Haryana, J&K Assembly Elections 2024 Live Updates: JJP-led alliance releases candidates list for Haryana polls, Dushyant Chautala to contest from Uchana

Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini will contest from a new constituency, Ladwa in Kurukshetra district, for the October 5 Assembly elections, according to the BJP's first list released on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Speaker Gian Chand Gupta and former minister Anil Vij have been retained in their respective strongholds of Panchkula and Ambala.

Saini currently represents Karnal, a seat previously held by two-time chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who is now serving as a Union minister.

Amid growing rebellion in the BJP over ticket distribution for the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, senior party leader Chander Mohan Sharma on Wednesday announced his decision to contest the polls as an independent candidate from the Jammu East constituency. The BJP is facing significant discontent over ticket distribution, with leaders and workers protesting in several districts of the Jammu region.

"On the demand of the people of my constituency, I have decided to contest the assembly elections from the Jammu East segment as an independent candidate. BJP has not done justice with its senior leaders and workers," Sharma, who is convener of Tawi Andolan, told reporters here.

JJP and Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) alliance issues a list of 19 candidates for the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections.

Dushyant Chautala to contest from Uchana, Digvijay Chautala from Dabwali.

AICC in-charge of Haryana Deepak Babaria said, "I don't know what discussions they had with KC Venugopal. But whatever solution comes out will be acceptable to everyone...The ultimate goal is to defeat the BJP, so the solution too would be like that...If possible, they would contest elections."

On alliance with various parties for Haryana Assembly elections, AICC in-charge of Haryana Deepak Babaria says, "... Currently we are speaking to the Aam Aadmi Party. One or two other parties have also approached, we will respond in a day or two. CPIM and the Samajwadi Party approached us. They are expecting a very small number... They want to make their presence felt in the state... We are also looking for a seat which is convenient for us and them..."

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has lost his confidence after the recently held Lok Sabha elections and the time is not far when his government will be removed. At a poll rally at Sangaldan in Jammu and Kashmir's Banihal Assembly constituency, he claimed the Central government is run by PM Modi, home minister Amit Shah and their corporate friends.

AAP MP Raghav Chadha leaves from the residence of Congress in-charge of Haryana, Deepak Babaria after meeting over alliance for the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections.

"For the first time in the history of independent India, a state was turned into a Union Territory. When we turn a UT into a state or divide a state, we deepen democracy and take forward rights even deeper. But when we make a state into a UT, rights are snatched away. This injustice has been done to you, with J&K...Restoring J&K's state is our responsibility, not only of Congress party's or National Conference's or INDIA Alliance's, but of every citizen of India. I am here to tell you that BJP and RSS might tell you anything, we are going to give back statehood to the people of J&K. We wanted statehood to be restored before elections but BJP didn't want this, they wanted elections first. We accept that but you will get the statehood," said Rahul Gandhi

"I only want to say this to the people of Haryana that give a chance to (Delhi CM) Arvind Kejriwal. He is a son of Haryana. He was born here. He went to Delhi and became CM when people gave him a chance," said Manish Sisodia

Leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday tore into the BJP for keeping J&K aloof of the statehood even after five years of the special status abrogation, which stripped the region of the status and turned it into a Union territory.

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday said his party's alliance with the Congress was not a compulsion but the need of the hour for development of Jammu and Kashmir and restoration of statehood to the union territory.

"It is not a compulsion. It is the need of the hour. We want to take everyone along for the development of Jammu and Kashmir," Abdullah told reporters while leaving his residence to attend the election rally to be addressed by Rahul Gandhi in south Kashmir.

The NC president was responding to a question if forming an alliance with the Congress was a compulsion for his party

National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah on Wednesday filed nomination papers from the Ganderbal assembly seat. Abdullah, accompanied by senior leaders of the party and his sons, filed the papers before the returning officer at the Mini-Secretariat here.

He reached the Mini-Secretariat sitting atop a vehicle, surrounded by a huge number of enthusiastic supporters.

This marks the return of the NC leader to the constituency that he represented from 2009 to 2014 when he was the chief minister of the NC-Congress coalition government in the erstwhile state of J-K.

He fought and won the 2014 assembly polls from Beerwah assembly seat in central Kashmir's Budgam district. Abdullah had also contested from Sonwar seat in Srinagar, but was defeated there by then PDP leader Mohammad Ashraf Mir.

Following the reported statement of Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi that suggested an alliance with Aam Aadmi Party for Haryana polls, AAP Haryana state president Sushil Gupta on Wednesday said that the talks are ongoing and every worker of Aam Aadmi Party will accept the decision of high command.

