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Exit polls on Thursday gave varied predictions in the poll-bound states, giving advantage to BJP in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, a clear edge to Congress in Chhattisgarh and Telangana and that the ruling MNF was ahead in power sweepstakes in Mizoram. While the <keyword id="609507" type="General" weightage="70" keywordseo="exit-poll" source="Orion">exit poll</keyword>s were almost unanimous in giving an edge to Congress in Telangana, where polling concluded on Thursday, a few predicted a close call in Rajasthan with Congress too in the lead and an exit poll gave a little edge to the party in Madhya Pradesh too. A poll predicted that Zoram People's Movement will win decisively in Mizoram. The outcome of exit polls was released after the conclusion of polls in Telangana. If Congress is able to retain Rajasthan along with Chhattisgarh and oust the ruling BRS from Telangana, it will be a major morale-booster for the party. Five states went to the polls this month with counting slated for December 3. The polling in five states that are in northern, eastern and southern parts of the country, came months before the next Lok Sabha polls. Exit polls predicted that Congress is poised to form government in Telangana and that the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) would fall short of the majority after its 10-year rule in India's youngest state. The polling for the 119-member Telangana assembly was held on Thursday. The Times Now-ETG exit poll gave 38 per cent vote share to BRS, 43 per cent to Congress and 13 per cent to others in Telangana. It said the ruling party in the state is poised to win 37-45 seats, Congress 60-70 seats, BJP 6-8 and others 5-7 seats. Republic TV exit poll gave Congress 58-69 seats and the BRS 46-56 seats. It said BJP could win 4 to 9 seats and others 5 to 8 seats. The poll predicted a 41.60 per cent vote share for BRS, 43.30 per cent for Congress, 10.80 per cent for BJP and 4.30 for others. The India TV-CNX exit poll predicted 63-79 seats for the Congress, 31-47 for the BRS, 0-2 for the BJP and 5-7 for others. According to Jan ki Baat poll, Congress is poised to win 48 to 64 seats in Telangana. It said BRS could win 40 to 55 seats and BJP 7 to 13 seats. Telangana recorded a voter turnout of 70.28 per cent. The exit polls said that two regional players in Mizoram - MNF and ZPM - are in the race to form government in Mizoram with most predictions stating that the ruling party led by Chief Minister Zoramthanga has an advantage in the northeastern state while there is also a possibility of a hung assembly. Mizoram went to the polls on November 7 for its 40-member assembly. The ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) faced a challenge from the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM), Congress and BJP. According to India Today-Axis My India poll predictions for Mizoram, the Zoram People's Movement is poised for a massive victory in Mizoram and could win 28-35 seats. It said the ruling MNF is expected to win 3 to 7 seats. MNF, the poll said, will get 27 per cent votes and ZPM 49 per cent votes. Congress is poised to get 20 per cent votes, the exit poll said. Times Now-ETG poll gave 14-18 seats to MNF with 32.20 per cent vote share, 10-14 to ZPM with 29.30 per cent votes and said that Congress is expected to get 9-13 seats with 27.80 per cent vote share. Jan Ki Baat poll gave 10-14 seats to MNF with a vote share of 22 per cent, 15-25 seats to ZPM with a vote share of 40 per cent and predicted that Congress will get 30 per cent votes and 5-9 seats. India TV-CNX poll predicted 14-18 seats for MNF and 12-16 seats for ZPM. It said Congress is expected to get 7-10 seats.' Republic TV gave a 32.60 per cent vote share to the MNF, 14.60 per cent to ZPM and 31.20 per cent to Congress. It gave 17-22 seats to MNF, 7-12 to ZPM, Congress to get 7-10 seats and one seat to BJP. P-Marq poll said that MNF will win 14-20 seats, ZPM 9-15 seats, Congress 7-13 seats and others 0-2 seats. In Madhya Pradesh, most exit polls said that BJP has a clear advantage as they predicted Congress falling short in its poll effort in the state where it was expecting to gain from "anti-incumbency" against the government. Most exit polls predicted that the BJP, which has ruled the state for almost 18 of the past 20 years, is set for another term in office with a huge majority. An exit poll gave advantage to the Congress and another predicted that the two parties were on an equal footing. Madhya Pradesh went to the polls on November 17 for its 230 seats and the counting of votes along with that in four other states will take place on December 3. According to India Today-Axis My India prediction, the BJP will retain power in Madhya Pradesh by bagging 47 per cent vote share and 140-162 seats. It said Congress is likely to get 60-90 seats with a 41 per cent vote share. Others are expected to get 12 per cent votes and 0-3 seats. According to the India TV-CNX poll, BJP is poised to get 48 per cent votes, Congress 38 per cent and others 16 per cent. The poll predicted 140-159 seats for BJP, 70-89 seats for Congress and 0-2 for others. The Times Now-ETG gave 43.83 per cent vote share to BJP, 42.23 per cent to Congress and 13.94 per cent to others. It said the ruling party in