Assembly Election 2022: Hooda and Channi among Congress star campaigners for 5th phase

The construction of a brand high new Bombay High Court complex in Porvorim, a Panaji suburb, is proof of how Prime Minister Narendra Modi has allowed the independence of the judiciary to grow and flourish, BJP national president JP Nadda said on Friday.

BJP president J P Nadda on Friday said his party was the only one which was faithful to its ideals and believed in "collectiveness", whereas opposition parties were family-run outfits. Addressing a rally in Priol in poll-bound Goa, Nadda said the BJP was also a party that took its governance report card to the people. “BJP is the only party which is faithful to its ideas and believes in collectiveness. Except BJP, all parties have become family-run parties," he said.

BJP leader Uma Bharti on Friday alleged efforts were being made to influence the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls through rhetorics on the 'hijab' row in Karnataka as a part of a conspiracy and advised political parties to refrain from commenting on the issue. 
About Uniform Civil Code, the former union minister said the first consultation on the matter will be held with all the constituents of the society. "Only when it is discussed, we will move forward in that direction," Bharti said. The senior BJP leader said the 'hijab' row is gaining momentum at this point but no political party should speak on this issue.

Rahul Gandhi has accused the Prime Minister of distracting the attention of Goans from the actual issues. Rahul was responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remark in which he "blamed Jawahar Lal Nehru for delay in liberation of Goa". The Congress leader said, "Every party has a particular role, like I see my role as to ensure that Goa gets a government that represents its voice. The Prime Minister also has a role, he cannot come to you and say, I gave you jobs..I have fixed your problems, he can't say that to you, so he has to distract you, his role is to distract."

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, & Charanjit Singh Channi are among party's star campaigners for the fifth phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

We don't do politics by lying to the public. We've done what we have said whether it is article 370 or Ram Temple. We not only do development but also keep our cultural heritage alive. There is no allegation of corruption against us: Defence minister Rajnath Singh in Uttarakhand

Providing 300 units of free electricity to every household, revising MSP of rice, wheat and sugarcane, and making Gairsain the permanent capital of Uttarakhand are among the promises made by the AAP in its manifesto released on Friday. Releasing the manifesto titled 'Vachan Patra' (document of pledges) in Uttarkashi, the Aam Aadmi Party's chief ministerial candidate Ajay Kothiyal signed an affidavit promising to work honestly if elected. He asked people to take legal action against the party if a single promise made in the manifesto is not fulfilled.

Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami conducted a poll campaign in Bazpur, Udhampur Singh Nagar. "Double engine govt provided free ration, vaccines to people. Our govt launched several other schemes for people of different sectors and gave direct benefits to people," he said.

The Election Commission (EC) has warned the Uttarakhand BJP to be more careful in the future and advised it to follow all provisions of the poll code, days after it tweeted a morphed picture of Congress leader Harish Rawat. Last week, the poll panel had issued a notice to the Uttarakhand unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for tweeting a morphed image of former chief minister Rawat, in which he was shown as a Muslim cleric. An EC order issued on Wednesday said the Uttarakhand BJP has submitted that the purpose of the tweet was neither to violate any provisions of the Model Code of Conduct nor to create any differences between groups on the basis of religion, race, caste and language.

"This time we will get a solid majority, and we will act immediately to make sure that we have a government in Goa," says Congress leader Rahul Gandhi

In 6 months my government took more than 650 decisions. We will give Rs 3,000 per month for unemployed youth. We will immediately fill the 24,000 posts that are vacant in government departments. Apart from this, 50,000 more posts will also be filled: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Nainital

The 'Parivarwadi' people have realised that their boat has sunk & hence they've started blaming the EVM & the Election Commission. The truth is that the people of UP are not ready to accept them & their 'Gunda Raj': PM Modi at a public rally in Kasganj

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Friday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's criticism that Goa's liberation was delayed due to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was a "desperate attempt to distort history" and asserted that India's first PM intervened at the right time to free Goa. Chidambaram also stressed that no Congress MLA elected in the upcoming assembly polls can be poached by the BJP in Goa this time, saying "our house is well-guarded" and though the "thief” is still out there, the people "will teach him a lesson".

