Mumbai: To facilitate the election staff to reach their destinations on time and allow the smooth conduct of Maharashtra assembly elections, the public transport services in Mumbai, including the Metro and BEST bus services have been extended till midnight on the day of voting. The polling will be held on Wednesday, November 20. The commission has already declared a mandatory public holiday in Mumbai on the polling day.

The directives were issued by Brihanmumbai Municipal Commissioner and Chief Electoral officer for Mumbai, Bhushan Gagrani after the Returning Officer had requested to extend the timings for public transport on the polling day to facilitate the election staff.

Gadrani has directed the MMRCL, Reliance Metro, and the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) to extend their public transport services on poll day i.e. November 20, 2024. The directive mandates that the extended transport services will commence at 4:00 AM on November 20 and continue until 1:00 AM the following day, a press statement released by the EC says.

This decision aims to facilitate the timely and efficient attendance of election staff, who are required to report early to polling stations to carry out essential duties. The extended operation hours will also benefit voters and general commuters, ensuring uninterrupted travel across the city throughout the day, thereby increasing voter turnout.

Citizens and election staff are urged to plan their travel accordingly and take advantage of these extended public transport services. Further, Divyang and 85+ citizens can benefit from the low-floor deck of AC buses arranged for them, the statement released by EC adds.

The election commission has urged the citizens to stay informed and check for any updates related to polling day travel schedules.

Meanwhile, the commission has already directed a mandatory public holiday for all government and private sectors, including commercial establishments and traders. The objective is to allow the citizens to cast their votes. If a paid holiday is not granted, strict actions under the relevant sections will be taken by the Election Commission of India.

However, in exceptional circumstances where it is not possible to grant full day leave, employees can be given relaxation of at least four hours.

Nandurbar (Maharashtra): Hitting back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his attack on Rahul Gandhi for flaunting a ‘blank constitution’, the Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition said the Constitution seems blank to the Prime Minister because he has never read it in his life.

Addressing a public gathering in poll-bound Maharashtra today, Rahul said that the Prime Minister says that I show the Constitution in public meetings that is empty.

“Sanvidhan unke liye khali hai kyuki unhone ise zindagi mein pada nahi hai (The Constitution seems empty to him because he’s never read it in his life),” Rahul Gandhi said in a public gathering in poll-bound Maharashtra’s Nandurbar.

Attacking the Prime Minister further, the Congress leader said that the Constitution is not blank, but carries thoughts and ideas of thousand years.

“He has no idea what’s written inside this book; that’s why he says it’s empty. He says Rahul Gandhi shows a red book. It doesn’t matter to us what colour the book is; what matters is what’s written inside it. We are ready to give our lives for what it represents,” Rahul Gandhi said.

“I want to explain to the Prime Minister that this Constitution is not hollow. It is filled with thousands of years of thought. When you call it hollow, you disrespect Birsa Munda, Mahatma Gandhi, Ambedkar, and others. This fight is about protecting it,” he added.

PM Modi’s Remarks

Earlier, Prime Minister Modi attacked Rahul Gandhi saying the “Laal Kitab” of the Constitution which the Congress was flaunting contained “nothing”.

“In ‘farziwada’, Congress has broken its own record. The ‘Laal Kitab’ of the Constitution which the Congress party was flaunting and distributing contained ‘nothing’. It was an empty book. This is nothing but a testament to Congress’ disregard and hate for Baba Saheb Ambedkar. The entire country is in shock over this foolish and unfortunate political play of Congress,” PM Modi said.

Rahul Gandhi Slams BJP Over Tribal Population

Further in his address, the Lok Sabha LoP slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party over tribal population, and alleged that the Prime Minister and the BJP-RSS call indigenous people “Vanvasi” (forest dwellers) and carry out deforestation across the country.

“Congress introduced the Land Acquisition Bill to protect your land. The Tribal Rights Act granted you rights to the forest, land, and water. But as soon as the BJP government comes to power, they take your land and hand it over to billionaires. The term “Vanvasi” implies that your children should not become doctors or engineers, should not get jobs, and should not do business. “Adivasi,” on the other hand, means that your children can achieve anything. That is the difference between “Adivasi” and “Vanvasi,” Rahul said.

He further pointed out that in India, the Adivasi population is eight per cent, and their participation should match this percentage.

“I investigated the representation of Adivasis in the Indian government. There are 90 officials who run the government. If the government spends 100 rupees, how many Adivasi officials make decisions about it? Adivasi officials make decisions over just 10 paise of that amount. Out of 90, there is only one Adivasi official, who is side-lined. We need to change this, and the way to do it is through a caste census,” the Congress leader said.

The Lok Sabha LoP asserted that the Congress party has decided that as much money the Prime Minister waives off for billionaires, they will give to the common people.

Congress Leader On The Guarantees Promised

Highlighting his guarantees, the Congress MP said that under the Mahalaxmi Yojana, on the first day of every month, women will receive Rs 3,000 directly in their accounts.

“After that, we will provide free bus travel for women. Farmers will have up to three lakh rupees of debt waived. When farmers sell paddy, cotton, or soybeans, our government will provide MSP (Minimum Support Price). We will conduct the caste census,” Rahul Gandhi said.

“In Maharashtra, everyone will be provided with health insurance up to 25 lakh rupees. For any illness, you can go to the hospital and get treatment up to 25 lakh rupees free of charge. Unemployed youth will receive 4,000 rupees per month until they secure employment,” he added.

Congress Leader On Jobs

The Congress leader also alleged that the BJP has moved 5 lakh jobs from Maharashtra to other states.

“If we look at employment collectively, BJP has moved 5 lakh jobs from Maharashtra to other states. The INDIA bloc government will not do this. The projects of Maharashtra will remain here. We do not want projects from here to be shifted to other states, forcing Adivasis here to work as labourers there,” Rahul added.

Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024

The campaigning has intensified for the 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra with both the ruling Mahayuti and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) making efforts to woo the electorate.

The polls are scheduled for November 20 and counting will be held on November 23.

In the 2019 Maharashtra assembly elections, the BJP won 105 seats, Shiv Sena secured 56, and Congress 44. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, MVA posed a strong performance winning 30 of 48 seats, while the Mahayuti could only win 17.

Mumbai: The BJP-led Mahayuti government continues to prioritize the development of people from marginalized communities. As part of its ongoing efforts, the government has launched a scholarship program aimed at helping students from backward classes pursue higher education abroad.

One of the beneficiaries of this initiative is Rohit Suresh Diwse, a student from Tadali village in Maharashtra’s Chandrapur district. Currently enrolled in the Master’s program in Construction Management at the University of Birmingham, UK, Rohit shared his gratitude, saying, “This scholarship has made it possible for me to study abroad. I am receiving Rs 50,000, and there are 75 other students like me who have been given the opportunity to follow their dreams, thanks to the Mahayuti government. For some, the scholarship amount is as high as Rs 1 crore, which is a huge help.”

About The Scholarship Scheme

The Maharashtra government launched this scholarship scheme in 2023, aimed at supporting academically gifted students from backward classes who face financial challenges. On October 30, 2023, a decision was made to provide funds for 75 deserving students from the VJNT, OBC, and SBC communities. Officials indicate that the number of beneficiaries may rise in the future.

The process for selecting the students involved the Other Backward Bahujan Welfare Department calling for applications. A committee, led by the Director of the Backward Bahujan Welfare Department in Pune, reviewed and categorized the applicants based on the World QS rankings of their chosen universities. The final list was presented to the Mahayuti government and approved on September 26.

Importantly, students receiving these scholarships are expected to serve the country upon completing their education abroad, ensuring their contributions benefit India in the long term.