News Analysis India

Tag: UP Assembly Polls

  • BJP plans centralised poll management in UP; ministers to take charge

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  The BJP is bracing for a centralised management of the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, with scores of ministers being roped in to take charges of the districts for sharp micro-management amid the assessment that the party will be up against another Opposition grand alliance.

    In addition to the panel headed by the Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan who is the election in-charge, the BJP is gearing up to field its full battery of ministers to take poll responsibilities in UP, which is slated to go to polls in February-March next year. The ministers who have already been roped in for poll tasks in UP have begun travelling to parts of the states to identify the issues on which the BJP will need to build poll narrative along with its counter strategy against the agenda being brought forth by the Opposition parties, said a leader.

    Mindful that the outcome of the UP elections will set the course of the national politics, which will also be watched out by some political parties to forge prospective alliances in future, the BJP will seek to build a suitable narrative in UP to overwhelm the identity politics, said another leader. 

    To shore up its electoral chances, the BJP is also bracing up to bring in political workers, known for their election management credentials, from other states, including Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra, to man each polling booth in the 403 assembly constituencies. “Such political workers will directly report to the central team in Delhi to share realtime feedback on which expeditious actions will be initiated,” added the party leader.       

    After the festive season, the BJP leaders, including ministers, will regularly camp in various parts of UP. The Union ministers belonging to UP, along with Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha MPs, will be taking charge of each district.

    A few of the ministers who have returned after initial visits to parts of the state have listed out some of the issues, which the BJP will need to address. These include issues like unemployment in Poorvanchal, farmers not able to fetch the Minimum Support Prices, and early signs of loosening of consolidation of the non-Yadav other backward castes in favour of the party.

    Nadda to visit Manipur for review of poll prepNew Delhi: BJP chief J P Nadda will start his visits to poll-bound states from Manipur where he will take stock of the preparations for the assembly elections next year this weekend. He will be on a two- day visit to Manipur starting Saturday. During his visit, Nadda will take part in sone key programmes and will guide the BJP state unit leaders and workers on various issues, said Rajya Sabha MP Anil Baluni. The BJP chief will visit a booth president’s residence at Utlou (Nambol mandal) and have lunch at his residence, said Baluni.

  • Akhilesh Yadav announces ‘Samajwadi Vijay Yatra’ from Oct 12 in UP 

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: Aiming to connect with the masses ahead of the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday announced the ‘Samajwadi Vijay Yatra’ from October 12 in the state.

    SP chief spokesperson Rajendra Chowdhury said its objective was to make people aware about the “corrupt, autocratic and suppressive” policies of the BJP government and to establish real democracy.

    He said the SP president is going to take out the ‘Samajwadi Vijay Yatra’ from October 12 to uproot the inhuman government in the state.

    “Akhilesh Yadav’s yatras are for change in the state. His first ‘Kranti yatra’ as SP state president started on July 31, 2001, and then he took out the ‘Samajwadi Party Kranti Rath Yatra’ from September 12, 2011,” he said.

    The details of the routes have not been shared by the party yet.

  • Congress names Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel senior observer for UP assembly polls 

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Congress on Saturday named Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel as a senior observer for the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls next year.

    Baghel, who had played a crucial role in the run up to the Assam assembly polls with his team carrying out extensive booth training of party workers, has in the past discussed the preparations for the elections in UP with Congress general secretary in-charge Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi.

    “The Congress president has appointed Shri Bhupesh Bhagel, chief minister, Chhattisgarh, as AICC senior observer for the ensuing elections in Uttar Pradesh, with immediate effect,” the Congress said in a statement.

  • UP assembly polls: Owaisi factor worry parties banking on Muslim vote bank

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM, which is going to contest next year’s Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls on the promise of creating leadership among Muslims, has created unease in the political parties that so far considered the members of the minority community as their core “vote bank”.

    Different castes, including Jatavs, Yadavs, Rajbhars and Nishads, which constitute a relatively small part of the population of Uttar Pradesh, more or less have their own leadership, but Muslims, who account for more than 19 per cent of the people in the state, do not see any united leadership.

    So the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), led by Owaisi, wants to end the “slavery” of Muslims in the hands of the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Congress, which had been using them as their “vote bank”, according to the leaders of the party.

    There are 82 Assembly segments in the state where Muslim voters are in a position to make or mar the political fortunes of the candidates.

    Buoyed by winning five seats in last year’s Bihar polls from the Muslim-dominated Seemanchal region, which gave jitters to the RJD and the Congress, Owaisi has already announced that his party will field candidates in 100 of the 403 seats in the Uttar Pradesh election expected to be held early next year.

