News Analysis India

Tag: UP Polls 2022

  • Law on population control will be brought ‘at right time’ in UP, says CM Yogi Adityanath

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: The state government will bring a law for population control “at the right time”, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Tuesday.

    The government had in July unveiled a policy aimed at stabilising the population in Uttar Pradesh and reducing maternal and infant deaths in a time-bound manner, with Adityanath terming rising population a “hurdle in development”.

    “Everything is done at an appropriate time. The media earlier used to question the BJP on when it would announce a date for the Ram temple’s construction, but the prime minister (Narendra Modi), despite the COVID-19 pandemic, laid the foundation stone of the temple in Ayodhya on August 5 last year, and all need to be happy now,” Adityanath said at a conclave.

    “Similarly, Article 370 was also scrapped by the prime minister and Union Home Minister Amit Shah,” he said.

    On August 5, 2019, the Centre had abrogated Article 370, which gave special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, and bifurcated it into union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

    At the ‘News 24’ conclave, when asked about his recent ‘abba jaan’ remark, the chief minister said,”They (opposition) want the vote of Muslims but are getting irritated with ‘abba jaan’.”

    In Kushinagar, Adityanath, in an apparent attack against the Samajwadi Party had said people who say “abba jaan” used to digest all the ration earlier. On the population law for Uttar Pradesh, the chief minister said, “Everything has a right time and has to be done at the right place.”

    “When the population law is brought, it will be done with fanfare, in the knowledge of the media as we do not believe in doing anything silently,” Adityanath said.

    In July, a draft bill on population control was put up on the website of the Uttar Pradesh Law Commission, inviting suggestions from the public till the 19th of the month.

    It states that people having more than two children in Uttar Pradesh will be debarred from contesting local bodies polls, applying for government jobs or receiving any kind of subsidy.

    The draft bill also seeks to prohibit promotions in government jobs for such people, while offering incentives to those limiting their children to two.

    The law commission is said to have handed over the draft bill to the government.

    On Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav’s tweet claiming that a record number of riots have taken place in the state, Adityanath said, “The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) states that there have been zero communal riots in Uttar Pradesh.”

    They (opposition) are not depending on their intelligence, but depending on Twitter, he said.

    Asked about Yadav’s assertions that he is inaugurating works done during the SP government, the chief minister said, “The situation that had emerged in 2017 of the pair (Congress and SP alliance for the elections) coming together, it is their nature to humiliate the state.”

    “The BJP is forming the next government with over 350 seats in the coming assembly elections,” he said. To a question on whether he would be chief minister again, Adityanath said, “If you say so I accept it. Thanks for your good wishes.”

    Polls for 403-member Uttar Pradesh assembly are due next year.

    The BJP had won 312 seats last time.

  • EC transfers out 28 police personnel from Muzaffarnagar ahead of Uttar Pradesh polls

    By PTI

    MUZAFFARNAGAR: A total of 28 police inspectors, including 11 station house officers, posted here for more than three years, have been shifted to other districts, an official said on Saturday.

    According to Preetinder Singh, DIG, Saharanpur range, the order came on Friday on the directive of the Election Commission, which stated that police officers cannot remain posted in the district going to polls if they have served in the same place for at least three years.

    The police personnel were transferred to Shamli and Saharanpur districts from Muzaffarnagar, the DIG said.

    Assembly elections will be held in Uttar Pradesh early next year.

  • Congress vicharaks vs RSS pracharaks in Uttar Pradesh

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: In a bid to connect with people on the ground ahead of the crucial Assembly elections, the Congress plans to deploy ‘vicharak’s on the lines of RSS ‘pracharaks’. These young activists, primarily members of the Congress’ grassroots front organisation Seva Dal, will visit select constituencies and have meaningful talks with voters on pressing issues such as price rise, unemployment and farmer distress. 

    The experiment will also mark an image makeover for the Seva Dal, whose role and responsibilities were tweaked after Rahul Gandhi became party chief in 2017, by actively engaging in election campaign and public outreach programmes in states where it has good presence. The organisation has around 3.7 lakh active members in over 600 districts. It has around 450 members in UP. 

