Assembly Polls 2022 highlights: Authorities have seized liquor, cannabis from poll-bound UP after the imposition of the MCC

Samajwadi Party will release its first list of alliance partners this evening, party leader Keshav Maurya said. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal campaigned in Punjab with his trademark Delhi model, offering free electricity and health facilities to the poll-bound state if voted to power. Meanwhile, the Congress will hold a meeting today to finalise its candidates for Punjab, On Tuesday, ex-Goa BJP Minister Michael Lobo joined the Congress in a jolt for BJP. Thank you for following DH's updates!

In every poll survey in Goa BJP winning maximum seats: CT Ravi

Authorities have seized 73,000 litres of liquor worth over Rs 1.45 crore and 1,825 kg of cannabis valued at Rs 2.5 crore since imposition of model code of conduct in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh: State Chief Electoral Officer Ajay Kumar Shukla

Kharar Returning Officer (RO) issues notice to Aam Admi Party (AAP) for violation of Model Ccode of Conduct following a complaint regarding the door-to-door today; seeks reply within 24 hours

Aam Aadmi Party candidate from Kharar Gurpratap Singh issued notice by Punjab Chief Election Commissioner for taking more than 5 candidates with him (during a campaign) today

Congress removes former party chief from Uttarakhand Kishore Upadhayay from all party positions stating, "hobnobbing with BJP & other parties despite multiple warnings"

Akhilesh Yadav congratulates and welcomes Dara Singh Chauhan to Samajwadi Party

UP BJP MLA Ravindra Nath Tripathi denies reports of him leaving party

Health Ministry to coordinate with EC over holding rallies in election-bound states amid rising Covid-19 cases

Uttar Pradesh cabinet Minister and BJP leader Dara Singh Chauhan quits from his post

UP Polls | SP MLA Hari Om Yadav joins BJP

Amidst discussions of leaving SP, Akhilesh Yadav calls on former minister Manoj Pandey

SP decides alliance seats

Sharad Pawar's NCP given Anoop Shahar's seat in Bulandshahr from where KK Sharma will be the candidate. Mamata Banerjee's TMC given Madihan seat of Mirzapur, from which Lalitesh Pati Tripathi will contest.

BSP's Guddu Jamali reaches Samajwadi party office

He had earlier announced on social media he would join Samajwadi Party.

After OBC leaders, key 'Gujjar' leader quits BJP, joins RLD

In yet another setback for the BJP, influential 'Gujjar' leader and party legislator from Muzaffarnagar district Avtar Singh Bhadana on Wednesday resigned from the saffron party and joined the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD).

According to the sources in the RLD, Bhadana had a meeting with RLD president Jayant Chaudhary in Delhi after which he announced his decision to quit the BJP.

Sources said that Bhadana, an MLA from Mirpur assembly seat in Muzaffarnagar, was likely to be offered RLD nomination from the Jewar seat. RLD was part of the Samajwadi Party (SP) led alliance.

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Smriti Irani takes on the Punjab government: Attacks Congress leaders for failure.

Why were security measures deliberately breached due to the active connivance of the Congress-led Govt in Punjab? Who in Congress sought to benefit from the breach of PM's security?: Union Minister Smriti Irani.
"Why did the Punjab CM brief a private citizen (Priyanka Gandhi Vadra) on the PM's security protocol and the breach? Why is the private citizen, who is a part of the Gandhi family, an interested party?" Irani asked at a press briefing.

Congress MLA from Behat (Saharanpur) Naresh Saini, Sirsaganj (Firozabad) MLA Hari Om Yadav, and former SP MLA Dr Dharmpal Singh join BJP in presence of senior Uttar Pradesh BJP leaders in Delhi

Samawadi Party to declare first list of alliances this evening: Keshav Dev Maurya

Shiv Sena will contest on 50-100 seats in Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. I will be visiting western Uttar Pradesh tomorrow: Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut

My party will not contest in the first & second phases: Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party chief Om Prakash Rajbhar

We have pledged to make Akhilesh Yadav the next CM of Uttar Pradesh. The list of candidates of the SP-led alliance will be released in a phased manner: My party will not contest in the first & second phases: Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party chief Om Prakash Rajbhar

If they were cautious on time and worked on public issues, then BJP would not have to face this: MLA Swami Prasad Maurya

Former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh tests positive for Covid, a month before elections

Goa Assembly Election | Oppn parties need to think of alternative against PM Modi's leadership: TMC leader Sushmita Dev

TMC MP Sushmita Dev has said the opposition parties in the country need to think of an alternative against the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi before going to the people to seek votes. Talking to PTI in Goa on Tuesday, Dev claimed that Trinamool Congress (TMC) president Mamata Banerjee is coming up as a "formidable force" against Modi. Dev also said the TMC has not entered the Assembly poll fray in Goa to cut the Congress's votes, and that the Banerjee-led party has to go to other states to expand the organisation.

Punjab polls | Kejriwal slams Congress and the Badal family for "looting the state for the past several years"

“A tie up of Congress and the Badal family has been going on for the last several years. Both the Congress and the Badal family have been looting Punjab. It will now come to an end. Punjab will witness prosperity and good time for Punjab is going to come,” he further said.

Targeting the Charanjit Singh Channi-led government over law and order situation in the state, Kejriwal referred to the recent incidents of bomb blast, sacrilege incidents and breach in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's security.

