MC Election Update Today February 2: Criminal cases against 25% of candidates in fray for UP polls phase I: ADR

A man's inked marked finger is seen as he leaves a polling station on his bike after casting his vote. (Representative image: Reuters)

Highlights:

-- Criminal cases against 25% of candidates in fray for UP polls phase I: ADR 

-- NCP releases list of 24 star campaigners for Goa Assembly elections

-- Congress releases list of 30 star campaigners for Uttarakhand polls

-- 931 candidates in Punjab file nominations on last day

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Uttarakhand polls: Congress manifesto full of false promises, says BJP     

The Uttarakhand BJP on Wednesday said the Congress manifesto released by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra here for the assembly polls in the state is full of false promises. Describing the manifesto as a "pack of lies", Uttarakhand BJP president Madan Kaushik said the Congress has done exactly the opposite of what it has promised in the document while distributing tickets in the state for the elections.

Despite promising to give 40 per cent of tickets to women, the party cancelled the candidatures of some women it had fielded, including Dalit candidate Barkha Rani and Sandhya Dalakoti from Lalkuan, Kaushik alleged. "Priyanka Gandhi should first explain this anomaly," he added.

Mayawati kicks off BSP campaign, says BJP, SP, Congress anti-Dalit             

BSP chief Mayawati on Wednesday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Samajwadi Party (SP), and Congress for not doing enough for Dalits and asserted that her party has a track record of working for all sections of society as she launched her party's campaign for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. Terming the rival parties "anti-Dalit", she said though they make various promises in their manifestos ahead of polls, they forget about them after coming to power. Mayawati, who has been conspicuous by her absence from the high-octane campaigning in the state, also said she has been living in Lucknow for a year and working to rebuild the BSP. She said some "casteist media groups" are trying to demoralise BSP supporters by saying that their party leaders are missing on the ground.

UP polls: Criminal cases against 25 pc of candidates in fray for phase I, says ADR 

Twenty-five percent of candidates in the fray for the first phase of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections have criminal cases against them, including 12 who are accused of crimes against women and six charged with murder, according to poll reforms advocacy group ADR. The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) said it has analysed self-sworn affidavits of 615 candidates across political parties and Independent nominees from the 58 assembly seats in 11 districts of the state where elections are scheduled on February 10.

There are a total 623 candidates in the fray, and affidavits of eight of them could not be analysed because they were either badly scanned or incomplete, the ADR said. On criminal background of candidates, it said, "Out of 615 candidates analysed, 156 (25 percent) candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves while 121 (20 percent) have declared serious criminal cases against themselves."

UP elections 2022 | Anurag Thakur slams Rafiq Ansari, accuses Samajwadi Party of creating fear 'psychosis' to gain votes in UP polls.

JUST IN: Political parties are seeking votes over religion and caste, says Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, urges electorates to raise questions on development plans.

Congress releases list of 30 star campaigners for Uttarakhand polls

Congress released the list of star campaigners for the Uttarakhand Assembly elections to be held on February 14. The list of 30 leaders of Congress campaigners includes Sonia Gandhi, Dr Manmohan Singh, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi.

Uttar Pradesh Elections 2022 | The fear of defeat makes a lot of people get rid of their seats. Rahul Gandhi ran away from Lok Sabha, Amethi. Akhilesh Yadav left his seat, now Swami Prasad Maurya is running away. His defeat is assured, Union Minister Anurag Thakur said

He added: “After every five years, Swami Prasad Maurya (SP MLA) selects a new swami, but now with such difficulty, he's not even ready to contest from his own seat. What must've been the need to run away from Padrauna? He was afraid of defeat, after all.”

Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections 2022 | Amit Shah holds door-to-door campaign in Budaun

#WATCH | Union Home Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah holds door-to-door campaign in Budaun.#UttarPradeshElections2022 pic.twitter.com/2pSWhXv7XO

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) February 2, 2022

Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee to back Samajwadi Party in UP

“In Uttar Pradesh, I am not going to contest Assembly polls but I am going to support SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on 8th Feb 2022; we (Trinamool Congress) will contest from UP in Lok Sabha polls (in 2024,” West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on February 2.

Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections 2022: Stopped by bad weather, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addresses public meeting in Lakhimpur Kheri over the phone.

