Election Tracker LIVE: Modi Govt Trying to Shield 'Fraudsters' Nirav Modi & Mehul Choksi, Says Cong

MNS chief Raj Thackeray said the Pathankot terror attack took place at a time when (assembly) elections were due in four states in the next three months.

The BJP is walking down a dangerous path by "using the military" to conceal its own "failures", senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said on Sunday, asserting that the EC's circular preventing the use of armed forces in election campaign was much needed. The Election Commission (EC) Saturday asked political parties to "desist from displaying photographs of defence personnel" against the backdrop of a picture showing a hoarding with images of Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman as well as leaders of the BJP.

Taking on the Centre | Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Sunday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to tell the families of the 40 CRPF jawans killed in Pulwama as to who released Masood Azhar, whose Jaish-e-Mohammed claimed responsibility for the terror attack. Taking to Twitter, he alleged that it was the present National Security Adviser who went to Kandahar to hand over the "murderer" Azhar.

The NCP chief further said that the BJP "cannot be trusted". "On the day of polling, you better visit the polling booth in the morning and see if the voting is taking place properly or not," Pawar said addressing the party workers from Beed district in Maharashtra through video-conferencing on Saturday. NCP state chief Jayant Patil also interacted with the party workers.

'Be Alert on EVM Demo Days' | Amidst the row over allegations of EVMs not being tamper-proof, NCP chief Sharad Pawar has asked his party's booth-level workers to stay alert at the time of demonstration of voting machines on the polling day. Various opposition parties have alleged that the electronic voting machines (EVMs) can be tampered with, and they want the Election Commission (EC) to revert to the ballot paper system of voting. However, the EC has repeatedly asserted that the EVMs are tamper-proof and that they cannot be hacked or rigged.

The Samajwadi Party has demanded the UP DGP be removed from his post before the Lok Sabha elections. Akhilesh Yadav, SP chief, in a press conference said, "Police personnel themselves are getting involved in theft cases. If it's happening, then DGP is responsible too. If Mayawati has said that the DGP be removed, what she said is correct."

Pointing out that India has extradition treaties with both Belgium and the UAE, the Congress demanded to know why were the Indian investigating agencies trying to get Choksi from Antigua, a country with which India has no extradition treaty. 

Congress Accuses Modi Govt of Shielding Mehul Choksi | With fugitive scamster Mehul Choksi incorporating a company in London after calling himself a Belgian citizen, the Congress on Sunday accused the Modi government of trying to shield him by not seeking his extradition from either the UAE or Belgium with which India has treaties. Addressing the media, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera showed documents revealing that Choksi on March 7 applied for incorporating his company "Reh Venture LLP" in London wherein he has claimed to be a Belgium citizen and given his principal address to be "Miloni Gems, Jumeirah, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)".

Azam Khan in SP Office | Meanwhile, Azam Khan has reached Samajwadi Party office. Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav announced last week that the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) will contest three Lok Sabha seats — Mathura, Baghpat and Muzaffarnagar — as part of the alliance with the SP and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

Jayant Chaudhary said, "This alliance decision was not a top-down process but in fact taken after feedback from workers and leaders. That is why you haven't seen problems in accommodation and adjustments between the BSP, SP and RLD. This means that the ground is already ready for us. Now we just need to keep up the campaign." On the equation between the Congress and the grand alliance in UP, the 40-year-old leader said the issue had been addressed at the recent press interaction in Lucknow and he did not have any more information on it.

Jayant Chaudhary to Contest from Muzaffarnagar | In an interview to PTI, Jayant Chaudhary said his father and party president Chaudhary Ajit Singh has announced his intention to contest from Muzaffarnagar, while he was keen to take up the electoral challenge in Baghpat. He said the party will take a decision on Mathura soon. Asked how the workers of the three parties will be able to connect at the ground level with the seat-sharing talks having taken a long time, Jayant said he believes regional parties have a better connect with their workers. 

SP-BSP Battle-Ready to Take on BJP | The SP-BSP-RLD alliance in Uttar Pradesh had no accommodation problems and is battle-ready to take on the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls, RLD vice president Jayant Chaudhary said Sunday, asserting the tie-up was made on workers' feedback and not through a "top-down process". Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav announced last week that the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) will contest three Lok Sabha seats -- Mathura, Baghpat and Muzaffarnagar — as part of the alliance with the SP and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

Voters can check their names on electoral roll on Election Commission's 'Voter Helpline App' of Election Commission. Citizens can also submit online forms for new voter registration and shifting to a different. The link to the app is here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.eci.citizen

Maharashtra chief electoral officer (CEO) Ashwani Kumar will address a press conference at 5:45 pm. As soon as the elections, in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi will make his bid to return to power amid hectic parleys by several political parties to put a united fight against the ruling BJP, are announced, the model code of conduct will come into force.

