After being sworn in as chief minister, Akhilesh Yadav announced sops for those believed to have propelled him to power. Sharat Pradhan reports from Lucknow
The Samajwadi Party on Wednesday accused police personnel of deterring some people from casting votes in Uttar Pradesh where bypolls are underway, while the Bharatiya Janata Party alleged that the faces of some burqa-clad women voters are not matching with their IDs.
An uneasy calm prevails in Ladakh as authorities enforce a curfew following clashes between security forces and protesters demanding statehood and constitutional protections. The violence resulted in fatalities and injuries, prompting detentions and political reactions.
Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav shaved his head to perform the post-death rituals for his father Mulayam Singh Yadav at Saifai, in Etawah, Uttar Pradesh, on Wednesday October 12, 2022.
The move drew criticism from the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad. Its president Mahant Ravindra Puri said that Mulayam Singh Yadav had always been "anti-Hindu and anti-Sanatan".
'They know that if they do not tie up with the Congress, then the minorities will move to the Congress.'
He also urged all the ministers, MLAs, and public representatives to respect party workers.
"I came in between" Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Tuesday, taking a dig at the leaders of the Congress and the Samajwadi Party who had formed a coalition to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party.
A police officer in Prayagraj, India, has been suspended after a video surfaced showing him allegedly mixing ash into food served at a community feast for devotees at the Maha Kumbh Mela. The video sparked outrage on social media, leading to the officer's suspension and departmental proceedings.
Akhilesh Yadav is acutely conscious of the fact that he has to take along the senior leaders in the party even as he tries to infuse the new blood, new technology and new ways into the state government, says Neerja Chowdhury
Though there was no official word from both the parties, the sources claimed that two Uttar Pradesh-based political outfits will contest 37 Lok Sabha seats each.
The Samajwadi Party will hold its parliamentary board meeting on Wednesday to decide it's chief ministerial candidate.
Outside CM's residence, high drama was witnessed with youth supporters of Akhilesh assembling in large numbers to vent their fury.
The remarks come as another setback to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, who was recently removed from party's state president post owing to an apparent feud in the first family of the state.
A wedding in Lucknow was disrupted when a leopard entered the banquet hall, leaving a forest official injured and the bride and groom stranded in a car for hours. The leopard was eventually caught and tranquillized after hours of efforts. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav criticized the BJP-led state government over the incident, blaming human encroachment in forests for the increasing incidents of wild animals entering urban areas.
Before pedalling down the streets of the state capital, Yadav told mediapersons at the party headquarters that the BJP government has "failed" in Covid management.
A profile of B Sudershan Reddy, former Supreme Court judge and Opposition's vice presidential candidate, highlighting his career, judgments, and contributions to constitutional law.
Reacting to Yadav's dig at her on Wednesday, Mayawati said she has never aspired to become the President and the Samajwadi Party leader was dreaming about it to clear his path to become the Uttar Pradesh chief minister.
'There is one way to defeat the intention behind this directive: To patronise Muslim establishments that have been forced to identify themselves.' 'This is one opportunity for the Congress to show that the 'mohabbat ki dukaan' its leader talks about does exist.' 'Can Akhilesh Yadav, who has asked the court to take note of this directive, order his party members to do this?' asks Jyoti Punwani.
His outburst came a day after UP Governor Ram Naik asked the state government to take action over the reported damage to the bungalow vacated by the former chief minister, calling it a serious matter involving the taxpayer's money.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has decided to cut short his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Uttar Pradesh by skipping western part of the state and saving five days, a party leader said on Monday while citing board exams.
The latest round may have gone against him, but the chief minister is planning his counter-attack.
In a clear reference to his estranged uncle, Shivpal Yadav who is contesting from the neighbouring Jaswantnagar seat, Akhilesh said, "These very people want to float a new party... the election here is different from what is being fought in the state. Here efforts are to defeat me... people of Etawah should not fall prey to any such design."
With the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls scheduled for 2027, political experts are observing an increasing trend of temple-mosque disputes in the state, leading to heightened polarization. Recent bypolls saw the use of divisive slogans, and analysts believe this trend will intensify as the 2027 elections approach. The recent surge in claims about the existence of Hindu temples at the sites of mosques in various cities has fueled this polarization. The BJP-led government has been accused of promoting communal polarization, while opposition parties like the SP have criticized the ruling party's actions. The RSS chief has called for restraint in raising new temple-related disputes. Experts predict that communal polarization is likely to escalate in the coming days.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) distanced itself from the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) on Friday, saying it is not part of the opposition alliance anymore and questioning the Congress party's role in leading it.
In yet another blatant U-turn within 24 hours, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday revoked his earlier order to placate Urban Development Minister Azam Khan who threatened to resign because of being abruptly divested of the charge of Meerut district in addition to his routine duties.
'The people of Uttar Pradesh have already made up their mind to puncture the Samajwadi Party's cycle, kick away the Bahujan Samaj Party's elephant, and remove shadows of the already-vanished hand of the Congress.'
Mulayam said the new chief minister will be chosen by the Samajwadi Party.
Ramgopal was expelled from the party for six years on October 23.
"Let them show whatever they have got. We are winning with a majority," Akhilesh Yadav said, dismissing predictions to the contrary on some TV channels.
While the results of the bypolls will not directly impact the composition of the 403-member state Assembly, the contest is being seen as a prestige fight between the BJP and opposition parties.
The Gomti Riverfront Development project, the Agra-Lucknow Expressway, the Jai Prakash Narayan International Centre and the efforts towards the beautification of Old Lucknow are some of Akhilesh Yadav's initiatives that are the subject of investigation.
Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav's reprimand of his son Akhilesh Yadav for his 'unsatisfactory' performance as Uttar Pradesh chief minister has provoked Yadav junior to pull up his socks.
The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) gave a huge blow to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance by winning 43 seats out of total 80 Lok Sabha seats of Uttar Pradesh, as per the Election Commission.
"After coming to Kolkata, I would not have felt good not meeting Didi," Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said after calling on his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on Wednesday.
The Samajwadi Party and Congress have announced that they will contest together under the INDIA bloc.
After Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, his son and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday launched a blistering attack on the Congress, alleging anybody who does not act according to its wishes faces "persecution" through Central Bureau of Investigation.
Following a defeat in the Bihar elections, opposition parties in India are calling for introspection and course correction, with some criticizing the concentration of power within their ranks.
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President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra D Modi, senior Cabinet ministers, Congress and Opposition leaders paid their respects to former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh, who passed into the ages on Thursday night, at his residence in New Delhi on Friday.