Yogi Adityanath restored rule of law in UP; BJP will receive positive mandate in 5 assembly polls: Union minister Nitin Gadkari 

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of distracting the attention of people of Goa from real issues like environment and employment. Criticising Modi over his statement that if Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru wanted, Goa could have been liberated "within hours" in 1947 when India attained independence, Gandhi said the prime minister does not understand the situation of those times and what was happening post-World War II.

Taking a swipe at the ruling BJP, Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday said while Azam Khan is in jail for building a university, a Union minister's son is out on bail in a case pertaining to the killing of farmers, and mockingly said this is the "new India" of the saffron party. He also claimed that the voting in the first phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls has given enough indications that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will be wiped out from the state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday accused the Congress of dividing people on caste, region and religion, as he sought another mandate for the BJP, promising it will take development in Uttarakhand to “Himalayan heights”. Addressing a rally in Almora in the poll-bound state’s Kumaon region, he also said that Uttarakhand’s development is among the top priorities of the BJP’s double engine government. Attacking opposition Congress in the state, Modi said it has a "divisive policy" and the people of Uttarakhand know it better than anyone else. 

He doesn’t understand history of those times: Rahul Gandhi on PM Modi’s remark that Congress government took 15 years to liberate Goa from Portuguese.

We are bringing Mumbai's film city here. Youth will get the opportunity to work in the films. We've also decided to build an academy in the memory of Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar. We have provided welfare schemes to all without any discrimination: UP CM Yogi Adityanath in Kasganj

The Sanyukt Samaj Morcha--the political front of 22 farmer unions which had taken part in the stir against the Centre's farm laws--is finding it hard to woo voters here, with many questioning their foray into politics. The opposition to the Morcha's move to contest the Punjab assembly polls has come from some of the most influential farmer unions, especially the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan).  The union is the state's largest farmer outfit holding considerable influence in Sangrur, which was a hotbed of the struggle against the central laws. The union's head, Joginder Singh Ugrahan, says they can't compromise on principles. "We had come together to fight against the central laws on the basis of a common minimum programme, which bars unions from undertaking any such adventure," says Ugrahan, whose union has presence in around 1,600 village. He says as soon as 22 farmer unions decided to contest the polls, they stopped to be the part of the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmer unions that led the stir against the laws.

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Friday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's criticism that Goa's liberation was delayed due to Jawaharlal Nehru was a "desperate attempt to distort history" and asserted that India's first PM intervened at the right time to free Goa. In an interview with PTI, Chidambaram also stressed that no Congress MLA elected in the upcoming assembly polls can be poached by the BJP in Goa this time, saying "our house is well-guarded" and though the "thiefö is still out there, the people "will teach him a lesson". He said that with every passing day, it is becoming clearer to the voters that they have to choose between the BJP or the Congress and "small parties" such as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) are "splitting" the non-BJP votes. Chidambaram also said that announcing a chief ministerial candidate is "not a factor" in this election. Asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah's recent criticism that Goa's liberation was delayed because of Nehru, he said this is another "desperate attempt to distort and re-write history". 

The development of Uttarakhand is among the top priorities of the BJP's double engine government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday at a rally here for the February 14 assembly elections. He also said that infrastructure development in the state's border villages is the BJP's priority and people will benefit from the Parvatmala and the Vibrant Village projects. 

Asserting that there is a silent wave in his favour, Utpal Parrikar, elder son of late Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar, who is contesting the February 14 Assembly election as an independent candidate from the Panaji seat, has said he was a favoured choice after his father's death in 2019, but was denied poll ticket by the BJP due to local politics. On the BJP offering him three seats other than Panaji for next week's election, Parrikar (41), a businessman, said the fight was "never for options". After being denied ticket by the BJP, Parrikar is contesting against sitting BJP MLA Atanasio Monserrate, a local heavyweight. Monserrate had defeated BJP candidate in the bypoll necessitated after the death of Manohar Parrikar in 2019, but in a coup, a bunch of Congress MLAs broke away from the party and joined the saffron fold months later. 

He is already an established name as a Punjabi singer with his chart-bursting numbers. Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu aka Sidhu Moosewala, the Congress candidate from Mansa seat, now hopes to make his presence felt in the constituency. Touted as a youth icon and an "international figure" by Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu when he joined the party in December, the 27-year-old singer is seen easily connecting with people of all ages, obliging especially the youth for selfies and taking blessing of elders during his campaign rounds. "I came to this field (politics) as I want to do something good for the people of this constituency," he told PTI. "The main issues in my area are related to education and health and I want these issues to be resolved," says Moosewala. Moosewala hails from Moosa village in Mansa district and his mother is a village head and father an ex-serviceman. Moosewala's popularity among the youth can be gauged from the fact that he has 6.9 million followers on Instagram and nearly one crore subscribers on his YouTube channel.