    “It is vicharaks vs pracharaks. We are training our workforce to focus on people’s agenda away from emotional and religious agenda of the RSS and other parties 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. They have been divided in three groups — Seva Dal young brigade, Seva Dal and Mahila Seva Dal. They have been trained in efficiently using social media tools to communicate with youths and working class.

    Congress Seva Dal, which was once seen more as a ceremonial organisation, has zeroed in on 100 constituencies in Uttar Pradesh where their members would be campaigning for the party. The selection was based on research by team members and work will start after the final go-ahead from Congress general secretary and in-charge for UP Priyanka Gandhi and UP Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu.

  • Congress will contest UP polls under Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s leadership: Salman Khurshid

    By ANI

    AGRA: Congress leader and former Union Minister Salman Khurshid on Sunday said that the party will contest the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections under the leadership of party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

    Khurshid said that Congress will not form an alliance with any political party for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. However, he added, “Gathbandhan is done by heart. If anyone wants to join our party, they are welcomed.”

    The leader, asked about the Chief Minister’s face in UP polls, he said, “We will be fighting the upcoming Assembly elections under the leadership of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. She is working hard to ensure that we win. Later on, she may announce the CM’s face.”

    ​ALSO READ | UP polls: AIMIM offers party ticket to gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari

    Speaking about the Congress manifesto for the upcoming elections, he said, “We are interacting with the common people. We have made a proper strategy for this. The manifesto will have the voice of the common people. The main focus will be on the farmers, security of women. We have met the people of Agra today and have discussed their issues.”

    “Manifesto will also focus on the health sector as the nation has a weak health system, the truth was revealed during the COVID-19 pandemic. We need to strengthen the health and education sector too,” he said.

    Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections are scheduled to take place early next year.

    In the 2017 Assembly elections, the BJP won a landslide victory winning 312 Assembly seats. The party secured a 39.67 per cent vote share in the elections for 403-member Assembly. Samajwadi Party (SP) bagged 47 seats, BSP won 19 while Congress could manage to win only seven seats. Congress was left red-faced as it failed miserably.

  • Tiranga Yatra: Sisodia, Sanjay Singh among 17 AAP leaders booked by UP police for violating Covid norms

    By PTI

    AGRA: Police have registered a case against 17 AAP leaders, including Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh, for violating Covid protocols during the party’s Tiranga Yatra here.

    The FIR also mentions 500 unidentified persons who were part of the yatra on Sunday from the GIC ground till the Shaheed Smarak in Sanjay Place, police said.

    Permission had been granted to organise the Tiranga Yatra while following COVID-19 protocols with a limit of 50 people, they said.

    But the number of people, who attended the march on Sunday, exceeded the permitted number and COVID-19 protocols were not followed, police said.

    Ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) plans to take out Tiranga Yatras in Ayodhya, Lucknow and Noida to mark the 75th year of India’s Independence.

    The AAP party will carry out this yatra in Ayodhya on September 14 and later in 403 assembly segments of Uttar Pradesh, Sisodia had said on Sunday, as he attacked the BJP government in the state over law-and-order, education, healthcare and employment situations.

    Superintendent of Police (City) Vikas Kumar said that the case has been registered against 17 AAP leaders, including Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Rajya Sabha MP, and another 500 unidentified persons.

    They were part of the Tiranga Yatra carried out by the party’s leaders on Sunday evening from GIC ground till Shaheed Smarak in Sanjay Place in Agra, he said.

    “For not following the COVID-19 protocol the FIR was registered at the Lohamandi Police station on Monday morning,” the SP said.

    They have been booked under Indian Penal Code sections 188, 269 and 270, and under provisions the Epidemic Diseases Act for violation of COVID-19 protocols, police said.

    Section 188 pertains to disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant, while 269 and 270 pertain to whoever unlawfully, malignantly or negligently does any act which is, and which he knows or has reason to believe to be, likely to spread the infection of any disease dangerous to life.

