Chhattisgarh Election Results: Counting of votes underway for assembly elections

Counting of votes in elections to the 90-member Chhattisgarh assembly got underway Sunday morning, with security personnel maintaining a strict vigil in counting centres in the state’s 33 districts, including those affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE), a poll official said.

The elections were held in two phases on November 7 and 17. Voter turnout stood at 76.31 per cent, which was slightly lower than the 76.88 per cent recorded in the 2018 polls.

“Counting of votes for all the 90 seats started at 8 am in 33 district headquarters. A three-layer security mechanism is in place at each counting centre,” Chhattisgarh Chief Electoral Officer Reena Kangale said.

The Congress party aims to retain power in the state in the state. However, the BJP has deployed various strategies, including leveraging the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an attempt to stage a comeback. Although the likely contenders for the Chief Minister position from Congress and BJP are Bhupesh Baghel and Raman Singh, respectively, official announcements from either party are yet to be made.

Key candidates in Chhattisgarh include Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, contesting from his hometown Patan; former Chief Minister Raman Singh, running from Rajnandgaon; Deputy Chief Minister TS Singh Deo, in the fray from Ambikapur; and BJP’s Vijay Baghel, challenging Bhupesh Baghel in Patan. In December 2018, the state witnessed the election of its first non-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in 15 years.

The Congress secured 68 seats in the 90-member assembly, while the BJP, which had been in power since the first assembly election in December 2003 under Raman Singh’s leadership, was reduced to just 15 seats.

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Madhya Pradesh: Congress candidate offers earnest prayers at Ujjain's Mahakaleshwar Temple with hours left to counting

With barely a few hours left before the counting of votes begins for four states, Congress candidate from Nagda Khachrod constituency, Dilip Gurjar, was at the divine door on Sunday morning, offering earnest prayers to the Almighty at the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple in the Ujjain district.

A visual from his temple run showed the Congress candidate praying with his eyes closed and hands folded as he sat facing Mahakal (Lord Shiva). Likewise, leaders from across four states also headed to the nearest shrines as their fates lay locked in strong rooms.

In Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan visited several religious sites in the run-up to the results. On the eve of counting day, Chouhan, on Saturday, took out time to water some plants in Bhopal.

BJP leader Vasundhara Raje on Saturday visited the Moti Doongri temple in Jaipur and the Mehandipur Balaji temple in Dausa, as has been her tradition ahead of important days. All eyes are on the outcome of the fiercely contested electoral battles in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Telangana, which have been dubbed the semi-finals ahead of the Lok Sabha elections next year. The counting of votes in the four states will start today at 8 am and the Election Commission has ensured that all arrangements are in place for the D-day.

Mizoram, which also went to polls along with the other four states last month, will have to wait till December 4 for the results as the Election Commission has extended counting in the state by a day.

The polling in five states, straddling the north, east and southern parts of the country, is tipped to set the course of the political headwinds going into the Lok Sabha elections next year. Confirming the rescheduling of counting in the tiny Northeast state earlier, the poll panel the decision was taken following representations from civil society in the state, as Sunday holds a special significance for the people in the Christian-majority state.

The votes will be counted for 230 seats in Madhya Pradesh, 90 seats in Chhattisgarh, 119 in Telangana and 199 seats in Rajasthan. The polls, held months before the Lok Sabha polls, are crucial for BJP and Congress for various reasons.

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Assembly Elections 2023 Results LIVE: Stage set for counting in Rajasthan, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, MP

05:59 (IST)

Madhya Pradesh Election 2023 Results LIVE

Which direction did Madhya Pradesh take in 2018?

The Congress emerged as the largest party in Madhya Pradesh following a close race with the incumbent BJP, capturing 114 seats in the 230-member House.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the incumbent three-time chief minister, admitted defeat and resigned after the BJP won only 109 seats.

Chouhan, however, returned to power in March 2020, following the fall of the Kamal Nath government due to a mutiny led by then-Senior Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia.

05:57 (IST)

Chhattisgarh Election 2023 Results LIVE

In 2018, how did Chhattisgarh voters vote?

In Chhattisgarh, the Congress surged to power with an absolute majority after 15 years, gaining 68 of 90 seats and defeating the BJP, which was reduced to 15.

Then-Chief Minister Raman Singh resigned, accepting moral responsibility for the BJP's defeat.

