Assembly Election: Polls in all 5 states will be held amid a massive surge in Covid cases (File)
In the latest blow to the BJP ahead of Assembly elections, minister and OBC leader Dharam Singh Saini has resigned from the state cabinet. Mr Saini, a four-time legislator from Nakud in Saharanpur, is the third state minister to step down in past three days with the ruling party in what is being seen as a crucial swing ahead of a crucial election.
Seven other BJP MLAs and one from Apna Dal, which is in alliance with the BJP, have also exited the party in the last three days.
The Congress has fielded the mother of 2017 Unnao rape victim as its candidate for next month's assembly election in Uttar Pradesh. Asha Singh, the Unnao victim's mother, was among those who were named in the list released by the party today.
"Our list sends a new message that if you have been a victim of harassment and torture, the Congress will support you," said Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, as she released the list.
The high-profile exits of two ministers and four MLAs from the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh, less than 30 days before an Assembly election, were followed a day later by three lawmakers - two from the Samajwadi Party and one from the Congress - moving the other way.
Swami Prasad Maurya, whose resignation from Yogi Adityanath's cabinet has set off a flurry of exits, Wednesday said he "hasn't quit the BJP or joined the Samajwadi Party" yet.
"I have only quit as a minister. I will quit the BJP soon. For now, I am not joining the Samajwadi Party," Swami Prasad Maurya told NDTV, teasing a big reveal on Friday.
"I have rejected the BJP...there is no question of going back," he qualified in the same breath.
Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Manipur, Punjab, and Uttarakhand will vote over seven phases starting February 10, with counting of votes scheduled for March 10.
Here are the highlights on Assembly Election 2022:
UP Election: Apna Dal MLA On Why He Quit BJP-Led Alliance
UP Polls: Apna Dal MLA Quits BJP-Alliance, 11th Exit In 3 DaysUttar Pradesh MLA Chaudhary Amar Singh of the Apna Dal today quit the BJP-led alliance just weeks ahead of polls - this is the eleventh resignation for Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in three days. Akhilesh Yadav has yet again benefitted. Read here.
Congress Must Realise They're Not India's Emperors: TrinamoolTrinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra on Thursday hit out at the Congress, saying it should realise that its leaders are not "emperors of India" and added that had the grand old party discharged its duty well in Goa, there was no need for the Trinamool to enter the coastal state's poll fray to defeat the ruling BJP. Read here.
Punjab Election News: Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt) Allotted 'Telephone' SymbolThe Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa-led Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt) on Thursday said the party will be represented by the 'telephone' symbol in the upcoming Punjab Assembly polls. SAD (Sanyukt) spokesperson Maninderpal Singh Brar said the Election Commission of India has allotted 'telephone' as the election symbol to the party.
The SAD (Sanyukt) had recently entered into an alliance with the BJP and former chief minister Amarinder Singh-led Punjab Lok Congress for the elections. Voting for Punjab's 117-member assembly will be held on February 14. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.
Election News | No Day Passes Without News Of Leaders Quitting BJP: Sharad Pawar National Congress President (NCP) president Sharad Pawar on Thursday said BJP leaders confidently predicted till 15 days back that their party will come back to power in Uttar Pradesh, but now not a single day passes without the news of some or the other leader quitting the outfit. Notably, 10 BJP MLAs, including three ministers, have resigned over the past three days.
"If you look at the picture in Uttar Pradesh, BJP leaders were saying 15 days ago, there is no reason to look at anyone in Uttar Pradesh (that the party will come back to power)," Mr Pawar said at an NCP event. "Those in the cabinet are also leaving BJP. This is happening in Uttar Pradesh and (at the level of) districts in the state," Mr Pawar said.
Election News: Sena Tests Farmers' Pulse As It Plans Foray In UPShiv Sena on Thursday reached out to prominent farmers' leader Rakesh Tikait as it seeks to make an electoral foray in Uttar Pradesh to dent the prospects of its former ally BJP. Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut met Mr Tikait, who had emerged as the face of the year-long farmers' agitation against the three farm laws, at Muzaffarnagar in western Uttar Pradesh. Read here.
Election News: Twitter Launches Campaign To Empower Voters With Right KnowledgeTwitter has announced a series of initiatives under the 'JagrukVoter' campaign aiming to empower citizens with the "right knowledge before they cast their vote" in the upcoming assembly polls in five states, reported news agency ANI.
A press release by Twitter said these initiatives powered by an Open Internet, are directed towards not just ensuring a high voter turnout, but also aiding in ensuring voters are involved, engaged and informed throughout the election cycle, and everyone with the Right to Vote is a 'JagrukVoter'.
