MC Election Update January 15: EC bans physical political rallies till January 22

Releasing its first list of 107 candidates in which it aims to counter rivals' OBC pitch after the Samajwadi Party (SP) accused it of being anti-backward castes, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also chose Keshav Prasad Maurya, one of the two deputy chief ministers, from his birthplace Sirathu in Kaushambi district.

Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections 2022 | The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) gave me a suggestion to choose politics to do more social work. There are many works which I couldn't do during my job tenure, so decided to enter politics... I'm also impressed with PM Modi who has given a new path of development: Former IPS officer Asim Arun in Lucknow

Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections 2022 | The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) gave me a suggestion to choose politics to do more social work. There are many works which I couldn't do during my job tenure, so decided to enter politics... I'm also impressed with PM Modi who has given a new path of development: Former IPS officer, Asim Arun in Lucknow

Punjab Assembly elections 2022 | Our government (Congress) has fulfilled what we have promised in our manifesto and will go in public with our developmental works. I'm hopeful that those who are not able to get tickets will be adjusted in various roles in the party. We will form the government in the state: Punjab Deputy Chief Minister OP Soni

Punjab Assembly elections 2022 | Dr Harjot Kamal, Punjab Congress MLA from Moga, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the presence of Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in Chandigarh on January 15. The development comes on the same day Bollywood actor and philanthropist Sonu Sood’s sister Malvika Sood was fielded by the Congress party to fight the upcoming election from the Moga seat.

Punjab Assembly elections 2022 | Since the Model Code of Conduct came into force in Punjab for the upcoming elections, enforcement teams have seized valuables, including cash, psychotropic substances, and 2.72 lakh litres of liquor worth Rs 40.31 crore in violation of the code till January 14, said State Chief Electoral Officer Dr S Karuna Raju

Assembly elections 2022 | EC bans physical political rallies till January 22

The Election Commission on January 15 extended the existing ban on physical rallies and roadshows for the five state elections till January 22. The ECI has granted relaxation for the political parties to the extent that indoor meetings of a maximum of 300 persons or 50% of the capacity of the hall or the prescribed limit set by SDMA.

Uttarakhand elections 2022 | CM Pushkar Singh Dhami to contest from Khatima constituency

Incumbent Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said after attending the BJP Core Committee meeting: “I will contest the election from the Khatima constituency. We all are together and ready to contest polls. This time, we have given a slogan 'Abki Baar 60 Paar'. The candidates' list will be announced soon.”

Punjab elections 2022 | Congress releases first list of candidates: Navjot Singh Sidhu gets Amritsar East

The Congress party on January 15 released its first list of candidates for the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections 2022. In the Punjab Congress’ first list, candidate names have been listed for 86 seats. As per the Congress first list for 2022 Punjab Assembly elections, state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu will contest from the Amritsar East seat, while incumbent Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi will contest the upcoming elections from Chamkaur Sahib (SC) seat. Read full story here

Highlights

1. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to contest elections from Gorakhpur


2. Election Commission to take a call as ban on poll rallies ends today


3. Former Punjab minister Joginder Mann joins AAP

2022 Assembly Elections | The Election Commission of India will on January 15 decide whether or not to extend the ban on public rallies in five poll-bound states in view of the rising coronavirus cases in India. The poll panel, while announcing the schedule of assembly elections in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Uttarakhand, and Manipur on January 8, had banned public rallies and meetings till January 15.

2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections | The BJP announced that UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will contest the polls from the Gorakhpur Urban seat while his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya will contest from Sirathu in Prayagraj. The party has released a list of 105 candidates for the elections.

Meanwhile, Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad ruled out an alliance with the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh. “After all the discussions, in the end, I felt that Akhilesh Yadav does not want Dalits in this alliance, he just wants Dalit vote bank,” he told ANI. “He humiliated the people of Bahujan Samaj.”

2022 Punjab elections | The Aam Aadmi Party has received more than 8 lakh responses to a survey on who should be the party’s chief ministerial candidate. AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal has backed Bhagwant Mann but not formally announced if he will be the CM candidate. Meanwhile, former Punjab minister Joginder Singh Mann joined the Aam Aadmi Party on January 15, a day after snapping his 50-year-old ties with Congress. AAP leader and Punjab co-in-charge Raghav Chadha said that Mann's induction will give a huge boost to the party in the state.

2022 Uttarakhand Assembly elections | The BJP accused the Congress of having an "anti-Hindu" mindset after the Opposition party complained to the Election Commission that the reconstitution of the Badrinath-Kedarnath temple committee violated the Model Code of Conduct, PTI reported.

(With inputs from PTI and ANI)