The BJP has fielded a heavyweight in Karhal but this does not seem to bother the Samajwadi Party as people are still rooting for 'Ghar ka Ladka', local lad Akhilesh Yadav. The BJP has declared Union minister of state SP Singh Baghel against Akhilesh in the Karhal assembly seat in Mainpuri district where voting will take place in the third phase on February 20. Congress has not fielded its candidate against the Samajwadi Party chief while BSP has nominated a little known Kuldeep Narayan in the constituency. While Baghel and his party workers see a wave in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Yogi Adityanath, many people hope the area would witness rapid progress by electing "future chief minister." Akhilesh is the chief ministerial candidate of the opposition alliance which comprises RLD and a string of caste-based regional parties. Karhal is just four km from Akhilesh's native village Saifai in the Etawah district. The constituency forms part of Mulayam Singh Yadav's Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat.

Uttarakhand | Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will address public meetings in Khatima, Haldwani and Srinagar tomorrow

The main issues of UP are unemployment, inflation, women security, farmers' issues, fertilisers & its distribution. Tell me, when political leaders come to talk to you then why are the issues not raised?: Priyanka Gandhi at Congress Mahapratigya virtual rally 

Bahujan Samaj Party releases a list of nine candidates for the sixth & seventh phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections

Our 'double engine' government works at double the speed of other governments. During Covid19, where was the brother-sister duo? Was 'Behenji' present amongst you all? Only BJP worked for people of the State: Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath during election rally in Budaun

Modi Ji is talking about making India a world leader but others are talking about hijab...Congress questioned India's Covid vaccines. Rahul Gandhi is here to do appeasement politics, not here for the country. PM Modi lives for the country: Assam CM HB Sarma, in Uttarakhand

See what has become of Congress...only the brother-sister duo is campaigning. Don't they have any other leaders left in the party? Today, their own leaders do not want to be with the party. Then, how can they give anything to you?: PM Modi in Uttarakhand

After 10th March, Dhami Ji's government will work aggressively to further develop tourism sector in Uttarakhand. You (public) have to decide whether you want in power those who promote 'Paryatan' (tourism) or 'Palayan' (migration): PM Modi in Almora

There were three big names in Uttar Pradesh - one of them was Azam Khan. Tell me where is he today? The second was Ateeq Ahmad. Where is he now? The third was Mukhtar Ansari. Where is he today? Akhilesh is asking for votes, they are not going to get anything: HM Shah in Bareilly

But if SP comes to power, then will these three continue to be in jail? It is BJP alone that puts mafia behind bars. No one else can do this: Union Home Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah in Bareilly 

This change can't be brought by SP-BSP because it's the compulsion of casteist parties to provide protection to mafia. BJP isn't casteist. BJP is a party that runs on PM Modi's mantra of 'sabka saath, sabka vikas': HM & BJP leader Amit Shah, in Bareilly

CM Yogi Adityanath has finished mafia from western UP and Rohilkhand. There was a time when UP Police used to run away after seeing the mafia. Now mafia runs away after listening to Police siren: Union Home Minister & BJP leader Amit Shah, in Bareilly

A video related to an EVM machine has been going viral on social media. This reserved EVM machine was kept in Kairana Zonal Magistrate's car, which was seen by a few people when his driver went for dinner in a restaurant nearby our collection point: Shamli DM Jasjeet Kaur

I recognise the power, good intentions, sincerity of people of Uttarakhand. In this Union Budget, we've proposed 'Parvatmala Scheme' to build ropeways for hilly areas. We'll build modern roadways & transport infrastructure in the state: PM Modi in Almora, Uttarakhand

I am saying this on record. BJP will get more seats than the last elections. I will attend the swearing-in ceremony of Pushkar Singh Dhami: Madhya Pradesh CM and BJP leader, Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Haridwar

After 1st phase of polling in UP elections yesterday, it's clear that BJP will win with record numbers. More than us, the public is determined make BJP win these polls. Voters never leave the side of those who've good intentions: PM Modi during a public rally in Almora, Uttarakhand

