UP polls: FIR against Bhupesh Baghel, others for violating Covid norms in Noida
Congress leader and Chattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel launched door-to-door campaign ahead of Uttar Pradesh assembly elections on Sunday, even as the Election Commission banned all political rallies and roadshows in poll-bound states a day before.
A first information report (FIR) has been lodged against Chattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel and others for violating coronavirus disease (Covid-19) related norms during door-to-door campaign for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections earlier in the day, ANI reported citing the Gautam Buddh Nagar Police.
Congress leader Baghel launched the campaign a day after the Election Commission of India (ECI) imposed a ban on all forms of political rallies and roadshows in all poll-bound states in wake of the Covid-19 situation of the country.
During the campaign, the chief minister said that other parties are “either politicising in the name of caste or playing ‘religion politics’,” but it is only Congress that is talking about common people.
“From youth, farmers, women to backward communities, we are taking everyone along,” he was quoted as saying by ANI.
Baghel, who is his party's senior observer of the forthcoming Uttar Pradesh elections, also distributed ‘Ladki Hoon Lad Sakti Hoon’ wrist bands.
Congress national general secretary Priyanka Gandhi had announced the ‘Ladki Hoon Lad Sakti Hoon’ campaign last year in order to woo women voters.
Uttar Pradesh polls will be held in seven phases between February 10 and March 7, and the counting of the votes will happen on March 10. In last assembly elections in 2017, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) executed a thumping victory with by bagging 312 of the 403 seats of the Uttar Pradesh assembly. Akilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party (SP) won 47 seats, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) won 19 while the Congress party could only manage to secure seven seats.