Lok Sabha Election 2019 LIVE: Karnataka Dalita Sangharsha Samiti (DSS) will support the Congress

The Karnataka Dalita Sangharsha Samiti (DSS) will support the Congress and other secular parties in the coming Lok Sabha elections, its state chief convenor Mavalli Shankar said Saturday.

Addressing reporters at the press club here, he alleged that the BJP-led NDA government had failed to fulfil the promises made during their election campaign in 2014.

"The NDA government should be ousted to protect the Constitution, which is facing a threat under the regime," he said.

Democratic values were also being eroded, he said, adding there was an urgent need to protect the Constitution and democracy in the country.

In a complaint to the Election Commission, the NSUI, students wing of the Congress, has alleged that the BJP-led coalition government in Goa has permitted a new casino vessel to operate with an aim to garner funds for general elections and three Assembly by-elections.

The complaint by National Students Union of India President Ahraz Mulla states the permission granted to the casino on March 13 was in violation of the model code of conduct, which came into force on March 10.

Odisha'a octogenarian MLA Duryadhan Majhi has resigned from the opposition BJP after being denied ticket by the party to contest the upcoming assembly elections in the state.

Majhi, a five time MLA, was a minister in the Biju Patnaik cabinet and had joined BJP in 2014 after being denied party ticket by BJD.

He is the lone legislator in the state, who has been denied the party ticket for the 2019 polls.

BJP state president Basant Panda said: "The party leadership has decided not to field candidates above 80 years of age. The elder leaders may act as advisors." Majhi attained 81 years of age in April this year.

The Election Commission has released the final voters' list in Andhra Pradesh which showed deletion of about 1.41 lakh names, contrary to charges traded by ruling TDP and opposition YSR Congress about large scale removals and bogus entries in recent months.

According to the list released by the state Chief Electoral Officer Gopal Krishna Dwivedi, as of March 22 the total number of electorate was 3,91,81,399 comprising 1,93,82,068 male, 1,97,95,423, women and 3,908 transgenders.

The state will have a single phase polling on April 11 for the 175-member assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti to contest Lok Sabha election from Anantnag seat

However PDP won't be fielding nominees from Udhampur, Jammu constituencies

The Mukto Assembly seat in Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh, currently held by Chief Minister Pema Khandu, is set to witness a triangular fight after a gap of 20 years.

Since 1999, the MLAs in the constituency, along the India-China border, has been elected without a contest.

The Congress has fielded Thupten Kunphen from the seat this time, while the Janata Dal (Secular) nominated 39-year- old Buddhist monk Lama Lobsang Gyatso.

Elections to the 60 Assembly constituencies and two Lok Sabha seats in Arunachal Pradesh will be held concurrently on April 11.

DMK President M.K. Stalin on Saturday said Chief Minister K. Palaniswami has pledged his party AIADMK to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to escape corruption complaints.

Addressing a rally at Harur in the Dharmapuri district of Tamil Nadu, Stalin said Palaniswami has pledged AIAMDK to BJP President Amit Shah and the pledge cannot be redeemed.

Stalin said Palaniswami has forgetten AIADMK founder late M.G. Ramachandran and his successor as party General Secretary late J. Jayalalithaa and considers Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah gods.

Former IAS officer Shah Faesal said on Saturday that his recently launched party won't contest the Lok Sabha elections.

Addressing a media conference in Srinagar, Faesal said: "We will strengthen the party before taking part in electoral politics."

Faesal launched the Jammu and Kashmir People's Movement (JKPM) during a rally in Srinagar last Sunday.

Maharashtra Congress Chief Ashok Chavan announced Congress seat share with alliances in the state. Congress will contest on 24 seats, NCP on 20 seats, Bahujan Vikas Aghadi on 1 seat, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana on 2 seats, Yuva Swabhimani Paksha on 1 seat.

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh will be the party's nominee from Bhopal Lok Sabha seat— a BJP stronghold since the last three decades— Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath said on Saturday.

The announcement was made at the "Holi Milan" programme organised by the Congress here and comes a week after Nath had said that if Singh wants to contest the Lok Sabha polls, he should choose the "toughest seat" in the state.Singh, a former chief minister and a royale, had accepted the "challenge" the next day.

Nath said, "I have a list of party candidates in my pocket but I can't disclose. However, I can make an announcement. (Congress) Election Committee yesterday (Friday) finalised the name of Digvijaya Singh ji from Bhopal". "I had requested Digvijaya Singh that you had been the chief minister for so long, and it doesn't suit you if you say that I will contest from Rajgarh (Digvijay's home turf)," he said.

In a complaint to the Election Commission of India on Saturday, the Goa Congress has demanded that the poll authority should strike down a state government order, which appoints two key coalition leaders as deputy Chief Ministers

"The order is a clear violation of the Model Code of Conduct and as such this order should be immediately set aside by the EC and strict and stringent action should be taken against the concerned officer and the government of Goa," Congress's head of the communications department for Goa, Trajano D'Mello, said in his complaint to the top poll authority in New Delhi.