     

  • Two Congress leaders from Uttar Pradesh resign from party, say loyal members being neglected

    By PTI

    BALLIA: Two senior All India Congress Committee (AICC) members from Uttar Pradesh have resigned from the party’s primary membership, alleging that old and loyal Congress leaders are being neglected.

    Shailendra Singh and Rajesh Singh sent their resignation letters to the party’s Uttar Pradesh unit president Ajay Kumar Lallu on Sunday.

    The two leaders said they had informed Congress president Sonia Gandhi as well as Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi about their decision.

    Targeting the UPCC president, Shailendra Singh told journalists on Monday that loyal and old time Congresspersons have been neglected since Lallu took over and this is why dedicated leaders are quitting the party.

    He said he had informed AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi about the situation in the party many times, but she did not take any step.

    In such a situation, he was left with no option but to resign from the Congress, he added.

    Shailendra Singh said in his resignation letter that he has been active in public service and Congress organization for the last 15 years.

    He is presently joint in-charge of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee and a nominated member of the AICC.

    Rajesh Singh said he had been an active member of the Congress since his student days and had held various positions in the NSUI, Youth Congress and Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee for the last 25 years.

    He said in his letter that he was also an elected a member of the AICC but was resigning because of the present environment of the Congress and the neglect of old Congress members.

    Terming the allegations of the two leaders baseless, Congress state secretary and Allahabad in-charge Raghavendra Pratap Singh said work was being done to strengthen the Congress, right down to the ‘nyay panchayat’ and booth level, under the leadership of Priyanka Gandhi and Lallu.

    District president of the party, Om Prakash Pandey, said both were having some dispute with the state leadership. 

  • Former IPS officer Amitabh Thakur to float political party ahead of UP polls

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: Ahead of the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, former IPS officer Amitabh Thakur on Friday said he will float a new political party soon.

    “After consulting my supporters and well-wishers, I have decided to float a new political party,” Thakur said here.

    The proposed name of his new outfit is Adhikar Sena, he said and requested his supporters to suggest more names along with purpose, mission and structure of the party.

    The government had issued an order for Thakur’s premature retirement on March 23 this year, saying he was “not found fit to be retained for the remaining tenure of his service”.

    Earlier this month, Thakur’s wife Nutan Thakur had announced that he would be contesting the coming assembly elections against Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

    “Adityanath took many undemocratic, improper, suppressive, harassing and discriminatory steps during his tenure as chief minister. Hence, Amitabh shall be contesting the election against Adityanath from wherever he contests,” she had said.

    An officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, he would have retired in 2028.

    In 2017, Thakur had urged the Centre to change his cadre state.

    The officer was suspended on July 13, 2015, days after he had accused Samajwadi Party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav of threatening him.

    A vigilance enquiry was also initiated against him.

    However, the Lucknow Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal stayed his suspension in April 2016 and ordered his reinstatement with full salary with effect from October 11, 2015.

  • Congress constitutes Uttar Pradesh poll panel; includes Salman Khurshid, Rajeev Shukla

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Gearing up for the Assembly polls next year, the Congress on Wednesday constituted the election committee for Uttar Pradesh, which includes state unit chief Ajay Kumar Lallu and former Union ministers Salman Khurshid, Rajeev Shukla and R P N Singh.

    Congress president Sonia Gandhi has approved the proposal of the constitution of the Pradesh Election Committee of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC), said a statement issued by K C Venugopal, AICC general secretary in-charge organisation.

    Apart from 38 members named in the panel, national president/chairperson of AICC organisations/departments from Uttar Pradesh, state heads of frontal organisations, vice-presidents and general secretaries of the UPCC will be its ex-officio members.

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    The election committee includes state party chief Lallu, CLP leader Aradhana Mona Misra, senior leaders Khurshid, Shukla, Nirmal Khatri, Pramod Tiwari, P L Punia, R P N Singh and Vivek Bansal.