SP, BSP, Congress, live for their families; they encouraged dynasties. If we talk about nationalism, they talk about casteism, we talk about development, they talk about religion &graveyards. I talk about 'ganna' (sugarcane),they talk about Jinnah:UP CM Adityanath in Shahjahanpur

Today, when BJP is distributing smartphones & tablets to 1 crore youth, Samajwadi Party has given a report to the EC that these gadgets shouldn't be distributed to youth. Don't worry, if we come to power again, we'll distribute it to 2 crore youth; our youth will be smart: UP CM

He destabilised a proper functioning govt in Punjab. Congress is going through a leadership crisis. They have a G-24 group in Delhi that openly shows disagreement. Even in Uttarakhand, who is Congress' leader?: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, in Haridwar

Rahul Gandhi says he's not scared. Who's scaring you? He speaks in Parliament & runs away, he doesn't have courage to listen to reply. His public rallies are source of entertainment. Congress needs no rivals, Rahul Gandhi alone does all that's needed. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Haridwar

I asked the former CM & Samajwadi Party chief (Akhilesh Yadav) where has he done any development, he said he made the boundary walls of graveyards. If he could get votes with boundaries of graveyards, BJP is giving the treatment: UP CM Yogi Adityanath, in Dadraul, Shahjahanpur

Union Minister Bhupender Yadav has said the BJP is preparing a "unique" election manifesto for the upcoming Manipur polls and will "not make any promise that will not be translated into action". Yadav, the BJP's in charge of the polls in the northeastern state, said the saffron camp has held discussions with various stakeholders and set up a committee to draft the manifesto. "We will come out with a unique election manifesto soon. A committee has also been formed to draft it. The party will not make any promise that won’t be translated into action," Yadav said.

Citing representations, precedent, logistics and ground situations, the Election Commission on Thursday rescheduled the dates for the two-phase assembly polls in Manipur which will now be held on February 28 and March 5. One of the reasons for rescheduling the polls, sources said, was a demand made by some Christian organisations not to hold elections on a Sunday. February 27, the earlier announced date for phase one of the polls, is a Sunday when Christians go to church to offer prayers. Earlier, the polls were to be held on February 27 and March 3.

A case was registered by the Uttar Pradesh Police after a "roadshow-like situation" emerged during Congress leader Rizwan Qureshi's door-to-door campaign in Moradabad. Qureshi, who is Congress' candidate from Moradabad, held a door-to-door campaign in the constituency along with the party's General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday. However, as per the police, the campaign looked like a roadshow. "Congress candidate Rizwan had taken permission for a door-to-door campaign but it was seen that a roadshow-like situation had emerged with people atop of the car with him. As per Sector Magistrate's complaint, a case has been registered," Moradabad Superintendent of Police (SP) Akhilesh Bhadoria told media persons. FULL STORY 

Defence Minister and BJP leader Rajnath Singh to address election meetings in Uttarakhand's Ghansali, Karnaprayag and Narendranagar assembly constituencies today.

They (Congress) talk about bikini/hijab, CAA/Rafale, but public never accepts them because they never talk about poor welfare. They only know how to gather votes with politics of appeasement...You can write down, Akhilesh (SP chief) will lose from his seat: Union Minister Anurag Thakur

Punjab Lok Congress chief Amarinder Singh has attacked the Congress over the nomination of Charanjit Singh Channi as the chief ministerial candidate even after the arrest of his nephew following ED raids. The former chief minister also hit out at the Congress, “for fielding all MLAs allegedly involved in illegal sand mining as candidates in the assembly polls and termed it as a clear endorsement of widespread corruption in the party.” Singh said he will not retire till he has rid the state of such corrupt people, according to a party statement. Stating that he had decided to ally with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and continue to work for Punjab and its peace and security, Singh expressed concern over the threat from across the border as well as the recent sacrilege incidents in the state.

The Punjab government has said it has declared a paid holiday in the state on February 20 on account of polling. “The date of polling shall be a paid holiday in respect of all persons employed in any business, trade, industrial undertaking or any other establishment situated in the state of Punjab and entitled to vote in the election to the Punjab Vidhan Sabha-2022 on this day,” an official statement read. Voting in the state’s 117 Assembly seats will be held in a single phase and the counting will take place on March 10.