"Today we have a road show and public meeting in Haryana. Manish Sisodia is going today. Our programs are going on in all 90 assembly seats, we are contesting elections in Haryana with full strength. Talks are going on for an alliance. Aam Aadmi Party is a disciplined party, we follow the orders of our high command. Right now the order of the High Command is that we should fight on all 90 seats and uproot the BJP government," Sushil Gupta said.

"Our high command is engaged in the discussion (about the alliance), whatever decision will be taken on it will be in the interest of the country and the state and every worker of the Aam Aadmi Party will agree with it," he added.

Earlier, AAP MP Sanjay Singh welcomed Rahul Gandhi's reported idea of an alliance in Haryana.

BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav on Wednesday accused the National Conference and the People's Democratic Party of taking support from ex-militants for the assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, and said the two parties want to take the Union territory back to its "trouble-filled days". Referring to the Abdullahs and Muftis, Madhav, who is the party's in-charge for J-K, said the two families need to be shown the door.

"I have information that ex-militants are openly campaigning for the candidates of the NC and PDP. The people will have to defeat the parties who want to take J-K back to its bad days and support new leadership which wants peace and progress," Madhav told reporters here.

He was accompanying the party's candidate from Lal Chowk assembly constituency Aijaz Hussain during filing of nominations.

Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi says "The alliance government of Congress party is going to come to power here, this is going to happen. Our first task will be to fill all the government vacancies and we will extend the age to 40 years, we will regularize the daily wage workers, make them permanent and we will increase their income."

"Our goal will be to run the government of Jammu and Kashmir by taking everyone together, everyone should be respected, we should take everyone together. This is such a beautiful place, I will have to come here after the elections. You have made a 45-minute program for me here, you have cheated me. At least 2-3 day program should be made here, I don't get to see such a place, such lovely people, at least bring me here for 2-3 days and show me around", Rahul added.

"This fight is between two ideologies. On one side- hatred, violence, fear. On the other hand- love and respect. We walked from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, during which we gave the slogan - 'We have to open a shop of love in the market of hatred.' BJP's job is to spread hatred, our job is to spread love. They break, we unite": Rahul during Ramban address.

"In 1947, we removed kings and made democratic governments. We gave the nation a constitution. Today there is a king in Jammu and Kashmir. His name is LG but he is a king", Rahul targets LG Manoj Sinha in Jammu address.

"Our first step would be to give back statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. We wanted this to have happened before elections. We wanted that J&K gets statehood before elections but BJP didn't want that", Rahul Gandhi in Jammu's Ramban.

Leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is all set to visit Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, kickstarting the Congress' campaign for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls.

BJP election in-charge for J-K Assembly elections, Ram Madhav on Wednesday said that the upcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will prove to be historic adding that a new government will be formed under the leadership of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The BJP leader also joined the party candidate Aijaz Hussain from Lal Chowk constituency in Balhama on the outskirts of Srinagar city as he went to file his nomination.

"This will prove to be a historic election. We have full faith that those families because of whom the people of the valley, Jammu have been going through a huge tragedy for the past 34 years, will be freed. We have full faith that a new leadership will emerge in Jammu and Kashmir," Madhav said.

Rahul Gandhi met wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia amid rumors they might run as Congress candidates in Haryana's assembly elections. The Congress Central Election Committee has finalized 34 candidates, with the full list expected soon.

The Congress' Central Election Committee had met on Monday and finalised the names of 34 candidates for the assembly polls in Haryana. The AICC in-charge of Haryana, Deepak Babaria, said a final list would be released by today. He also said the speculation surrounding Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia would also be laid to rest.

On J&K Assembly Election, BJP election in-charge for J&K Assembly elections, Ram Madhav says "This will prove to be a historic election. We have full faith that those families because of whom the people of the valley, Jammu have been going through a huge tragedy for the past 34 years, will be freed. We have full faith that a new leadership will emerge in Jammu and Kashmir. Those who want peace, who do not support terrorism at all, and who want development, such parties, and leaders will emerge in the Kashmir valley as well. The BJP will bring peace, harmony and development to Jammu."

"We will remind the people of J&K that the manifesto that has been brought to take us back to the old days and the old troubles has been brought by the NC, PDP and all the people who are openly fighting the elections with the help of militants. They have openly started campaigning for the NC and PDP candidates. The parties that have contested the elections to bring back the old bad situation will have to be defeated. A new government will be formed in this state under the leadership of BJP", he added.

Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi leaves from his residence. Rahul Gandhi will visit J&K today, where he will hold public meetings.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Devender Singh Rana affirmed on Tuesday that the BJP and National Conference will not come together as he reiterated his earlier claim that NC leader Omar Abdullah attempted to ally with BJP in 2014.

