Uttar Pradesh Assembly Election 2022 Updates

Access detailed historical insights and expert analysis on UP Assembly elections here.

March 2022

• 07 Mar: The last of the seven phases of elections concluded today that saw 613 candidates contesting for 54 Assembly seats. Over 55% of the registered voters cast their vote in the seventh phase.
• 04 Mar: As per an analysis by ADR, 20% of the 4,406 candidates contesting for 403 Assembly seats in the Uttar Pradesh elections have declared serious criminal cases (i.e. non-bailable offences such as murder, and rape) against themselves in their affidavits. The Samajwadi Party had 47%, the BJP had 35%, the Congress had 27%, and the AAP had 15% of its candidates with criminal history. 42% of the candidates had education only up to Class 12. Only 13% of the candidates were women.
• 03 Mar: The sixth and the penultimate phase of the elections concluded today. 57 seats across 10 districts - Gorakhpur, Kushinagar, Ballia, Sant Kabir Nagar, Basti, Ambedkar Nagar and Deoria went to polls which recorded a total voter turnout of over 55%.

February 2022

• 27 Feb: 61 constituencies spread across 12 districts voted in the fifth phase of elections that saw a total voter turnout of 54%.
• 25 Feb: Union Home Minister Amit Shah, while addressing a rally in Prayagraj, promised that Yogi Adityanath's government will give each household one gas cylinder free of cost on Holi and Deepawali if voted to power.
• 24 Feb: Women teachers in Varanasi took out a 'Pink Rally' to increase awareness amongst the electorate of their voting rights as the city gears up for the elections scheduled in the fifth phase on February 27. The teachers, dressed in pink outfits, traveled 10 kms on a scooter across Varanasi to spread the message amongst women voters to come out and vote.
• 23 Feb: The fourth of the 7 phases of Assembly elections concluded today. The total voter turnout was 61.6% amongst the 59 Assembly constituencies, marginally lower than 62.7% in 2017.  
• 21 Feb: In a comment that hit right below the belt, PM Narendra Modi equated Samajwadi's Party's symbol 'bicycle' with terrorism. Accusing the Samajwadi Party of being sympathetic to such terrorists, he said, "..in the initial blasts, the bombs were kept on cycles. I wonder why they (terrorists) opted for cycles." The comment, coming from a sitting PM was perceived as extremely "unstatesmanly" by the Opposition parties and the civil society.

• 21 Feb: For the second time, a case was filed against Raghvendra Singh, a BJP MLA in Uttar Pradesh, for a hate speech against Muslims. This time, he pushed the envelope a bit further by threatening to test the DNAs of Hindus who vote for parties other than the BJP. "If after so much harassment, a Hindu goes to the other side, he should not be able to show his face. How many of you are Jaichands?" he asked, referring to the 12th Century king whose name has become synonymous with "traitor". "Give me their names and I will get their blood tested to see if they are Hindus or Miyans. I will get their DNA test done."
• 20 Feb: The third phase of voting concluded today that saw a voter turnout of approx 63%. A total of 627 candidates were contesting for 59 Assembly seats in the third phase.
• 20 Feb: In continuation of BJP's attacks on Nehru, Home Minister Amit Shah credited his party for the completion of an irrigation project that was inaugurated by India's first PM Jawaharlal Nehru, 59 years ago. The comment was made during the 'enlightened class conference' organised by BJP Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Seth in Lucknow.
• 18 Feb: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, during a rally in Karhal, announced that a grand Ram temple will be ready in Ayodhya by 2023. He also stated that the Ram temple will be a 'Rashtra Mandir' of India.
• 15 Feb: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav made a slew of promises conditional to his party coming to power in Uttar Pradesh. The promises include 1 kilo of ghee, mustard oil, and free ration for 5 years to the poor in addition to two free LPG cylinders in a year.
• 14 Feb: Voting for the second phase for 55 Assembly seats spread was conducted today. The total voter turnout was 60.4% across the 12,538 polling stations in 9 districts. Over 60,000 police personnel, including 6,860 inspectors and sub-inspectors, and nearly 800 paramilitary companies were deployed on security duty.
• 14 Feb: Raghvendra Singh, a BJP MLA in Uttar Pradesh, defended his hate speech against Muslims that was circulating widely on social media. In the video, he was heard saying, "If I become MLA again, like gol-topis (skull caps) have vanished, next time the miyan log (a reference to Muslims) will wear the tilak". Defending his actions, he said he had meant it as a "conditional speech" to counter the "Islamic terrorism" and was willing to sacrifice anything for Hindu pride. Raghavendra Singh, besides being a BJP MLA is also the UP in-charge of the Hindu Yuva Vahini, a right-wing group founded by CM Yogi Adityanath.
• 11 Feb: For the second day in a row, 'Sugarcane' became the central pitch point for the BJP. CM Yogi Adityanath accused the Samajwadi Party of focussing on 'Jinnah' while the BJP focussed on 'Ganna (sugarcane)'. PM Modi, addressing a public rally in Saharanpur a day earlier, had said that the BJP government was working on a permanent solution for the sugarcane farmers, by using sugarcane to produce ethanol to tackle the ups and downs of the sugar market.
• 09 Feb: The Congress party launched its 3rd manifesto for Uttar Pradesh titled "Unnati Vidhan". The earlier two manifestos were specifically targeted for the women and the youth while this is the general manifesto. In this manifesto, the Congress has promised the creation of 20 lakh government jobs, waiving of all farm loans within 10 days of forming the new government, halving of electricity bills for farmers, purchasing paddy and wheat at ₹2500 per quintal and sugarcane at ₹400 per quintal, compensation of ₹3,000 for farmers who lost crops, financial assistance of ₹25,000 to families most affected by the Covid pandemic.
• 08 Feb: Hours after BJP released its manifesto, the Samajwadi Party too released its manifesto for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. The promises included one crore jobs in the MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises) sector, 22 lakh jobs in the IT sector, filling up all vacancies in the Education Department, 33% reservation for women in all government jobs, free education up to the post-graduate level for girls, free electricity for irrigation for farmers, free fertilizers (2 sacks of Di-ammonium Phosphate and 5 sacks of urea), two free LPG cylinders per year for all families below the poverty line (BPL), free petrol upto 3 litres per month for autorickshaw drivers and 1 litre per month for two-wheeler owners.

