India News

Assembly Election Result 2019

Published

7 years ago

May 23, 2019

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In two of the major upsets in elections to four state assemblies, Telugu Desam Party of N Chandrababu Naidu has been ousted from Andhra Pradesh while in Sikkim, Pawan Kumar Chamling of Sikkim Democratic Front is set to lose power for the first time since 1994.

Meanwhile, the faction-ridden Congress-JD(S) coalition government in Karnataka was in trouble with the BJP sweeping the state. The BJP was ahead in 24 of the state’s 28 Lok Sabha seats, restricting Congress and JD-S to only four with even JD-S patriarch HD Deve Gowda staring at a defeat. A meeting of JD(S) leaders was going on at the residence of party chief HD Deve Gowda in Bengaluru, reported ANI.

The fate of Congress government in Madhya Pradesh was also under a cloud. The BJP was likely to move in for the kill and wean away a few of the MLAs from the minority Congress government.

Andhra Pradesh

As the early trends gave a clear majority to YSRCP in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections and also the Lok Sabha elections, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is likely to resign in the evening today.

Chandrababu Naidu is expected to submit his resignation to the Governor around 5 pm today.

Jaganmohan Reddy is likely to take oath as the next chief minister of Andhra Pradesh on May 30.

Among the 176 Andhra Pradesh Assembly seats, Jaganmohan Reddy’s YSRCP is leading in a whopping 149 seats while the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is leading in only 24 seats.

Meanwhile, the supporters of Jaganmohan Reddy have already printed a nameplate for him with chief minister written under his name.

As per the current trend available now, YSRPC is leading with 150 seats, while TDP is leading on 23 seats and others are leading with just 2 seats.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

Andhra Pradesh Assembly Election Result 2019 (Total seats:175, Seats needed for majority: 88)
	Lead	Won
YSRCP		152
TDP		22
JSP		1
BJP
INC
OTHERS

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As per the current trend available, BJP is leading in 23 constituencies, Congress is leading in 4 constituencies and others are leading in 4 constituencies.

Former chief minister Gegong Apang, who gave BJP its first government in the North East 16 years ago but quit the party in January this year, is leading from the Tuting-Yingkiong Assembly constituency. He has remained chief minister of the state for 23 years. Apang is part of the Janata Dal(Secular) at present and is ahead of Alo Libang of the BJP by a thin margin of 99 votes.

In Doimukh Assembly constituency, Tana Hali Tara of the BJP defeated Nabam Vivek of the National People’s Party by 2,385 votes. In the 2019 Arunachal Pradesh Assembly elections, Doimukh recorded a voter turnout of 72.55%. Doimukh is an falls in Papumpare district. The seat is reserved for Scheduled Tribe.

Official results are slowly trickling out from Arunachal Pradesh. In the Namsang Assembly constituency, Wangki Lowang of the BJP defeated Ngonglin Boi of the Janata Dal(United) by a margin of 1,682 votes. In the Nari-Koyu Assembly seat, Kento Rina of the BJP pipped Tojir Kadu of the Congress by a small[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

Arunachal Pradesh Assembly Elections Result 2019 (Total seats: 60, seats needed for majority:31)
	Lead	Won
BJP		39
JD(U)		7
INC		4
JDS		0
NPP		5
OTHERS		1

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Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is leading both of his MLA seats-Hinjili and Bijepur. He is leading with 9815 votes in Honjili and 11,795 in Bijepur seat. For the first time in his political history, Naveen contested from two seats. He is usually contesting from Hinjili seat but this time, he also stands from Bijepur in western Odisha as his party has witnessed a drastic shortfall of vote percentage in the rural polls in 2017 against BJP.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

Odisha Assembly Election Result 2019 (Total seats:147, Seats needed for majority: 74)
	Lead	Won
BJD		112
BJP		23
INC		9
CPI(M)		1
BSP
OTHERS

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Sikkim Incumbent Chief Minister Pawan Chamling is leading both in Namchi-singhithang and Poklok-kamrang by 146 and 2,774 votes respectively. In Namchi-singhithang, he is leading against Sikkim Krantikari Morcha’s Ganesh Rai while in Poklok-kamrang he is ahead of Kharka Bahadur Rai of the same party. Chamling is head of Sikkim Democratic Front and also the longest serving chief minister in the country.

