In a little over a week, the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections will officially begin. Polling for the first phase would be held in 91 parliamentary constituencies spread across 20 states on 11 April. The final results will be announced on 23 May. Catch all the updates on the Lok Sabha 2019 elections here.
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Election Commission's surveillance squad seized 146 kg of gold bars without valid documents from a van near Puliakulam in Coimbatore, reported news agency ANI.
Speaking on UP CM Yogi Adityanath’s ‘Modi ki Sena’ remark, Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan said, “Yogi ji said 'Modi ki fauj hai', Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi also said the same thing, EC did nothing, no action against Kalyan Singh either, but when I had said we will shed last drop of our blood to protect our borders, EC cut off my tongue. What justice is this?”
Delhi Congress chief Sheila Dikshit, state in-charge PC Chacko and other Delhi Congress leaders are at Rahul Gandhi’s residence possibly for a meeting, reported ANI. This comes amid prolonged speculation over an alliance between the Congress and the AAP in the national capital.
BJP President Amit Shah on Saturday held a roadshow in Vejalpur area of Ahmedabad in Gujarat, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
(Source: ANI)
BJP rebel and veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha has formally joined the Congress. He is an MP from Patna Sahib constituency in Bihar.
Addressing a rally in Odisha’s Sundargarh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the “BJP was born out the sweat of its workers, and not dynasty or money”.
“BJP has emerged as world's largest democratic organisation. It fought to protect democracy during Emergency,” he said.
The first votes of Lok Sabha polls have been cast in Arunachal Pradesh by service voters. A remote Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) unit on the eastern tip of the North-East began service voting by secret postal ballot on 5 April at Lohitpur, Arunachal Pradesh.
Mamata Banerjee on Saturday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he is a “liar”, and that TMC would lead the formation of a new government at the Centre after defeating Modi.
“You didn't look after your wife. How will you look after the masses,” Banerjee said.
Addressing a rally in Chhattisgarh’s Balod, PM Modi said: “Congress and the parties supporting it are fighting polls to loot people's money, we're contesting polls to make effective use of every single rupee.They're fighting polls to weaken security forces of country&we're contesting polls to make them self-reliant.”
Releasing the TDP’s manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls today, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and party chief N Chandrababu Naidu promised laptops to intermediate (+2) students.
He further said: “Unemployment dole will be paid to those who pass out intermediate. We will set up innovation hubs in every city.”
The BJP on Saturday accused the Congress of making multiple false promises in its election manifestos of 2004 and 2009 and said people are smart enough to not be misled by such promises this time.
"For us, manifesto is a very important document. The way Congress takes its manifesto, and the way it has been making false promises...this country's people are smart enough to reject such false promises," said Railway Minister Piyush Goyal at a press conference at the BJP office in New Delhi.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Saturday, 6 April, wrote to the Election Commission protesting the transfers of four IPS officers, including Kolkata and Bidhannagar police commissioners.
The Election Commission's decision is "unfortunate", highly arbitrary, motivated and "biased" and was taken at the behest of the BJP, she said in the letter, content of which was shared with PTI.
Lt. General (Retired) Sarath Chand, former Vice Chief of Army Staff, joined the BJP in presence of Union Minister and senior party leader Sushma Swaraj on Saturday.
The BJP on Saturday released another list of 24 candidates for the Lok Sabha polls and replaced Union minister Uma Bharti with Anurag Sharma as its nominee from Jhansi.
Bharti had already announced that she would not contest the elections.
Union Minister and BJP leader Piyush Goyal, reacting to Rahul Gandhi's remark on BJP having “kicked Advani off the stage”, said: “Advani ji ko stage se laat maarke uthar diya gaya hai': Congress poore tareeke se hataash ho chuki hai. Ghutne tek diye hain unhone. Chunav ka sthar ghirane ki koshish ki ja rahi hai. Rahul ji ko sabhyata shayad aati nahi hai.”
Addressing an election rally in Rorkee, BSP Chief Mayawati hit out at the Congress’s NYAY scheme, calling it an “election gimmick”.
A Hindustan Times report quoted Mayawati as saying, “Like BJP’s (promises), the NYAY of the Congress is also a hollow poll promise. It’s not a permanent solution to alleviate poverty. If voted to power, we will give permanent jobs to the poor in government and private sectors.”
BJP's Suresh Nakhua has filed a criminal complaint against Congress's Urmila Matondkar, states, "She has hurt religious sentiments of Hindus by calling 'Hinduism the most violent religion in the world' on a TV show".
He has also named Congress President Rahul Gandhi and a journalist in the complaint.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday compared the opposition Congress to a "sinking ship" which will take down all who are on it.
"Last time (in 2014), the Congress was reduced to just 44 (Lok Sabha) seats. This time the situation is even worse. It has become like the Titanic; with each passing day, it is sinking. All those who are in it are either sinking or jumping out to other parties," Modi said while addressing a rally in Nanded.