05:56 (IST)

Rajasthan Elections 2023 Results LIVE

Who last won the Rajasthan elections?

The Congress defeated the BJP in Rajasthan as well, creating a government with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

The Congress took power from the reigning BJP and became the single largest party with 100 seats, falling one seat short of a majority.

The Bharatiya Janata Party gained 73 seats, a significant decrease from its absolute majority of 163 seats in the 2013 election. Ashok Gehlot, one of the frontrunners along with Sachin Pilot, was appointed Chief Minister by then-Congress President Rahul Gandhi.

05:54 (IST)

Assembly Elections 2023 Results LIVE

Why is everyone focused on the election results?

Both the BJP and the Congress had framed issues in light of the upcoming general elections.

The BJP, which won Gujarat and Tripura last year but lost in Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh, needs victories to generate momentum in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections.

The Congress, on the other hand, is keen to win a couple of states in order to gain an advantage in seat-sharing talks with INDIA bloc partners.

05:52 (IST)

Assembly Elections 2023 Results LIVE

Stage set for counting in Rajasthan, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, MP

Votes will be counted in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana for assembly elections.

The elections are an important precursor to the Lok Sabha elections next year.

The counting of votes in all four states will begin today at 8 a.m., with postal ballots being counted first, followed by votes from Electronic Voting Machines.

Votes will be counted in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana for assembly elections.

The elections are an important precursor to the Lok Sabha elections next year.

While elections were held in a single phase in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana, elections in Chhattisgarh were held in two phases.

The counting of votes in all four states will begin today at 8 a.m., with postal ballots being counted first, followed by votes from Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

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Tremors felt in parts of Bengal after 5.6 magnitude quake hits Bangladesh

Tremors were felt in various parts of West Bengal as an earthquake of 5.6 magnitude hit neighbouring Bangladesh on Saturday morning.

According to the National Center for Seismology, the earthquake took place in south-eastern Bangladesh at a depth of 55 km at 9.05 am.

“Earthquake of Magnitude: 5.6, Occurred on 02-12-2023, 09:05:31 IST, Lat: 23.15 & Long: 90.89, Depth: 55 Km, Location: Bangladesh, India,” the NCS said on X.

Earthquake of Magnitude:5.6, Occurred on 02-12-2023, 09:05:31 IST, Lat: 23.15 & Long: 90.89, Depth: 55 Km ,Location: Bangladesh, India for more information Download the BhooKamp App https://t.co/Sv8aV8laX2@Indiametdept @Dr_Mishra1966 @KirenRijiju @ndmaindia @Ravi_MoES pic.twitter.com/GuwGe69u3x

— National Center for Seismology (@NCS_Earthquake) December 2, 2023

The West Bengal Disaster Management Department said that as of now, no damage has been reported from anywhere in the state.

“We are yet to get the final report. As of now, there is no report of any damage due to the quake,” an official told PTI.

Officials of the Kolkata Police and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation also said no damage to life or property was reported from the eastern metropolitan city.

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Tamil Nadu on high alert as Cyclone Michaung intensifies over Bay of Bengal

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning as Cyclone Michaung gains strength over the Bay of Bengal and the South Andaman Sea. With the potential to intensify, the tropical cyclone is expected to make landfall in and around Tamil Nadu on December 4, prompting concerns and precautionary measures across southern India.

IMD Alert

An ‘Orange’ alert has been sounded for Tamil Nadu and coastal and interior Andhra Pradesh, indicating the likelihood of moderate to heavy rainfall as the cyclone intensifies.

Weather Forecast

IMD’s forecast suggests isolated heavy rainfall over north coastal Tamil Nadu between December 2 and December 4. The persisting extreme weather has led to incidents of waterlogging in Chennai and damage to public property.

#WATCH | Andhra Pradesh: MD, Visakhapatnam Cyclone Warning Centre, Sunanda says, “The low-pressure area has now after observation intensified into a depression near southeast and adjoining areas neighbourhood. So in the next 24 hours, it is further intensified into a deep… pic.twitter.com/NIFZTue79p

— ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2023

Meteorological Observations

The well-marked low-pressure area over the Southeast Bay of Bengal has transformed into a depression, with further intensification expected. IMD predicts the system will evolve into a Cyclonic Storm over the Southwest Bay of Bengal by December 3.

