Lok Sabha Election 2019 LIVE: Rahul Gandhi announces Congress’s plan to create more jobs for youth

Congress President Rahul Gandhi took to twitter to announce the party’s plans to create more jobs for youth and for those who want to start new business

The assured minimum facilities' (AMF) at the polling centres in Maharashtra have been doubled for the next month's Lok Sabha election, an official said on Thursday.

This year, medical kits will be made available at the polling centres in case a voter suffers a health problem.

Besides, there will be sheds at polling centres, volunteers to help 'divyang' and pregnant women, crche for children, transportation for visually-impaired and divyang voters and queue management, the election official said.

"The Election Commission (EC) implements various measures for the voters to facilitate easy and hassle-free voting. In the last general election, it had provided seven types of facilities, including ramp, drinking water, electricity, help desk and toilets," he said.

The election to the lone Lok Sabha seat in Nagaland will be a four cornered contest while the by-poll to the Aonglenden Assembly constituency will witness a straight fight between the ruling NDDP and Congress candidates, an Election official said Thursday.

None of the four candidates have withdrawn their nomination for the Lok Sabha election on Thursday, the last date for withdrawal of candidature while two candidates have withdrawn their candidature for the by-poll to state Assembly seat, the official said.

MP Laxman Seth joined the Congress along with his supporters, WBPCC President Somen Mitra said.

Seth has been nominated by the Congress to contest the Lok Sabha election from his home turf of Tamluk constituency.

The Election Commission (EC) on Thursday gave an undertaking in the Delhi High Court that an advance notice will be given to Arvind Kejriwal before taking any action, including derecognition of his Aam Aadmi Party, for his alleged bribery remarks during Goa Assembly election campaign in 2017.

Justice Yogesh Khanna took on record the statement by the poll panel and disposed of Kejriwal's application seeking directions to the EC not to take any action against him or his party based on its January 21, 2017 censure order.

In its January 2017 order, the EC had said that if he, in future, repeated such remarks, it would take action against him and his party.

Six candidates are in the fray for the lone Lok Sabha seat in Mizoram on Thursday, Election department officials said.

Election to the Mizoram Lok Sabha seat will be held on April 11 simultaneously with the by-poll to the Aizawl West - I Assembly constituency.

With no withdrawal of nomination on Thursday, the last date for withdrawal of candidature, six candidates are in the fray for the Lok Sabha seat and three for the Assembly constituency, the officials said.

The six candidate in the fray for the Lok Sabha seat are - C Lalrosanga of ruling MNF, Lalnghinglova Hmar an Independent supported by the opposition Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) and the Congress, Nirupam Chakma of BJP, T B C Lalvenchhunga of People's Right to Identity and Status of Mizoram (PRISM) and two Independents Lal Hriatrenga Chhangte and Lalthlamuani.

Sticking to their guns, over 170 farmers remained in the fray in the Nizamabad Lok Sabha constituency from where Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's daughter K Kavitha is seeking re-election with withdrawal of nominations coming to an end on Thursday.

Election officials said 60 nominations were withdrawn out of the 503 valid nominations.

A total of 443 candidates remained in the fray with Nizamabad topping the list with 185 candidates, they said.

Telangana, with 17 Lok Sabha constituencies, goes to the polls in the first phase on April 11.

Congress workers stage demonstration demanding Jitin Prasada be given ticket from the constituency. Prasada says 'I am a disciplined soldier of the party and will do what I am told'.

Bihar BJP president Nityanand Rai was on Thursday mobbed and heckled by supporters of a party rebel, who has filed his nomination as an Independent candidate from Katihar Lok Sabha constituency notwithstanding the seat going to alliance partner JD(U) headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Rai called on BJP MLC Ashok Kumar Agarwal at his residence and spent over two hours trying to persuade him to withdraw his nomination in favor of the JD(U) candidate Dulal Chandra Goswami, who would seek to wrest the seat for NDA from Tariq Anwar of the Congress.