    The Hyderabad MP launched his poll campaign from Ayodhya earlier this month and since then, has been addressing public meetings at different places.

    AIMIM national spokesperson Syed Asim Waqar told PTI on Sunday that the main goal of the party is to create a political narative and leadership among Muslims for the progress of the community and a better future.”Even the so-called secular parties, which were getting the votes of the Muslims, never allowed a Muslim leadership to emerge.

    The report of the Sachar Committee has made out the condition in which the parties have pushed them to,” he said.

    The opinions of experts differ on whether Muslims, after the rise of Hindutva politics, have become aware enough to create their own acceptable leadership.

    The SP and the BSP have accused Owaisi of serving the interest of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by trying to divide Muslim votes and dismissed any possibility of the AIMIM having any impact in the country’s political heartland.

    Senior SP leader Abu Azmi discarded Owaisi as a “vote-katwa” (splitter of votes) who is acting on behalf of the BJP to damage the poll prospects of the Samajwadi Party.

    State media coordinator of the Congress Lallan Kumar said Owaisi remembers Muslims only at the time of elections and claimed that the minority community has traditionally supported the grand old party.

    However, political analyst Parvez Ahmed believes that this time, the “Owaisi factor” will definitely have an impact in Uttar Pradesh.

    “The reason for this is that after the rise of hardline Hindutva politics in the country, a large section of Muslims has started to understand the importance of their separate leadership.

    The SP, the BSP and other parties that claim to be Muslim-friendly have been silent on the issues of Muslims.

    “The idea is now gaining strength among Muslims that if it they do not have a leadership of their own, the atrocities against them will only increase,” he said.

    At this juncture, Owaisi is not the target of the BJP but of those parties that have so far been trying to get the votes of Muslims on the basis of their fear of the saffron party, Ahmed said.

    He said another section of the Muslims also thinks what harm has the BJP done to them.

    “The Muzaffarnagar riots, which left a mark of fear on the minds of Muslims, took place not during the BJP’s rule but during the SP regime.

    During the regime of (Chief Minister) Yogi Adityanath, there was no such riot in which Muslims were specifically targeted.

    The share of Muslims in government jobs in the state is less than two per cent, while the Congress and other non-BJP parties ruled the state for the longest time,” Ahmed pointed out.

    According to Census 2011 data, Muslims account for 19.26 per cent of the population in Uttar Pradesh.

    Muslims constitute 50.57 per cent of the population in Rampur, 47.12 per cent in Moradabad, 43.04 per cent in Bijnor, 41.95 per cent in Saharanpur, 41.3 per cent in Muzaffarnagar, 40.

    78 per cent in Amroha and above 30 per cent in Balrampur, Azamgarh, Bareilly, Meerut, Bahraich, Gonda and Shravasti.

    According to political analyst Rasheed Kidwai, the issue of giving leadership to Muslims has come up more or less in every election in Uttar Pradesh but never took off and the Muslims often voted for the SP and the BSP.

    Owaisi’s party will contest the Uttar Pradesh polls as part of the “Bhagadari Morcha” formed by Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) president Om Prakash Rajbhar.

  • Yogi Adityanath to expand cabinet to balance caste, regional aspirations

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW:  Attempting to balance caste and regional aspiration, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will expand his ministry on Sunday evening, months ahead of the crucial assembly polls.

    The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled at Gandhi Auditorium in the Raj Bhavan at 5.30 pm, officials said.

    Officials, however, remained tight-lipped over the number and names of ministers to be sworn in amid the name of Congress Brahmin leader Jitin Prasada, who switched over to the saffron party, is doing rounds.

    UP Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma had recently told PTI that inspired by the work of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Prasada wanted to join the BJP much earlier.

    Prasada had been inducted into the BJP amid its internal worries about the thin representation of the community in the party.

    Repeated efforts to contact Prasada proved futile.

    Sanjay Nishad’s name, whose party NISHAD — Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal — will contest the 2022 UP assembly elections in alliance with the BJP is also making rounds.

    Nishad was in the news recently for his demand from the BJP to project him as a deputy chief minister face in the elections.

    He had claimed that 18 per cent of voters belong to Nishad (fishermen) community which plays a deciding role on 160 assembly seats.

    The Nishad Party had contested the 2017 assembly elections as an ally of the Peace Party, led by Dr Ayub, and contested 72 seats.

    Its candidate Vijay Mishra had won from Gyanpur seat in Bhadohi district.

    In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the party had allied with the BJP and Sanjay Nishad’s son Praveen Nishad was nominated from Sant Kabir Nagar from where he won the elections.

    Apart from this, the name of former Uttarakhand Governor Baby Rani Maurya is also doing the rounds as a probable face for induction in the Yogi Adityanath ministry.

