Assembly Election 2022: NDA will form govt in UP with thumping majority, says Amit Shah

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on Thursday released the list of 14 candidates for the upcoming elections in Punjab. READ MORE 

Congress on Thursday released another list of 5 candidates for Goa Assembly elections 2022.

Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will hold a press conference on Friday at 12 pm. According to reports, in a special press conference, Rahul and Priyanka will launch the party's manifesto ahead of UP elections at AICC HQ.

Samajwadi Party writes to the State Chief Election Officer alleging that Gonda District Magistrate Markandey Shahi is acting under the influence and pressure of Bharatiya Janata Party, requests his removal from the current post and transfer outside Gonda

Seema Kushwaha, a Supreme Court lawyer who fought for the victim in the `2012 Nirbhaya gang-rape case in Delhi, joined the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on Thursday. 

“Had a meeting today(Wednesday) with JP Nadda, Yogi Adityanath and UP’s allies Anupriya Patel and Sanjay Nishad. The blessings of the people of Uttar Pradesh are with the NDA and under the leadership of PM Shri Narendra Modi ji, the NDA coalition is going to form the government with a thumping majority,” Amit Shah tweeted. 

Ex-MLA Kartar Singh Bhadana on Thursday filed his nomination papers from Khatoli constituency as Bahujan Samaj Party candidate. Bhadana had recently resigned from the Bharatiya Janata Paty and joined BSP. Bhadana was elected MLA from Khatoli in 2012 as an RLD-Congress alliance candidate. Later he had joined the BJP.

According to sources, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav will contest elections from Mainpuri's Karhal Assembly constituency, say sources

Samajwadi Party on Thursday expelled former minister in the state cabinet Uma Kiran for six years for “anti-party” activities. The development was announced by SP district president Pramod Tyagi. Tyagi also said anti-party activities will not be tolerated. Uma Kiran was allegedly demanding party ticket from Purkazi seat and was miffed at not being given it. She was given a ticket from the seat by Azad Samaj Party (K) led by Chandra Shekhar Aazad and was also seen in a press conference with him.

Former BJP MLA, Avtar Singh Bhadana, who joined the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) last week, will not be contesting the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls from the Jewar seat. He has withdrawn from the fray. Avtar Singh Bhadana's aide said that Bhadana had tested positive for Covid and would not be able to contest the elections from Jewar constituency.

BJP national president JP Nadda is likely to visit Agra on January 23. He will hold crucial meeting with local party leaders ahead of the assembly polls in the state. 

Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to visit Meerut on Friday to hold meetings with the recently declared candidates from western Uttar Pradesh for the upcoming assembly polls in the states. He is also expected to meet Jaat leaders from the state. 

Utpal Parrikar, son of late Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar has said that he will contest this year's Goa assembly election from Panajai in exclusive conversation with India TV. "At right time I will tell public about my decision," he added. 

Amit Jaini filed his nomination from Siwalkhas Assembly constituency number 43 from All India Forward Bloc. 

After Utpal Parrikar, son of late Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar, failed to make it to the BJP's list of candidates for the next month's Goa assembly polls, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday accused the saffron party of adopting a "use and throw policy even with the Parrikar family". Kejriwal invited Utpal Parrikar to join the AAP and contest the assembly election on its ticket.

Seema Kushwaha, lawyer of 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape case Delhi has joined Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). 

AAP CM candidate Bhagwant Mann to contest from Dhuri, Sangrur district: Raghav Chadha, AAP

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said on Thursday that he will revive the Yash Bharti awards when he comes to power. He also said that his government would revive the old pension system of government employees which had been a long pending demand. Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, Akhilesh said that the Yash Bharti awards were set up to honour the people from Uttar Pradesh who had excelled in their fields.

The BJP on Thursday released its first list of 59 candidates for the Uttarakhand Assembly polls. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Uttarakhand BJP president Madan Kaushik will contest from Khatima and Haridwar Assembly constituency respectively. Union Minister and BJP state election in-charge Pralhad and national general secretary Arun Singh released the first list. Ten sitting MLAs have been replaced with new faces. Joshi said that among the 59 candidates 31 are graduates, 18 are postgraduates, four are spiritual leaders and more than 10 per cent are women. The six women candidate are Rekhan Arya (Someshwar), Chandra Pant (Pithoragarh), Sarita Arya (nainital), Renu Bisht (Yamkeshwar) Kunwarrani Devyani (Khanapur) and Savita Kapoor (Dehradun Cantt).

Arvind Kejriwal said that Goa people feel very sad that BJP has adopted use and throw policy even with Manohar Parrikar's family. "I have always respected Manohar Parrikar ji. Utpal ji is welcome to join and fight elections on AAP ticket," he tweeted.

