This Article is From Jan 19, 2022

Assembly Elections 2022 LIVE Updates: Akhilesh Yadav To Contest UP Assembly Elections, Say Sources

Assembly Elections 2022 LIVE Updates: Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Manipur, Punjab, and Uttarakhand will vote over seven phases starting February 10, with counting of votes scheduled for March 10.

Assembly Elections 2022 LIVE Updates: Akhilesh Yadav To Contest UP Assembly Elections, Say Sources

Assembly Elections 2022 LIVE Updates: Counting of votes will be held on March 10.

New Delhi:

Akhilesh Yadav, after much dilly-dallying, has likely decided to contest the Uttar Pradesh election, sources said today. He had earlier said he would not contest the polls and would prefer to focus on every seat in the state.

Akhilesh Yadav is the Lok Sabha MP from Azamgarh in eastern Uttar Pradesh. His seat has not been decided yet, sources say.

Meanwhile, Akhilesh Yadav's sister-in-law Aparna Yadav joined the BJP today, in a blow to the Samajwadi Party just weeks before the Uttar Pradesh election.

Aparna Yadav is the wife of Akhilesh Yadav's brother and Mulayam Singh Yadav's younger son Pratik Yadav.

For the BJP, it is a big acquisition in UP after many of its backward caste leaders, including three state ministers, recently crossed over to the Samajwadi Party.

The speculation about his sister-in-law Aparna Yadav joining the rival party comes just days after the Yogi Adityanath government saw a series of big exits.

Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Manipur, Punjab, and Uttarakhand will vote over seven phases starting February 10, with counting of votes scheduled for March 10.

A total of 690 Assembly constituencies will vote over the next two months, with the maximum in UP (403 seats) followed by Punjab (117), Uttarakhand (70), Manipur (60) and Goa (40).

Here are the LIVE Updates on Assembly Elections 2022:

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Jan 19, 2022 22:02 (IST)
3.54 Lakh Licenced Weapons Deposited With Police Ahead Of Punjab Polls
Complying with directions of Election Commission, 3,54,075 licensed weapons have been deposited with police ahead of February 20 Punjab Assembly elections, state's Chief Electoral Officer Dr S Karuna Raju said Wednesday. "This is 91.10 per cent of the total 3,90,275 licensed weapons in the state," he said.
Jan 19, 2022 20:51 (IST)
Will Punish Haridwar Hate Mongers If Congress Comes To Power: Harish Rawat
Congress leader Harish Rawat has said the party will punish those accused in Haridwar hate speech case if it comes to power in Uttarakhand. He also dismissed the reports of infighting within the Congress in the state and said, "We are one and under the leadership of Sonia ji and Rahul ji and I am sure we will ensure a victory for Uttarahand." Read here
Jan 19, 2022 20:49 (IST)
Sacked Uttarakhand BJP Leader Wants To Return To Congress. But, A Hurdle
Uttarakhand leader Harak Singh Rawat, sacked from the BJP just weeks before the state election, wants to return to his former party Congress but one man appears to be in the way - Harish Rawat. Harak Singh Rawat was one of the nine Congress MLAs who rebelled against Harish Rawat's government in March 2016, reducing it to a minority. President's rule came into force soon after. He has said that he is willing to apologise to Harish Rawat. Read here
Jan 19, 2022 20:47 (IST)
"Very Different Elections This Time": AAP's Goa Chief Minister Candidate Amit Palekar
Corruption and unemployment are the biggest issues in Goa and the people of the state want a change in leadership, Aam Aadmi Party's Chief Ministerial candidate for Goa Amit Palekar told NDTV. "Two out of three people of the state are unemployed, and it's because of rampant corruption in the government," he added. Read here
Jan 19, 2022 20:46 (IST)
General Bipin Rawat's Brother Joins BJP Ahead Of Uttarakhand Polls
Colonel Vijay Rawat, the brother of India's first Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat who died last month, joined the BJP today in Uttarakhand ahead of the state polls. Read here
Jan 19, 2022 20:44 (IST)
Hit By Defections, BJP's Photo Op With Allies Ahead Of UP Election
Hit by multiple desertions - mostly of its OBC leaders - last week, the BJP on Wednesday showcased its allies - the Nishad Party and the Apna Dal (S) - ahead of next month's Uttar Pradesh election, although it refused to reveal seat-sharing details. Party chief JP Nadda only said "we are allying with them for all 403 seats (in the UP Assembly)".