    There are 53 ministers in the UP Cabinet at present and seven more can be inducted as per the constitutional limit.

    At present, there are 23 Cabinet ministers in UP including the chief minister. There are nine ministers of state with independent charges and there are 21 ministers of state.

    The maximum strength of the UP Cabinet can be 15 per cent of the total strength of its Assembly.

    The Uttar Pradesh Assembly has 403 seats. In the 2017 UP Assembly elections, the BJP had won 312 seats out of the 403 seats. Its ally Apna Dal (Sonelal) had won nine seats.

    The Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) too had contested the 2017 assembly polls in alliance with the BJP and had won four seats but it had walked out of the alliance in 2019.

  • Uttar Pradesh polls 2022: AAP promises 300 units of electricity free, 24X7 supply

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday promised that if it is voted to power in Uttar Pradesh, its government will provide 300 units of electricity free of cost to all domestic consumers, waive outstanding bills of 38 lakh families and ensure 24-hour power supply.

    Addressing a press conference here, AAP leader and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia also announced providing free electricity to farmers. The AAP has made similar promises in Punjab, Uttarakhand and Goa where assembly polls are due in early next year.

    The Arvind Kejriwal-led party, which has decided to contest all 403 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh, alleged that electricity tariff is so expensive in Uttar Pradesh that it is becoming very difficult for people to pay the bill.

    At the same time, Sisodia alleged, the government tells people to either pay the electricity bill or be tagged as criminals.

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    Claiming that there are hundreds of instances in Uttar Pradesh wherein common people have committed suicide after receiving inflated electricity bills, Sisodia said a farmer in Aligarh, named Ramji Lal, killed himself over non-payment of electricity bill while in Etah, a 17-year-old girl committed suicide just because the electricity department had sent a wrong bill to her father who was declared a criminal for not paying it.

    “There are 38 lakh families in Uttar Pradesh who have been sent inflated electricity bills and the government is considering them as criminals. I want to tell these people that you support the Aam Aadmi Party and ensure that our party forms the government after the assembly elections. Tear the bills as soon as the government is formed. Everyone’s outstanding bill will be waived. This is Arvind Kejriwal’s guarantee,” Sisodia said.

    He said that today electricity is not a luxury but a basic necessity and it is the responsibility of every government to make it available to every citizen. The party promised to provide 300 units of electricity free of cost to all domestic consumers per billing cycle, waive outstanding bills of 38 lakh families and ensure 24-hour power supply.

    AAP Rajya Sabha member and in-charge of Uttar Pradesh Sanjay Singh told the press conference that Kejriwal does what he says. Whatever announcements have been made today, including providing 300 units of free electricity, are historic, Singh said.

    Asked about the party’s chief ministerial candidate, Sisodia said when the time comes, the party will take a decision on it. The party is contesting the elections under the leadership of Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, he added.

  • UP assembly polls: AAP takes out ‘Tiranga Yatra’ in Ayodhya

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: The Aam Admi Party (AAP) seeking to make distinct inroads into the political landscape of Uttar Pradesh in 2022 assembly polls, kick-started a Tiranga Yatra in the temple town of Ayodhya on Tuesday.

    The Yatra was launched by AAP leader and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia along with the party’s UP in-charge and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh. The two leaders had visited Ram Janmabhoomi and Hanumangarhi temple in Ayodhya on Monday.  

    According to AAP sources, earlier the Yatra, which was planned for Noida and Lucknow only, will now be organised across all districts of UP in the next two months. “AAP’s Tiranga Yatra is getting an overwhelming response everywhere. After Ayodhya, Tiranga Yatra will be taken out in the entire Uttar Pradesh. Yatra will aim to bring in a new politics of development and honesty in the state,” said Sanjay Singh.

    However, making its stand clear on poll strategy, Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia said that AAP would go it alone in UP assembly elections in 2022. “AAP will field candidates on all 403 seats and there will be no alliance with any other party,” said Sisodia after the conclusion of the Yatra.

    During the 2014 Lok Sabha election, the AAP had contested 77 seats and lost its deposit on 76. The party then contested the 2017 local body elections when it fielded 3,400 candidates. It managed to win 44 seats and finished fifth. In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the party failed to open its account and all its candidates lost their deposits. Earlier, there had been reports of AAP holding talks with O.P. Rajbhar’s Bhagidari Sankalp Morcha. Sanjay Singh had also met SP chief Akhilesh Yadav in July, triggering the speculations of a possible alliance.