the state is poised to win 105-117 seats, Congress 109-125 seats and others 1-5 seats. Republic TV gave a 43.4 per cent vote share to the BJP, 41.7 per cent to Congress and 14.9 per cent to others. It gave 118-130 seats to BJP, 97-107 to Congress and 0-2 polls for others. The poll done by Today's Chanakya predicted Congress getting 74-86 seats in Madhya Pradesh with 38 per cent vote share and BJP getting 151-163 seats with 45 per cent vote share. It said others are likely to have 17 per cent vote share and 5-9 seats. In Rajsathan, exit polls reinforced the perception of a hard contest with differences in their prediction of the winner in the crucial Hindi heartland state that has a nearly three-decade tradition of not repeating an incumbent government. The exit poll predictions showed that "others" including smaller parties and independents could play a crucial role in the formation of the government when the results are announced on December 3. Rajasthan went to the polls on 199 of 200 assembly seats on November 25. The Congress government in the state led by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot unleashed a series of populist schemes closer to the assembly election to ward off the challenge from the BJP. According to India Today-Axis My India poll, Congress is poised to get 86-106 seats in Rajasthan with 42 per cent votes and BJP 80-100 seats with 41 per cent vote support. Others are poised to seven per cent votes and 9-18 seats. India TV-CNX poll predicted 94-104 seats for Congress with 43 per cent votes and 80-90 seats for BJP with 42 per cent vote share. It said 'others' are expected to get 15 per cent votes and 14-18 seats. Times Now-ETG poll gave 56-72 seats to Congress with 38.98 per cent vote share, 108-128 to BJP with 41.88 per cent votes and others expected to get 13-21 seats with a sizeable 19.14 per cent vote share.' The Jan Ki Baat poll gave 100-122 seats to BJP with vote share of 44 per cent, 62-85 seats to Congress with a vote share of 41 per cent and predicted that others will get 15 per cent votes and 14-15 seats. The P-Marq poll said BJP will win 105-125 seats in Rajasthan with 42.2 per cent vote share and Congress 69-81 seats with 39.7 per cent votes. It said others are poised to get 5-15 seats with 18.1 per cent vote, it said. In Chhattisgarh, exit polls gave Congress a clear edge, showing that the ruling party in the state is poised to return to power with the BJP also expected to put up a good contest unlike in the 2018 polls. While three polls predicted a clear victory of Congress in the state, others said that the party was in the winning range. The Congress fought the election with Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel at the helm. According to ABP C-Voter predictions, Congress is poised to win 41-53 seats in the state which has a 90-member assembly. The exit poll said BJP is poised to get 36-48 seats and others 0-4 seats. The India Today-Axis My India poll predicted Congress getting 40-50 seats, BJP 36-46 seats and others getting 1-5 seats. The Republic TV exit poll gave Congress 44-52 seats, BJP 34-42 seats and 0-2 polls for others. India TV-CNX poll predicted 46- 56 seats for Congress, 30-40 seats for BJP and 3-5 for others. The numbers for Congress and BJP in the Jan Ki Baat exit poll were 42-53 and 34-45 respectively and it predicted 0-3 seats for others. The P-Marq poll said Congress is poised to win 46-54 seats with 44.6 per cent vote, BJP 35-42 seats with 42.9 per cent vote and others will get 0-2 seats with 12.5 per cent votes. The poll done by Today's Chanakya predicted that Congress will get 57-66 seats in Chhattisgarh with BJP getting 33-42 seats with 0-3 seats going to the others. Counting in four other states that went to the polls this month will also take place on December 3. The polls, held months before the Lok Sabha polls, are crucial for BJP and Congress for various reasons.

Exit polls predict BJP advantage in MP, Rajasthan, Congress win in Chhattisgarh, Telangana and tight contest in Mizoram

New Delhi, The <keyword id="40807" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="election-commission" source="Orion">Election Commission</keyword> on Wednesday changed the date of polling for the Rajasthan assembly elections from November 23 to November 25 citing "large-scale" weddings and social engagements. In a statement, the EC said the decision was taken following representations made by various parties and social organisations for a change of the date of poll "considering large-scale wedding/social engagements on that day (November 23) which may cause inconvenience to large number of people, various logistic issues and may lead to reduced voters participation during poll". "The Commission, having considered these factors and representations, has decided to change the date of poll from 23rd November, 2023 (Thursday) to 25th November, 2023 (Saturday)," it added. The counting of votes will take place as scheduled on December 3, along with the same for four other state assembly polls. The poll panel announced the assembly poll schedule for <keyword id="13051407" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rajasthan-madhya-pradesh" source="Orion">Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh</keyword>, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram on Monday.