The initiatives taken by Twitter include the launch of a customised emoji further supported with a "notification and reminder mechanism" allowing voters to voluntarily sign-up for the reminders on the day voting starts.
Election News: Poll Panel Bending Rules To Register A Party At Behest Of BJP: AAPThe BJP is trying to facilitate registration of a specific party with the Election Commission by bending rules, alleged Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raghav Chadha on Thursday.
"We have information that the Election Commission will change its own rules to register this political party," Mr Chadha said at a press conference without naming the "party".
"Generally, there is a 30-day objection period before the registration of any political party. But the Election Commission, at the behest of the BJP, is going to change its rule for this party," he alleged.
"We all know who will face the maximum damage if this party gets registered," he said.
UP Minister Slams Akhilesh Yadav Amid Buzz That Defectors May Join His PartyUttar Pradesh minister Brajesh Pathak alleged that Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is trying to run the show with the help of others as he has "nothing of his own", reported news agency PTI. He was reacting to the recent defections of BJP ministers and legislators, who are likely to join the Samajwadi Party.
"Akhilesh Yadav is trying to run the show with the help of others as he has nothing of his own, but his dream will not come true as the election environment in the state is in favour of the BJP," Mr Pathak said at a meeting of 'Prabudh Varg' (enlightened class, including Brahmins).
At UP Election Meet Chaired By PM Modi, 172 BJP Candidates FinalisedThe BJP will win the 2022 Uttar Pradesh election by a bigger margin than its victory in 2017, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya declared Thursday afternoon, after a meeting of the party's Central Election Committee that was led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Mr Maurya said the names of 172 candidates had been finalised in today's meeting.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the meeting- held at the party's headquarters in Delhi - after joining online. This was after 42 staff members tested positive for Covid yesterday.
"Even Current MLA Was 'Nobody' Once": UP Activist On Congress TicketActor-activist Sadaf Jafar - who was "kicked in the stomach by a male cop" after being arrested during anti-citizenship law protests in Lucknow in December 2019 - will contest next month's Uttar Pradesh election from the Lucknow (central) seat on a Congress ticket.Ms Jafar, who is out on bail following arrest on egregious charges of rioting and attempted murder, told NDTV she would fight to raise and address issues that matter to the people of Uttar Pradesh.
Congress To Give Preference To Sitting MLAs As Candidates In UttarakhandThe Congress is likely to give preference to sitting MLAs while selecting candidates for the Uttarakhand Assembly polls that are due next month, according to the party's screening committee chief Avinash Pandey.
"Chances of sitting MLAs are strong. Last time those who fought elections and did well, it is quite natural that preference will be given to them. The process of choosing candidates is on. Tomorrow is our screening committee meeting. Very soon we will take this list of candidates to Central Election Committee (CEC). Many candidates have been shortlisted," Mr Pandey told ANI.
UP Polls: 7th BJP MLA, Backward Caste Leader Mukesh Verma Quits PartyA seventh BJP MLA and backward caste leader Mukesh Verma quit the BJP today as exits continued for the third day from Uttar Pradesh's ruling party less than a month before elections. Mukesh Verma posted his resignation on Twitter and surfaced at the home of Swami Prasad Maurya, who started the exodus.
Mukesh Verma, an MLA from Firozabad in western Uttar Pradesh, is also an OBC (Other Backward Class) leader like Swami Prasad Maurya and four others who have quit the BJP in the last three days.
PM Chairs BJP's First UP Election Meeting In Delhi, Joins Meet VirtuallyPrime Minister Narendra Modi is chairing a meeting of the BJP's Central Election Committee ahead of the Assembly election in Uttar Pradesh next month. The PM joined the meeting - being held at the party's headquarters in Delhi - online, after 42 staff members tested positive for Covid yesterday.
Apart from the Prime Minister, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, both of whom have also tested positive for Covid, also joined virtually.
Poll Body Notice To AAP For Breaching Model Code During Door-To-Door CampaigningThe Election Commission of India (ECI) Wednesday issued a notice to the AAP for allegedly violating the model code of conduct as its leaders and workers approached people in groups of more than five for door-to-door campaigning.
The poll panel issued the notice shortly after the Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal launched the door-to-door campaigning from the Kharar assembly segment.
Two Powerful Blasts Near Congress Leaders' Residences In Manipur, No InjuriesAs the pre-poll violence continued in Manipur, two powerful bombs, including an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) detonated remotely, went off in front of the residences of two Congress leaders in two districts on Wednesday damaging the properties, police said.
No one was, however, injured in the blasts that occurred in Imphal West and Imphal East districts.