Party in-charge of Uttar Pradesh, which is going to polls next month, Priyanka Gandhi turns 50

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra turned 50 on Wednesday with wishes pouring in from her family and party leaders.

Party in-charge of Uttar Pradesh, which is going to polls next month, Priyanka Gandhi stepped into politics formally in 2019. But she had been active in Amethi when Sonia Gandhi contested first elections.

But her entry into politics has not been easy as she made her political debut when the strength of Congress had reduced.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has pinned high hopes for the fairer sex with her slogan "larki hun lar sakti hun (am a girl, I can fight). She says if women become aware of their rights and unite, the day is not far when they would have a sizeable presence in Parliament.

Her campaign has cased jitters in the opposition camp and she has earned praises in the party but yet the outcome of Assembly results is awaited.

SC seeks U'khand govt response on plea against hate speeches made at Dharam Sansad

The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Uttarakhand government on a petition by journalist Qurban Ali and former Patna High Court judge Anjana Prakash, seeking action against those who made hate speeches against the Muslim community at Dharam Sansad in Haridwar.

A bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana and comprising Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli allowed the petitioners to approach local authorities with their plea to stop a proposed Dharam Sansad scheduled at Aligarh on January 23.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the petitioners, contended that Dharam Sansad is going to organise another congregation at Aligarh and some direction should be passed to restrain them from making hate speeches, while the top court is seized of the matter.

Sibal emphasized that various Dharam Sansad are scheduled in states, which are going to polls soon.

DH Special | UP Polls | Swami Prasad Maurya joins SP; BJP rattled

Dramatic turn of events: At his residence in Etawah, BJP MLA from Bidhuna, Vinay Shakya refutes his daughter's claim about his kidnapping; says he is with Swami Prasad Maurya and will join the Samajwadi Party

Imran Masood and Masood Akhtar to join Samajwadi Party

We have prepared a 10-point 'Punjab Model' to make the state developed & prosperous if AAP comes to power. We will make such a prosperous Punjab that the youth who went to Canada for employment will return in the next 5 years: AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal

Congress Central Election Committee to meet tomorrow to finalize candidates for Punjab Assembly polls

Kejriwal makes pitch for AAP in Punjab: Free electricity, wiping out drug menace

If voted to power, we will wipe out the drug syndicate from Punjab, ensure justice in all cases of sacrilege, and end corruption. We will set up 16,000 mohalla clinics & provide free treatment to every Punjabi. We will also provide 24/7 free electricity: AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal

If AAP comes to power in Punjab, we will give Rs 1000/month to every woman above 18 years of age: AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal in Mohali

Punjab Polls | AAP to announce name of CM face next week

We assure people of Punjab to improve law & order situation & ensure justice in all previous incidents of sacrilege if AAP comes to power. Security will be ensured to all - be it PM or anyone else. Name of CM's face will be announced next week: AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal in Chandigarh.

With back to back inductions of leaders from different parties, SP has taken a leaf from BJP's rule book and managed to give an impression of a resurgent party in UP ahead of polls.

Tapping the perception of anger among the Brahmin community against the Yogi government, SP has inducted a number of Brahmin leaders in its fold from different parties -- BJP MLA from Khalilabad seat in Sant Kabir Nagar, Digvijay Narain Chaubey, BSP MLA Vinay Shankar Tiwari and his brother Kushal Tiwari (both sons of known Bahubali Brahmin leader from Gorakhpur Harishankar Tiwari, a known detractor of Yogi Adityanath. This was after the SP inducted six suspended BSP MLAs in October last year.

With Maurya quitting with five of his supporting MLAs from the Yogi government, two prominent non-Yadav OBC leaders representing Kushwaha and Rajbhar communities are out of BJP, posing a challenge before the BJP's Extremely Backward castes outreach.

Of OBCs, which are roughly 44% of UP’s electorate, Yadavs are most dominant numerically followed by Kushwahas (Koeris) while Mayawati's community Jatav is dominant among 21% Dalits. Swami Prasad Maurya, the then BSP national secretary was inducted into BJP in 2016 while another Maurya leader Keshav Prasad Maurya was made BJP state chief. Keshav Maurya later became Deputy CM. Mauryas are also called Kachhis, Kushwahas, Sainis and Shakyas,

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Maurya's induction a shot in the arm for Samajwadi Party's Muslim Yadav plus outreach

When BJP leader Swami Prasad Maurya, who like late Ram Vilas Paswan is considered a "Mausam Vaigyanik" of politics, resigned from the Yogi cabinet in UP to join Samajwadi Party and flagged his discomfort with "adversarial ideology"and "complete apathetic approach towards Dalits, OBCsand others", he played a script which could help Akhilesh Yadav give an edge to his MY (Muslim Yadav) plus outreach, which once Mulayam Singh Yadav represented in the state politics.

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Setback for BJP: UP minister quits cabinet, 3 other MLAs leave party; likely to join SP

In a jolt to the BJP inpoll-bound Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday, OBC leader Swami Prasad Maurya resigned from the state cabinet and three other MLAs announced they are quitting the party.

Maurya is widely expected to join the Samajwadi Party but has not made a formal declaration. The SP, however, welcomed him to their fold, even sharing a picture that showed him with party president Akhilesh Yadav.