Punjab Elections 2022: Congress stalled my helicopter in Pathankot because of their 'Yuvraj', says PM Modi

The BJP on Monday urged the Election Commission to ban Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu from campaigning in the ongoing assembly polls and register a criminal case against him and his party, alleging that he was promoting hatred and division in the society with his comments. Read more 

In another blow to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Gujarat, one more corporator of the Arvind Kejriwal-led party from Surat city joined the ruling BJP on Monday claiming that she had to face "harassment and insult". Kundanben Kothiya, the corporator from ward no.
4 of the Surat Municipal Corporation, became the sixth AAP corporator from Surat to join the ruling fold over the last two weeks. She joined the BJP a day after she was suspended from AAP's primary membership for "indiscipline". Kothiya joined the BJP at the party's headquarters in Gandhinagar in the presence of Gujarat BJP general secretary Pradipsinh Vaghela.

BSP candidate from Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh Sarvesh Kumar has alleged that police detained him Sunday night at the behest of state minister Suresh Khanna and added that he was released after a complaint was made to the Election Commission. Superintendent of Police S Anand, however, told PTI that the candidate was taken to a police station and his vehicle was searched following inputs that he was distributing money ahead of Monday's polling. He was allowed to go after no objectionable material was found in his vehicle, the police officer said.

On Valentine's Day, Congress candidate from Lucknow East Manoj Tiwari offered roses and chocolates to senior citizens and promised to take care of them. Valentine’s Day symbolises love and this is the best occasion to reach out to the elderly, “who always guide us”, Tiwari, a former president of the Lucknow University students' union, said after his visit to an old age home in Mahanagar locality on Monday. “By offering our elderly roses and chocolates, I sought their blessings and assured them all possible care they need.
I told them that irrespective of my victory or defeat, I will be there for them,” Tiwari told PTI.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the law against triple talaq has saved families of thousands of Muslim women from breaking up in Uttar Pradesh. Addressing an election rally here at Kanpur Dehat, the prime minister said the tightening of law and order in the state has also benefitted Muslim girls who used to face problems from miscreants while going to school earlier. PM Modi's remarks at the rally here come amid a row in Karnataka where schools have stopped Muslim girls from attending classes while wearing hijab.
 

The Samajwadi Party on Monday urged the Election Commission to transfer IG, Lucknow Range, Laxmi Singh for allegedly forcing people to vote for her husband who is contesting the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls on a BJP ticket. In a letter sent to the poll panel by SP state president Naresh Uttam Patel, he said the police official was affecting the polls by asking people to vote for her husband, Rajeshwar Singh, and that she should be transferred to some other district. Singh, former joint director of the Enforcement Directorate, is contesting from Lucknow's Sarojini Nagar seat. Meanwhile, Patel said his party had earlier made similar demands to the Election Commission (EC) on February 7 and February 11.

A 70-year-old woman undergoing treatment in a hospital here, came to a polling booth in an ambulance to cast her vote during 2nd phase of voting in Uttar Pradesh on Monday. Naresh Chauhan was taken to the polling booth on a stretcher, and she exercised her voting right. 
BJP corporator Puneet Chauhan told PTI that his mother is seriously ill but she has "expressed her wish to cast vote".

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday held poll campaigns for party candidates in the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh where assembly election is due on February 20. The Congress general secretary and party affairs in-charge in UP sat atop an SUV as she held door-to-door campaigns in Orai and Kalpi of Jalaun district. Flanked by party workers and supporters, Priyanka also visited Maudaha in Hamirpur district for the poll campaign where she made fervent pitches for Congress candidates. Purported visuals from the rally showed that when Priyanka Gandhi was passing through the Maudaha market, she spotted a young girl in the crowd who was cheering for her. She then called the girl to her car.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday targeted the Samajwadi Party, saying that during its rule there were illegal country-made pistol ('tamancha') factories in Kanpur but his BJP dispensation is establishing a defence corridor. Addressing an election meeting here, he said, "Under the previous government, there were factories of 'tamancha' in Kanpur. Their name is 'Samajwadi', work is 'tamanchawadi' and thinking is 'pariwarvadi'. Our government is making a defence corridor. Now, the youth of Kanpur will sit on tanks made in Kanpur, enter into the boundary of the enemy, and will raise the war cry for Bharat Mata." Adityanath said the same set of people also tried to mislead people on the coronavirus vaccine, calling it "Modi vaccine".