• 08 Feb: The BJP released its party manifesto "Lok Kalyan Sankalp Patra" for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. The manifesto promised minimum imprisonment of 10 years and a fine of ₹1 lakh for those found guilty of indulging in 'love jihad' (interfaith marriage between a Muslim man and Hindu girl through forcible conversion), free electricity for irrigation to farmers, two free LPG cylinders (one each on Holi and Diwali) under the Ujjwala Yojana scheme, free public transport travel for women over 60, and free two-wheelers for female college students. While launching the 2022 manifesto, Home Minister Amit Shah claimed that the BJP has fulfilled more than 92% of the 212 'sankalps' (promises) made in its 2017 poll manifesto.
• 07 Feb: In an open display of her lack of affection for Congress, TMC chief Mamata Bannerjee requested voters to support the Samajwadi Party in the upcoming UP polls. While on a visit to Lucknow to campaign for the Samajwadi party, she professed that the Congress won't win and it's best for voters to not dilute their vote. "Milega kuchh nahin toh kisi ka vote kaatne ki jaroorat nahin hain," she said. Separately, she also dropped a hint of her national ambitions by confirming that the TMC will contest from Uttar Pradesh in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
• 06 Feb: The BJP cancelled the launch of its manifesto for the upcoming elections as a mark to respect to Lata Mangeshkar, who died today in Mumbai. The government has announced a two-day mourning for the singer. Home minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and his deputy Keshav Maurya were in Lucknow to launch the Lok Kalyan Sankalp Patra (party manifesto). The party did not announce a new date for the release of the manifesto.
• 03 Feb: Farmer's body, Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) has issued an appeal to farmers in Uttar Pradesh to "punish" the BJP in the upcoming state elections for betraying the farmers. "The government has not fulfilled its promises. No committee has been formed yet for MSP and cases against farmers have not been withdrawn," Yogendra Yadav said while also confirming that the Morcha was and will continue to remain apolitical. 57 farmer organisations are claimed to be in support of the call given by the SKM.
• 03 Feb: Samajwadi Party wrote to the Election Commission (EC) requesting it to issue instruct Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to use language that is "in accordance of the Model Code of Conduct." The SP alleged that Yogi Adityanath is very generous in his use of demeaning words such as "goons" and "mafia" while referring to the Samajwadi Party during campaigning.
• 02 Feb: In response to an apparent swipe by BJP's Amit Shah, Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav said that it will build the Ram temple in Ayodhya much earlier than the BJP if it comes to power. In continuation of the 'battle of the temples, the BJP challenged SP's Akhilesh Yadav to announce that he would build a temple in Lord Krishna's birthplace in Mathura too.

• 02 Feb: Former Enforcement Directorate joint director Rajeshwar Singh, who resigned from the ED and joined the BJP yesterday was announced as the BJP's candidate from the Sarojini Nagar assembly constituency for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh polls. "I will take forward BJP's ideology of working for the future of the country. We'll contribute to governance and to the probes launched by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. He is doing great work against mafias. We need to support him. Also, we need to control growing communalism," he said.
• 02 Feb: Congress leader Sachin Pilot and also one of its star campaigners in Uttar Pradesh, clarified that the Congress party did not field any candidate against Akhilesh Yadav and Shivpal Singh Yadav from Karhal constituency in Uttar Pradesh out of "political etiquettes". "When Sonia Gandhi contested from Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat in the state earlier, Samajwadi Party did not field a candidate," he told ANI.

