Roadshows, rallies banned in North Goa amid Covid surge

Dr Manohar Singh was seeking Congress ticket from Bassi Pathana but the party nominated MLA Gurpreet Singh GP from the assembly seat.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Friday demanded transfer of state intelligence officials, including the top brass, who face charges of compromising the security of Punjab and indulging in electoral malpractices to provide "illegal, illegitimate and immoral" help to the ruling Congress. Addressing the media here, Harcharan Bains, principal advisor to Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, said the party has filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India, detailing how the state's intelligence wing was used by the Congress by placing it at the disposal of a private agency to illegally acquire inputs about prospective candidates of opposition parties and ways to threaten them to withdraw from the upcoming Assembly elections scheduled on February 20.

Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia on Friday accused Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu of having "failed" the people of Amritsar East as their representative as he filed his nomination papers from the assembly constituency here. Majithia also alleged that Sidhu, who is the sitting MLA from Amritsar East, has not done anything for the people of his constituency. The SAD has fielded Majithia against Sidhu from Amritsar East seat. 

The Goa BJP on Friday claimed to have managed to rein in a potential rebellion by Union Minister of State for Tourism Shripad Naik's son Siddesh, who was denied a ticket to contest the Cumbharjua assembly seat for the February 14 elections.

With eye on Dalit votes in the assembly polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has planned a week-long celebration of Guru Ravidas Jayanti. 
The BJP SC Morcha will celebrate the Ravidas Jayanti (birth anniversary) from February 13 to 20, and hold programmes at block levels in the poll-bound states. Schedule Castes (SC) comprise around 32 per cent of the Punjab population, the highest among all states in the country, and around 21 per cent of Uttar Pradesh's total population. They play a crucial and decisive role in Punjab and their support is also important for the political parties in Uttar Pradesh.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday said if her party comes to power in Uttar Pradesh, it will set up a special recruitment commission to streamline the selection process for all vacant government posts. In an interaction with youths, including job aspirants, from the state in Delhi, she also assured that exams will be conducted and results declared in a time-bound manner. "The Congress will ensure that the calendar of all recruitments is released and is followed. We will ensure that exams are conducted and results are declared on a set date," Priyanka Gandhi, who is steering the party's campaign for the seven-phase Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, said. The interaction, in which she discussed the state of government job recruitments, was streamed on social medial platforms.

Seventy eight days in jail gave an opportunity to introspect, to understand yourself and spare time for self reflection that helped improve mental and physical health. Of course, he lost seven kgs weight also. These were the observations of two-time legislator and Congress firebrand candidate from Bholath assembly constituency, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, on Friday, who a day earlier got regular bail from the Punjab and Haryana High Court and was released from a Patiala jail. He was arrested in connection with a money-laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate on November 11, 2021.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday hit out at the Samajwadi Party and its president Akhilesh Yadav, calling them supporters of Pakistan and "worshippers of Jinnah". Adityanath's remark ostensibly refers to the SP president's recent statements on Pakistan and its founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

The ruling BJP has managed to contain dissent in most areas in the run up to the Goa Assembly polls scheduled for February 14, but four seats, including the prestigious Panaji constituency, continue to be a cause for worry. In Panaji, Utpal Parrikar, the son of former chief minister and BJP's tallest leader from Goa so far late Manohar Parrikar, is up as an Independent against the ruling party's Atanasio Monserratte, who had quit the Congress in 2019. In Mandrem, former chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar, who was the BJP's manifesto committee head, has quit the party and is contesting as an Independent against Dayanand Sopte, who had beaten him as a Congressman in 2017. In Sanguem, Savitri Kavlekar, the wife of deputy chief minister Chandrakant Kavelar, who had joined the BJP from the Congress, has rebelled and is contesting against the ruling party's Subhash Phaldesai, a former MLA. Sanguem, which is near Quepem Assembly seat from where Chandrakant Kavlekar is the BJP nominee, was represented in the current House by Independent legislator Prasad Gaonkar, who is now the Congress nominee. In Cumbharjua, the BJP has managed to calm down Siddhesh, son of Union minister Shripad Naik, who had announced he would contest as an Independent candidate after being denied a ticket by the ruling party. However, BJP candidate Jainita Madkaikar, wife of sitting MLA Pandurang Madkaikar, will have to contend with former colleague Rohan Harmalkar, who is contesting as an Independent candidate from Cumbharjua.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday held a door-to-door campaign and addressed poll meetings in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district, appealing to people to bring the BJP back to power in the state to ensure good governance for another five years. Shah, who also offered prayers at the Rudranath temple, distributed pamphlets listing the work done by the BJP government during its tenure and what the party plans to do during the next five years if it returns to power. He also targeted the previous Congress dispensation, describing it as a government of corruption and scams. Addressing a gathering of ex-servicemen, Shah said, "You gave your blessings to us in 2014 and 2019 by giving all the five Lok Sabha seats to us.

