Maharashtra Assembly Election – Congress-NCP Manifesto: Congress-NCP today realised a joint manifesto for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections. The parties have made big poll promises such as a Rs 5,000 monthly allowance to educated unemployed, loan waiver to farmers and 80 per cent of jobs to locals in new industries. The NCP and Congress are fighting this poll together to take on BJP and Shiv Sena.

The Assembly elections are just a few weeks away from now. All the major political parties and regional parties have declared their candidates for the October 21 polling.

Several opinion polls have predicted that the saffron parties alliance will return to power another five years. In the run-up to the elections, both the ruling and opposition camps have planned several rallies by their top leadership. As per the plan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address nine rallies across the state to garner support for the BJP and Shiv Sena candidates. The Congress party has also prepared a plan for rallies and roadshows by its top leaders.

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19:00 (IST)07 Oct 2019
Congress-NCP manifesto: 100% subsidy for drip water irrigation

The Congress-NCP manifesto promises a 100 per cent subsidy for drip water irrigation. It says that Maharashtra witnessed more than 17000 farmers suicide in past 5 years due to malevolent approach and dupery of farmers by the Maharashtra Government led by Devendra Fadnavis on the name of a sham loan waiver. "We are committed to protect and secure the farmers who are being tortured by the BJP-Shiv Sena Government," the Congress says.

17:56 (IST)07 Oct 2019
BIG poll promises by Congress-NCP

Five thousand rupees monthly allowance for young educated unemployed!
Will focus on raising the Human Development Index
The minimum wage for workers will be Rs 21,000
Special act to give 80 per cent of jobs in new industries to local landowners!
Reduce the penalty imposed under the new ‘Motor Vehicles Act’!
Immediately loan waiver implementation for farmers!

17:16 (IST)07 Oct 2019
Congress-NCP joint-manifesto: Key promises for students  

State scholarships for higher education in foreign Universities for deserving students. 
Government engineering and medical colleges will be established in every district.
Immediate filling up of teachers' vacancies across the state.
Existing curriculum to be updated to meet the changing needs. 

16:43 (IST)07 Oct 2019
Congress-NCP release joint manifesto for polls

Mumbai: The Congress and NCP release joint manifesto for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections. Both the parties are contesting this polls together on 125 seats each.  They were also together before 2014  and ran the government in an alliance. Just before the polls, both the parties broke the alliance and contested separately. 

16:12 (IST)07 Oct 2019
Aaditya Thackeray will not become CM immediately, says Shiv Sena chief Uddhav

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday said that his son Aaditya Thackeray contesting elections does not mean that he will immediately become CM or deputy CM. Aaditya is the first person in their family to contest elections.

14:45 (IST)07 Oct 2019
State BJP chief Chandrakant Patil faces united opposition challenge in Kothrud

Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil, who is considered the no. 2 in the Devendra Fadnavis cabinet, will be up against an united opposition from Pune’s Kothrud seat. It is interesting to note that Patil is fighting his maiden assembly election. Read full story here.

13:45 (IST)07 Oct 2019
Maharashtra opinion poll 2019: BJP, Shiv Sena likely to retain power with two-thirds majority

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena combine would retain power in Maharashtra for a second consecutive term, according to ABP News-C voter opinion poll. The survey has predicted that the BJP-led NDA will go past its target of 200 seats in the 288-member Legislative Assembly. Read full story here

12:54 (IST)07 Oct 2019
Maharashtra election 2019: Nominations of 4,739 candidates valid

After scrutiny of nomination papers on Saturday, the Election Commission has said that nominations of 4,739 candidates were found valid. Nominations can be withdrawn till 3 PM on Monday.

12:35 (IST)07 Oct 2019
Maharashtra election news: 'Congress has ignored important elections in Maharashtra, Haryana'

AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi has said that the Congress party has ignored important elections in Maharashtra and Haryana. Addressing an election rally in Pune, Owaisi on Sunday said that the Congress has been wiped out from the political spectrum of the country and "it can't be revived even by a calcium injection".

12:00 (IST)07 Oct 2019
About Maharashtra Assembly election 2014

In 2014 polls, the BJP and the Sena had contested separately and won 122 seats and 63 seats, respectively, out of the total 288. In the Lok Sabha elections held this summer for the total 48 seats, the BJP bagged 23 seats while the Sena emerged victorious in 18 constituencies, with vote shares of 27.59% and 23.29%, respectively.