Weddings over elections: Rajasthan polling date pushed to November 25

New Delhi, People have reposed their faith in "<keyword id="19699064" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="modis-guarantees" source="Orion">Modi's guarantees</keyword>," BJP leaders chimed together on Sunday as the party appeared set on the path of victory in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh assembly elections. "The election results show people accept Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guarantee of delivering on guarantees," BJP leader and Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said here. Joshi, who was BJP's election-in-charge for Rajasthan, took a dig at the Congress and 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. Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and BJP leader Raman Singh said in Raipur,"People have reposed their trust in Modi's guarantees." Singh said the people have voted in the name of Modi and for his work over the past nine-and-half years. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan -- who is looking at his fifth term -- gave Modi's aggressive campaign ahead of the assembly election the credit for the party's performance. "Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji is in the hearts of the people of Madhya Pradesh. The state is also in the heart of Modi ji. There is immense faith towards him. He held public meetings here and appealed to the people which has touched the people's hearts," Chouhan said in Bhopal. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje said it was Modi's belief in taking everyone together that worked for the party. "This victory is of the mantra of 'Sabka saath, sabka vishwas and sabka prayaas' given by Prime Minister Modi. It is the victory of the guarantee given by the Prime Minister. It is also the victory of the strategy given by Amit Shah and the able leadership provided by Nadda ji," she said. "Most importantly, it is a victory for our party workers," Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath hailed the party's victory as a result of guidance of PM Modi. "Under the leadership and guidance of respected Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji, BJP's hattrick of huge majority in terms election results in three of the four states, is a 'guarantee of people's trust' on the 'guarantee of Modi,'" he wrote on X. Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said the victory was an indicator of what is to come in 2024. "The Ghamandiya alliance's arrogance has been shattered. The INDI alliance has neither leaders, nor policy... For 2024, the indication is clear, the world has faith in India and India's leadership. If India progresses, the world will progress," Thakur said. In Chhattisgarh, the BJP manifesto -- 'Modi ki Guarantee 2023' -- promised cooking gas cylinders at Rs 500 to poor families, one lakh government jobs, and a Rs 12,000 annual financial assistance to married women. The BJP had also promised to procure paddy at Rs 3,100 per quintal and an annual assistance of Rs 10,000 to land less farm labourers. Free food grain, income assistance for farmers, housing for all, 100 per cent electrification of villages, and tap water to every home, were listed by the party as some of Modi's guarantees. "All promises made to you will be fulfilled. This is my guarantee," Modi had said addressing a rally in MP last month. During several of rallies he took a dig at the Congress for its set of promises. "Those who do not have any guarantee about themselves are offering guarantees to the people," Modi had said at a rally in MP. "Modi's guarantees begin from where hope from others ends. That is why Modi's guarantees are popular," the prime minister had said on the campaign trail. In Jaipur, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat took a jibe at Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, saying people have come out of the spell of the "magician." "The 'magic' has ended and Rajasthan has come out of the spell of the magician. People have voted for the honour of women and for the welfare of the poor," he said. Gehlot was born into a family of magicians and assisted his father during his tours. Congress had unleashed the politics of guarantee during Karnataka assembly elections in May, making five distinct promises to the electorate - monthly cash assistance to women head of families, 200 units of free electricity, unemployment allowance to youth, free food grains, and free travel for women on state transport buses. The party tried to replicate the template in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Rajasthan. Modi turned on the heat on the Congress by projecting himself as a leader who has delivered on the promises made by him to help the common man meet his aspirations. "Modi Yaani Har Guarantee Poori Hone Ki Guarantee (Modi means the guarantee to fulfill every guarantee)," the prime minister had said in an article last week. "'Modi Ki Guarantee' denotes Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitment to the aspirations of the common man. It echoes the resolution of his government to serve the last man standing. It allows us to witness a political phenomenon, hitherto missing, where promises carry meaning and are executed meaningfully," he had said. Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief Ravinder Raina said, "Today, the Congress headquarters in MP, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh are wearing a deserted look. The Congress and National Conference will face the same fate during assembly polls in J-K." The race amongst political parties to offer freebies to the voters triggered a debate on burden on the state exchequer.