The ruling BJP in Uttarakhand has announced candidates for 59 seats. Voting in Uttarakhand will take place in a single phase on February 14 and the counting of votes will be on March 10.

Uttarkhand Polls | CM Pushkar Singh Dhami to contest from Khatima: BJP

Former Goa CM Manohar Parrikar's son Utpal Parrikar is missing from the BJP's list of candidates. The BJP has announced 34 names for the polls. The Goa Legislative Assembly has 40 seats. The BJP has chosen to give Manohar Parrikar's Panaji seat to Atanasio "Babush" Monserrate. According to reports, Utpal wanted to contest elections from the Panaji seat. CLICK HERE FOR FULL LIST

Bhim Army's Chandrashekhar Azad will contest the Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh against Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The BJP has fielded Adityanath from Gorakhpur Sadar. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

Bhim Army's Chandrashekhar Azad will contest polls against Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Gorakhpur.

The ruling BJP has released the list of candidates for the upcoming Assembly polls in Goa. Polling in Goa will take place in Feb 14.

BJP has given stability in Goa and is fulfilling the goal of development envisioned by late former CM Manohar Parrikar...No serious law and order issue in Goa since BJP took charge: BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis

Goa CM Pramod Sawant to contest from Sanquelim: BJP

Priyanka Maurya, the face of Congress 'Ladki Hoon, Lad Sakti Hoon' poster in Uttar Pradesh, joins BJP.

AAP's Punjab CM candidate Bhagwant Mann to contest from Dhuri in Sangrur, sources have informed India TV. 

Mulayam Singh Yadav's relative Pramod Gupta on Thursday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in Lucknow just ahead of the Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh. On Wednesday, Mulayam's daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav had joined the BJP. 

Uttar Pradesh: Raebareli Sadar MLA Aditi Singh has resigned from Congress

Congress releases list of 41 candidates for the upcoming UP Assembly polls

BJP MLA Vikram Saini faced the ire of people in Munwarpur village near Muzaffarnagar who forced him to return to his car and leave the venue. The villagers raised slogans against Saini, who had visited the village on Wednesday as part of election campaigning. In a video of the incident which has gone viral on social media, the Khatauli MLA can be seen getting back to his car in anger after the protest. He later told reporters that those who opposed his visit were under the influence of alcohol. Uttar Pradesh goes to polls in seven phases beginning February 10.

The Election Commission has decided to let off the Samajwadi Party with a light rap for violating COVID-19 norms on its office premises last week, advising it to be careful and ensure such breaches do not happen in the future.

The BJP is likely to release the list of candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections in Uttarakhand today. Polling in Uttarakhand will be held in a single phase on 14 February. Result will be announced on March 10.

The two farmer groups -- Balbir Singh Rajewal-led political outfit Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM) and Gurnam Singh Chaduni's Samyukt Sangharsh Party (SSP) -- have entered into an alliance for the upcoming Punjab assembly polls. SSP chief Gurnam Singh Chaduni has said that his party will contest 10 seats. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

Samajwadi Party national president and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav could contest the Assembly polls from Azamgarh in eastern Uttar Pradesh, sources have informed India TV. Currently, Akhilesh Yadav is a member of the Lok Sabha. He represents the Azamgarh seat in the Lower House of the Parliament. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will visit Lucknow next month to campaign for Akhilesh Yadav. According to reports, she could visit Lucknow on February 8. 

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Shiv Sena on Wednesday announced their alliance for the Goa assembly elections together. "NCP and Shiv Sena will jointly fight Goa polls. We made an offer to Congress to jointly contest Goa polls but in vain. They neither said yes nor no. Congress thinks that it can fight the Goa election alone," NCP leader Praful Patel said. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

The BJP is likely to release the party's candidate list for Goa polls today. Goa elections are slated to be held on February 14, in a single phase. The counting of votes will be held on March 10.

Apna Dal (S) leader Anupriya Patel said, "The NDA has proven to be an effective cocktail of development and social justice."

BJP president JP Nadda on Wednesday announced that the saffron party will be fighting the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly election in alliance with Apna Dal (S) and Nishad Party. "We are fighting polls together with Apna Dal (S) and Nishad Party. We have had detailed discussions. We are here to announce that we will fight polls together across all 403 seats in Uttar Pradesh," he said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party is likely to release the second list of candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh today. The BJP's CEC met in Delhi yesterday to finalise the names. 

BJP leader Tarun Chugh on Wednesday demanded the resignation of Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi over raids at places including those linked to his nephew in the 2018 sand mining case.

"The chief minister should own moral responsibility in the case and resign from his post," Chugh said.

The BJP general secretary alleged that the ED raids show that "Congress has been running sand mafias in the state".

