Rajasthan polls 2023 LIVE: CM guarantees OPS, English schools, and more

Rajasthan state Assembly elections LIVE: Catch all the latest updates of Rajasthan elections 2023 here

Rajasthan state Assembly elections 2023: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has announced its first list of 23 candidates for the upcoming Rajasthan assembly polls. Harish Raheja will contest from Ganganagar, Dhanna Ram Meghwal from Raisinghnagar (SC), Mahant Roopnath from Bhadra, Rajendra Mavar from Pilani (SC), and Vijendra Dotasara from Nawalgarh, among others. 

The Congress party also released its third list of 19 candidates, including Shoba Rani Kushwah from Dholpur and Rajendra Prateek from Sikar. Last week the Congress released its first list, featuring 33 candidates and its second list, featuring another 43 candidates. Congress has now released 95 names of candidates contesting for for the 200 seat Assembly.

Reacting to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids in Rajasthan on Thursday against Congress leaders, Opposition parties including Samajwadi party, Shiv Sena (UBT), AAP, and Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) all condemned BJP for using government agencies are political tools ahead of elections. Congress workers in Rajasthan staged protests outside the ED office in Jaipur against the raids at the premises of Rajasthan PCC chief Govind Dotsara and the summons of CM Ashok Gehlot's son, Vaibhav Gehlot. Vaibhav Gehlot claimed that he had been summoned for the same case around 12-13 years ago.

BJP has refuted these claims, stating that the agencies are independently carrying out their investigations. They further stated that those who have done nothing wrong, have nothing to worry about. Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat called out CM Ashok Gehlot for not "reigning in corruption" and claimed that over seven million youth of Rajasthan suffered due to continuous 19 paper leaks.

6:29 PM

Devotees come to temple for their faith, not donation: Priest Hemraj Poswal on Priyanka Gandhi's allegations

4:45 PM

7 opportunities for corruption: Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore on CM Gehlot's 'guarantees'

In response to the five guarantees made by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot today, along with the two made on Wednesday, BJP leader Rajendra Rathore has called out Congress for making "false promises".

"The public has spent 5 years in misery under the rule of corruption and misgovernance of the Congress, now it will not fall prey to such election guarantees of the Congress," he said.

3:44 PM

Gehlot govt guarantees OPS, laptop for college students, English medium schools

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot announced five guarantees for the people of the state, including a law on Old Pension Scheme, buying cow dung and providing a laptop or a tablet to government college students, if his government is re-elected in the November 25 elections.

1:57 PM

Sitting BJP MLA Ashok Lahoti denied ticket, stages protest outside party headquarters in Jaipur

Sitting MLA Ashok Lahoti from the Sanganer constituency staged a massive protest against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) outside its headquarters in Jaipur. The group has demanded that the BJP reconsider its decision to deny Lahoti a party ticket for the upcoming Rajasthan state Assembly elections. Lahoti belongs to the  Vaisya community. Several members of this community joined in the protest.

 

The BJP has fielded Bhajan Lal Sharma, who is also Rajasthan BJP's general secretary in Lahoti's place.

12:45 PM

Guarantee hai Ashok Gehlot ki vidai ki: BJP leader Rajendra Rathore

Rajasthan Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rajendra Rathore stated that the only guarantee in Rajasthan was of Congress' defeat in the upcoming state Assembly elections. This came in response to the Chief Minister's announcement of "guarantees" for the state.

 

"What about those guarantees? Ab guarantee hai Ashok Gehlot ki vidai ki. The government has pushed the state into an economic crisis. What about their earlier guarantees? Now that their regime has ended, what is the point of these guarantees? The public is not going to believe them", LoP Rathore said while speaking to ANI in Rajasthan's Jaipur.

 

12:44 PM

CM Ashok Gehlot says he will be making special announcements for Rajasthan today

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) page, "Today at 12:30 pm, I will guarantee a better future for every person of Rajasthan by making some special announcements."

 

11:43 AM

Raids are being conducted on those who are going to defeat the BJP: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut

Raids are being conducted on those who are going to defeat the BJP in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. This means that the central agencies are a little short of becoming the BJP's polling agents," says Shiv Sena (UBT) leader on raids against Congress leaders in Rajasthan.

11:06 AM

Not even 1 rupee was seized: Govind Dotasara after ED raids

After the Enforcement Directorate raided his residence in an alleged paper leak case, Rajasthan Congress President Govind Singh Dotasara has said that not a single rupee was seized from him, only three mobile phones and e-mail details have been taken by agency.

 

Dotasara said "There is no point of tension. Not even 1 rupee was seized. Only three mobile phones and our email were seized. Neither any paper nor any jewellery was seized. If I have earned anything in life, I have earned the love of Congress workers. But I appeal to all of you to tell this to the people of the entire Rajasthan that the Congress worker is not weak or cowardly." (ANI)

10:50 AM

RLP's Hanuman Beniwal slams ED for election-timed raids

In response to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids in Rajasthan, Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) head Hanuman Beniwal on Thursday said that the ED is "running its image" by taking action at a time when the elections are around the corner.

 

"The action should have been taken at the time of the paper leaks itself. The ED is ruining its image by taking action at a time when the elections are around the corner. Similarly, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is naming Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in the 'Sanjeevani scam.' If indeed the latter is guilty, action should be taken, but one should not work to tarnish the image," Beniwal said while speaking to media persons in Rajasthan's Jaipur.

 

"If ED doesn't find anything in the action, then it should apologize to the person in whose house it entered," he added.

10:50 AM

AAP releases first candidate list for Rajasthan, featuring 23 nominees

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has announced its first list of 23 candidates for the upcoming Rajasthan assembly polls. Harish Raheja will contest from Ganganagar, Dhanna Ram Meghwal from Raisinghnagar (SC), Mahant Roopnath from Bhadra, Rajendra Mavar from Pilani (SC), and Vijendra Dotasara from Nawalgarh, among others. 

 

10:49 AM

Congress releases third candidate list, featuring 19 names

The Congress party released its third list of 19 candidates, including Shoba Rani Kushwah from Dholpur and Rajendra Prateek from Sikar. Last week the Congress released its first list, featuring 33 candidates and its second list, featuring another 43 candidates. Congress has now released 95 names of candidates contesting for for the 200 seat Assembly.