Live Updates | Assembly Elections 2024: NCP Repeats Mahayuti’s 10 Guarantees In Manifesto, Adds Bonus For Farmers

Jharkhand Assembly Elections Live: 'State Belongs To Tribals, They Will Rule It', Says CM Hemant Soren

JMM Executive President Soren criticized the BJP, asserting that Hindus in the state are not under any threat. He accused the opposition party of inciting divisions by pushing Hindu-Muslim narratives.

Speaking at a public gathering in Chotanagra, West Singhbhum, he emphasized, "We fought for Jharkhand's statehood, and we will continue to fight for our rights. This state belongs to tribals, and it’s the tribals who will lead it."

Assembly Elections LIVE: NCP Repeats Mahayuti’s 10 Guarantees In Manifesto, Adds Bonus For Farmers

The NCP led by Ajit Pawar on Wednesday in its Maharashtra Assembly election manifesto has promised a Rs 25,000 per hectare bonus for paddy farmers, farm loan waiver, increase in monthly financial benefit to eligible women beneficiaries under the Ladki Bahin Yojana to Rs 2,100 from Rs 1,500, creation of 2.5 million jobs and construction of 45,000 'panand' roads in rural areas.  

These promises were part of the ten guarantees announced on Tuesday by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde during the Mahayuti’s rally held at Kolhapur to kick-start its joint campaign.

Ajit Pawar, who virtually addressed the press conference from Baramati, repeated all the other guarantees as part of the NCP manifesto.

Ajit Pawar said that the Ladki Bahin Yojana is an initiative that will be the largest monthly DBT transfer in Maharashtra’s history, providing benefits of Rs 25,000 per year to over 2.3 crore women (from the present Rs 18,000 annually).

The NCP’s manifesto consists of 11 promises including increase in pension to Rs 2,100 from Rs 1,500 per month, increase in the Shetkari Samman Nidhi to Rs 15,000 from Rs 12,000 per year, combining support from both the central and state governments.

Assembly Elections LIVE: Jharkhand Belongs To Tribals, They Will Rule It, Says CM Soren

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said tribals will rule the state as it belonged to them. Soren, also the JMM executive president, slammed the BJP, claiming that no Hindu is in danger in the state but the opposition party is only trying to create conflict with its Hindu-Muslim narratives.

"We fought for a separate Jharkhand state, and we will fight to secure our rights as well. Tribals will rule here as Jharkhand belonged to tribals," he said while addressing a public meeting at Chotanagra in West Singhbhum district on Tuesday.

According to the 2011 Census, Jharkhand has a total population of 32,988,134. Of them, 26.21 per cent (8,645,042) are tribals. Except for Raghubar Das, all chief ministers of the state, which was created in 2000, belonged to tribal communities. Soren said that his government has functioned well with the support of the people and will continue to do so in the future.

"The BJP in connivance with CBI and ED have been intimidating me and even sent me to jail on false charges. But I am the son of the soil of Jharkhand. I am neither afraid nor ever bow," the chief minister claimed. The Enforcement Directorate had arrested Soren on January 31 in a money laundering case linked to a land scam. He was released from jail after the high court granted him bail.

Assembly Polls Live Updates: Rahul Gandhi To Begin Maharashtra Poll Campaign Today

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, will begin his poll campaign for the Maharashtra Assembly elections on Wednesday in Nagpur, where he will attend a "Samvidhan Sammelan" (Conference on Constitution). Later in the day, Rahul Gandhi will attend a public meeting in Mumbai where the Maha Vikas Aghadi's (MVA) poll guarantees are expected to be announced.

The symbolism of choosing Nagpur is crucial as it is not just the headquarters of the RSS, the ideological parent of the BJP, but also the place where B.R. Ambedkar converted to Buddhism in 1956. Nagpur is in the larger Vidarbha region which is of strategic importance in the battle for Maharashtra.

Of the 76 constituencies where the BJP and the Congress are engaged in a direct contest, 36 are in Vidarbha, which is the state's cotton belt. Of all the regions in the state, the BJP has fielded the most in Vidarbha (47), and dealing it a blow here will go a long way in paving the way for the MVA's return to power in the state.