() :3 & *; *& *; ; !"#$% $01$2&345 +.''+/ *+,- .+$,0 809.39 0<0 .'03.= )>?0>(0.'.33 ! " # ""#$!#% %#%#% ?9= /(89>(0>( (>6603060.>' #&#%%# @' */4A $$# "BC @. ( 0 . ! +( )&5+6&37 &4' R !" # $!" 0/30'8 rompted understandably by Pupper caste ‘disenchant- ment’, the NOTA (None of the Above) votes crossed over 1.4 per cent of the total polling in Madhya Pradesh and felled four of the most powerful BJP Ministers and several other MLAs. In MP, many upper caste outfits had openly declared that they would waste their votes by opting for NOTA rather than voting for the BJP for passing a legislation in Parliament to retain the strin- chanted Upper caste voters Jobat, Mandhata, Nepanagar, , gent SC/ST Act. The same not opted to waste their votes. Rajnagar, Raipur and Suwasra. # - ! ! & ' NOTA story was also repeated In MP, the BJP lost 12 seats NOTA also polled more votes in Rajasthan, though in some where the NOTA margin was than the victory margin in Ministers. Some party sources and Pilot stated separately. pockets the BJP also gained in more than margin of loss. The Bina and Kolaras, where BJP indicated that the Congress As hours went by without both the States because of SC trend was visible in Chambal candidates won. In seven of was also toying with formula to an announcement till evening, voters reacting against the region, where Thakur voters these 11 seats, the victory mar- have Deputy Chief Ministers in tension and sloganeering rose upper caste aggressiveness. are believed to have not backed gin was less than 1,000 votes. ( !$)* these two States. In that case, among supporters of various The number of no-choice the BJP for backing the SC In the touch and go poll P ( ' Pilot could be offered the post contenders, spilling into vio- votes outnumbered victory atrocity legislation. verdict, the BJP narrowly of Dy CM of Rajasthan and lence in some areas of margins in good 22 con- Similarly, Bundelkhand missed the bus even though it Scindia for MP. Rajasthan. In Chhattisgarh too, stituencies in Madhya Pradesh. and Malwa drew the highest polled more votes. ) " 0/30'8 generation leader Sachin Pilot the need of the hour since the Chhattisgarh CM too clashes took place outside the While the gap between BJP and number of NOTA votes and In 2008, BJP collected 38% have dug in their heels for the party has promised several could have a deputy since front residence of State party chief Congress vote share was only changed the poll outcomes. votes and won 143 seats but ormer Union Minister and top post in the State. Sachin freebies, including crucial farm runner Tamradhwaj Sahu, also Bhupesh Baghel (57), who is 0.1% (BJP being in the lead), Nine upsets were in this time round ended up with FCongress heavyweight Pilot , who met Rahul Gandhi loan waiver. The next year’s Lok a Lok Sabha member, is con- one of the contenders apart NOTA share stood at 1.4 per Bundelkhand and eight in 109 seats despite securing more Kamal Nath was named as the along with Gehlot during the Sabha elections also weighed sidered an “outsider” as he from Leader of Opposition in cent of votes polled — over 5.4 Malwa tribal region. than 40% votes. next Chief Minister of Madhya day, was again closeted with the heavily on the mind of the joined the grand old party the outgoing Assembly TS lakh. The NOTA option gives NOTA played out in a way NOTA got 1.4% of the Pradesh on Thursday after sev- Congress president at mid- Congress leadership in opting after quitting the BJP. Singh Deo (66) and OBC the voter the choice to reject all that the BJP failed to capture total vote share even as eral rounds of hectic parleys night. The scale seemed to be for experienced Kamal Nath. Sources said Rahul also leader Tamradhwaj Sahu. candidates in the election fray. majority despite bagging .1% Samajwadi Party got 1.01% among the top Congress lead- tilted in favour of Gehlot, but Early in the morning, the sought views of party workers While Rahul Gandhi met A section of BJP leadership, vote share more than the while AAP got 0.7% votes. ership. Party president Rahul Pilot has made a strong case by four main CM claimants through an internal messaging the party’s Central observers — however, point out that BJP did Congress which got 41% of the NOTA may have again Gandhi took this call late in the asserting it was he who revived belonging to the old and new system with a pre-recorded KC Venugopal for Rajasthan well in the Vindhya region of votes. On the contrary, played a role in denting evening after holding talks the Congress in Rajasthan as generation cadre from MP and message asking them to send and AK Antony for Madhya Madhya Pradesh as SC voted Congress, with help from BSP, prospects of the losing side in with Nath and