5th T20I: Shreyas Iyer, bowlers star as India win thriller to clinch series 4-1 against Australia | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: Shreyas Iyer notched up a half-century, while fast bowlers Mukesh Kumar and Arshdeep Singh collectively secured five wickets, propelling the home team to a gripping six-run victory over Australia in the fifth and final Twenty20 International at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
This win thwarted Australia’s hopes of securing a consolation win on Sunday.India won the series 4-1.
Australia, in pursuit of 160 runs in Bangalore, seemed poised for triumph with Ben McDermott’s impressive 54 runs. However, their chase faltered when the 28-year-old attempted to launch Arshdeep (2-40) for a six but ended up caught at long-off.

After McDermott’s dismissal, Kumar (3-32) swiftly claimed two wickets, plunging Australia to 129-7.
Arshdeep then delivered an exceptional final over, conceding only three runs and dismissing visiting captain Matthew Wade.

BCCI ends speculations, retains Rahul Dravid as India’s head coach alongside support staff

“I was thinking that I gave away too many runs (in the first three overs) and was hoping for another chance, and thanks to God, I defended it and also thanks to the staff that they believed in me,” Arshdeep said after the match.

“Surya (before bowling the final over) told me whatever happens, happens, and credit goes to the batters as well. We had a cushion of 15-20 runs and it was definitely more than par. According to the standards we have set as an Indian team, it was not near par (speaking about his performances in this series) but there are a lot of learnings to take and hoping to come back stronger,” he said.
India, batting first, relied on Iyer’s 53-run contribution to set a defendable total, with Axar Patel (31) also adding crucial runs.
Australia’s Jason Behrendorff and Ben Dwarshuis scalped two wickets each.
Axar Patel was adjudged Man of the Match, while young Ravi Bishnoi bagged the Player of the Series award.

India, having clinched the series 4-1, will head to South Africa for a comprehensive series featuring three T20Is, three one-day internationals, and two Tests.
Meanwhile, Australia will return home to face Pakistan in a three-Test series.

“Elated to see everyone chipping in and the way these guys stood up from game one, especially in the batting department is mesmerising to see. I could see the calmness in him (Arshdeep) when he was bowling the last over, kudos to the way he composed himself,” Shreyas Iyer, who scored 53 off 37 balls, said after the match.
“When I saw 3 wickets falling down, I started to calculate what would be the best score on this wicket and it wasn’t an easy wicket to bat on, and whenever we find ourselves in such a situation it is important to assess the conditions and bat accordingly, today was the right example of how we did it as a team. 160 was the right total, it’s a commendable total especially after losing 4 wickets at the top and bowlers did a good job in restricting them,” he said.

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MP: Bharat Jodo Yatra fails to boost Congress; BJP wins 17 of 21 seats it covered | India News

