Lok Sabha Election 2019 LIVE: 2019 polls most crucial since Independence says Sitaram Yechury 

India is facing the "most crucial" elections after Independence where the criterion for deciding whom to vote for will not be the government's mere performance, but the fact that our secular democracy is in peril and has to be saved, said CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury.

"This is not an ordinary election where the ruling party of the day is judged on the basis of its delivery of its promises made at the time of the last general elections alone. The balance sheet of its betrayals is often the main issue of electoral discourse," Yechury has written in the forthcoming issue of the party's mouthpiece "People's Democracy".

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Wednesday said people in the northeastern states have started accepting the ideology of the National People's Party (NPP).

Sangma's remarks came after 15 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including two ministers and 12 other sitting legislators, joined the NPP in Arunachal Pradesh

A day after releasing the party's Lok Sabha election manifesto, DMK President M.K. Stalin on Wednesday hit the campaign trail from Tiruvarur, his father and former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi's birthplace.

Addressing a rally, Stalin said the five year tenure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ends on June 3 -- which is also the birth anniversary of Karunanidhi.

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday directed a BJP corporator to pay Rs 24 lakh compensation in connection with an attack on a civic squad for removing illegal hoardings put up by him and his associates last year.

A bench of Justices A S Oka and M S Sanklecha directed Murji Patel, the corporator from K (East) ward in suburban Andheri, to deposit the amount with the court within two months.

The bench also asked the civic body, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), to use this money for the injured staff and public purpose.

Maharashtra: Shiv Sena MLA Suresh Dhanorkar from Chandrapur resigns from the party.

The ruling BJD in Odisha on Wednesday ridiculed opposition BJP for its delay in announcing the candidates list for the Lok Sabha and assembly elections in the state.

Though BJD and Congress have already released the candidates' list for the first and second phase of polling on April 11 and April 18, the BJP is yet to announce to announce its nomination for even a single seat.

Ridiculing the BJP president Amit Shah's mission for 120 plus seats in Odisha assembly, Patra said: The party has made tall claims, but it is still looking for candidates. It is not getting 120 candidates to field in the elections. The BJP is instead trying to rope in dissident leaders from other parties".

The BJD, which has already given 33% of its tickets to women candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, also criticised the Congress.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra concludes her Ganga Yatra by offering prayers at Vishwanath temple in Varanasi

Congress General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh (East) Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on BJP saying the arrest of Nirav Modi in London is an achievement of PM Modi: Ye achievement hai? Jaane kisne diya tha?

Transgender activist Gauri Sawant has been appointed as one of the goodwill ambassadors of the Election Commission in Maharashtra.

This is for the first time a transgender has been appointed as a goodwill ambassador.

Till 2014, there was no separate classification of transgenders as voters. In 2014, transgenders were first enrolled as voters along with males and females. While 918 voters had enrolled themselves as transgenders in Maharashtra in 2014, the number has now gone up to 2,086.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi said, “It is easy to make big promises, as you all have seen in Varanasi. Out of the eight promises made in 2014, not even one promise was fulfilled here,” according to News18.

A BJD MP and an MLA have resigned from the ruling party in Odisha after being denied party tickets for the upcoming simultaneous polls in the state taking the number of departees to six so far - three MPs and an equal number of MLAs.

Kandhamal MP Pratyusha Rajeswari Singh and Dasapalla MLA Purna Chandra Nayak on Wednesday resigned from the primary membership of BJD alleging "neglect", party sources said.

The two leaders separately sent their resignation letters to Biju Janata Dal president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik stating that they were ignored and neglected in the party, the sources said.

“Friendly contest means that there will be no cut-throat contest between us on these two seats (Anantnag and Baramulla). If either Congress or NC wins, it's a win-win situation for both of us,” says Ghulam Nabi Azad.

“Jammu and Udhampur will be contested by Congress, I will contest from Srinagar and there will be a friendly contest between NC and Congress in Anantnag and Baramulla. We are also discussing the Ladakh seat,” said Farooq Abdullah

Former BJP MP from Bihar's Purnea district, Uday Singh, on Wednesday joined the Congress and is likely to contest the Lok Sabha polls from the Purnea seat.

"I have joined the Congress and will do whatever the party will ask me to do," Singh said at a press meet at the Congress headquarters.

Tejashwi Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) said, “Mahagathbandhan is intact, seats and constituencies will be announced after Holi. There is nothing to worry, all is fine in the alliance.”

Sumalatha Ambareesh files nomination as an independent candidate from Mandya parliamentary constituency.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on PM Modi's tweet ‘The biggest casualty of dynastic politics are institutions' said, "BJP has systematically attacked every institution in last 5 years including the media. PM should stop thinking people are fools and understand that they see through this."

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi taking motor boat ride from Ramnagar ghat to Assi ghat in Varanasi.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi while addressing a public rally in Imphal, Manipur said, “I am committing to you here that the Congress will defend your culture and history. We are not going to allow the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill to be passed.”

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Chief Mayawati says that she will not be contesting the Lok Sabha Election.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Chief Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday asked people to vote for Prime Minister Narendra Modi again only if they wanted their children to become watchmen.

"Modi wants to turn India into a nation of watchmen. If you want your children to become one, vote for Modi. But if you want your children to get educated and become doctors, engineers and lawyers, vote for AAP, a party of honest and educated people," he tweeted in Hindi.

Sharad Yadav, Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) said, “Mahagathbandhan will do a press conference in Patna on 22nd March to announce the seat sharing in Bihar.”

Odisha CM and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) President Naveen Patnaik files his nomination for the Hinjili assembly constituency at Sub-Collector office, Chatrapur in Ganjam district.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi said, "We will never let anyone compromise on your culture, spirit, language and your way of life. We don't want anyone to impose their rule on your culture."

We are not spending enough money in Education, central government has failed to bring up government universities. Which has made education expensive in India.

Addressing students in Manipur, Congress head Rahul Gandhi says that PMO must now be called Publicity Management Office rather than Prime Minister’s Office.