Daily Briefing: Its Election Day in Jharkhand

With that, let’s move on to today’s edition:

🚨Big Story

It’s polling day in Jharkhand… with 43 of its 81 seats set to complete voting in the first of its two-phase state Assembly elections. Our live blog will track voter turnout, and have real-time updates on what happens in and around polling stations through the day.

Lay of the land: In today’s episode of our 3 Things podcast, we discuss the overarching narrative in the Jharkhand polls and the nitty-gritties of what the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are promising voters.

On eve of voting: The Enforcement Directorate found fake Aadhaars, printing machines, and blank proformas used for forging the unique identity cards in raids at 17 locations in Jharkhand and West Bengal. The searches were conducted in connection with illegal infiltration of Bangladeshi citizens, allegedly with the help of agents who provide fake documents to establish Indian citizenship.

Throwback: In 2019, despite struggling in the Lok Sabha polls just month prior, the JMM-led alliance ousted the BJP to return to power helmed by Chief Minister Hemant Soren. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, while the BJP’s overall tally fell from 2019 to eight, it also led in 26 of the 43 Assembly segments that are voting in the first phase today.

Meanwhile, a margin of error: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra makes her electoral debut today with the by-election to Wayanad’s Lok Sabha seat. In the run-up to polling day, speculation was rife that she is winning by five lakh votes. The said margin, though being aimed by the Congress, triggered concerns about supporters becoming “complacent” and not turning up in huge numbers at the polling booths.

⚡Only in Express

Development much? Elections and developmental schemes go hand-in-hand and a great example of that is seen in how Central schemes are allocated. While the Union Ministry of Rural Development has allocated 37.80 lakh houses to 18 states under its Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) for 2024-25, BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh and poll-bound Maharashtra together account for over one-third of the total. Cut to the first phase of the PMAY-G (2016-2024), when the overall target was 2.95 crore houses, Chhattisgarh, which had a Congress government till November last year, got 11.76 lakh (3.98 per cent) and Maharashtra got 13.78 lakh (4.67 per cent). We delve into the PMAY-G data to see where each state stands.

📰 From the Front Page

Govt-Corporate Bonhomie: The Opposition, for years now, have been hitting out against the BJP-led Centre over allegations of Gautam Adani holding undue influence in the Modi government. Now, they have found fuel to add to the fire. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has claimed that the industrialist was part of government formation talks including top BJP and NCP leaders “five years ago”.

Inflation Times: The retail inflation rate has surged to a 14-month high of 6.21 per cent in October, dashing hopes of a rate cut by the Reserve Bank of India next month. The inflation rate surged with a sharp rise in prices of food items, especially fruits, vegetables, meat and fish, and oils and fats. Food inflation, too, shot up to a double-digit level of 10.87 per cent in October — a 15-month high.

📌 Must Read

High crimes: “It was a scene straight out of a Hollywood movie,” said a police officer. Not everyday do cops raid a flat, only to find a Breaking Bad-like setup to grow cannabis. However, that’s what they found inside a rented flat in Greater Noida — an indoor nursery with cannabis plants in full bloom and the paraphernalia required to cultivate them.

Cracks in the Pitch: The Pakistan vs India saga has moved from the cricket field to a dispute over where the games are to be held. The Pakistan government is learnt to have asked its cricket board not to give into India’s demand of moving the Champions Trophy games to Dubai. This is after the International Cricket Council had informed the Pakistan Cricket Board about the refusal of the Board of Control for Cricket in India to cross the border for the 50-overs tournament next year. 

⏳ And Finally…

“Tune sab ke liye kiya, apne sapne ko chhoda, bahut sacrifice kiya, abhi tumhara time hai, enjoy karo (You sacrificed your dream for us, now it is your time, enjoy it).” 

This was Yashasvi Jaiswal’s message for his elder brother Tejasvi, who, last week, scored his maiden first class 50 while representing Tripura in the Ranji Trophy. Here’s the story of two brothers — one a rising star of Indian cricket and the other, a late bloomer given his family circumstances.

That’s all for today

Vibha B Madhava and Rounak Bagchi

Business as Usual by E P Unny – Nov 13