BSP chief Mayawati says, “PM Modi did not care for the dignity of prime minister’s office in Meerut rally. His ‘saraab’ comment on SP-BSP-RLD alliance reflects the BJP’s anxiety and his caseist and distorted mentality.”

Tej Pratap Yadav, the elder son of former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad, on Thursday announced he had quit as the chief of the RJD's student wing.

"I am resigning as chief of the RJD's student wing. Innocent are those who think I am innocent," tweeted Tej Pratap Yadav, a former Bihar Minister who has been having simmering differences with his brother and Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in Vijayawada: I have come here to make an appeal to the people of Andhra Pradesh that they should vote for Chandrababu Naidu ji.

It was state-owned Doordarshan (DD) News that shot Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Mission Shakti’ address on Wednesday, but the logo of the channel was deliberately not displayed in the final feed to keep it out of the Election Commission’s watch, reported ThePrint.

BJP Kozhikode Lok Sabha candidate Prakash Babu remanded to 14 day judicial custody by Pathanamthitta Court in connection with Sabarimala case violence.

The Goa Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) on Thursday asked collectors to probe and send a detailed report into a series of ceremonies held by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to immerse the ashes of late Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar in rivers across the state's 40 constituencies.

The direction from the CEO, Kunal, follows a complaint by lawyer Aires Rodrigues alleging that the BJP was taking political advantage of the former Chief Minister's ashes, which is a violation of the model code of conduct.

Samajwadi Party releases another list of candidates. Nasir Qureshi to contest from Moradabad, Bhagwat Sharan Gangwar from Bareily, Pooja Pal from Unnao, Shyam Sunder Yadav from Jhansi and Nathuni Prasad Kushwaha from Kushinagar.

Biju Janata Dal (BJD) writes to Chief Electoral Officer of Bhubaneswar demanding action against BJP for alleged violation of Model Code of Conduct 'for surrogate advertising through a TV serial broadcast on a TV channel in which the characters talk about 'Atal Pension Yojana.'

Amid uncertainty over the candidature of sitting BJP MP Kirit Somaiya from Mumbai North East Lok Sabha seat, Shiv Sena MLA Sunil Raut on Thursday said he was ready to contest the election from the constituency if there was a need.

The Shiv Sena has been vehemently opposing the candidature of Somaiya, as it is miffed with his consistent criticism of party chief Uddhav Thackeray.

There are reports that Somaiya had recently sought time for a meeting with Thackeray and Sena MP Sanjay Raut. However, both of them had reportedly refused to meet him.

The Election Commission on Thursday issued notification for phase three of the Lok Sabha elections to be held on April 23 in 115 seats spread across 14 states.

All seats in Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, and Puducherry will go for polling in this phase. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal will head for voting in all the seven phases of the general elections.

According to the Election Commission, the parliamentary constituencies going to polls in the third phase in Uttar Pradesh include Moradabad, Rampur, Sambhal, Firozabad, Mainpuri, Etah, Badaun, Aonla, Bareilly and Pilibhit.

Jhanjharpur, Supaul Araria , Madhepura Khagaria in Bihar and Surguja (ST), Raigarh (ST) Janjgir-Champa (SC), Korba , Bilaspur, Durg and Raipur in Chhattisgarh will head for voting in the third phase.

Shatrughan Sinha meets Congress President Rahul Gandhi in Delhi. When asked 'if he will contest from Patna Sahib?': Situation kuch bhi ho location wahi hoga.

“Crowds in the front, rows and rows of empty chairs right behind them as PM Modi touches down to address the BJP’s campaign kick off rally in Meerut, tweeted Journalist Maya Mirchandani.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will visit Ayodhya on March 29. She will address party workers and then hold a roadshow and will pay obseince at Hanumangarhi temple before concluding her three day visit to Uttar Pradesh.

Shakti Singh Gohil, Congress In-charge of Bihar: Shatrughan Sinha ji has decided that he will join Congress party and will work as our star leader and star campaigner.

