UP elections: Over 12 percent voting till 10 a.m.

Former Andhra Pradesh Minister Gudivada Amarnath on Thursday said that the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the land policy of the state government, alleging that large extents of valuable public land are being allotted to a few real estate companies at very low prices.

The attached properties are in the form of land parcels situated in Goa, Kerala, Karnataka, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Delhi, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, and Rajasthan.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu advised district collectors to be proactive in attracting investments to promote industries for wealth creation.

Vijayan said there is no anti-incumbency in the state, adding that the people hold a positive view of the government and its policies and believe only the current administration can take Kerala forward.

BJP MLA and West Bengal Assembly Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday expressed confidence that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) would be defeated in the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections.

According to sources, the meeting involved extensive discussions on around 160 Assembly constituencies across the state. During the deliberations, the party is learnt to have finalised candidates for nearly 145 seats, out of 294 assembly seats in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, marking significant progress in the selection process.

Earlier, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said that the upcoming assembly elections in Kerala are expected to set a benchmark for democratic practices, expressing confidence in the preparedness of the state's election machinery and cooperation from political parties.

The West Bengal government on Thursday provided officers of requisite seniority for being appointed as Returning Officers for the forthcoming Assembly Elections, on the insistence of the Election Commission of India.

As per the schedule, the draft proposal for the delimitation of wards will be published on March 12. Residents of the concerned municipal areas can submit objections or suggestions till March 19.

Himachal Pradesh Governor Kavinder Gupta said that the Vaishya community has a vital role to play in realising Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's vision of 'Viksit Bharat 2047'.