Former Uttar Pradesh minister Shivpal Singh Yadav on Wednesday said that there is no truth in claims that he can join the BJP and he is firmly with the alliance led by his nephew Akhilesh Yadav in the Uttar Pradesh elections.

In a brief statement posted on his Twitter handle, he urged his supporters to defeat the BJP and bring Samajwadi Party-led government to power.

His remarks came on a day when his brother Mulayam Singh Yadav's daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav joined the BJP.

Congress leader and former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Wednesday said that a decision on taking back Harak Singh Rawat into the party is not for him to take and the party leadership has to take a call on the matter.

"I am not angry with anyone. Congress high command has to decide whether Harak Singh Rawat will be inducted into the party or not. I will accept whatever decision the Congress party takes. I am not in the capacity to decide whether Harak Singh Rawat should be inducted into the party or not," Rawat said.

He also made a cryptic remark noting that it is not necessary that "all devotees (of God) are good".

Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Ajay Kumar Shukla on Wednesday said that 44,80,204 publicity materials have been removed from public and private places, liquor worth Rs 9.19 crore and 'ganja' worth Rs 14.31 crore has been seized in the state as part of measures to ensure compliance with the model code of conduct (MCC) for the upcoming assembly polls.

He said cash of over Rs 7.20 crore has been seized and 167 persons have been booked for violating MCC.

"Police department has recovered 4,164 arms, 4,357 cartridges, 214 explosives and 92 bombs so far," an official release said.

It said that "84 centres" where illegal weapons were being made have been seized by the police department in raids.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Wednesday slammed the BJP-led central government over raids on a relative of his Punjab counterpart Charanjit Singh Channi and accused the saffron party of using probe agencies under its control to target political opponents during polls.

The Congress leader sought to know why raids are conducted by central agencies only in states where non-BJP parties are in power.
He was talking to reporters at the Swami Vivekanand Airport Raipur this evening after returning from a four-day tour to Delhi and poll-bound Uttar Pradesh.

Asked about Enforcement Directorate's (ED) raids at the premises of Channi's nephew, Baghel said, “Wherever elections are held, people in the opposition are raided. This is being done to intimidate and threaten (opposition parties).

Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (SSM), a political front of farmer unions, announced 17 more candidates for the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections on Wednesday.

Until now, SSM has announced 47 candidates for the election which is scheduled for February 20. Whereas, the SSM and Gurnaam Singh Charuni's Sanyukt Sangharsh Party (SSP) have announced 57 candidates so far.

After Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi blamed former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh for the Enforcement Directorate's raids on one of his relatives, the latter hit back at the former stating "ED doesn't report to me".

Singh's statement came after Channi while addressing a press conference on Wednesday had said, "Captain Amarinder Singh and the Badals are behind the raids. They are jealous that a man like me, from a poor family, became the chief minister."

After the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided the house of Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi's relative on Wednesday and seized Rs 10 crore cash, Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry and BJP leader Som Prakash said that people of Punjab have long been accusing many Congress MLAs and ministers of involvement in sand mining, transport and alcohol mafias.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized more than Rs 10 crore cash, gold worth above 21 lakh and a Rolex watch worth Rs 12 lakh from the residential premises of land mafia Bhupinder Singh Honey, a relative of state Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, and others in connection with an alleged illegal sand mining case.

Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi's party All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) on Wednesday released the third list of candidates for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

The list has the names of seven candidates. So far, the AIMIM has declared 25 candidates and it will be contesting around 80 seats.

Sanyukt Sangharsh Party (SSP) & Sanyukt Samaj Morcha (led by Balbir Singh Rajewal) have reached an agreement for Punjab Assembly elections. We (SSP) will contest 10 seats: SSP chief Gurnam Singh Chaduni

Polls for 117-member Punjab Assembly will be held on Feb 20

Sandeep Singh, grandson of former UP CM Kalyan Singh, filed nomination from 73 Atrauli constituency on Wednesday and said that BJP would get over 300 seats in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

Speaking to reporters, Singh, who is the minister of state for education in Uttar Pradesh, said, "I am grateful for the opportunity to serve people again. I'm confident, BJP will get a majority of over 300 seats in UP elections. 'Babuji' (former CM Kalyan Singh) isn't here today but I'll serve as he had guided."

Complying to the directions of the Election Commission of India (ECI), as many as 3,54,075 licensed weapons have been deposited in the state ahead of Punjab Assembly Elections, scheduled to be held on February 20, 2022, said Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Punjab Dr. S Karuna Raju in Chandigarh on Wednesday.

In a press release, he said that this is 91.10 per cent of the total 3,90,275 licensed weapons in the state. Whereas 27 without licenses weapons were seized in the state, he added. He said that some of the persons having licenced weapons including security personnel at nationalised/private banks and other persons facing security issues will have to approach the Deputy Commissioner for any genuine exemptions and complaint redressal.