Victory of Modi's guarantees, say BJP leaders as party sweeps states states

Rajasthan Royals (<keyword id="20231226" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="RR" source="keywords">RR</keyword>) batter <keyword id="20106577" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Riyan-Parag" source="keywords">Riyan Parag</keyword> continues his impressive run in the ongoing Indian Premier League (<keyword id="19906063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="IPL" source="keywords">IPL</keyword>), climbing to number three in the list of uncapped players with the most runs in a single season. In the eliminator clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Parag scored a valuable knock of 36 in 26 balls, with two fours and two sixes. His runs came at a strike rate of 138.46. In the ongoing season, Parag has scored 567 runs at an average of 56.70 and a strike rate of 151.60. He has hit four half-centuries this season, with the best score of 84*. He is the third-highest run-scorer in the season. The most runs by an uncapped batter in a single IPL season was by RR's <keyword id="19904096" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Yashasvi-Jaiswal" source="keywords">Yashasvi Jaiswal</keyword> in the 2023 season, with 625 runs in 14 games at an average of 48.07 and a strike rate of 163.61. A century and five fifties came out of his bat and his best score was 124. At number two is Australian batter Shaun Marsh, who scored 616 runs in 11 matches in the 2008 season, when he was uncapped, at an average of 68.44 and a strike rate of 139.68, with a century and five fifties. His best score was 115. Parag also has the third most runs for the Royals in a single season. The highest runs in a single season by an RR batter was by Jos Buttler in the 2022 season, when he made 863 runs in 17 games at an average of 57.53 and a strike rate of 149.05, with four centuries and four fifties. His best score was 116. Jaiswal is at the second spot with 625 runs in the 2023 season. Parag also has the second-most runs by a batter batting at number four or below in a single IPL season. At the top is Delhi Capitals (DC) skipper <keyword id="19907058" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rishabh-Pant" source="keywords">Rishabh Pant</keyword>, who scored 579 runs in the 2018 season batting in the middle-order. His overall run-tally that season was 684 runs in 14 matches at an average of 52.61, with a strike rate of 173.60. He scored a century and five fifties that season. Also, Pant scored 105 runs in three innings that season batting at number three. Coming to the match, RR won the toss and elected to bowl first. Almost every RCB batter got a start, but they could not convert them into a big knock. Rajat Patidar (34 in 22 balls, with two fours and two sixes), Virat Kohli (33 in 24 balls, with three fours and a six) and Mahipal Lomror (32 in 17 balls, with two fours and two sixes) emerged as top-scorers, taking RCB to 172/8 in their 20 overs. Avesh Khan (3/44) was the top bowler for RR. Ravichandran Ashwin (2/19) and Trent Boult (1/16) also did a fine job putting brakes on the RCB run rate. In the run-chase, the Royals got off to a fine start, with Yashasvi Jaiswal (45 in 30 balls, with eight fours) and Tom Kohler Cadmore (20 in 15 balls, with four boundaries) putting on a 46-run stand. From then on, RCB bowlers applied some pressure on Rajasthan, restricting the run-flow and getting some wickets. RR was restricted to 112/4 in 13.1 overs. However, Riyan Parag (36 in 26 balls, with two fours and two sixes) held one end before he was dismissed while Shimron Hetmyer (26 in 14 balls, with three fours and a six) and Rovman Powell (16* in eight balls, with two fours and a six) attacked RCB in the last few overs to get a four-wicket win with an over left. Mohammed Siraj (2/33) was the top bowler for RCB. Ashwin took home the 'Player of the Match' award. Now, RR will meet Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in qualifier two on May 24 in Chennai to decide who plays Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the final on May 26. 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RR's Riyan Parag continues impressive run; rises in uncapped batter list

The tallies for each constituency are in, and the arithmetic for the next government is being worked out. If the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (<keyword id="19894848" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP" source="keywords">BJP</keyword>) manages to hold onto their alliances, the stage will be set for Modi 3.0. However, if the Congress-led INDIA bloc somehow lures major parties like JD(U) and TDP, they might have a chance, though it is a long shot at the moment. However, with the results out for all 543 constituencies, much has been revealed about the general attitude of the country’s voters. For instance, despite the almost-unshakable belief that the BJP will sweep almost all 80 <keyword id="19894922" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uttar-Pradesh" source="keywords">Uttar Pradesh</keyword> seats — especially after the Ram Mandir inauguration — the party shockingly only managed to win only 33. Some experts speculate that this outcome came from the party failing to address core issues such as employment and economic anxiety, and instead choosing to focus on religious divide to win ballots. Expert institutions, such as Bernstein and Citi Research, have now noted that new spendings may now thus become focused on the poor, women, farmers and rural areas, especially considering how rapidly BJP’s <a href="https://bfsi.