Assembly Election 2022 Updates: EC announces poll dates, March 10-BJP govt, tweets Sambit Patra

Countdown began for Assembly elections on Saturday in Goa where new entrant TMC and AAP among others will be taking on the ruling BJP. The Election Commission of India (ECI) earlier in the day announced that election to all 40 Assembly constituencies in the coastal state would be held on February 14. With the announcement, the model code of conduct came into force. The state has 11 lakh-odd eligible voters.

Samajwadi Party spokesperson IP Singh on Saturday shared the screenshot of the itinerary of a flight ticket booked for UP CM Yogi Adityanath. The ticket is for March 11, 2022, one day after the announcement of assembly election results in Uttar Pradesh and is from Lucknow to Gorakhpur.

Read HERE

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday reminded the EC of UP's digital divide and said that he hopes it will review its ban on physical election rallies in poll-bound states till January 15.

AAP leader Ravindra Jugran on Saturday quit the party and rejoined the ruling BJP, saying it was like homecoming for him. Welcoming Jugran back into the party fold, state BJP president Madan Kaushik said the party will benefit from his experience and capabilities in the upcoming Assembly polls

On March 10, there will be a victory march for the youth, farmers, women, workers, traders and common people of UP.  In these elections, the Congress party will fight for the rights of youth, farmers, women, workers, traders and common people. UP will fight and will win: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra

On the announcement of the Assembly polls schedule, BJP president JP Nadda says, "BJP will again receive the blessings of the people in the upcoming Assembly elections. BJP will come back to power with an overwhelming majority."

PM Modi already held various political rallies. He's been touring for the past month &has visited UP CM Yogi more than 10-15 times. There's nothing for the ruling party. Only financially weaker parties will face problems; ruling party is comfortable: Mallikarjun Kharge, LoP in RS

People in Uttar Pradesh are set to bid farewell to the BJP government. These dates will mark a huge change in the state. Rules will be followed by Samajwadi Party, but the Election Commission should make sure the ruling party follows these guidelines: SP chief Akhilesh Yadav

We welcome the announcement of election dates for Uttarakhand. Congress always abides by the code of conduct and the guidelines set by the Election Commission: Congress leader Harish Rawat

We're fully prepared for the polls, as per the dates announced by Election Commission. I'd like to appeal to the Election Commission, as well as the Punjab DGP, to ensure a free & fair election, as per EC's guidelines: Union Minister & Punjab BJP in-charge Gajendra S Shekhawat

Lucknow Municipal Corporation starts removing hoardings installed by political parties as Model Code of Conduct (MCC) comes in effect with the announcement of Assembly election dates.

AAP is preparing for a virtual & door-to-door campaign. I'd like to remind people of Punjab that even a vote for Congress means voting for BJP; this was seen in Goa, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, & now in Chandigarh, so don't fall into that trap. Not only AAP, but the voters of poll-bound states were waiting for a long time to give a chance to Kejriwal's governance & remove the existing betraying govts... Feb 14 has historically been lucky for AAP anyway: Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia

People of Punjab are eagerly looking forward to a strong, stable &development-oriented SAD-BSP govt, committed to peace & communal harmony. Present rulers had reduced governance to a circus joke. People will heave a sigh of relief that it is over: SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal

BSP party workers should comply with Model Code of Conduct, said BSP chief Mayawati

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has tweeted that AAP is ready for polls.

"Welcome to the announcement of the dates of the state elections in the great festival of democracy.  The Bharatiya Janata Party will be able to form a government with a thumping majority with the blessings of Janata Janardan on the basis of the achievements of the double engine government."

"Sooner the better. We are all set for the Big Day that will decide the future of Punjab. I appeal to the people to participate in the carnival of democracy with full spirit while at the same time observing all COVID related protocols," tweets Captain.

BJP's Sambit Patra has tweeted and exuberated confidence that on March 10, BJP is going to form a government. 

Assembly elections in UP, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur will take place in 7 phases combined. CEC Sushil Chandra on Saturday announced that polling for Uttarakhand, Goa and Punjab will take place in a single phase on February 14, whereas Manipur will see polls in 2 phases on February 27 and March 3. Election results will be announced on March 10.

Read full schedule for UP HERE.

The EC on Saturday said that all central and state officials on election duty will be doubly vaccinated. A precautionary dose will also be given to them.

For the upcoming elections, all polling stations will be on the ground floor. They have to be equipped with Covid mitigating facilities like masks,gloves, sanitizers etc. Videography to be done at all sensitive booths identified by the EC. EVMs and VVPATs will be utilized in all the polling stations, said CEC Sushil Chandra.

CEC Sushil Chandra on Saturday said that 2,15,368 polling stations will be set up for upcoming assembly elections in poll-bound states of UP, Punjab, Manipur, Uttarakhand and Goa.

CEC Sushil Chandra on Saturday said that elections will be held for 403 assembly seats in UP, 117 in Punjab, 70 in Uttarakhand, 60 in Manipur and 40 in Goa.

