Assembly Polls 2022 Highlights: EC revises dates for Manipur polls, phase 1 on Feb 28 & phase 2 on March 5

Amid reports of technical snag in EVMs at some places, polling is going on peacefully in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday with an average of over 35 per cent votes being cast till 1 pm, Election Commission officials said. Of the total 403 seats in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, voting for 58 seats of phase I of the seven-phase elections is being held. There are a total of 634 candidates in fray, 73 of them women.

Meta vows to combat misinformation, hate speech on platform as states head for polls

Facebook-parent Meta on Thursday said it will be activating its Elections Operations Center to watch out for potential abuses that could emerge across the platform related to state elections, as the social media giant outlined its firm resolve to curb hate speech, harmful content and misinformation on its platforms.

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Select government with caution as you do while fixing marriage, says J P Nadda

As Uttar Pradesh voted for the first phase of the assembly polls, BJP president J P Nadda on Thursday said voters should select a government based on past performances rather than promises, just as marriages are fixed after making a thorough enquiry.

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Nehru-led govt did not liberate Goa from Portuguese for 15 years: Modi

Goa could have been liberated from Portuguese in hours but the Nehru-led Congress government did not do so for 15 years, PM Modi said.

'Double engine' govt brought double corruption in UP: Akhilesh Yadav

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday alleged that the “double engine” government has brought “double corruption” in Uttar Pradesh and promised to set up a corpus fund of Rs 10, 000 crore to ensure timely payment to farmers.

“The double engine government in Uttar Pradesh has brought double corruption. Therefore, vote to remove corruption from the state so that baba ji (Adityanath) returns to his home after the results (of elections) are declared,” Yadav said while addressing a joint rally with alliance partner Jayant Chaudhary of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD).

The term "double engine" is used by BJP leaders to refer to the party being in power at the Centre as well as in a state.

Reaching out to the farmers of the region, Yadav said, “We will set up a corpus fund of Rs 10,000 crores after coming to power to ensure timely payment to farmers,” he said.

Election Commission revises dates for Manipur Assembly elections

Election Commission on Thursday revised the dates for the Manipur Assembly elections, with phase 1 now to be held on February 28 and phase 2 is scheduled for March 5.

Earlier, phase 1 and phase 2 were set to be held on February 27 and March 3, respectively.

57.79% polling till 5 pm in phase one of UP elections

As per initial reports, Phase I of the polling for the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections on Thursday saw 57.79 per cent voting till 5 p.m., according to the Election Commission of India.

"Phase I has seen 57.79 per cent polling till 5 p.m. as per initial reports," said the ECI statement along with a disclaimer that these are approximate figures as data from some polling stations take time to be incorporated.

Voting will go on till little more time, so final percentage would be known later.

Agra saw 56.52 per cent, Aligarh 57.25 per cent, Bagpat 61.25 per cent, Bulandshahr 60.57 per cent, Gautam Budd Nagar 53.48 per cent, Ghaziabad 52.43 per cent, Hapur 60.53 per cent, Mathura 58.12 per cent, Meerut 58.23 per cent, Muzaffarnagar 62.09 per cent and Shamli saw 61.75 per cent voting, the EC statistics showed.

Of the total 403 seats in Uttar Pradesh assembly, voting for 58 seats of the phase I of the seven phase elections is being held on Thursday. There are a total of 634 candidates in fray, 73 of them are women. As many as 2.28 crore voters (1.04 of them female) are exercising their franchise at 26,027 polling booths across 10,853 polling stations in 11 districts.

There is always a major vote-swing after Modi rally, says Fadnavis

UP Polls: Chain of riots happened during previous regime, says CM Yogi

Women wait in a queue to cast their votes for UP Assembly elections, at a polling station in Vaidpura village, Dadri, in Gautam Buddh Nagar.

UP Polls: PM Modi appreciates voters for reaching polling stations in large number

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra explains her party's manifesto for UP Assembly elections to a motor mechanic in Rampu

After rescuing labourers, Sonu Sood hits streets again for his sister

Months after he came to the rescue of labourers walking back home in the days of Covid-19 lockdown, actor and philanthropist Sonu Sood is now hitting the streets campaigning for his sister.

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BJP trying to garner Brahmin votes by securing Ashish Mishra's bail, alleges SBSP chief

Ashish Mishra was given bail only because he is the son of a minister. BJP knows that it is losing the polls. They are trying to garner Brahmin votes by securing bail in order to send a message to the community that this bail is the result of their efforts: SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar

Pay Rs 1,788 crore penalty amount to rubber producers: farmers' group to PM Modi

The All India Kisan Sabha, a farmers' group aligned with Left parties, on Thursday demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi provide Rs 1,788 crore, equal to the penalty amount imposed by regulator CCI on tyre corporates, as grant to rubber farmers to set up a tyre manufacturing unit.