January 2022

• 31 Jan: The Election Commission extended the ban on roadshows, pad-yatras, cycle/bike/vehicle rallies, and processions till February 11. However, it has given some relaxation in the number of people allowed at meetings and door-to-door campaigns. From the earlier limit of 500, a maximum of 1,000 people will now be permitted for physical public meetings in designated open spaces. Instead of 10 persons, now 20 persons, excluding security personnel, will be allowed for door-to-door campaigns.
• 31 Jan: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed his first virtual rally 'Jan Chaupal' in Uttar Pradesh ahead of Assembly elections in the state. The rally was broadcast live across 98 mandals in 21 assembly seats in five districts of western Uttar Pradesh. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma joined the virtual rally from studios in Agra and Lucknow respectively. At the virtual rally, Modi accused the Samajwadi Party of inducing voters to seek revenge on the BJP in Uttar Pradesh while the Yogi Adityanath government worked tirelessly to develop Uttar Pradesh.
• 29 Jan: Farmer leader Rajesh Tikait said farmers were going through troubled times in UP as they were getting less value for their produce and forced to pay exorbitant electricity bills. "The (election) issues are farmers, unemployed youth, and inflation for the middle class. But efforts are being made to polarise Hindu-Muslim voters through regular statements on Jinnah and Pakistan. But this will not work out for those doing it and will instead harm them," Mr Tikait said at a rally.
• 28 Jan: The Hindu Yuva Vahini, an organisation formed in 2002 by Yogi Adityanath after his fallout with the BJP, was seen actively campaigning for Yogi Adityanath. "Hindu Yuva Vahini is a social organisation and is active for a social cause as well as working for the election campaign of 'Pujya Maharaj Ji' (Yogi) in Gorakhpur, along with canvassing in favour of BJP candidates all over the state, its state general secretary Engineer PK Mall told PTI.
• 27 Jan: Union Home Minister Amit Shah was in Mathura and offered prayers at Shri Banke Bihari Mandir in Vrindavan. The visit to Mathura seems well-placed to project Mathura as one of the three symbolic Hindutva bastions after Ayodhya and Varanasi. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya had recently announced that after the temples in Ayodhya and Kashi it was Mathura's turn now for revival. In a separate incident, Amit Shah attacked Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, saying "goonda raj" will return to Uttar Pradesh if his party comes to power in the Assembly polls and also accused the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) of promoting dynastic politics and casteism.
• 27 Jan: A viral video of Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Adil Chaudhary was found circulating on social media where he is allegedly heard threatening revenge. "You all remain tension free! Our government will be formed in Uttar Pradesh. Inshallah, we will not spare them. The way they are carrying out crimes against us. We will take revenge against all these moves. They (Opposition) will realise their mistakes. They will then, think 100 times before harming us. They will fear stepping outside their homes. My brothers, the fight against them is not over yet," he is reportedly heard saying in the viral clip.
• 25 Jan: RPN Singh, one of the Congress's most prominent leaders in Uttar Pradesh, quit the party and joined the BJP in the presence of Jyotiraditya Scindia, another Congress crossover. Another veteran Congress leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Anand Prakash Gautam, also resigned from the Congress alleging neglect of workers. He also said that his numerous attempts to meet Priyanka Gandhi Vadra or talk to her on phone failed as the people around her never let him meet her.
• 22 Jan: Home Minister Amit Shah participated in his first election campaign in UP since the poll dates were announced. He started his door-to-door election campaign in Kairana, a politically sensitive area given the alleged exodus of Hindus from Kairana prior to 2017, with supporters chanting slogans of 'Jai Shri Ram' and 'Bharat Mata ki Jai'.
• 22 Jan: The Election Commission extended the ban on roadshows and rallies till January 31 but with certain relaxations for the first two phases of voting due on February 10 and 14. It also raised the limit of 5 people for door-to-door campaigning to 10, excluding security personnel and video vans for publicity permitted at certain open spaces with COVID-19 restrictions.
• 22 Jan: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president announced an alliance with Babu Singh Kushwaha and Bharat Mukti Morcha in Uttar Pradesh. He further confirmed that the state will have 2 Chief Ministers, one each from the OBC and Dalit community if the alliance secures a majority and forms the government. In addition, there will be 3 Deputy Chief Ministers including from Muslim community.

• 22 Jan: Senior BJP leaders, including CM Yogi Adityanath and Union Minister Anurag Thakur, flagged off the BJP "Prachar Rath" (election campaign vans) from the party office in Lucknow. Addressing the media on the occasion, the Chief Minister boasted that the double engine government (alluding to the BJP rule in the Centre and State) has fulfilled all the promises it had made. "The population of 25 crores of the state has seen that before 2017 the traders and common citizens used to migrate but after 2017 the criminals are migrating and the state is setting a new paradigm of progress to bring happiness in the lives of 25 crore people of the state which is clearly visible to all of us," he said. At another interaction with party workers later in Bulandshahr, he confirmed that 66% of BJP candidates for the elections next month will come from minority communities and used that as a testament of BJP's model of social justice.

प्रयागराज से मथुरा, काशी तक
लखनऊ से लेकर झांसी तक
अयोध्या से बिठूर तक
शहर-गांव सब दूर-दूर तक
गाजीपुर से गाजियाबाद से
यूपी भर में शंखनाद से
सुनाई पड़ती है यही हुंकार
यूपी फिर मांगे भाजपा सरकार#फिर_से_बीजेपी pic.twitter.com/VkvEP4ntuX

— BJP Uttar Pradesh (@BJP4UP) January 21, 2022

• 21 Jan: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath released the BJP's song for the assembly polls titled ‘UP Phir Mangein BJP Sarkar' at the party's state headquarters in Lucknow in the presence of its Uttar Pradesh chief Swatantra Dev Singh, Deputy chief ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma, and Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur.

• 21 Jan: Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi launched Uttar Pradesh's Youth Manifesto at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in Delhi. Titled ‘Bharti Vidhan’, it lays out the party’s vision for the youth in the state. These include 20 lakh job opportunities for the youth, recruitment of 1.5 lakh teachers to fill the vacant posts in primary and secondary schools, recruitment of police staff to fill the vacant positions, loans at an interest rate of 1 percent to youth in the most backward communities to start a business, free wifi and upgraded libraries and other infrastructure in higher education institutions. “The idea behind the youth manifesto is not empty words, it is the Congress party’s strategy to tackle the problems faced by the youth of Uttar Pradesh. It details how the party will give employment to youngsters and make a brighter future for them,” said Rahul Gandhi. "PM Modi promised 2 crore jobs every year, but everyone knows the reality. UP has the highest unemployment in 40 years. Today, the youth of the country and the state need a new vision. Only Congress can deliver this," he declared.
  