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/bias-of-markets-expected-rural-agriculture-to-be-the-new-focus-areas-reports/110728041">vote share has dropped in the rural seats</a>. For context, rural constituencies make up 60% of the total constituencies in India, according to The Economic Times. However, this is not to say that the party has clear favourites among the more developed and richer states either. Many of the richest Indian states have expressed mixed to lukewarm reactions towards BJP this election cycle, and even delivered unexpected shockers. For instance, the NDA lost a lot of ground in Uttar Pradesh, <keyword id="19897316" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Maharashtra" source="keywords">Maharashtra</keyword> and Rajasthan — some states with the biggest economies in the country. As for the current scenario, the party favourite remains mixed. Considering that the country has delayed the National Survey by four years, we have to rely on independent sources to come up with more current state-wide economic statistics. Therefore, as per the India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra), <keyword id="19896017" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Karnataka" source="keywords">Karnataka</keyword>, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat formed the five largest state economies in India in the 2023 Financial Year. Let’s take a look at how India’s wealthiest states voted in <keyword id="20886626" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha-2024" source="keywords">Lok Sabha 2024</keyword>. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Karnataka" comment="subhead" text="Karnataka">Karnataka</cmsannotation> Despite struggles with making headway in the South, the BJP had made a clean sweep in Karnataka, bagging 25 seats in the 2019 general elections. While the BJP-JD(S) alliance has managed to retain a majority in the southern state with 17 seats, <keyword id="19895371" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Congress" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Congress" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Congress">Congress</keyword> made an impressive comeback this year, winning 9 seats compared to the 1 in the last election cycle. JD(S) managed to capture the remaining two seats. As for the four Bengaluru constituencies, BJP managed to cling onto all of them as well, with Tejasvi Surya in Bengaluru South, Shobha Karandlaje in Bengaluru North, P. C. Mohan in Bengaluru Central and C. N. Manjunath in Bengaluru Rural. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Uttar Pradesh" comment="subhead" text="Uttar Pradesh">Uttar Pradesh</cmsannotation> As mentioned earlier, the biggest controversies came out of Uttar Pradesh. Housing prominent figures such as Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the state has been widely considered as a stronghold for the saffron party, who had won a whopping 62 seats in 2019. However, resident voters were determined to take to the booths to voice their dissent this year. Of the 80 UP constituencies — by far the state with the largest number of seats — 37 were won by the Samajwadi Party. Meanwhile, the BJP held onto 33 seats, and the INC 6. The difference is stark: BJP lost 27 of the seats it won in the previous election cycle. Many prominent figures were dethroned this year, including Smriti Irani in Amethi, Union Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra in Kheri and Maneka Gandhi in Sultanpur. However, perhaps the biggest shocker came from the fact that the BJP also lost the Faizabad Lok Sabha seat, which housed the contentious Ram Temple. Awadesh Prasad of the Samajwadi Party will be chairing the constituency for the next five years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, too, contested for the Varanasi seat, beating INC’s Ajay Rai by a margin of 2.5 lakh votes. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Maharashtra" comment="subhead" text="Maharashtra">Maharashtra</cmsannotation> Another of the biggest losses for the BJP also saw a resurgence for Congress in the state with the highest <keyword id="35050" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gdp" source="Orion">GDP</keyword>. While the NDA had clinched 41 out of the 48 seats in the previous 2019 elections, it managed to bag a paltry 9 this time around. While this is a monumental loss for the ruling party, they managed to hold firmly onto most of the coastal Konkan belt. Headed by the Mahayuti alliance, the BJP won 7 of the 12 coastal seats, including in Palghar, Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg and Mumbai North. Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena (UBT) maintained its hold on half of the six Mumbai constituencies. Of the four Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) seats, NCP (SP) won Bhiwandi, Shinde-led Shiv Sena won Thane and Kalyan and BJP won Palghar. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Tamil Nadu" comment="subhead" text="Tamil Nadu">Tamil Nadu</cmsannotation> Of all the economic powerhouses, Tamil Nadu was the only state untouched by the BJP this year. Out of the 39 seats in the state, the MK Stalin-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) came out victorious in 22, the INC won 9, while a coalition of other parties bagged the remaining seats. This was a massive win for the DMK, especially considering the two major opposition parties, the AIADMK and BJP, had come together to contest this year. Considered by many as BJP's most promising candidate, K Annamalai, too lost to DMK’s Ganapathi P Rajkumar in Coimbatore. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Gujarat" comment="subhead" text="Gujarat">Gujarat</cmsannotation> While most of the other states endured major plot-twists, the story has remained almost the same for Narendra Modi’s home state, Gujarat. As per final polls, the BJP won 25 of the total 26 seats in the state, falling short of a full clean sweep due to INC clutching the final one. However, the INC win in the Banaskantha Lok Sabha seat was no small victory, considering this was the first time in a decade that the party had made ground in the western state. Meanwhile, Home Minister Amit Shah contested and won from state capital Gandhinagar by a massive margin of nearly 7.5 lakh votes.