Often derided for his strong arm tactics, Pawan Kumar Chamling’s Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) has ruled Sikkim virtually uncontested and unquestioned for a much larger part of his 25 years in power. In 2014, SDF bagged 22 of the state’s 32 total seats in the legislative Assembly. But the million-dollar question is will he again sit on that coveted chief minister’s chair after 23 May?

As per the latest trends, challenger Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) is ahead of the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) in seven seats in the Sikkim assembly polls.

SDF, which is facing a strong anti-incumbent, is ahead only in three seats so far. SKM would need 17 seats to have a simple majority.

The Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) chief and state chief minister Pawan Kumar Chamling. Chamling was seeking re-election for the fifth term. Appearing at the dinner meeting of BJP national president Amit Shah on May 21 in New Delhi, Chamling seemed confident of returning to power even though his party this time had to face an uphill task against the odds mounted by a strong contender, the SKM.

While in the 2009 assembly polls, SDF could win in all the 32 seats, in 2014 though, it came as a shocker to the party when a new entrant, the SKM, wrested ten seats from it. SKM could make it possible not only by eroding nearly 11% vote share of the SDF but also took away almost the entire vote share of the Congress, which was 27.09% in the 2009 assembly elections. In the 2014 assembly polls, SKM recorded 40.8% of the state’s vote share. Aside from Tripura, Sikkim is another northeastern state where the Congress had lost a considerable percentage of its vote share to another party.

The Sikkim assembly also has a seat reserved for the state’s monks. The Sangha assembly seat has no physical jurisdiction but an MLA is elected by the monks registered with the state’s 51 monasteries. As per the state election office, 3,293 voters would elect the MLA from the Sangha seat. It also includes 69 nuns.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

Sikkim Assembly Elections Result 2019 (Total seats: 32, Seats need for majority: 17)
	Lead	Won
SKM		17
SDF		15
BJP		0
HSP		0
INC		0
OTHERS		0

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Keep yourself updated with the Lok Sabha Election Result 2019.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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LPG Aadhaar authentication mandatory for subsidy from October 1

Biometric Aadhaar authentication will be required for subsidised domestic LPG refills from October 1. Here is what changes for consumers who have and have not completed the process.

Published

8 hours ago

September 23, 2026

APNLive Desk

Biometric Aadhaar authentication will become a requirement for domestic LPG consumers seeking to book refills at the regulated retail selling price with applicable subsidy from October 1, 2026.

The government has said the measure is aimed at ensuring that subsidised LPG reaches eligible households and at preventing the diversion of subsidised domestic cylinders for commercial and industrial use.

What changes from October 1

Consumers who have already completed biometric Aadhaar authentication will not have to repeat the process. Their LPG refills will continue as before.

For consumers who have not completed the authentication, refill booking at the regulated price with subsidy will be enabled after the authentication is completed.

As of September 19, 2026, 27.43 crore active domestic LPG consumers, or 89.9 per cent of the total, had completed biometric Aadhaar authentication, according to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry.

How to complete Aadhaar authentication

Consumers who have not yet completed the process can do so through several channels.

Authentication can be completed during LPG delivery, at the distributor’s showroom or through the mobile applications of the three state-owned oil marketing companies.

Indane customers can use IndianOil ONE, Bharatgas customers can use HelloBPCL, while HP Gas customers can use HP PAY.

What if consumers do not complete authentication

The government has clarified that consumers who are unwilling or unable to complete biometric Aadhaar authentication can still receive LPG.

However, they will have to register their choice through the available digital channels of their oil marketing company, such as its consumer portal, mobile app, WhatsApp chatbot or IVRS.

Such consumers will be supplied LPG at the applicable market price without subsidy, in 5-kg or 10-kg cylinders, subject to local availability.

Why the government is introducing the requirement

According to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry, linking each LPG connection to an Aadhaar-authenticated consumer is intended to prevent diversion of subsidised domestic cylinders and remove duplicate or ineligible connections.

The government has also said the measure is intended to make subsidy delivery more targeted and transparent.

Authentication deadline and progress

Consumers were initially asked to complete biometric Aadhaar authentication by June 30, 2026. The deadline was subsequently extended several times, with September 14 being the final extended deadline mentioned by the ministry.