Both the Apna Dal (S) and Nishad Party, which represent eastern UP OBC communities, are old allies of the BJP in UP; the Apna Dal (S) has been an ally since 2014 and the Nishad Party since 2019. Read here
Jan 19, 2022 20:43 (IST)
Congress Releases 5th List Of Candidates For Goa
The Congress has released its fifth list of candidates for Goa assembly polls. The list has 5 candidates- Delailah Lobo from Siolim, Kedar Naik from Saligao, Adv Carlos Alvares Ferreira from Aldona, Dr Dinesh Jalmi from Priol and Moreno Rebello from Curtorim. Goa elections are slated to be held on February 14 in a single phase. The counting of votes will be held on March 10.
Jan 19, 2022 17:05 (IST)
BJP's Rita Joshi Says Waiting For Decision On Ticket For Son In UP Polls
Bharatiya Janata Party MP and a senior leader from Uttar Pradesh Rita Bahuguna Joshi on Wednesday said that she is patiently waiting for the decision of the party's top leadership about her proposal sent to BJP chief JP Nadda for giving ticket to her son in the upcoming state Assembly elections. Read here
Jan 19, 2022 14:39 (IST)
UP Assembly Elections 2022: Akhilesh Yadav's Cheeky Retort To BJP As It Gains His Relative Aparna Yadav
Akhilesh Yadav, reacting to his relative Aparna Yadav switching to the BJP today, said he hoped she "carries our ideology to the BJP".
Jan 19, 2022 14:06 (IST)
Congress Election Committee to meet today for selection of candidates for UP polls
Congress Central Election Committee (CEC) to meet on Wednesday through video conferencing for the selection of candidates for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, sources said.

Till now, the party has announced 125 candidates for the polls.

Jan 19, 2022 13:03 (IST)
Arvind Kejriwal to announce AAP's Goa Chief Minister candidate

Amit Palekar will be Aam Aadmi Party's chief ministerial candidate for the Goa Assembly polls, Arvind Kejriwal announced today.

The party will be contesting all the 40 Assembly seats in Goa.

Jan 19, 2022 12:35 (IST)
UP Election: Priyanka Gandhi's Strategy For Uttar Pradesh - And The High Stakes For Her
An actress jailed for protesting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's controversial citizenship law, the mother of a rape survivor, and a beauty pageant winner. These are the women leading once-dominant Congress party in Uttar Pradesh.
Jan 19, 2022 11:34 (IST)
I admire PM Modi's work, nation comes first for me: Aparna Yadav after joining BJP
Aparna Yadav, daughter-in-law of former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, after joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday expressed gratitude to the party and said that "nation comes first" adding that she admires Prime Minister Narendra Modi's work.

"I am very thankful to BJP. The nation always comes first for me. I admire PM Modi's work," said Aparna Yadav after she joined the party at BJP headquarters in Delhi ahead of state Assembly polls.

Jan 19, 2022 11:29 (IST)
"Inspired by PM Modi": Aparna Yadav on joining BJP
"I have always been inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Aparna Yadav, wife of Akhilesh Yadav's brother Pratik Yadav, said on joining the BJP today. BJP leaders, welcoming her to the party, referred to her as "Mulayam Singh's bahu (daughter-in-law)".
Jan 19, 2022 10:52 (IST)
Arvind Kejriwal To Announce AAP's Goa Chief Minister Face Today
 Aam Aadmi Party national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will be announcing the party's CM candidate for Goa during a press conference in Panaji on Wednesday at 11 am.

"AAP National Convenor and CM of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal will announce the CM Face of AAP Goa in a Press Conference today at 11 AM from Goa," AAP said in a tweet.

Mr Kejriwal had held door-to-door campaigning on Sunday in Cortalim village of Goa, which is scheduled to go to the polls this February.
Jan 19, 2022 10:48 (IST)
Aparna Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav's Sister-In-Law, Joins BJP
Akhilesh Yadav's sister-in-law Aparna Yadav joined the BJP today, in a blow to the Samajwadi Party just weeks before the Uttar Pradesh election.

