Assembly Election Updates: Punjab govt hikes honorarium of 53,000 Anganwadi workers, others

Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi said on Tuesday that his government is ready to bear the entire expenditure for acquiring land for the construction of Guru Ravidas Temple at Tughlakabad in New Delhi. On the orders of the Supreme Court, the Ravidas Temple in Tughlakabad was demolished in August 2019. But later the apex court allowed the reconstruction of the temple. Devotees say that Guru Ravidas visited this place in 1509 during the reign of Sikander Lodhi. Channi said the Delhi Development Authority had recently asked the Guru Ravidas Vishram Dham Mandir Chamarwala Johar Tughlakabad Committee to deposit Rs 4.33 crore for acquiring 400 square metres of land, according to an official statement. Since the amount was quite hefty, he said various delegations approached him for seeking requisite contribution from the state government.

Five-time Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Tuesday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to create the right atmosphere for his much-delayed visit to Punjab by first taking some concrete steps to expose the conspiracy behind the on-going incidents of sacrilege against Sikh faith and resolving the other major political, religious and economic issues facing the state. Badal in a statement here listed five major issues on which he said a prime ministerial package would lend credence and respectability to Modi's visit to Punjab on January 5. "As the PM, you would earn a lot of goodwill and my personal gratitude, if before coming here, you announce an economic, political, agricultural and territorial package to meet the demands of the Punjabis." The former CM also drew the PM's attention to thousands of Sikh families awaiting justice for the massacre of 1984. Badal said the PM's visit would then truly be a welcome gesture and would heal many past wounds inflicted by successive Congress governments.

Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Channi on Tuesday announced a hike in the monthly honorarium of over 53,000 Anganwadi workers, mini-Anganwadi workers and the helpers. He also declared that all these workers would be now eligible for regular increase in their honorarium annually from January 1, 2023. Channi also distributed appointment letters to 67 'safai sewaks'.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi beats a dhol during his visit to poll-bound Manipur on Tuesday.

I had promised 'HIRA' to Tripura: H: Highway I: Internet Way R: Railway A: Airways. Now, Tripura is realising its potential with the same. Tripura is on its way to becoming the gateway of the Northeast. With unprecedented investment in Airways, Waterways & Railways, it will soon become the Trade Corridor of the country. The vehicle of corruption that moved untrammeled in Tripura before has been stopped: PM Modi

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath visits & inspects Harduaganj Thermal Power Station at Kasimpur, Aligarh

Stampede occurred during Congress' 'Ladki hoon, Lad Sakti hoon' marathon in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh today. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed the previous Congress governments, saying those who ran previous governments in Delhi neglected Manipur resulting in alienation of people.

Addressing an election rally in Imphal, the capital city of Manipur, PM Narendra Modi said that Notheast will become major drivers of India's growth. He said that the BJP-led NDA government has given a massive push to the infrastructure in the region in the last seven years. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicates to nation 13 projects and lays foundation stones of nine more worth Rs 4,815 crore in election-bound Manipur.

The Election Commission of India is likely to announce poll dates for Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur next week. The dates could be announced between January 10 and 13. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

Election Commission to announce poll dates next week

Ahead of UP Polls, BJP MP Harnath Singh Yadav writes to JP Nadda, asking to declare Yogi Adityanath as a candidate from Mathura.

Days after assessing the COVID-19 situation in the five poll-bound states, the Election Commission (EC) has asked them to step up the inoculation drive against the viral disease and ensure that the personnel to be deployed on election duty are "double vaccinated". In a recent letter to the chief secretaries of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur and Punjab, the EC has also reminded the five states that polling personnel come under the category of frontline workers and are eligible for the "precaution dose" of the Covid vaccines, sources said.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will lay the foundation stone of the much-awaited Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) commando training centre in Saharanpur on Tuesday.