• 20 Jan: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's fighting his first-ever state election next month added another rival into the fray. Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad, also contesting his first election ever announced that he will stand against Yogi Adityanath in the Gorakhpur Sadar seat. "I am the only politician in the last five years who has spent half that time in jail. Because of this government. I will not let the Chief Minister of this government go to the assembly. That is why I am fighting against him. The opposition is welcome to fight, but I am going to fight against him anyway," Azad told reporters.
• 19 Jan: Aparna Yadav, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav's sister-in-law, joined the BJP dealing a politically sensitive blow to the Samajwadi Party. Aparna Yadav is Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav's daughter-in-law and is married to Akhilesh Yadav's younger brother, Prateek Yadav. BJP's Keshav Prasad Maurya was quick to take a swipe at Akhilesh Yadav by calling him "unsuccessful as a Chief Minister, as an MP, and in his own family". In a tongue-in-cheek response to BJP, Akhilesh Yadav thanked the BJP for giving tickets to those who even SP were unable to give tickets to and hoped that she "carries SP's ideology to the BJP". He also hinted that he had scored a better bargain in the tit-for-tat defections.
• 19 Jan: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said at a press conference in Lucknow that his party will start a pension scheme in UP if voted to power. Under the "Samajwadi Pension Scheme", financial assistance of ₹18,000 each will be given annually to underprivileged women and families below the poverty line (BPL).
• 19 Jan: After initially refusing to contest the state elections in UP, Akhilesh Yadav decided to contest the elections after all. Akhilesh Yadav, the Lok Sabha MP from Azamgarh has never contest a state election earlier. Sources said the decision was due to the pressure resulting from the decision of BJP's Yogi Adityanath to contest the UP state polls for the first time.

• 19 Jan: Several videos of sarees with images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath apparently intended for distribution among women in Uttar Pradesh are being circulated on social media. The sarees are replete with BJP's election symbol, the lotus, and carry a slogan that says "We will bring those who brought Lord Rama". Similar sarees, priced around ₹1,500 each, were used ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and were popular among women BJP workers in Jharkhand.
• 18 Jan: Aazad Samaj Party (ASP) chief Chandrashekhar Azad said his party will no longer approach the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party for a tie-up "even if Akhilesh Yadav offers it 100 seats", attributing it as a "matter of self-respect". He said that his party remains open to stitching an alliance with others and maintained that his fight has always been with the RSS and the BJP.
• 18 Jan: Samajwadi Party vice-president Kiranmay Nanda announced that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will campaign for his party in Uttar Pradesh and that Trinamool Congress will not contest the Assembly election UP.
• 15 Jan: BJP released its first list of candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections. In a widely awaited and politically sensitive decision, BJP also confirmed that UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will contest the election from his stronghold Gorakhpur (Urban constituency) itself, voting for which will be held in the sixth and penultimate phase on March 3. Yogi Adityanath was expected to contest this election from Ayodhya constituency by many within his close circle, winning which would catapult him as a leading torchbearer of the Hindutva movement alongside PM Modi. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav used this opportunity to take a swipe at BJP, saying the party's 'double engine' model seems to have failed, with its central leadership not giving the Chief Minister the seat of his choice to contest the polls

• 14 Jan: Akhilesh Yadav welcomed seven rebel BJP leaders - two ex-ministers and five ex-MLAs who have considerable sway over OBC voters in the state - to the BJP his party. Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was seen having lunch at a Dalit's house in Gorakhpur. "The goal of social harmony is to continue to grow. I had the good fortune of receiving khichdi and prasad at Amrit Lal Bhartiji's house at Jhungia in Gorakhpur today. Thank you very much Bhartiji!" he tweeted subsequently.
• 13 Jan: Uttar Pradesh MLA Chaudhary Amar Singh of the Apna Dal became the eleventh minister to quit the BJP-led alliance in three days. "This government is a liar, no development has been done. I met Akhilesh Yadav today, will join him. Soon more people will join us," he was quoted as saying to ANI.
• 12 Jan: A second minister, Dara Singh Chauhan, quit Yogi Adityanath's cabinet in Uttar Pradesh after Swami Prasad Maurya announced his resignation a day earlier. Mr. Chauhan became the second OBC (Other Backward Class) leader to BJP just weeks before the Uttar Pradesh election in February.

• 11 Jan: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar announced that his party would contest the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections as part of the Samajwadi Party-led alliance. He also confirmed that 13 members of the Legislative Assembly in Uttar Pradesh will be joining the Samajwadi Party. "Voters will give a befitting reply to the communal polarization being done in UP ahead of the polls," he said.
• 11 Jan: In a big jolt to the BJP just weeks before the Uttar Pradesh elections, senior leader Swami Prasad Maurya today quit as a minister and joined rival Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party. Moments, after he posted his resignation letter on Twitter, another MLA, Roshan Lal Verma, also announced his resignation. 
• 11 Jan: BSP MP Satish Chandra Misra said that Mayawati will not contest the upcoming assembly election in the state and he too will abstain from the election. Mr. Misra was confident though of BSP forming the government in Uttar Pradesh this time.
• 10 Jan: In yet another controversial statement with religious overtones, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath called the UP elections an "80 versus 20 battle". Yogi Adityanath was attending an event organized by a private news channel in Lucknow when he was asked a question about Brahmin votes in UP. The numbers cited by him roughly correspond to the ratio of Hindus to Muslims in UP. "80 percent is those who are supporters of nationalism, good governance, and development. Such people will vote for the BJP and those who are against this and supporters of mafias and criminals, anti-farmer and village, such 15-20 people will take a different path. So, in this 80-20 fight, it is the lotus that will show the way," the Chief Minister said, referring to the BJP's election symbol.
• 08 Jan: Congress leader and Uttar Pradesh party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi announced that Congress has canceled its election rallies due to the increase in Covid-19 cases. Taking a dig at the BJP, she said that development in a state cannot happen by inaugurating airports before elections. "Unemployed youth, farmers, women, poor are all troubled. Development did not reach up to them. In terms of health, Uttar Pradesh is at the very bottom. The situation is worse in terms of women's health. If we come to power, we will fill all the vacant posts of doctors in the state. Free treatment of up to Rs. one lakh will be given to each family. Each health centre will have separate doctors for women", she added. On the party's key poll plank of women empowerment, she said, "I say time and again that if you want to empower women then this one gas cylinder practice should stop. How they will get employment, education, health, security that is important."
• 08 Jan: Elections for the 403 assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases starting February 10, the Election Commission said while announcing the polling dates for all five states.  The polling dates will be February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27, March 3, and 7, and the counting of votes will take place on March 10. To ensure safety, the Election Commission has banned all physical rallies and meetings till January 15, while also mentioning that the decision will be reviewed after that given the "dynamic" ground situation.
• 05 Jan: The Congress Party wrote to the Election Commission (ECI) urging it to take action against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for using government machinery/money for inaugurations and making political statements at these events. It also requested the poll body to cancel big rallies in UP given an anticipated third wave of Covid cases".