Over 35 per cent voting till 1 pm; EVM glitches reported from some booths

"Average 35.03 per cent polling was witnessed in UP till 1 pm," anElectionCommission (EC) official said.

Additional ChiefElectionOfficer (ACEO) B D Ram Tiwari said polling is going on peacefully.

"There were reports of a technical error in EVMs at some places. Those EVMs are being replaced," he said.

Poll results will be different this time: Rakesh Tikait

As the first phase of Uttar Pradesh assembly elections got underway, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait on Thursday said "peace has replaced the 2013 situation" in Muzaffarnagar and the poll result will be different this time.

Referring to the communal riots that broke out in Muzaffarnagar district in 2013, the national spokesperson of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) said, "the result of 2013 was a trial, the stadiums of that trial have been demolished here. The stadiums where these matches were played remain demolished now.

"Peace has replaced the previous situation and the results will also not be the same this time,” he told reporters after casting his vote in the district.

BJP's 'Vision 2022' will make this decade that of Uttarakhand: PM Narendra Modi

Giving Cong fitting reply for making political use of General Rawat is responsibility of people of Uttarakhand: PM Narendra Modi

Today, a leader (RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary) did not cast his vote. It shows their dynastic arrogance. The power of democracy gives answers to such people: BJP national president J P Nadda, in Biswan, Uttar Pradesh

BJP changed its chief ministers in Uttarakhand because they were corrupt, it replaced one thief with another: Rahul Gandhi

Seems youth, farmers in full rage: Jayant on EVM glitches

Amid reports of glitches in EVMs at some places where assembly polls were underway in Uttar Pradesh, Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhary on Thursday said it seems that the youth and farmers were pressing the button in “full rage”.

We'll keep UP riot-free, mafia-free & free from terrorist patrons. Anti-Terrorist Commando Centers will be built in Deoband, Meerut, Rampur, Azamgarh, Kanpur and Bahraich...200 riots happened in UP under Akhilesh govt. Not a single riot occurred under Yogi govt: BJP chief J P Nadda

(ANI)

Congress party using late CDS Gen Bipin Rawat's name to gather votes. They did politics over his name while his appointment as the first CDS. A leader of this party even called him 'Sadak ka Gunda': PM Modi in Uttarakhand's Srinagar

BJP issued resolution document for the next 5 years, this resolution document empowers the farmers and youth. This decade will be the decade of Uttarakhand: PM Modi

A woman gets her finger inked before casting her vote at a polling station during the state assembly election in the town of Vrindavan, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, February 10, 2022.

Only BJP has remained a national party, all other parties have become parties of dynasties, 'parivarvaad', regionalism... Congress has neither remained national nor Indian, it has become a brother-sister party: BJP chief J P Nadda in Biswan

(ANI)

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami addressed a public gathering in Bageshwar ahead of state Assembly polls

"Ayushman Bharat is largest health assurance scheme in the world. Our govt launched several other schemes for people of different sectors," CM said.

Congress releases ninth list of 33 candidates for the UP Assembly elections

(DHNS)

Last minute efforts, BJP workers trying to bring out voters to polling booth

As the polling for 58 assembly constituencies is underway in western Uttar Pradesh, the BJP has activated its booth management mechanism to bring out voters to the polling booths.

At 4 a.m. in the morning, BJP's booth management system activated with a call to party polling agents, 'shakti kendra pramukh' and 'panna pramukh'. A BJP insider said that call centre has been set up at assembly level and the first call was made to wake up polling agents and their reliever, 'shakti Kendra pramukh' and 'panna pramukh' from 4 a.m. in the morning and after 10.30 a.m. calls are made to voters with request to cast their votes.

"Since 10.30 am till the end of voting in the evening, calls will be made to voters to motivate them to cast their vote. Panna pramukhs and shakti Kendra pramukhs are also asking people to come out and vote by reaching out voters personally," he said.

Former Punjab chief minister and Punjab Lok Congress Chief Capt. Amarinder Singh with his advisor Bharat Inder Singh Chahal during an election rally, for upcoming Punjab Assembly elections, in Sanaur, Thursday.

Election campaigning has begun in Manipur, candidates have been nominated. BJP will form a government in Manipur with the majority: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

Politicians with sports backgrounds try luck in poll playground in Patiala

Contesting the Punjab assembly elections on tickets from different parties, a former kabbadi player, an ex-cricketer and an erstwhile polo player have different political ideologies but have a same goal of improving sports facilities in this district.