BHOPAL: The Congress’ hopes of the Bharat Jodo Yatrapaying dividends in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls were dashed on Sunday with the Bharatiya Janata Party winning 17 of the 21 seats from which the Rahul Gandhi-led programme passed. Between November 23 and December 4 last year, the yatra covered 380 kilometres through six districts of MP’s Malwa-Nimar region, namely Burhanpur, Khandwa, Khargone, Indore, Ujjain and Agar Malwa, which cumulatively have 21 seats.
In 2018, the BJP had won 14 of these seats, while the Congress emerged victorious on seven. This time, the BJP bettered its tally to 17, reducing the Congress to four seats.
The BJP won Burhanpur (Archana Chitnis) and Nepanagar (Manju Dadu) Assembly segments in Burhanpur district. The Burhanpur seat was won in 2018 by Independent candidate Surendra Singh Shera, who was the Congress candidate in 2023.
Nepanagar seat was won by Congress’ Sumitra Kasdekar in 2018 but she changed sides and was elected on a BJP ticket in the 2020 bypoll. The BJP has retained this seat.
The BJP’s Narayan Patel and Chhaya More won from Mandhata and Pandhana, respectively. In 2018, Pandhana seat was won by BJP’s Ram Dangore, while Narayan Patel of the Congress had won from Mandhata seat. Patel, however, shifted to the BJP and had won a bypoll in 2020. He was given a ticket again by the ruling party.
In Khargone district, the yatra passed through Badwah and Bhikangaon Assembly seats. While the BJP’s Sachin Birla won from Badwah, the Congress’ Jhuma Solanki emerged victorious in Bhikangangaon. Both the seats were won by the Congress in 2018. Badwah MLA Sachin Birla later joined the BJP.
The Bharat Jodo Yatra covered all eight seats of Indore district. The BJP emerged victorious on all eight. BJP’s Usha Thakur and Madhu Verma won from Mhow and Rau, respectively.
Indore-1, Indore-2, Indore-3, Indore-4 and Indore-5 were won by BJP candidates.
BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya won from Indore-1 seat by defeating sitting MLA Sanjay Shukla. BJP’s Ramesh Mendola (Indore-2), Golu Shukla (Indore-3), Malini Gaud (Indore-4) and Mahendra Hardia (Indore-5) also won. The BJP’s Tulsi Silawat, who had switched to the saffron party from the Congress in 2020, won from Sanwer seat.
Before crossing into Rajasthan on December 4 last year, the Bharat Jodo Yatra covered Agar Malwa and Susner Assembly seats of Agar Malwa district.
BJP’s Madhav Singh won Agar Malwa seat while Bhairo Singh of Congress won Susner seat.
The BJP won the Agar Malwa Assembly seat in 2018 but lost it to the Congress in a 2020 bypoll necessitated by the death of sitting MLA Manohar Untwal. The Susner Assembly seat was won in 2018 by Independent candidate Vikram Singh Rana, who later joined the BJP.
The BJP’s Mohan Yadav and Anil Jain won from Ujjain South and Ujjain North seats, respectively.
Satish Malviya of BJP won from Ghatiya and Mahesh Parmar of Congress emerged victorious from Tarana seat. Dinesh Jain from Congress won Mahidpur assembly seat.
In 2018, four of the five seats in Ujjain districts were won by the BJP, leaving the Congress with just one victory.
The four seats the Congress won on the route that the yatra covered in MP are Bhikangaon, Tarana, Mahidpur and Susner.
Incidentally, Congress leaders have routinely claimed the Bharat Jodo Yatra was the reason for the Congress’ win in Karanataka in May this year.
In the southern state, the party had won from 15 of the 20 Assembly seats through which the Rahul Gandhi-led yatra passed.
Later in October this year, the Congress had given credit to the yatra for its win in the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil, polls.

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MP poll: Amid BJP wave, 12 ministers of Shivraj Singh Chouhan cabinet face defeat | India News

BHOPAL: As the BJP shone brightly in Madhya Pradesh on Sunday registering a huge win in the assembly electionsvictory eluded 12 ministers of the Shivraj Singh Chouhan cabinet, including home minister Narottam Mishra. Mishra lost from Datia seat by a margin of 7,742 votes to Congress candidate Rajendra Bharti.
Ministers Arvind Bhadoria from Ater, Kamal Patel from Harda and Gaurishankar Bisen from Balaghat are among those who faced defeat.
Prem Singh Patel from Badwani, Mahendra Singh Sisodiya from Bamori, Rajvardhan Singh Dattigaon from Badnawar, Bharat Singh Kushwaha from Gwalior rural, Ramkhelawan Patel from Amarpatan and Suresh Dhakad from Pohri could not make to the list of winning candidates.
Sisodiya and Dattigaon are close associates of Union civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. Dattigaon was defeated by Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat, who Shekhawat switched over to the Congress from BJP just ahead of the elections.
Besides, Rahul Singh Lodhi, nephew of former chief minister Uma Bharti, was trounced from Khargapur. Another minister Ram Kishor Kawre too faced defeat from Paraswada.
BJP candidate Imarti Devi, also a Scindia loyalist candidate, lost from Dabra by 2,267 votes to Congress’ Suresh Raje.
Sitting BJP MP from Satna, Ganesh Singh, lost by 4,041 votes to Congress’ Dabbu Siddharth Sukhlal Kushwaha.
Among the prominent candidates who are trailing is sitting MLA from Chanchoura, Laxman Singh who is the younger brother of senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh. He is trailing by over 60,000 votes after 19 of 21 rounds of counting.
Of the 230 seats in MP, the BJP had won 160 and was leading in 3 as per the latest data shared by the Election Commission. The Congress won 64 seats and was ahead in two, it said.
Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar, Prahlad Patel, BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayavargiya, Congress’s Kamal Nath and former minister Ram Niwas Rawat are among the prominent faces that have emerged victorious in the state polls.
Chouhan retained his Budhni seat by a margin of 1,04,974 votes by defeating TV actor-turned-Congress leader Vikram Mastal Sharma, a poll official said.
Chouhan won for the sixth time from the Budhni seat. He had won his maiden election from Budhni way back in 1990 and was elected as a Member of Parliament for the first time from the Vidisha constituency the following year.
The longest-serving chief minister of a BJP-ruled state and popularly known as ‘mama’ (maternal uncle) and ‘paon-paon wale bhaiya’ (foot soldier), Chouhan was not projected this time as the party’s CM face. However, he turned the tables in favour of the ruling party by launching game-changer schemes like ‘Ladli Behna’ to beat prevailing anti-incumbency.
Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar, a potential contender for the CM’s post, won from Dimani assembly seat in Morena district by defeating BSP’s Balveer Singh Dandotiya by 24,461 votes.
Another prominent winner and contender for the top position is Union minister Prahlad Patel, who won from the Narsinghpur assembly seat by a margin of 31,310 votes by defeating Lakhan Singh Patel of Congress.
BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, another potential chief ministerial candidate, was fielded from the Indore-1 seat, which was considered a difficult one for him.
But knowing his track record of winning polls from different seats in the Indore district, Vijayvargiya bagged the Indore-1 seat by 57,939 votes defeating Congress’ candidate and sitting MLA Sanjay Shukla.
Though state Congress president Kamal Nath won from his home turf Chhindwara by defeating BJP’s Vivek Bunty Sahu by 36,594 votes, the loss of the party and its poor performance has taken away all the sheen from his victory.

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Congress: Assembly elections 2023: Congress sweeps Telangana, ending BRS rule as BJP claims victories elsewhere

In a significant political upheaval, the Congress party secured a resounding victory in Telanganawinning 64 Assembly seats and bringing an end to the nearly ten-year rule of the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS). This triumph for the Congress comes amidst a broader saffron surge in the Hindi heartland, where the BJP clinched victories in two states and retained one.
The Chief Minister of Telangana, K Chandrasekhar Rao, resigned on Sunday, marking the conclusion of the BRS era.GovernorTamilisai Soundararajan accepted Rao’s resignation, paving the way for the Congress to form the new government.
Having previously staged a comeback in neighboring Karnataka earlier this year, the Congress continued its winning streak in Telangana. The party secured 64 out of the 118 seats it contested, with an additional seat going to the Communist Party of India (CPI).
The spotlight is now on Anumula Revanth Reddy, the key figure leading the Congress charge, who finds himself on the cusp of potential chief ministership. A Congress delegation met with the Telangana Governor to formally stake their claim to form the government, with a swearing-in ceremony anticipated on either December 4 or 9.
Reddy acknowledged the people’s mandate for change and expressed optimism for cooperation from the BRS to fulfill the aspirations of the public. Despite the expressed disappointment from BRS working president K T Rama Raothe Congress celebrated its victory, signaling a significant shift in the political dynamics of Telangana.
Several factors contributed to the poor performance of the BRS, including anti-incumbency sentiments, voter fatigue, and dissatisfaction among the youth. The Congress, capitalizing on these sentiments with an effective campaign, successfully altered the political landscape in the state. While the BJP didn’t achieve the desired results, it saw an improvement in its seat tally and vote share, hinting at evolving political dynamics in Telangana.
(With inputs from agencies)

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Assembly poll results not reflective of nation's mood for Lok Sabha elections, says AAP | India News