• 04 Jan: Lord Krishna became the new battle point between Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav. It began with BJP Rajya Sabha MP, Harnath Singh Yadav commenting, "Last night twice I had dreams that Yogi Adityanath ji should fight from Mathura and I felt that Lord Krishna was directing me to act as a mediator," implying that the Chief Minister should contest from Mathura instead of from his hometown Gorakhpur. In response, Akhilesh Yadav said, "Last night, Lord Krishna came in my dreams and said you are going to form the government. He did not come once but comes each day." The war of supremacy continued when Yogi Adityanath, at a government event in Aligarh said, "Some people must be seeing Lord Krishna in their dreams and must be telling them to at least cry now on your failures. What you could not do, the BJP government has done. Lord Krishna must be cursing them because he must be telling them when you were in power you did nothing for places like Mathura and Vrindavan."
• 03 Jan: The All India Bar Association (AIBA) sent a representation to the Election Commission of India (ECI) requesting it to defer the upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Manipur, Punjab, and Uttarakhand due to the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19. Senior advocate Dr. Adish C Aggarwala, Chairman of AIBA stated that a large number of people gather in election rallies without adhering to the Covid protocols. The representation stated that if the elections in these States are not postponed till Omicron Covid-19 is over, it would lead to the deaths of lakhs of people in India despite the best efforts of the Central and State Governments, similar to what happened during the second wave of Covid-19.
• 01 Jan: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav promised 300 units of free electricity to households if his party is voted to power. He also promised free electricity for irrigational purposes. The offer is widely seen as a counteroffering to Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP's promise of 300 units of free electricity to all domestic consumers, waiver of outstanding bills of 38 lakh families, and 24-hour power supply.

December 2021

• 30 Dec: Upon culmination of a 3-day visit to UP post the request by the Allahabad High Court to defer UP Assembly elections, Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra said that all political parties want the elections to go ahead as per the schedule and so it will be. He took comfort from the fact that 86% of people in the state have got the first dose and 49% the second shot of the Covid vaccine. The state authorities have further assured him of administering the first dose to the remaining 14%. As a further preventive measure, he confirmed that an additional 11,000 polling booths will be set up to avoid over-crowding and minimize the spread of Covid.
• 29 Dec: The Samajwadi Party promised to give compensation of ₹5 lakhs to the families of all individuals who lost their lives in bull-fighting incidents if it came to power in 2022.
• 25 Dec: In another subtle strike at religious sentiments of the Muslim minorities, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath targeted the Samajwadi Party, alleging that its government wasted money meant for the poor on "kabristans" (Muslim graveyards), hired incompetent Urdu translator but did nothing for students and teachers of Sanskrit schools.
• 25 Dec: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath began the campaign to distribute free tablets and smartphones to one crore students in UP. The campaign was inaugurated on the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister and BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee, celebrated as 'Good Governance Day' since 2014. Digital tablets and smartphones were distributed to 60,000 students at the Ekana Stadium. Union Minister for Education, Skill Development, and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan while addressing the gathering earlier said that the importance of smartphones and digital education was realized during the Corona pandemic. Citing a report, he said due to poverty and lack of internet connectivity, only 50 percent of India's youth were able to reap the benefit of digital education during the pandemic.
• 24 Dec: In what came as a dampener to those reveling in the election euphoria, the Allahabad High Court has requested the Election Commission to postpone the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections by a month or two. It also requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ban election-related gatherings in the state and think about postponing state elections over fears of adding to the spread of the highly contagious Covid variant Omicron. "If rallies are not stopped, results will be worse than the second wave," Justice Shekhar Yadav said.
• 21 Dec: Prime Minister Narendra Modi initiated the transfer of ₹1,000 crore to women's Self-Help Groups in Prayagraj. The scheme, described as a "one of a kind" scheme is expected to benefit 16 lakh women. He also transferred over 20 crore to more than 1 lakh beneficiaries under the "Mukhya Mantri Kanya Sumangala Scheme" which provides conditional cash transfer of ₹15,000 to a girl child at different stages of her life. The transfer for Self-Help groups is being done under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – the National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM) under which 80,000 Self-Help Groups will receive Community Investment Fund of ₹1.1 lakh each.

Laying the foundation stone of the Ganga Expressway. #गंगा_एक्सप्रेसवे https://t.co/h1lEEmsxIO

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 18, 2021

• 18 Dec: Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the 594-km Ganga Expressway in UP's Shahjahanpur district. Starting near Bijauli village in Meerut, the expressway will pass through Meerut, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Amroha, Sambhal, Budaun, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Pratapgarh, and Prayagraj districts of the state. Upon completion, it will connect the western and eastern regions of UP and will its longest expressway. The six-lane expressway, which is expandable to eight lanes, will be built at a cost of over ₹ 36,230 crore. A 3.5 km-long air strip for assisting emergency take-off and landing of Indian Air Force planes will also be constructed on the expressway. In addition, an industrial corridor is also proposed to be built along the expressway.
• 18 Dec: A team from the Income Tax department from Varanasi raided the homes and offices of 2 Samajwadi Party leaders, Rajeev Rai and Manoj Yadav as well as Akhilesh Yadav's personal secretary Jainendra Yadav. Mr Rai, the National Secretary and spokesperson of the Samajwadi Party owns a group that runs many educational institutions in Karnataka. Manoj Yadav, another aide of Akhilesh Yadav, was is the promoter of RCL Group of companies. Hours after the raids began, Akhilesh Yadav tweeted, "As the BJP's fear of loss increases, the opponents are likely to face raids. Despite that, the Samajwadi Party's 'Rath' (chariot) will continue to move forward and the BJP will be wiped out of UP. I have said this time and again that as elections approach, all this starts happening. Abhi to Income Tax department aaya hai, Enforcement Directorate aayega, CBI aayega. People of the state won't be fooled. Why was Rajeev Rai not raided a month ago, why now? Because elections are near?"

