2022 Assembly Election Live Updates: Ahead of the first phase of elections in western Uttar Pradesh, scheduled for Thursday, February 10, the Congress party will release its ‘Unnati Vidhan’ manifesto. The party has earlier released a ‘Shakti Vidhan’ for women and ‘Bharti Vidhan’ for youth.
The campaigning for the first phase ended on Tuesday, with the Samajwadi Party and Bharatiya Janta Party releasing their manifestos. The SP has promised, among other things, an Urban Employment Guarantee Act on the lines of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to boost employment, 33 per cent reservation for women in government jobs, and make farmers “loan-free” by 2025. The BJP, meanwhile, announced it will give free electricity for irrigation to farmers. It has also promised to increase the punishment in ‘love jihad’ cases to a minimum 10 years with a fine of Rs 1 lakh.
In Punjab, tensions rose high after Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) MLA Simarjeet Singh Bains was arrested by the Ludhiana police Tuesday based on a complaint filed by Congress nominee Kamaljit Karwal’s aide. Bains’ supporters, including women, laid on the ground in front of police vehicles and said that they won’t let police take him away. Karwal’s aide has accused Bains of allegedly attacking Karwal’s vehicle and open firing with their revolver with an intention to kill hi
