The Congress on Friday released the third list of 18 candidates, for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls 2019.
A day after Congress president Rahul Gandhi's programme at Stella Maris college, the Directorate of Collegiate Education has issued a circular to the regional joint director asking how the campus was used for a discussion involving a political leader when Model Code of Conduct is in place. The Directorate of Collegiate Education has demanded an explanation as to why the meeting was conducted in the college. Mr Gandhi scion held a discussion with students of Stella Maris college on Thursday.
During his interaction, Rahul criticised the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government over issues like demonetisation, GST and Rafale among others.
He also assured that in 2019, the Congress has decided to "pass women reservation Bill in Lok Sabha. We are also going to reserve 33 per cent in all government jobs at the national level."
Here are the LIVE Updates of the Lok Sabha Elections 2019:
Congress has clarified that Apna Dal's Krishna Patel faction has joined the Congress alliance for 2 Lok Sabha seats- Basti and Pilibhit (not Gonda, as reported earlier) in Uttar Pradesh. Pankaj Niranjan Singh Chandel, son-in-law of Krishna Patel, has taken membership of the Congress party.
Apna Dal's Krishna Patel faction joins Congress alliance for two Lok Sabha seats-- Basti and Gonda-- in Uttar Pradesh. Pankaj Niranjan Singh Chandel, son-in-law of Krishna Patel, has taken membership of the Congress.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah are holding a Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting with Assam leaders.
The Election Commission of India has fixed a timeline for the release of the manifesto by political parties. Manifestos for both single and multi phase elections shall not be released during prohibitory period, as prescribed under Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the poll body has said. The provision will, henceforth, be applicable and implemented as a part of the Model Code of Conduct for all future elections, it added.
Acting on a complaint given by BJP youth wing, the Election Commission has asked the Chennai district officer for a report on Stella Maris college giving permission for Congress president's political event. The Directorate of Collegiate Education has demanded an explanation as to why the meeting was conducted in the college.
In a setback to the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the party's sitting MP Balabhadra Majhi from Odisha's Nabarangpur district joined the BJP today. He quit the party on Thursday amidst reports that he would be denied a ticket for the coming general elections. After joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Majhi met party President Amit Shah. Earlier, former BJD MP Baijayant Jay Panda had joined the BJP. He was last week appointed the party's national Vice President and Spokesperson.
Danish Ali, the well-known General Secretary of the Janata Dal Secular has quit the party and joined Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party. It is expected that he will contest the Lok Sabha elections from Uttar Pradesh on a BSP ticket. Mr Ali was busy negotiating seat sharing between the ruling coalition partners in Karnataka, the Congress and his Janata Dal Secular. He finally met Congress President Rahul Gandhi in Kochi on Wednesday, after which it was announced that the JDS would contest eight and the Congress 20 of Karnataka's 28 Lok Sabha seats.
BSP president Mayawati today accused the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of trying to rake up old issues to divert people's attention from their failures ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. "In order to divert people's attention from the failures of its government and prevent poverty and unemployment for becoming real election issues, BJP and Prime Minister Modi are trying to rake up all kind of dead issues," Ms Mayawati said in a tweet in Hindi. "This is most condemnable... people should remain cautious," she added.
In another tweet, she alleged that the Prime Minister mostly remained busy in laying foundation stones and spent Rs 3,044 crore in publicity.
After addressing a rally in Dehradun, Congress president Rahul Gandhi met the family of Major Chitresh Singh Bisht at the latter's residence in Dehradun. Major Chitresh Singh Bisht lost his life on 16 February while defusing an IED which was planted by terrorists across the LoC in Rajouri district, Jammu & Kashmir.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on said if elected to power, his party will introduce a scheme of guaranteed minimum income for the poor, which will go straight into their bank accounts. Launching the Congress's campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls at a rally in Uttarakhand, Mr Gandhi said everyone earning below a certain level would be given a guaranteed minimum income, which would go straight into the accounts of the beneficiaries. He added that India would be the first country in the world to introduce a scheme like this if the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) came to power.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi addresses people in Dehradun.
Manish Khanduri, the son of former Uttarakhand Chief Minister B.C. Khanduri, today joined the Congress in the presence of party President Rahul Gandhi at an election rally.
Welcoming the younger Mr Khanduri, Mr Gandhi claimed that his father, also a retired Army General, was shunted out as the chairman of the defence committee just because he had raised a valid question on national security. "B.C. Khanduri is a true son of the soil. I want to tell you that he was shunted out of the defence committee just because he had raised a question on national security," Gandhi said at the Parade Grounds rally. Rahul Gandhi also garlanded Manish Khanduri to formally induct him into the party.
BJP MP Shyama Charan Gupta switches sides and joins Samajwadi Party. He will be contesting the Lok Sabha Elections from Banda constituency as a SP candidate.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi has reached Parade Ground in Dehradun where he will begin his addess shortly.
Son of former BJP chief minister of Uttarakhand Major General (retd) BC Khanduri, Manish Khanduri joins Congress in presence of Rahul Gandhi in Dehradun.
BJP MP Shyama Charan Gupta joins Samajwadi Party. He will be contesting LokSabha Elections 2019 from Banda constituency.
In a jolt to the BJP in Assam, its sitting MP from Tezpur Ram Prasad Sarmah Saturday announced that he quit the saffron fold and alleged neglect of old workers by "new intruders in the party". He said he was resigning from the primary membership of the BJP after serving the RSS and VHP for 15 years and the BJP for 29 years.
Union Minister Smriti Irani tweeted saying, "I am proud to join #MainBhiChowkidar movement. As a citizen who loves India, I shall do my best to defeat corruption, dirt, poverty & terrorism and help create a New India which is strong, secure & prosperous."
Janata Dal (Secular)'s senior leader Danish Ali joins BSP | JD(S) general secretary Danish Ali joins Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in the presence of BSP All India General Secretary Satish Mishra, ahead of Lok Sabha elections in Lucknow on Saturday.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi will kick off the party's campaign for Lok Sabha elections in Uttarakhand on Saturday with a rally in Dehradun at 12:30 pm. Mr Gandhi will address the 'Vishal Parivartan Rally,' a public meeting at Parade Ground, Dehradun. The Congress chief is also scheduled to pay a visit to the families of the slain soldiers hailing from Dehradun.
DMK's ally MDMK Saturday announced the candidature of former MP A Ganeshamurthi from the Erode constituency for the April 18 Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu. Ganeshamurthi is a two-time MP, who had represented Palani in the 12th Lok Sabha (1998) and Erode during the 2009-14 period. MDMK has been allotted the Erode constituency, even as DMK President M K Stalin has assured one Rajya Sabha seat to his party's ally at the appropriate time. Tamil Nadu has a total of 39 Lok Sabha seats.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday urged his supporters to take the 'main bhai chowkidar' (I too am watchman) pledge, saying he is not alone in the fight against graft and social evils. "Your Chowkidar is standing firm & serving the nation. But, I am not alone. Everyone who is fighting corruption, dirt, social evils is a Chowkidar. Everyone working hard for the progress of India is a Chowkidar. Today, every Indian is saying-#MainBhiChowkidar," he wrote on Twitter. He also posted a little over three minute video to drive home his message.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi will kick off party's campaign for Lok Sabha elections in Uttarakhand with a rally in Dehradun on Saturday.
PM Modi urged his supporters to take the ''main bhai chowkidar'' (I too am watchman) pledge, saying he is not alone in the fight against graft and social evils.