In the run-up to the Assembly elections, the NC defector claimed that NC supremo Farooq Abdullah always wanted to go "hand-in-hand" with the central government.

"He (Omar Abdullah) was interim CM and didn't want to leave power. He wanted NC to be in power in one way or the other. Farooq Abdullah was abroad and he asked him to go and talk to the BJP and stay in Government somehow. BJP was in the centre so Farooq Abdullah always wanted to go hand in hand with the central government. Now the situation will not arise for BJP and NC to come together," Rana said while addressing a press conference.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will address two public rallies in Ramban and Anantnag districts on Wednesday, kickstarting the Congress' campaign for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls being held after a gap of 10 years. These rallies are part of the campaign for the party's candidates contesting in the first phase of the elections on September 18.

Besides Rahul Gandhi, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are among the 40 star campaigners of the party in the upcoming three-phased Assembly polls.

Polling to elect 90 members of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly will be held on September 18, 25, and October 1.

Congress and AAP are negotiating a pact for Haryana polls, with the two parties confirming talks have already taken place and, if an agreement is hammered out, a deal may be clinched in a couple of days. It reverses the earlier stance of the INDIA allies that their Lok Sabha partnership would not extend to assembly polls in Haryana or Delhi.

"The CEC meeting of AICC was held today, in which proposals given by Haryana screening committee were discussed. Out of 90 seats, 49 were discussed yesterday and today, the conclusions of the screening committee regarding the remaining 41 seats were put before the CEC... Earlier 34 seats (candidates) were finalised and today 32 out of 41 seats have been finalised" says senior Congress leader Deepak Babaria.

"The alliance talks with Aam Aadmi Party are in a very primitive mode, we are exploring it. If any development takes place over the next 2-3 days, we will let you know," Babaria added.

The Congress Central Election Committee meeting for the Haryana assembly polls is currently underway at the AICC headquarters in Delhi. Attendees include the party's national president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, general secretary KC Venugopal, AICC in-charge of Haryana Deepak Babaria, and former chief minister Bhupinder Hooda, among others.

"We are in talks with the Aam Aadmi Party, but nothing has been finalised yet. As soon as something is finalised, we will inform you," AICC general secretary in-charge of state Deepak Babaria said. Delhi education minister Atishi said, "Rahul Gandhi has sought opinion from Congress leaders and only they can answer. We have got to know about it from media. As far as alliance goes, the decision will be taken after Arvind Kejriwal comes out."

"I am grateful to the top leadership of BJP for choosing me as their candidate from the Rajouri Assembly seat. The people of Rajouri have always given their love to me. This is not a normal election. If we look at the manifesto of the National Conference, we can see that they want to bring back Article 370, Article 35A, another flag, constitution and unrest. They will release all the accused of terrorism who are their supporters. I want to tell them that after August 5, 2019, separatism, and stone pelting have ended in Kashmir," he said.

"I brought a delegation of ministers and MPs from India to talk to Huriyat leaders. I did this when BJP was in power. I want to ask Omar Abdullah; could he had done that? Did he approach? They were also in government when Congress was in power. What he had done? But yes, they hanged one Kashmiri. When I was CM, I did ceasefire for one months? Had he done that? When Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ji was Prime Minister, he did ceasefire, but Farooq Abdullah Sahab forced him to revoke that in 15 days. I still remember the words of Farooq sir. They always talk about the BJP-PDP coalition, but we never scarified our agenda, but when Omar Abdullah made alliance with BJP, they accepted BJP's agenda on national and international level and talked about bombarding Pakistan. But when I was in power in such scenarios, I dropped BJP's ministers. I think, when they will come for debate, it will become difficult for them," she said.

"This decision is to be taken by the senior leadership, no discussion has been held with us regarding this," said Congress leader Abhishek Dutt.

"I welcome him to the party. It will strengthen our party. There is an agenda, commitment of our party, I expect that he will work according to that. He is having a lot of concern for workers... There is a lot of respect for workers in our party... There are many parties who are saying we want to form government but they have no roadmap. They just want power. Since 1947 to 2002, only one party formed government here. Only in 1987, there was going to be a change but that didn't happen. NC has always blamed us for forming government with BJP but we quashed 12,000 FIRs against the youth of Kashmir and those FIRs were slapped by National conference. I did all this when I was with BJP, will Omar be able to do it? I want to ask Omar what did he do when he was external affairs minister. He used to say everything is fine in J&K. The government would not be formed without PDP this time," said Mufti, quoted by PTI.

The Election Commission has been actively preparing for the upcoming assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir. As part of these preparations, the polling staff in Udhampur district underwent training on Monday at the Government Degree College. Simultaneously, the administration has ramped up security measures in the region to ensure a smooth and peaceful democratic process.

