PM Narendra Modi virtually addresses 'Jan Chaupal' in UP. (Screenshot)2022 Assembly Election Live Updates: Virtually addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he is thankful to people who ignored the rumours spread by the Opposition against Covid vaccines and got the jabs. Modi also said, “with this year’s Budget, there’s going to be a change in the lives of Uttar Pradesh’s poor, middle class and farmers. Ever since the Budget has been announced, the whole country is praising it. It gives weight to the aspirations of this country’s poor, middle class and youth.” He added that the ‘double-engine’ government is concerned about the farmers’ present and future, which is why “this year, the budget of agriculture has become six times as compared to the previous governments.”
Earlier in the day, CM Yogi Adityanath filed his nomination from Gorakhpur for the upcoming Assembly elections. He was accompanied by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Reacting to the arrest of Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s nephew, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi said that central agencies were being misused. “The government is using them to threaten people and put pressure on Opposition leaders. This should not be allowed during elections,” she said. Channi, meanwhile, has said, “We have no objections with the law doing its work.” On Friday, the ED arrested Bhupinder Singh ‘Honey’ in a money laundering case linked to alleged illegal sand mining.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has reached Goa for a day-long visit. The party candidates took a ‘pledge of loyalty’ in the presence of Gandhi that they will not defect should they be elected to the Assembly on March 10.
Former Punjab Chief Minister and President Of Punjab Lok Congress Captain Amarinder Singh along with other party workers during his campaign rally ahead of upcoming Punjab Assembly Elections 2022 at Ragho Majra in Patiala. (Express Photo by Harmeet Sodhi)
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal on Friday hit out at the Congress, saying that had it worked for people, there was no need for a person like him to come into politics. His statement comes a day after Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala described Kejriwal as "Chhota Modi" and said he has come to Goa to give "covering fire" to the ruling BJP, which is "losing" ground in the coastal state that is going to polls on February 14.
Referring to Surjewala's statement, Kejriwal told reporters, "Let him say whatever he wants. What difference does it make?" "Actually, even in his (Surjewala's) dream, he finds me like a ghost. All the time, 24 hours, I am there in his mind. They (Congress leaders) keep badmouthing me," he said. The Delhi chief minister said that instead of speaking ill about him, the Congress should have worked for the people. (PTI)
Support BJP form govt in Punjab and we will see who dares to sell drugs and attempt sacrilege, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said during a address in Gurdaspur.
Amid indications that the Congress, following a tele-survey, is set to name incumbent Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi as its chief ministerial face ahead of the Assembly polls in Punjab, state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu has triggered a row after saying that those at the top want a “weak Chief Minister” who will toe their line.
Sidhu, who returned from Vaishno Devi shrine on Thursday evening, was addressing a public function in Amritsar. His remarks were widely perceived to be directed at the Congress high command, even though Sidhu’s media advisers denied it. Kanchan Vasdev writes
Punjab CM Charanjit S Channi’s nephew Bhupinder Honey has been sent in ED custody till Feb 8.
With senior leader Rahul Gandhi in attendance, 37 election candidates of the Congress party and three from their alliance partner, Goa Forward Party (GFP), swore loyalty to their parties and pledged not to defect after being elected to the legislative assembly in the upcoming poll on February 14.
Thirty-six Congress candidates had already been administered an oath by priests in a temple, church and a Dargah on January 22.
While the first pledge was taken with God as witness, the pledge of loyalty, taken on Friday, was on an affidavit that Congress candidates were to hand over to Gandhi who would then take them to Congress president Sonia Gandhi. The loyalty pledge was taken by the 40 candidates at the International Centre in Dona Paula, Panaji. Read More
Virtually addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he is thankful to people who ignored the rumours spread by the Opposition against Covid vaccines and got the jabs.
Virtually addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the ‘double-engine’ government is concerned about the farmers’ present and future, which is why “this year, the budget of agriculture has become six times as compared to the previous governments.”
He also highlighted the focus on organic farming along the banks of River Ganga and the use of drones to help farmers in the Budget.
Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal on Friday tweeted, "Will the people of Punjab want to make such a person Chief Minister who has serious allegations of sand theft and bribery in transfer posting?"
Earlier in the day, the ED arrested Punjab CM's nephew, Bhupinder Singh ‘Honey’, in a money laundering case linked to alleged illegal sand mining.
Virtually addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "The Opposition left no stone unturned to spread the rumour that MSP will end. But the double engine government in UP has increased procurement at MSP many times more than before 2017."
Virtually addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “With this year’s Budget, there’s going to be a change in the lives of Uttar Pradesh’s poor, middle class and farmers. Ever since the Budget has been announced, the whole country is praising it. It gives weight to the aspirations of this country’s poor, middle class and youth.”
Candidates of the Congress party Friday took a 'pledge of loyalty' in the presence of senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi that they will not defect should they be elected to the Assembly on March 10. "I will use my 5 years as a Congress MLA to work for the people of Goa and the betterment of the state..."Also present at the programme were candidates of the Goa Forward party - that is in alliance with the Congress party for the February 14 elections. The party candidates also signed affidavits stating they will not defect. Sardesai and two other candidates of the Goa Forward also took a similar pledge.
The Congress on Friday released a list of its star campaigners for the upcoming Punjab elections. The list has Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, Sunil Jakhar, Navjot Singh Sidhu and Charanjit Singh Channi.
Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and Bhupinder Singh Hooda are also among those named.
Reacting to the arrest of Charanjit Singh Channi's nephew, Captain Amarinder Singh, former Punjab CM and founder of Punjab Lok Congress, said, "This is the job of any investigating agency...why blame a political party for it?"
His statement comes after Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala accused the BJP and AAP for working together in ensuring a "fake raid" and arrest of Bhupinder Singh Honey.
Congress leader Randeep Surjewala on Friday said, "The Election Department of BJP, also known as ED, has entered the fray."
He stated that the arrest of Punjab CM Channi's nephew was an attack on all Punjabis. He added that the move was meant to help BJP's "B-team", Aam Aadmi Party. He claimed that no raids were being conducted on Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain.
BJP leader and Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday campaigned in Khatima, the Assembly constituency from where he will be contesting the upcoming elections.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday lauded Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, saying he has freed Uttar Pradesh of mafias by establishing rule of law in the true sense after 25 years.
The opposition alliance, he said, had lost to the BJP in Uttar Pradesh previously and would be defeated again.
Shah was addressing an election meeting ahead of nomination filing by Adityanath from the Gorakhpur Urban assembly seat.
The union minister also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking special care of development particularly of the Purvanchal region. (PTI)
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday filed his nomination from Gorakhpur for the upcoming Assembly elections in the state. He was accompanied by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who held a rally in the city prior to the filing of nomination.
Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Friday said, "We have no objections with the law doing its work." He was responding to reporters' query over the arrest of his nephew, Bhupinder Singh Honey, by the ED in a money laundering case.
Reacting to the arrest of Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s nephew, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi said that agencies were being misused. “The government is using them to threaten people and put pressure on Opposition leaders. This should not be allowed during elections,” she was quoted as saying by ANI.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is on a day-long visit to Goa. He will be addressing a virtual rally in Sanquelim, later in the day.