AAP's chief ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann on Thursday launched his party's digital door-to-door campaign ahead of the state assembly elections. Mann said under the campaign, which was launched in Amritsar, people can give a call on the number 9882798827 or visit a web portal to ask questions on 11 important issues of Punjab directly from AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal. “After giving a missed call, a message from the Aam Aadmi Party will be sent on people's mobiles. People can ask questions on Punjab's important 11 topics, including electricity, women's safety, law and order, agriculture, health, drug trafficking, unemployment,” he said.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant took a jibe at the previous Congress government, associating it with 'bure din' or bad days for people as against 'acche din' or good days witnessed under the current BJP dispensation and claimed only his party can provide a stable and development-driven administration in the state. Congress leader Digambar Kamat was the chief minister from 2007 to 2012 after which the BJP came to power in the coastal state, which will vote on February 14 to elect a new assembly. “The Congress has ruled in the past, but what they have given to the state is just scams,” he said, addressing a public meeting at Mapusa, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also present. Sawant, who addressed the rally ahead of the PM, said Kamat should remember 'bure din' of 2012 to understand the importance of 'acche din' witnessed by the state under the BJP rule. He said under the BJP rule, Goa has achieved third rank on achieving Sustainable Development Goals. The CM said Goa is number one in 'Har Ghar Nal Se Jal' scheme implementation and it was the first state in the country to get the tag of being 'open defecation free'. Sawant said ever since he assumed office in March 2019, he has been working for welfare of all sections of the society and his government has implemented various schemes for benefit of common citizens. Sawant said only his party BJP can give a stable and development-oriented government in Goa.

Taking a veiled swipe at the TMC and AAP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said some political parties are treating Goa only as a launch pad for their own ambitions. The prime minister was addressing a public meeting at Mapusa in the state ahead of the February 14 Goa Assembly polls. The Trinamool Congress and Aam Aadmi Party have emerged as new political players in the state where traditionally Congress and the BJP were the two major, national-level parties in the fray. “Some political parties are treating Goa as a launch pad for their own aspirations without knowing anything about Goans and Goa,” Modi said in the speech. These parties do not know that people of Goa want a government that will work for them, he added. “They (people) will never want a government which does not have a vision or agenda. These parties do not understand Goa, they have come here but they are in the dark about what announcements they should make,” the prime minister said.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Thursday claimed that ever since his party forayed into Goa's electoral politics, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned him eight to ten times at the behest of the BJP. In controversial remarks, he told Goan voters to “take money from the BJP, but vote for the TMC" in the February 14 assembly polls. Addressing a public meeting at Cumbharjua in North Goa, he said the BJP has been “misusing power" and targeting the TMC, the ruling party in West Bengal. The Mamata Banerjee-led TMC is contesting the assembly polls in Goa in an alliance with the MGP, the state's oldest regional outfit. Abhishek Banerjee is the nephew of Mamata Banerjee. The Trinamool Congress general secretary claimed his party has become a formidable force in the tiny coastal state ruled by the BJP. "The BJP has been misusing power against the TMC, which has become a formidable force in Goa. Every since the TMC has come to Goa, the Enforcement Directorate, at the behest of the BJP, has summoned me eight to ten times,” the Lok Sabha MP claimed.

A few dynastical people (RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary) don't cast their votes. Their opinions on democracy show very clearly. Such parties have lost earlier also, they will lose in future again: Union Minister Anurag Thakur.  Anurag Thakur campaigns for the candidates of his party, in Varanasi, ahead of the second phase of 

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan performs 'Kanya Pujan', in the presence of Swami Avdheshanand Giri Acharya Mahamandleshwar Juna Akhara, at Harihar Ashram in Haridwar

Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Jayant Chaudhary hit out at the "system" that granted bail to Union minister Ajay Mishra's son Ashish Mishra, an accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence that claimed eight lives including that of four farmers, within four months of the incident. "Kya vyavastha hai!! Char kisano ko raunda, char mahine mein zamanat. (What a system! Mowed down four farmers, got bail in four months)," Chaudhary said in a tweet in Hindi.

Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad has launched a stinging attack on the BJP, comparing it to British colonialists who engineered communal tensions for consolidation of power. In a freewheeling interaction with journalists here, the former Bihar chief minister also took a dig at his arch-rival Nitish Kumar, the present incumbent. "It is true that for the sake of power, Nitish has no qualms about aligning with anybody. But Chhedi Paswan should not have gone to the extent of saying that he can join hands with even Dawood Ibrahim," said Prasad referring to remarks made by the BJP MP from Sasaram which has left Kumar's JD(U) fuming.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday alleged that the “double engine” government has brought “double corruption” in Uttar Pradesh and promised to set up a corpus fund of Rs 10, 000 crore to ensure timely payment to farmers. “The double engine government in Uttar Pradesh has brought double corruption. Therefore, vote to remove corruption from the state so that baba ji (Adityanath) returns to his home after the results (of elections) are declared,” Yadav said while addressing a joint rally with alliance partner Jayant Chaudhary of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD). The term "double engine" is used by BJP leaders to refer to the party being in power at the Centre as well as in a state.

The participation of women in government jobs in Uttar Pradesh will be increased and, if needed, the BJP government in the state will bring a law in this regard, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur said. The BJP leader, who is campaigning for the UP assembly polls, hailed the Yogi Adityanath government for its work to ensure women's safety, respect and self-reliance in the last five years and said that the party has resolved to continue in the same spirit in future. "It is our resolve that women should continue to have the right to safety and respect. This development journey of ours to make women prosperous will continue," Thakur was quoted as saying in a party release issued.

Two BJP leaders, who have been denied tickets, have joined the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) to contest the Assembly polls. Surendra Singh, the sitting BJP MLA from Bairia seat in Ballia, has joined the VIP, a new entrant in Uttar Pradesh's electoral politics, after being denied ticket by the BJP. He has been named as VIP candidate from Bairia.

Meanwhile, another BJP rebel Kanak Pandey has also been given a ticket by VIP and will contest Bansdih Assembly seat in Ballia. Pandey did not get a ticket from Bansdih after the seat was allotted to BJP alliance partner Nishad Party which fielded Ketki Singh from the seat.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will today address physical election rallies in Uttarakhand's Almora and Uttar Pradesh's Kasganj, a day after polling for assembly elections in five states began with the first phase of voting in Uttar Pradesh.

Valuables worth Rs 404.01 crores have been seized by various enforcement teams since the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct in Punjab ahead of assembly polls in the state, informed Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Dr S Karuna Raju on Thursday. Giving details in this regard, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Punjab Dr S Karuna Raju today said, "Surveillance teams have seized 45.06 lakh litres of liquor worth Rs 25.79 crore. Similarly, the enforcement wings have also recovered psychotropic substances amounting to Rs 315 crores besides confiscating unaccounted cash of Rs 26.59 crore."

Punjab Congress President Navjot Singh Sidhu said that no one can cast an evil eye on Christianity as long as he is alive. Addressing people in Amritsar East, Sidhu said, "I went to Church, Masjid, Gurudwara, and recently visited Vaishno Devi because there is only one universal law. As long as I'm alive, I assure you that no one can cast an evil eye on Christianity."

A case of violation of model code of conduct was on Thursday registered against a candidate of Azad Samaj Party and 12 others in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh. The FIR was registered at the Mirganj Police Station of Jaunpur. Satya Prakash Gautam, a resident of Parianwa, is the Azad Samaj Party candidate from Machhlishahr assembly seat. On Wednesday, Gautam along with his supporters had taken out a rally and reached Mirganj from Machlishahar via Godhna. It is alleged that the candidate held rallies and raised slogans during door-to-door campaigning which is a clear violation of the model code of conduct.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday alleged that "real Hinduism is being forgotten and efforts are being made to change the history". Speaking to mediapersons here, Mamata Banerjee said "BJP is destroying everything. They are changing history. Women, Dalits and Adivasis are being tortured. Real Hinduism is being forgotten. When elections come, he becomes 'sadhu' (saint) and presents himself as 'sant'. The first Amar Jawan Jyoti was removed in Delhi and they installed a hologram of Netaji. Now the hologram is also missing. They remember the name of the icons only when there are elections." Referring to farmers' protests, the chief minister said, "Farmers were protesting for long but they did not get the MSP (Minimum Support Price)." She further attacked the government over the National Register of Citizen (NRC) and disinvestments. "If the country is sold out, how will people survive. They snatch the rights of the people by introducing NRC but we protect the rights of the people," she said.