Assembly Election LIVE Updates: BJP to seek people's suggestions from Monday to prepare 'sankalp patra' for UP

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday alleged that the ruling BJP is targeting the minority Jain community and does not want it to prosper. The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said this referring to central agencies' raids on the premises of two perfume traders in the state recently. Both traders--Piyush Jain and Pushpraj Jain--belong to the community. Pushpraj Jain is also a Samajwadi Party (SP) MLC.

Shiromani Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Sunday said women of Punjab would repose their faith in her party which has "always safeguarded" their aspirations and defeat the "conspiracies to weaken" it. Addressing a gathering of women in the border belt area, she asserted that conspiracies to weaken the SAD were nothing new and were always done ahead of elections in Punjab.

Rebutting Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi's assertions regarding regularisation of the services of contractual employees, Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Sunday described them as "factually incorrect".

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Manipur Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister Awangbow Newmai after holding a meeting with the Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav on Sunday, said that the Centre has assured to provide Rs 97 crore to protect the famous Loktak Lake.

Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Sunday alleged that the BJP is using central agencies to arm-twist and browbeat political opponents, and trigger defections. Addressing a rally organised by local MLA Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal, Sidhu said rival political leaders are being asked to either join the BJP or be put behind bars.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of development projects worth Rs 260 crore in the Vikasnagar constituency. All departments have been asked to prepare a development roadmap for 10 years so that Uttarakhand emerges as the leading state when it completes 25 years of its existence, Dhami said at a 'Vijay Sankalp Yatra' in Vikasnagar along with Union Minister Narendra Tomar. He said projects worth more than Rs 1 lakh crore have been sanctioned by the Centre for Uttarakhand over the last five years, and the state government is committed to fulfilling them.

Delhi Chief Minister & AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal to visit Uttarakhand tomorrow. He will hold a public rally at Parade Ground in Dehradun.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday visited Meerut in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh and hailed it and adjoining areas as a "centre of culture and strength" which has been giving "new directions to Independent India".

Amid the scare of a possible third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, uncertainty looms large over upcoming polls in the four municipal corporations in West Bengal, as both political parties and the State Election Commission (SEC) are undecided whether they should be held on the scheduled date of January 22 or postponed.

Newly elected municipal councillor from the Congress Harpreet Kaur Babla joined the BJP on Sunday, days after Chandigarh Municipal Corporation polls threw up a hung verdict. Harpreet, the councillor from ward number 10, switched over to the saffron party along with her husband and senior Congress leader Devinder Babla in the presence of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, local MP Kirron Kher, Chandigarh BJP chief Arun Sood and former Chandigarh BJP president Sanjay Tandon here. Khattar welcomed the Bablas into the BJP fold and said it was a matter of happiness that both quit the Congress.

AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday tore into Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, saying he only constructed crematoriums in the state and made "arrangements" to dispatch a large number of people there, apparently referring to the second Covid wave. Addressing his party’s rally in Lucknow, the Delhi CM said coronavirus arrangements in UP earned a bad name for the state and now in a cover-up exercise, the state government is splurging public money on advertisements.

Hitting out at previous governments in Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said gangsters and criminals used to play their own games here earlier but the Yogi Adityanath government now plays "jail-jail" with them. PM was addressing a public meeting after laying the foundation stone for Major Dhyan Chand Sports University in Meerut. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Manipur and Tripura on 4th Jan. PM will inaugurate & lay the foundation stone of 22 developmental projects worth over Rs 4800 Cr in Imphal and will inaugurate the New Integrated Terminal Building at Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport in Agartala: 

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday launched election campaign for the upcoming UP assembly elections with a rally in Lucknow. Addressing the rally, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal kept his speech simple, straight and short. He did not talk about caste, community and crime. Instead, he spoke about schools, hospitals and free electricity.

Working President of the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Uttarakhand unit Anant Ram Chauhan has joined the Congress in Delhi after meeting Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Accompanied by former MLA Nav Prabhat, Chauhan before meeting the Congress General Secretary has met state incharge Devendra Yadav. The Congress considers Chauhan a prize catch as the party is wary of AAP cutting into its prospects in the hill state.

AAP leader Raghav Chadha on Sunday slammed the Charanjit Singh Channi government in Punjab for not arresting Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia who has been booked under the NDPS Act. Alleging that Majithia is “roaming around openly”, Chadha claimed that pictures of the Akali leader surfaced on social media on Saturday showing him paying obeisance at the Golden Temple. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader alleged the Channi government did not want to arrest Majithia as there was a “setting” between it and the Badals.

This university worth Rs 700 crores will provide international sports facilities to the youth. Every year, more than 1000 girls and boys will graduate from here. Earlier, only criminals and mafias used to play & tournaments of illegal land grabbing happened, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in Meerut today

Ahead of laying the foundation stone of the Major Dhyan Chand Sports University in Meerut, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today tried his hands at gym equipment at the sports university.