11:25 (IST)07 Oct 2019
Sena worker will one day become CM: Uddhav

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said that his son Aaditya taking a plunge into electoral politics does not mean he is retiring. He exuded confidence that a Sena worker would one day become Maharashtra's Chief Minister. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

10:44 (IST)07 Oct 2019
Maharashtra Assembly election 2019: Amit Shah to hold 18 public meetings

Home Minister and BJP president Amit Shah is set to address 18 public meetings in coming days in Maharashtra where polling will take place on October 21. Chunk of Shah's rallies will take place in western Maharashtra, the bastion of the Congress and the NCP.

10:13 (IST)07 Oct 2019
Maharashtra Assembly election 2019: PM Modi likely to address 9 rallies

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address nine public meetings in the run-up to the October 21 assembly polls in Maharashtra, the first major political contest after the Lok Sabha outing, for the BJP-led "Mahayuti" alliance which is seeking a second consecutive term.

10:01 (IST)07 Oct 2019
Maharashtra election news: Last day for withdrawal of nominations today

Today is the last day for withdrawal of nominations in Maharashtra. All political parties are busy trying to convince rebels to withdraw nominations, the last date of which is Monday, as failure to do so could cause a split in committed votes and possible loss. The ruling BJP is the worst hit with 114 of its leaders throwing their hats in the poll ring against official candidates in 27 constituencies.

09:45 (IST)07 Oct 2019
Congress wiped out, can't be revived even with calcium injection: Asaduddin Owaisi

The Congress party has been "wiped out" from the landscape and can't be revived even if it was administered a "calcium injection", AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi said while addressing a public meeting for the October 21 Maharashtra assembly elections in Pune on Sunday. Owaisi claimed top leadership of the Congress has "ignored" important elections in Maharashtra and Haryana. "The Congress has been wiped out from the political spectrum of the country. It can't be revived even by a calcium injection," he said.

09:34 (IST)07 Oct 2019
Maharashtra Assembly election 2019: Parties try to get rebels to withdraw from fray

Parties in poll-bound Maharashtra are busy trying to convince rebels to withdraw nominations, the last date of which is Monday, as failure to do so could cause a split in committed votes and possible loss. The ruling BJP is the worst hit with 114 of its leaders throwing their hats in the poll ring against official candidates in 27 constituencies.

09:26 (IST)07 Oct 2019
Maharashtra election news: 1,905 nominations filed in Marathwada region

A total of 1,905 nominations have been filed across 46 Assembly constituencies in eight districts of the Marathwada region for the October 21 Maharashtra elections. The highest number of nominations were filed in Nanded district (492), which comprises nine constituencies, while the lowest number of nominations (83) were filed across three assembly segments in Hingoli district.

09:10 (IST)07 Oct 2019
Maharashtra elections: 1.17 lakh service voters to use ETPBS system

The number of service voters who would get an electronically transmitted postal ballot ahead of the October 21 Maharashtra Assembly polls stood at over 1.17 lakh, the Election Commission said on Sunday. Service voters include members of armed forces, police forces of the states serving outside that state as well as persons employed under the Union government on posts outside the country. As per existing arrangements, members of Army, Navy and Air force, Border Road Organisation, BSF, ITBP, Assam Rifles, NSG, CRPF, CISF and SSB are eligible to be registered as service voters.

09:02 (IST)07 Oct 2019
Maharashtra polls: Keshav Prasad Maurya invokes Article 370 revocation at Thane meet

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya campaigned for Thane BJP candidate Sanjay Kelkar late Saturday night and claimed the Narendra Modi government had weeded out cancer by revoking provisions of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. Maurya said the Congress, which had opposed the move and made statements on it that went against the interests of the nation, was like a fish out of water and its end was near. Targeting the sizable of number of people from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar who form the electorate in Thane, Maurya said BJP had traditionally been the first to come to their help whenever required.

09:00 (IST)07 Oct 2019
Maharashtra Assembly election 2019

As per the schedule announced by the Election Commission, Maharashtra will go to polls in a single phase on October 21. The counting will be done on October 24. 24

The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly has 288 seats. Currently, the BJP and Shiv Sena enjoy majority in the House. The two parties are contesting elections together this time. On the other hand, the Congress and NCP have signed an electoral pact for the elections. Both the ruling and opposition camps are hopeful of outperforming each other in the elections. Polling across all the 288 seats will take place in a single phase on Octpber 21. The results will be announced on October 24.