Impact on Water Reservoirs

In response to the low pressure system, the government has taken proactive measures, releasing 402 cubic feet of water from Chembarambakkam Lake in Kanchipuram district on December 1. This move aims to manage water levels and prevent potential flooding.

Projected path of Cyclone Michaung

Cyclone Michaung is projected to move north-westwards, crossing South Andhra Pradesh and adjoining North Tamil Nadu coast between Chennai and Machilipatnam around the evening of December 4. Residents and authorities are to closely monitor updates as the cyclone’s path evolves.

Safety measures for fishermen

Authorities have issued advisories to fishermen in coastal areas, urging them to suspend activities in the sea for safety reasons.

Government preparedness

In light of the approaching cyclone, the government has initiated pre-emptive actions, including water release from reservoirs and the issuance of alerts.

Depression over SE and adjoining SW BoB moved W-NW and lay centered at 1730 hrs IST of 01 Dec about 680 km E-SE of Puducherry, 680 km E-SE of Chennai, 790 km SE of Nellore. Likely to move W-NW and intensify into DD by 2 Dec and further into CS over SW BoB around 3 Dec. pic.twitter.com/jAOV5tZuz4

— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) December 1, 2023

Public Safety measures

Residents are advised to stay informed through official channels, follow safety guidelines, and cooperate with authorities.

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Solar wind particle experiment payload onboard Aditya-L1 starts operations, says ISRO

The Aditya Solar Wind Particle Experiment payload onboard India’s Aditya-L1 satellite has commenced its operations and is performing normally, ISRO said on Saturday.

Aditya-L1 Mission:

The Solar Wind Ion Spectrometer (SWIS), the second instrument in the Aditya Solar wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX) payload is operational.

The histogram illustrates the energy variations in proton and alpha particle counts captured by SWIS over 2-days.… pic.twitter.com/I5BRBgeYY5

— ISRO (@isro) December 2, 2023

Aditya L1, India’s first space-based mission to study the Sun, was successfully launched on September 2 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota. Aditya-L1 is the first Indian space-based observatory to study the Sun from a halo orbit around the first Sun-earth Lagrangian point (L1), which is located roughly 1.5 million km from Earth.

In a statement, ISRO said the Aditya Solar Wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX) comprises two cutting-edge instruments ‘the Solar Wind Ion Spectrometer (SWIS) and the SupraThermal and Energetic Particle Spectrometer (STEPS). The STEPS instrument was operational on September 10, 2023. The SWIS instrument was activated on November 2, 2023, and has exhibited optimal performance.

“SWIS, utilising two sensor units with a remarkable 360 field of view each, operates in planes perpendicular to one another,” the statement read.

According to ISRO, the instrument has successfully measured solar wind ions, primarily protons and alpha particles. A sample energy histogram acquired from one of the sensors over two days in November 2023 illustrates variations in proton and alpha particle (doubly ionized helium, He2+) counts, the agency said.

“These variations were recorded with nominal integration time, providing a comprehensive snapshot of solar wind behaviour,” ISRO said. The directional capabilities of SWIS enable precise measurements of solar wind protons and alphas, contributing significantly to addressing longstanding questions about solar wind properties, underlying processes, and their impact on Earth, the space agency explained.

“The change in the proton and alpha particle number ratio, as observed by SWIS, holds the potential to provide indirect information about the arrival of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) at the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point L1,” ISRO said.

The enhanced alpha-to-proton ratio is often regarded as one of the sensitive markers of the passage of interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) at the L1 and hence considered crucial for space weather studies.

What is the Aditya-L1 mission?

The Aditya-L1 is an ‘observatory’ or spacecraft that will monitor the Sun 24×7. This will be the first time that India will put a spacecraft on a Lagrange point – a position in space where, as per NASA, “the gravitational forces of a two-body system like the Sun and Earth produce enhanced regions of attraction and repulsion”.

There are five Lagrange points in the Sun-Earth system; India’s solar mission will be placed in a halo orbit around Lagrange point 1, or L1, which is about 1.5 million km from the Earth, according to ISRO.

L1, Aditya’s parking spot, has been housing Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, a project by America’s NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) since 1996, reported Space.com.