Households in Uttar Pradesh will get 300 units of electricity for free if people return Samajwadi Party to power in the upcoming assembly elections to be held early this year, party president Akhilesh Yadav promised on Friday in a joint media interaction with RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary. 

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday in a joint press conference with RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary said if his party is voted to power in the upcoming elections then sugarcane growers will get the price of their produce within 15 days. 

Former Maharashtra CM and Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan here on Friday accused the BJP of betraying ex-servicemen while alleging that the ruling party seeks votes in the name of the Army’s bravery but attacks soldiers’ rights every day. Releasing his party’s "white paper" over it ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, the leader alleged that the BJP cheated ex-servicemen over One Rank, One Pension scheme, failed to fill vacant Army posts and took away facilities. The BJP government collects votes in the name of the bravery of the Army but attacks the rights of soldiers every day, he said, adding the Narendra Modi-led Union government made the "biggest cut" in the Army budget in 60 years.

Shiromani Akali Dal leader and candidate from Amritsar East, Bikram Singh Majithia on Friday filed his nomination on Friday for the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections.

Just days ahead of Punjab assembly elections, in a new development, state Congress Chief Navjot Singh Sidhu's sister alleged that the Congress leader had deserted their old mother after their father's death. Alleging that Navjot Sidhu a 'cruel person', Suman Toor said that Sidhu abandoned their mother and "ended everything for the sake of money".  Read more here 

The BJP on Friday released a list of 91 candidates for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, giving tickets to 13 ministers and repeating its sitting MLA in Ayodhya. The party dropped Co-Operative Affairs Minister Mukut Bihari Verma, whose son Gaurav will be contesting from his Kaiserganj seat in Bahraich. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s media adviser Shalabh Mani Tripathi has been fielded from Deoria. The BJP repeated its sitting MLA from Ayodhya, Ved Prakash Gupta. The ministers who have been fielded include Siddharth Nath Singh, who will contest from Allahabad West, and Nand Gopal Gupta 'Nandi', who will be in the fray from Allahabad South. Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi has also found a place in the list.

I don't take his (Amit Shah) invitation seriously. Western UP is not all about Jats. They're trying to create a further division. They don't talk about real issues but talk of 80-20 percent, Jinnah, Aurangzeb. We've taken a decision & will stand by it: RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary

Union Home Minister & BJP leader Amit Shah said that the Modi govt increased the defence budget to Rs 4.78 crore in 2021-22. Several works are being done by the Modi govt to modernise the Army & to make the country self-reliant in the production of weapons. PM Modi has implemented One Rank One Pension scheme, this tells our priority. In 2013-14, the defence budget was Rs 2 lakh crore...:

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has alleged that his helicopter is being not being allowed to fly from Delhi to Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh where is scheduled to address an election rally along with RLD's Jayant Chaudhary. 

