's misrule in the state.

"I am quite confident that the party will be forming the government with a comfortable majority. There is feedback that the BJP will not be able to cross the figure of 50 seats," Pilot told reporters at Tonk town. "People are fed up with the BJP's misrule and they want a change," he added.

State Transport Minister Yoonus Khan is contesting as BJP candidate from Tonk.

Polling will take place in199 out of the total 200 assembly seats in the state. The Election Commission has postponed polls in Alwar's Ramgarh seat following the death of BSP candidate Laxman Singh. (PTI)

Dec 5, 2018 1:07 PM

Rajasthan has decided to vote for BJP, says PM Modi in Sumerpur##Rajasthan has decided to vote for BJP, says PM Modi in Sumerpur

Addressing a BJP public rally in Sumerpur in Rajasthan's Pali district, near Jodhpur, PM Modi said that the people of the state have decided to make BJP victorious in elections. The Congress has already lost elections and now they are trying to ensure that their top leadership is not blamed for this defeat, said Modi at the rally. Furthering his attack on the Congress, Modi said that they are seeking answers for their non-performance from me. They should first respond to four generations of nonperformance and then question our four years.

Dec 5, 2018 12:43 PM

Congress involved in negative politics; BJP made Rajasthan a developed state: Amit Shah##Congress involved in negative politics; BJP made Rajasthan a developed state: Amit Shah

The BJP is confident of forming a government in Rajasthan for the second time, party chief Amit Shah told reporters in Jaipur. The BJP transformed poll-bound Rajasthan from a ‘bimaru’ to a developed state and would now make it prosperous, said Shah. He said the party was involved in negative politics, promoting casteism and appeasement, while the BJP practised the politics of development and got a good response. While the Congress promoted dynastic politics, making members of one family party presidents, the BJP gives importance to those who perform and work to push the country ahead, he said. (PTI)

Dec 5, 2018 12:25 PM

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