Assembly Election Updates: Samajwadi Party MLC from Varanasi joins BJP

Recently some Congress MLAs left their party to join the BJP as part of a well-thought strategy to tap in the non-sikh voters, who are said to be inclined to the Bharatiya Janata Party. Two Congress MLAs, Balwinder Singh Laddi and Fateh Jung Singh Bajwa along with 13 of their supporters joined the BJP on Tuesday. Before them, Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi joined the BJP last week. Others who ditched their parties to join the BJP are former Lok Sabha member Rajdev Khalsa from the Congress, senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and three-time former MLA Gurtej Singh Ghuriana.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said that the central agencies are being misused by the BJP to target the opposition parties. He said that the SP will approach the Election Commission (EC) and the President over the issue. "I will write to the EC and the President of India about how central agencies are being misused to target the opposition and make a mockery of democracy," he said.

If BJP has formed government at the Centre and Modi Ji is the Prime Minister today for the second time, it is only because of the blessing of the 22 crore people of Uttar Pradesh: Home Minister Amit Shah in Sant Kabir Nagar

100s of children from poor families died of encephalitis in the eastern UP. BJP Govt ensured cleanliness, clean drinking water, and set up treatment centres, paediatric & ICU wards, which led to reduction in such deaths by 95%: HM Amit Shah in Sant Kabir Nagar

Modi govt is responsible to hinder the Tanakpur-Bageshwar rail line progress; it wouldn't have started hadn't we initiated it. PM Modi inaugurates schemes that either Congress already initiated or schemes that don't progress: Congress leader Harish Rawat in Dehradun

Samajwadi Party (SP) MLC and former minister Shatrudra Prakash joined the BJP at its state headquarters in Lucknow on Friday. A socialist since his student days, Shatrudra Prakash joined the BJP in the presence of the party's state unit chief Swatantra Dev Singh, reports IANS. 

BJP is trying to pollute SP's name. Those who spread the smell of hatred will not like fragrance of perfume. Earlier they've mistakenly conducted raids at residence of their own man & now to cover that they've  conducting searches on residences SP leaders: SP chief Akhilesh Yadav CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

Why did 'Ram Lalla' have to stay in a tent for so many years?  Who shot 'Kar Sewaks'? Who stopped Ram Navami and Deepotsav celebrations in Ayodhya? We must remember all this. Now, no one can stop the construction of a grand Ram Temple here: Home Minister Amit Shah in Ayodhya

Union Home Minister Amit Shah meets Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, President of Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, during his visit to Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh

 Ram Gopal Yadav, MP, Samajwadi Party said that the BJP is doing low-level politics after seeing that a large number of people are showing up at Akhilesh Yadav's election rallies. Earlier, raids were conducted at SP workers' residences at Mau and Mainpuri & but after that nothing has been said. SP MLC Pushp Raj Jain has not indulged in any wrongdoing. Central agencies are working under pressure. Why are raids are being conducted ahead of UP elections?

The Uttarakhand Congress screening committee in its first meeting discussed candidates for all 70 assembly seats and the final decision on the list of candidates will be tentatively taken by January 4. Assembly polls are due in Uttarakhand in 2022.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah offers prayers at Hanuman Garhi temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh

8,000 people are employed in the state through homestay programs. We are working to make it a means of our economy in the coming years. By 2025, Uttarakhand will be one of the leading states in the country: Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami in Dehradun

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath distributes smartphones among Asha workers for their contribution to Covid control efforts in the state.

In a setback to the Samajwadi Party (SP), its MLC and former Uttar Pradesh minister Shatarudra Prakash joined the BJP at the saffron party's state headquarters here on Friday. A socialist since his student days, Prakash joined the BJP in the presence of the party's state unit chief Swatantra Dev Singh.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which will be contesting next year's Goa Assembly elections, on Thursday said its candidates will have to sign legal affidavits mentioning that they will not quit the party to join another one. The Arvind Kejriwal-led party has taken this decision to stem defections as it feels that the coastal state is "notorious" for politicians jumping to other parties, an AAP leader said. The AAP has decided to contest all 40 seats in Goa assembly polls, scheduled to be held in February 2022. "Goa, despite being a tiny state is notorious for political defections," AAP leader Amit Palekar told reporters.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday spoke to a Dalit girl of Amethi who was brutally beaten up by a group of people and assured her of all possible help at every level for getting justice. A video of the incident in which the girl is seen being beaten up has gone viral on the social media. A five-member delegation of the Congress, led by its Uttar Pradesh unit chief Ajay Kumar Lallu, went to the girl's house and got her to speak to Priyanka Gandhi on the phone.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has said that the BJP is conspiring to end reservation in the government jobs by privatisation. He said that this would hit youths aspiring for government jobs. Akhilesh, while addressing meetings on Thursday night, described the 2022 Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh as a historic opportunity for the deprived and the jobless to protect Indian Constitution and avail the right enshrined therein.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of the Major Dhyan Chand Sports University in Meerut on January 2. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had announced the setting up of the university to promote sports in the state.

The Income Tax department on Friday conducted raids at 50 premises belonging to Samajwadi Party MLC Pushapraj Jain (Pammi Jain), who also deals in the perfumery compounds business, and another businessman Babu Mian in Uttar Pradesh's Kannauj. Babu Mian also deals in the perfume business and lives in Kannauj. A team of the Mumbai Income Tax Department is conducting the raids. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday claimed that while the previous state governments spent their money on burial grounds the BJP government works on developing religious spots, which boosts tourism and also generates employment. Adityanath made the ‘kabristan’ (graveyards) jibe at the party’s Jan Vishwas Yatra in Maharjganj, where he inaugurated or laid the foundation stones for 77 development projects worth Rs 437 crore. “The previous governments spent money on `kabristans’, our government spends it on beautification of places associated with deities, which are places of faith,” he said. This helps tourism, generates employment and boosts the economy, he said.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday invoked Lord Krishna in Pilibhit and said his government is reviving the flute industry in the district. "Work is going on to restore the flute, which Lord Krishna had once played. Your flute was recognised almost 5,000 years ago by Lord Shri Krishna. But, the previous governments had forgotten this," he said, according to a BJP statement. "We have linked this industry (flute) with one district, one product (scheme), so that local traditions could move forward," Adityanath said addressing BJP’s Jan Vishvas Yatra.

Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Thursday targeted former chief ministers Parkash Singh Badal and Amarinder Singh for allegedly "looting" the state over the last 25 years. He blamed the previous governments led by Badal and Singh for leaving the state with a heavy debt burden. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

BJP president JP Nadda has said that the party's government at the Centre and the state has rid Manipur of the "atmosphere of fear" that was witnessed during the Congress rule in the state and urged the people to bring the party back to power in the March 2022 state election. The BJP government in the state helmed by N Biren Singh has established peace, effected integration, provided infrastructure, empowered women and helped in their uplift in all spheres of life, he said.

Former Uttarakhand state election commissioner Suvardhan Shah resigned from Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) primary membership. He joined AAP in presence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal last year

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be in Ayodhya today where he will pay a visit to Ram Lalla and the Hanumangarhi temple and address a rally to bolster the BJP's campaign.