Assembly Polls 2022 Highlights: Punjab CM Channi's cousin Jaswinder Singh Dhaliwal joins BJP

In a jolt to the BJP in poll-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. Meanwhile, Congress formed a manifesto committee headed by party MP Partap Singh Bajwa and a Sunil Jakhar-led campaign panel for the February 14 Punjab Assembly polls.

Thank you for following the live coverage of the Assembly elections 2022. We will be back tomorrow!

Punjab CM Channi's cousin Jaswinder Singh Dhaliwal joins BJP

(ANI)

Registered unrecognised political parties increased more than twice in 2010-2021: ADR

The number of registered unrecognised political parties increased more than twice between 2010 and 2021 and disproportionately during the year of parliamentary elections, poll rights group Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) said.

Either newly registered parties or those which have not secured enough percentage of votes in assembly or general elections to become a state party, or those which have never contested elections since being registered are considered unrecognised parties.

In a new report, the ADR said from 1112 parties in 2010, the number spiked to 2,301 in 2019 and now in 2021, the number rose to 2,858.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will address a press conference via video conferencing tomorrow

(ANI)

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, OBCs and 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.

Read more

The people of Uttar Pradesh consider Samajwadi Party as alternative to BJP and this time, they will wipe it out in the assembly polls and form the SP's government: Akhilesh Yadav

(ANI)

Former Punjab MLA Arvind Khanna, others join BJP

Former Sangrur MLA and businessman Arvind Khanna, former PWD minister Kanwar Singh Tohda, Shiromani Akali Dal general secretary Gurdeep Singh Gosha and former counsellor Dharamveer Sareen were some of the prominent faces who joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the party’s headquarters in New Delhi ahead of the Assembly polls in Punjab.

Read more

I have come to know that Swami Prasad Maurya has given a list of MLAs who are leaving BJP & joining Samajwadi Party & my name is also in that list. I am and will be in the BJP. I am not leaving the party: UP Minister Dharam Singh Saini

(ANI)

Alliance with Akali Dal in Punjab cost BJP heavily: Hardeep Singh Puri

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday said that he "personally" feels that alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in Punjab had cost the BJP heavily.

Read more

UP Polls: Yogi's '80 vs 20%' remark stokes a controversy

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who is known for his firebrand speeches on communal issues, has sparked a row with his statement that the elections in the state will be '80 per cent versus 20 per cent', in a veiled reference to the percentage of the Muslim population in the country.

Read more

Priyanka slams Yogi's '80 vs 20%' remark, urges youth to make UP polls about their issues

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday hit out at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over his remarks that the Assembly polls in the state will be about '80 per cent vs 20 per cent', and urged the youth to make the elections about issues such as employment and education.

Read more

13 MLAs are going to join Samajwadi Party (SP): NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Uttar Pradesh minister Swami Prasad Maury resigning and joining SP

(ANI)

BJP UP MLA Brajesh Kumar Prajapati quits party, says BJP has done nothing for Dalit ministers.

He said he is with Swami Prasad Maurya

(DHNS)

"In Uttar Pradesh, we are going to contest elections with Samajwadi Party and other smaller parties... The people of Uttar Pradesh are looking for change. We will surely see the change in the State... Communal polarisation is being done in Uttar Pradesh, ahead of Assembly elections. The people of UP will give a befitting reply to this," said NCP Chief Sharad Pawar

We are in talks with Congress and TMC for an alliance for Goa Assembly elections: NCP Chief Sharad Pawar in Mumbai

(ANI)

NCP to contest elections in Uttar Pradesh, Goa and Manipur

People of Punjab will decide who will be the CM. Who told you that the (Congress) high command will make the CM?: Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu

(ANI)

Congress constitutes manifesto, campaign committee for Punjab

Swami Prasad Maurya explains why he resigned from Yogi's Cabinet

Battle for UP: BJP sends teams from other states for poll management

Teams of BJP leaders from Gujarat, Haryana, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Delhi will now camp in Uttar Pradesh and other poll-bound states to assist the party units in campaigning for the Assembly elections.

The idea behind seeking reinforcement from other states is that being 'outsiders', these party workers will be able to assess the mood of the voters and give feedback accordingly. These members will work on Panna Pramukh committees, Booth Pramukh committees, Ward pramukh committees and make appropriate changes in the strategy.