The TMC has appointed its Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev and another senior leader from Bengal, Sourav Chakraborty, as the party's Goa unit co-in-charge. Dev quit the Congress and joined the TMC in August last year. She was elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha from West Bengal mid-September. In November, the TMC appointed Mahua Moitra as its Goa unit in-charge. Elections are scheduled to be held in Goa sometime this year.

Today they are giving the slogan of 'Ladki Hoon'. They ruled here for 50 years & could not provide medical facilities to women. Now again they are making false promises... We have given free ration, medical facilities to the poor: Union Minister Smriti Irani in Amethi, UP

Former Uttarakhand Congress chief Kishore Upadhyay met Union Minister and BJP's state election in charge, Pralhad Joshi and state BJP General Secretary (Organisation) Ajay Kumar in Dehradun last night.

"Lord Sri Krishna comes to my dream every night to tell me that our party is going to form the government,” said Former UP CM and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav yesterday. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

The Shiv Sena will try to replicate Maharashtra's "successful" Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance formula for the upcoming Goa polls, Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said. Raut, who arrived in Goa for a four-day visit to the poll-bound state, also said that he would be speaking to the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party leaders in the state on Tuesday to discuss the formation of the alliance. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

Rift in Punjab Congress became evident once again as state Home Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa on Monday said that Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief Navjot Singh Sidhu is upset with him ever since he became the Home Minister of Punjab. Addressing a press conference here, Randhawa said, "Sidhu has some problem. I share old relations with his family. But ever since I have become the home minister of Punjab, he is upset with me. If he wants the Home Ministry, I will leave and offer it to him."

The Congress on Monday released its theme song for the Uttarakhand assembly elections which targets the BJP and highlights the "failures" of the "double engine" policy of the saffron party. With 'Teen Tigada, Kaam Bigada' as the punch line, the Congress' theme song draws attention to the BJP changing its chief minister in the state three times. The party in the song also claims that the BJP will be defeated in the upcoming elections.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has promised to pay Rs 1 crore to the next of kin of security personnel killed in the line of duty in Uttarakhand as "Samman Rashi" if the Aam Aadmi Party comes to power in the state in the 2022 assembly polls. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday attacked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, calling him an 'accidental Hindu'. Addressing a rally in Amethi, Adityanath said that Rahul is an 'election tourist' and accused him of maligning Amethi in Kerala. Notably, Rahul had lost Amethi seat to BJP's Smriti Irani in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. He had won from Wayanad seat of Kerala. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Punjab on January 5 and lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth more than Rs 42,750 crore. In a statement on Monday, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said: "Prime Minister Modi will visit Ferozepur, Punjab on January 5 and will lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth more than Rs 42,750 crore." The projects include Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, four-laning of Amritsar-Una section, Mukerian-Talwara New Broad Gauge railway line, PGI Satellite Centre at Ferozepur and two new medical colleges at Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur. 

In another attempt to woo voters ahead of UP assembly elections this year, SP leader Akhilesh Yadav on Monday promised free electricity for irrigation and domestic use with up to 300 units per month. 

PM Modi will first visit Imphal and address a public gathering at the palace compound in Imphal East district and inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for 22 projects worth over Rs 4,800 crore. The visit of the Prime Minister to poll-bound Manipur will further step up the political activities before the elections. From Imphal, the Prime Minister will go to Agartala where he will inaugurate the new integrated terminal building of Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport, built at a cost of about Rs 450 crore. He will also launch two important schemes in Tripura -- Mukhyamantri Tripura Gram Samriddhi Yojana and Project Mission 100 of Vidyajyoti Schools.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Manipur and Tripura on Tuesday to inaugurate and lay the foundation stones of several development projects in the two states. In Manipur Modi will inaugurate 13 projects worth around Rs 1,850 crore and lay the foundation stone of nine projects worth around Rs 2,950 crore. These projects relate to diverse sectors including road infrastructure, drinking water supply, health, urban development, housing, information technology, skill development, and art and culture. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE