Lok Sabha Election 2019 LIVE: DCW writes to East Delhi DCP over pamphlet against AAP candidate Atishi

DCW has taken suo-motu cognizance and written to East Delhi DCP over reports of a pamphlet being circulated against AAP candidate from East Delhi, Atishi. DCW has asked the DCP if FIR's registered, accused identified and arrested and current status of probe. DCP to file reply by 11 May.

NCW has written a letter to Delhi CM, “urging him to issue directions for taking appropriate steps to mitigate the hardships faced by the women”, in connection with a report of water scarcity in three slum areas in South Delhi and problems faced by women and children of the area.

The name and lines of Rabindranath Tagore took centre stage in battleground Bengal on Thursday as politicians like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee vied with each other during the Lok Sabha poll campaign in invoking the bard on his 158th birth anniversary.

In a bid to establish a better connect with the people of Bengal, leaders of opposing political outfits talked of Nobel laureate Tagore's unforgettable contribution to Bengali literature, recited lines from his memorable poems and hailed him as an icon of Bengal's cultural conscience.

Addressing a rally in Bankura in Bengal's tribal belt, Modi paid tribute to Tagore by offering flowers at his portrait and beginning the speech invoking his name.

Modi, who has repeatedly accused the Banerjee-led Trinamool government of tarnishing Bengal's image as the cultural capital of the country and claimed that if voted to power the saffron outfit will bring back the state's "glorious past", requested the crowd at his rally to chant 'Gurudev Tagore Amar Rahe' (Tagore be immortal) before beginning his speech.

NCP general secretary and former Gujarat Chief Minister Shankersinh Vaghela on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "derogatory and false" statements against Rajiv Gandhi showed that the BJP's campaign has reached a dead end and the PM was in a "panic mode".

Vaghela also expressed confidence that the UPA will form the next government at the Centre.

"The remarks made by Modi against former PM Rajiv Gandhi, who is no longer alive, are derogatory and false. The remarks are unbecoming of a PM...By attacking Rajiv Gandhi, Modi has proved that the BJP campaign has reached a dead end," he said on the sidelines of an event.

The statement has lowered the dignity of the office of the prime minister, he said.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee in Bankura: I challenge you (PM Modi) if you can prove your allegations that one of us is part of coal mafia, I will withdraw all my 42 candidates. If you are lying, you have to hold your ears and do a hundred sit ups before public.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi proves that former CM Shivraj SIngh Chouhan lied about his brother’s farm loans by showing the application details of the loan waiver forms at a rally in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh.

MP Agriculture Minister, Sachin Yadav shares details of the loan waiver application of former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s brother, proving his claims false. Shivraj Singh Chouhan claimed earlier today that his brother had not even applied for a loan waiver.

Congress in Telangana Thursday urged the Election Commission to either cancel the notification issued for by-elections to three vacancies in the Legislative Council as no voters' list had been published or extend time to have new voters' list.

The notification for the bypolls to fill vacancies in the Council from the Ranga Reddy, Nalgonda and Warangal Local Authorities' Constituencies was issued on Tuesday last.

The nominations can be filed from May 7 as per the schedule announced by the Election Commission on the night of May 6, but no voters' list was published by the EC till May 9 afternoon, state Congress president N Uttam Kumar Reddy said in a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over unemployment, taunting him for a remark that selling ‘pakodas’ is a job worth doing.

Addressing an election rally, Gandhi claimed that unemployment in the country is the highest now in 45 years. "This is Modi's contribution," he said.

"Make in India, startup India, sit down India, pakodas,” the Congress leader said, mocking the schemes started by the BJP government at the Centre “Initially, he talked about Make in India, then Startup India, then Stand-Up India and finally he ended on pakodas," Rahul Gandhi said.

East Delhi AAP candidate Atishi on Thursday broke down while reading a pamphlet containing "obscene and derogatory" remarks against her that she claimed has been distributed in the constituency by her BJP rival Gautam Gambhir. No immediate reaction was received from Gambhir.

Atishi, who was accompanied by Deputy Delhi Chief Minister Manish Sisodia during a press conference, broke down as she read out the pamphlet in front of reporters.

She said she had welcomed Gambhir, a former cricketer, when he entered politics but now the BJP has stooped to an unexpected level.

The New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency may house all the Central government offices but local issues have played their role in the elections, with sealing being the burning one.

The constituency, formed in 1951, houses prestigious institutions like the Parliament, Supreme Court, Central government offices, official residences of the President, Prime Minister, all the Union Ministers, top civil, judicial, military officials and the Diplomatic Enclave.

It also has high-profile markets like Khan Market, Defence Colony, South Extension, Connaught Place, Green Park, Hauz Khas and Lajpat Nagar.

About 10,000 properties in Delhi have been sealed for land misuse, including converting residential units into commercial ones, non-payment of conversion charges and increased pollution emissions since December 2017. Of these, about 3,000 properties are in the New Delhi Municipal Council area.

Congress General Secretary for UP East, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Pratapgarh says, “Inse bada kaayar, inse kamzor Pradhanmantri maine zindagi mein nahi dekha hai. Rajnaitik shakti bade bade prachaar se nahi aati hai, TV pe dikhaane se nahi aati hai.”

“Rajnaitik shakti wo hoti hai jo ye maane ki janta sabse badi hai, janta ki baat sun'ne ki shakti, janta ki samasyaon ko suljhane ki shakti, alochna sun'ne ki shakti, vipakshi dalon ki baat sun'ne ki shakti. Lekin ye PM apki baat sun'na chhodiye, apko jawab dena nahi jante.”

After directions from a court, police in Jammu and Kashmir's Leh district have filed an FIR against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in a case of bribery allegation levelled by local journalists.

Chief Judicial Magistrate in Leh Tsewang Phuntsog, while disposing off an application filed by the police, said: "Perusal and consideration of the material on record reveals prima facie commission of non-cognizable offences punishable under Section 171E and 171F of the Indian Penal Code, warranting investigation.

"Accordingly, the instant application is allowed and SHO Police Station Leh is permitted to investigate into the matter under law," he added.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi says in Haryana's Sirsa, “Agar aapko Rajiv Gandhi ji aur meri baat karni hai aap zaroor kijiye, dil khol ke kijiye. Magar janta ko samjha dijiye ki aapne Rafale maamle mein kya kiya kya nahi kiy...jo vaada kiya tha 2 cr yuvaon ko rozgar ka wo poora nahi kiya.”

Congress President Rahul Gandhi in Sirsa, Haryana says, “I want to tell the youth and farmers in Sirsa, Narendra Modi made false promises to you, lied to you about ₹15 lakh, but we promise you will get 3,60,000 in your bank account.”

The Election Commission has ordered re-polling at 13 booths in five parliamentary constituencies in Tamil Nadu on May 19, it said in a statement.

In a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, the commission declared the April 18 polls at eight stations in Dharmapuri, one in Tiruvallur, one in Cuddalore, one in Erode and two in Theni "void".

These 13 polling stations are also a part of Assembly segments Poonamallee, Pappireddipatti, Panruti, Kangeyam, Andipatti and Periyakulam where by-elections will be held on May 19.

Supreme Court dismisses plea of former BSF constable and SP candidate Tej Bahadur Yadav against rejection of his nomination from Varanasi LS constituency. A Bench headed by CJI Gogoi dismissing the plea said, “We don’t find any merit to entertain this petition”

Supreme Court dismisses the petition seeking to direct the Election Commission of India (ECI) to debar Congress President Rahul Gandhi from contesting the Lok Sabha polls after he had “voluntarily acquired British nationality.”

"We dismiss the petition. There is no merit in the petition," said CJI Ranjan Gogoi

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of seeking votes in name of "fake nationalism" and said he has done nothing in the last five years except “jumlebaazi”, foreign tours and lectures.

In response to Modi's comments that Delhi government brought “nakampanthi" (non-performance) model of governance, Kejriwal said his party has addressed issues related to education, health, electricity and water and asked “what have you done”.

In a tweet, Kejriwal charged, “Modi has done nothing in the last five years except jumlebaazi, foreign tours and lectures and that is the reason he is seeking votes in make of fake nationalism”.

Kejriwal said “the people of Delhi have sought answers of three questions from you for which you had no answers”.

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi repeatedly targeting Rajiv Gandhi in his campaign speeches, senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel on Thursday said abusing a martyred Prime Minister is the sign of "ultimate cowardice".

Patel's counter attack came a day after Modi accused the Gandhi family of using warship INS Viraat as its "personal taxi" for a holiday when Rajiv Gandhi was at the helm.

"Rajiv ji lost his life due to their hatred and is no longer here amongst us to answer the baseless allegations and abuses which are being unleashed on him. Abusing a martyred Prime Minister is the sign of ultimate cowardice.," Patel tweeted.

In the patriarchal state of Haryana, political parties are not fair with the fairer sex when it comes to the parliamentary elections. Only nine women were elected to Parliament so far.

Eleven women (4.9%) of the total 223 candidates are in the fray among 1.80 crore registered electors, including 83,40,173 women.

No woman figures in the list of candidates of state's oldest regional party -- the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), an alliance partner with the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), a breakaway faction of the INLD, even as the fairer sex constitutes 46% (83,40,173) of the total electorate.

However, the newly floated JJP has a lone woman candidate out of the seven seats it is contesting. The AAP is in fray on the remaining three seats.