Voting for single-phase Maharashtra assembly election begins
Voting began at 7 am on Wednesday for the single-phase Maharashtra assembly elections and will conclude at 6 pm. Polling is taking place across 288 assembly constituencies.
The Congress has once again played the tribal card in Madhya Pradesh and appointed senior tribal leader Kantilal Bhuria the chairman of the Election Campaign Committee for the upcoming crucial assembly polls at the end of this year.
All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary K C Venugopal today issued the letter stating the names of more than 30 leaders in the campaign committee. As per the letter, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has approved the proposal for the constitution of the campaign committee for MP.
Former MP Congress President Kamal Nath, Rajya Sabha member Digvijaya Singh, State Assembly leader of opposition Dr Govind Singh, former ministers Kamleshwar Patel and Sukhdeo Panse, former assembly Deputy Speaker and Tribal leader Heena Kanwre and other senior leaders are members of the committee.
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The Scheduled Tribes (ST) account for more than 21 per cent population of Madhya Pradesh. Out of the state’s 230 assembly seats, 46 seats are reserved for STs. In the 2018 assembly polls, the Congress succeeded in winning 30 while the BJP managed victory only on 16 seats. The Congress had gone on to form the government in MP.
The situation in the previous polls in 2013 was the opposite when the BJP won 31 and the Congress got 15 of the ST reserved seats, with the BJP forming the government. Around 46 communities are recognized as Scheduled Tribes in Madhya Pradesh, which has one of the largest tribal populations in India.
The Bhils constitute about 40 per cent of the tribal population followed by the Gonds at 34 per cent of the ST population in MP. There are six districts in the state classified as ‘fully tribal’ and 15 districts are termed ‘partially tribal’ in MP, which has 52 districts.
The Congress also announced its election committee for MP today. State Congress President Kamal Nath is the Convener of the committee. Senior leaders Digvijaya Singh, Dr Govind Singh, Kantilal Bhuria and other leaders are part of the 20-member committee.
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