Assembly elections 2022 latest updates:

With their high decibel campaigns so far, the BJP and the Samajwadi Party may appear to be locked in a direct fight in Uttar Pradesh. But others threaten to open up the field a bit. Mayawati has said it would be a mistake to say that her Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is out of the race in the assembly elections. And led by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the Congress hopes to upset the balance with its women-centric agenda.

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Over 33,000 litres of liquor seized after poll code imposed, says UP chief electoral officer

Authorities in Uttar Pradesh have seized over 33,000 litres of liquor worth over Rs 82 lakh after the imposition of the model code of conduct for the upcoming assembly polls, Chief Electoral Officer Ajay Kumar Shukla said on Tuesday. The model code is a set of guidelines, issued by the Election Commission, for political parties, candidates, government and the party in power during elections concerning speeches, announcements, election manifestos and general conduct.

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi forms campaign, manifesto panels for Punjab polls

The Congress on Tuesday formed a manifesto committee headed by party MP Partap Singh Bajwa and a Sunil Jakharled campaign panel for the February 14 Punjab assembly polls. Congress president Sonia Gandhi set up a 20member manifesto committee with Bajwa as the chairman, Manpreet Badal as cochairman and party MP Amar Singh as convenor.

NCP to tie up with Samajwadi Party in UP elections, says Sharad Pawar

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said his party would contest the ensuing Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh as part of the Samajwadi Party-led alliance. He also said 13 members of the Legislative Assembly in Uttar Pradesh will be joining the Samajwadi Party. Talking to reporters in Mumbai, Pawar said the people of Uttar Pradesh are looking for parivartan (change) in the northern state, adding it will happen. Voters will give a befitting reply to the communal polarization being done in UP ahead of the polls, he said. NCP will also contest the ensuing Assembly elections in Goa and Manipur, he said.

People consider Samajwadi Party as alternative to BJP, says party chief Akhilesh Yadav

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said the state's people consider his party as an alternative to the BJP and in this assembly polls, they will wipe out the saffron party. He also alleged that the BJP has betrayed farmers and youths, while prices of diesel, petrol and fertilisers have increased manifold during its regime. "The people of the state consider Samajwadi Party (SP) as an alternative to the BJP and this time, they will wipe it out in the assembly polls and form the SP's government," Yadav said while addressing party workers at the SP's headquarters here. According to a party statement, he also promised that if voted to power, the SP will provide 300 units free electricity, free laptops to the youth and make arrangements for free irrigation for farmers.

SP leader elated over UP minister quitting Yogi govt

With UP Cabinet minister Swami Prasad Maurya quitting the Yogi Adityanath government and two BJP MLAs following him, Samajwadi Party spokesperson I P Singh on Tuesday said he has sent a few locks to the state BJP chief to help him down his party's headquarters' shutter after the poll result is out on March 10. Singh, who had joined the SP after quitting the BJP in 2019, said he has sent some locks to UP BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh and two other party leaders so that they can go home after locking their offices in the BJP headquarters after the UP assembly poll result is out on March 10.

Swami Prasad Maurya's daughter claims her father has not joined any party yet

Hours after Uttar Pradesh Labour and Employment Minister Swami Prasad Maurya quit his post, his daughter and the BJP's Badaun MP Sanghamitra Maurya on Tuesday claimed her father has not joined any party and will reveal his strategy in a couple of days. The Samajwadi Party tweeted a photo of Swami Prasad Maurya and Varma with party chief Akhilesh Yadav, and wrote in Hindi, "Welcome to the Samajwadi Party. There will be a social justice revolution. There will be a change in 2022." Sanghamitra Maurya said.

UP law minister stitches cloth at tailor's shop in Lucknow during BJP's door-to door campaign

Attempting to stitch an alliance with the people, UP Law minister Brajesh Pathak on Tuesday tried his hand on a sewing machine at a tailor's shop in the state capital and claimed that people will "contest" the assembly elections for him. Pathak was seen stitching a green piece of cloth at the tailor's shop.

Setback for BJP: UP Minister resigns from cabinet, likely to join SP; 2 MLAs say quitting party

In a jolt to the BJP in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday, OBC leader Swami Prasad Maurya resigned from the state cabinet while two other MLAs announced they are quitting the party. Maurya, who is expected to join the Samajwadi Party (SP), said he resigning from the Yogi Adityanath cabinet "due to the attitude of gross neglect" towards dalits, backwards, farmers, unemployed youth and small traders. BJP Tindwari MLA Brajesh Prajapati and Tilhar MLA Roshan Lal Varma have announced they are leaving the party in support of Maurya.

