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Election 2022 News Highlights | Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi on February 21 hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his remarks accusing the Samajwadi Party and Congress for sympathising with terrorists. “Even he knows that it’s not true. He is saying all this only because of polls. Why is there unemployment in Uttar Pradesh when many government posts are lying vacant? He should talk only about relevant issues,” Gandhi was quoted as saying by ANI. The Congress general secretary incharge of UP was campaigning in Chinhat area of Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow. Days after 38 convicts were sentenced to death in the Ahmedabad blasts of 2008, Prime Minister Modi had on February 20, addressing a rally in Hardoi, accused the Opposition of being soft on terror and singled out the Samajwadi Party (SP) for attack, linking its election symbol, the bicycle, to those used to plant some of the bombs then. The fourth phase of Uttar Pradesh polls will be held on February 23. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal began his four-day Uttar Pradesh tour from February 21. Nearly 70 percent polling was recorded till 5 pm in the assembly elections in Punjab, while in the third of the seven phase polls in Uttar Pradesh, it was about 61 per cent, according to the Election Commission's Turnout App. Results for the assembly elections of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh will be declared on March 10 along with that of Goa, Manipur and Uttarakhand. While in Uttar Pradesh, as many as 627 candidates were in the fray in the third phase of the polls to the 403-member assembly, in Punjab, 1,304 candidates contested the elections.
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Former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat on Monday claimed his Congress party will win 45-48 seats in the assembly polls this time owing to a strong anti-incumbency wave. Election to the 70-member assembly in Uttarakhand was held on February 14 and the results are to be announced on March 10.
"If we compare the 2002 assembly polls with the 2022 assembly polls we are in a better position this time. In 2002 we won the polls on the strength of our positivity while the anti-incumbency against the BJP government at that time was not as strong as this time," Rawat said. "In comparison to 2002 there is more positivity in Congress in 2022 and so is the anti-incumbency against the BJP. So we are confident of winning 45-48 seats and forming the government," he said. (PTI)
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Monday attacked the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh, saying those who call cow mother have rendered it helpless. The Congress leader said this while addressing a public meeting in Prayagraj, and claimed that every village in his state has a cowshed while in UP the government uses the animal only for politics. (PTI)
Dalits, OBCs have not got the full benefit of reservation under the BJP government in the state, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati said here on Monday. While addressing an election meeting at KP College ground here, Mayawati also said that the BJP government did not give full benefit of BSP's schemes to the poor, labourers as well as Dalits, tribals, Other Backward Classes and minorities. (PTI)
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday lashed out at BJP and RSS claiming that they view democratic institutions of the country as their personal property while the grand old party considers them as that of the people. In an interaction with Congress members at the party office in Imphal, Gandhi also alleged that the idea of plurality and diversity of India is under attack during the BJP rule.
The Congress is duty bound to protect the impartiality of institutional structures such as "the judiciary, the Election Commission, the free press and the bureaucracy" and by strengthening them, the party seeks to fight the BJP, said Gandhi who was in Manipur to campaign for the upcoming assembly election. He said he is confident that the Congress will do very well in the election and will form the next government in Manipur.
The congress stands for defending different cultures, languages and traditions of the country and views India as a union of states where every state has their equal responsibility, role and partnership and "no state is more important than another", Gandhi said. "The idea of plurality, diversity is under attack not just in Manipur but the whole country.... The BJP is creating an atmosphere of hate and is dividing people," he said.
PTI
"What benefit has BJP government given in the last 5 years? They talk about religion, Pakistan andterrorism, but won't talk about terror of unemployment andinflation. People don't have money for food andthey divert our mind towards religion andPakistan,"Congressgeneral secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh,Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said in Hardoi.
"This election is not going to make the future of any political party, but the future of Manipur. BJP is a party of common people, we think about the country as a whole, we never discriminate Northeast with any other state in the country,"Union Minister and senior BJP leaderNitin Gadkarisaid while campaigning in Manipur's Ukhral.
"Without the support of Manipur, we cannot imagine the success of Aatmanirbhar Bharat. Our government is giving the highest priority to development in Manipur. Several projects are announced for constructing highways in the state," Gadkari added.
"Today there is no 'bahubali' in UP, only 'Bajrangbali' now...SP,BSP, Congress would do appeasement politics, insult the armed forces, would bail out terrorists. WhileBJPworksfor the poor, youth, women," news agency ANI quotedBJPleader and Home MinisterAmitShah as saying in Uttar Pradesh'sSitapur.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday accused the BJP of meting out "step-motherly" treatment to Raebareli and urged people to vote for her party candidates in the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls. Gandhi also hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, accusing them of mismanagement during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It's going to be an important election because for the last five years you have seen a government which did nothing except divide people," Gandhi said during a virtual address on the last day of the poll campaign for fourth phase. Sonia Gandhi is an MP from Raebareli which goes to polls on February 23.
141 candidates contesting Phase 4 of UP elections have serious criminical cases against them
Out of 685 candidates contesting phase 4 of UP polls on February 23, as analyzed by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), 185 (27%) have declared criminal cases against themselves. Another 141(21%) candidates have declared serious criminal cases against themselves, according to the election watchdog.
Sonia Gandhi to address virtual rally in UP
Congress interim presidentSonia Gandhi will be addressing a virtual rally in Uttar Pradesh on February 21. The fourth phase of Uttar Pradesh election will take plase on February 23.
Senior Congress leader Sunil Jakhar's decision to retire from electoral politics after Rahul Gandhi on February 6 announced that the party would seek re-election in Punjab under the leadership of Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi had surprised political analysts.
A prominent Hindu leader from Punjab, the 68-year-old Jakhar has on several occasions said his religion came in the way of him getting the top job. Once in the running for the chief minister’s position following the ouster of Amarinder Singh, Jakhar has said he would continue with the Congress but his resignation may add to troubles for the party plagued by infighting in the state that votes on February 20. Read More