Akhilesh Yadav has once again hinted there is no alliance happening with Congress. Hitting out at the ruling BJP government, SP chief said that people are offering 21 "shoe salute" to them. "BJP has finished truth from the land," he added.

The senior minister made it clear that neither did he have such aspirations nor was the RSS planning anything on similar lines.

Meanwhile, union minister Nitin Gadkari has asserted that he is not in the race for the prime minister’s post, saying neither does he have any aspirations nor the RSS any designs to project him as a candidate.

Regarding the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodha, RSS General Secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi, said that until the matter is resolved, the agitation will not die.

RSS General Secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi on Ram Temple: 1980-90s se jo andolan chal raha hai, jab tak mandir poora nahi hoga tab tak humara andolan chalta rahega. Hum nayalay se apeksha karte hain ki sheeghrta se iske sandarb mein faisla de. pic.twitter.com/QCmoCIz1Q5

— ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2019

Disapproval from Within | Congress leader R Chowdhury criticised colleague Vijaya Shanti's 'terrorist' remark on PM Modi. She said, I wasn't there and I didn't hear what she said but if it's true, I'm sorry. It's regrettable because I don't think that's the language we should use for a PM whoever he is, we may not like him but we don't talk in that fashion.

MNM was launched in February 2018 and the party has announced it will contest all 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu on its own.

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said that the voters of the country are ready for the upcoming elections. Sanguine about the BJP's defeat in the Lok Sabha elections 2019, Khera said, "You will get a new government in May." He also welcomed the Election Commission's directive barring political parties to use Armed forces for political gains.

During an election rally, Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik announced announced 33% quota for women in allocation of Lok Sabha seats for the BJD party. 

DMDK to Join AIADMK in BJP Alliance for Lok Sabha Elections | Vijayakanth led DMDK is all set to get on board the NDA alliance with the AIADMK willing to allot 4 seats out of the 39 Parliamentary constituencies in Tamil Nadu for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, said people aware of the political negotiations between the parties. "Most likely, the announcement could be in the evening today(Sunday)", said a person involved in alliance discussion.

Election Commission's Directive | On Saturday, the Election Commission had asked political parties to refrain from using pictures of defence personnel for political purpose. “The ministry of defence has brought to the notice of the Election Commission (EC) that photographs of the defence personnel are being used by political parties, their leaders and candidates in advertisements as part of their election propaganda,” the EC said in a statement.

It would not be inappropriate to say that the Right is paying the Left back in the same currency. Not long ago, BJP leaders suffered the Left's ad hominem assaults.

Former CM Slams Kamal Nath Govt for 'Wiling Away Time' | Meanwhile, speaking on the chief minister Kamal Nath's announcement for a music band training school in Chhindwara, former CM of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, "All that this govt has done is talk. They should not crack jokes at least in the name of jobs. This govt is running a 'samay katu' campaign and waiting for the Lok Sabha elections."

Speaking about the VIP culture in India, PM Modi also said that sometimes it creates hurdle in the security systems of the country. The PM said sometimes the government has to take certain decisions and hence it took some strong steps. Congratulating the CISF, the Prime Minister also said it is easier to protect an individual but very difficult to protect any institution where there is a daily footfall of 30 lakh.

'Ensuring Security is Challenging with Hostile Neighbour' | Addressing the 50th raising day of the Central Industrial Security Force as the Chief Guest in Ghaziabad, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "When the neighbour is very hostile but does not have the capability to fight a war and various conspiracies hatched within the country is getting encouragement from across the border and when the ghastly pictures of terror come to light, under such difficult situations, (ensuring) security of the country and its institutions becomes very challenging."

'Enough is Enough' | While referring to the terror attacks in Pulwama and Uri, the Prime Minister said, "Enough is enough. We cannot keep suffering till eternity." PM Modi said that the role of security forces like the CISF becomes very significant when the country faces a hostile neighbour that gets encouragement from some elements within the country in hatching conspiracy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday issued a stern warning to terrorist forces targeting India, saying the country cannot keep suffering forever.