Later, meetings of all will be organised and they will be trained. (IANS)

Mayawati to not contest Uttar Pradesh Assembly Polls

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati and party MP Satish Chandra Mishra will not contest the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

"Former Chief Minister Mayawati and I will not contest the Assembly elections. If Samajwadi Party does not have 400 candidates, how will they win 400 seats? Neither SP nor BJP will come to power, BSP is going to form the govt in Uttar Pradesh," he said. Read more

Jolt to UP BJP as party minister Swami Prasad Maurya joins Samajwadi Party

Swami Prasad Maurya resigns from Yogi Adityanath's Cabinet ahead of polls

Akhilesh Yadav gets irked by Mathura, Kashi: UP Deputy CM

Training guns at the Samajwadi Party chief, Uttar Pradesh deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Tuesday said that Akhilesh Yadav gets irritated with Ayodhya, Mathura and Kashi, and demanded an apology from him for his remark that religion is superstition. Slamming Akhilesh for his remark, Maurya said: "SP chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav gets irritated with Radhe Radhe, Lord Banke Bihari, Ayodhya, Mathura and Kashi."

Mayawati won't contest Assembly elections, says BSP MP

Former Chief Minister Mayawati and I will not contest the Assembly elections. If Samajwadi Party does not have 400 candidates, how will they win 400 seats? Neither SP nor BJP will come to power, BSP is going to form the government in Uttar Pradesh, says BSP MP Satish Chandra Misra.

BJP kickstarts door-to-door campaign in Uttar Pradesh

KP Maurya wants Akhilesh to apologise for Lord Krishna remark

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav's statement on Lord Krishna, claiming religion as superstition has hurt the sentiments of people. I want him to apologise... By inducting Imran Masood into SP, their intention is clear that they will bring goons, criminals to win polls, saysUP DeputyCM KP Maurya.

UP Polls: Congress, AAP leaders face MCC violation charges

The Uttar Pradesh Police have lodged first two cases of violation of model code of conduct (MCC) against Congress and Samajwadi party leaders in Jaunpur and Saharanpur district. Read more

UP CM Yogi Adityanath, Deputy CM KP Maurya, others arrive at party headquarters in Delhi for BJP core committee meet ahead of assembly polls

In battle for UP, Bihar parties may upset the apple cart

The Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections this year will have a lot of Bihar in them. At least four regional parties from Bihar have formally announced that they will contest the polls in Uttar Pradesh, either in alliance or on their own. Two of these four regional parties are a part of the NDA in Bihar. Read more

'In 2017, BJP ‘stole’ Goa election. TMC will ensure it doesn’t happen again'

Mahua Moitra has emerged as a fiery opposition MP in the Lok Sabha. Now, she’s taking on the BJP in Goa as she leads Trinamool Congress’ charge for the Assembly elections there, scheduled for February 14. Mahua tells DH’s Mohammed Safi Shamsi that although it’s new to Goa, TMC is emerging as a credible alternative to the BJP there. Read more

UP implements MCC, takes down party hoardings & posters

Civic bodies have begun removing hoardings and posters put up by political parties across Uttar Pradesh as the model code of conduct has come into effect with the Election Commission announcing polls dates for the state. See pictures

BSP's fielding of more Muslims could disadvantage opposition in UP

he opposition in Uttar Pradesh is seeking to attract minority votes into their fold in the February-MarchAssemblyelections and among the SP, the BSP, the Congress, and the AIMIM, it is the BSP which is likely to take the lead by fielding more Muslims.

The BSP is said to have finalised its candidates on the majority of seats and they have been made in charge of the respectiveAssemblysegments. The name of the candidates will be released with the notification of the first phasepollingby the Election Commission on January 14, but the probable candidates in the list have been unofficially intimated. There are understood to be a large number of Muslims in the last and the SP's apprehension is that the BSP's move could help the BJP as it will lead to a division of votes in the elections.

Poll schedule: Not a level playing field

The Election Commission has announced a schedule extending over a month for the Assembly elections in five states, without giving due consideration to the negative and undesirable consequences of having such a long poll process.

Read more