Assembly Elections 2022: 5 states will vote over seven phases starting February 10. (File)
Bhagwant Mann is Aam Aadmi Party (AAP's) chief ministerial candidate for Punjab, Arvind Kejriwal announced today after an unusual televote in which people were asked to phone in their choice.
Bhagwant Mann received more than 93 per cent of the votes received through phone and WhatsApp, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal told reporters.
Mr Kejriwal had last week released a phone number and asked the people of Punjab to tell them who they want to see as AAP's candidate for the top job. At the same press conference, he had said that the party was keen to give the responsibility to two-time MP Bhagwant Mann, but he himself suggested the idea of asking for people's choice.
Assembly elections in Punjab will be held on February 20, the Election Commission said Monday. The date has been changed from February 14 after political parties requested the Election Commission to factor in Guru Ravidas Jayanti celebrations.
Meanwhile, NCP and Shiv Sena leaders will meet in Goa today to discuss a pre-poll alliance between the two parties in the coastal state for the next month's assembly elections, the Sharad Pawar-led outfit said on Monday.
The two Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies in Maharashtra are contemplating an alliance in Goa after the Congress declined to have seat adjustments with them for the February 14 polls to the 40-member assembly.
Here are the highlights on Assembly Election 2022:
Bhagwant Mann's Journey From Comedy Shows To AAP's Punjab ChoiceEarlier, when people saw his face, they laughed. Now, AAP's Punjab unit president Bhagwant Singh Mann says, they weep when they see him and narrate the problems they face. The Punjab president of Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party made the observation at a press meet Tuesday, soon after his party declared him its CM face for next month's assembly polls. Mr Mann was contrasting his past as a comedian with his present role. Read
here BJP, Apna Dal To Hold Final Round Meeting To Discuss Seats For UP Polls: Report
Apna Dal leaders are likely to hold the final round of meeting to discuss seat-sharing for upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) top brass tonight, said sources. Apna Dal State President, Dr Jamuna Prasad Saroj, reached Delhi for the meeting. Apna Dal President Anupriya Patel and Ashish Patel will also be attending the meeting, sources told ANI.
Akhilesh Yadav's Party Fielding "Rioters" To Intimidate People For Votes: BJP
BJP leader and former director general of Uttar Pradesh Police Brij Lal has charged the Samajwadi Party (SP) with fielding "goons, rioters and history-sheeters" in the upcoming assembly elections. Taking a set of names of the SP candidates allegedly with criminal backgrounds, Mr Lal sought an explanation from the party chief Akhilesh Yadav for fielding them.
"By giving tickets to goons and rioters, the SP has made its intention of bringing back goondraj and dangaraj (rule of goons and rioters) clear. These history-sheeters have been fielded with the intention of pulling votes by intimidating the people of the state," Brij Lal, a Rajya Sabha MP, told reporters.
Trinamool Announces 1st List Of 11 Names For Goa Polls
The Trinamool Congress has announced its first list of 11 candidates for the Goa Assembly polls scheduled for February 14. Rajya Sabha MP Luizinho Faleiro has been nominated from Fatorda Assembly constituency, which is represented at present by Goa Forward Party chief Vijai Sardesai. As per the list, former GFP leaders Kiran Kandolkar and Jagdish Bhobe, who resigned from the Sardesai-led party on Tuesday itself, will contest from Aldona and St Andre seats respectively.
The Mamata Banerjee-led party is fighting the polls for the 40-member Assembly in alliance with Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP
Priyanka Gandhi Extends Support To Women Candidates In UP PollsCongress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra extended complete support to women candidates fielded by the party to contest the upcoming Uttar Pradesh polls. During a live interaction on social media, Ms Gandhi Vadra talked about Asha Singh, the mother of the Unnao rape victim, and said that the women candidates in Congress are those who have suffered and struggled in their lives.
"The opposition may think that our candidates are weak. But we have given them tickets so that those who are suffering and struggling in their lives can be strengthened," she said.
Congress Releases 3rd List Of Candidates For Goa Polls
Congress today released the third list of candidates for the upcoming Goa Assembly elections that are scheduled to take place on February 14. Michael Lobo, the former state minister who recently quit Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to join the party, will contest from the Calangute constituency. Besides Michael, his wife Delilah Lobo also joined Congress on January 11.