the other con- the state unit chief. Rajasthan as well as AICC their views directly to him Pradesh — to seek their inputs for it on account of passing the SP and Independents, crossed Rajasthan with 1.3 per cent of tender for the post, Jyotiraditya The announcement for the observers were closeted with through the application. on views of newly-elected leg- amended SC/ST Atrocities the majority mark of 116, while voters going for it. Scindia. The supporters of both CM candidate for Chhattisgarh Rahul at his residence. With Sachin Pilot and Ashok islators in the States, he sepa- (Prevention) Bill in Parliament. the BJP managed 109 seats. In Rajasthan, NOTA votes leaders held day-long rallies in is likely to be taken on Friday supporters of the four con- Gehlot, the two hopefuls for rately met Gehlot, Pilot, Nath It is also being contended In at least 11 seats where stood at 1.3% while SP and Bhopal in favour of their morning, according to party’s tenders taking to streets, Rahul Rajasthan, appealed to the and Scindia at his Tughlak that NOTA factor could also the Congress won, NOTA got NCP got 0.2% votes. respective leaders, but ulti- Central observer Mallikarjun took to the social media to party workers to maintain Lane house. Kharge too held have affected the victory mar- more votes than the winning Communist Party of India mately Rahul was successful in Kharge. share a message “the two most peace and discipline, saying discussion with Rahul and gin of some of the Congress margin — Biaora, Damoh, (Marxist) has 1.2%. brokering a peace. During the day, Rahul held powerful warriors are patience they have full faith in the party conveyed him the feelings of candidates had the disen- Gunnor, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Continued on Page 4 “An era of change is upon several rounds of marathon and time”. Quoting Leo Tolstoy, leadership and would abide by Chhattisgarh party MLAs. MP with him at the helm,” the consultations with senior party Rahul posted a picture of him- the final decision. Gehlot and “We are checking, taking Congress’s official handle leaders, including Sonia self flanked by Jyotiraditya Pilot both late in the evening inputs from different people in tweeted shortly after legislators Gandhi and sister Priyanka, to Scindia and Kamal Nath. left for Jaipur for another round the party. We are taking inputs % # passed a formal resolution select Chief Ministers for the Elected Congress MLAs of CLP meeting . from MLAs and workers. We electing Kamal Nath. three Hindi heartland States. in Rajasthan and Madhya “The Congress president is are getting a comprehensive In case of Rajasthan, con- Party sources said Nath was Pradesh had passed one-line talking to all leaders...The deci- answer to what the Congress fusion still prevails and both old chosen over Scindia given the resolutions authorising Rahul sion of the Congress president party and others feel,” guard Ashok Gehlot and new experience factor which was Gandhi to decide on Chief will be acceptable to all,” Gehlot Rahul said. % !"### "#P # & Asking the BJP to do a &' ! course correction vis a vis its approach towards the Muslim % ' voters, Gujral said, “”The ! minorities want security. If 0/30'8 you don’t provide them secu- ( rity, they will vote en masse he Supreme Court is sched- ) **+, * O * with the Congress and allies. Tuled to pronounce its ver- & Unless we recognise factors like dict on pleas seeking a court- 0/30'8 economic factors and espe- monitored probe in the polit- cially rural distress, we are in ically sensitive Rafale case on ! he setback BJP suffered in for trouble.” Friday. A Bench headed by "#$% . Tits bastions of Madhya Another long-time BJP ally, Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and the Shiv Sena on Thursday had reserved its verdict on a Rajasthan in the recent continued its tirade against batch of pleas on November 14. 9'9 9 Rajapaksa. / Assembly polls has come handy senior ally BJP, saying its rout Former Union Ministers Sirisena on October 26 . * & & for its NDA allies, which could in the just held State polls was Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie, ri Lanka’s Supreme Court on had sacked the incumbent PM, now compel the saffron outfit the “defeat of injustice and lies”. noted lawyer Prashant Bhushan SThursday unanimously Ranil Wickremesinghe, and &'( ( to be “generous” in seat shar- It said along with Prime and AAP leader Sanjay Singh ruled that the dissolution of install ex-President Mahinda ( ) ing for the next year’s Lok Minister Narendra Modi and are the main petitioners seek- Parliament by Maithripala Rajapaksa in his place. Later * . !" Sabha polls. ! "# "# BJP chief Amit Shah, and party ing a probe by the CBI.