Punjab Election 2022: SAD-BSP alliance will win over 80 seats, claims Sukhbir Badal

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said while the BJP proclaims of forming the Uttar Pradesh government amid drum beats, the Samajwadi Party thinks of forming it on the strength of communal riots. The Lucknow MP also lauded UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for “changing” the face of the state in the past five years through developmental work. Lauding the law and order situation in the state, Singh said Uttar Pradesh witnessed not a single riot during the Adityanath government.

AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Friday appealed to people to give his party a chance to form an "honest" government in Punjab and take the state on the path of development. On the last day of campaigning for the February 20 Assembly polls, he claimed the AAP's rivals have joined hands to defeat it, but the people of Punjab have made up their minds to bring his party to power. "They have been looting Punjab for the last 70 years and want to continue it. All of them have united to stop AAP because they are afraid that if the party forms government in Punjab it will put a stop to all such practices forever," Kejriwal said. He appealed to the people to "get together and put an end to their politics of loot and corruption".

Had it not been for the farmers' stir ahead of elections in multiple states, the Centre would not have taken back the contentious farm laws, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said on Friday as she accused the BJP of working only for its "corporate friends". Addressing party's virtual rally for Uttar Pradesh, the Congress general secretary hit out at the BJP as well as Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party for indulging in politics of caste and communalism instead of development issues. She said farmers are faced with multiple issues like high power bills, shortage of fertilizers, inadequate price of crops or stray animals ruining farms but the BJP-led government failed to address those.

All bulldozers in the state have been sent for repair and would resume work after March 10, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Friday referring to his government’s action against criminals. Chief Minister Aditynatha told an election meeting here in Mainpuri that he made this remark in response to a query by a Samajwadi Party leader who asked him if the bulldozers would be operated even during the UP assembly polls. Read more 

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, along with Punjab Lok Congress founder and former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, conducted a roadshow in Patiala on Friday ahead of the Punjab election. As the lockdown restrictions eased, various people came forward to join the BJP-PLC roadshow. On Thursday, the state former Chief Minister conducted the roadshow in Amargarh and Malerkotla. Amrinder Singh is contesting the election from his home constituency, Patiala Urban. In this election, PLC is contesting along with its alliance BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt). Punjab will go to the polls on 20 February and the counting of votes will take place on March 10. 

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday slammed Congress saying that it could not provide water supply to villages in Punjab in 70 years. Addressing a Nukkad Sabha (a street corner meeting) in Jalalabad, ahead of Assembly elections in the state, Kejriwal alleged that there no water supply in 150 villages in the Congress-ruled state. "There's no water supply in 150 villages, don't know what they've (Congress) done in last 5 years, they couldn't even supply water in last 70 years but we'll ensure water supply to every village once our government is formed," he said. Kejriwal has been campaigning in the pol-bound state for the past few days. He held a roadshow in Pathankot on Thursday. Earlier he also campaigned in Fatehgarh Churian of Gurdaspur district.

Cong promises financial assistance to women, 1 lakh govt jobs for the Punjab polls 

Cong govt will end mafia raj by creating corporations for liquor sale, sand mining, says Navjot Sidhu.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday expressed support for RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, convicted in the fodder scam case, and said an important aspect of the BJP's politics is that the one who refuses to bow before it is harassed in every possible way.

In Kanpur, UP CM Yogi Adityanath said, "The idol of Ram Lalla will be shifted to the grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya by the end of the next year, paving the way for the establishment of 'Ram Rajya' in India."

The Samajwadi Party has fielded the maximum 52 candidates having assets worth over Rs 1 crore while the BJP stands second in the list with 48 such contestants for the third phase of the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, according to a report. Read more 

Until the people send back Yogi Adityanath to Gorakhpur and Akhilesh Yadav to Saifai, there will not be any welfare of underprivileged, backward, and minority sections of the society: Lok Sabha MP & AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi at a rally in Jalaun

Samajwadi Party candidate (former CM Akhilesh Yadav) will lose his deposits in Karhal, Mainpuri in this election. BJP has already won this fight since the commander of Samajwadi Party himself is going out of the contest: Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath in Kanpur

Captain Amarinder Singh and Sukhbir Singh Badal are two sides of the same coin. Choosing Captain or the Badals would be a retrograde step. If change has to be brought, this man (referring to himself) is in front of you with a plan. 

