UP Election 2022: Congress complains to EC against BJP in Manipur

Alleging that militant outfits are intimidating voters and influencing the ongoing assembly polls in Manipur, the Congress on Friday urged the Election Commission to maintain a level-playing field and ensure a free and fair poll.

Jailed gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari's son Abbas Ansari was on Friday booked for the violation of the election code and criminal intimidation after a purported video of him threatening to "settle the account" with government officials surfaced on social media. Abbas Ansari is contesting the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls from Mau on the ticket of the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), which has a tie-up with the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party. 

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of seeking votes on the basis of "lies", and said he now does not talk about his poll promises of doubling farmers' income and generating jobs. "Hindu religious books nowhere say to speak lies," Gandhi told an election rally here after offering prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple here, during which he was also joined by his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Rahul Gandhi alleged that Modi now doesn't speak on his earlier poll promises of doubling farmers' income and generating jobs for youths, whereas there is "no mismatch" in the Congress' words and deeds.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said a criminal, who was protected during the previous Samajwadi Party government, is seen confined to the wheelchair "like a worm", in an apparent reference to don-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari. 
He also claimed that the BJP has taken a decisive lead over its rivals in the six phases of the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls and trends show "we have already crossed the score of 275". The seventh and last phase of the polls to the 403-member state assembly will be held on March 7. Results will be declared on March 10.

As much as 26 per cent of the 4,406 candidates in the ongoing Uttar Pradesh polls whose affidavits were analysed have declared criminal cases against themselves, according to a report by poll watchdog Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). In the 2017 state elections, out of 4,823 candidates analysed, 859 (18 per cent) had declared criminal cases against themselves. The ADR said that 889 (20 per cent) candidates this year have declared “serious” criminal cases, while the number in 2017 was 704 (15 per cent). Out of the 4,406 candidates analysed in Uttar Pradesh elections 2022, 1,142 (26 per cent) have declared criminal cases against themselves, it said.

Bal Thackeray pesters Giani Zail Singh for a cricket bat and is asked by Manmohan Singh to focus on his studies instead. It’s not an all-party meeting of politicians from the present and the past. The scene is being played out at the home of Mithai Lal, 57, in a village called Hyderabad under Jalalpur assembly constituency in Ambedkar Nagar. Mithai Lal, a farmer, named his seven children after politicians – across political parties and states – so that they get “respect”. 

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav only cares for "one community and one caste". Addressing an election rally here, Shah said the elections in Uttar Pradesh is to secure the future of lakhs of people from the backward and dalit communities of the state. Shah said his party will provide a free gas cylinder on Holi and Diwali if voted to power, and added that the BJP has worked for the development of poor and provided them free ration, medical facilities, housing and also ensured that their homes gets electricity.

Stating that the entire world is passing through a delicate period now, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday said irrespective of how deep the crisis is India's response is even bigger. Addressing an election rally here, the PM also said that thousands of students have been brought back from Ukraine safely under the ongoing Operation Ganga, and those who are still there are being evacuated.

Samajwadi Party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav on Friday alleged discrimination on caste basis and atrocities on poor as he hit the campaign trail for party candidates in Jaunpur for the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. In his second public address for the seven-phase UP polls, the 82-year-old founder-patron of the Samajwadi Party said his party has always worked for the poor, the youth and the neglected section of the society. “The country is faced with big challenges today including those of discrimination of the basis of caste and injustice, atrocities being committed against the poor,” he said.

Senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra offered prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi on Friday, days before the eight assembly seats in the district go to the polls. The brother-sister duo reached the historic temple straight from the airport, temple and Congress sources said. Polling will be held in Varanasi in the last phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections on March 7.

As the BJP campaigns in UP's Ghosi, it is urging people not to vote for former minister Dara Singh Chauhan, calling him a "traitor" for leaving the ruling party just days ahead of the elections. Chauhan, who hails from the most backward Chauhan community, had joined the SP along with Swami Prasad Maurya in January after resigning as state forest and environment minister, accusing the BJP of neglecting the backwards and Dalits. The SP has fielded him from Ghosi seat in Mau district and Chauhan has been dubbing the BJP as "anti-Dalit-backward" during his public meetings.

