News Analysis India

Tag: Uttar Pradesh

  • BJP MLA Harendra Singh Rinku booked for model code violation in Sambhal

    By PTI

    SAMBHAL: A case has been registered against the BJP candidate from Asmoli assembly seat here for violation of model code of conduct and COVID-19 guidelines, a senior police official said on Friday.

    On Thursday evening, the BJP candidate and Asmoli assembly constituency MLA Harendra Singh Rinku was holding an election meeting in Chaupa village in which a large number of people had gathered without masks violating social distancing, Police Superintendent Chakresh Mishra said.

    Taking note of the incident, a case has been registered against the BJP MLA Rinku and 50 to 60 unknown persons under relevant sections at the Bahjoi police station area, the SP added.

  • UP polls: Akhilesh Yadav to contest elections from Mainpuri’s Karhal seat, say sources

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav will contest the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections from Mainpuri’s Karhal constituency, informed sources on Thursday.

    However, the SP chief on Wednesday said that he will contest Assembly elections after taking permission from Azamgarh residents. Yadav is currently a Lok Sabha MP from Azamgarh.

    Elections to the 403 assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases starting February 10.

    The polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27, and March 3 and 7 in seven phases. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. 

  • Rebel SP MLA, elected as UP assembly deputy speaker on BJP support, quits his party 

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh assembly’s Deputy Speaker Nitin Agarwal, a Samajwadi Party MLA who had been elected to the House’s post on the BJP’s support, formally quit the SP’s membership.

    The SP MLA from Hardoi Sadar assembly seat said he has also quit as the MLA and deputy speaker of the House.

    “I have sent my resignation from the SP to its national president Akhilesh Yadav. I have also resigned from the assembly membership and from the post of deputy speaker,” Nitin Agarwal told reporters here.

    Agarwal, who was elected the assembly deputy speaker on the BJP’s support had not formally joined the party and was technically still an SP MLA.

    Agarwal, who shared the dais with Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the BJP’s Jan Vishwas rally, is likely to contest the assembly polls from his Hardoi Sadar seat on a BJP ticket.

    Political observers say resignation is a mere formality as he has already gone with the BJP.

  • Battle for Uttar Pradesh: ‘Disappointed’ JDU to contest polls alone

    By IANS

    LUCKNOW: The Janata Dal (United) has announced that it will contest the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections on its own.

    The party has expressed disappointment over not being named by the BJP as an ally in Uttar Pradesh.

    JD(U) national spokesperson and general secretary KC Tyagi, who was in Lucknow to announce the party’s foray into UP poll scene, said his party looked forward to implementing the ‘Bihar model of governance’ in UP which was about ‘Nyay ke Saath Vikas’ (development with justice).

    “Our party colleague R.C.P. Singh spoke to top BJP leaders, including Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, J.P. Nadda and UP Assembly election in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan, and at no stage did anyone deny an alliance with us. But when the BJP released its list (of candidates) three days ago and said that Apna Dal and Nishad Party are its allies, it was a clear indication that JD(U) was not a part of the alliance. We are not angry but disappointed and have decided to contest on our own,” said Tyagi.

    However, he clarified that the development would not impact its alliance with the BJP in Bihar and added that JD (U) would not do anything to harm BJP’s prospects in Uttar Pradesh.

    “We expect the same from them,” he added.

  • Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav’s daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav joins BJP

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav’s daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav joined the BJP on Wednesday.

    She joined the party in the presence of Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and and its state chief Swatantra Dev Singh.

    She is married to Prateek Yadav, son of Mulayam Singh Yadav’s second wife while SP president Akhilesh Yadav is his son from the first marriage.

    Aparna Yadav said she has always been impressed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and added that the nation’s interest has always been her priority.

    There had been much speculation about her joining the BJP, and the development highlights the rift in the SP’s ruling family at a time when Akhilesh Yadav has been working to rally the party’s base in the run up to the state assembly polls.

