Political parties are leaving no stone unturned in their bid to outdo each other in the assembly elections in the states of Rajasthan and Telangana, fielding key leaders, poaching heavyweights, forging alliances, among others.

The 200-member Rajasthan Assembly is scheduled to go to polls on December 7 and counting of votes will take place on December 11.

Elections in Telangana are also scheduled to be held on December 7 and the counting for all five states, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram, will be held on December 11.

Both Congress president Rahul Gandhi and BJP chief Amit Shah are in Rajasthan on Saturday.

Rahul Gandhi interacted with professionals in Udaipur, and held rallies in Bhilwara and Chittorgarh, and will address another public meeting later in the day. BJP chief Amit Shah addressed a public meeting in Jodhpur and will hold more in Barmer.

Highlights

4:28 pm IST Congress claim EVM tampering in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh The Congress claimed that the BJP-led governments in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are trying to tamper with the EVMs. Addressing a press briefing, the Congress party spokesperson, Manish Tewari alleged that the BJP is trying to manipulate the election results through EVM tampering and urged the election commission to look into the matter of alleged tampering. Earlier in the day, a Congress delegation met the Election Commission Saturday and raised concern over the security of EVMs inside strong rooms and their handling during the counting process in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Talking to reporters after meeting the Election Commission, Congress leader and AICC’s Chhattisgarh in-charge P L Punia said suspicious activities were being reported in the Dhamtari Assembly seat in the state. He claimed suspicious people with laptops and mobile phones were seen around the strong rooms, where Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were kept after the voting, on the pretext of repairing the CCTVs.





3:00 pm IST Chandrababu Naidu holds road show in Alkapur Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu held a roadshow in Alkapur. Visuals from Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu conducts a road show in Alkapur, Rajendra Nagar. #TelanganaElections2018 pic.twitter.com/jt9g9nWVfz — ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2018





2:45 pm IST Cong CM will listen to your ‘mann ki baat’: Rahul “The Congress CM in Rajasthan will listen to your ‘mann ki baat’ said Rahul Gandhi.





2:35 pm IST Won’t make false promises: Rahul Gandhi “I’m not here to make false promises, Congress CM will works 18 hours in a day for creation of jobs, and will waive off farmer loans. We want to set up food processing units and a pharmacy unit as soon as possible. We will also provide free medicines, and affordable healthcare facilities to the people of Rajasthan,” said Rahul Gandhi.





2:25 pm IST Rahul Gandhi addresses rally in Chittorgarh “Rahul Gandhi is currently addressing a rally in Rajasthan’s Chittorgarh.





2:00 pm IST Congress wants to support farmers by waiving off their loans: Rahul If Congress comes to power, we want to support farmers by waiving off their loans,” said Rahul Gandhi.





1:20 pm IST Small businesses worst hit by demonetisation, GST: Rahul “Lakhs of people were left unemployed after demonetisation. Small businesses used to employ youngsters, but with demonetisation both the employer and employee suffered,” said Rahul Gandhi. “Did any of the small businesses benefit from demonetisation and GST,” asks Rahul Gandhi.





1:15 pm IST Job creation, improvement in state of farmers biggest challenges: Rahul “Job creation and improvement in the state of farmers are the two biggest challenges that the country faces and if Congress comes to power, these our going to be our priority. Recently four youngsters committed suicide in Rajasthan and they mentioned joblessness as the reason in their suicide note. This was a message for CM Vasundhara raje and PM Narendra Modi,” said Rahul Gandhi.





1:05 pm IST Rahul addresses rally in Bhilwara Congress chief Rahul Gandhi is currently addressing a rally in Rajasthan’s Bhilwara.





1:00 pm IST BJP introduces schemes worth Rs 36000 crore in Rajasthan: Shah “During Congress’ tenure, Rs 1.9 lakh crore were given to Rajasthan, whereas when Modi government came to power, we gave Rs 2.63 crores to the state and other than that welfare schemes worth Rs 36000 crore worth have also been introduced,” said Amit Shah.





12:55 pm IST Modi govt ordered surgical strikes to avenge death of 12 jawans in Uri: Shah “12 jawans were burnt alive in Kashmir’s Uri, but unlike Congress, Modi government took action on the 10th day itself and asked the Army to carry out surgical strikes,” said Amit Shah.





12:45 pm IST Shah lists all states when BJP is in power While assuring that BJP will win again in Rajasthan, Amit Shah listed all the states where BJP is in power.





12:40 pm IST Amit Shah addresses public meeting Jodhpur Amit Shah is currently addressing a public meeting in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur.