NEW DELHI: The AAP on Sunday asserted that the assembly election results are not reflective of the nation’s mood for next year’s Lok Sabha pollseven as it congratulated the BJP on its imminent victories in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The party also asserted that a meeting of the opposition INDIA bloc on December 6 will decide the future course of action.
According to the latest trends, the BJP is set to form the governments in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh while it has already crossed the majority mark in Rajasthan. While the saffron party is set to retain power in Madhya Pradesh, it is on the way to trouncing the Congress in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.
In Telangana, the Congress is set to form the government after defeating the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).
In its official statement, the AAP said it “submits to the will of the people” and congratulates BJP for its win in three states.
“We sincerely hope that the BJP will come through on its promise and provide homes under the Mukhyamantri Ladli Behna Awas Yojana. We also hope that the BJP will provide LPG (cylinders) at Rs 450, as promised. We demand that cheaper LPG (cylinders) should be provided for the entire nation and not be limited to the three states,” the party added.
The AAP also congratulated the Congress on “a spectacular win” in Telangana.
“This is, however, not reflective of the mood of the nation for (the) Lok Sabha as the Congress won MP (Madhya Pradesh), Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan in 2018 but the BJP won the 2019 Lok Sabha elections,” the AAP said in the statement.
“INDIA alliance talks will now be held on December 6 in Delhi in which we will decide the future course of action,” it added.
The AAP was also in the fray in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh but failed to make any inroads.
Talking about its performance, the party said, “The Aam Aadmi Party is in the formative stages in these states and we were contesting to ensure that our message reaches everyone.”
It further said, “The BJP lost its deposits on 31 seats in the recently concluded Karnataka elections. PM Modi himself campaigned in Andhra Pradesh but the BJP lost on all 173 seats and scored less than NOTA. Did this affect the BJP vote share in Gujarat?”
Senior AAP leader Jasmine Shah also took a dig at the Congress and said in post on X, “After today’s results, @AamAadmiParty emerges as the largest opposition party in north India with two state governments — Punjab and Delhi.”
Party insiders said the Congress will now have to listen to its INDIA allies during seat-sharing talks.
While some opposition leaders, including Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and KC Tyagi of the Janata Dal (United) have asserted that the Congress’ imminent defeats in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan will have no impact on the opposition bloc, some others have pointed out that the grand old party had become distanced from its coalition partners.
An AAP insider said, “The Congress is the oldest party and it is in power in two states — Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh — and will form the government in Telangana. The AAP, which is only an 11-year-old party, has governments in Delhi and Punjab.”
Speaking about the AAP’s performance in the states where it contested, the insider said it has to contest elections since it is now a national party.
“It takes time to make inroads. All these parties have been working there for a long time,” the insider said.
Another party insider said the Congress’ underperformance in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan means that it will not be able to call the shots on the INDIA alliance’s seat-sharing formula.
“Had Congress won the three states, it would have dictated terms on seat sharing. Now, it will have to listen to its allies and reach a consensus. This will have an impact on seat sharing, not only in Delhi and Punjab but also in other states. Seat sharing will become a little easier and the Congress will have to listen to its allies,” the insider said.
The insider also claimed that the Congress’ overconfidence was responsible for its imminent defeats in the three states.

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Randeep Hooda and Lin Laishram's traditional to host a wedding reception in Mumbai on THIS date

Bollywood actor Randeep Hooda recently tied the knot with actor Lin Laishram in a traditional Meitei ceremony on November 29. Netizens loved their traditional look and the fact that they were connected to their roots with their wedding rituals. But the festivities continue as reports suggest that they’re set to have a grand reception in Mumbai on December 11.

According to a report in Hindustan Times, the couple is set to have a grand celebration in the city which aims to bring together their industry friends and colleagues who couldn’t make it to their wedding.

Newlyweds Randeep Hooda & Lin Laishram return to Mumbai

The wedding itself was a heartfelt affair, blending rituals, traditions, and cultural nuances. Despite being new to the customs, Randeep Hooda participated with great enthusiasm and a constant smile on his face, deeply moved by the emotional significance of the ceremony. The couple opted for ethnic Manipuri outfits, embracing their culture throughout the celebrations.
The intimate ceremony in Manipur saw the couple surrounded by close friends, family, and colleagues, but the Mumbai reception promises to be a larger affair. The guest list includes Lin’s close friends and immediate family members, who are traveling from Manipur to Mumbai to join the festivities.
During the wedding rituals, Randeep Hooda’s family, equally captivated by the local traditions, chose traditional outfits over designer wear. The ceremony was a beautiful amalgamation of sacred rituals, including Bor-jatra, lei-koiba, kundo of anotherkwa lannaba, and kangshubi chaba, each carrying profound symbolic meaning.
Notably, the bride’s mother blessed the couple by tying their hands with the sacred thread, signifying their union. The exchange of garlands and betel leaves and nuts followed, marking the couple’s introduction as a lifelong pair to family and friends.
The upcoming Mumbai reception aims to continue the celebration, with the couple embracing their culture, and uniting friends and colleagues in a joyous union of two hearts.