The university will house facilities for shooting, squash, gymnastics, weightlifting, archery, canoeing and kayaking among other facilities.

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister addresses rally in Meerut. Watch Video

BJP vice-president Dilip Ghosh on Sunday questioned Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee's visit to Tripura, claiming that there was nothing left for the party in the Northeastern state following the civic polls there. Maintaining that the TMC should instead pay attention to the development of West Bengal, he claimed that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's pet project 'Duare Sarkar' (government at doorsteps), whose another edition was to commence from Sunday, was cancelled owing to paucity of funds.

"TMC has nothing left in Tripura, why is he (Abhishek Banerjee) going? People of Tripura have made it clear that such party will not survive there," Ghosh told reporters.

He said that instead the TMC government should ensure that the people of West Bengal do not have to go outside in search of jobs.

PM Modi lays foundation stone of Major Dhyan Chand Sports University in Meerut

Meerut was Major Dhyan Chand's 'karmsthal'. Centre named the country's biggest sports award after him & now Meerut's Sports University will be dedicated to Major Dhyan Chand Ji: PM Narendra Modi 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi lays the foundation stone of Major Dhyan Chand Sports University in Meerut

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today addressed a rally in Meerut

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in Meerut today, will address an election rally in the city

In an attempt to reach out to youth ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, the BJP has planned a series of events to connect with young voters. BJYM, the party's youth wing, will explain to young voters about the work done by the Narendra Modi government in the last seven years.

BJYM's Uttar Pradesh unit is organising youth conferences in all the districts to highlight the youth-centric policies and schemes of the Modi and the Yogi Adityanath governments.

Ahead of the Uttarakhand Assembly elections this year, former IPS officer and Uttarakhand Aam Aadmi Party leader Anant Ram Chauhan on Sunday joined Congress.

He joined the party in the presence of Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in New Delhi.

Eager crowd gives a warm welcome to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh

PM Modi's convoy passes through Meerut Expressway. The prime minister has reached Meerut, where he will lay foundation stone of Major Dhyan Chand Sports University today

PM Narendra Modi today travelled from Delhi to Meerut through the Meerut Expressway

PICTURES - Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with CM Yogi Adityanath & Governor Anandiben Patel, visit the Government Freedom Struggle Museum in Shaheed Smarak, Meerut

Ahead of the Assembly elections, former Sarpanch of Aquem Baixo, Siddesh Bhagat has joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the national capital as All India Vice President of AAP Youth wing and State Coordinator for the State of Goa.

"Siddesh Bhagat Panch and Former Sarpanch, VP Aquem Baixo, join AAP as All India Vice President of AAP Youth wing and State Coordinator for the State of Goa," AAP Goa said in a tweet.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with UP CM Yogi Adityanath & UP Governor Anandiben Patel pay respects at the Shahid Smarak in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh

PM Modi pays his obeisance at the Kali Paltan Mandir in Meerut, along with UP CM Yogi Adityanath. The prime minister will later lay the foundation stone of 'Major Dhyan Chand Sports University'

Congress has slammed the Centre's decision to defer its decision of hiking the GST on textiles from the existing 5 per cent to 12 per cent, and said that the move has been made only until the counting of votes in the upcoming Assembly elections.

Congress National spokesperson Gourav Vallabh said, "The first commodity is clothes, readymade apparel that had the GST of 5 per cent has been increased to 12 per cent. When the finance ministers of our states objected to the move, then the decision has been deferred till February 28. It is only until the counting of votes in the upcoming assembly elections."

"The GST has been increased on footwear from 5 per cent to 12 per cent. The increase is applicable on footwear worth lesser than Rs 1,000. The third is Fast Moving Consumer Goods according to which the prices of oil, soaps, shampoo etc will increase by 10 per cent. All the companies are increasing the prices but the Central government is a mute spectator," he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi offers prayers at Augurnath temple in UP's Meerut

The BSP has slammed Akhilesh Yadav over his announcement of free electricity and perks for farmers by saying that Samajwadi Party is a party of lies, propaganda and deceit and people of UP know this very well.

"Samajwadi Party is a party of lies and propaganda. It is a party of deceit. It creates religious conflict in society in association with the Bharatiya Janata Party. Instead of electricity, they generate loot, deceit and lies," said BSP's Sudhindra Bhadoria.

"Whenever SP government has been formed in Uttar Pradesh, the state has been pushed into riots, darkness and loot. This time too, on the occasion of elections, they are making such false promises which can never be fulfilled," Bhadoria added

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday promised completely free electricity for irrigation to farmers and 300 units of free domestic power on forming the government in Uttar Pradesh after the state's assembly elections.

Yadav made this promise on his Twitter handle while wishing people a happy new year.

"The year 2022 will be a new year with a new light for a new Uttar Pradesh. Three hundred units of electricity for households (domestic consumers) will be given for free and electricity for irrigation will be free," he said in his tweet.

Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has threatened to stage a 'dharna' against Governor Banwarilal Purohit for withholding his assent to a bill for regularising 36,000 contractual employees. Channi also accused Purohit of dithering on approving the bill under pressure from the BJP.

The state assembly had passed 'the Punjab Protection and Regularization of Contractual Employees Bill-2021' last November for regularising 36,000 employees working on contract or on ad hoc, temporary or daily basis in different government departments.

"But the governor has stopped the file (relating to the bill) because of some political reasons," Channi said while addressing the media here for giving the report card on 100 days of his regime.

The chief minister said he along with his ministers had already met the governor on the issue while the chief secretary had also visited the governor twice.

Channi said he ans his ministers will meet the governor again on Monday.

Congress leader Lalli Majithia Saturday joined the AAP in the presence of senior party leaders, and was promptly declared the party's candidate from the Majitha assembly constituency. Also, former MP Sadhu Singh's daughter Baljit Kaur and BSP state general secretary Gurbaksh Singh joined the Aam Aadmi Party.

AAP state president Bhagwant Mann and the party's co-in-charge of Punjab affairs Raghav Chadha and Leader of Opposition Harpal Singh Cheema formally inducted all the leaders into the party.

Lalli Majithia had on December 30 resigned from the post of chairman-cum-director, Punjab State Grains Procurement Corporation Limited.

Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Saturday hit out at his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal, saying his health model was a complete failure during the first and second waves of COVID-19. According to an official release, Channi claimed thousands of people from the national capital came to Punjab for treatment during the two waves of the pandemic.

He further said his government is fully ready to tackle a possible third wave of COVID-19.

"Kejriwal's Delhi health model was a complete failure during the first and second waves of coronavirus. Thousands of people ran from Delhi to Punjab for treatment," Channi claimed.

The Himachal Pradesh bypoll results would pave the way for formation of a Congress govt in the state in 2022, said Congress leader and Mandi MP Pratibha Singh. Pratibha Singh, wife of former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said this on the occasion of the release of the calendar in memory of Virbhadra Singh.

She said, "The contribution of Virbhadra Singh to the development of the state was and would be an agenda in the elections in the state. My son and I would follow in the footsteps of Virbhadra Singh and would try to unite the Congress party. I would try to contribute in strengthening the party as much as I can. I will fulfil the responsibility given by the party."

When Lok Sabha elections are held, the BJP and Congress hold public meetings using government funds and the energy they have now during the winter season is derived from the money of the poor people, BSP chief Mayawati has said. 

"The elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Punjab are near. On the first day of this New Year, I urge the citizens to take the chance to vote out the anti-people parties in the upcoming polls this year," said Mayawati.

"The rallies that they hold are from Central fund derived from taxpayers' money. My party cannot afford such big election rallies even if we want to. BSP is a poor man's party which consists of people like labourers," she added.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath warns land grabbers; says 'UP govt won’t hesitate to run bulldozers if needed'

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday slammed Samajwadi Party alleging that the SP government seized land of dalits and property of the poor. Addressing a public rally in Rampur, Adityanath said, "Rampur's knife, which was once used for defence, had become a tool in the Samajwadi Party government to seize the land of dalits and the property of the poor..."

"I heard Babua (Akhilesh Yadav) saying that they will provide free electricity if voted to power. During their tenure, they did not ensure that electricity reached every nook and corner of the state. Then, on what basis will they provide free electricity? Babua should come out in public and apologise to all," he said.

"Today Babua was saying that if our government had been there, then SP government would also have built a grand Ram temple. If Babua had time left from creating cemeteries, he would have thought of Ram Mandir," the chief minister said.

Ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP's national convenor Arvind Kejriwal will launch his party's poll campaign from Lucknow today. During his visit to Uttar Pradesh, Kejriwal will address a rally at Lucknow's Smriti Upvan Maidan. 

The elections in Uttar Pradesh will be held to elect 403 members of the Legislative Assembly in the month of February to March 2022. The main contest will be between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party (SP).

The debutant AAP will contest all 403 seats in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly election.

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari will inaugurate multiple projects in Nagpur on Sunday. The minister will perform the Bhoomipujan ceremony of Genetic Bio-Sciences Private Limited in Nagpur. Later, at noon, he will perform Bhoomipujan and inauguration of various development projects organized by Nagar Parishad, Katol.

Gadkari will also inaugurate Pohekar Multi-speciality Dental Hospital at 01:45 PM, following which, the Union Minister will inaugurate Oxygen Plant at Chaudhary Hospital in Nagpur at 6 PM. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Meerut in Uttar Pradesh today and lay the foundation stone of Major Dhyan Chand Sports University at around 1 pm. As per an official statement issued by Prime Minister's Office, the university will be established at Salawa and Kaili villages of Sardhana town in Meerut at an estimated cost of about Rs 700 crore. The establishment of Major Dhyan Chand Sports University at Meerut will be a major step towards fulfilling this vision, PMO said.

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