Lok Sabha Elections 2019 Live: Chhattisgarh Congress aims to sweep tribal seats to halt BJP

Chhattisgarh Congress aims to sweep tribal seats to halt BJP

Bolstered by its stellar showing in the tribal-dominated seats in the 2018 Chhattisgarh Assembly polls, the Congress is planning an even more effective encore for the April-May Lok Sabha elections.

Party leaders said the plan was to dislodge the BJP from all four tribal-dominated Lok Sabha seats, out of grasp of the Congress since 2000 when the state was carved out of Madhya Pradesh.

Three of these seats, namely Bastar, Raigarh and Surguja, will see sitting Congress MLAs contesting the Lok Sabha polls.

Cong fields former NCP leader Tariq Anwar from Katihar in Bihar, senior leader B K Hariprasad from Bangalore South LS seatCongress releases ninth list of 10 candidates for Lok Sabha polls; Karti Chidambaram to contest from Sivaganga in Tamil NaduShiv Pal Yadav's 'Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party' releases second list

Former Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Yadav, who recently floated a new political outfit 'Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party’ released its second list of 19 candidates for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls

Shashi Tharoor challenges PM Modi to fight from Thiruvananthapuram

Congress leader and MP from Thiruvananthapuram Kerala, Shashi Tharoor has challenged PM Modi to contest against him from the constituency

Panthic Morcha decides against contesting LS polls, to support Congress in Jammu and Kashmir

Panthic Morcha, an organisation of over two dozen social and religious organisations of Sikhs, Sunday said it would not contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and will support the Congress to strengthen "secular ideology" in the state.

On March 18, the Morcha had announced prominent Sikh leader Avtar Singh Khalsa as its candidate from Jammu-Poonch parliamentary constituency, which is going to polls in the first phase on April 11.

The Congress has fielded former minister Raman Bhalla from the constituency and enjoys support form the National Conference, which has sealed a pre-poll alliance with the party.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address two rallies - one at north Bengal's Siliguri and other at Kolkata's Brigade Parade Ground -- on April 3 ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, a party leader said on SundayBJP veteran Kariya Munda denied ticket to return to farming

Former Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker and eight-time Lok Sabha member, Kariya Munda, said on Sunday that he will return to farming after the BJP denied him ticket to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Jharkhand.

In the list of BJP candidates, Kariya Munda has been replaced by former Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Arjun Munda.

Kariya Munda was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1977. He became Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha in 2009.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Sunday claimed that the BJD will win all the 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha and play a major role in government formation at the Centre in the coming elections in which no national party will be able to get a majority. "No national party will be able to win majority in Lok Sabha election this time. BJD will have decisive role to play in formation of the next government at the Centre," the Biju Janata Dal president said while formally kick starting his party's poll campaign at a rally in Nayagarh.Hemant Soren confirms seat sharing with Congress and allies in Jharkhand

Congress finalises seat-sharing with partners in Jharkhand, to contest on 7 seats; Jharkhand Mukti Morcha gets 4, Jharkhand Vikas Morcha on 2 seats, talks are still ongoing with RJD, they have not yet agreed. Everyone will support RJD in Palamu

Congress leader Harku Jha said that the party will announce its candidates soon on Kishanganj, Katihar and Purnia seats MP dropped from BJP's Gujarat list hits out at party

Surendranagar MP Devji Fatehpara, who was denied a ticket by the BJP for the April-May Lok Sabha polls, blamed two party colleagues for his ouster.

The BJP, which Saturday released a list of 15 candidates, dropped Fatehpara from Surendranagar and replaced him with Mahendra Munjpara.

Talking to reporters, Fatehpara said he had been denied a ticket at the behest of former minister Jayanti Kavadiya and MLA Dhanji Patel, a charge both of them denied.

"I have been denied a ticket at the behest of Jayanti Kavadiya and Dhanji Patel. Kavadiya has been against me for a long time. Now, he has got the company of Dhanji Patel. Both of them brought in Munjpara because they wanted someone who is obedient, someone who follows their orders," Fatehpara told reporters in Rajkot.

SDF launches campaign to connect with voters

The ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) has launched the "Ma Pani Chamling" campaign to build an inclusive manifesto, incorporating people's aspirations for the upcoming polls.

Through the campaign, the SDF aims to connect with 4 lakh people in the state and take their suggestions to prepare manifesto for the April 11 Assembly and Lok Sabha polls in the state

Ram Chandra Purve, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD): Shailesh Kumar to contest from Bhagalpur, and Jayprakash Narayan Yadav from Banka constituency.Congress announces LS candidates for UP’s Amroha, Mathura, Aonla Lucknow

The Congress late on Saturday night announced its candidates for three Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttar Pradesh.