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Wrestler The Great Khali joins BJP in Delhi

Professional wrestler Dalip Singh Rana, also known as The Great Khali, Thursday joined the BJP in Delhi.

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Lakhimpur Kheri incident accused Ashish Mishra granted bail

Ashish Mishra, son of Union minister Ajay Mishra Teni, key accused in the killing of protesting farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri was granted bail on Thursday.

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35.03% voter turnout recorded till 1 pm in the first phase of UP elections

UP will enjoy best education, health services; people won't be murdered in name of religion if it turns into Kerala: Vijayan to Yogi

Kerala has better literacy rate, GDP; BJP wants to distract voter from ground issues: Jayant on Yogi's appeal to not let UP become Kerala, WB

PM is giving statements & you also saw the vote appeal of CM Yogi where he says that don't let UP become Kerala & WB. If you look at Kerala's literacy rate&GDP per capita, you'll find that Kerala is ahead of us. They want to distract from ground issues: RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary (ANI)

Wrestler The Great Khali arrives at the Bharatiya Janata Party headquarters in Delhi

Modi said in the interview that Rahul doesn't listen. What he meant was, EB and CBI can not pressurise me and I do not listen to him: Rahul Gandhi in Uttarakhand

BJP freed Muslim women from the shackles of triple talaq.. but when they started supporting and praising us, some people wondered "How can my daughter praise Modi?" and tried to stop them: Modi in Saharanpur

We're working on a permanent solution for sugarcane farmers. To tackle the situation of ups & downs of the sugar market, sugarcane will also be used to produce ethanol. Rs 12,000 core received from sugarcane-based ethanol, which is providing safety to sugarcane farmers: PM Modi

Vote on issues of unemployment, inflation, crimes against women and Dalits, poverty. Think and vote. Cast your vote for someone who is working to resolve these issues: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra

Security personnel warm themselves near a fire at a polling station, during the first phase of UP Assembly elections, at a village in Meerut.

Don't get influenced by 'Parivarvadi' politicians: Modi warns UP voters

Should culprits be sent to palaces? asks Modi, says BJP has ensured the development of every district, cites 'One District, One Product' scheme

Ethanol to be extracted from sugarcane for the benefit of farmers, BJP working on key project: Modi in Saharanpur

BJP wants to work for the welfare of sugarcane farmers: PM Modi in Saharanpur

For vaccines, farmers' welfare, development projects: PM Modi lists why BJP govt is important in Uttar Pradesh

BJP's election manifesto for UP is lok kalyan's sankalp patra: Modi

PM Modi apologies to first-phase voters for not being able to visit

Be it riots in Kosi Kalan or Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, or Aligarh, there was a chain of riots during anarchical governance of previous govts. They imposed curfews, conducted riots, didn't let people celebrate festivals; Kanwar Yatras were stopped: UP CM

Kejriwal agrees no one will accept AAP in Uttarakhand, says BJP leader

Utensil seller out to challenge Dy CM Keshav Maurya in UP election

Having contested many elections both at the state and the national level in the past over two decades, a small-time utensil seller has entered the poll fray this time against Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya.

Chhedu Chamar has filed his nomination as an independent candidate from the Sirathu assembly segment in Kaushambi district for the Uttar Pradesh elections. Maurya is fighting the polls from the same seat.

Chamar has in the past contested two Parliamentary as well as two Uttar Pradesh assembly elections and though he tasted defeat, he says he fights the polls out of passion.

Union Minister Dr Sanjeev Balyan casts his vote in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh Earlier, this area used to be called the crime capital. Today, there is law and order and development, mafia raj has ended, he says.

Voters queue up to cast their ballot at a polling station in Ghaziabad on February 10, 2022 during the first phase of Uttar Pradesh state Assembly elections.

20.03% voter turnout recorded till 11 am in the first phase of Uttar Pradesh Elections 2022

(ANI)

Voting picks up pace in Noida

The voting process has started picking up pace near here in the Gautam Buddha Nagar after a slow beginning in the early hours of Thursday.

The polling began at 7.00 am sharp in the morning with some residents reaching their nearest polling booth as early as 6.30 am. The voter turnout till 10.00 am stood at 8.07 per cent.

"Pehle matdaan, uske baad bahu, uske baad sab kaam," says Ankur Balyan, a bridegroom who had come to cast his vote at a polling booth in Muzaffarnagar ahead of his wedding today.