Lok Sabha 2024: How BJP, Congress and other parties have performed in states with largest economies in India

The people have high expectations from the <keyword id="4183143" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="rail-budget" source="Orion">Rail Budget</keyword> as the Union Finance Minister <keyword id="129243" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="nirmala-sitharaman" source="Orion">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> will present her fifth <keyword id="6358021" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="budget" source="Orion">Budget</keyword> on February 1. In its first term, the Modi government the Centre had linked the Rail Budget with the General Budget, under which the money for the <keyword id="6356740" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="railway" source="Orion">Railway</keyword>s is now provided. According to the information, the Centre is going to increase the Railway Budget this time by up to 20 per cent. Earlier, in the pre-Budget meeting, the Railway Board demanded 25-30 per cent more funds in the allocation of the Finance Ministry. In such a situation, the government can give a fund of about Rs 2 trillion to the Ministry of <keyword id="6360676" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="railways" source="Orion">Railways</keyword> in the Budget leading to an atmosphere of enthusiasm in sectors related to the Railways. There have also been various demands from the passengers. This is the last full Budget of the Modi government before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Along with this, before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, elections will be held in 10 states of the country in this year, including big states like Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana and Tripura, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Mizoram in the Northeast. Elections can be held in Jammu and Kashmir this year. In this Railway Budget, the Central government can announce many new railway facilities for passengers. It is believed that this time, the Rail Budget can prove to be an election budget, especially in those states where elections are to be held. This may result in some special announcements from the Centre for these states. However, the Union Ministry of Railways so far has achieved Rs 42,370 crore more revenue as compared to the previous financial year. The Railway's income has increased by 71 per cent, whereas earlier in 2021, there was a loss of Rs 26,338 crore, which led to the government decreasing the concessions provided to the common people. In view of the strong figures of Railways earnings, people from all sections have raised demands to again implement the subsidies, including the one where senior citizens above 60 years of age used to get up to 50 per cent discount before the Covid-19 pandemic, which has now been discontinued. According to the Railways, there is no plan in this Budget to give concession in rail tickets to senior citizens. The Central government will invest mostly in the modernisation of the Railways. Railways have also been focusing on building better domestic infrastructure for manufacturing trains. In this, plans are also being made to reduce foreign dependence. In this Budget, emphasis can be laid on making new Vande Bharat Express trains and Vande Bharat 2.0 with sleeper berth facilities. This train will work like the Rajdhani Express in which passengers will get the facility of sleeper AC coaches. In the Rail Budget 2023, a scheme of Rs 2.70 lakh crore can be announced for 500 Vande Bharat trains, 35 hydrogen trains, 5000 LHB coaches and 58000 wagons. Significantly, during the announcement of the last Rail Budget, the Finance Minister announced the National Rail Plan 2030, under which preparations were made for the development of the Railways. The Centre had talked about investing Rs 1 lakh crore, for the same. By December 2023, 100 per cent electrification of broad gauge railways will be completed. Similarly, a metro rail system is being prepared in two cities of the Tier-2 category and outer parts of Tier-1 category cities, under which Indian Railways will become the world's first 100 per cent green rail service by the end of this year. Along with this, the Centre can announce the adoption of hyperloop technology in the rail budget. In this, pods carrying passengers travel through tubes or tunnels. This technology is faster than bullet trains. Along with this, the government can make announcements regarding infrastructure in this Budget. However, under Vision 2024 projects, in the second half of the decade, multitracking and signalling upgrades of congested routes are targeted, in addition to the commissioning of new dedicated freight corridors and high-speed passenger corridors. The new railway track will be a part of the new vision document of Indian Railways and will be completed in a phased manner. In the next financial year, a target of laying about 4,000 km long lines can be fixed. An announcement to electrify a 7,000 km broad gauge line in the upcoming Budget can also be expected with an allocation of Rs 10,000 crore. With the electrification of a 7,000 km long broad gauge line, the target of electrifying the entire railway network will be achieved. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/govt-may-not-announce-capital-infusion-for-psu-banks-in-budget-2023-24/articleshow/97247553.cms">Govt may not announce capital infusion for PSU banks in Budget 2023-24</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/canara-bank-q3-profit-surges-92-to-2882-crore/articleshow/97245895.cms">Canara Bank Q3 profit surges 92% to ₹2,882 crore</a>

Railway Ministry sets in motion ₹ 2-trillion budgetary push