The eighth list of candidates announced by the party names Rashid Alvi from Amroha, Mahesh Pathak from Mathura and Kunwar Sarvaraj Singh from Aonla in the state.

A former spokesperson of the Congress, Alvi has been a member of the Lok Sabha from Amroha (1999-2004) and a two-term Rajya Sabha MP from Andhra Pradesh.

Kunwar Sarvaraj Singh has been a three-time Lok Sabha MP from Aonla. He was elected to the Lok Sabha from the constituency in 1996 and 1999 on Samajwadi tickets, while in 2004, he got elected on a Janata Dal (United) ticket.

Mahesh Pathak, who has been fielded from Mathura by the Congress, is a local businessman

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Over 100 Tamil Nadu ryots will dress up like Aghori sadhus (Shiva followers) and seek alms in Uttar Pradesh to pay for filing their nomination to the Varanasi constituency from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is contesting, farmers' leader P Ayyakannu said on Sunday.

This plan is to try and bring back focus on the plight of farmers besides collecting money (about Rs 25,000 for each nomination) for filing papers, Ayyakannu said.

"We plan to dress up like Aghori sadhus and seek alms," Ayyakannu, president of the National South Indian Rivers Inter-Linking Farmers Association said

Ayyakannu had said on Saturday that 111 farmers from Tamil Nadu would contest against Modi from Varanasi if the BJP does not assure them of fulfilling their demands such as profitable prices for farm produce and include it in the party manifesto.

Aam Aadmi Party to contest Lok Sabha elections in Bihar and UP

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday announced that it will contest three seats each in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, and also introduced its candidates.

In a series of tweets, AAP leader Sanjay Singh said that in Uttar Pradesh, the party will contest in Saharanpur, Gautam Buddh Nagar and Aligarh.

"The Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of AAP has given its approval for three names in Uttar Pradesh. Yogesh Dahiya from Saharanpur, Prof Shweta Sharma from Gautam Buddh Nagar and Satish Chand Sharma from Aligarh will be AAP's candidates," Singh said.

RJD gives ticket to Bulo Mandal from Bhagalpur Congress announces 9 candidates in Madhya Pradesh

The Congress has announced its candidates for nine of the 29 Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh, fielding former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh from Bhopal.

The announcement was made on Saturday night.

Former Minister and Lok Sabha member Kantilal Bhuria was given the ticket to contest on Ratlam (reserved) sea

Meenakshi Natrajan will contest from Mandsaur, Ramu Tekam from Betul (reserved), Kavita Singh from Khajuraho, Kiran Ahirwar from Tikamgarh (reserved), Pramila Singh from Shahdol, Shailendra Diwan from Hoshangabad and Madhu Bhagat from Balaghat

EC seeks to make election `accessible' for over 2 lakh Divyang voters in Maharashtra

Over two lakh disabled or `Divyang' voters in Maharashtra can use a specially designed mobile app to seek special facilities at polling booths during the next month's Lok Sabha elections.

Facilities such as wheelchairs, ramps and transport from home will be rolled out for 2,24,162 registered Divyang voters in the state, an Election Commission official said.

"Accessible Elections" is the EC's slogan, he said.

Bru voters in relief camps to vote in special polling booths

Bru voters lodged in relief camps in Tripura would exercise their franchise for the lone Lok Sabha seat in Mizoram on April 11 in special polling booths which would be set up for them at Kanhum village in Mizoram-Tripura border, officials said Sunday.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has instructed the Mizoram Election department to make arrangements so that the Bru voters lodged in relief camps in Tripura could exercise franchise at Kanhmun village, the officials said.

The ECI has also instructed the Tripura government to make arrangements for the transport of the Bru voters from their relief camps to the polling booths on April 11.

Congress announces all 5 candidates from Uttarakhand

The Congress has announced candidates for all the five Lok Sabha seats in Uttarakhand.

The party has fielded Congress general secretary Harish Rawat from Nainital, former MLA Ambrish Kumar from Haridwar, former Chief Minister B.C. Khanduri's son Manish Khanduri from Pauri, state Congress president Pritam Singh from Tehri and Rajya Sabha member Pradeep Tamta from Almora.

"The Congress' central election committee cleared names of all the candidates," Suryakant Dhasmana, the state party vice president, said on Saturday.