JUST IN | “Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav will play a game of red light-green light. He will show a red light to development and green light to mafias”: Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Sahaswan Assembly constituency, Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections 2022 | “UP became a mafia-centre under the ‘bua-bhateeja’ rule of Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party. Now mafias are present at three locations only, either out of Uttar Pradesh, in Budaun jail, or as an SP candidate...Has anyone seen Mulayam Yadav's sidekicks Azam Khan, Mukhtar Ansari in the last three years:” Home Minister Amit Shah, in Sahaswan

Noida's model booths gear up with balloons, flowers, light music for 'memorable' polls

Nearly 250 model polling booths are being prepared across Noida and Greater Noida for the February 10 assembly polls, Gautam Buddh Nagar officials have told news agency PTI as they geared up to make voting a memorable experience for voters. There will be 1,840 polling booths across Gautam Buddh Nagar, with 243 model booths the official said. The model booths are being prepared in an effort to increase the voting percentage in the district. Noting that the COVID-19 situation is largely under control in Gautam Buddh Nagar and vaccination going on full swing, he appealed to the voters to come out in large numbers as adequate precautionary measures will be in place during the elections.

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath: They (SP chief Akhilesh Yadav) are once again coming up with a new envelope. Only the envelope is new, the material is still the same old. After 10 March, "Inki Puri Garmi Shaant Karwa Dengey". The results of the UP Assembly elections will come on March 10.

#WATCH | They (SP chief Akhilesh Yadav) are once again coming up with a new envelope. Only the envelope is new, material is still same old, rotten of mafias, riots...After 10 March, "Inki Puri Garmi Shaant Karwa Dengey": UP CM Yogi Adityanath on SP-RLD alliance pic.twitter.com/WNjNFjDhw4

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) February 2, 2022

Amit Shah in UP's Atrauli: Goons used to harass the people of Uttar Pradesh under Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav's government. In the state, the police were afraid of the mafia. However, now the mafia has migrated from the state under Yogi Adityanath's government. If you will now search for those mafia in the Uttar Pradesh, then you eill find that at three places only: jail, outside the state and in the list of candidates of Samajwadi Party.

Amit Shah in UP's Atrauli: Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav misled the country and Uttar Pradesh regarding the COVID-19 vaccine, but later he himself got vaccinated. Would people's lives have been saved if they did not get vaccinated at his behest?

JUST IN | Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is addressing a rally in Bulandshahr.

केन्द्रीय गृह एवं सहकारिता मंत्री श्री @AmitShah अतरौली, उत्तर प्रदेश में जनसभा को संबोधित करते हुए। #GharGharBJP https://t.co/4C8YZRqPuq

— BJP (@BJP4India) February 2, 2022

BJP UP vice-president Dayashankar Singh: "BJP's candidate list is great. The party has put a lot of thought behind it. I welcome the decision of giving Sarojini Nagar ticket to Rajeshwar Singh," said Dayashankar Singh after being denied ticket.

JUST IN | UP Minister Swati Singh: I am part of BJP and will continue to remain so throughout my life, said Swati Singh on not being given ticket in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. No worker should question the decision taken by the party leadership, she said, adding that the party must have done it for good. (ANI)

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal in Goa: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidates today signed a legal affidavit and took a pledge to remain loyal to the party, and work honestly if elected. All of our candidates are honest but this affidavit is needed to assure voters that these candidates are honest. Our candidates will send photocopies of the signed affidavit to every household in their constituency. By doing this, we're giving right to voters to file a case of breach of trust against our candidates if they violate the terms of the affidavit.

Home Minister Amit Shah to address 3 public meetings in UP today

Union Home Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Amit Shah will address three public in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh today. He will address the meetings at Atrauli at 12 pm, Sahaswan at 1.30 pm, and Budaun at 3.30 pm. He will also participate in a door-to-door campaign in Budaun at 4.15 pm on the day.

SP MLA Rafiq Ansari: Meerut's Muslims, youth have never been suppressed, but they (BJP) attempted to suppress you...Circumstances are not right...If their govt is formed, there will be goons in Meerut.

#WATCH | ...Meerut's Muslims, youth have never been suppressed, but they (BJP) attempted to suppress you...Circumstances are not right...If their govt is formed, there will be goons in Meerut: Rafiq Ansari, SP MLA, Meerut (1.02) pic.twitter.com/BmzjWgDUS8

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) February 2, 2022

JUST IN: After BJP's denial, Samajwadi Party likely to field Rita Bahuguna Joshi's son from Lucknow Cantt

Notices to Congress leaders Hardik Patel, Ajay Rai for poll code violation in Varanasi

The Varanasi district administration has issued notices to Congress leaders Hardik Patel and former MLA Ajay Rai for violation of the model code of conduct, seeking their response within 48 hours. The deputy collector and returning officer has issued the notice and warned Patel and Rai of legal action if they do not respond within the stipulated time. Both the leaders are accused of violating the COVID-19 protocol and the model code of conduct, in force because of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, by gathering a crowd of 200-250 people at an event on January 30 without permission.

931 candidates in Punjab file nominations on last day

As many as 931 candidates, including Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, filed their nomination papers for the upcoming Punjab Assembly polls on the last day for filing nominations on February 1, officials said. Channi filed his nomination papers from Chamkaur Sahib seat. A total of 2,279 candidates have filed their nomination papers, said Punjab's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) S Karuna Raju.