Aparna Yadav is the wife of Akhilesh Yadav's brother and Mulayam Singh Yadav's younger son Pratik Yadav.

For the BJP, it is a big acquisition in UP after many of its backward caste leaders, including three state ministers, recently crossed over to the Samajwadi Party.

The speculation about his sister-in-law Aparna Yadav joining the rival party comes just days after the Yogi Adityanath government saw a series of big exits.
Jan 19, 2022 10:37 (IST)
Assembly Polls 2022: BJP To Finalise Candidates For UP, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa In CEC Meeting Today
The BJP will finalize the names of candidates for the Assembly elections to Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Goa in the Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting on Wednesday to be held at the party headquarters in the national capital, which is likely to be joined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

According to sources, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will join this meeting virtually and the members of CEC whose COVID reports are positive will also join the meeting virtually.

After several rounds of meetings, BJP had finalized the names of the candidates for the third, fourth, and fifth phases, as well as the seat-sharing formula in the alliance, which has also been finalized but the final decision will be taken today in the election committee meeting.

BJP's core committee has completed its preparations for 160 seats for Uttar Pradesh and for which party national president JP Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, State General Secretary Sunil Bansal, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and BJP state president Swatantra Dev Singh had long discussions among themselves.
Jan 19, 2022 09:55 (IST)
Assembly Polls 2022: Rakesh Tikait Denies Extending Support To Any Political Party
 Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait has denied the reports of the Union extending support to any political party in the run-up to the assembly elections in five states.

Mr Tikait, who arrived at Magh Mela to attend a three-day 'Chintan Shivir' of farmers at Parade Ground, on Tuesday, said, "We will not support anyone in this election."

His statement comes after BKU president Naresh Tikait had appealed for support for the Rashtriya Lok Dal-Samajwadi Party alliance in the upcoming assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh. However, after a few hours of the meeting with BJP's Sanjeev Balyan in Sisauli, the BKU chief withdrew his statement and said that he is not supporting anyone.

In the farmers' 'Chintan Shivir', Rakesh Tikait said, they deliberated on the problems of the farmers.
Jan 19, 2022 09:26 (IST)
Akhilesh Yadav Will Contest UP Polls, His First State Battle: Sources
Akhilesh Yadav, after much dilly-dallying, has decided to contest the Uttar Pradesh election, sources said today. He had earlier said he would not contest the polls and would prefer to focus on every seat in the state.

Akhilesh Yadav is the Lok Sabha MP from Azamgarh in eastern Uttar Pradesh and has never contest a state election. His seat has not been decided yet, sources say.

Sources said the pressure was on the Samajwadi Party chief and former Chief Minister after the BJP's Yogi Adityanath, the incumbent Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, decided to contest the state polls for the first time.
Jan 19, 2022 09:03 (IST)
Mulayam Singh Yadav's Daughter-In-Law To Join BJP Today, Claims Leader
Aparna Yadav, former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav's daughter-in-law, will join BJP today, a senior BJP leader claimed Tuesday night. Ms Yadav's switch to the BJP, if it happens, will be a big blow to the Samajwadi Party just weeks ahead of the state polls.

In what is being seen as a tit-for-tat move after last week's setback to the ruling party with the exit of three UP ministers and several MLAs to join forces with Akhilesh Yadav, Haryana BJP in-charge Arun Yadav on Tuesday night tweeted in Hindi: "Aparna Yadav, the wife of Mulayam Singh Yadav's younger son Pratik will join BJP tomorrow in the presence of Yogi Adityanath at 10 am."
Jan 19, 2022 09:00 (IST)
Congress Sacks Senior Manipur Leader Before Polls For Anti-Party Activities
Nearly a month before the state polls, Congress has sacked its senior leader in Manipur - Khumukcham Joykisan Singh. The 55-year-old leader is the MLA from Thangmeiband in West Imphal.

He has been suspended for anti-party activities. Before joining the Congress, Mr Singh was with the BJP.

The northeastern state votes for the 60-member state assembly on February 27 and the counting of votes will be done on March 10.

The BJP is fighting to retain the state for a second term.

In the last assembly election, Congress had emerged as the single-largest party with 28 seats.
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