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Congress leader Udit Raj blames EVMs for party's defeat in 3 state polls | India News

NEW DELHI: After Congress’ defeat in key states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, party leader Udit Raj on Sunday sought to put the blame on electronic voting machines and said such a result was not expected. “Something must have happened with the EVMs otherwise such a result was not expected,” he said in a post in Hindi on X.
“After today’s election resultsit seems that it is difficult for democracy and the Constitution to survive,” the Congress Dalit leader, who was formerly a BJP MP from Delhi.
The remarks of Udit Raj came after NCP leader and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar said he won’t be surprised if INDIA alliance blames EVMs for assembly polls outcome.
“I will not be surprised if people from the INDIA alliance start blaming the EVMs for the results,” he said, adding it would be like crying foul.
BJP national spokesperson Shehzaad Poonawala said, “Not shocking at all! Congress has started abusing EVMs. So do they deny the result in Telangana? EVM bahana, Rahul ko haar se bachana hai. Shameful.”
Pawar said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s work is being appreciated by the people.
“When I was in government in the past, my opinion at the time was that tampering with EVMs was impossible. Just one person cannot tamper with the EVMs on such a large scale. You need many people to do it, and when a number of people get involved in such a practice, it would have naturally come out by now,” the NCP leader said.
“If EVMs are to be blamed in these three states (MP, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh), what about Telangana? he said.
Another Maharashtra deputy chief minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis also claimed that the Congress-led Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance would convene a meeting and blame the EVMs for the poll loss.

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Vicky Kaushal interacts with the audience watching 'Sam Bahadur' as he visits a theatre, fans tells him, 'National Award milega' - WATCH | Hindi Movie News

Vicky Kaushal starrer ‘Sam Bahadur‘ released with Ranbir Kapoor‘s ‘Animal‘ on December 1 and both the films have been doing well in their respective spaces. Despite the fact that ‘Animal’ has been garnering some whopping numbers at the box office, ‘Sam Bahadur’ also saw a jump in its business on Saturday.
It has lesser shows than ‘Animal’ but the film is having a good footfall over the weekend.On Sunday, Vicky was seen visiting a theatre and interacted with the audience watching ‘Sam Bahadur’. There were many older members in the audience as we can see along with Vicky. One lady was seen taking his autograph and appreciated him, while he held her hand put it on his forehead. Many people also told him, ‘National Award milega’, and Vicky couldn’t help but smile wide. Vicky responded and said, “Aapne movie dekhi wohi bohot hai. For an actor there is no better visual than a packed housefull show.”
He further spoke about the film and said, “Hamara aim sirf yehi tha that we give a tribute to a very special man from the Indian army.” ‘Sam Bahadur’ is based on Field Marshall Sam Maneckshaw’s life. It sees Vicky playing the titular role, while Sanya Malhotra plays Sam’s wife in the movie.

The film sees Fatima Sana Sheikh as Indira Gandhi. Sam Bahadur collected around Rs 15 crore on its first two days at the box office.

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State Elections: BJP's dramatic rise: From 1 to 13 seats in 5 eastern Rajasthan districts | India News

NEW DELHI: In a significant electoral shift, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has made substantial gains in eastern Rajasthan, securing a notable increase in assembly seats from just one to 13 across five key districts. Meanwhile, the Congress witnessed a decline, seeing its seat count drop from 20 to eight in the same region.
The Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) emerged as a pivotal campaign issue for the Congress, with the party advocating for its national project status.The ERCP, conceived during the tenure of the former BJP-led government under Vasundhara Raje, aims to address the drinking and irrigation water requirements of five districts—Bharatpur, Karauli, Sawai Madhopur, Dholpur, and Dausa.
In the broader state electionsthe BJP emerged victorious, securing a total of 115 seats out of the 199 contested. The party’s success was not confined to eastern Rajasthan, as it also gained seats in Mewar, Vagad, Marwar, and other regions.
Specifically, in Mewar and Vagad regions covering Udaipur, Rajsamand, Banswara, Dungarpur, Pratapgarh, and Chittorgarh districts, the BJP clinched 17 out of 28 seats, while the Congress secured seven seats. Notably, the Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP), making its electoral debut in the state, secured three seats, and an independent candidate also emerged victorious.
Comparing this to the outgoing assembly (2018-2023), where the Congress held 11 seats, the BJP 13, and the Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) two in these regions, the recent results signify a notable shift in political dynamics.
Despite the Congress’s hopes of breaking the pattern of the incumbent party losing power every five years, the party managed to secure 68 seats across the state. However, the final outcome for one seat was pending, with the Congress holding a narrow lead. The elections, held on November 25, saw the postponement of the Karanpur seat in Sriganganagar due to the unfortunate demise of the Congress candidate.
(With inputs from agencies)

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Madhya Pradesh: 2023 Madhya Pradesh assembly polls result: 10 biggest and 10 narrowest wins | India News

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday had a big win in the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections. Two out of the three Union ministers from the BJP who were running in the elections won, but one didn’t do so well.
Even though the Congress had prominent leaders like former chief ministers Kamal Nath and Digvijay Singh campaigning for them, they couldn’t give tough competition to the BJP.
As of now, the BJP has already won 137 seats in the 230-member Madhya Pradesh legislative assembly and is leading in 28 more seats. The BJP’s performance is quite strong in these elections.