Cracks have developed in the opposition alliance in Jharkhand as the RJD on Thursday fielded candidates from two Lok Sabha seats against the one seat allotted to it by its allies.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has fielded Subhash Yadav from Chatra and Ghuran Ram from Palamau Lok Sabha seats even though it was allotted only Palamau while Chatra was given to the Congress as part of the seat sharing.

CPI(M) announces its Manifesto for the Lok Sabha Elections 2019.
Electoral tactics adopted by the Party for the elections will be based on 3 objectives:
a) Defeat the BJP alliance
b) Strengthen CPIM and the Left
c) Ensure secular govt

Vivek Oberoi and Producer of film 'PM Narendra Modi', Sandeep Singh arrive at Election Commission.

Congress tweeted, “Badhai ho! Modi has finally achieved something - he's completed a total of 100 scams. Get the full list of his corrupt practices here: https://www.corruptmodi.com/en/”

Veteran leader Bijoy Mohapatra, who had resigned from the BJP four months ago, returned to the saffron party on Thursday.

The 68-year-old stalwart said his move to come back to the BJP followed a detailed discussion with the party's national vice-president Baijayant Panda and Odisha in-charge Arun Singh, who met Mohapatra at his residence.

Mohapatra, who had resigned from the party on November 30 last year, said he also had telephonic conversation with other senior leaders, including BJP president Amit Shah.

Today the tele-prompter (which PM Modi was apparently using during his rally in Meerut) has revealed that the people who encourage the intoxication of hatred do not know the difference between ‘Sarab’and ‘Sharab’, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said in a tweet.

“‘Sarab’ means mirage and this is the faint dream which the BJP has been showing the country for five years but which will never be achieved. Now, when the new elections are approaching, they are showing new illusions,” he further explained.

With electioneering for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls gaining steam in Uttar Pradesh, political leaders are increasingly resorting to personal attacks on their adversaries. If the maverick BJP MLA from Bairia, Surendra Singh hit the headlines for his remarks against BSP supremo Mayawati, Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister Shrikant Sharma hit a new low by making indecent comments on Congress chief Rahul Gandhi.

Fresh trouble is brewing within the senior ranks of the Goa BJP over the induction of more MLAs from other political parties.

After the induction of two Congress MLAs Subhash Shirodkar and Dayanand Sopte into the party last year triggered a virtual revolt from former Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, former Speaker and state BJP President Rajendra Arlekar on Thursday expressed disappointment with the latest decision to induct two MLAs from the MGP into the party fold on Wednesday.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi begins her meeting with the party booth workers in her mother Sonia Gandhi's parliamentary constituency Rae Bareli ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The Election Commission will announce the final list of candidates on Friday, the last day for withdrawal of nominations, said an official.

A total of 2,105 nominations were received for 39-Lok Sabha constituencies (1,587 nominations) and the by-elections for 18 assembly seats (518 nominations) in Tamil Nadu.

The election is scheduled for April 18.

Accusations and counter accusations flew thick and fast as BJP candidate in Tezpur parliamentary seat and minister Pallab Lochan Das referred to Congress nominee and former additional chief secretary MGVK Bhanu as "salani maas" (imported fish), drawing sharp criticism from the retired bureaucrat.

Das, who holds the portfolios of labour ministry and tea tribes welfare in Assam, claimed that Bhanu does not represent the people of the state as he hailed from Andhra Pradesh.

"The candidate who represents Assam in the Parliament must stand for the ethos, sentiments and aspirations of the people of the state. He (Bhanu) is an outsider, a 'salani maas' from Andhra Pradesh," Das asserted.

Hitting back at the BJP candidate, Bhanu contended that he has been serving the state since 1985.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday told the Supreme Court that it will hold by-elections on vacant assembly seats of Tiruparankundram, Ottapidaram and Aravakurichi in Tamil Nadu within a reasonable time.