Amod Ashok Nagpure, the Senior Superintendent of Police of Udhampur, emphasized the administration's commitment to conducting free, fair, and transparent elections in the district. He said, "Four constituencies of Udhampur district (Udhampur East, Udhampur West, Chenani and Ramnagar) will be going to Poll on 1st October 2024 in third Phase of Assembly Election in Jammu and Kashmir. In this regard, tight security measures are put in place, and our priority is to conduct free, fair and transparent elections and we want each and every voter to participate enthusiastically in the elections."

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is set to campaign in Jammu and Kashmir for three days as part of the assembly election efforts. The polling will occur in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1, with vote counting on October 8. The BJP recently released its fourth list of candidates, including Ravinder Raina for Nowshera, Arif Raja for Eidgah, and Vibodh Gupta for Rajouri (ST).

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi explored the feasibility of contesting the polls as the INDIA bloc during the Congress's Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting held to deliberate on ticket allocation for the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections, ANI reported quoting sources.

The meeting, which took place at the Congress Headquarters in New Delhi on Monday, saw Rahul Gandhi highlighting the importance of ensuring undivided votes for the alliance.

BJP candidate from Rajouri Assembly seat, Vibodh Guptasaid, "I am grateful to the top leadership of BJP for choosing me as their candidate from Rajouri Assembly seat. The people of Rajouri have always given their love to me...This is not a normal election. If we look at the manifesto of the National Conference, we can see that they want to bring back Article 370, Article 35A, another flag, constitution and unrest. They will release all the accused of terrorism who are their supporters...I want to tell them that after August 5, 2019, separatism, and stone pelting have ended in Kashmir... It will be a historic moment when the BJP will win Rajouri Vidhan Sabha seat..."

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey told ANI, "We will fight on 20 seats in Jammu & Kashmir."

With new leaders joining BJP, there is confusion over who the party will field from six of the seven assembly seats which fall under Hisar district. In Nalwa constituency, new entrant Kuldeep Bishnoi is a contender, while the BJP already has an MLA from the seat — deputy speaker Ranbir Gangwa. Bishnoi was earlier in the Congress.

In Hisar seat, former minister Savitri Jindal, mother of BJP Kurukshetra MP Naveen Jindal, is the latest contender for the party ticket, even as BJP has health minister Dr Kamal Gupta.

In a Congress Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting held at the party's headquarters in New Delhi, Rahul Gandhi discussed the possibility of contesting the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections as part of the INDIA alliance. However, former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda expressed concerns, stating that the AAP's demand for more seats than Congress is willing to offer makes an alliance difficult. The meeting finalized candidates for 49 of the 90 seats, with discussions on the remaining seats ongoing. The Congress plans to release the final list of candidates soon, with elections scheduled for October 5 and counting on October 8.

This is life in a village that has learned to live on edge, especially since the ambush near Badnota on July 8 where five soldiers from 22 Garhwal Rifles were killed by Pakistani terrorists as their trucks navigated the gut-churning switchbacks of the Machedi-Kindli-Malhar road. A resident of Kalna Dhanu Parole — barely 10km from the attack site — was arrested on suspicion of aiding the “foreign jihadis”.

This summer has been particularly harsh for Jammu region, with terrorism taking a heavy toll. Since May, 15 security personnel have lost their lives, underscoring the persistent threat in a region that has already seen 52 such casualties since 2021. Civilians, too, have not been spared from the violence, leaving deep scars on the community.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh advocated for a BJP-led government in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, stating that it is necessary to fulfill Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitment to integrating the Union Territory into India's growth story. He emphasized that they are diligently working towards forming their government in the region. Singh also criticized the Congress and the National Conference (NC) for their alleged exploitation of Article 370 for political gains, highlighting the contrast between their past avoidance of public appearances in Srinagar and their current enjoyment of leisure at Lal Chowk.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government are dedicated to ensuring J&K assumes a pivotal role in India's growth story. They are working hard on this vision," Singh told reporters.

The Union minister strongly supported the formation of a BJP government to carry out the prime minister's mission in Jammu and Kashmir. He stated, "We are steadfast in our mission to establish BJP government in J&K, with a vision centred on transparent governance, development, and maximising natural resources."

During a media briefing held on Monday, Kundli stated that their party is seeking two Haryana seats from the BJP. However, if a consensus is not achieved, they are prepared to nominate their own candidates in 8-10 constituencies. "We are planning to contest on 8-10 seats. If we form an alliance with the BJP at the state level, then we are demanding 2 seats in it. If no agreement is reached with the BJP, then we will field candidates on 8 to 10 seats and will support BJP candidates on the remaining 80 seats," he said.