Punjab BJP in-charge Gajendra Shekhawat on Saturday congratulated the newly appointed mayor of Chandigarh Sarabjit Kaur. He said, "I'd like to congratulate BJP's Sarabjit Kaur, MCC's new mayor. Instead of gaining political sympathy by protesting, AAP should rather take legal action. BJP has full potential to further come to power in Punjab". 

Nishad Party chief Sanjay Nishad said the party will fight on 24 seats and a list of candidates for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections will be released soon. 

The Congress is ready to accept the support of any party that is keen to defeat the BJP in the upcoming Goa Assembly elections, senior leader P Chidambaram said on Saturday. His statement has come shortly after Trinamool Congress Party's Goa desk in-charge Mahua Moitra suggested that the Mamata Banerjee-led party was open to a pre-poll alliance with the Goa Forward Party (GFP) and Congress.

Bharatiya Janata Party's Sarabjit Kaur elected as the new mayor of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation with 14 votes. Total votes cast were 28.

Amid the high-voltage political row following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's security breach during Punjab visit, Congress on Friday launched a counter-strategy on social media against Bharatiya Janata Party's attack over the issue. Congress Social Media Department chairman Rohan Gupta said that the BJP-led Centre's intentions are not only to distract the nation from real issues but to defame the Chief Minister Charanjit Singh-led government in Punjab.

After the Uttar Pradesh Congress called off its rallies and woman's marathons in the poll-bound state due to the surge in COVID-19 cases, party's General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is set to launch virtual campaign from today. Priyanka is likely to address the "Ladki hun Lad Sakti hun" campaign through the social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube where she will be interacting with the public by taking questions from them.

The Union government has provided the Y+ category VIP security cover to Punjab MLA Fatehjang Singh Bajwa who recently joined the BJP, according to official sources. The 63-year-old is a legislator from the Qadian assembly seat of the state and switched over the BJP from the Congress on December 28. He is the younger brother of Congress Rajya Sabha member Partap Singh Bajwa.

The district jail administration has shifted several dreaded criminals to different facilities across the state in view of the upcoming Assembly elections in the state, an official said on Friday.

Election Commission to announce dates for assembly polls

Election Commission of India to announce the schedule for Assembly elections to Goa, Punjab, Manipur, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh at 3.30pm today

Delhi Environment Minister and senior AAP leader Gopal Rai will be on a five-day visit to Uttarakhand from Saturday, during which he will address a series of public meetings and pitch for a “novel change” in the state ahead of the assembly polls in coming months.

Political rallies, dharnas and demonstrations have been banned in poll-bound Uttarakhand till January 16 in view of the rising coronavirus cases, according to an official order. In fresh guidelines issued late Friday night that come into effect from Sunday, Chief Secretary SS Sandhu said all political rallies, dharnas, demonstrations and public events like cultural gatherings etc will remain suspended in the state till January 16. The Uttarakhand High Court had recently asked the Election Commission to see if poll rallies could be held virtually and if online voting was possible. Assembly polls in the state are due in a few weeks and the Election Commission may announce the dates this month.

A BJP delegation Friday submitted a memorandum to President Ram Nath Kovind through Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal expressing deep concern over the security breach of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s convoy in Punjab. The 10-member delegation was lead by BJP state president Samir Mohanty.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said the Congress should sack Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi over the security lapse during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to Ferozepur. Sarma also said Congress President Sonial Gandhi and her son Rahul are “protectees” and dependent on non-Congress ruled states' security apparatus whenever they visit such places.

Instead of 'honoring' veteran Congress leaders ahead of the state Assembly elections with dubious "life-long" cabinet status, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) should honour its own veteran leaders like L.K. Advani, who has been banished to the sidelines, says Goa Congress President Girish Chodankar. Chodankar's comment comes days after former Chief Minister and sitting Congress MLA, Pratapsingh Rane was conferred with a "life-long" cabinet status by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. Rane, 82, is yet to accept or deny the decision taken by the Goa cabinet on Thursday.

Election Commission revokes Sonu Sood's appointment as Punjab's 'state icon'

The Election Commission of India has annulled the appointment of actor Sonu Sood as Punjab's "state icon", state Chief Electoral Officer S Karuna Raju said on Friday, with the Bollywood star saying that he voluntarily stepped down as a family member was contesting the upcoming assembly polls. Sood was made the state's "icon" over a year ago by the Election Commission of India.

Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday lauded the efforts of the central government towards making electoral reforms, stressing on the necessity of correct electoral rolls for ensuring proper polls. He was addressing a session on the first day of the two-day Doordarshan conclave "Kitna Badla UP".

AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi alleged on Friday that Muslims in Uttar Pradesh had been neglected by successive governments and accused political parties of making false promises to the community to garner votes. The minorities in Uttar Pradesh have been misused by all political parties and injustice has been done with them, he alleged, adding that many promises were made to them but no government worked for the community's progress.