Lok Sabha Election 2019 LIVE: Priyanka Gandhi starts roadshow in Varanasi amid massive crowd

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh (East) starts roadshow in Varanasi. Congress Varanasi LS candidate Ajay Rai and Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel are also present.

The opposition Congress and CPI-M sought directions from the Supreme Court to hold fresh polling for the Tripura West Lok Sabha seat, although the constituency has already gone to the polls twice, party officials said on Wednesday.

Re-polling was held on May 12 in 168 of the total 1,679 polling stations in the constituency as electoral malpractices were detected during the first round of voting held on April 11.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist sitting Lok Sabha MP and party candidate Sankar Prasad Datta said that their lawyers on the advice of the Supreme Court vacation bench, on Wednesday filed a writ petition in the Tripura High Court.

As the heat of the Lok Sabha elections reaches its pinnacle, a BSP candidate has gone missing. An FIR registered in a Varanasi police station accuses him of sexual assault.

Atul Rai, the BSP candidate from the Ghosi seat in Mau district, has been missing from the campaign scene for the past fortnight.

Rai is reportedly absconding ever since the FIR was registered against him on May 1 by a college student, who alleged that he had sexually assaulted her.

Fearing arrest, Rai went underground and has not been canvassing. "We are campaigning for him and the people of Ghosi know that he is being framed. We apprehend that he may be arrested if he comes here for campaigning," said a Rai supporter.

According to reports, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati has asked her cadres to continue the campaign for Atul Rai and ensure his victory. Samajwadi President Akhilesh Yadav has issued similar instructions to his party workers.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi flew to Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday to meet Congress legislator Aditi Singh and members of the zila panchayat who had been injured in an attack on them on Tuesday.

Priyanka Gandhi arrived in Rae Bareli in the afternoon and went to the zila panchayat office to meet members who had been assaulted on Tuesday.

Aditi Singh and members of the zila panchayat were on their way to vote on a no-confidence motion against the zila panchayat head Avadesh Singh when they were attacked by a group of men in which three cars in the convoy overturned.

Anybody can come and do a procession, but what were the outsiders.....Who is this fellow Tejinder Bagga? Who is he? He was arrested, is he not the same guy who slapped somebody in Delhi? You have taken in your outsider goons, said TMC MP Derek O’ Brien

Central Police Observer Vivek Dubey on Wednesday said that three FIRs have been lodged after disturbance following BJP President Amit Shah's roadshow here.

Stone pelting, vandalism, destruction of Bengali polymath Vidyasagar's bust and setting vehicles on fire were reported on Tuesday.

"Three cases have been lodged. Let the investigation be done first," Dubey told reporters regarding the steps the Election Commission will take in relation to the violence on College Street.

BSP president Mayawati on Wednesday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's legacy as the Gujarat chief minister is a black spot for himself and the BJP, as well as a burden on the communal history of the country.

Mayawati alleged that the prime minister had crossed all limits of decency in terming the Bahujan Samaj Party her personal property.

"The entire country knows that most of those having benami properties and the corrupt are connected with the BJP," she said, claiming that Modi is honest only on paper, just like he is an OBC only on paper.

The BSP chief said her tenures as Uttar Pradesh chief minister had been clean.

CPI (Marxist) holds protest against statue of Vidyasagar vandalised in violence during BJP President Amit Shah's roadshow yesterday. CPI (M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury says,"an investigation should be done to find out how could this happen in Kolkata".

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday declined to entertain a PIL filed by a BJP leader seeking directions to the Election Commission to "restrict" misuse of religion for poll gains.

The high court also asked the EC to decide BJP leader Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay's representation against the remarks of actor-cum-politician Kamal Haasan that "free India's first extremist was a Hindu", referring to Nathuram Godse who killed Mahatma Gandhi.

The petition, filed by Upadhyay, has also sought debarring of candidates and deregistration of parties that "misuse" religion for electoral gains.