MP: CM Shivraj Chouhan, Narendra Tomar, Jyotiraditya Scindia watch election results in Bhopal

Union Agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar won from the Dhimani Assembly seat in his home district Morena. He got more than 24,000 votes than the BSP candidate Balveer Singh Dandotiya. Another Union minister, Prahlad Singh Patel, also won from the Narsinghpur Assembly, defeating the Congress candidate Lakhan Singh Patel by a lot of votes.
Kailash Vijayvargiya, who is a big leader in the BJP, won from the Indore-1 seat, beating the Congress MLA Sanjya Shukla by a lot of votes too.
However, Faggan Singh Kulaste, who is also a Union minister, didn’t win. He lost to the Congress candidate Chain Singh Warkade by about 9,723 votes.
Here are the biggest and narrowest margins of victory in the 2023 MP elections:
Top 10 narrowest vote margins:

Constituency	Candidate name	Party	Vote margin
Shajapur	Arun Bhimawad	Congress	28
Talk to me	Pradeep Amratlal Jaiswal (Gudda)	Congress	46
Mahidpur	Dinesh Jain Boss	BJP	290
Dharampuri	Kalusingh Thakur	Congress	356
Baihar	Sanjay Uikey	BJP	551
Mandhata	Narayan Patel	Congress	589
Bhikangaon	Jhuma Dr Dhyansingh Solanki	BJP	603
Gohad	Keshav Desai	BJP	607
Semaria	Abhay Mishra	BJP	637
Manawar	Dr. Hiralal Alawa	Congress	708

Top 10 highest vote margins:

Constituency	Candidate Name	Party	Vote margin
Indore-2	Ramesh Mendola	BJP	107,047
Govindpura	Krishna Gaur	BJP	106,668
budhni	Shivraj Singh Chouhan	BJP	104,974
Peace	Rameshwar Sharma	BJP	97,910
Rehli	Gopal Bhargava	BJP	72,800
Indore-4	Malini Laxmansingh Gaur	BJP	69,837
Alot	Dr Chintamani Malviya	BJP	68,884
Sanwer	Tulsiram Silawat	BJP	68,854
Guna	Panna Lal Shakya	BJP	66,454
Ratlam City	Chetanya Kashyap ‘Bhaiyyaji’	BJP	60,708

The BJP did well in these elections. The saffron party has comfortably crossed the halfway mark (115) even as the counting of votes is still underway.
According to the Election Commission, they won 137 seats out of 230 and were leading in 30 more. Meanwhile, the Congress won 44 seats and was leading in 20 more. This shows that the BJP is strong in Madhya Pradesh politics.
In the 2018 assembly elections, the Congress won 114 seats to form a government, while the BJP was restricted to 109.

MP Exit Poll 2023: Chanakya projects BJP sweep with 151 seats on 230 seats, Congress: 74, Others: 5

The Bharatiya Janata Party won the assembly elections in 2003 under Uma Bharti. The party scored victories in subsequent contests in 2008 and 2013 but lost to Congress in 2018. The BJP remained out of power from December 2018 to March 2020 when Congress leader Kamal Nath became chief minister.
However, the saffron party returned to power in March 2020 under Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who became the chief minister for the first time in 2005. He went on to become the longest-serving chief minister in the state.

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Assembly election results 2023 visualised in 10 charts | India News

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday significantly strengthened its political dominance in the Hindi heartland by securing victories in the assembly elections of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh.
The Congress failed to retain power in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh but achieved success by ousting the ruling party, BRS, from Telangana.
The outcome of these elections, with a notable 3-1 score in favor of the BJP, has not only solidified its position in the regional politics but has also set the stage for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The electoral triumphs in these key states not only reflect the political landscape in the Hindi heartland but also serve as a barometer for the prevailing political mood in the nation. The results underscore the BJP’s continued influence and the potential impact it may have on the larger political scenario as the country gears up for the next parliamentary elections in 2024.
How the political map looks now
With the latest elections results, the BJP is now in power in 12 states on its own, while the number of states ruled by the Congress has come down to 3 after the party’s electoral defeats in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.
The states ruled by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will now account for almost half of the 543 Lok Sabha seats, while only two states, accounting for less than 50 Lok Sabha seats, are now governed by parties not aligned with either the NDA or Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA). The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), with its governments in Delhi and Punjab, is the third-biggest national party now.