Goa Assembly polls: TMC launches housing rights campaign

The Trinamool Congress on Tuesday launched its 'Mhaje Ghar, Maalki Hakk' campaign in pollbound Goa, aimed at giving housing rights to people living in the coastal state before 1976. TMC MP Mohua Moitra and other leaders of the Mamata Banerjeeled party launched the scheme, whose title means 'my home, my right', in Panaji.

Priyanka slams UP CM's '80 vs 20 pc' remark, urges youth to make 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. The Congress general secretary said remarks such as "8020" were aimed at diverting attention from real issues of the youth.

Shah, Adityanath in BJP meeting over Uttar Pradesh polls

Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath attended a key BJP meeting on Tuesday as the party shortlists its probable candidates for the initial phases of the state assembly polls before its Central Election Committee meeting to finalise the names. Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and UP BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh also attended the meeting besides several other leaders with its national president J P Nadda, who has contracted coronavirus, attending it virtually. Official sources said the party's campaign, especially in view of the Election Commission's decision to ban rallies and roadshows due to surging COVID cases till January 15, also came up for discussion besides various other aspects of its strategy.

BSP chief Mayawati will not contest UP polls: Party leader S C Misra

Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati will not contest the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, party general secretary S C Misra said here on Tuesday. Misra said he will also not contest the state elections, which will be held in seven phases starting February 10.

SEC announces five-phase Odisha panchayat polls from Feb 16

The State Election Commission, Odisha on Tuesday announced that panchayat polls will be held in five phases from February 16, amid strict adherence to COVID protocols. The SEC banned rallies and victory processions in the wake of the pandemic but allowed door to door campaigns with only five people.

Opposition in Odisha seek deferment of panchayat polls as SEC promises 'COVID-free' elections

All opposition parties in Odisha on Monday strongly opposed the decision of the State Election Commission (SEC) and the BJD government to hold panchayat elections amid the relentless rise in COVID19 cases. At an allparty meeting here, opposition parties have expressed concern over the prevailing COVID19 situation and sought the postponement of panchayat elections by two to three months, some of the leaders who attended the session said.

UP polls: Not just BJP-SP race, others matter too

With their high decibel campaigns so far, the BJP and the Samajwadi Party may appear to be locked in a direct fight in Uttar Pradesh. But others threaten to open up the field a bit. Mayawati has said it would be a mistake to say that her Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is out of the race in the assembly elections. And led by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the Congress hopes to upset the balance with its women centric agenda.

BKU (Ugrahan) will neither support SSM nor contest Punjab polls

Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) leader Joginder Singh Ugrahan on Monday said his farm body will neither support the Balbir Singh Rajewalled Sanyukt Samaj Morcha nor its members will contest the February 14 Punjab assembly polls. BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) is one of the biggest farm bodies in Punjab. Its activists had camped at the Tikri border when the farmers' stir against the Centre's farm laws was going on.

RPI will contest UP polls, will help BJP, says Union minister Athawale

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Monday said his RPI(A) will contest Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, scheduled in seven phases between February 10 and March 7, and sought some seats from ally BJP. Addressing a press conference here, he said the Bahujan Samaj Party had l

UP polls: Noida Police starts phone number for complaint from citizens

Residents across Noida and Greater Noida in Gautam Buddh Nagar district can report electionrelated complaints through email or Whatsapp or a phone call on a dedicated number of the police, officials said on Monday. In view of the assembly polls next month, a complaint cell has been set up at the police commissionerate's election office in Surajpur, Greater Noida, a police spokesperson said.

Amarinder Singh's Punjab Lok Congress party gets hockey stick and ball as the election symbol

Punjab: Captain Amarinder Singh's Punjab Lok Congress party gets hockey stick and ball as the election symbol pic.twitter.com/RmKi07SxF9

— ANI (@ANI) January 10, 2022

Odisha raises age limit for govt job seekers ahead of panchayat polls

Ahead of the panchayat elections in the state, the Odisha Cabinet on Monday decided to raise the upper age limit for government job aspirants of the general category by six years from 32 years to 38 years, a senior official said. The upper age limit of women, Schedule Tribes, scheduled castes, socially and economically backward class and physically challenged persons for such jobs was raised by five more years to 43 years.

(Edited by : Anshul)

First Published:Jan 11, 2022 11:08 AM IST