We will use bulldozers after 10th March (election results day) for all those who were hiding for last 4.5 years but have come out during the elections: UP CM Yogi Adityanath at a rally in Mainpuri

A girl went missing two days ago from here and her body was found today. Who is responsible for this? Baba chief minister is responsible for this. Data shows Uttar Pradesh is the most unsafe place for women today. This party (BJP) killed 750 farmers by implementing the three black agriculture laws. If BJP comes to power again, it will sell your land by bringing such laws. Despite withdrawal of the farm laws, farmers have not pardoned them: SP chief Akhilesh Yadav in Jalaun

AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said that all corrupts have united against the Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab. They want to stop prevent the AAP from forming the government. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted a number of prominent Sikhs at his residence on Friday.  The meeting came two days before the Punjab Assembly polls, with the BJP going all out to woo the Sikh community as it seeks to put up a strong show in an alliance with former chief minister Amarinder Singh's Punjab Lok Congress and the Akali Dal faction headed by Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa.  The Sikh personalities who attended the meeting with Modi included Delhi Gurudwara Committee president Harmeet Singh Kalka, Padma Sri-awardee Baba Balbir Singh ji Sichewal, Mahant Karamjit Singh of Sewapanthi, Yamuna Nagar, Baba Joga Singh of Dera Baba Jang Singh in Karnal and Sant Baba Mejor Singh Waa of Mukhi Dera Baba Tara Singh Waa in Amritsar, official sources said.  Jathedar Baba Sahib Singh of Kar Sewa in Anandpur Sahib, Surinder Singh Namdhari Darbar of Bheni Sahib, Baba Jassa Singh of Shiromani Akali Budha Dal, Harbhajan Singh of Damdami Taksal and Giani Ranjit Singh, Jathedar, Takht Sri Patna Sahib also attended the meeting, they said.

Gangster-turned-activist Lakha Sidhana is in the fray from the Maur Assembly seat in Punjab’s Bathinda district and appeals to people to read newspapers, pool funds to open libraries while saying he wants to promote the Punjabi language. Sidhana is one of the accused in the last year’s Delhi Republic Day violence and has been fielded by the Sanyukt Samaj Morcha, a political outfit of various farmer bodies. Forty-two-year-old Sidhana, who is facing several criminal cases, was quite active in the farmers’ agitation against the Centre’s farm laws, which were later repealed. “I am a fearless person who can raise voice for my people. You all have seen my contribution to the farmers’ agitation,” says Sidhana wherever he goes for campaigning. Sidhana invariably mentions the need to promote “maa boli Punjabi” (Punjabi language) and Punjabiyat. He and his supporters had even blackened signboards written in Hindi and English in Bathinda and had asked the authorities to use Punjabi as primary language. He is demanding Punjabi be made a compulsory subject in all convent schools of the state.

Amid the ongoing Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Parrty on Friday wrote to the Election Commission of India and demanded the deployment of the Paramilitary Forces on "extremely sensitive" polling booths of Jaunpur of Malhani Assembly region. In the letter written to the ECI, SP wrote, "In the last election, there were incidents of booth capturing and stopping of voters from voting by some specific people. In these election booths, attempts were made to stop the poor, backward classes people from voting." "The Samajwadi Party demands the deployment of Paramilitary Forces on these 136 extremely sensitive polling booths along with a flag march before the polling to end the fear among the voters," added the letter.

Congress MP from Punjab, Manish Tewari on Friday hit out at his own party leaders on the 'Bhaiya' issue, saying the controversy is like the Black issue in the US. This comes amid the party's efforts to clear air on the controversy. Congress is trying to damage control with Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra offering clarification along. Tewari in a series of Tweets said, "De-Horse Politics - The Bhaiya controversy is like the Black issue in the US . It is reflective of an unfortunate systemic & institutionalised social bias against migrants stretching back to the inception of the Green Revolution. "At a personal level Despite my mother being a Jat Sikh & my father being the foremost exponent of Punjab - Punjabi- Punjabiyat who laid down his life for Hindu- Sikh amity because of my Sir name it is said behind my back 'Eh Bhaiya Kithon Agha' peppered with the choicest expletives in Punjabi - We have to root it out."

Day after the campaigning for Punjab Assembly elections concluded, former CM Captain Amarinder Singh assured that if his government is formed in the state then he will implement once again all the schemes which have been discontinued by Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi. He released a video message on Friday thanking the people of the state for love and support to him.

Bharatiya Janata Party Lok Sabha MP Sunita Duggal on Thursday termed Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi's remark of 'Uttar Pradesh, Bihar ke bhaiye' as absurd."This is a very absurd statement. PM Narendra Modi said that Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi had insulted Sant Ravidas and Guru Gobind Singh with his 'UP, Bihar ke bhaiya' remark as they were born in those regions. Guru Ravidas was born in Banaras and comes from UP. Now, see how unfortunate it is that they are not giving respect to those people who they are," Duggal told ANI."If he is calling the people of UP Bihar as 'bhaiyas', then you can imagine that he is insulting even such big religious leaders, I think this should be understood. This kind of politics and their politics of regionalism and familyism has always been there. They should abstain from it," she added.