• 13 Dec: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the ₹700 crore Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in Varanasi. Before inaugurating the mega redevelopment project, he took a dip in the Ganga and offered prayers, and carried the holy water across the roughly 500m corridor, and dedicated the complex to the nation. The complex comprises 24 buildings built over 550,000 square feet and includes an emporium, a museum, a sacred kitchen, a Vedic library, a center to store ancient scriptures, a city gallery, and a food court – all built around the temple that serves as one of the nerve centres of the Hindu faith, attracting seven million pilgrims annually. Modi said the complex could host between 50,000 and 75,000 devotees at any given time. Addressing a gathering of 3,000 guests, the PM urged Indians to make three resolutions for the sake of the country: Swachhta (cleanliness), Srijan (creation), and continuous efforts for Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India). In a 45-minute speech, Modi said India was focused on reviving its lost heritage and was stepping out of the “inferiority” complex brought on by centuries of slavery. "This entire new complex of Vishwanath Dham is not just a grand building, this is also a symbol of the sanatan (ancient) culture of India. This is a symbol of our spiritual soul, a symbol of India's antiquity, traditions, India’s energy and dynamism,” he added. PM Modi's numerous visits to UP and Varanasi in particular have led to many claiming that the lines between official government functions and BJP's perpetual election campaigns are getting blurred with each passing day. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav had a caustic taunt for the PM when he said, "It is good that Modi is in Varanasi. People stay in Varanasi when the end is near. Why only a month? He should stay for two months, three months. That is a good place to stay."

• 12 Dec: Packets of salt, chana, and oil bearing photographs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were distributed among the poor through 80,000 ration shops in Uttar Pradesh. Some packets also had the slogan - soch imandaar, kaam damdaar (Honest thought, solid work) - being used by the BJP for its campaign ahead of the state election. In November, the Centre had announced that the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, which began during the Covid pandemic last year to provide an extra 5 kg ration per person per month for free to all beneficiaries covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), will be extended for four months - from December 2021 to March 2022. With an eye on the elections just 2 months away, the UP state government announced that it will provide each beneficiary of the Centre's free ration scheme an additional kilogram each of dal, salt, and chana.
• 12 Dec: 2 MLAs, 1 each from BSP and BJP joined the Samajwadi Party today at its headquarters in presence of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav. The legislators are Vinay Shankar Tiwari from Chillupar assembly seat in Gorakhpur, who was expelled from the BSP recently, and Digvijay Narayan alias Jai Chaubey (BJP) from Khalilabad constituency in Sant Kabir Nagar.
• 11 Dec: Hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's arrival in Balrampur to inaugurate the Saryu Nahar National Project, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav took potshots at the BJP government claiming them to take credit for the work done by his SP government. "The BJP government in Uttar Pradesh took five years to complete the remaining works of Saryu Nahar National Project which was three-fourths completed during the SP government," Akhilesh tweeted. "There are basically two types of people in the world, some who really work and some who appropriate others' work. This is the difference between the government of SP and today's 'Kainchijivi' (ribbon cutting) government. That's why in 2022 elections the BJP is going to be completely wiped out," Akhilesh said in another tweet. According to CM Yogi Adityanath, the Saryu Nahar canal project connects five rivers Ghaghara, Saryu, Rapti, Banganga, and Rohini, and is the biggest project under 'Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana' to ensure proper utilization of water resources.
• 08 Dec: Congress' outreach to women votes went further ahead with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra releasing a six-point manifesto titled 'Shakti Vidhan'. The women-centric focus of the manifesto revolves around 'swabhiman' (self-respect), 'swawlamban' (self-sufficiency), 'shiksha' (education), 'samman' (respect), 'suraksha' (security) and 'sehat' (health). As per the manifesto, 40 percent of the 20 lakh new jobs that will be created by the Congress will be allotted to women, 50 percent of all ration shops in the state will be managed and run by women, 50 percent work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) will be reserved and prioritized for women, creation of a government department to ensure humane working conditions of domestic workers, , tax exemptions for businesses increasing their female employee numbers to 50 percent.

PM’s office paid for by tax payer’s money & staffed by IAS officers.

How on earth can @PMOIndia handle be used for political lal topi tweets?

Have everyone’s brains been fried in saffron sauce?

— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) December 8, 2021

• 08 Dec: The usage of the PMO official Twitter handle for scoring political points for BJP snowballed into a big controversy. While speaking at an event yesterday he said, "The whole of UP knows that 'laal topi waale' (the red caps) are only interested in red beacons (power), not people's misery. They only need power to run scams, for encroachment, to give a free run to mafias. The red caps want to form government to get terrorists released from jail... The red caps are red alerts for Uttar Pradesh... a danger alarm." This statement was reproduced on the PM's official Twitter handle @PMOIndia. The laap topi alluded to the red cap worn by Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav. "The PM is ruining his language. The people of Uttar Pradesh will teach them a lesson just like the people of Bengal did. The PM is clearly panicking," Akhilesh Yadav said in response. TMC MP Mahua Moitra too did not hold back her words at the PM's unstatesmanly action.