The BJP is now in power in Uttarakhand, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Goa, Assam, Tripura, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.
Besides, the saffron party is also part of the ruling coalition in four states: Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Sikkim.
The Congress will now be in power in only three states on its own — Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh and Telangana.

The grand old party is also part of the ruling coalitions in Bihar and Jharkhand and an ally of the DMK, which is in power in Tamil Nadu. However, the Congress is not part of the Tamil Nadu government.
Sunday’s poll results also consolidated the AAP’s position as a major political party, making it the second-biggest opposition party with governments in two states (Punjab and Delhi).
Modi magic charms again
As votes were counted for elections to the four assemblies, the leads and wins threw up a BJP-dominated electoral picture with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s imprint writ large.

While the saffron party retained Madhya Pradesh with a decisive win, it wrested Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh from the Congress.
The Congress lost those two states but won Telangana from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), the upset in the southern state giving the grand old party at least something to celebrate and the K Chandrashekhar Rao-led BRS outfit, hoping for a hat-trick, food for thought and introspection.
Interestingly, it is not clear who will be the BJP’s chief minister in any of the three heartland states.

“The election results show people accept Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s guarantee of delivering on guarantees,” Union minister Pralhad Joshi said.
Joshi, who was BJP’s election-in-charge for Rajasthan, also took a dig at the Congress and the promises it made in the run up to the elections. “People have blessed BJP in three states, endorsed Prime Minister Modi’s leadership and rejected Congress’ false promises,” Joshi said.

For the Congress, looking for political revival, and the BRS, it was time to take stock ahead of the general elections just six months away.
“Congress’ performance in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan assembly polls disappointing,” said party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, adding that it will overcome temporary setbacks and prepare fully for Lok Sabha polls along with its partners in the INDIA alliance.

BJP’s resounding win in Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh rang the victory bell loud for the BJP by giving it another term in power with the party winning 164 seats out of 230, well over the halfway mark, and the Congress winning 65.

“Our PM Modi is in the hearts of the people of Madhya Pradesh. The state is also in the heart of Modi ji,” said four-term chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The BJP has been in power in the state for 18 years.
In Budhni assembly constituency, Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan of BJP defeated Vikram Sharma of Congress by over 1 lakh votes.

Polling in the single-phase elections on November 17 saw an impressive turnout of 77.82%, surpassing the 2018 voting percentage of 75.63%.
Chouhan relied heavily on schemes for women like the ‘Ladli Behna Yojana’ under which Rs1,250 is transferred monthly to eligible women from poor families in the state.
Rajasthan stick to anti-incumbency tradition
In neighbouring Rajasthan, which continued to follow its tradition of alternating regimes every five years, the saffron party won 115 seats, comfortably over the winning number of 100, while the Congress won 69. Voting was held in 199 seats as polling in one was put off due to the death of a candidate.

The Congress, riven by factionalism, was helmed by Ashok Gehlot in the state with his deputy Sachin Pilot the challenger.
On when the name of the new chief minister of Rajasthan will be decided, Joshi said it will happen “very soon and smoothly”.
Taking a swipe at Gehlot, born into a family of magicians, Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said the magic has ended and people have voted for the honour of women and for the welfare of the poor.

“The way we are moving towards a huge majority in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, it is clear that the people trust Modi’s guarantee and has rejected the Congress’ gimmicks (nautanki). Modi magic is the real magic and every other magician has failed,” added BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla.
Chhattisgarh shocks Congress
Chhattisgarh was a surprise for many Congress leaders who were hoping for another stint in power in the state.
The BJP won 54 seats, well past the 46-seat majority mark, while the Congress won 35 seats.

Senior BJP leader Raman Singh told reporters in Raipur that the people had rejected CM Bhupesh Baghel. Echoing his party colleagues, he said the people had demonstrated their faith in PM Modi’s work and guarantees and not in Baghel’s promises.
Ahead of the state assembly elections, held in two phases on November 7 and 17, the Congress party was a divided house in Chhattisgarh but it tried to gloss over the differences by elevating state minister T S Singh Deo, the main challenger to CM Baghel, as the deputy CM in June this year.