AIMIM may not win many seats or may get restricted to playing the role of "spoiler" in the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls but it has made inroads into SP and BSP bastions in the state's eastern parts with many Muslim youth seeing it as "their own" party that could be an option in the future. Muslims in Uttar Pradesh have traditionally oscillated between the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and that is unlikely to change this time round as they seem weary of a division of votes.

The All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) does not appear to be a serious contender in most seats albeit Azamgarh's Mubarakpur constituency. However, people say that in that constituency also, it has more to do with the strong candidate Shah Alam, alias 'Guddu Jamali', rather than the party.

While addressing a rally at Chandauli in Uttar Pradesh, UP CM Yogi Adityanath said, "Election trends of six phases show that BJP's score has crossed quarter to 300. When the election results will come on March 10, then only BJP will be visible in the entire state and due to this fear, many leaders of SP-BSP have started making their bookings to flee abroad." 

"If the state will have an effective government, then development will happen and bulldozers will be used together...Mafias committing crimes under SP government are now seen crawling instead of flaunting guns in jeep, our government has put them in jails," he added. 

"We have decided that when the BJP government will form in UP on March 10, we will distribute free LPG Gas cylinders on Holi and Diwali to the people under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana. All the daughters going to college will be made free scooties available," he stated. 

"We have decided to distribute tablets smartphones to the two crore youngsters," he further stated.

"Taking cognizance of the viral video, We've registered a case against Mau Sadar constituency candidate Abbas Ansari for violation of the Model Code of Conduct. We've submitted a report to Returning Officer for further action Mau SP, Ghule Sushil

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a roadshow in Varanasi, his parliamentary constituency, on Friday in support of BJP candidates ahead of the last phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections on March 7. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav is also slated to hold a roadshow in Varanasi in evening.

Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will address the rally in Varanasi and also visit Kashi Vishwanath Temple today. 

Uttarakhand unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has called a preparatory party meeting on March 7, ahead of the counting of votes for Assembly elections scheduled to take place on March 10. State election in-charge and Union Minister Prahlad Joshi will attend the meeting. All the state MPs, district presidents, candidates, and in-charges will attend the meeting. Giving information about the meeting, BJP state media in-charge Manveer Singh Chouhan said, "A preparatory meeting has been ensured for the counting of votes to be held on March 10 at Hotel Pacific at 11 am on March 7." Chouhan said that all the MPs, state officials, district presidents, assembly candidates, and assembly in-charges have been invited to the meeting. Notably, the polling in Uttarakhand took place for the 70-seat Assembly on February 14. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.

Exerting the last stride for the last two phases of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, Bharatiya Janata Party national president JP Nadda on Thursday visited the electorally crucial city of Varanasi and offered prayers at Kashi Vishwanath temple and Kaal Bhairav temple. The BJP president was accompanied by state Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to the Kaal Bhairav temple and by Union Minister Ramdas Athawale to the Kashi Vishwanath temple. Varanasi is slated to go to the polls on March 7 in the last phase of the polls. During his visit, Nadda addressed the "enlightened conference" and said that it is the equal responsibility of the "enlightened society" in building a better society.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address rallies and conduct a roadshow in Varanasi, Mirzapur today.  

Amit Shah will address rallies and conduct a roadshow in Ghazipur today. 

Ahead of the seventh or final phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami will visit Varanasi today. The Chief Minister will attend the roadshow of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Varanasi on Friday. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also hold a roadshow in Varanasi on Friday, ahead of the seventh phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. Giving details of PM Modi's roadshow, regional Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Mahesh Chandra Srivastava said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold roadshow from Maldahiya to Vishwanath Dham. At Vishwanath Dham, the roadshow will conclude." After offering prayers at Vishwanath Dham Temple, PM Modi will garland the statue of Madan Mohan Malviya located at BHU Gate. Polling for the seventh phase, which will be the last, will be held on March 7. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.