From Chhattisgarh, Mizoram Going To Polls To CPI-M's Bid To Connect With Bengal Voters — The Week Ahead

Chhattisgarh will vote for 20 seats in the first phase of the assembly election, while Mizoram will vote for all its 40 assembly seats in the week ahead.

The week ahead will mark the beginning of the second season of the assembly elections in India, with Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh going to polls on Tuesday. While the polling for all 40 seats in Mizoram Assembly will be held in a single phase, Chhattisgarh will hold the election for just 20 out of the 90 assembly seats this week.

The 'cash-for-query' case, involving TMC MP Mahua Moitra, is also likely to see an important turn this week as the Lok Sabha's ethics committee adopts the initial probe report.

Stay with ABP Live as we try to cut the clutter around the latest news from the political arena and help you understand what is likely to happen in The Week Ahead. Here are the biggest political developments expected to play out this week. 

29th Tranche Of Electoral Sale To Begin On Monday

The 29th instalment of electoral bonds is set to go on sale this week on Monday (November 6). The government approved the sale on November 4. The Centre's decision coincides with the fervent campaigning in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Mizoram, with the elections scheduled between November 7 and 30. The counting of votes is scheduled to take place on December 3.

Electoral bonds, touted as a substitute for cash donations to political parties, aim to enhance transparency in political funding. The Government of India has authorized the State Bank of India (SBI) to issue and redeem electoral bonds through its 29 Authorized Branches during the XXIX Phase of sale, spanning from November 6 to 20, 2023, as outlined by the finance ministry.

The inaugural sale of electoral bonds took place in March 2018, with SBI being the exclusive bank authorized for their issuance. Designated SBI branches, including those in Bengaluru, Lucknow, Shimla, Dehradun, Kolkata, Guwahati, Chennai, Patna, New Delhi, Chandigarh, Srinagar, Gandhinagar, Bhopal, Raipur, and Mumbai, will handle the electoral bond transactions.

According to the finance ministry, electoral bonds will remain valid for 15 calendar days from the date of issuance. No payments will be made to the recipient political party if the bond is deposited after this validity period. Additionally, electoral bonds deposited by eligible political parties will be credited on the same day.

Electoral bonds are available for purchase by Indian citizens or entities incorporated or established within the country. Registered political parties that have secured at least 1% of the votes in the last Lok Sabha or legislative assembly elections are eligible to receive funding through these bonds, according to the finance ministry.

Chhattisgarh Election Phase-1: 223 Candidates To Vie For 20 Seats

The big Day for Chhattisgarh will come this week as it goes to polls with the first phase of voting slated to take place on Tuesday (November 7). The campaigning for the first phase, for which voting will take place across 20 assembly constituencies, ended on Sunday.

These 20 seats are distributed across seven districts in the Naxal-affected Bastar division and four other districts—Rajnandgaon, Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki, Kabirdham, and Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai.

Officials stated that voting in reserved constituencies for the Scheduled Tribe category, including Mohla-Manpur, Antagarh, Bhanupratappur, Kanker, Keshkal, Kondagaon, Narayanpur, Dantewada, Bijapur, and Konta, will occur from 7 am to 3 pm. The remaining 10 seats, including Khairgarh, Dongargarh (Scheduled Caste), Rajnandgaon, Dongargaon, Khujji, Pandariya, Kawardha, Bastar (ST), Jagdalpur, and Chitrakot (ST), will have polling from 8 am to 5 pm, according to a statement from the Chief Electoral Officer's office.

Efforts are underway to dispatch polling parties to their destinations with heightened security, particularly in the Bastar region. Helicopters are being utilized to airlift Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), personnel, and materials to polling stations in sensitive remote areas, starting from Saturday.

The first phase will decide the political fate of 223 candidates, including 25 women, for the 40,78,681 voters. This includes 19,93,937 male, 20,84,675 female, and 69 third-gender persons. A total of 5304 polling booths have been established for this phase.

Rajnandgaon constituency boasts the highest number of contestants (29), while Chitrakot and Dantewada have the lowest, each with seven candidates. Prominent candidates from the ruling Congress in the first phase include State Congress chief and MP Deepak Baij, ministers Kawasi Lakhma, Mohan Markam, Mohammad Akbar, and Chhavindra Karma.

Key candidates from the BJP in this phase include former Chief Minister Raman Singh and former state ministers Kedar Kashyap, Lata Usendi, Vikram Usendi, and Mahesh Gagda. Former IAS officer Neelkanth Tekam is also contesting from Keshkal.

The Aam Aadmi Party's state unit chief Komal Hupendi is contesting from Bhanupratappur, and MLA Anup Nag, after being denied a ticket by the Congress, is running as an Independent from Antagarh.

On the final day of the campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Dongargarh, a pilgrimage spot, met Jain seer Acharya Vidyasagar Maharaj, and prayed at Maa Bamleshwari Devi temple. Other notable campaigners included Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, Rahul Gandhi, party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Priyanka Gandhi, and Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.

In the 2018 Assembly polls, the Congress secured victory in 17 out of the 20 seats that will be contested in the first phase. The Congress currently holds 71 seats in the 90-member House. The second phase of polls for 70 seats is slated for November 17, with results to be counted on December 3.

