MC Election Highlights on January 30: Votes from polarisation politics not acceptable to BJP, says Rajnath Singh

ECI to hold review meeting on ban on physical rallies and roadshows on Monday.

Punjab polls | Cong releases 3rd list of candidates, fields CM Channi from 2 seats

The Congress Sunday released its third list of eight candidates for the February 20 Punjab assembly polls, fielding Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi from Bhadaur and Chamkaur Sahib seats. The Congress also fielded former Patiala mayor Vishnu Sharma from the Patiala assembly seats against its former leader Amarinder Singh.

Sharma was once considered a close confidant of the former chief minister. Former union minister Pawan Kumar Bansal's son Manish Bansal has been fielded from the Barnala assembly constituency.

Source: PTI

UP polls | Sanyukt Vikas Party Candidate, who filed nomination in PPE kit in UP, rejected; cries foul

The nomination of Vaidyaraj Kishan, the Sanyukt Vikas Party candidate from Shahjahanpur Assembly constituency who hogged the limelight by wearing a PPE kit while filing his papers, was cancelled on Sunday. As soon as he learned about the development, Kishan broke down at the collectorate and accused the officials of colluding with cabinet minister Suresh Khanna, who is also a candidate from the constituency.

The returning officer, however, said Kishan's nomination was rejected because of incomplete documents. On January 25, Kishan had arrived at the returning officer's chamber to file his nomination papers wearing a PPE kit, holding sanitizer and thermal scanner.

District Election Officer Devendra Pratap Singh said three notices were issued to Kishan asking him to furnish all documents. However, he failed to submit them. He had filed incomplete documents, including the affidavit. So, his nomination has been cancelled, the officer said.

Kishan has had his deposits forfeited in all the 18 polls he has contested so far. He had earlier said he would also file his nomination from Gorakhpur against Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Source: PTI

Goans need to choose between BJP's 'golden Goa' & Congress's 'Gandhi parivar ka Goa', says Amit Shah

Launching the Bharatiya Janata Party's election campaign in Goa, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said people of the state need to choose between BJP's "golden Goa" and Congress's "Gandhi parivar ka Goa", and asserted that only the BJP can provide political stability for development of the coastal state. Shah was addressing an indoor public meeting here, about 30 kms from state capital Panaji, to campaign for a BJP candidate ahead of the February 14 Assembly polls.

"Congress's Gandhi parivar treats Goa as its tourist destination. They come here often. But as for BJP, we are fulfilling (late Goa chief minister) Manohar Parrikar's 'golden Goa' dreams. People of Goa need to choose between BJP's 'golden Goa' and Congress's 'Gandhi parivar ka Goa'," Shah said. Hitting out at the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) for contesting the next month's Goa elections, Shah said these parties have entered the fray just to expand their base or get national recognition.

"These parties cannot form a government here. It is only the BJP that can do so. Unless there is political stability, there can be no development," he asserted. In the last decade, the BJP government in Goa has worked for development of infrastructure and it cannot happen without the central government's help, he added.

Slamming the Congress and the party's former Goa chief minister Digambar kamat, Shah said during Kamat's tenure, Goa was notorious for corruption, instability and chaos. He also targeted senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying that he suffered from "Modi-phobia".

The Union minister said that for the Modi government, development of smaller states is a priority and it has provided all help to the coastal state. Shah was campaigning for party candidate and former Goa CM Ravi Naik, who had recently joined the BJP after quitting the Congress.

Source: PTI

BJP to launch its mega election campaign in Uttarakhand on Feb 1

Union Minister and BJP's Uttarakhand election in-charge Pralhad Joshi on January 30 said that the party will launch its mega election campaign in state on Fenruary 1. He said state's CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar and Himachal Pradesh CM Jai Ram Thakur will address rallies of 500 people on that day.

"We've sought PM Narendra Modi's time for campaigning in Uttarakhand. He has agreed but the modalities will be finalized in line with the Election Commission's guidelines that are expected to be released tomorrow," he added.

UP polls | BJP one short of hitting century of candidates facing criminal cases, says Akhilesh Yadav

The BJP is one short of hitting a century of tickets given to candidates with a criminal history, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged on Sunday. In a tweet, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister claimed that the BJP has, so far, fielded 99 candidates with a criminal history for the upcoming assembly polls in the state.

Breaking news about baba ji (Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath) BJP is just one candidate short of hitting a century of criminal candidates. So far, 99 candidates with criminal history have been given tickets, he tweeted in Hindi. Adityanath had on Saturday alleged that Yadav was patronising criminals, goons and mafia and termed the SP as 'dangawadi' (promoting riots), tamanchawadi' (fond of country-made pistols) and pariwarwadi' (working for family).

The BJP has, so far, declared 294 candidates for the upcoming assembly elections.

Source: PTI

Manipur polls | CM N Biren Singh to contest from Heingang seat

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh will contest from the Heingang constituency in the upcoming Assembly polls. Apart from Singh, ruling BJP announced candidates for all the other 59 Assembly seats.

The assembly election in the state will be held in two phases on February 27 and March 3 and results will be announced on March 10.

Jasbir Singh Khangura, former Congress MLA from Punjab, quits party

Jasbir Singh Khangura, former MLA of the Congress party Punjab's Qila Raipur in Punjab resigned from the party on January 30.

Manipur Assembly Elections 2022: BJP will contest on all 60 seats: Bhupender Yadav

Bharatiya Janata Party will contest on all 60 seats in the upcoming Manipur Assembly elections and form a government with more than 2/3rd majority, BJP leader and Union minister Bhupender Yadav said on January 30.

Chief minister N Biren Singh has been fielded from Heingang constituency.

(ANI)

Ex-UP minister Rangnath Mishra, former SP MLA Manish Rawat join BJP

Former Uttar Pradesh minister Rangnath Mishra joined the BJP on Saturday. Mishra was the secondary education minister from 2007-2012 in the BSP government headed by Mayawati. Former Samajwadi Party MLA Manish Rawat also joined the BJP, the saffron party said. It said Rawat joined the party for reposing faith in the leadership of prime minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

UP Assembly Elections 2022: Never did any good for farmers, now moving around with handful of grains: Nadda's jibe at Akhilesh Yadav

BJP president JP Nadda launched an attack on Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav saying those who never did any good for the farmers are moving around with a handful of grains making pledges. His apparent target was Yadav's 'ann sankalp' (food commitment), the Samajwadi Party's resolve for the welfare of the farmers, a crucial vote bank in the state. (PTI)

Goa Assembly Elections 2022: TMC-MGP alliance promises resumption of mining, reservation for women in jobs & local bodies

The Trinamool Congress and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party have released their common manifesto for the upcoming Goa Assembly polls, promising resumption of mining operations and reservation for women in jobs and local bodies in the coastal state if they come to power. The mining operations, which used to be one of the main sources of revenue for Goa, came to a halt in the state in March 2018 after the Supreme Court quashed 88 mining leases. (PTI)

Only BJP-led double-engine govt can restore Punjab’s glory: Meenakshi Lekhi

Only a BJP-led “double-engine” dispensation can restore Punjab’s glory, Union minister Meenakshi Lekhi said on Saturday asserting that massive development works were carried out by the saffron party-led Union government although it is not in power in the state.

Describing the people of Punjab as hard-working, the Union minister of state for external affairs said that if good governance is provided then the state can move on the path of progress.