    The BJP may field her in the polls, sources said.

    Aparna Yadav had contested the 2017 assembly polls on the Samajwadi Party ticket from Lucknow Cantt but had lost to BJP’s Rita Bahuguna Joshi, now a Lok Sabha member.

    Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases beginning from February 10.

  • Battle for ​Uttar Pradesh: Aligarh Muslim University panel puts out ‘charter’ for political parties

    By IANS

    ALIGARH: The coordination committee of Uttar Pradesh state executive body of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has passed a 15-point resolution as a charter of ‘Muslim issues’ and sought its inclusion in the election manifesto of political parties.

    The committee has also sought an assurance of the implementation of the issues.

    In the resolution passed by the committee, comprising over 100 members including teaching, non-teaching staff, students and alumni, it demanded speedy investigation and release of innocent persons framed under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and National Security Act.

    It also demanded compensation and rehabilitation of victims who were falsely implicated by security agencies and subjected to prolonged incarceration and severe torture, but found innocent and acquitted by courts of law.

    The resolution further demanded enactment of comprehensive anti-communal and anti-hate crime law with the provision of ‘stringent punishment and speedy trial and formation of a task force having adequate representation of stakeholders for vigilance of harassment and atrocities on minorities’.

    The committee said the election is crucial for the community, having been subjected to “systematic harassment by the communally-biased ruling dispensation and disappointed by the silence of all secular parties which had enjoyed power due to their electoral support”.

  • COVID-19: UP schools, colleges to remain closed till January 23

    By ANI

    LUCKNOW: In light of surge in COVID-19 cases, Uttar Pradesh government on Sunday ordered that all schools and colleges will remain closed till January 23, 2022.

    On January 5, the Uttar Pradesh government had ordered to close all government and private schools for students up to class 10 till January 16.

    Several other states are also extending the closure of schools due to rising COVID-19 cases.

    Telangana on Sunday ordered to educational institutions to remain closed till January 30, 2022. Similarly, schools and colleges in Madhya Pradesh will remain closed till January 31. Schools in Bengaluru will remain closed till January 31 while schools in Kerala for students up to class 9 will remain closed for physical classes till January 21.

    Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also chaired a meeting to review COVID situation. He also inspected arrangements related to COVID-19 management in King George’s Medical University (KGMU), Lucknow.

    Speaking to reporters, Yogi informed that the state has around 1.03 lakh active cases.

    “Lucknow has reported 2,300 positive cases today, active cases stand at 16,300. Less than 1 per cent patients are admitted to hospital,” he added.

    “Vaccination drive has been so well that third wave hasn’t impacted us as much. UP vaccinated around over 22.87 crore people, of which 21.37 lakh are children aged between 15-18 tears and 3.87 lakh are people above 60 years of age or those with comorbidities with booster doses,” Yogi said.

  • Former Uttar Pradesh Minister Ramveer Upadhyay joins BJP

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: Former Uttar Pradesh Minister and BSP MLA Ramveer Upadhyay joined the BJP on Saturday.

    This came a day after the sitting MLA from Sadabad seat in Hathras district resigned from the Mayawati-led BSP, alleging that the party had deviated from the principles of its founder Kanshi Ram.

    BJP’s state media in-charge Manish Dixit said Upadhyay quit the BSP on Friday and joined the saffron party in Agra on Saturday.

    Dixit said a large number of people from other parties are joining the BJP and expressing faith in the welfare work done by the central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Uttar Pradesh government led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

    He said Upadhyay’s entry into the BJP would further strengthen the party.

    In his resignation letter sent to the BSP leadership, Upadhyay referred to his service of 25 years in the party.

    He said since the BSP has deviated from the principles and ideals of Kanshi Ram, he is resigning from the membership of the party.

    Upadhyay, who was suspended from the BSP in May 2019 for anti-party activities, said the party leadership rejected all his clarifications and the reality, which hurt him and also the sentiments of his supporters.