<ul><li><keyword id="19912128" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="chandra" source="keywords">Chandra</keyword> hit upon the idea to launch a TV channel after he saw big hotels showing CNN via satellite dishes during the Gulf War.</li><li><keyword id="19976119" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="zee" source="keywords">Zee</keyword> was India’s first private TV channel and had pioneered many superhit TV shows, reality shows and kickstarted the careers of many media barons.</li><li>Chandra entered the infrastructure business and planned a hostile takeover of IVRCL which failed.</li><li>By the mid-2010s, his new ventures had piled up a huge debt which pushed him to sell stake in crown jewel, Zee.</li></ul>Remember Hum Paanch? <keyword id="20328693" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="zee-antakshari" source="keywords">Zee Antakshari</keyword>? Phillips Top 10? These shows, now shared around social media by nostalgia lovers, were the first taste of Hindi TV programmes for many millennials. The generation saw the country move away from one or two channels with very limited entertainment programming; with the entry of private companies into satellite programming, forcing Indians to buy TVs that needed remotes. The man who made this revolution possible was Subhash Chandra, a bright young man from Hisar. Born into an Agrawal Bania family, Chandra entered into business early in his life, and in the 70s before TV wasn’t around in India. After his family business fell into debt, he had to abruptly leave college, go back to Haryana and work on repaying debts. He started off running a pulse polishing mill with moderate success, but his fortunes improved as he supplied grains to Food Corporation of India (FCI). By late 80s and early 90s, he was exporting rice and soybeans to Russia, and had also started a packaging company. It was all running smoothly, until one election season he saw that politicians were renting out vans with projectors and screens for their roadshows. He later learnt that Five-Star Hotels owned satellite dishes and were telecasting CNN during the Gulf War. That’s when the idea of broadcasting content with ads in between came to him, he told Outlook Business in <a href="https://www.outlookbusiness.com/specials-34/secret-diary-of-an-entrepreneur_2018/live-in-the-present-dont-recount-and-regret-the-past-4353">Secret Diary of Subhash Chandra</a>. <div type="image" title="hum paanch twitter" msid="107136147" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Source: Twitter (Now X) &amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The realm of reality TV As he went about it, he was laughed off by DD executives, who coolly told him that they employ hundreds of people and equipment worth thousands of crores. He then intended to lease a transponder in Hong Kong and broadcast from there. STAR’s Li Ka-shing was not so receptive to the idea of broadcasting business in India. After many twists and turns, he rented a transponder; and India’s got its first Hindi channel in the Star bouquet in 1992. Initially there was only three hours of programming, with reruns of old DD serials. But it soon branched<a href="https://www.livemint.com/Opinion/JV7xB6PWkkl5q2Glq8tT8K/The-zee-story-turns-20.html"> out with chat shows </a>like Chakravyuha. Many media barons like Ronnie Screwala who produced the chat show started their careers at Zee. Pritish Nandy also had a show on it called Fiscal Fitness. The hugely popular Aap Ki Adalat, which now airs on India TV, also debuted on Zee. Rajat Sharma, its popular interviewer, also expanded the group’s political vista. The Union Minister Smriti Irani was briefly a stringer for Zee News which was launched later by the group. She, however, also became the star of Star Plus’ super hit TV show Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi in early 2000s. In addition to comedy shows, Zee diversified into drama shows like Neena Gupta starring Parampara in addition to <keyword id="20328692" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="zee-horror-show" source="keywords">Zee Horror Show</keyword>. Its hugely popular Antakshari show was hosted by stars like Renuka Shahane, Pallavi Joshi and Annu Kapoor. <div type="image" title="annu kapoor" msid="107136187" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Source: Twitter (Now X)&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Bags of fan mail In spite of growing success, Chandra had to convince advertisers to shift from print and outdoor ads to TV advertising. He did it by lugging along bags of fan mail sent by viewers of his shows. By the time other players saw how valuable reaching all over India with Hindi shows was, he was miles ahead. He added more channels across movies, music in addition to news, across languages to his bouquet. By the time the world entered the new millennium, he had captured a large chunk of India’s eyeballs, not to mention hearts. The deal with Richard Li, son of Li Ka-shing also included an option to buy 25% stake in the venture within a year. By the time he realised it was good business, the option had long expired. Chandra refused to sell him the stake, took his company public, and the issue was subscribed 60 times over. The goatee-sporting man had become one of India’s first media barons and a billionaire. A failed hostile takeover By 2004, his media conglomerate was running steady, but Chandra, true to himself, was already hunting for the next big bet. The sector he chose was infrastructure. Back then, India was building roads, adding power generation as well as distribution assets, and setting-up ports and airports with a renewed fervour. Many small regional players