Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets supporters during a roadshow for the seventh and last phase of UP Assembly elections, in Varanasi district, Friday, March 4, 2022. (PTI Photo)Uttar Pradesh Elections Highlights: Days ahead of the last phase of the Uttar Pradesh elections, political parties have stepped up their campaigning efforts, particularly in Varanasi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has begun his roadshow from Maldahiya Chowk in Varanasi. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi too on Thursday held her own roadshow, where she targeted the BJP over the issue of stray cattle in the state.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah Friday said Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav only cares for “one community and one caste”. Speaking at a poll rally in Ghazipur, Shah said the Uttar Pradesh elections are to secure the future of the people from the backward and dalit communities in the state. He said Akhilesh only sees people belonging to only one community “which we are not part of” and only one caste, without elaborating any further. “The SP chief sees one community with one eye and one caste with the other,” PTI quoted Shah as saying.
Women show their identification cards as they wait in a queue at a polling station to cast their votes. (PTI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held a roadshow in Varanasi to drum up support for BJP candidates ahead of the last phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections on March 7. Modi arrived in his Lok Sabha constituency after addressing a rally in Mirzapur and began the roadshow after garlanding a statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at Maldahiya crossing. Here are a few glimpses of the grand roadshow. (PTI Photos)
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Mau Police Friday lodged an FIR against gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari’s 29-year-old son Abbas Ansari, who is contesting the Assembly election from the Mau Assembly seat, over a controversial statement made during a public meeting held Thursday in which he allegedly threatened government officials.
Abbas is contesting the election from the Mau Sadar seat on a ticket from the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) which is in alliance with the Samajwadi Party. Abbas has been booked along with his younger brother Umar Abbas Ansari and 150 unknown persons. Read more
Devotees lining up for darshan of Ram lalla, and monkeys looking for a share of the offerings, are not the only ubiquitous sight around the Ram Janmaboomi at Ayodhya. So are students. Along the road leading to the site of the under-construction Ram temple are nearly a dozen coaching centres – the earthly portals to a more-accessible salvation, a government job.
Even the BJP realises this. In February 2021, the Yogi Adityanath government started the much-publicised Abhyuday Coaching programme for government job aspirants. The party has promised in its Sankalp Patra (manifesto) this time that under the Abhyuday Yojna, its government would provide free coaching for UPSC, UPPSC, NDA, CDS, JEE, NCERT, TET, CLAT and other competitive examinations. Across UP, coaching centres also prepare students for B.Ed as well as government jobs of Group-C and Group-D like revenue lekhpal, police constables, lower rank recruitment for the Army. Read full story by Shyamlal Yadav here
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with AICC General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra offer prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, in Varanasi. (PTI Photo)
BJP supporters during a roadshow by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the seventh and last phase of UP Assembly elections, in Varanasi district, Friday, March 4, 2022. (PTI Photo)
A cut out of Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath during a roadshow by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the seventh and last phase of UP Assembly elections, in Varanasi district, Friday, March 4, 2022. (PTI Photo)
Days ahead of the last phase of the Uttar Pradesh elections, political parties have stepped up their campaigning efforts, particularly in Varanasi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has begun his roadshow from Maldahiya Chowk in Varanasi.
AIMIM may not win many seats or may get restricted to playing the role of "spoiler" in the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls but it has made inroads into SP and BSP bastions in the state's eastern parts with many Muslim youth seeing it as "their own" party that could be an option in the future. Muslims in Uttar Pradesh have traditionally oscillated between the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and that is unlikely to change this time round as they seem weary of a division of votes. --PTI
Union Home Minister Amit Shah Friday said Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav only cares for “one community and one caste”. Speaking at a poll rally in Ghazipur, Shah said the Uttar Pradesh elections are to secure the future of the people from the backward and dalit communities in the state. He said Akhilesh only sees people belonging to only one community “which we are not part of” and only one caste, without elaborating any further. “The SP chief sees one community with one eye and one caste with the other,” PTI quoted Shah as saying.
UP CM Yogi Adityanath in Mirzapur: "Those who deprived you(public) of every drop of water, should be deprived of every vote. You should vote in a way that those who colluded politics with crime& mafias, brought 'parivarwaad' & anarchy don't dare to come in public life & exploit you."
Addressing a rally in Ghazipur, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said: "Akhilesh Yadav said that there'll be a bloodbath if Article 370 is revoked... We revoked it, nobody even pelted a pebble let alone a bloodbath, PM Modi made Kashmir the crown of India."
