Haryana Elections 2024 Live Updates: Kejriwal to join AAP's Haryana poll campaign with roadshow in Jagadhri

Arvind Kejriwal is set to join AAP's Haryana campaign, heightening the political contest between BJP and Congress. Former allies in Lok Sabha elections, AAP and Congress will now compete against each other in state polls. Kejriwal's release from jail and active participation are expected to enhance AAP's chances.

AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal will join the party's campaign in poll-bound Haryana with a roadshow in the Jagadhri constituency on September 20, AAP national general secretary (organisation) Sandeep Pathak said on Thursday. He will also participate in 13 events across 11 districts, covering the Dabwali, Rania, Bhiwani, Meham, Kalayat, Assandh and Ballabhgarh constituencies, among others, in the coming days, Pathak said at a press conference.

"AAP national convenor Kejriwal has come out of jail after defeating the BJP's conspiracy. Now he is fully prepared for the election campaign in Haryana and will start on September 20," he said.

His further campaign schedule will be announced later, he added.

BJP president J P Nadda on Thursday claimed that under the party-led government's rule during the past decade, Haryana has become "ghotala mukt" (scam-free) and "vikas-yukt" (development-oriented), as he appealed to the people to "renew" their "licence" by voting the party back to power. The BJP on Thursday released its manifesto for the October 5 Haryana assembly polls, promising a monthly assistance of Rs 2,100 for women, two lakh government jobs for the youth and guaranteed government job for Agniveers hailing from the state.

Addressing a gathering during a party workers meeting after releasing the manifesto in Rohtak, Nadda said, "The state has become ghotala-mukt and vikas-yukt and is marching on the path of progress."

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unveiled its manifesto for the Haryana assembly elections, following the Congress party's announcement of seven guarantees for the state. The launch took place in Rohtak and featured Union minister and BJP president JP Nadda, Haryana BJP president Mohan Lal Badoli, and chief minister Nayab Singh Saini.

In its manifesto, the BJP promised guaranteed jobs for Agniveers and financial support of Rs 2,100 per month through the 'Lado Laxmi Yojana.' To enhance employment opportunities, the party announced plans to build ten industrial cities modeled after IMT Kharkhoda, aiming to create jobs for over 50,000 youth from nearby villages.

The party has promised cash for women, MSP for farmers.

As the Haryana Assembly elections approach, Chief Election Commissioner Pankaj Agrawal announced that over 2 crore voters are expected to participate, with 20,629 polling booths established.

Voting is scheduled for October 5, and the final voter list was published on August 27, following the Election Commission's guidelines. The deadline for filing nominations was September 12, and voter amendment requests were accepted until September 2. After processing, the list confirmed a total of 2,03,54,350 eligible voters for the election.

Agrawal also shared that there are 1,60,75,957 male voters, 95,77,926 female voters, and 467 transgender voters.

As the Haryana elections approach, Congress candidates have sparked controversy with their promises of jobs and incentives if the party secures victory. Assandh legislator Shamsher Singh Gogi and NIT Faridabad candidate Neeraj Sharma made questionable remarks about offering government jobs and favors to supporters, prompting criticism.

Former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda distanced the party from these comments, labeling them as personal opinions. Meanwhile, the BJP has capitalized on the situation, accusing Congress of attempting to exploit the state's resources for personal benefit. Recent incidents involving caste-based and gender-biased remarks from Congress members have further complicated the party's position ahead of the elections.

Savitri Jindal, the 74-year-old Chairperson Emeritus of the Jindal Group, has decided to contest the Haryana elections as an Independent candidate from Hisar after being denied a BJP ticket. In a phone interview with PTI, Jindal, who is also a former Haryana minister, stated, "People of Hisar are my family and it is they who wanted me to contest."

If elected, Jindal pledged to be a strong voice for her constituents in the Vidhan Sabha. She believes that when issues are forcefully raised, the government is compelled to take action.
Jindal, the wife of the late industrialist O P Jindal and mother of BJP's Kurukshetra MP Naveen Jindal, is up against senior BJP leader Kamal Gupta, who is seeking re-election from Hisar, along with 19 other candidates.

Emphasizing that this election is not about her, but rather about the people of Hisar, Jindal reiterated her commitment to serving the interests of her constituents if elected to the assembly.

Ahead of the Haryana Assembly elections, Congress announced seven key guarantees on Wednesday, including a legal assurance for minimum support prices (MSP) and a caste survey if elected. The guarantees were unveiled in the presence of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Haryana Congress chief Udai Bhan, former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and senior AICC observers Ashok Gehlot, Ajay Maken, and Partap Singh Bajwa.

Other promises include women's empowerment, enhanced social security, a secure future for the youth, family welfare, and housing for the poor.

During a media address, Kharge stated, "We will implement these guarantees, which is why we've named it 'Saat Vaade, Pakke Irade.'"

Under the women's empowerment initiative, Congress pledged to provide gas cylinders for Rs 500 and a monthly payment of Rs 2,000 to women aged 18-60. To bolster social security, the party promised a pension of Rs 6,000 per month for the elderly, disabled, and widows, as well as the reinstatement of the old pension scheme.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge unveiled the party's guarantees as part of its manifesto for the Haryana Assembly elections at the AICC headquarters in Delhi. Present at the event were Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal, former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and Haryana Congress chief Udai Bhan.

The polls are set to take place on October 5.

Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Ajay Maken filed a complaint at a police station in the national capital on Wednesday against BJP leaders for threatening Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha. In his letter to the Tughlak Road police station, Maken named several individuals, including Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu, Delhi BJP leader Tarvinder Singh Marwah, Shiv Sena (Shinde) leader Sanjay Gaikwad, and Uttar Pradesh Minister Raghuraj Singh.

In his complaint, Maken noted that during a BJP event on September 11, Tarvinder Singh Marwah threatened Rahul Gandhi, stating, "Rahul Gandhi baaz aaja, nahi toh aane wale time mein tera bhi wohi haal hoga jo teri dadi ka haal hua," referring to the fate of Gandhi's grandmother, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Maken mentioned that he has attached a video of the statement as evidence.

Union home minister Amit Shah delivered a sharp critique of Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, calling him a "machine of lies" capable of deceiving in any language. Speaking at a public rally, Shah urged Gandhi to clarify his stance on whether the removal of Article 370 in Kashmir was a positive or negative decision.

"Rahul Gandhi is a machine of lies who can lie in any language. He should clarify whether removing Article 370 from Kashmir was a good or bad thing. In Parliament, he says that Samajwadi Party MPs won in Ayodhya. Winning and losing are part of elections, but he claims they have defeated the purpose of Ayodhya. Modi Ji has installed Ram Lalla in a grand temple by performing the Pran Pratishtha ceremony. This doesn't sit well with Rahul Gandhi," Shah said.

With the Haryana elections on the horizon and political parties canvassing in every corner of the villages for votes, some areas still desperately need development to gain their support.

Historically, before the Mahabharata, Lord Krishna asked for five villages, but Duryodhana refused to grant them. These villages included Panipat, Sonipat, Shripat, Bagpat, and Tilaprasth, now known as Tilpat.

Located in Faridabad, Tilpat village is over 5,000 years old. Locals claim it has a rich history, being the same village Krishna sought. After Krishna's request, the village fell into decline but later flourished when the saint Surdas arrived, whose samadhi is located there. His presence brought development, drawing visitors from nearby areas. The renowned Shri Ballabh Ji Temple is also situated here, attracting many visitors.

Rehash: Since the Model Code of Conduct for the Haryana assembly elections took effect on August 16, law enforcement agencies have confiscated drugs, liquor, and unaccounted cash valued at Rs 26.82 crore. Chief Electoral Officer Pankaj Agarwal stated on Tuesday that to ensure the October 5 elections are conducted fairly and transparently, all guidelines from the Election Commission of India and the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) are being strictly enforced. He emphasized that the Commission is taking a tough stance to prevent any voter inducement, with various agencies closely monitoring the movement of illegal liquor, narcotics, and cash throughout the state.

Rehash: Expressing confidence in his success in the 2024 Haryana assembly elections, BJP candidate Rajesh Nagar from the Tigaon constituency stated on Tuesday that development will be the key focus of his campaign. Nagar, who secured 97,126 votes in the 2019 Assembly elections, asserted that the Bharatiya Janata Party will win all 90 assembly constituencies.

"We are going to seek votes from the public in the name of development. Earlier in 2019, the people of our region gave me the maximum votes in all 90 assembly constituencies in Haryana. I am fully confident that in the 2024 elections too, we will come first in all the 90 assembly constituencies," he said.

Congress leader Sachin Pilot condemned the recent made by Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu about Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi. On Tuesday, he called for an apology from both the minister and the central government, stating that the "derogatory" remarks about the opposition leader are "unacceptable."

"The language used by Union Minister Bittu against Rahul Gandhi is not befitting. He should apologise because he is a minister. The government should apologise. It is not right to use such a cheap language against the leader of opposition," he told reporters.

"The Agniveer scheme has been implemented. The Congress especially Rahul 'Baba' (Rahul Gandhi) is playing politics," he said. "I want to tell Haryana's youth that 'Hooda and company', whose job is to spread lies, are saying what will happen to Agniveers later...but what I say, I do it," he added. "If any Agniveer returns, he will not be without a job and the BJP takes responsibility for this," he said.

Continuing his criticism of the Congress, Shah highlighted the elections in Jammu and Kashmir, accusing Rahul 'Baba' and Omar Abdullah of having a plan to release all terrorists post-election and engage in talks with Pakistan.

The rally featured chief minister Nayab Singh Saini, Haryana in-charge Biplab Kumar Deb, MP Kiran Choudhary, and other senior party leaders in attendance.

The upcoming Haryana assembly election is shaping up to be a high-stakes, multi-faceted contest. The ruling BJP faces the challenge of anti-incumbency and a reinvigorated Congress, which seeks to achieve a hat-trick in the state. Among the 1,031 candidates vying for votes in the October 5 elections are several relatives of Haryana's notable 'Lals'—former chief ministers Bansi Lal, Devi Lal, and Bhajan Lal—some of whom will compete against each other. The entry of candidates from other prominent political families adds further excitement to the race.

In addition to the BJP and Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has also fielded candidates. The Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) and Azad Samaj Party are running in alliance, as are the INLD and BSP.

Key candidates include BJP's Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini from Kurukshetra's Ladwa, Anil Vij from Ambala Cantt, Congress's Bhupinder Singh Hooda from Rohtak's Garhi Sampla-Kiloi, and Vinesh Phogat from Julana. Other notable names are JJP's Dushyant Chautala from Uchana Kalan, INLD's Abhay Singh Chautala from Ellenabad, and AAP's Anurag Dhanda from Kalayat.

According to the election department, over two crore voters are eligible to participate, including 1,07,75,957 men, 95,77,926 women, and 467 transgender voters.