Year 2022: The curtain is about to fall as we enter the final quarter of the year in 2022. 2022 has been a rollercoaster ride for people as we breathe a sigh of relief in an almost Covid free world after 2 years of restrictions. The political corridor came alive as soon as the Covid barriers were lifted. The calendar year 2022 will be said goodbye but not before leaving several politically significant memories. The year began with the election season in the Uttar Pradesh assembly political elections and ended with a history-making landslide victory in PM Modi’s home state: Gujarat. Indian politics is known for full drama, intense rhetoric and charged rallies / roadshows – 2022 was filled with all the elements. Significantly, the Central Agencies- Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) remained in the news as if they were a political stakeholder.
Here we have listed the top 10 events that made a big impact in 2022
2022 election: In 2022, Goa, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) went to the polls. Bharatiya Janta Party’s dominance continues in 2022. The saffron party won 5 states: Goa, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, while the Congress won in only one state: Himachal Pradesh. The biggest surprise came from Punjab, where the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) emerged victorious to oust the Congress. This was a historic poll result for AAP’s political future. AAP won its first full state (Note-Delhi is not a full state, it is a UT). BJP’s victory also broke the record in UP and Gujarat. For the first time in 37 years, a ruling party returned to power in Uttar Pradesh. Narayan Dutt Tiwari was the last UP CM to win consecutive terms in 1985. In Gujarat, the BJP broke its record by winning 156 out of 182 seats to form the government for the seventh time in the state. AAP breached the Gujarat fort for the first time and won 5 seats. AAP also won MCD ending BJP’s 15-year dominance.
Also Read: Yearender 2022: Top 10 Politicians who ruled in the year
AAP Ministers: In 2022, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ministers in the Kejriwal Cabinet were in the news throughout the year, but for the wrong reasons. Against what AAP claims to be a party of “honest honest leaders”, Delhi ministers – Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain faced legal trouble on corruption charges. In fact, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain has been in jail since May 30 in a money laundering case and other cases. Ahead of assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat, the CBI lodged an FIR against Sisodia and his residence was raided by the Central probe agency in connection with a liquor scam. These ED and CBI moves intensified the political battle between AAP and BJP. The BJP launched serious agitations against AAP ministers, while successfully defending Kejriwal’s party, which led to electoral success in the MCD elections and partially in the Gujarat polls.
President of the Congress: The election of the Congress president was big news because it was held after 25 years. The grand old party was being criticized for not holding internal elections and for favoring dynasty politics. So Congress finally held elections to shut up the critics. As is always the case with the Congress, this internal election was not without controversy. Earlier, it was reported that Gandhis loyalist Ashok Gehlot would contest but he denied handing over the chief ministership of Rajasthan to his young Sachin Pilot. This almost led to a riot in Rajasthan. Somehow, the party managed to fight it and eventually Mallikarjun Kharge, the de facto representative of the Gandhis, contested and Shashi Tharoor was also one of the G-23 members who sought radical reforms in the frayed party. The election was held on 17 October, and counting of votes took place on 19 October, Kharge won the election by securing 7,897 votes compared to Shashi Tharoor’s 1,072.
Bharat Jodo Yatra: Congress chief Rahul Gandhi is running a massive campaign to win back his party’s lost constituency. The Gandhi-led padyatra has recently crossed the 100-day mark. The BJP called it an initiative to relaunch the ‘Rahul brand’. The Yatra, from Kanyakumari to Jammu and Kashmir, covering 3,570 kilometers, will last 150 days. Rahul Gandhi said that he is on a foot march to spread love among people.
Nitish Kumar: The year 2022 has been one of the turning points in the political career of Bihar Chief Minister and Janta Dal United leader Nitish Kumar as he took another turn by joining the Mahagathbandhan. In August, he quit the NDA and formed a government with the support of the Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD). The latest turn laid the road map ahead of the crucial 2024 General Election. Recently, Nitish announced that he will campaign against the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and would not contest the elections. He indirectly appointed Tejashwi Yadav as his successor. However, the end of the year brought harsh criticism, as 72 people died in Chhapran due to the consumption of fake liquor. The deaths sparked widespread outrage signaling the failure of liquor prohibition in the state.
Shiv Sena: The year 2022 was a nightmare for Uddhav Thakeray-led Shiv Sena as it split into two parts. In June, Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde led a revolt against his party. He flew to Guwahati along with dozens of MPs. The Shiv Sena leaders staged a complete movie drama, which ended with the collapse of the MVA government. Uddhav Thackeray had to resign from the post of CM. Shinde was sworn in as the Maharashtra CM with the support of the BJP. The party’s property dispute is before the Supreme Court. The development soured the political atmosphere in the state. The arrest of Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut added fuel to the fire. The states also saw several high-profile arrests, including Anil Deshmukh and former minister Nawab Malik.
Death of Mulayam Singh Yadav: An era ended with the demise of Samajwadi Party founder and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav. He breathed his last on October 10 at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram. He was UP CM three times- 29 August 2003 to 13 May 2007, 5 December 1993 to 3 June 1995 and 5 December 1989 to 24 June 1991. He was a Yadav. one of the highest socialist politicians. His son Akhilesh Yadav is carrying forward his political legacy.
National Herald case: National Herald Case had Gandhi family in 2022. This year Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office for the first time. In July Sonia Gandhi, whose health was not so good due to the Covid infection, appeared before the ED three times. While Rahul Gandhi was burnt 5 times in the ED offices. The Congress registered strong reservations against the ED’s move. Grand leaders of the old party started protests across the nation and once held a ‘Bharat Band’. However, they claimed that the protests are against unemployment. There were also some violent incidents during these protests. Former Home Minister P Chidambaram was injured in the clash with the police. He had a hairline fracture on his left rib. The Congress hit the headlines every time Gandhi appeared before the ED.
Central Probing Agencies: It was an unprecedented year for the central probe agency – the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). During the year 2022, these agencies have been in the news. Perhaps it has been a year of searches and arrests. Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Manish Sisodia, DK Shiva Kumar and many other leaders were grilled. The ED arrested Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, AAP minister Satyendar Jain and former Maharashtra ministers – Anil Deshmukh and Nawab Malik.
AAP: 2022 was a red-letter year for Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). AAP has more or less become a national party in the recently concluded elections after getting a huge vote share in PM Modi’s state of Gujarat. He also won 5 seats in the western state opening his account. AAP was also successful in ending BJP’s 15-year dominance in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. The success story does not end here, the 10-year-old party created history in Punjab. AAP formed a government in the state, ousting the Congress government.
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