Assembly Polls 2022 highlights: Goa would have become independent in 1947 had Nehru been decisive, says Amit Shah

With the elections set to start on February 10, campaigners are hitting the political notes hard in the five states of Goa, Manipur, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. Stay tuned for live updates.

History is witness that Goa would have become independent along with the rest of the country on 15th August, 1947 had the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru been decisive: Union Home Minister Amit Shah

Modi takes aim at family-run parties ahead of UP polls

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday hit out at the practice of family rule in a number of Opposition parties and slammed them for caste-based politics, in the backdrop of rival parties SP and BSP attempting to garner the OBC and Dalit votes in Uttar Pradesh, which is set for polls from February 10.

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Lalu backs Akhilesh, calls BJP incarnation of British

Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad on Wednesday launched a stinging attack on the BJP, comparing it to British colonialists who engineered communal tensions for consolidation of power.

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2.28 crore voters will exercise their franchise in 58 constituencies in western UP. In place of EPIC card, voters can use 12 type of identity card to cast vote, including MGNAREGA card, PAN card, Aadhar card, & passport: Additional CEO BDR Tiwari

We've given stability & development to Goa in the last 5 years. We promise to make Goa golden & self-reliant in next 5 years. For Gandhi family, Goa is just a vacation spot & they come here as a tourist only: Amit Shah

Govt has no business to do business. Its job is to think about food for the poor, make houses & toilets for them, get them clean drinking water, make health facilities available, make roads, to think about the small farmers. This is my priority: PM Modi

Rahul, Priyanka 'Italian hoodlums': Goa Health Minister

Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane on Wednesday termed Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi "Italian hoodlums", urging voters in the poll-bound coastal state to disregard them.

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If someone tries to encash Yogi ji's hard work & successful schemes, what I understand from it is that his schemes are so wonderful, that he turned impossible into possible, that rivals have also come out to encash it. I consider this Yogi ji's credit: PM

Today women say that they can step out even after dark. This trust is essential for security. There was a time in UP when goons could do anything they wanted, today they surrender. Yogi ji prioritised security & didn't compromise with it: PM Modi to ANI

UP will accept us in 2022 after seeing our work: PM Modi

BJP not to project Biren Singh as CM face in Manipur

The BJP in Manipur is likely to go the Assam way by not naming a Chief Ministerial candidate ahead of Assembly elections on February 27 and March 3.

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Modi to address three public rallies in Punjab

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address three public rallies in poll-bound Punjab from February 14, state BJP general secretary Subhash Sharma said on Wednesday.

The rallies will be held in Jalandhar, Pathankot and Abohar towns on February 14, 16 and 17, respectively, covering all three regions of Malwa, Doaba and Majha. - IANS.

'BJP will not make promises that can't be fulfilled'

Union Minister Bhupender Yadav has said the BJP is preparing a "unique" election manifesto for the upcoming Manipur polls and will "not make any promise that will not be translated into action".

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TMC, AAP won't gain political dividend in Goa: Pilot

Congress will get a clear majority in the February 14 Goa elections but "newcomers" like AAP and TMC will not gain any "political dividend", senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot said on Wednesday.

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Congress appoints Ravneet Bittu as Chairman of Election Management Committee for Punjab

Amit Shah holds a door-to-door campaign in support of BJP candidate in Goa's Maem Assembly constituency

We will amend 'Love Jihad' law to make it stricter including a provision of 10 years of imprisonment. We will provide 50,000 govt jobs to the youth. This 'Drishiti Patra' is a vision to make the state self-reliant & developed: Uttarakhand CM - ANI

Women don't need to worry about their safety. It is our duty. Our youths don't need to worry about employment. It is also our duty. We're going to provide 1 crore tablets & smartphones to our youths this year: UP CM Yogi Adityanath

SP ally promises triple ride on bikes if voted to power

Om Prakash Rajbhar, former UP minister and president of the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP), promised to allow triple riders on the motorbikes if his party formed the next government in the state.

"We will allow triple riding on bikes. They will not be fined," Rajbhar said while speaking to reporters in Meerut on Thursday.

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BJP 'copy-pasted' pledges made by Cong in its UP manifesto: Priyanka

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday accused the BJP of copy-pasting the pledges made by her party in their Uttar Pradesh poll manifesto which she termed as "dhokha patra".

The BJP on Tuesday assured free electricity for irrigation, a job for every household and free travel for women over 60 in its Uttar Pradesh election manifesto, which also promised a minimum 10-year sentence in cases of what it describes as "love jihad". - PTI.

BJP's frustration shows that they will lose UP polls. They've only been talking about riots and temples. Our ancestors made the British leave this country but now the British have returned in the form of BJP. We support SP in UP polls: Lalu Prasad Yadav

Will farm protests shake Muzaffarnagar's BJP tilt?

Law and order is an important issue in Muzaffarnagar, which goes to polls on February 10.

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In Congress manifesto, Rs 50L for kin of late front-line workers, and waiver of farm loans

"About 3.65 lakh gas stoves and gas cylinders were delivered to the women of Uttarakhand by the honourable Prime Minister Modi ji and about 10 crore cylinders and stoves were distributed all over the country," said JP Nadda.

First phase of UP polls to decide future of RLD's Jayant Chaudhary, nine BJP ministers

The first phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls on 58 seats in the Jat-dominated western region on Thursday would decide the future of Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) leader Jayant Chaudhary, who has joined hands with the Samajwadi Party (SP), as well asnine ministers of the Yogi Adityanath cabinet.