BSP president Mayawati on Friday accused the BJP and Samajwadi Party of colluding to give a communal and casteist colour to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. In a tweet, the BSP supremo also cautioned the people against their designs. "The way religion and caste politics dominate in the UP assembly elections and the media is also full of such news, it seems that all this is happening as SP and BJP are colluding to give the elections colour of hatred on Hindu-Muslim and casteist lines. People need to remain alert," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inspects COVID facility at Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Medical College in Meerut

Today Punjab needs a very honest CM. On one hand, we've people with allegations of drugs sale against them, who have allegations of sand mining against them.On the other hand there's a very honest man who never took even 25 paise from anyone: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in Phillaur

Union Home Minister Amit Shah holds door-to-door campaign in Rudraprayag

Amit Shah offers prayers at Baba Rudranath Temple in Rudraprayag ahead of Uttarakhand polls. 

The BSP has released a list of 53 names for the fourth phase of the seven-phase elections in Uttar Pradesh. Sixty seats will go to polls in the fourth phase on February 23. The party has finalised names for most of the seats going to the polls in the fourth phase, the party said while releasing the list. The seats on which elections will be held in the fourth phase include Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Kheri, Sitapur, Hardoi, Unnao, Lucknow, Rae Bareli, Banda and Fatehpur districts. These seats include 14 reserved constituencies. The party has given tickets to five women, 15 Muslims and seven Brahmins among others. Elections in Uttar Pradesh will begin on February 10.

The BJP on Friday named Kishore Upadhyay, a former state Congress president who joined it on Thursday, as its candidate from Tehri assembly seat in Uttarakhand. The party also fielded Brij Bhushan Gairola from Doiwala, from where former Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat is the sitting MLA but has expressed his unwillingness to contest the poll this time. With the announcement, the BJP has now named all its candidates for the February 14 elections to the 70-member assembly. The BJP is in power in the state. Unhappy with shrinking space for him in the Congress, Upadhyay had joined the BJP in the presence of Union Minister and the party's election in-charge for Uttarakhand Pralhad Joshi and Union Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt.

The Hindu Yuva Vahini, which was formed nearly two decades ago to spread the message of nationalism among youths but was almost dormant for the past few years, has become active again to canvass for its founder Yogi Adityanath in the Uttar Pradesh polls. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

The Aam Aadmi Party has released its manifesto for the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections promising free bus service for women, 300 units of free electricity and round-the-clock power supply in the state. The manifesto, named ‘Kejriwal Guarantee Card’, was released by Sanjay Singh, AAP's Uttar Pradesh in-charge at a press conference. The party has promised free bus services for women across the state, 300 units of free electricity and round-the-clock availability of power. It also promised to bring a law to guarantee minimum support price (MSP) for farmers’ produce. “We will waive off all farm loans and provide farmers the cost of their produce within 24 hours. The (MSP) prices of sugarcane will be increased every year and payments will be provided to a farmer the moment he unloads the sugarcane in the mills," Singh, according to a statement, said.

Advocate Seoula Avilia Vas to replace Luizinho Faleiro as Goa TMC candidate from Fatorda Assembly Constituency

Farah Naeem, Congress candidate from Shekhupur Assembly seat in Badaun, says she will not fight the polls. "Party district president Onkar Singh said Muslim women should not get ticket & that I'm a characterless woman. Women are not safe in the district unit," she says

They (BJP) did nothing for farmers. Police force was used against students in Bihar & UP two days back. In such an environment, how can they think that anyone would join hands with them?: RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary on BJP leaders hinting possible post-poll alliance with his party

Sale of promotional merchandise related to the upcoming UP Elections 2022 drop in Lucknow. "There've been no sales with every rally & promotion being digital, we cannot sell any merchandise; our lakhs of money are now stuck & we're unemployed," said a shopkeeper, Ayushi Srivastava

Akhilesh Yadav (SP chief) & BJP have a washing machine that gets rid of all criminal charges & makes a person a popular minister. The country's watching their opportunistic hypocrisy: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, over polarisation claims on AIMIM in UP

Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami in Khatima said that polling would be about 'deeds VS misdeeds'. Work done here under PM's leadership in last 5 yrs has been seen by people. They've also seen the misdeeds during Congress rule. The difference is clear, People will choose deeds & not misdeeds. I'm indebted to people of this region. They blessed me whenever I contested polls. This time too women are coming in large numbers, the elderly & youth are coming. I'm receiving blessings & support of all.

Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party releases a list of 3 candidates for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Elections

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami offered prayers at a gurdwara and held door to door campaigning in Khatima

AITC National Vice-President Luizinho Faleiro, has announced the withdrawal of his candidature as a TMC candidate from Fatorda. "I an giving the baton to a young woman, a professional. That has been the policy of the party - to empower the women," he said. "I've taken this decision after consulting our party's national chairman because I would like to fight and campaign all over Goa for all the TMC candidates so that they can perform well. My earlier experience says that when I fought the election last time, we could not do justice to them. To replace me, we have a very able Seoula Vas, who will represent the Fatorda constituency," he said.

The Supreme Court on Thursday orally asked the Punjab government not to take any coercive step against SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia till January 31 when it hears his pre-arrest bail plea in a drugs case. A bench comprising Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justices A S Bopanna and Hima Kohli took note of the submissions of senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Majithia, that the plea seeking anticipatory bail plea needed urgent hearing as the accused has been facing "political vendetta". The pre-arrest bail plea of Majithia, who has been booked under the NDPS Act, was dismissed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on January 24.

The BJP fielded two Congress turncoats and its former Union minister Vijay Sampla for next month's Punjab Assembly polls as it released its second list of 27 candidates on Thursday. Later in the night, the party announced that it would field Jagmohan Singh Raju from the hotly contested Amritsar East seat against Congress state unit chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and senior Akali Dal leader Bikramjit Singh Majithia, the brother-in-law of SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal. The party also fielded Ram Chawla from Amritsar Central constituency and Manjit Singh Manna from Baba Bakala (SC) seat. The BJP is contesting the polls in alliance with former chief minister Amarinder Singh's Punjab Lok Congress and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa-led Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt). The BJP will fielding its candidates on 65 seats according to the seat-sharing arrangement with its allies.

A total of 91 nominations were filed for the next month's Punjab assembly polls on Thursday. Prominent among those who filed their nominations included minister and sitting MLA and Congress candidate Bharat Bhushan Ashu from Ludhiana West and Aam Aadmi Party leader Aman Arora from Sunam. A total of 103 nominations have been filed so far, said Punjab's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) S Karuna Raju. The nomination process, which started on January 25, will continue till February 1. The scrutiny of nominations will be done on February 2 and the last date of withdrawal of candidature is February 4. Voting for Punjab's 117 Assembly seats will be held on February 20 and the counting will take place on March 10.

The BJP has signed an “agreement of cooperation” with several party members who might be fielded in the upcoming Manipur assembly elections, in a bid to prevent switching of allegiance before the polls. The members include those who could be nominated in Keisamthong assembly constituency in Imphal West district and Sugnu in Kakching district, sources said. "The party has signed an agreement of cooperation with many probable candidates in the presence of Chief Minister N Biren Singh, so that they don’t switch sides amid the developing political scenario" BJP’s chief spokesperson in the state, Ch Bijoy, told PTI. The saffron party has been conducting “sensitisation” meetings to ensure bonhomie and cooperation among members, who are likely to be fielded in the polls. The elections for Manipur's 60-member assembly will be held in two phases on February 27 and March 3, while counting of votes will take place on March 10. The BJP, which has witnessed an exodus in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh with three ministers recently quitting the party, is yet to announce its list of candidates for the Manipur assembly elections. It had formed government in Manipur in 2017 despite bagging just 21 seats compared to Congress' 28 by joining hands with two local parties - NPP and NPF. Later, BJP's own strength increased to 30 after some MLAs defected from Congress and other parties.