A 100-year-old woman was among the voters who turned up at Booth Number 47 in Kotdwar to exercise their franchise as Uttarakhand went to polls on Monday. “I am 100 years old. I have voted in all the elections since I attained the age of voting. I like to vote,” Vishweshwari Devi Naudiyal told reporters even as she stretched her voting finger to show the indelible ink mark.

A 70-year-old woman undergoing treatment in a hospital here, came to a polling booth in an ambulance to cast her vote during 2nd phase of voting in Uttar Pradesh on Monday. Naresh Chauhan was taken to the polling booth on a stretcher, and she exercised her voting right. BJP corporator Puneet Chauhan told PTI that his mother is seriously ill but she has "expressed her wish to cast vote".

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Monday said that Uttar Pradesh is witnessing a wave of change as people are badly affected from twin problems of inflation and unemployment. Baghel, who was in Jhansi for a door-to-door election campaign, said development in the state was done during the Congress rule.

Can those who are fighting among themselves give stable govt, says PM Modi taking dig at Congress in Punjab.

We respected federalism. Former CM of Punjab Amarinder Singh worked with the Centre according to federalism. NDA will form govt in Punjab; 'Nava Punjab' will be free from debts: PM Modi in Punjab

Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Maywati on Monday said her Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is contesting the ongoing assembly polls with "full might" in order to usher in 'achche din' of governance in the state like it had done in 2007. Addressing a public event in Orai in Jalaun district of the Jhansi zone, where elections are scheduled on February 20 in the third phase of the polls, she went all guns blazing against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) as she pointed out the ills of their regimes in the state. The BSP supremo dubbed Congress as "strongly casteist", BJP as "pro-capitalist" and working for "narrow agendas of RSS" and claimed the SP gave freehand to criminals during its rule in the state.

Senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said that the defence corridor project in Uttar Pradesh's Jhansi will help India "teach a lesson to Pakistan". Addressing a public rally in Mauranipur, Shah said, "PM Modi has laid the foundation stone for the defence corridor project in Jhansi. The defence equipment built here will help us teach Pakistan a lesson."

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday claimed that the AAP's rival parties in Punjab are targeting him and its chief ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann as they do not want the state to have an honest government. The national convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party said the only fault of his party and its leaders is that they talk about improving the condition of schools and hospitals in Punjab, giving jobs to people and ensuring justice in sacrilege cases. In a swipe at his Punjab counterpart, Kejriwal said Charanjit Singh Channi has been having nightmares about him and is unable to sleep these days. Blaming corruption for the inflow of drugs into the state, the AAP leader asserted it will stop once his party comes to power.

Unhappy over a road not being constructed, residents of Jaggi Bagwan and Chilaund villages in Uttarakhand's Kedarnath assembly constituency stayed away from voting in the assembly elections on Monday. Though the district administration is trying to persuade the voters in these villages to come out and exercise their franchise, they have refused to budge. The 225 voters of Chilaund and 376 of Jaggi Bagwan had earlier announced their decision to boycott the polls complaining about non-construction of a road, a long-standing demand of the villagers.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over unemployment, saying he does not talk about it and black money in his election speeches. Addressing a poll rally here, Gandhi targeted the Narendra Modi-led government over demonetisation and goods and services tax, alleging that only two-three billionaires benefited from them. Stating that his party's chief ministerial face Charanjit Singh Channi understands poverty, Gandhi said Channi will lead a government of poor people, farmers, small traders and small and medium businesses, not of 'arabpatis' (billionaires).

