UP Election 2022: 'Sarvgyaani' prime minister unaware of UP's woes, alleges Priyanka Gandhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday attacked opposition parties, saying guided by "vote bank and dynastic politics", they have always sacrificed the interest of the country and the poor. Modi also questioned the "silence" of rivals over the court's recent verdict on Ahmedabad blasts, and said, "Being hostage to vote bank politics, they would not even hesitate to insult the army or the police". The prime minister's remarks came days after a special court in Ahmedabad sentenced to death 38 members of the terror outfit Indian Mujahideen in the 2008 serial blasts case. The court also sentenced 11 other convicts to life imprisonment. Modi was addressing a rally for nine constituencies of Amethi and neighbouring Sultanpur. He started the day with the election rally in Amethi and later went to Prayagraj for his second public meeting.

Mayawati on Thursday sought to quash speculation over the possibility of a post-poll tie-up with the ruling BJP, saying her BSP was not the B team of any party and the rivals were trying to mislead her supporters. The speculation was triggered by a recent remark by Union Home Minister that Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party remained “relevant” in the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls and will get Dalit votes. Mayawati had responded by saying that it was Shah’s “magnanimity” that he acknowledged this but added that the BSP will also get the votes of other communities.

The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) on Thursday said it will not challenge the order passed by the Goa bench of the Bombay High Court on its disqualification petitions, but will request the President of India to amend the Anti-Defection Act. MGP MLA Sudin Dhavalikar had filed disqualification petitions against two former party MLAs – Manohar Ajgaonkar and Deepak Prabhu Pauskar – after they joined the BJP in 2019. The High Court on Thursday dismissed the disqualification petitions by Dhavalikar along with another petition by Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president (GPCC) Girish Chodankar.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi describing him as "all-knowing" who reaches out to the US and Russian leaders when they are ill but is unaware of the woes of the people of Uttar Pradesh. At an election rally in Gonda, she also targeted Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over the stray animal menace, accusing him of taking note of the issue when election approaches. Gandhi also accused the Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajwadi Party of dividing people on the lines of caste and religion. Scoffing at the prime minister, she described him as 'antaryami' and 'sarvagyani' which mean omniscient.

Attacking the Samajwadi Party, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Thursday claimed that the Akhilesh Yadav government did not provide electricity to people on Holi and Diwali, but there was always power on Eid and Muharram. "But with us (in power), there is no discrimination," he told an election rally. He asked people if they wanted a "mazboor" (helpless) government like the previous one led by Yadav or a "mazboot" (strong) government helmed by the BJP. "A government that is 'dangawadi' or a government that made the state 'dangamukt'."
Addressing an election meeting at Ramnagar in Barabanki, he said, "It is up to you to decide what kind of a government you want – a government that creates fear or one that eliminates fear. Whether you want a government that exploits the poor or a government that connects the poor with the schemes of the government.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday took a swipe at rival political parties alleging they see development works in Ayodhya and Kashi through communal lens. Addressing an election meeting here, he claimed the name Prayagraj evokes pride and those who hate this name can't do any good for people. Allahabad has been rechristened Prayagraj by the Yogi Adityanath government. In an apparent dig at Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, the prime minister said, "Superstitious politicians who hesitate to go to Noida and Bijnor can't do good for the poor."

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday urged people to defeat the government which increased inflation, corruption, snatched jobs of youth and destroyed farmers. "The government which has increased inflation, corruption, snatched jobs, destroyed farmers, made the labourers walk for miles, failed to give medicines and ruined police, will you not remove it from power," he said attacking the BJP. “It is only inflation, corruption which has been doubled in the double-engine government. Will you not teach them a lesson?" the SP president said addressing an election meeting in Kunda. Kunda is the constituency which has been electing Rahguraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya, known as a 'Bahubali', continuously since 1993. Yadav, without naming Raja Bhaiya, said the constituency seems to be ready to remove those “who are encroaching it for long”. The SP chief had a fall out with Raja Bhaiya after the Rajya Sabha election in 2018.

The Samajwadi Party's bid to dent the BJP's formidable social equation is playing out in a big way in the Poorvanchal or eastern region of Uttar Pradesh as the ruling party is working overtime to keep its caste equation unharmed. If Om Prakash Rajbhar-led Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), a BJP ally turned Samajwadi Party partner, seems to be drawing a sizeable chunk of his community votes, sections of Maurya-Kushwaha voters grumble about getting a raw deal from the ruling party despite their solid support to it in every poll since 2014. Shivpur is proving to be a test case for both rivals as BJP's Anil Rajbhar, a UP government minister who had won by over 54,000 votes in 2017, is facing a keener challenge now as the SP has conceded the seat to Rajbhar who has fielded his son Arvind Rajbhar from here.
   

The name Prayagraj evokes pride, those who hate this name can't do any good for people: PM Modi

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday took a dig at the BJP government, saying it had talked about enabling slippers-wearing commoners to travel by planes, but ended up selling airports and airline. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in the past talked about enabling those who wear ‘hawai chappals’ (rubber slippers) to travel in a ‘hawai jahaaz’ (aircraft). Addressing a public meeting at the Polytechnic College in Handia assembly constituency, 30 km from here, Yadav alleged that the central government was selling state-owned assets to evade giving reservation to people.

Ahead of the fifth phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, teachers in Varanasi have geared up today to increase awareness among voters to exercise their voting right.

The teachers of the entire district took out a Pink scooty rally, where all the women were dressed in pink outfits and they tried to make the voters, especially women voters aware of the power of voting so that they all can come out and vote in maximum numbers.

This scooty rally, which started from the police line crossroads in Varanasi, ended at the same point covering about 10 kilometers.

One of the teachers, while speaking to ANI said, "It is seen that women voters generally cast vote in fewer numbers. So with this rally, we want to motivate women to come out and vote."

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Thursday morning said that it is very unfortunate that whatever is happening in Maharashtra is aimed to influence the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

Mayawati's statement came after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday arrested Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik in connection with links with the underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and a money laundering case.

Ahead of the fifth phase of Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, former Maharashtra Cabinet Minister and Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray's grandson Aaditya Thackrey will convey his party's ideology to the people later on Thursday in Siddharthnagar district.

Serving Minister of Tourism and Environment in Maharashtra government, the 32-year-old leader will start his campaigning for Shiv Sena by seeking support for party candidate Raju Srivastava, who is contesting from 306-Dumariyaganj Assembly constituency in Siddharthnagar district.

A person put fevikwik in an electronic voting machine(EVM) during polling in Kadipur village on Wednesday following which voting was stalled for some time. The button was jammed due to the glue. FIR registered in the case: Sanjeev Suman, SP, Lakhimpur Kheri

The Election Commission of India on Wednesday took cognizance and directed Pithoragarh Police to register a case regarding a video posted on social media by Congress leader Harish Rawat that purportedly showed ballot tampering. Police say a case has also been registered in the Didihat police station for a probe.

According to the police, a written complaint was given to the Election Commission and the police on Tuesday on behalf of Congress candidate Pradeeppal from the Didihat assembly in the said case.