Addressing a rally in Mau, SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav said: "They (BJP) are talking of 'Garmi' but we are talking of 'Bharti'. 11 lakh govt posts are vacant in the state. We will provide employment to people. We will provide free electricity to farmers." (ANI)
Speaking at a rally in Chandauli, UP CM Yogi Adityanath said: "If the state will have an effective government, then development will happen & bulldozers will be used together...Mafias committing crimes under SP govt are now seen crawling instead of flaunting guns in jeep, our govt has put them in jails." (ANI)
Speaking to reporters in Varanasi, Union Minister Smriti Irani said: "Indebted to Kashi that they gave us opportunity to receive services of PM. We're here to pay back debt. Overwhelmed that PM will connect with people through roadshow. People will go to polling booths on 7th March, press the 'Lotus', & form BJP govt again." (ANI)
The stage is set for PM Narendra Modi's roadshow today. Check it out.
More than 55 per cent voting was recorded in the sixth phase of the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls on Thursday.
The prominent faces among the 676 candidates for 57 seats spread across 10 districts in this phase included Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath from Gorakhpur Urban and state Congress president Ajay Kumar Lallu from Tamkuhi Raj.
The Election Commission's app put the turnout at 55.56 per cent at 11.45 pm and the final tally is expected on Friday. The state home department's election control room had put the tentative turnout at 55.79 per cent. (PTI)
Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, TMC leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Thursday invoked her party’s Bengal poll slogan to predict the end of BJP rule in UP saying there will be “khela hoga” this Assembly elections too.
Addressing a rally in Varanasi — it is Modi’s Lok Sabha constituency and Assembly elections will be held here in the seventh and last phase on March 7 — in support of the SP-led alliance, Banerjee said: “Last time khela hua, Bengal mei BJP ko haraa diya. Abhi aap ka chunav mei khela hoga. Aur Akhilesh jeetega, uska gathbandhan jeetega aur BJP haarega (In the last game, the BJP was defeated in Bengal. Now, in your election, the game is on. Akhilesh and his alliance will win, the BJP will be defeated).” Read more.
Hello and welcome to our UP elections blog. Follow this space for the latest updates.
More than 55 per cent voting was recorded in the sixth phase of the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls on Thursday. The prominent faces among the 676 candidates for 57 seats spread across 10 districts in this phase included Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath from Gorakhpur Urban and state Congress president Ajay Kumar Lallu from Tamkuhi Raj. --PTI
BSP president Mayawati on Thursday said her party will form the government in the state and send Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath "back to his mutt", alleging that he worked with a narrow and casteist mindset, and ignored Dalits, backwards and Muslims at every level.
She also slammed a section of the media and accused it of bringing out exit polls in favour of the BJP and other rival parties of the BSP. "Seeing this turnout and its enthusiasm, I can say that you are set to bring the BSP back to power and make your 'behenji' the chief minister for the fifth time, and send Yogi back to his mutt, his rightful place," the Bahujan Samaj Party supremo said at an election meeting here.
On explaining why it was important to dethrone Adityanath, Mayawati said his "casteist and narrow mindset" was evident during his five years of governance which, according to her, has ignored Dalits and other backward classes "at every level". --PTI
Uttar Pradesh recorded 53.31% turnout till 5 pm during ongoing polling across 10 districts in the sixth phase.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday alleged that she was attacked by BJP workers on her visit to Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and said that such actions indicated their “imminent” defeat in the ongoing assembly elections.
She arrived in the city Wednesday to campaign for Samajwadi Party. Voting for the seventh and final round will be held on March 7 for Varanasi and its eight adjoining districts.
Describing the incident that took place while she was moving towards the Dashashwamedh Ghat to attend the ‘Ganga Aarti last evening, Trinamool Congress chief said, “I was coming from the airport yesterday and going to the ghat. Midway, some BJP workers, who have nothing in their brain except violence, stopped my vehicle. They hit my car, pushed me and told me to go back.” Read full story
Up recorded 46.70% voters turnout till 3 pm during ongoing polling across 10 districts in the sixth phase.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath arrives at a booth to cast his vote during the sixth phase of state legislative assembly elections in Gorakhpur, Thursday, March 3, 2022. (AP Photo)
Speaking at a rally in Varanasi, Banerjee in poll rally in Varanasi, said the attack on her by the BJP workers on her arrival in Varanasi indicated that the saffron party is going out of power, PTI reported. "I have been attacked several times, shot at and beaten by sticks in past, but never bowed down. I am not a coward, I am a fighter," she declared.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, who is campaigning for Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, Thursday said that even though bringing back Indian students from Ukraine is important, PM Modi is busy in UP meetings.
Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party chief Shivpal Yadav on Thursday said he has united with the Samajwadi Party president and his nephew Akhilesh Yadav to ensure the ouster of the BJP government in the Uttar Pradesh assembly election.
Speaking at a joint rally of SP alliance parties in Varanasi on Thursday, Yadav said the "chacha-bhatija" (uncle-nephew) have come together in view of the demand from the people of the state. (PTI)
The BJP government is working to empower poor people in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said. "We provided free ration to poor people during Covid-19, administered vaccine free of cost," he said. (ANI)
Voting for the sixth phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls began on Thursday, with 36.33 per cent voter turnout recorded till 1 pm. 57 seats across 10 districts — Gorakhpur, Ballia, Kushinagar, Basti, Sant Kabir Nagar, Ambedkar Nagar and Deoria — are going to polls in the sixth phase.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a rally in Jaunpur ahead of seventh phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly Polls.
The Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party's president Om Prakash Rajbhar, who has tied up with the Samajwadi Party for the Uttar Pradesh polls, on Thursday claimed the BJP is fighting for its existence in this election.He asserted the BJP will not be able to even cross double-figure in eastern Uttar Pradesh.Claiming that the people of Uttar Pradesh are in the mood for "complete change", Rajbhar said, "The condition of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has worsened in Gorakhpur district itself, the Samajwadi Party alliance has troubled him this time." (PTI)
Voting is underway peacefully in all 10 districts amid the sixth phase of the UP Assembly polls, Additional Chief Electoral Officer BD Ram Tiwari told ANI. "EVM related complaints are being immediately addressed," he said.
Amid the sixth phase of the UP Assembly polls, BJP MP from Gorakhpur, Ravi Kishan, said: "We will win all 9 seats in Gorakhpur mandal. Voter turnout will be historic in Purvanchal region. BJP will get over 300 seats. The construction of Ram Temple is underway. Now, the people UP have decided to establish 'Ram Rajya' here." (ANI)
The BJP's Ballia Sadar candidate Dayashankar Singh has been allegedly attacked in Akhar village after which a case was lodged against Samajwadi Party nominee Narad Rai and his supporters, police said on Thursday.
Narad Rai's nephew Ashish Rai has been arrested, they said. SHO of Dubhar police station said that on the complaint of Dayashankar Singh, a case was registered on Wednesday night against Rai and his supporters on charges of threatening to kill and damaging a vehicle. (PTI)
About 9 per cent voting was witnessed in the first two hours for the sixth phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls on Thursday. The prominent faces among the 676 candidates contesting on 57 seats spread across 10 districts in this phase include Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath from Gorakhpur Urban and state Congress president Ajay Kumar Lallu from Tamkuhi Raj. The voting started at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm. (PTI)
Speaking about his chances of getting a cabinet post if BJP comes to power in Uttar Pradesh, Nishad Party founder Sanjay Nishad said: "When BJP can make an ordinary Chaiwala's son as the PM, then the party can make the son of a Nishad anything."
A statue of Dr B R Ambedkar in Dahiyavar village under the Tanda Assembly constituency of Ambedkar Nagar district is gathering dust, with the stairs to its platform broken. The statue was announced and inaugurated by Lalji Verma, when he was the BSP MLA from the seat. But, Verma is now contesting from neighbouring Katehri on a Samajwadi Party ticket.
People in Dahiyavar village, predominantly Dalits, are not happy about Verma’s defection to the SP, in June last year. And say it won’t affect their vote, which remains for the BSP. “We vote for Behenji (Mayawati), irrespective of the candidate... Verma became who he is today because of our support. He may even win, but he will not get the backing of Balasaheb’s followers,” says Dhruvchand, 45, a local ‘medical practitioner’. Read more
UP Minister Anand Swarup Shukla, contesting from Ballia, casts his vote in the 6th phase of Assembly polls.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath casts his vote at Primary School Gorakhnath Kanya Nagar Kshetra, in Gorakhpur, for the 6th phase of Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.
Amid the 6th phase of Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, UP CM Yogi Adityanath said that the BJP would win a record number of seats under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. "We will win over 80 per cent seats. Vote for development and security, vote for BJP," he told ANI.
A statue of Dr B R Ambedkar in Dahiyavar village under the Tanda Assembly constituency of Ambedkar Nagar district is gathering dust, with the stairs to its platform broken. The statue was announced and inaugurated by Lalji Verma, when he was the BSP MLA from the seat.
But, Verma is now contesting from neighbouring Katehri on a Samajwadi Party ticket.People in Dahiyavar village, predominantly Dalits, are not happy about Verma’s defection to the SP, in June last year. And say it won’t affect their vote, which remains for the BSP. “We vote for Behenji (Mayawati), irrespective of the candidate... Verma became who he is today because of our support. He may even win, but he will not get the backing of Balasaheb’s followers,” says Dhruvchand, 45, a local ‘medical practitioner’.
Carved out from Faizabad in 1995, when Mayawati was the Chief Minister, Ambedkar Nagar district, with around 20% of the voters Dalit, is considered a BSP stronghold. The Ambedkar Nagar Lok Sabha seat has been represented by the BSP supremo six times. In an election where the BSP is being seen as a non-presence, literally, Ambedkar Nagar might be an exception. Read more.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath casts his vote at Primary School Gorakhnath Kanya Nagar Kshetra, in Gorakhpur, for the 6th phase of Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.
Hello and welcome to our UP elections blog. Voting in 57 seats across 10 districts has started. CM Adityanath’s fate, among other heavyweights to be decided in the sixth phase of polls today. Stay tuned to all the latest updates here.