The two-time chief minister and Punjab Lok Congress supremo Amarinder Singh feels that no single party is going to get a clear majority in the assembly polls, and asserts that his party's alliance with the BJP and SAD (Sanyukt) is on the rise. On the poll scenario in Punjab, Singh said this time it is a four-cornered or five-cornered contest and then there are some independents as well.

“Multi-cornered contest will make it easier for the voter to decide what he wants but as far as the parties are concerned, it is going to be a difficult fight for them unless they are really on top of their performance. Many of them don't have a chance to cross 10 or 15 seats. I don't see any single party getting a clear cut majority. People talk about AAP. I think AAP is on a day-to-day basis going down. Similarly, the Congress is going down. We by God's grace are going up,” Singh told PTI in an interview.

He prides himself as a king maker and also a 'king breaker' but the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief Om Prakash Rajbhar,is himself facing a tough time in his Zahoorabad Assembly constituency. The BJP has fielded two-time former MLA Kalicharan Rajbhar to cut into the Rajbhar votes and now the BSP has made it tough by fielding former SP Minister Sayyeda Shadab Fatima as its candidate from the constituency. Fatima, considered a powerful minister in the SP government, had joined forces with Akhilesh Yadav's uncle Shivpal Yadav after the two parted ways. She was denied a ticket by Akhilesh Yadav and she quit the SP announcing that she would contest as an independent when the BSP stepped in and made her its candidate. Fatima who lost the 2017 election, is confident winning this time. "People have seen through the BJP and will not vote for it this time. I am confident of my victory," she says. Om Prakash Rajbhar, on the other hand, claims that his victory is a foregone conclusion. "People know that I am decimating the BJP in these elections and I will win with a huge margin," he adds.

BJP candidate from Asmoli seat Harendra alias Rinku's vehicle was allegedly attacked in the Sambhal. The BJP candidate and his supporters took shelter in a police station. According to police, two persons have been arrested from the spot.

Before 2017, UP had ration scams every other day. They made lakhs of fake ration cards. Double engine govt ended this fake ration card scheme. Today, crores of the UP public are receiving ration free of cost. Stoves of my poor sisters & mothers will never be turned off: PM Modi

The Muslim girls feel safe under the BJP rule in Uttar Pradesh. Many more number of Muslim girls are going to schools and colleges in the state now: PM Modi addressing an election rally in Kanpur Dehat

If they had their way, they would have made Kanpur & other such areas in UP, a 'mafiaganj' mohalla. Now their 'mafiagiri' is counting its last breath. These 'parivaarvadi' want to give power to these mafias again. UP public will have to stay alert: PM Modi in Kanpur Dehat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the people of Uttar Pradesh will celebrate early Holi on March 10 as he exuded confidence that the BJP will storm to power with a clear majority. The result of the UP election will be declared on March 10. 

 When they keep changing their allies, then how will they serve the people of Uttar Pradesh?...Earlier governments looted the people of the state: PM Narendra Modi addressing a public rally in Kanpur Dehat

The 'Parivaarwadi' will again be defeated by the people of Uttar Pradesh. The festival of colours- Holi will be celebrated in Uttar Pradesh on 10th March itself: PM Modi addressing a public rally in Kanpur Dehat

Voting turnout in second phase polling in Uttar Pradesh points at BJP returning to power again: PM Modi addressing a public rally in Kanpur Dehat

In an interview to a news publication in Goa, a TMC leader said that they have formed alliance with a particular party to divide Hindu votes in Goa. I want to tell Goa voters that is the chance to bury such kind of politics: PM Modi in Kanpur Dehat