• 07 Dec: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated developmental projects worth over ₹9,600 crore in Gorakhpur today. The projects inaugurated include a fertilizer plant, AIIMS Gorakhpur and ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC). "In eastern Uttar Pradesh, children used to die here untimely. Governments at that time did not empathize with the affected people. In the last 40 years, 50,000 children died here due to encephalitis. There were no proper arrangements. In 2016, PM Modi laid the foundation stone of AIIMS Gorakhpur, it is now ready and PM Modi will inaugurate it," said Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

November 2021

• 30 Nov: The BJP's state chief Swatantra Dev Singh BJP announced a series of 'yatras' to galvanize the party cadres ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. While the name of the 'yatras' has been not declared officially, it is reported that there will be a total of six yatras that will cover each of the 403 assembly seats in the state. As done earlier too, prominent party leaders may flag off the yatras on Day one and local MPs and MLAs will lead them on a daily basis.
• 28 Nov: Two former UP ministers, three ex-MLAs, and several leaders from other parties joined the BJP. Among the former ministers who joined the party was Jainarayan Tiwari from Sultanpur and Vijay Mishra, an ex-SP MLA from Ghazipur. The former MLAs who joined the ruling party are Ram Shiromani Shukla (Pratapgarh), Madan Gautam (Auraiya) and Abhimanyu Pratap Singh (Ayodhya).
• 27 Nov: Defense Minister Rajnath Singh while on a convention of BJP booth presidents in Jaunpur said Uttar Pradesh does not want "bua or babua" (referencing Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav) to lead the state. The state wants only "baba", he added referring to CM Yogi Adityanath.

pic.twitter.com/Aq3s1raen8

— Samajwadi Party (@samajwadiparty) November 26, 2021

• 26 Nov: The Samajwadi Party released a new election anthem to take on Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the BJP for the upcoming Assembly. The hugely popular 'Khela Hobe' anthem that helped Mamata Banerjee's TMC in winning West Bengal early this year is re-tuned as 'Khadeda Hoibe' in the Samajwadi Party's version
• 26 Nov: The Samajwadi Party asked the Election Commission (EC) to ensure that duplicate names in the voters' list are removed to prevent bogus voting in the upcoming Assembly polls. The request was made based on a large number of irregularities identified by the party in the voters' list published on November 1. The party demanded that the period of voters' list revision should be extended from November 30 to December 31 to enable the identification of duplicate voters by Samajwadi Party workers at every polling booth.
• 25 Nov: PM Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for Noida International Airport (NIA) in Jewar, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh. While there, he stressed on the benefits to farmers from the airport and the extensive road and infrastructure projects being built in the region by the BJP government. "Farmers in the region will be able to export perishable goods like vegetables, fruits, fish and produce directly to the world," PM Modi told the crowd of thousands gathered for the event. "There are many industrial areas like Aligarh, Mathura, Meerut, Agra, Bijnor, Moradabad and Bareilly, but western UP has a significant share in the agriculture sector as well. Now the power of these areas will also increase a lot," he said. On an earlier occasion, CM Yogi Adityanath said he expects ₹35,000 crore in investment and over one lakh jobs to be created once the airport is fully functional.

• 23 Nov: BJP national president Jagat Prakash (JP) Nadda and state Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited Baba Namdev Gurudwara in Kidwai Nagar, Kanpur. While speaking at the event, Mr Nadda said, "Work done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for our Sikh brothers and community has never been done before. I take blessings and strength from Baba Namdev to do a better social service." Earlier on Monday, the BJP chief had visited the Gorakhnath temple and later addressed 'booth sammelans' and met Vantangiya families.
• 22 Nov: In continuation of its election promises especially to woo the women voters, Congress' Priyanka Gandhi Vadra promised to open skill development schools in every district in the name of 'veeranganas' like freedom fighter Jhalkari Bai if her party is voted to power.
• 21 Nov: All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) announced that it will contest elections on 100 seats out of the 403 assembly seats. The party also said it is in talks with other parties to form an alliance.

हम निकल पड़े हैं प्रण करके
अपना तन-मन अर्पण करके
जिद है एक सूर्य उगाना है
अम्बर से ऊँचा जाना है
एक भारत नया बनाना है pic.twitter.com/0uH4JDdPJE

— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) November 21, 2021

• 21 Nov: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on a two-day visit to Lucknow to attend the 56th DGP-IGP conference. During the visit, CM Yogi Adityanath shared a well-choreographed photograph of himself with PM Narendra Modi on Twitter and re-instated his commitment to building a new India. "We have embarked on a journey. We have dedicated our everything and pledged to build a new India which will touch the heights beyond the sky with new light," he tweeted (translated from the Hindi text). 