  • BJP will return to power in Uttar Pradesh with overwhelming majority: CM Yogi Adityanath

    By PTI

    GORAKHPUR: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday thanked the BJP leadership for choosing him as the candidate from the Gorakhpur Urban seat in the assembly election and exuded confidence that the party would return to power in the state with an “overwhelming majority”.

    “I express thanks to the Prime Minister, national president and BJP Parliamentary Board who decided to field me from Gorakhpur Urban seat in the current assembly elections. With the help of party workers and present and past representatives, the BJP will win not only in Gorakhpur but in the entire state and form its government again with an overwhelming majority. It is before everybody as to how the BJP has worked effectively on the issues of nationalism, development and good governance,” Adityanath told reporters in his first reaction after the declaration of his name.

    ALSO READ| Yogi Adityanath already sent home: Akhilesh Yadav on BJP candidate list for Uttar Pradesh elections

    Adityanath said that BJP will once again form its government in the state with its core mantra of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas”. Declaring the names of candidates for 107 seats going to polls in the first and second phase of voting in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP on Saturday fielded Adityanath from Gorakhpur Urban seat and his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya from Sirathu in Prayagraj as it expressed confidence of retaining power with a big majority.

    Gorakhpur Urban seat will go to vote in the sixth phase on March 3. BJP’s Radha Mohan Das Agarwal is representing the seat at present. This would be the first occasion when Adityanath will be contesting UP assembly elections.

    Presently he is a member of the state legislative council. In the past, he had represented Gorakhpur Lok Sabha seat for four times.

  • Yogi Adityanath already sent home: Akhilesh Yadav on BJP candidate list for Uttar Pradesh elections

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday took a jibe at the BJP’s decision to field Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath from the Gorakhpur constituency, saying the saffron party has already sent him home.

    Gorakhpur is the hometown of Adityanath. He had been the MP from Gorakhpur Lok Sabha seat since 1998 until he became the chief minister in 2017.

    Speaking to reporters here, Akhilesh said, “As far as contesting elections is concerned, earlier it was said that he (Adityanath) will contest from Mathura, Prayagraj, Ayodhya or Deoband. I am happy that the BJP has already sent him home (Gorakhpur). Although he is in Gorakhpur, he had a ticket dated March 11 (counting of votes on March 10) booked for it earlier. I think that he should stay back in Gorakhpur and there is no need for him to return (to Lucknow). Heartiest congratulations.”

    The SP chief further said that no MLAs or ministers quitting the BJP will be taken into his party anymore. “I would tell the BJP that I am no longer going to take BJP MLAs or ministers (into SP), you can cut their tickets,” he said.

    ALSO READ| NCP holding seat-sharing talks with Samajwadi Party for Uttar Pradesh polls: Nawab Malik

    However, he later said that a BJP leader will soon be joining the SP but did not reveal his name. When asked about former Uttar Pradesh minister Dara Singh Chauhan, who recently quit the BJP, Yadav said that he will soon join the SP.

    Former Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister and prominent OBC leader Swami Prasad Maurya on Friday joined the Samajwadi Party along with another rebel minister Dharam Singh Saini. Five BJP MLAs and Apna Dal (Sonelal) legislator Amar Singh Chaudhary also joined the SP in the presence of Yadav.

    Yadav’s statements came after the BJP announced the names of 107 candidates for the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls and fielded Adityanath from the Gorakhpur (Urban) assembly constituency. The party has named candidates for the seats going to polls in the first two phases.

    The list was released by BJP’s Uttar Pradesh in-charge and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan along with party general secretary Arun Singh during a press conference at the party’s headquarters in Delhi. Pradhan said Adityanath will be the BJP’s candidate from Gorakhpur city and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya from Sirathu.

    Both are currently members of the state’s legislative council. Elections for the 403-member Uttar Pradesh assembly are scheduled to be held in seven phases starting from February 10.