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UP Assembly Elections Polling First Phase Highlights: The first phase of polling in the politically significant Uttar Pradesh concluded at 6 pm. The state recorded a voter turnout of 60.17 per cent percent till 6 pm, according to Election Commission of India. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing his first physical rally, hit out at the Opposition for instigating Muslim women and finding new ways to block their rights. The PM said the topmost priority for the BJP government's development agenda is empowerment of women from all sections. "That is why every sector is being opened for women. Muslim sisters and daughters understand our intention," PM said. The PM's remarks come amid an on-going political slugfest in Karnataka over the use of Hijab by Muslim girls in classrooms in the state continued with protests intensifying in the state. The PM, however, did not refer to the row directly. In the morning, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath issued a message saying UP can become Kashmir, Kerala or Bengal if voters make a mistake, urging people to vote for the BJP. As many as 623 candidates are in the fray and around 2.28 crore people are eligible to vote in this phase. The incumbent Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government is seeking re-election, while the Opposition parties are making all possible efforts to come to power the country’s biggest and politically important state. In this phase, the polling will take place in 58 assembly seats spread across 11 districts in the western part of the state. The districts where the elections will be held are Shamli, Hapur, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Mathura and Agra. The first phase will cover the Jat-dominated belt of western UP. This is the region from where farmers had participated actively in the protest against the Centre's three agri laws in Delhi. As many as 623 candidates, including 73 women, are in the fray in the first phase and around 2.27 crore people are eligible to vote in this phase. The polling will start at 7 am and end at 6 pm. The key candidates, whose fate will be decided in the first phase, include Shrikant Sharma, Suresh Rana, Sandeep Singh, Kapil Dev Agarwal, Atul Garg and Chowdhury Lakshmi Narain. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, leading the campaign for the BJP, pitched for a double-engine government for fast-paced development of the state while attacking the Samajwadi Party (SP)-Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) combine. The SP-RLD alliance has centred their campaigning on farmers' issues and has attacked Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over poll promises. The Congress, under the leadership of its general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, has generated interest as seen in door-to-door campaigns. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati, who started poll campaigning late, reminded people of her government's track record on law and order in the past.
The live blog session has concluded. For more news, views and updates related to the assembly elections, stay tuned with Moneycontrol's coverage.
Asserting that Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra wanted her to contest the Uttar Pradesh polls, the Unnao rape survivor on Thursday said since she is not old enough to fight elections, the party has fielded her mother from the Unnao Sadar Assembly segment for a cause.
Asha Singh, the mother of the rape survivor, who has won her legal battle against former MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, said she is contesting the polls to ensure justice for the victims of such a heinous crime. "Priyanka Gandhi wanted me to fight the election but it could not happen because I am not 25 years of age. So she gave the ticket to my mother," said the rape survivor who is campaigning for her mother. (PTI)
The Punjab government on Thursday said it has declared a paid holiday in the state on February 20 on account of polling.
The date of polling shall be a paid holiday in respect of all persons employed in any business, trade, industrial undertaking or any other establishment situated in the state of Punjab and entitled to vote in the election to the Punjab Vidhan Sabha-2022 on this day, an official statement read. Voting in the state's 117 Assembly seats will be held in a single phase and the counting will take place on March 10. (PTI)
Over 60 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the first phase of polling held on Thursday across 58 assembly constituencies in 11 districts of Uttar Pradesh.
Polling closed at 6 pm following a one-hour extension because of COVID-19 protocols. The day passed off peacefully with minor technical snags in EVMs at some places, election officials said. Additional Chief Election Officer (ACEO) B D Ram Tiwari said, "There were reports of a technical error in EVMs at some places." Those EVMs were being replaced as the reports came in, he added.
On the Samajwadi Party's allegation that poor voters were not allowed to exercise their franchise in Dundukheda village in the Kairana assembly constituency, Tiwari said the district magistrate concerned was asked to look into the matter. Agra recorded 60.33 per cent polling, Aligarh 60.49 per cent, Baghpat 61.35 per cent, Bulandshahr 60.52 per cent, Gautam Buddh Nagar 56.73 per cent, Ghaziabad 54.77 per cent, Hapur 60.50 per cent, Mathura 63.28 per cent, Meerut 60.91 per cent, Muzaffarnagar 65.34 per cent and Shamli 69.42 per cent, an EC report said.
During the 2017 assembly elections, 63.47 per cent polling was recorded in these constituencies, the report said. A report from Ghaziabad said a minor skirmish took place between supporters of BJP leader V K Singh and Congress leader Rajan Kant, allegedly when the former addressed media persons and talked about the work done by the BJP within the premises of a polling station, and security personnel had to intervene. (PTI)
At least BJP and RSS did not liberate Goa. It happened during Congress govt only...PM Modi says he sold tea. He should accept that he became PM because of the Constitution made by Nehru and other leaders of that time: Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury
Congress Govt didn't liberate Goa for 15 years after Independence. People of Goa kept fighting but Congress Govt didn't help. From the ramparts of Red Fort, India's first PM, Jawaharlal Nehru had said that he won't send forces for the liberation of Goa: PM Modi in Mapusa
Voting for the first phase of UP Assembly elections has been completed successfully. Wherever we got complaints, EVMs and VVPATs were replaced immediately. There was no incident of violence: Ajay Kumar Shukla, Chief Electoral Officer, Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh sees 60.01 percent voter turnout in the first phase of elections
A total of 2 transgenders, 93 women & 1209 men candidates in the fray for 117 assembly constituencies. There are 24,740 polling stations in 14,684 polling locations. Around 2586 different surveillance teams to be working round the clock, State Chief Electoral Officer said.
The CEO added: “Various enforcement teams have seized valuables worth Rs 404.01 crores, including liquor worth Rs 25.79 crores, psychotropic substances worth Rs 315 crores & unaccounted cash of Rs 26.59 crores, in violation of MCC till February 9.”
"We will give Goans land rights in six months after forming the government and repair all the roads in the state. We will always give free treatment, education, electricity, water, and due to these facilities every household will get a benefit of Rs 2 lakh per year," Delhi CM and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal said in Poriem, Goa.
The voting in Kairana today assures BJP's victory. In the next phases covering Kairana to Kashi, west to east, this wave will get stronger. Under the leadership of Modi Ji & Yogi Ji, BJP will win more than 300 seats & return to power: Union Minister Anurag Thakur in Varanasi
The Election Commission has revised Assembly poll dates for Manipur. Voting for the first phase of elections to take place on Feb 28 instead of Feb 27. The second phase of voting to happen on March 5 instead of March 3.
From Nahid Hasan, Azam Khan to Mukhtar Ansari, Samajwadi Party has either given a ticket or extended support to big criminals. If they couldn't do it themselves, they got their alliance to do it: Union Minister Anurag Thakur, in Varanasi