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Akhilesh Yadav's Rampur visit postponed due to bad weather

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav's Rampur visit was postponed on Wednesday due to bad weather, the party said.

Yadav was scheduled to visit Rampur to campaign for party candidates Azam Khan and his son Abdullah Azam ahead of the assembly polls in the state.

An increase of 5% in the budget allocated for health services in Congress' UP election manifesto

All suggestions have been taken from the UP public, says Priyanka regarding the election manifesto

She said that farmers' loans will be waived off within 10 days of coming to power. Similarily Rs 25,000 will be given to familes affected with Covid. She also vowed to provide 20 lakh govt jobs as well.

Women to run over 16% polling booths in Manipur, first in India

For the first time in India, 16.4 per cent all-women managed polling stations of the total of 2,968 would be set up inManipurand in five assembly constituencies, all the polling stations would be managed exclusively by women polling personnel, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sushil Chandra announced here on Tuesday.

In this year's budget, 60 lakh jobs will be given in a year. Within a year, 25,000 km of roads will be built, which will cost Rs 20,000 crore, says JP Nadda

Punjab polls: SSM promises Rs 25,000 monthly income, interest-free loan to farmers

The Sanyukt Samaj Morcha on Tuesday released its manifesto for thePunjabAssembly elections, promising to ensure Rs 25,000 monthly income and interest-free loan for farmers.

The Morcha also promised to set up a commission to probe corruption by bureaucrats and politicians if it comes to power inPunjabin the February 20 Assembly polls.

Hindu pride and Muslim fears overshadow UP Assembly polls

Hindu worshippers from across India gather each morning to pray in Ayodhya, near where a historic mosque was torn down three decades ago by kar sevaks – triggering inter-faith riots that killed thousands of people.

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UP Polls: Electoral fate of 9 ministers at stake in 1st phase

Fate of several BJP heavyweights, including ministers, will be decided in the first phase ofUttarPradeshAssembly polls on Thursday. Polling will be held on 58 seats spread in 11 districts of WesternUttarPradesh.

Electoral fate of nine ministers in the Yogi Adityanath government will be decided by voters. The ministers are Srikant Sharma from Mathura, Atul Garg from Ghaziabad, Suresh Rana from Thana Bhawan, Kapildev Agarwal from Muzaffar Nagar and Sandeep Singh from Atrauli.

"Every BJP leader while contesting in elections talks about theirs and the party's report care. Have you ever seen the Congress holding such a report card?," asks JP Nadda

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra launches the Congress manifesto 'Unnati Vidhan Jan Ghoshna Patra-2022' for UP Polls

Uttar Pradesh polls: BJP MLA booked for violating code of conduct, Covid protocols

An FIR has been registered against over a thousand people, including Uttar Pradesh BJP MLA Surendra Singh, for allegedly violating the model code of conduct and Covid protocols, and hindering traffic, police said on Wednesday.

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AAP provides able assistance to its candidates in UP

A team ofpollstrategists and lawyers, including 40 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs of Delhi Assembly, are in Uttar Pradesh to help party candidates across the state.

AAP is taking regular feedback of all its candidates from its election supervisors in each of the 365 Assembly segments where candidates have been declared.

Priyanka Gandhi to release the election manifesto for UP today

Owaisi brings hijab row to UP polls

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has brought the 'hijab' row to Uttar Pradesh elections.

"The BJP government is not allowing our daughters to wear a hijab and study but Prime Minister Narendra Modi talks about empowering Muslim women with the triple talaq law. Is this his 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' campaign pitch?" asked Owaisi while campaigning in Sambhal on Tuesday.

UP Polls: Anupriya Patel refuses to field candidate against mother

Apna Dal (S) chief Anupriya Patel has refused to field a candidate against her estranged mother and chief of Apna Dal (Kameravadi) Krishna Patel, who is contesting from Pratapgarh Sadar Assembly seat.

The Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) on Tuesday fielded its candidate Rajendra Kumar from the seat and he filed his nomination on Tuesday.

Apna Dal (S) district president in Pratapgarh, Brijesh Kumar Patel said, "Apna Dal (S) refused to field party's candidate against Krishna Patel as a mark of respect and gratitude towards her."

PM should apologise to people of Telangana: KTR

Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) working President K.T. Rama Rao on Tuesday condemned the comments made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament and demanded that he apologise to people of Telangana.

"Utterly disgraceful of you Mr. Prime Minister repeatedly insulting the decades of spirited struggle & sacrifices of the people of Telangana," tweeted Rama Rao, who is a key state minister.

"I strongly condemn the absurd comments of PM & demand that he apologise to the people of Telangana," wrote KTR, who is son of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao

Meanwhile, KTR, as he is popularly known, has also called for protests against the Prime Minister's comments on Wednesday. He asked the party cadres to stage protests across the state.

PM gave election speech, did not address issues in RS: Cong

The Congress on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave an election speech in Parliament while skipping the real issues raised by the party and accused him of throwing parliamentary conventions to the winds.

Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi claimed the prime minister was afraid of the party as it spoke the truth which is why he attacked the Congress in both the Houses of Parliament.

He also said if Modi likes abusing the party and his great-grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru, he can do so but he should do his job first as the country faced danger from China and Pakistan coming together.

"If you like abusing the Congress and Nehru, be my guest but do your job," Gandhi said.