Seeking to defeat the BJP-led government in Manipur, Congress on Thursday joined hands with five other political parties to form a pre-poll alliance, the name and common minimum programme of which will be announced soon. Congress will work together and share responsibility with CPI, CPI(M), RSP, JD(S) and Forward Block in the forthcoming assembly elections, MPCC president N Loken told reporters. He said that the parties have joined hands with a common goal to defeat the BJP. Congress Legislative Party leader O Ibobi, addressing the press conference at Congress Bhavan, said that barring Kakching, where the grand old party is likely to have a friendly contest with CPI, the alliance has decided to put up common candidates in the remaining 59 assembly seats. He said that the Congress has decided not to field any candidate in Khurai, and instead support CPI in the constituency. CPI state secretary L Sotinkumar said that the name of the alliance and its common minimum programme will soon be announced.

To firm up their alliance further, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and Rashtriya Lok Dal president Jayant Chaudhary will address a joint rally in Muzaffarnagar on Friday. This is their first joint rally after the announcement of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. The rally is being held after Union Home Minister Amit Shah extended an invitation to Jayant Chaudhary to quit the alliance with SP and join BJP. Jayant had responded by saying that he 'never flips like a coin'. The RLD and SP are also facing trouble on some seats over their choice of candidates and the two leaders will make an effort on Friday to explain the need for the alliance. The rally comes ten days before the first phase of elections begin on February 10 when districts in western Uttar Pradesh go to vote.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday attacked Akhilesh Yadav for his comments on Pakistan.

Apart from being a multi-cornered fight with several parties in fray, next month's Goa Assembly elections will be an interesting affair for another reason - as many as five couples will be testing their electoral luck. The BJP has fielded two couples and also given candidature to one of its leader, while his wife will be contesting as an independent. The Congress and the TMC have given ticket to one couple each. BJP leader and Health Minister Vishwajit Rane is contesting from Valpoi Assembly segment, while his wife, Deviya, has filed her nomination from Poriem constituency on BJP ticket. Interestingly, Poriem seat is currently represented by her father-in-law Pratapsinh Rane on Congress ticket. The Congress has given ticket to Pratapsinh Rane from this Assembly segment. Deviya Rane is contesting her maiden election. The BJP has also given ticket to Atanasio Monserratte from Panaji Assembly constituency and to his wife, Jeniffer, from Taleigao seat. Deputy Chief Minister Chandrakant Kavlekar and his wife Savitri Kavlekar are also in the fray. The Congress has fielded Michael Lobo and his wife Delilah from Calangute and Siolim constituency respectively. TMC has given ticket to Kiran Kandolkar from Aldona constituency, while his wife, Kavita, would fight the polls as the party candidate from Thivim constituency.

Denied ticket from Panaji by the ruling BJP, his late father's constituency, former Goa CM Manohar Parrikar's son Utpal Parrikar on Thursday filed his nomination papers from here as an independent candidate. He had quit the BJP last week. Speaking to India TV after filing his papers, Utpal said that he will not return to the BJP fold even if he wins elections. 

Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi & State Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu assured me that whoever will lead (CM face) Punjab the other person will support him. Party workers will decide (name of CM face): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Punjab. READ STORY

Samajwadi Party (SP) President Akhilesh Yadav has warned people against opinion polls ahead of Uttar Pradesh assembly calling them “opium polls". "Opinion Polls in reality are Opium polls. We need to be careful of them,” Yadav said. "BJP leaders want to take the election in a different direction with their statements. All kinds of misconceptions are being spread on WhatsApp," he said. The SP had earlier written to the Election Commission demanding ban on opinion polls on news channels, terming them a violation of election code of conduct.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday attacked SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, saying "goonda raj" will return to Uttar Pradesh if his party comes to power in the Assembly polls. Addressing "influential voters" during a door-to-door campaign, he also accused the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the BSP of promoting dynastic politics and casteism. Shah paid obeisance at the Banke Bihari temple before starting his door-to-door campaign for the state Assembly polls.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit Uttarakhand today to bolster the BJP's campaign ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls. The Home Minister will commence his visit by offering prayers at Baba Rudranath Temple in Rudraprayag.