The counsel appearing for the ECI told this to a bench of Justices SA Bobde and SA Nazeer which was hearing a plea filed by the DMK seeking a direction to the poll panel for holding the by-elections on these three vacant assembly seats.

The bench, while taking on record the submissions of the ECI's counsel, disposed of the petition and observed that the court cannot determine the timing of elections and it was for the poll panel to decide.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) poll campaign for the coming Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday.

BJP sources said the grand start of the party's election campaign in the region will take place from Modi's 'Vijay Sankalp rally' scheduled to be held in the outskirts of Jammu city at the Doomi panchayat in Bhalwal.

The Prime Minister is slated to to arrive here at around 4.30 p.m. and will address the rally half an hour later, after which he will return to New Delhi.

The BJP-led NDA in Bihar - which has been accusing the opposition of stalling a bill envisaging 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and legislative assemblies - has resorted to tokenism when it came to distribution of tickets to women in the general election.

According to the list released by the NDA on March 23, only three women candidates have been allotted Lok Sabha tickets in the state - one each by alliance partners the BJP, JD(U) and the LJP.

“The EC has formed a committee to examine the content of PM's address yesterday but the real issue is why & how the PM addressed the country without its prior permission. It is the gross misuse of power & machinery for the electoral benefits. EC must act in an exemplary manner,” tweeted BSP chief Mayawati.

“Previous experience proves that like law & order, BJP leaders are habitual offenders in violating Model Code of Conduct. And PM Mr Modi again flouted poll norms by addressing the country without prior permission of EC though there was no such emergency. Hope the EC acts promptly.”

“PM Narendra Modi’s real surgical strike is out in the open through IT dept raids. The constitutional post offer for IT officer Balakrishna helped the PM in his revenge game. Highly deplorable to use govt machinery, corrupt officials to harrass opponents during election time,”said Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy in a tweet.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to address eight election rallies in Maharashtra where voting in total 48 Lok Sabha seats will be held in four phases starting April 11, a senior BJP leader said on Thursday.

Modi's first rally is scheduled to be held on April 1 in Wardha constituency, where polling will be held in the first phase, he said.

"He is likely to hold eight rallies in the state. The number may go up as more constituencies will go to polls in the third and fourth phases as compared to the first two phases," the leader said. As of now, two rallies each have been planned for the four-phase Lok Sabha polls, to be held on April 11, 18, 23 and 29 in the state, he said.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi will join the party's 'parivartan yatra' in Haryana on Friday, state unit leaders said. Rahul will be touring the northern belt of the state and will hold a public meeting at Jagadhri/Yamunanagar on Friday afternoon, a party leader.

He will hold a roadshow in Radaur in Yamunanagar, a public meeting in Ladwa in Kurukshetra district, a roadshow in Indri and a public meeting and a road show in Karnal, which is the constituency of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

On the second day of the 'parivartan yatra' on Wednesday, Congress leaders continued to attack the Bharatiya Janata Party. Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda claimed the BJP government had distressed all sections of society and people of the state were awaiting the polls to teach them a lesson.

The Congress kicked off its six-day 'parivartan yatra' in Haryana on Tuesday, with senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and Hooda asking the people to vote out the Modi and Khattar governments.

An all-women polling booth will be set up in every Lok Sabha constituency of Maharashtra during the next month's polls in a bid to encourage more female voters to exercise their franchise.

As per the Election Commission's (EC) directions to set up polling stations entirely managed by women, such booths will be set up in all 40 Lok Sabha seats of the state, a release issued by the election office said.

"All those deployed at such polling stations - police, election officers and other employees - will be women. These booths, an initiative towards gender equality and involving women's participation in the electoral process, will be called as 'Sakhi Matdan Kendras'," it said.

Akhilesh Yadav in a tweet tauntingly asked if the BJP has got some intelligence report about the results of upcoming Lok Sabha elections. That is why the restlessness within the party is so visible.

"Today, the BJP is facing opposition in every village and every state. The constant accusations by the party against the opposition make the desperation of its leaders very clear,” he said