As Punjab goes to polls on Sunday, Aam Aadmi Party leader Raghav Chadha said on Thursday that dishonest forces are conspiring to stop honest Arvind Kejriwal and AAP from coming into power in the state."I would like to tell these dishonest forces that the people of Punjab will not get entangled in this propaganda. People of Punjab know that the dishonest forces just want to conspire to stop an honest Arvind Kejriwal and AAP," said Chadha. Meanwhile, just a day ahead, AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann, the party's chief ministerial candidate in Punjab, held a roadshow in Jalandhar Cantt assembly constituency.Kejriwal addressed corner meetings in Jalandhar and expressed confidence about the party's victory in the upcoming assembly polls.He said that people have made up their minds for "a change" in the state. Punjab will go to the polls on February 20.

"People of Punjab are asking questions to Congress that what happened to those promises which you made five years back? They promised to waive off farm loans, provide employment and make Punjab drug-free, but nothing has happened": Union Minister Anurag Thakur in Jalandhar. 

Samajwadi patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, on Thursday, campaigned for Akhilesh Yadav in Karhal in Mainpuri and asked people to ensure a big margin of victory for Akhilesh. Addressing his first election rally, Mulayam said, "If the Samajwadi Party forms government, it will ensure jobs for the youth. If the youth does not have means of livelihood, how will they look after their families?" He said that the Samajwadi Party always does what it says and never betrays the people. Welcoming his father to Karhal, Akhilesh said that Mulayam's presence had given him blessings. He asked the voters to beware of BJP which is the 'biggest liar'. Mainpuri is the parliamentary constituency of Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh is contesting his first assembly elections from Karhal in the district.

Politics of opposing Indian culture will not work anymore, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma said on Thursday as he hit out at opposition parties for dividing people on caste and communal lines. He alleged that the opposition leaders, who were earlier against the culture of the country, are now wearing 'janeu' (sacred thread) over their clothes, visiting temples and reciting Hanuman Chalisa, as he credited the BJP for bringing about this change in the last five years. The senior BJP leader held public programmes in Lakhimpur and Shravasti districts, drumming up support for party candidates. Voting will take place in Lakhimpur on February 23 and in Shravasti on February 27. Sharma accused the opposition Congress, Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party of dividing people on the lines of casteism and communalism. “Today some leaders of the opposition are wearing janeu over their clothes and are also announcing their 'gotras'. They are ringing temple bell and also reciting Hanuman Chalisa. “Earlier, these parties worked for creating differences among the people by opposing the culture of India, but such disgusting politics of theirs is not going to work anymore,” he added.

The women voters of the state once again participated enthusiastically in the voting on February 14 for the Uttarakhand Assembly election outnumbering men voters by 4.60 per cent. A total of 65.37 percent polling was recorded in the state, in which women have voted 67.20 percent, while men have voted 62.60 percent. According to the State Chief Electoral Officer, there were a total of 81,72,173 general and 94,471 service voters in the voting for the state assembly. A total of 53,42,462 voters exercised their vote out of the general electorate, which is 65.37 percent of the total electorate. This year the voter turnout was 0.19 per cent less than the assembly elections held in the year 2017. In the year 2017, 65.56 percent voting was done, then the voting percentage of women was 68.72 and that of men was 61.11 per cent.

Five-time former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on Thursday called upon the people of Punjab not to elect those who will "sell their loyalties to the highest bidder and defect to other parties for personal gains once the elections are over". In a statement here, he said there are political opportunists in the fray who are eager for a chance to turn the state into an "open political mandi". The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) patriarch alleged that after the previous elections, 11 of the 20 MLAs of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had sold themselves to others, betraying the people's mandate. "Punjab needs responsible leadership to save it from instability and chaos. Punjab will turn into a lawless state if reckless, adventurous and selfish leaders get a chance to ruin the state," he said. Attacking AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, Badal claimed, "If such a person gets a chance, Punjab will lose everything it has because Bhagwant Mann has no guts to stop Kejriwal from robbing the state." Mann is AAP's chief ministerial candidate in Punjab. Addressing a rally in Lambi constituency, Badal alleged that most candidates of the Congress and the AAP had purchased tickets to fight the polls, and if they got elected they would certainly barter away their seats for money and other selfish favours.

Referring to the "infighting within the Congress party" in Punjab, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday took a dig at Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and said that he is like a Commander without an army.Addressing a rally in Amritsar, Singh said, "I see the Chief Minister of Punjab. Ye to bina sainiko wale senapati hain (He is like a Commander without army). He has become the Senapati (Chief Minister), but he does not have any army. But Congress is fighting within itself."The Defence Minister further said that there are two batters in Congress fighting for the same crease and both of them are certain to get out (in the language of Cricket)."You know there are two batters in the Congress party at the moment. Both of them want to bat together. None of them wants to be the non-striker. Both batters are fighting on one crease. So, it is certain that they will get out. Nobody can prevent it," he said.Slamming CM Channi for his reported 'UP, Bihar ke bhaiya' remark, Singh said that Congress wants to gain power by dividing the society.