Election Tracker LIVE: Sushma Swaraj Says BJP Will Turn up Poll Heat on Air Strike Sceptics

Model code of conduct for polls comes into effect from Sunday, Voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) to be used in all polling stations: EC

10 lakhs polling stations to be set up for Lok Sabha polls against nine lakhs in 2014, says Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora

AINRC founder leader N Rangasamy has described as "natural alliance" the tie-up between his party and AIADMK-led combine. He also said the latter would sweep all 39 seats in Tamil Nadu and the lone segment in the union territory.

Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora Addresses the Press Conference.

Cong Calls EC's Scheduled Announcement of Poll Dates "Modi's Vidai Parv" | The Congress took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hours before the EC's scheduled announcement of dates for the Lok Sabha polls, saying it was the first day of his "vidai parv" (farewell festival). "It's first day of Vidai Parv of Modi ji. Voters are ready," said AICC spokesperson Pawan Khera.

AAP's Campaign for LS Polls Launched; Full Statehood to Delhi is Central Theme | The ruling AAP in Delhi launched its mega campaign for Lok Sabha polls, with full statehood as its central theme, staging a protest near BJP headquarters over the issue. The Lok Sabha election will decide the fate of the country and also of Delhi, which was badly hurt during the "dictatorship" of the BJP-led dispensation at the Centre, said AAP convener Gopal Rai.

Sushma Swaraj says BJP Will Turn Up Poll Heat on Air Strike Sceptics | The BJP will use leaflets to ask people whether they would vote for parties that questioned the valour of the country's armed forces in connection with the February 26 air strike and the aerial engagement with Pakistan fighter jets the next day, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said.

Union minister and senior BJP leader Vijay Goel said his party had a direct fight with the Congress in the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi and the AAP will bag the third place in the national capital in the upcoming general election. "People will vote to form a government at the Centre, so our fight in Delhi is with the Congress. Who will vote for Arvind Kejriwal and the AAP, which has no say in the formation of the next government in the country," Goel said.

In an attempt to figure out the probable election dates, former Chief Election Commissioner of India SY Quraishi worked out the arithmetic and came to a conclusion that the polls could be held between mid-April and early May. 

There is much speculation about election dates.
Last three elections (2004, 2009 & 2014) were held from 20 Apr to 10 May (4 phases), 16 April to 13 May (5 phases) and 7 April to 12 May (9 phases), respectively.

The window available this time is still similar. But not much.

— Dr. S.Y. Quraishi (@DrSYQuraishi) March 9, 2019

Former chief minister Siddaramaiah visited a temple near Udupi today, ahead of announcement of poll schedule. 

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and spokesperson Nawab Malik said that there was a consensus between his party and Congress. "We are in talks with the smaller parties too," he said, adding that the Modi government had failed on farmers' issue and national security.

"Nowadays, Rahul Gandhi keeps raking up Rafale jet deal. In 30 years, Congress didn't buy even one next-generation fighter plane. And when our PM purchased it, then they began their corruption cry," says Rajnath Singh in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao.

HM: Rahul Gandhi aaj kal Rafale-Rafale lagaye hue hain. 30 saal hogye Congress ne 1 bhi next-generation fighter plane nahi kharida.Humare PM ne kharidwaya to bhrashtachar ka aarop laga rahe hain.Kuch log file se photostate kar ke idhar-udhar le gaye to keh rahe hain file chura li pic.twitter.com/uhQ3RqjcCm

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 10, 2019

Rajinikanth Refrains from Contesting TN Assembly Bypoll | Top film star Rajinikanth on Sunday said he would not contest the bypoll expected to the Tamil Nadu Assembly, nearly a month after declaring that his target was only the Assembly election. While bypolls are expected to 21 Assembly constituencies in the state, Rajinikanth, when asked if he would fight the bypoll since he had declared the Assembly polls to be his only target, tersely said, "No."

Karnataka Poll Officer's PC at 7PM | Chief Electoral Officer Sanjiv Kumar at Bengaluru's Nirvachana Nilaya at 7 pm today. Congress and JD(S), who had formed a coalition government after striking a post-poll alliance as the May 2018 assembly elections threw up a hung verdict, had announced earlier that they would fight the Lok Sabha elections together.

Mehbooba Mufti Slams Centre over NIA Summons to Mirwaiz Umar Farooq | Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday said the NIA summons to moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq were "emblematic" of the Centre's "repeated assaults on our religious identity". "Mirwaiz Farooq isn't any ordinary separatist leader. He is religious & spiritual head to Kash (Kashmiri) Muslims," the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief tweeted. "NIA summons to him are emblematic of GOIs (government of India) repeated assaults on our religious identity. J&K is the proverbial sacrificial lamb exploited to divert attention from real issues," she said on Twitter.

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.