"This is very disappointing that I was denied ticket despite the works I have done for the constituency as well as for the party and workers in five years. I took keen interest in promoting and encouraging birth of girl child and girls' education and also got huge support from people and party workers but my name was dropped for no reason,” Ahlawat, Jhunjhunu MP, said.

"Development of four highways, opening of passport office besides several other works took place in my tenure. In 2011, I initiated a campaign for promoting girl child birth and after that the performance of the constituency in 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' was remarkable and we got four awards for our performance,” she said.

The Congress' Tripura unit has demanded an "unconditional" public apology from Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb for calling the party "sly fox, thief and satan", and said the use of "unparliamentary" words was unbecoming of a leader of his stature.

Addressing a gathering here a few days ago, the chief minister had called Congress leaders "traitors" and a "band of Satan", and claimed they have come to eat the fruits of success in a Communist-free state.

"Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb used objectionable words such as 'broker', 'sly fox' and 'thief' while speaking against the Congress and return of former BJP Tripura vice-president Subal Bhowmik to the party," a statement quoted Congress vice-president Tapas Dey as saying. The use of "indecent" words by the chief minister was "unbecoming of a leader of his stature", Dey said. The Congress has asked Deb to prove his allegations or offer an "unconditional" public apology to the party and Subal Bhowmik.

After taking their protests to the National capital to highlight their demands, Tamil Nadu farmers are gearing up for an electoral battle and will file 111 nominations from the Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is contesting.

Tamil Nadu farmers leader P Ayyakannu said Saturday that 111 farmers from the State will contest against Modi from Varanasi.

Ayyakannu, who is also president of the National South Indian Rivers Inter-Linking Farmers Association, said the decision to contest the polls from Uttar Pradesh was to urge the BJP to include in their manifesto that their demands, including "profitable prices for farm produce," would be fulfilled.

“PM Modi waves off loans of industrialists and not off farmers. He snatches defence contract from HAL and gives it to Anil Ambani, who has no experience in defence,” says Rahul Gandhi.

“Patna is my city, I was born there, studied there, became a lawyer. Even though I had been working on national level, I've an emotional connection with Patna. I'm grateful to the party, PM Modi, Amit Shah Ji & others,” said Ravi Shankar Prasad

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has dropped four sitting MPs from Maharashtra while announcing the second list of six nominees for the Lok Sabha elections on Saturday morning.

The candidates are: Maharashtra Minister Girish Bapat (Pune), Bharati Pawar (Dindori), Smita U. Wagh (Jalgaon), Kanchan R. Kul (Baramati) and Jaysidhesvar Swami (Solapur) and Pratap Patil Chikkalikar (Nanded).

Those dropped include sitting Members of Parliament (MP) - Anil Shirole (Pune), Sharad Bansode (Solapur), A.T. Patil (Jalgaon) and Harishchandra Chavan (Dindori).

“Quite disturbingly the curse of BEROZGARI is at its highest in 45 years but BJP is totally careless. Successive govts failed miserably on crucial issues of poverty alleviation & social justice but Modi govt's vow of jobless growth causing havoc to jobs & creating more super rich,” said Mayawati in a tweet.

Lok Janshakti Party's Chandan Kumar to contest from Nawada. Nawada MP, Giriraj Singh to contest from Begusarai. Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to be BJP’s candidate from Patna Sahib. LJP's Chirag Paswan to contest from Jamui. Ajay Mandal from Bhagalpur, Ram Kripal Yadav from Pataliputra, Rajiv Pratap Rudy to fight from Saran. RK Singh from Arrah, Aswani Choubey from Buxar, Radha Mohan Singh from East Champaran

Case registered against BJP leader Ram Babu Dwivedi for burning the pictures of Former Chief Ministers Akhilesh Yadav & Mayawati in Barabanki

Congress President Rahul Gandhi will address a public rally in Purnea, Bihar, on March 23 at 12:30 PM. He will also be addressing a public gathering in Malda, West Bengal later in the day.

Konda Vishweshwar Reddy, the Congress party candidate from Telangana's Chevella Lok Sabha constituency, has declared family assets worth ₹895 crore, making him the richest politician in both the Telugu states.

Vishweshwar Reddy owns movable assets of ₹223 crore, while the movable assets of his wife K. Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director of Apollo Hospitals stood at ₹613 crore. The movable assets of their dependent son were nearly ₹20 crore. However, none of the family members own a car or any other motor vehicle.

Vishweshwar Reddy also has immovable assets of ₹36 crore while the same of his wife are valued at ₹1.81 crore. The engineer-turned-politician submitted an affidavit declaring his and family assets while filing nomination on Friday. In 2014, he declared family assets of over ₹528 crore.

The BJP on Saturday declared names of 36 candidates for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls with the party deciding to field its spokesperson Sambit Patra from Puri parliamentary constituency in Odisha.

The list was declared after a marathon meeting of the Central Election Committee presided over by BJP chief Amit Shah and attended among others by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

The party announced the names of 23 candidates from Andhra Pradesh, six from Maharashtra, five from Odisha and one each from Meghalaya and Assam.