A look at the latest developments on Assembly elections from the five states:

  1. Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal said that former Punjab minister Bikram Singh Majithia will contest the Amritsar East constituency against Congress’ Navjot Singh Sidhu, ANI reported. Badal said that Majithia will “dismantle Sidhu’s arrogance” in the upcoming state elections. On December 20, Majithia was booked under sections of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
  2. Trinamool Congress’ Goa unit Secretary Yatish Naik resigned from the party on Wednesday, claiming there was “politics at work”, ANI reported. He said that he could not remain as a member of the party with the way it was functioning. “I feel humiliated, tired and dejected for having been made to go through all this,” Naik said.
  3. Samajwadi Party leaderAkhilesh Yadav on Wednesday described opinion polls as “opium polls”, and claimed that they mislead voters, the Hindustan Times reported. His party on Sunday had written to the Election Commission seeking a ban on television channels that telecast opinion polls.
  4. Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a meeting with leaders of the Jat community, The Times of India reported. The Jat community, which constitutes a large chunk of voters in western Uttar Pradesh had been at the forefront of the year-long farmers’ agitation against the now repealed agriculture laws.
  5. Aam Aadmi Party’s chief ministerial candidate in Punjab Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday said that a drug task force will be formed if his party comes to power, ANI reported. Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party National Convener Arvind Kejriwal is scheduled to visit Punjab from January 28 to January 30, according to ANI.