The BJP, on the other hand, went into the elections without a clear candidate for the CM’s post.
Congress wins big in Telangana
The proverbial silver lining in the dark cloud for the Congress was Telangana where it snatched power from the BRS.
The Congress won 64 seats, leaving the BRS at 39 seats in the 119-member house.

BRS working president K T Rama Rao congratulated the Congress and said in a post on X, “Grateful to the people of Telangana for giving @BRSparty two consecutive terms of Government. Not saddened over the result today, but surely disappointed as it was not in expected lines for us. But we will take this in our stride as a learning and will bounce back.”

While BRS leaders went into a huddle over reasons for the defeat, the day belonged to party Congress chief Revanth Reddy who could well be the next chief minister.
Counting of votes in Mizoram on December 4
Votes in the fifth state that went to the polls, Mizoram, will be counted on Monday.
Together, the five states have 84 Lok Sabha seats – Madhya Pradesh with 29, Chhattisgarh 11, Rajasthan 25, Telangana 17 and Mizoram two.
Next round of state elections
The next round of assembly polls will be held in 2024. Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh will go to polls next year while the assembly election is also pending in Jammu and Kashmir.
(With inputs from agencies)
Watch State Assembly election 2023: What lessons can political parties learn for 2024?

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Telangana: ECI suspends Telangana DGP for violating Model Code of Conduct

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India has suspended Telangana Director General of Police AnjKumar for violating the Model Code of Conduct, sources said on Sunday.
The Election Commission ordered the suspension of Telangana DGP after the top cop met Telangana Congress president Revanth Reddy at his residence earlier this morning.
The Director General of Police Telangana along with Sanjay JainState Police Nodal Officer, Telangana, Mahesh BhagwatNodal (Expenditure) had met Revanth Reddy.
“The Director General of Police Telangana opted to meet a contesting candidate out of a total of 2290 candidates and the star campaigner of one political party out of 16 political parties in the fray, with a flower bouquet at the residence of the candidate when the counting process still underway, along with two or more senior police officers is a clear indication of mala fide intention of seeking favour,” official sources said.
Sources at the apex poll body said that the Director General of Police is the head of the force of the State Police and is expected to lead the entire police services of the State by setting an example through his personal impartial conduct.
“Any misconduct on the part of DGP Telangana not only sets a wrong precedent but sends incorrect signals to the field formations who are still in the process of conducting elections. Needless to add if subordinate police officers in the field formations start following the footsteps of their seniors to meet candidates abandoning their counting and security-related duties, the consequences can be disastrous of unimaginable proportions,” EC sources added.
Meanwhile, EC has also sought an explanation from other two officials, State Police Nodal Officer Sanjay Kumar Jain and Nodal Officer (Expenditure) Mahesh M. Bhagwat about the circumstances under which they have met with Revanth Reddy.
“The next senior most eligible Police Officer of the State will be immediately given charge of Director General of Police Telangana,” EC said. (ANI)

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Maldives Talks: New Delhi, Male in talks for keeping Indian military platforms in Maldives: Sources | India News

NEW DELHI: India and the Maldives are in discussions for keeping the Indian military platformsin the island nation and a core group that both sides agreed to set up will look at the details relating to it, official sources said on Sunday. Earlier in the day, Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu reportedly told journalists that New Delhi has agreed to withdraw its military personnel from his country.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Muizzu held talks on the sidelines of the Cop28 Summit in Dubai on Friday and it is understood that the issue had figured in the meeting.
“The issue was briefly discussed in Dubai,” said a source.
Following the meeting between Modi and Muizzu, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that the two leaders also discussed ways to further deepen bilateral partnership, adding: “In this regard, they agreed to set up a core group.”
The sources said the Maldivian side has acknowledged the utility of the Indian military platforms.
“The fact that it is an important segment of our bilateral development partnership is recognised by both sides,” the source said.
“Discussions on how to keep them operational are ongoing. The core group that both sides have agreed to set up will look at details of how to take this forward,” the source said.
The sources said the continued usefulness of the Indian platforms as it was recognised in discussions needs to be looked at in a proper perspective.
The Maldives is one of India’s key maritime neighbours in the Indian Ocean Region and the overall bilateral ties, including in areas of defence and security, witnessed an upward trajectory under the previous government in Male.
Muizzu, who is widely seen as a pro-China leader, was sworn in as the new Maldivian President on November 17.
A day after taking charge of the top office, he called for the withdrawal of Indian military personnel from the Maldives.
Muizzu has maintained that he will keep his election promise of evicting Indian military personnel from his country.

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