  • AAP unfurls Tiranga Yatra in UP before next year’s Assembly polls

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW : The  Aam Admi Party (AAP) launched a Tiranga Yatra in Ayodhya on Tuesday, attempting to make distinct inroads into the political landscape of Uttar Pradesh ahead of the 2022 Assembly polls. AAP leader and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia with party man and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh spearheaded the yatra. On the previous day, the two leaders had visited Ram Janmabhoomi and Hanuman Garhi temples. 

    In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, AAP contested 77 seats and lost its deposit on 76. The party then contested the 2017 local body elections when it fielded 3,400 candidates. It won 44 seats and finished fifth. In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the party failed to open its account and all its candidates lost their deposits. Earlier reports of AAP holding talks with OP Rajbhar Bhagidari on his Sankalp Morcha and Sanjay Singh meeting Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav in July, had triggered speculations of a possible alliance.

    Making its stand clear on the poll strategy, Sisodia said that AAP would go alone into the UP assembly elections. “AAP will field candidates on all 403 seats and there will be no alliance with any other party,” said Sisodia, on the conclusion of Tiranga Yatra. The party is expected to release its first list of 100 candidates by the month end, having already finalised several names.

    The AAP has held Tiranga Yatras in Lucknow, Agra and Noida, and will now travel to all UP districts within the next two months. “The Yatra aims to bring about a new politics of development and honesty in the state,” said Sanjay Singh.

  • Congress to form group of ‘vicharaks’ on the lines of RSS ‘pracharaks’ to connect with people 

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The Congress to have ‘vicharaks’ on the lines of RSS ‘pracharaks’ to connect with people on the ground on key issues like price rise, unemployment, and farmer distress. These will be members of the Congress frontal organization Seva Dal and will hit the ground running ahead of assembly elections next year.

    Initially, the prime focus will be on Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat assembly elections in 2022. These ‘vicharaks’ pan out in targeted constituencies that will be carefully selected following discussion with party in-charges and top leadership.

    Seva Dal, which saw its role and responsibilities tweaked after Rahul Gandhi became party chief in 2017, is looking at an image makeover by actively engaging in the election campaigns and public outreach programs in states where it has a good presence. The organisation membership jumped to 3.7 lakh active members in over 600 districts at present from 12,000 in 2018.

    Congress general secretary and in-charge for UP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra during her visit to Lucknow also talked about plans to revamp the Congress Seva Dal in the state.

    “It is vicharaks Vs pracharaks. We are training our workforce to focus on people’s agenda away from the emotional and religious agenda of the RSS ahead of elections. Members of Seva Dal will work in tandem with state units to reach out to people and talk to them on pressing issues,” said Lalji Desai, Chief Organiser, Seva Dal. He says the team is young and dynamic with 80% of them below 45 years of age group.

    The party’s grassroots organization, which was seen more as a ceremonial organization, has zeroed on 100 constituencies in UP where their members would be looking to campaign for the party. It is based on research by the team members but will wait for the final go-ahead from Priyanka Gandhi and UP Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu.        

    “These seats have been selected based on analysis of last three UP assembly elections. These are where the party has either performed well like the candidate stood at the second position or performed badly (confiscating deposits). Our workforce from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh will also be moved to join Seva Dal members in UP. The organization is active in east and west UP and the selected seats are in these regions,” said Desai.

    The Seva Dal already has over 400 members in UP and more will join in the coming months.

  • Priyanka Gandhi set to launch Congress’ UP campaign in Lucknow on October 2

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  The Congress is expected to start its campaign for Uttar Pradesh elections on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti on October 2 from Lucknow and the plan will be given the final go-ahead by Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra during her visit to the state capital later this week.

    During her visit on September 10-11, she is scheduled to hold meetings with party functionaries and state election and advisory committees to chalk out strategy for the Assembly elections early next year. The party is planning to hold a big rally in Lucknow on October 2 that will be addressed by Priyanka and other senior party leaders to launch the party’s campaign. This comes at a time when the party is looking at a revival in the key state. The party in 2017 had contested elections in alliance with Samajwadi Party and won only seven seats.     

    Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu has made it clear that the party will not tie-up with bigger parties in the state. Rather, it will  be looking at alliances with smaller parties. The party candidates who won elections and those who stood in second position in 2017 are expected to be fielded again this time.The grand old party has held training workshops for party workers and leaders ahead of the elections.

    Rahul to visit JammuCongress leader Rahul Gandhi will be on a two-day visit to Jammu from Thursday, during which he will pay obeisance at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra. Gandhi will leave for Jammu on Thursday and participate in the evening ‘aarti’ at the temple. He will stay at the shrine board’s guesthouse, sources said. The former Congress chief will address a workers’ convention at Jammu on Friday and meet separate delegations of local leaders during a luncheon meeting, they said. He will return to Delhi late in the evening, parrty sources said.