    Former MPs Rajesh Mishra, Rajaram Pal, Rakesh Sachan, Begum Noor Bano, Zafar Ali Naqvi, Harendra Malik, Rashid Alvi, Mohd Muqeem, Naseemuddin Siddique and the party’s 2019 Lok Sabha candidate from Lucknow Acharya Pramod Krishnam are also part of the panel.

    AICC secretaries Imran Masood, Brijlal Khabri, Sudhanshu Tripathi, B P Singh and Jitendra Baghel are also among those included.

    UP Congress chief Lallu has said that the Congress would fight the polls in Uttar Pradesh next year under Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s “dekh-rekh (supervision)” and would make a comeback in the state after over three decades.

    Congress functionaries have said that the party is prioritising organisation building and carrying on the struggle against the government on the streets in the run-up to the crucial Assembly polls.

    The Congress in Uttar Pradesh organised a statewide “BJP gaddi chhodo” marches this week on the occasion of August Kranti Diwas.

  • UP polls 2022: Akhilesh Yadav promises caste census within six months of assuming power

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party (SP) chief and former Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday announced that he would get a caste census done within six months of SP government being formed if voted to power in 2022 polls.

    “Today with the available technology, it will not even take six months. It can be done within three months or even less,” he said at the conference, which was held at Samajwadi party headquarters in Lucknow.

    Addressing the workers of Mahan Dal ­– an ally of SP claiming to enjoy the support of OBCs like Shakyas, Mauryas and Kushwahas particularly in western Uttar Pradesh – Akhilesh accused the ruling BJP of having tried to divide the backward classes by pitting the Yadavs against the rest.

    ALSO READ | Now, BJP ally Apna Dal demands caste-based census, separate ministry for OBC welfare

    “They (ruling BJP) are not interested in conducting a caste census.” he said.

    Akhilesh claimed that there was a time when they pitched us against each other saying that Yadavs were depriving the other backwards of opportunities.

    “Earlier the Congress spent thousands of crores of rupees and got the caste census done but thestatistics were never released,” Akhilesh added.

  • 2022 UP polls: BJP chief to impart ‘Jeet ka mantra’ to mantris

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: As the Assembly polls of 2022 are inching closer, the BJP is gradually moving into election mode with more frequent visits of the party’s national chief JP Nadda to the state.

    Nadda will be in Lucknow on Saturday and Sunday. During his stay, the BJP national president is likely to impart the victory mantra to Yogi mantris who all will be huddled with Nadda to draw a strategy for the upcoming electoral battle and also chalk out ways to consolidate the party’s vote bank.

    According to highly-informed sources in the BJP, the party’s national president is likely to hold a workshop for all the ministers at party’s headquarter in Lucknow on Saturday assigning them activities to ensure the party’s victory in 2022.

    Moreover, the meeting of all ministers with national leadership may also discuss the probable expansion of the Yogi cabinet and the name to be inducted. The sources also claimed that this time the Yogi ministers would be given a bigger task than just focus on their constituencies.

    ALSO READ | Samajwadi Party could win 400 seats in upcoming UP polls, claims Akhilesh Yadav

    In July, when national BJP organisation secretary BL Santhosh and UP in-charge Radha Mohan Singh visited Lucknow, they had met the party leaders and ministers and had taken their feedback. They had even made an evaluation of the performance of BJP MLAs. In July, the party leadership had a closed-door meeting with BJP MPs from UP to discuss the roadmap for 2022.

    Meanwhile, the BJP president is also likely to oil the party’s organisational machinery further and make it battle-ready.

    In this connection, Nadda is coming down to Lucknow with a broader plan and is likely to hold first direct interaction with in-charge of each of 403 assembly seats.

    He is also likely to meet the newly-elected 66 Zila Panchayat chairperson who have won with the support of the BJP. This exercise will help the party to invigorate its grassroots cadre to take on the opposition. However, all the party programmes with the BJP national president will be kept out of the media glare.

    In 2017, BJP had contested 384 seats and managed to win 312 seats, securing 41.57% of the votes.