like GMR and GVK became national companies after they won large-scale airport projects. It seemed like a good business. However, by the time Chandra entered it in 2008, the sector was showing signs of fatigue, due to credit crunch and more. Players were seeing the effects of adding heavy debt onto books. One such company was Hyderabad-based IVRCL which had a good set of projects, sizeable orderbook but was crushing under debt, in 2012. It was borrowing money for working capital purposes, and projects were moving ahead slower. Chandra believed that a hostile takeover of the company would catalyse its infra business which was executing a few highway projects. He went in and acquired a tad over 12% stake in the company when IVRCL too changed track. It stopped bidding for new projects, started monetising its projects and paring down its debt. Eventually Chandra had to sell off his stock at a loss. Takeovers are a high stakes game. Though the financials were never disclosed, the assumption, based on the company’s market cap at that time, he might have spent ₹200 crore on it. On the other hand, its own infrastructure business never scaled up later on, and continued to report deep losses for the next few years. It was a strategy gone wrong, as he later admitted in his open letter. Politics to pledging In 2016, Chandra made his political debut to become a Rajya Sabha MP representing BJP in Haryana. The close contest between him and the Congress candidate R K Anand was also interesting in other ways too. Chandra was declared winner after 14 votes were made invalid as they used the wrong pens. In 2022, Chandra changed his ‘native home <a href="https://www.newslaundry.com/2022/06/08/why-subhash-chandras-rajya-sabha-dreams-are-now-congresss-nightmares">town’ to Rajasthan</a> and filed his nomination as an independent candidate backed by BJP. He however accepted defeat after he fell short of over 40 votes. On the other end, his business was branching out into many businesses, with varying successes, soaking in capital. It entered financial services, acquired Peerless Mutual Fund, investment banking, private equity and much more. It went into education with a chain of K-12 schools, gold refineries in addition to related media businesses like Fun Cinemas and Dish TV. He also had plans for a wellness company. These expansions came at a cost, and a huge debt. The group soon had 87 operating companies which had straddled debt to the tune of ₹17,000 crore, as per estimates. How was so much money raised? The promoters had to pledge their shares in listed entities like Zee Entertainment, Dish TV, Zee Media Corporation, SITI Networks, <keyword id="19960022" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="zee-learn" source="keywords">Zee Learn</keyword> and Shirpur Gold refinery. Reports suggest that <a href="https://www.thequint.com/amp/story/news%2Fbusiness%2Fdoes-zee-news-need-a-commercial-bank-subhash-chandra#read-more">anywhere between 60-90% of their </a>shares in these companies were pledged with lenders in the mid-2010s. The chickens however came to roost in 2018 when the<a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/stocks/news/ilfs-crisis-spilling-beyond-finance-chandras-zee-feeling-the-heat/articleshow/67734787.cms?from=mdr"> NBFC IL&amp;FS bankruptcy spooke</a>d the markets, making it tough for him to rollover debt. The loss of crown jewel Soon, the promoters were forced to sell the stake that they had pledged. Zee’s promoter shareholding fell from 42% to a dismal 4% in its crown jewel, Zee Entertainment. In the meanwhile, its flagship Zee’s earnings also started dwindling, worrying analysts and investors; that led the market regulator to look into it. Between 2021 and 2023, its profits slid by 48%. In 2021, for the second time in two years, Chandra admitted to his mistakes that led to default. He announced <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/media/entertainment/media/subhash-chandra-claims-91-debt-with-43-lenders-settled/articleshow/85007881.cms?from=mdr">that he had settled</a> 91% of his debts with 43 lenders. “I have no regrets for parting with a substantial ownership in the business and specially in the jewels of the crown,” he said in an open letter. Apart from the promoter crisis, the businesses were moving at a slow pace too. Satellite pay TV has become less attractive to viewers now used to streaming. Dish TV, owned by his brother, has been losing steam as well. Edtech is facing its own existential crisis. His digital ventures of Zee5 progressed but at a slow rate due to heavy competition. There are no updates on his plans for its metaverse venture, oddly named Maayaverse. On top of it, Zee’s plans to merge with Sony fell through, after two years of negotiations. Sony is also seeking a $90 million termination fee, which Zee intends to contest. That means more legal troubles, barely a year after it settled a dispute with J C Flowers, an asset reconstruction company. Chandra and his son Puneet Goenka are now part of a <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/sebi-subhash-chandra-punit-goenka-sebis-flowcharts-explain-how-zee-bosses-allegedly-faked-loan-recovery-4119857">probe by market regulator SEBI</a>, to see if money was siphoned off from the listed entities. That would be a tough spot to any businessman, let alone one who is devoid of crown jewels and without a seat in the parliament. SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/personalities/webstories/subrata-roys-journey-from-lucknows-sahara-shahar-to-londons-grosvenor-house-to-tihar-jail/slidelist/105234003.cms">Subrata Roy’s journey from Lucknow’s Sahara Shahar to London’s Grosvenor House to Tihar Jail</a>

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