A woman checks temperature of voters as they wait to cast their vote at a polling station, during the first phase of UP Assembly elections, in Dadri, Thursday.

Family war spills over political area

BJP MLA Garima Singh has objected to the omission of her name as wife in the affidavit filed with his nomination papers by BJP candidate Dr Sanjaya Sinh, a member of the erstwhile Amethi royal family.

Garima Singh, who is the current Amethi MLA and the first wife of Sanjaya Sinh, has filed the objection in front of Returning Officer Sanjeev Kumar Maurya, protesting against the mention of Ameeta Singh as his wife in the affidavit.

The BJP has, this time, given ticket to Sanjaya Sinh from the Amethi assembly. Garima had won in the last elections. "It is wrong for Dr Sanjaya Sinh not to show me as his wife, for which I have filed an objection," Garima Singh told reporters.

7.93% voting till 9 am in first phase of UP elections

Polling, which started at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm, is going on peacefully, Election Commission officials said. Polling is being held in 58 assembly seats spread across 11 districts in the western part of the state in the first phase. "Average 7.93 per cent polling was witnessed in UP in first two hours (7 am-9 am)," an Election Commission (EC) official said.

Agra recorded 7.53 per cent polling, Aligarh 8.26 per cent, Baghpat 8.93 per cent, Bulandshahr 7.51 per cent, Gautam Buddh Nagar 8.33 per cent, Ghaziabad 7.37 per cent, Hapur 8.2 per cent, Mathura 8.30 per cent, Meerut 8.44 per cent Muzaffarnagar 7.5 per cent and Shamli 7.7 per cent, he added.

Polling in 58 UP Assembly seats to begin today, 623 candidates in fray

Ahead of UP elections, BKU seeks Jat-Muslim union against BJP

The year was 1987. The government had hiked the power tariff and in protest, a large number of farmers took out a march. The police came in and fired at the protesting farmers, leaving two young men dead – Jaipal, a Jat man from Lisadh village, and Akbar from Simbhalka village.

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Security personnel assist a physically challenged person as he arrives in a wheelchair to cast vote at a polling station, during the first phase of UP Assembly elections, in Meerut, Thursday, February 10, 2022.

Priyanka tweets 'shloka' from Bhagavad Gita

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday tweeted a 'shloka' from the Bhagavad Gita which says 'do work, whatever the results are' as she appealed voters to come out and vote in the first phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh.

Why Jat votes are important for Akhilesh

The Jat and farmers votes in western Uttar Pradesh, a part of which is polling on Thursday, are extremely crucial for Akhilesh Yadav, who is making a concerted attempt to return to power in these elections. Though jats have a population of over 2 per cent only, the community not only dominates the politics of western UP but also prevails over the farmers of other communities. Western Uttar Pradesh has a total of 136 seats -- 58 are polling today -- and the BJP had won 109 seats in 2017.

The BJP has been enlisting the support of Jats since 2014. The 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots had driven a deep wedge between the Jats and Muslims in the region and the BJP benefitted the most due to communal polarisation.The year-long farmers' agitation, topped by the mowing down of four farmers by a SUV owned by a Union minister in Lakhimpur, has antagonised the farmers where the BJP is concerned. The Muslim-Jat divide has also filled up to an extent because a large number of farmers happen to be Muslims too.

Polling in Agra begins on a vibrant note

Despite the biting cold and foggy weather, voters in the nine Assembly constituencies in Agra lined up early to cast their votes before "Jal Paan".

Men, women, all covered up in woollens and masked, reached early in the posh colonies, as well as in the rural segments to vote. First time voters were keen to flaunt their inked fingers through selfies posted on social media.

Another 'Ladki hoon, lad sakti hoon' poster girl of Congress joins BJP

In yet another setback to the Congress in Uttar Pradesh, its poster girl for the 'Ladki hoon, lad sakti hoon' campaign, Vandana Singh, has joined the BJP.

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RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary will not go to cast his vote today because of his election rally. He is a voter of Mathura region: Jayant Chaudhary’s office to ANI

Arvind Kejriwal will be on a two-day visit to Goa from February 10-11 ahead of Goa Assembly elections 2022

Kejriwal's wife, daughter to visit Punjab for campaigning. They will attend AAP CM face Bhagwant Mann's 'Jansabha' in the Dhuri area of Sangrur district on February 11.

(ANI)

'Uttar Pradesh will turn into Kashmir, Bengal or Kerala if BJP doesn't come to power', Yogi's warning to voters

Come out and vote for freedom from fear: Rahul Gandhi

PM Modi appeals voters to participate enthusiastically in polling

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday appealed to voters to vote in the first phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. Polling is under way in 58 Assembly constituencies of Uttar Pradesh in the first phase.