Goa Congress released the list of nine candidates on Twitter which includes Anthony L Fernandes who is set to contest from St Andre assembly seat, Lavu Mamlekar from Marcaim, Prasad Gaonkar from Sanguem, among others.
Bhagwant Mann, AAP's Punjab Pick, Responds To Digs At 'Drinking Problem'Bhagwant Mann, named the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP's) presumptive Chief Minister for Punjab after an unusual public televote, said he could now honestly say he is from the "public quota". In an interview to NDTV, the two-time AAP MP tackled rivals' digs at his past drinking problem. Read
here Tweaks In BJP's UP Seat Strategy Follow Rash Of DefectionsWith just a few weeks to go for the Uttar Pradesh elections, the ruling BJP is busy making changes to its seat distribution strategy - being more generous with its allies as well as incumbent legislators than earlier planned, sources in the party have said.
While it has announced 107 candidates for the 403-seat assembly, discussions are still underway for others. UP votes in seven phases starting February 10 with results on March 10.
The BJP, which had earlier planned to drop as many as 100-150 MLAs, now finds itself in a spot after a string of defections led by former minister SP Maurya that has seen two more ministers and a clutch of MLAs switch sides to its main challenger Samajwadi Party.
"Ready To Fight This": Punjab Chief Minister On Raids At Relative's HouseWhile reacting to raids at his relative Bhupinder Singh Honey's house, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Tuesday said "the same thing happened during the West Bengal polls, it is to put pressure on me in view of upcoming Assembly polls."
"They are targetting me and trying to put pressure on me in view of upcoming Assembly polls. This is not good for democracy. We are ready to fight this. The same thing happened during West Bengal elections," Mr Channi said.
Each Vote Important, We Must Tell People To Vote: PM Modi Urges BJP WorkersAhead of the upcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with BJP workers in his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi and asked them to inform people about the importance of voting and emphasised that every vote is important.
"Each vote is important, we must tell people the importance of voting," said PM Modi.
Priyanka Gandhi Targets UP Government Over Education, EmploymentCongress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday attacked the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh over the issues of employment and education, and urged the youth to stick to this agenda in the upcoming assembly polls.
Citing a media report, Ms Gandhi said that in Uttar Pradesh, 16.5 lakh youth lost their jobs in the last five years and four crore people gave up hope of jobs.
UP Polls: Samajwadi Party's National Secretary Booked For Violating Covid NormsAn FIR has been registered against Samajwadi Party (SP) national secretary Abhishek Mishra and others for taking out a bike rally in the Hasanganj area without permission and violating COVID norms, reported ANI.
The FIR was registered at the Hasanganj police station on January 16 after a video of the rally went viral on social media.
FIR registered against six people including Mr Mishra in violation of prohibitory orders and breaching COVID-19 protocols under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 188, 269 and Epidemic Act.
Amid Punjab Tussle, Congress Video Stars Chief Minister ChanniA video shared by the Congress party on its Twitter handle has triggered speculation as to who will be the Chief Ministerial face of the party in the upcoming Punjab assembly elections. In what is being seen as a snub to state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, who has aggressively tried to position himself as the CM face, the grand old party has posted a 36-second video clip with actor-philanthropist Sonu Sood saying that "the real CM" would be one who is forced to sit in the chair and does not have to aggressively advertise their own capability.
In the video, Mr Sood is seen saying "a person who is forced into the job is the real CM, he shouldn't have to project himself as the candidate. Like a backbencher being chosen and told that you deserve this, that person can change the country," he said, followed by a montage of Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi's visuals with dramatic background music pitching him as the man for the CM's job.
8 Candidates Across Parties File Nominations From UP's Mathura Ahead Of Assembly PollsEight candidates from across parties, including a sitting minister, filed their nomination papers on Monday for four assembly constituencies in the district, a senior government official here said.
"Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister Laxmi Narain Chaudhary and former minister Tejpal Singh, who had contested earlier against each other, filed their nomination papers from Chhata assembly constituency," Navneet Singh Chahal District Magistrate Mathura said.
Punjab Chief Minister's Nephew Raided In Mining Case, Weeks Before PollsPunjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi's nephew and several others were raided today by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with illegal sand mining, just weeks before state elections.
Mr Channi's nephew Bhupinder Singh Honey's home and 10 other places in Punjab were searched early this morning.
The Enforcement Directorate has filed a case of money laundering and is investigating several people with political links, officials said.