Amandeep Kaur Dholewal, 37, feels that successive Punjab governments have failed to resolve the basic issues of the people and its time commoners like her took matters into their own hands. So she quit her job as a medical officer at the Police Hospital in Chandigarh and entered the poll race "to bring about a change". Dholewal, who had supported the farmers' agitation against the Centre's agri laws, is contesting the February 20 Punjab Assembly polls from Bassi Pathana seat as a candidate of the Sanyukt Samaj Morcha -- a political front of 22 farmers' unions who were part of the year-long stir. "I resigned in January from the police lines hospital in Chandigarh, where I was working as a medical officer," Dholewal told PTI. "These are very big decisions. I was closely attached with the farmers' agitation and once the SSM was launched, many suggested that I should contest elections. It was only last month that I decided to enter politics and contest the polls and my family supported the decision," she said. Dholewal claimed the issues faced by the people of Punjab have remained unresolved for long, and public health and education sectors are in a bad shape. "Basic issues of the people have not been addressed. At the time of elections, these leaders come and seek votes from the public in the name of development, which is actually non-existent," she said.

Two-time chief minister and Punjab Lok Congress supremo Amarinder Singh feels that no single party is going to get a clear majority in the assembly polls, and asserts that his party's alliance with the BJP and SAD (Sanyukt) is on the rise. The 79-year-old scion of the royal family of Patiala and former Congress state unit chief floated his own party after resigning as chief minister of Punjab last year.

"On being voted to power, we will provide 1 lakh government jobs to the youth of the state," said Punjab CM Charanjit S Channi

The first phase of Assembly elections concluded peacefully. Was there any incident of violence in UP? Earlier, riots took place, anarchy prevailed & hooliganism was at its peak. Do polls happen in Bengal as peacefully?" UP CM Yogi Adityanath defends his 'UP will become Kerala, Bengal' remarks.

Barbarism was unleashed on BJP workers in the last Bengal Assembly polls. Booths were captured & hundreds were killed. It all happened in Kerala also. There were a lot of violence & political killings in both these states. Did it happen in UP?," UP CM further said..

Pointing out that no major riot has taken place in Gujarat since the last two decades, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that voters in Uttar Pradesh have also realised that only the BJP government has the antidote for rioters and criminals.

Addressing an election rally, he also hit out at "dynastic parties", saying after the first round of voting in Uttar Pradesh their leaders are sleepless and unable to dream anymore. "While explaining democracy, it is said -- a government of the people, by the people, for-the-people. But, these extreme dynasts ('ghor pariwarvadis') have changed this. These people say - government of the family, by the family, for the family," Modi said.

Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday alleged that he was "abused" by political Opponents including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal only because he wants to develop state. "All these people are only abusing me. Amit Shah ji abused me a lot today. Channi Sahib, Sukhbir Badal abuse me every day. They don't abuse each other, they only abuse me. My fault here? I want to fix the school hospital, electricity, water of Punjab and want to give employment," Kejriwal tweeted (roughly translated from Hindi).

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate for Punjab Assembly polls was attacked during election campaigning in Ludhiana, said police. SR Laddhar, who is contesting from Gill constituency in Ludhiana district, was injured and rushed to the civil hospital following the incident. One of his car's windows was broken in the attack.

Giving details about the attack, personal assistant of the BJP candidate, Jatin, said that they were returning from Kheri village when some people started sloganeering, stopped their car and attacked them. "We had gone for a meeting in Kheri village. Some people came and raised slogans against our party. When we were returning, they stopped our car and attacked us," he said.

The Election Commission has turned down Uttar Pradesh minister Suresh Rana’s demand for re-election in Thana Bhawan Assembly constituency after he alleged irregularities in polling. Rana was the BJP candidate from Thana Bhawan constituency which went to the polls in the first phase on February 10. District Election Officer Jasjit Kaur, who is also the District Magistrate of Shamli, in a press statement on Sunday said elections were held peaceably and there were no incidents of malpractice or irregularity during the polls. Hence, she said, Rana’s demand for fresh elections at 40 polling booths in Thana Bhawan constituency could not be entertained. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a public meeting in Jalandhar today. the Bharatiya Janata Party had cancelled the virtual rally to be held on Wednesday for 27 Assembly seats of Jalandhar, Kapurthala and Bathinda, the said that PM Modi will hold an election rally in Jalandhar on February 14.