The Aditya-L1 mission will carry seven payloads, out of which four will directly observe the Sun. These seven payloads or scientific instruments include Visible Emission Line Coronagraph(VELC), Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT), Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS), High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS), Aditya Solar wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX), Plasma Analyser Package For Aditya (PAPA) and Advanced Tri-axial High Resolution Digital Magnetometers.

These instruments will study the photosphere or the Sun’s visible surface; the layer above the photosphere known as the chromosphere; and the corona – the outermost part of the Sun’s atmosphere.

Objectives of Aditya-L1 mission

As per ISRO, the spacecraft will examine the dynamics of the chromosphere and corona; in-situ particle and plasma environment; the heating mechanism of the corona; magnetic field topology and magnetic field measurements in corona; temperature, velocity and density of coronal and coronal loops plasma; and development, dynamics and origin of coronal mass ejections (CMEs).

It will also study chromospheric and coronal heating, space weather, the physics of the partially ionized plasma, what leads to solar eruptive events, and how CMEs and solar flares start.

Why is studying the Sun important?

Before that, here are some facts about the centre of our solar system. The Sun, which sustains most life on Earth, is a 4.5 billion-year-old star. Located 150 million kilometres away from the Earth, the Sun’s gravity holds the solar system together. Unlike Earth, the Sun’s surface is not solid but made of “super-hot, electrically charged gas called plasma”, noted NASA.

According to the US Space Agency, “The Sun’s activity, from its powerful eruptions to the steady stream of charged particles it sends out, influences the nature of space throughout the solar system.”

The solar activity constitutes solar flares, CMEs or huge plasma clouds, high-speed solar wind, and solar energetic particles.

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Ethics panel to submit report on cash-for-query case against Mahua Moitra on first day of Parliament's Winter Session

The Biden administration “has bent backwards to avoid a public spat with Delhi,” according to Ashley Tellis, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, but U.S. officials would be troubled by the issues of sovereignty involved in an attack on a citizen of the United States.

“I think the bilateral relationship will survive this fiasco,” he stated. “But it will reinforce the qualms of many who believe that the claims about shared values between the U.S. and India are simply mythology.”

By a vote of 6:4, the report was approved. The report was supported by Preneet Kaur, the wife of former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, who is currently with the BJP, according to panel chairman Vinod Sonkar.
In a letter, Dubey had accused Speaker Om Birla of the Lok Sabha of pressuring Moitra to attack the Adani Group at the request of businessman Darshan Hiranandani in exchange for gifts. Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai, he said, had given him evidence of purported bribes. The Lok Sabha Ethics Committee had heard testimony from Dehadrai and the BJP MP.

According to the sources, Moitra visited the United Arab Emirates four times between 2019 and 2023, according to the preliminary report on her cash-for-questions case.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Information Technology (IT) had provided detailed records on IP address and location, which the Ethics Committee had requested.
The committee also wanted to hear from MHA regarding the risks associated with exchanging login information, with a focus on the legal ramifications under Section IT ACT 2000.

According to what is known, the draught report recommended that Mahua Moitra face harsh punishment for his serious misdemeanours.

“The Committee, therefore, recommends that Mahua Moitra, MP may be expelled from the Membership of the Seventeenth Lok Sabha. In view of the highly objectionable, unethical, heinous and criminal conduct of Mahua Moitra, the Committee recommend for an intense, legal, institutional inquiry by the Government of India in a time-bound manner,” the report is learnt to have said.

Opposition MPs gave dissent notes on the draft report. “One common ground for all the opposition MPs to submit a dissent note is that the enquiry is not fair. They have said that Darshan Hiranandani should have been summoned by the committee to ensure a free and fair enquiry in all respects,” a source said.

Moitra, in a post on X on November 10, had said she was being “unethically expelled”.

“Proud to go down in parliamentary history as 1st person to be unethically expelled by Ethics Comm whose mandate doesn’t include explusion. 1st expel & THEN ask govt to ask CBI to find evidence. Kangaroo court, monkey business from start to finish,” she said.

The Central Bureau of Investigation has also initiated an investigation against Moitra to look into ‘quid pro quo’ allegations of raising questions in Parliament, sources said.

In this regard, a senior CBI official said that no Preliminary Enquiry (PE) has been registered, However, an investigation has been initiated as the matter was referred by the anti-corruption body Lokpal.

The winter session of Parliament will conclude on December 22.

(With agency inputs)

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