The nationwide authentication drive has been underway since October 2023. The government said more than 12 crore SMS and WhatsApp messages had been sent as part of the outreach campaign.

The government has urged consumers who have not yet completed the process to do so before October 1.

LPG Aadhaar authentication becomes mandatory for subsidised domestic LPG refills from October 1. Consumers who have already completed biometric authentication need not do it again. Those who haven’t can still get LPG, but at the applicable market price without subsidy.

India News

BJP hits back at opposition over EC row, says disagreement is democracy

The BJP has defended reported differences among Election Commissioners, saying internal deliberations are part of a healthy democratic process.

Published

9 hours ago

September 23, 2026

APNLive Desk

The BJP has defended the Election Commission amid a political row over reported differences among Election Commissioners concerning decisions linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

BJP MP Sambit Patra said discussions and exchanges of views within the poll panel should be seen as part of the democratic process rather than as evidence of institutional dysfunction.

According to the BJP’s position, disagreement during official deliberations reflects the fact that members of an institution are able to put forward their views before decisions are taken.

BJP defends EC deliberations

Patra said that if the three Election Commissioners discuss and debate issues among themselves, such exchanges should not be characterised as dictatorship. He described such deliberations as a sign of a healthy democracy.

The BJP’s response came amid reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections on multiple occasions over decisions and orders associated with the SIR exercise and electoral rolls.

The Election Commission has said that differences in views and observations are a normal part of deliberations within an institution. It has maintained that decisions, including those related to SIR, were taken unanimously.

Row centres on SIR process

The controversy comes against the backdrop of the ongoing political debate over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

Opposition parties have raised concerns over the reported differences within the poll panel, while the BJP has sought to counter those arguments by pointing to the role of discussion and deliberation in institutional decision-making.

Patra also said the BJP’s understanding of the matter was based on media reports rather than access to the Election Commission’s internal documents. He said the documents, as reported, indicated that the SIR process was finalised after democratic deliberations and consensus.

What the Election Commission has said

The Election Commission has rejected the suggestion that the reported objections indicate a breakdown in its functioning.

It has maintained that differing opinions during deliberations are part of normal institutional functioning and that the decisions eventually taken by the commission were unanimous.

India News

IIT Bombay Professor Suryanarayana Doolla sent on leave amid student suicide row

IIT Bombay professor Suryanarayana Doolla has been sent on leave amid the ongoing student protests following Sahil Wakode’s death.

Published

19 hours ago

September 23, 2026

APNLive Desk

IIT Bombay professor Suryanarayana Doolla has been sent on leave amid the ongoing controversy following the death of 20-year-old student Sahil Wakode, with protests on the campus seeking action against the professor.

Doolla, a faculty member in IIT Bombay’s Department of Energy Science and Engineering, had been involved in the examination incident concerning Wakode. The student was allegedly found using a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination and had uploaded the question paper to an AI platform to seek answers, according to the institute.

Why Suryanarayana Doolla is at the centre of the controversy

Doolla was the course instructor and examination invigilator during the examination and was involved in reporting the alleged examination malpractice to the institute’s authorities.

IIT Bombay has said Wakode was subsequently counselled by the instructor and the Head of Department and was assured that the examination incident would not adversely affect his academic career. The institute has also maintained that no disciplinary action had been initiated against the student before his death.

Wakode’s family, however, alleged harassment and caste-based discrimination. Mumbai Police registered a case based on the family’s complaint, with Doolla among those named. The allegations remain subject to investigation.

Student protests at IIT Bombay

Following Wakode’s death, students began protesting on the IIT Bombay campus and demanded action against Doolla.

IIT Bombay Director Professor Shireesh Kedare met the protesting students on September 20 and signed an 18-point charter of demands. The demands included action against Doolla.

Doolla was subsequently removed from the post of Dean Students Welfare amid the protests. The latest action comes as the controversy surrounding Wakode’s death and the allegations against the professor continue to be investigated.

Faculty members back Doolla

While students have demanded action against Doolla, IIT Bombay’s Faculty Forum has backed the professor, saying he was performing his duties as an invigilator and had followed the institute’s prescribed procedure after detecting the alleged examination malpractice.

The controversy involves the examination incident, allegations made by Wakode’s family and the police investigation into his death. The allegations against Doolla have not been established as facts and remain part of the ongoing investigation.