11:30 am IST Local skills in India need to be respected: Rahul “Local skills in India need to respected to be at par with the success of China,that has supported local skills and financed them,” said Rahul Gandhi.





11:20 am IST Employment is the biggest challenge: Rahul “Creation of jobs for youngsters is the biggest challenge that the country faces today and the PM has failed in doing so. China, our biggest competitor is producing 50,000 jobs every 24 hours. Joblessness in India is the most serious threat. If Congress comes to power, employment generation for youth will be our priority,” said Rahul Gandhi.





11:15 am IST Rahul targets PM on demonetisation Targeting PM on his demonetisation move, Rahul Gandhi said “PM locked up the entire cabinet when he was announcing demonetisation on November 8, 2016.”





11:10 am IST PM thinks all the knowledge of the world comes from his mind: Rahul “Prime Minister Narendra Modi thinks he knows better than the Army what needs to be done in their area, he knows politics better, he knows agriculture better. He thinks all the knowledge of the world comes from his mind,” said Rahul Gandhi.





11:05 am IST ‘We look up to Rani of Jhansi, but tell our women to not be like her’: Rahul “Withouting empowering women in India, we are wasting our time. Women have certain unique attributes that men do not have, and vice versa. They are more caring in nature, and it is essential that women be seen in power, in the Parliament. They should be heading schools, colleges and all kinds of institutions,” said Rahul Gandhi in Rajasthan. “We look up to Rani of Jhansi, she was a liberated woman, stood for the country. We respect her, call her great, but tell the women in the society to not be like her. That’s the problem at the centre,” said Gandhi.





10:50 am IST Can’t run the country without government institutes: Rahul At an interactive session with business community and professionals in Udaipur, Rajasthan, Rahul Gandhi said, “It’s a myth that private sector educational institutes are better. We are clear on the view that we can’t run the country without government institutes for education and healthcare.” अगर हमें 21वीं सदी में जाना है तो हमें हेल्थकेयर और शिक्षा के लिये 21वीं सदी के संस्थान बनाने ही होंगे : कांग्रेस अध्यक्ष @RahulGandhi #कांग्रेसबदलेगीराजस्थान pic.twitter.com/smdIOGNG8T — Congress (@INCIndia) December 1, 2018





10:45 am IST Can’t be a super power without affordable education, healthcare: Rahul “The problem with Ayushman Bharat is that the government has provided people with health insurance, there are no public sector hospitals to avail those facilities. The govt does not allocate enough funds to public sector care centre, and public sector educational institutions. “Our motive behind IITs, AIIMs, was service and not profit making, unlike those that came up in 2018. “We can’t call ourselves a superpower unless we provide low cost health and educational facilities,” said Rahul Gandhi.





10:35 am IST Rahul Gandhi interacts with business communities, professionals Congress president is currently interacting with business community and professionals in Udaipur, Rajasthan.





10:20 am IST Vote for development, faith, BJP: Amit Shah “Vote for development, vote for faith, vote for BJP,” tweeted Amit Shah on Saturday. वोट विकास के नाम,

वोट विश्वास के नाम,

वोट कमल के नाम।#BJPWinningRajasthan2018 pic.twitter.com/MtrxIBzy6f — Amit Shah (@AmitShah) November 30, 2018





10:00 am IST Unemployment dole, jobs in BJP manifesto Rajasthan’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday released its party manifesto and in it promised to create five million jobs over the next five years, pay a monthly unemployment allowance of Rs 5,000 to the jobless, set up a loan relief commission in each division and a Rs 250 crore rural start-up fund to help double farmers’ income if it wins power in the December 7 assembly polls.





9:30 am IST Amit Shah to hold rallies in Jodhpur, Barmer Ahead of December 7 Rajasthan polls, BJP chief Amit Shah is on Saturday going to hold public meetings in Rajasthan’s in Jodhpur and Barmer.





9:00 am IST Rahul Gandhi to hold rallies in Bhilwara, Chittorgarh As part of Congress’ campaigning ahead of Rajasthan assembly polls, Rahul Gandhi on Thursday is going to interact with professionals in Udaipur, and later in the day will address public meetings in Rajasthan’s Bhilwara and Chittorgarh.





8:35 am IST As campaigning heats up, Rahul Gandhi, Amit Shah to address rallies in Rajasthan today As campaigning heats up in the state of Rajasthan that goes to polls on December 7, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi president, and BJP president Amit Shah will be addressing public meetings in Rajasthan on Saturday.



