Assembly Election 2022 LIVE Updates: Sidhu attacks Amarinder, calls him Centre's 'parrot'

Former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday lashed out at Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Randhawa and Punjab Congress President Navjot Sidhu for their ‘reckless and ‘irresponsible response to the grave security breach during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent Punjab visit. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister's rally in Ferozepur had to be cancelled due to a security lapse after some protesters blocked a route and forced his convoy to spend about 20 minutes on a flyover. The Prime Minister was enroute the National Martyrs Memorial at Hussainiwala when the incident happened.

The Election Commission has withdrawn the appointment of actor Sonu Sood as a state icon for Punjab, state Chief Electoral Officer S. Karuna Raju said on Friday. He said the EC has withdrawn his appointment on January 4, but gave no details. Sood, who belongs to Punjab, was appointed as the state icon by the EC in November last year.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday distributed smart phones and tablets to students and said this will help them have access to information about employment opportunities and prepare for competitive exams. “Smart phones and tablets are being distributed among 1 crore students in the state which will enable them to have access to digital content for free. The youth will have access to the information about employment schemes by just a click. The government is also making arrangements for preparation of competitive exams and the students won't need to go outside for the same,” he said.

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. He will also hold a series of meetings with his party workers and booth level leaders during his 5-day stay in the poll-bound state.

At least, farmers should have let the PM go to the stage. He would have seen the empty seats & felt good. At least, that day he would have told the reason behind the introduction & repeal of the 3 farm laws: SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, on PM Modi's Ferozepur security breach

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who had cancelled her major poll rallies due to the Covid-19 surge, will start campaigning for the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls virtually from Saturday. As per the grand old party, the campaign will start from 2 p.m. on Facebook, YouTube pages of the party and social media handles. People can also ask questions on the platforms and Priyanka will reply, the party said.

Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Friday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, over the issue of his security breach during his visit to the state. Sidhu said, "You not only belong BJP, but are also the PM of this country. Every child of the country knows the value of your life. You are insulting this state, its Punjabiyat by saying that your life was in danger here". Sidhu made the remark during a press conference in Chandigarh today. Commenting over the proposition of President's rule in Punjab, Sidhu said, "They (BJP) must stop playing politics. You will get a befitting reply here. All those talking about President's Rule (in Punjab), are your (BJP) parrots". Read more here 

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday demanded dismissal of Charanjit Singh Channi-led Punjab government and holding of election under the President's Rule. He alleged that the Congress dispensation was unable to ensure law and order in the state citing Wednesday Prime Minister “security breach” as evidence. Khattar along with State Home Minister Anil Vij and State BJP chief OP Dhankar submitted a memorandum to Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya at the Raj Bhavan here regarding the Ferozepur incident.

BJP must stop playing politics. You will get a befitting reply here. All those talking about President's Rule (in Punjab), are your (BJP) parrots: Punjab Congress Chief Navjot Singh Sidhu in Chandigarh

The Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) that is making its electoral debut in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, has switched to the digital mode in the prevailing Covid situation and has sought applications online from candidates wanting to contest the elections.

In the last five years, the central govt has approved an amount of Rs 1 lakh crore for the state. Health services are expanding rapidly here. The central government has approved the opening of the AIIMS satellite centre in the Kumaon district. It was also announced on 15th Aug'21 that we will give free tablets to the students of Class 10 and 12. An amount of Rs 12,000 each has been transferred to 1 lakh 69 thousand students in the state via Direct Bank Transfer for tablet: Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami

Goa Forward Party (GFP) president Vijai Sardesai has said that time has come for his outfit and those opposed to the BJP to come together for the upcoming assembly elections in the coastal state. 

A group of BJP MPs on Friday held protests near Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Parliament complex here against the breach in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's security in the Congress-ruled Punjab. 

Jayant meets Akhilesh, discuss poll issues

RLD president Jayant Chaudhary on Thursday met Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav here and had detailed discussions on the upcoming assembly elections which the two parties have decided to fight together.

The Union Health Ministry on Friday said that it presented the status of Covid spread and vaccination coverage in the five poll-bound states with the Election Commission of India. The meeting was held on Thursday.

A group of BJP MPs on Friday held protests near Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Parliament complex here against the breach in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's security in the Congress-ruled Punjab.
 

West Bengal BJP on Friday sought deferment by at least one month of elections to four municipal corporations, scheduled to be held on January 22, and control on the number of people attending the upcoming Gangasagar Mela in view of a massive upsurge in COVID-19 cases. State BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya also urged the governments of other states from where pilgrims come in large numbers to the annual fair to impose some restrictions at their end.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta on Friday told the Supreme Court that the breach in security of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Punjab was "rarest of the rare issue" and "potential of cross-border terrorism".

Amid various political parties seeking to woo voters with promises of free power and other freebies ahead of the assembly polls, the Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday announced a 50 percent cut on farmers’ electricity bills for running their tubewells. The Chief Minister's office made the announcement on its official Twitter handle that said the decision to slash the power bills has been taken in the interest of farmers. Read to know more 

Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar on Thursday said that the 'double engine' of BJP has failed to give employment to youths and address the issues of Bahujan Samaj. Kumar was interacting with the Bahujan Samaj of Goa in the 'Bahujan Samvad' programme at Mapusa.

We are providing smartphones and tablets to the students of the state. Parents of many poor children find it difficult to afford tablets and smartphones. Government is arranging to make available the cost of running tablet-smartphone to those children under digital access: UP CM 

Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav is likely to visit Ayodhya this weekend to lead the party’s Vijay Yatra rally. This will be Yadav’s first visit to Ayodhya during the ongoing election campaign. 

The government on Friday termed as misleading media reports stating that the Union Health Health Ministry has suggested to the Election Commission that there is no cause of "alarm or concern in view of very few cases of Omicron in poll-bound states". "These reports have a very high tendency to start a mis-information campaign in the midst of a pandemic," the Union Health Ministry said in a statement. "Some media reports are suggesting that Union Ministry of Health has in a meeting with the Election Commission of India (ECI) yesterday suggested that the 'Covid situation in the country is nothing to be worried about' and 'there is no cause of alarm or concern in the view of very few cases of Omicron in the poll bound states'. Such reports are highly ill-informed, misleading and far from the truth," the ministry said. The Union Health Secretary, in his meeting with the ECI on Thursday, presented the overall global and domestic status of spread of Covid, as well as Omicron, in the country.

A case has been registered against a man for allegedly brandishing a knife during an event organized by the Congress party in Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand. Former CM Harish Rawat was also present at the event: Udham Singh Nagar Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dilip Singh Kunwar

In the last five years, 5.37 lakh new voters were added in the state which includes 3,11,106 female voters & 2,25,969 male voters. The number of voters in the age group of 18 to 19 has also increased from 46,765 to 1,58,008: Sowjanya, State Chief Electoral Officer in Uttarakhand 

So far, the party has announced the names of 104 candidates

Three-member panel formed to probe security lapse during PM Modi's Punjab visit has reached Ferozepur: Govt Sources

Punjab government on Friday submitted a two-page report to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on PM security breach issue. Union Home Ministry had sought a report from the Punjab government on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's security breach within two days. 

Even as the Congress seems to be a divided house on the issue of Prime Minister's security breach, party MP from Punjab Manish Tewari on Friday termed the two different probes by the Centre and state as a case of polarising. He demanded that there should be one probe committee.

The election expenditure limit for candidates has been hiked to Rs 95 lakh from Rs 70 lakh for Lok Sabha elections and to Rs 40 lakh from Rs 28 lakh for assembly polls, the Election Commission said on Thursday citing a Law Ministry notification.
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