Over 8.5 Lakh Voters To Decide Fate of 174 Candidates In Fray For Mizoram Polls

The northeastern state of Mizoram will also go to polls on Tuesday (November 7). The polls will be conducted across all the 40 assembly seats of Mizoram.

As the campaigning ended on Sunday, additional chief electoral officer H Lianzela emphasized the strict prohibition of any election-related activities, including public meetings, press conferences, interviews, and panel discussions by political parties in the media, until the completion of the voting process.

Out of the 1,276 voting centres in the state, 149 are designated as remote polling stations. Additionally, approximately 30 polling stations situated along the inter-state and international borders have been identified as critical and vulnerable. Security measures have been intensified across the state and along the international borders with Bangladesh and Myanmar, given Mizoram's 510km porous border with Myanmar and a 318km border with Bangladesh.

For the smooth conduct of the polls, at least 3,000 policemen and 5,400 personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been deployed, as confirmed by a police officer.

Several prominent political figures, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, Union ministers Sarbananda Sonowal, and Kiren Rijiju, actively campaigned for BJP candidates. BJP state president Vanlalhmuaka expressed confidence in winning 6-8 seats.

On the other side, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Jairam Ramesh, and Shashi Tharoor campaigned for party candidates, highlighting their party's vision and agenda.

During the campaign, the ruling party MNF sought to leverage issues such as refugees and internally displaced people from Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Manipur, along with promoting Mizo sub-nationalism. They also underscored the developmental achievements in the state over the last five years, despite financial constraints triggered by the pandemic.

In contrast, the opposition emphasized the alleged failures of the MNF government in fulfilling promises, including the implementation of flagship programs like Socio-Economic Development (SEDP), the construction of flyovers, and the development of good roads, among other issues.

The ZPM, positioning itself as a party of change, focused on introducing a new system of governance.

The electorate, comprising more than 8.57 lakh voters, including 4,39,026 women, will determine the fate of 174 candidates. The results are scheduled to be announced on December 3.

Lok Sabha Panel To Adopt Draft Report On Initial Probe In 'Cash-For-Query' Case 

The Lok Sabha's Ethics Committee is scheduled to convene on November 7 to discuss and endorse its preliminary report regarding the 'cash-for-query' accusations made against TMC MP Mahua Moitra by BJP's Nishikant Dubey.

The adoption of the draft report in the meeting indicates that the committee, led by BJP MP Vinod Kumar Sonkar, has concluded its investigation. The committee members, aligned along party lines, are set to make their recommendations following their last deliberations on November 2.

With BJP members holding a majority in the 15-member committee, there is a likelihood that a stern view will be taken on the charges against Moitra. This sentiment may be heightened by Moitra's allegation that Sonkar posed inappropriate and personal questions during the previous meeting, leading to her storming out along with opposition members.

Indications suggest that the committee might recommend disciplinary action against Moitra in its report to Speaker Om Birla, potentially accompanied by dissent notes from opposition members.

During the November 2 meeting, all five opposition members walked out, claiming that Sonkar had directed personal and indecent questions towards Moitra regarding her travels, hotel stays, and telephone calls. Moitra later described the experience as a "proverbial vastraharan."

The committee chairperson dismissed the allegations from opposition members, labelling them as unethical conduct aimed at protecting Moitra.

The committee is likely to scrutinize Moitra's decision to exit the meeting critically in its final report. Moitra, appearing before the panel as a subject of inquiry and lacking the privileges of its members, chose to walk out.

Dubey's accusations against Moitra involve her allegedly posing questions in the Lok Sabha to target the Adani Group at the behest of businessman Darshan Hiranandani in exchange for bribes. According to Dubey, Hiranandani used Moitra's login details to file questions from various locations, primarily Dubai.

Moitra has acknowledged that she shared the login details with businessman Darshan Hiranandani, but has denied that there was any financial motivation or threat to national security as alleged by the BJP.

CPI-M's Push For Lok Sabha Polls With Mass Outreach Programme In Bengal

In anticipation of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the CPI(M) will embark on a comprehensive two-month initiative, commencing on November 7, aimed at engaging with the people of West Bengal on critical issues such as employment, food security, and corruption.

Despite the CPI(M)-led Left Front failing to secure any of the 42 seats in the state during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the party remains steadfast in its commitment to address the concerns and challenges faced by the people.

During a press conference at the conclusion of a three-day extended session of the party's state committee in Howrah, West Bengal CPI(M) state secretary Md Salim outlined the party's strategy. He said that the two-month outreach campaign will be a platform for discussing and understanding the issues related to jobs, food, corruption, and women's safety with the people across the state.

Salim further outlined the party's efforts to engage in discussions with other Left Front constituents and non-Left parties, including the Congress and the ISF, to form a united front against both the BJP and the Trinamool Congress.

Describing the three-day session as the heralding of preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Salim highlighted the need for unity among various political entities opposing the ruling parties.

While acknowledging corruption allegations against several TMC leaders, Salim asserted that similar accusations are emerging against the BJP government at the Centre, particularly concerning significant projects like the River Ganga cleaning program and highway construction.

Elaborating CPI-M's stance on socio-economic issues, Salim said that the need for job creation and affordable education is urgent, both at the state and central levels. He sought government intervention to ensure accessible education for the masses as the private sector's increasing influence makes education prohibitively expensive for the less privileged sections of society.

Stay tuned to ABP Live as we track the updates on these stories and more.

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