Voting in progress in a booth at Gautam Buddha Nagar district in the first phase of UP Assembly polls

A heady cocktail of caste, religion and nationalism in Punjab polls

With Congress and AAP having declared their CM candidates and most parties having come out with their candidate lists for the Assembly elections, the echo of caste and religion is somewhat more pronounced this time in Punjab poll discourse than it has been in previous polls.

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Polling process has started at all booths. Some complaints regarding EVMs received from some random booths, we are replacing those machines and resolving their matter. Peaceful polling under way, no law & order situation anywhere: Jasjit Kaur, Shamli DM

(ANI)

Nearly 50,000 paramilitary personnel from 412 companies of central paramilitary forces have been deployed at different locations to maintain law and order in the poll-bound state.

BJP State General Secretary Pankaj Singh, Sangeet Som, Satyaveer Tyagi and Mriganka Singh are some other big names contesting polls in the first phase.

Some prominent BJP candidates in the first phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election 2022 include former Uttarakhand Governor Baby Rani Maurya and nine state ministers, including Suresh Rana, Shrikant Sharma and Chaudhary Lakshmi Narain.

Polling begins in west Uttar Pradesh

The battle for Uttar Pradesh began on Thursday with polling at 58 assembly seats spread across 11 districts in the western part of the state. Polling started at 7.00 am and will continue till 6.00 pm, officials of the state election commission said here. Campaigning in the constituencies going to vote in the first round of the seven-phase election in the politically crucial state ended on Tuesday evening.

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These elections are no ordinary elections but are associated with development and safety of women in the state. In the last 5 years, we have laid the foundation for a prosperous UP: Shrikant Sharma, BJP candidate from Mathura Assembly constituency

(ANI)

Congress, Akalis sowing seeds of division on caste, religious lines: Amarinder

Punjab Lok Congress chief Amarinder Singh on Wednesday accused the Congress, AAP and the Shiromani Akali Dal of sowing the seeds of caste and religious dissension in the state.

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Lalu says BJP new incarnation of British, urges UP voters to support Akhilesh

Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad on Wednesday launched a stinging attack on the BJP, comparing it to British colonialists who engineered communal tensions for consolidation of power.

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We are fighting on the agenda of development as we work with the mantra of 'Sabka saath, sabka vikas'. The people of the state don't want to see the politics of appeasement: Sangeet Som, BJP candidate from Sardhana Assembly constituency

(ANI)

UP Polls | Bitter aftertaste for BJP in west UP sugarcane belt

Vote for farmers, not NOTA: Tikait brothers' pre-poll appeal

Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) president Naresh Tikait and its spokesperson Rakesh Tikait on Wednesday appealed to people to vote on farmers' issues during the first phase of Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, beginning Thursday.

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People queue up at the polling booth in Purva Madhyamik Kanya Vidyalaya, Kutbi as they await their turn to cast vote

BJP eyes big win as key Uttar Pradesh votes

Polls opened Thursday in Uttar Pradesh in a test of the appeal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the face of trenchant unemployment, rising inflation and the coronavirus pandemic.

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Hijab controversy: More to do with UP than Karnataka?

Udupi is a long way from Lucknow, but the hijab controversy is just the kind of emotive issue that could help the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) polarise voters in the UP election.

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25% candidates contesting UP polls in phase-2 have criminal cases against them: ADR

Out of 584 candidates contesting in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly polls in phase two, about 147 candidates (25 per cent) have criminal cases registered against themselves, the Association for Democratic Reforms said on Wednesday.

The Uttar Pradesh Election Watch and the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) have analysed the self sworn affidavits of 584 out of 586 candidates contesting the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. The affidavits of two candidates were not analysed as they were either badly scanned or complete affidavits were not uploaded on the Election Commission’s website.

Doubts on Mamata's control deepen with 'unauthorised' nominations

Despite being not approved by the two deputies appointed by the Trinamool Congress,candidates from two municipalities - Diamond Harbour Municipality and Budge Budge Municipality - filed their nominations, making room for doubt over Chairperson Mamata Banerjee's control over the party.

Interestingly both the municipalities fall under Diamond Harbour Parliamentary constituency, from where Chief Minister's nephew and the party's national General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee is the MP.

Not only that, the coordinator for South 24 Parganas state Minister Arup Biswas, who was nominated by the Chief Minister herself, was suddenly replaced by Kunal Ghosh and Soukat Mollah, who are considered to be close to Abhishek Banerjee.