Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addressing a rally in Goa | Twitter/@INCGoa2022 Assembly Election Live Updates: Addressing a virtual rally in Goa, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that the fight is between Congress and BJP only in the upcoming Goa assembly polls. “You saw how BJP govt failed in tourism, Covid-19 and employment. We’re not giving tickets to defectors, have given tickets to new people this time. Congress will form a govt in Goa with a full majority. The fight is between Congress & BJP only, do not waste your vote,” Gandhi said. He also added that Congress is taking a historic decision in Goa. “A new ‘Nyay Scheme’ will be launched. Rs 6,000 per month, i.e. Rs 72,000 in a year, will automatically be transferred to Goa’s poorest citizens,” he added.
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.
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)
Thursday’s attack on All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asauddin Owaisi has put the spotlight on the Hyderabad-based party that is attempting to make inroads into Uttar Pradesh.
The party has been active in UP since the 2020 Bihar elections, where it surprised many by winning five seats. For the upcoming elections, the party has formed a “third front”, the Bhagidari Parivartan Morcha, along with the Jan Adhikar Party led by former UP minister Babu Singh Kushwaha and the Bhartiya Mukti Morcha headed by Waman Meshram. Asad Rehman writes
The Congress on Friday released its manifesto for the Manipur Assembly polls with a slew of promises including 50,000 new jobs for youths annually, one-third of reservations for women in all government jobs and work toward repeal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).
The manifesto was released in the presence of senior Congress MP Jairam Ramesh, Bhakta Charan Das, former Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh and other state leaders. Jimmy Leivon writes
With less than a week to go for voting in the first phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s nomination filing on Friday for Gorakhpur Urban seat was turned into a big show of strength for the BJP and its allies in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The Gorakhpur Urban constituency votes on March 3 in the sixth phase.
In a public meeting before the nomination was filed, Shah said that only the BJP under Adityanath’s leadership could make UP the top state in the country. Leaders of BJP allies Apna Dal (Sonelal) and Nishad Party were also at the meeting, along with sitting Gorakhpur Urban MLA Radha Mohan Das Agrawal. Lalmani Verma writes
While hearing a case against him Friday in connection with rape allegations, the Supreme Court said: “Have you seen (his) activities?… Is this the way to behave?” Few expect Simarjeet Singh Bains to bat an eyelid though. The two-time legislator, and founder-cum-president of the Lok Insaaf Party, is not just contesting the Atam Nagar seat in Ludhiana again, but is also confident that all his opponents would lose their security deposits, including the advocate of the woman who has accused him of rape.
As per the woman’s FIR, 52-year-old Bains raped her multiple times in 2020, when she approached him for help in a property dispute case. Her advocate, Harish Rai Dhanda, is the Akali Dal candidate from Atam Nagar. Divya Goyal writes
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday took a swipe at the ruling BJP asking if anyone saw criminals fleeing the state as the party has been claiming. He said the SP will ensure a historic defeat to BJP and will send Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath back to Uttarakhand.
“Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar gave us the Constitution on which the country is run and this election is also about safeguarding the Constitution. This is why Samajwadi Party is taking along people from all groups. This election is about brotherhood versus BJP,” the SP chief said, addressing a joint press conference with his alliance partner Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Jayant Chaudhary.
“The people of the state will vote on issues and send the chief minister back to Uttarakhand,” Akhilesh said referring to Yogi Adityanath's ancestral roots in Uttarakhand. (PTI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday accused the SP of fielding anti-social elements in the assembly polls and said the “fake Samajwadis” will corner the benefits given by the Centre to the poor if they come to power.
Addressing a virtual rally directed at western UP constituencies, he urged people to keep “history-sheeters” out, and instead create a “new history”. Modi focused on law and order and the government measures to help farmers at the virtual “Jan Chaupal”. Read More
Addressing a virtual rally in Goa, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, "We're taking a historic decision in Goa, a new 'Nyay Scheme' will be launched. Rs 6,000 per month, i.e. Rs 72,000 in a year, will automatically be transferred to Goa's poorest citizens".
"You saw how BJP govt failed in tourism, COVID19, & employment. We're not giving tickets to defectors, have given tickets to new people this time. Congress will form a govt in Goa with a full majority. The fight is between Congress & BJP only, do not waste your vote," he added.
PM Modi's virtual rally in Uttarakhand cancelled today will be rescheduled soon, arrangements were made at 56 places to accommodate 1,000 people each but bad weather meant that going ahead with event would have caused them inconvenience: BJP's state vice-president Devendra Bhasin (PTI)
Lashing out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday quoted to say the Chinese army had lost 40 soldiers in the clash with Indian troops in the Galwan valley, and sought to “remind” him that while India had not lost any land in the cashes, it was under Jawaharlal Nehru’s and Indira Gandhi’s rule that Indian territory was illegally occupied by neighbouring countries.
“In the Galwan valley, the Chinese army lost 40 soldiers, not four, during the clash between Indian and Chinese soldiers in June 2020. This was reported by an Australian newspaper, namely ‘Klaxon’,” Singh said at Talwara in Hoshiarpur district while addressing an election campaign for the BJP candidate from the Mukerian Assembly constituency. Anju Agnihotri Chaba writes
All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Assaduddin Owaisi on Friday rejected the Z category security offered by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Taking the floor of the Lower House, Owaisi said, “I don’t fear death. I don’t want Z category security, I reject it; make me an ‘A’ category citizen. I’ll not remain silent. Please do justice…charge them (shooters) with UAPA…appeal govt to end hate, radicalization.”
A day after in western Uttar Pradesh, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has accorded him Z category security of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). Owaisi’s security detail will entail six-eight armed commandoes while travelling apart from security at his residence, sources said.
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.”