NEWS

The BJP has declared criminal cases against 25 of its candidates in Uttar Pradesh out of the 107 candidates named in its first list of candidates declared last week, media reported. These 25 candidates include Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya. 

The party has justified giving tickets to these candidates saying there were implicated in cases due to “political rivalry”. 

Declaring that Maurya, who is contesting from Sirathu in Kaushambi district, faces four criminal cases, the BJP – in its declaration on the reason for selections of the candidate – said that the deputy CM is “extremely popular” not only in the constituency but across the state, adding that his candidature was forwarded by the district unit of the party on the basis of his “merit, his social work and work in the field of upliftment of the people”. 

SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav's daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav is likely to join BJP tomorrow (January 19) in Delhi, sources have told Zee Media. Aparna Yadav is the wife of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav's half-brother Prateek Yadav.

Aparna Yadav had contested 2017 assembly elections unsuccessfully from Lucknow Cantonment seat, one of the nine assemby constituencies in the capital of Uttar Pradesh.

Speculations of Aparna's entry into the BJP have been making rounds for a few days. However, on Monday, party chief Akhilesh Yadav dismissed the rumours and said that it was his "family issue". But sources close to the matter have told Zee Media that Aparna will formally join the saffron party tomorrow.

AAP on Tuesday declared Sangrur MP and former stand-up comic Bhagwant Mann as its candidate for Punjab CM, based on 93% of 21 lakh responses received in a reality show-like telephone poll in which Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu curiously ended up with the second highest votes.

“For many months now, people would ask me, ‘Who is the groom?’ I would tell them that we will give you a face you will be proud of. We had decided to ask 3 crore Punjabis about their choice,” AAP chief and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said before walking towards Mann to hug him, reports Vibhor Mohan.

After announcing the CM candidate for Punjab, it's Aam Aadmi Party's turn to name its face for Goa. AAP national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will be announcing the party's CM candidate for Goa during a press conference in Panaji today. 

Kejriwal had held a door-to-door campaign on Sunday in Cortalim village of Goa, which is scheduled to go to polls this February. As a part of the campaign, Kejriwal along with other party members was seen interacting with voters in Cortalim. Pamphlets were distributed to the voters during the campaign.