• 19 Nov: In a shocking and completely unexpected move, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the three controversial farm laws that caused massive farmer protests across the country will be repealed. "While apologising to the nation, I want to say with a sincere and pure heart that maybe something was lacking in our tapasya (dedication) that we could not explain the truth, as clear as the light of the diya, to some of our farmer brothers. But today is Prakash Parv, not the time to blame anyone. Today, I want to tell the country that we have decided to repeal the three farm laws. In the Parliament session starting the end of this month, we will complete the process of repealing the three laws. I would request all my protesting farmer friends, today is the auspicious day of Guru Purab, return home to your fields and your families and make a new beginning, let us move forward afresh." he said in an emotionally charged tone. The move, while welcomed by all Opposition leaders, was met with scepticism. NCP's Sharad Pawar labelled the decision taken with an eye on the polls and again slammed the Centre for introducing the three farm bills and getting them hurriedly passed unilaterally without taking state governments and Opposition into confidence.
• 17 Nov: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra launched the party's 100 days action plan for the "Adhi Abadi", an outreach programme for women voters in Uttar Pradesh. In addition to the 40 per cent allocation of tickets for women, she also made other big promises to woo women voters for which a separate manifesto has been prepared. These include smartphone and two-wheelers for college-going girls, three cylinders for free for housewives, free travel for women in government buses, an honorarium of ₹ 10,000 per month to ASHA and Anganwadi workers, and old age-widow pension of ₹ 1000 per month. To give a sense of assurance, she announced an action plan for the next 100 days to target approx. 7 crore women voters in the state. The Congress' campaign committee has galvanized a team of around 8,000 woman volunteers for the task with the slogan "Ladki hoon lad sakti hoon" to reach about 2 lakh women daily. To enhance the visibility, one crore pink silicone bands and attractive stickers have been sourced for the campaign.
• 14 Nov: The Congress party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi announced that her party will not align with any other party for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections and will contest all 403 seats alone. She was addressing the Congress party's 'Pratigya Sammelan-Lakshya 2022' in West UP's Bulandshahr where he promised all seats to be given only to Congress workers, 40 percent of which will be reserved for women. Acknowleding the importance of booth-level campaigning and social media, she called upon Congress workers to strengthen the booth network and become promote all party activities on various social networking platforms.
• 13 Nov: Amit Shah laid the foundation stone for a university in Azamgarh, which is the constituency of Samajwadi Chief's Akhilesh Yadav. While there, he took potshots at his rival's achievements and policies and praised UP CM Yogi Adityanath's achievements. He dug into the 'J.A.M.' comment of Yadav when he said, "Modiji has a JAM idea for India, UP - Jan Dhan bank accounts, Aadhaar and Mobiles for everyone. When I said this in Gujarat, the Samajwadi Party said they had a 'jam' idea too. A journalist told me it meant 'Jinnah, Azam Khan and Mukhtar (Ansari, the gangster-turned-jailed politician)." He threw open the question to the crowds asking them, "Now you tell me... do you want our 'jam' or the Samajwadi Party's?". Yadav's Jinnah comment was again invoked when he remarked, "As the election approaches, Akhilesh has started seeing greatness in Jinnah. There are minorities sitting here... does anyone feel Jinnah is great? No one... it is only Akhilesh who feels this."

आज वाराणसी में @BJP4UP के विधानसभा प्रभारियों के साथ बैठक कर उत्तर प्रदेश में आगामी विधानसभा चुनाव की तैयारियों की समीक्षा की। pic.twitter.com/KtRfHuh7OQ

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) November 12, 2021

• 12 Nov: Home Minister Amit Shah was in Varanasi (PM Modi's Lok Sabha constituency) and met the party workers along with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. He stressed on the importance of UP elections for which he asked them to ensure booth-level campaigns are strengthened. "We need every person to influence 60 people each to vote for BJP, and to aim for at least 20 votes from that circle. Simultaneously, one party worker should get votes from three families each. This is not an ordinary election. This is an election to take the country ahead and to uphold the dignity of the nation," Amit Shah said. He also asked the party workers to highlight the central government's schemes such as free gas cylinders and PM's programmes for farmers and instructed them to start door-to-door visits to tell people about corruption and goonda raj during Bahujan Samaj Party's Mayawati and Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav's time.
• 10 Nov: With eyes firmly on the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections a few months away, the BJP-led central government on Wednesday cleared a hike in ethanol price - from ₹62.65 to ₹63.45 a litre w.e.f. December 1. Sugarcane is one of the key crops in the western part of Uttar Pradesh. The move is expected to benefit sugarcane farmers as prices of cane-based ethanol will rise.

• 09 Nov: Mimicking a similar move from the 2017 Assembly elections, Akhilesh Yadav launched a perfume called "Samajwadi Sugandh" with the Samajwadi Party's election symbol and colors on it. The move is seen as another of their soft outreaches to connect with the electorate ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections. The legislator responsible for its manufacturing said the fragrance has ingredients from "Kashmir to Kanyakumari" to represent the country's diversity. Using the perfume, he took a swipe at the BJP calling it a fragrance that belongs to everyone and said that a flower that blossomed through lies will never give out fragrance (a reference to the Lotus which is BJP's election symbol). In response to Akhilesh Yadav's jibe, UP BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh said the perfume launched by the Samajwadi party chief is going to "stink with the sins of Samajwadi Party."
• 09 Nov: Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati accounced the party's decision of not forming any alliance with other political parties and fighting the elections on their own just as they did in 2007. "BSP won't have any "chunavi samjhauta" (poll agreement) with any party. We'll contest on our own. We are entering into an agreement with people of all sections of society to bring them together - this alliance is permanent. Don't intend to enter into an alliance with any party," Mayawati said. She also made her dislike for SP and BJP fely by calling them two sides of the same coin who just want to make the polls a Hindu-Muslim matter.
• 08 Nov: Chandrashekhar Azad declared that he will contest against Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in the UP Assembly election next year. The 34-year-old Dalit leader said that unlike 2019 when he supported Mayawati's BSP, this time he has a political outfit "Azad Samaj Party". "It is not important for me to win a place in the UP assembly. It is important for me that Yogi Adityanath should not get to be in the assembly. So I will contest wherever he is contesting," Azad said. He also said that his party will field Dalits, Muslims and backward caste candidates as much as possible. He was non-commital on whether he would seek the support of Mayawati's BSP and Samajwadi Party of not fielding their candidates against his party's candidates. "I have to stop the BJP. And for that I want to stop their Chief Minister candidate. Either behenji (Mayawati) should fight him or she should let me. I am strong and I can take on Yogi Adityanath. People know that I am tikau, not bikau (I will stay, my support can't be bought) and I won't run away," he said.
• 03 Nov: The Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav announced that his party will form an alliance with his uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav's party and will give him "full respect". While speaking to reporte