A senior election officer in Goa on Wednesday said they were probing the complaint against state Deputy Chief Minister Vijai Sardesai for his comments on "weaponising" the youth and that action will be taken based on the inquiry report.

North Goa district's Youth Congress president Vivek D'Silva lodged a complaint with the Election Commission on Monday, saying Sardesai's remark was "an indirect attempt to threaten voters" in the poll-bound Panaji Assembly constituency.

He claimed Sardesai's comments were "against the state" and demanded that he be booked for sedition.

State deputy chief electoral officer Sangeeta Naik said that the North Goa district election officer was directed to conduct an inquiry and submit the report at the earliest.

The Election Commission will on Wednesday hold a review meeting with observers and state chief electoral officers for the last phase of Lok Sabha polls on May 19.

The review meeting, to be held via video conference, comes a day after BJP and Trinamool Congress workers fought pitched battles on streets of Kolkata during a massive road show by saffron party president Amit Shah.

"Since nine out of 59 parliamentary constituencies going for poll on May 19 are from West Bengal, it is natural that observers and poll officials from the state will also participate," an official said.

He, however, refused to say whether the focus will be on West Bengal.

Makkal Neethi Maiam on its chief Kamal Haasan's statement '1st terrorist in independent India is a Hindu, his name is Nathuram Godse': He was calling for religious tolerance and co-existence amongst all religious groups and condemned extremism in whichever form and religion.

“This has been taken absolutely out of context and the speech has been painted as anti-Hindu, with a malafide intent. This has created complete confusion and utmost anxiety amongst many common citizens who are not privy to this larger conspiracy.”

Kolkata Police has registered two First Information Reports against BJP president Amit Shah. The FIRs were filed in Jorasanko and Amherst Street police stations. The FIRs were registered based on complaints filed by students affiliated with Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) of Vidyasagar College and Calcutta University.

Supreme Court censures West Bengal govt over delay in the release of BJP Youth Wing Convenor Priyanka Sharma who was arrested for sharing a meme of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

BJP Youth Wing Convenor Priyanka Sharma's advocate mentions before the Supreme Court that Priyanka has not been released yet. SC says if she is not released, it will issue a notice of contempt. Sharma was arrested for sharing a meme of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

West Bengal Government's Counsel says in Supreme Court that 'Priyanka Sharma was released at 9:40 am, today.' SC bench asks,' why she was not released immediately?'

Election Commission to hold a meeting with West Bengal observers on poll violence in the state at 11.30 am today via video conferencing

PM Narendra Modi was indeed the CM of Gujarat for a longer time than I was the CM of Uttar Pradesh. But his legacy is a black stain on BJP & country's communalism....While in our government, Uttar Pradesh was free of riots and anarchy, BSP Chief Mayawati said.

“BJP is trying to misguide the dalits with their false propaganda and tactics. PM doesn't hesitate from calling BSP, 'Behenji ki Sampatti Party.' Whatever the national president of BSP has, it has been given by well-wishers & the society, and nothing is hidden from the government,” said Mayawati during a press conference in Lucknow

Congress President Rahul to campaign in Punjab and Rajasthan on Wednesday. He will be addressing public meeting in both the states.

Priyanka Gandhi to hold roadshow in Varanasi on Wednesday. She will also offer prayers at Kashi Vishwanath temple

Rae Bareli Congress MLA Aditi Singh's vehicle was attacked on her way to Rae Bareli where she was headed for a floor test against District Panchayat Chief Awadhesh Singh. "Attack was done on Awadesh Singh's direction near Dinesh Singh's college.A Singh was also present,”said Aditi Singh.

SK Bhagat, IG, Lucknow range, said on Tuesday, "Zila Panchayat members have alleged that a few members are missing. Necessary action will be taken. Force was allotted where voting was to take place. We'll take a report"....The Zila Panchayat members haven't been found yet