Election Tracker LIVE: Why No Permanent Mechanism to Ascertain Rise in Assets of Netas, Asks SC

The Supreme Court asks the Election Commission to clarify about the action to be taken regarding the names reflecting in the electoral roll but not in the Assam NRC to be published on July 31.The appex court further asks the EC to furnish details by March 28  of the addition and deletion of names in electoral roll between Jan 1, 2018 and Jan 1, 2019.This was in relation to a petition that claimed lakhs of people in Assam may not get to vote in the GeneralElections 2019 since they aren't included in the draft NRC. EC today told the Supreme Court that it hasn't and won't delete any names on the basis of the draft NRC.

Talking about corruption under the Congress, Modi said: “We have done everything to punish the corrupt. But, the nation has seen how Congress and corruption have become synonyms. The Prime minister also took a jibe at Congress for diluting the sanctity of democracy by declaring the Emergency under their rule.

Tributes to Bapu and all those who marched with him to Dandi in pursuit of justice and equality.

Sharing a few thoughts on the Dandi March, the ideals of Bapu and his disdain for the Congress culture in my blog.https://t.co/QVuDNCZoXL

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 12, 2019

Meanwhile, in a blog post, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress, saying Mahatma Gandhi wanted the Grand Old party to be disbanded after 1947 because he realized its culture is the “anti-thesis” of Gandhian ideology. “In many of his works, Gandhi Ji said he does not believe in inequality and caste divisions. Sadly, the Congress has never hesitated from dividing society,” Modi said on a day the Congress is scheduled to meet in Ahmedabad for the CWC meeting to finalise its strategy for the Lok Sabha elections.

More visuals of senior Congress leaders attending a prayer meet at the Sabarmati ashram in Ahmedabad ahead of the Congress CWC meeting. 

Ahmedabad: Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra attend prayer meet on anniversary of 'Dandi March' at Sabarmati Ashram pic.twitter.com/JYuEkRUORV

— ANI (@ANI) March 12, 2019

Ahead of the CWC meet, senior party leaders Rahul gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi have arrived at the Gandhi Ashram to attend a prayer meet. The leaders will pay tributes to Mahatma Gandhi as March 12 marks the launch of the historic Dandi March by him from the Sabarmati Ashram here in 1930. Besides, 2019 is also being celebrated as the 150th birth anniversary year of the Father of the Nation.

Ahmedabad: Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra & Sonia Gandhi at Sabarmati Ashram, to attend prayer meet on anniversary of 'Dandi March'. pic.twitter.com/hWjqkjISMU

— ANI (@ANI) March 12, 2019

Visuals from Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat on the anniversary of 'Dandi March'; where the Congress party will attend a prayer meet and then hold its crucial Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting at the Sardar Patel Smarak. 

Ahmedabad: #Visuals from Sabarmati Ashram on anniversary of 'Dandi March'; Congress party will attend a prayer meet at the ashram & then hold Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting at Sardar Patel Smarak. #Gujarat pic.twitter.com/kxyiA4PkLZ

— ANI (@ANI) March 12, 2019

Congress President Rahul Gandhi, General Secretary UP-East Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Sonia Gandhi arrive in Ahmedabad for Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting.

Gujarat: Congress President Rahul Gandhi, General Secretary UP-East Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Sonia Gandhi arrive at Ahmedabad for Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting. pic.twitter.com/Fgew4zDJYN

— ANI (@ANI) March 12, 2019

TMC Meeting on Candidiates at Mamata Banerjee's Residence | The Trinamool Congress(TMC)  leadership has convened a meeting of its election committee at party head and chief minister of Bengal Mamata Banerjee's residence at noon today to decide on its list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.  However, the West Bengal Congress has asked the state CPI (M) not to announce candidate’s list on March 13, as there are few more seats where both party leaders wanted to contest. Congress MP Pradip Bhattacharya said, “We have requested them (CPIM) not to announce the list on Wednesday because ‘seat to seat’ discussion in some constituencies is yet to be done. We need to resolve it first before announcing the list.”

Gandhi’s statement came after a Delhi Congress chief Sheila Dikshit remark on the possibility of an alliance set off speculation that there may be a rethink on the part of the Congress. When asked about a tie-up, Dikshit had said, there was “no alliance yet”. She said this after the AAP urged Rahul Gandhi to reconsider and take a decision about the seat-sharing with it considering the “national situation”. 

Kejriwal Likely to Address Issues of Alliance and Statehood Today | Delhi chief minister and Aam Admi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal will be holding a press conference in the capital at noon today. According to sources, he is likely to adress the issues of statehood and alliances for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections during the briefing.  The address will come in the backdrop of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi firmly shutting all doors on the possibility of a Congress-AAP alliance on Monday, asking his party’s workers to ensure victory in all seven seats in Delhi in the Lok Sabha elections.

Now that the Lok Sabha polls are round the corner, the Congress has to necessarily unveil its agenda and the issues it plans to highlight in its election campaign.

Congress to Demand Answers from Modi on Status of Promises Made Five Years Ago | The Congress CWC meeting today will see  party leaders  discuss ways to corner Modi and his government on issues of governance, agrarian and economic crisis, unemployment and lack of job creation, national security and women safety. The party is of the view that the narrative for the general elections needs to be steered towards real issues and problems confronting people of the country, from what its leaders see as the "propaganda" plank of the current regime, especially after Pulwama attack and subsequent air strike on terror camps in Pakistan.
 

The polling will be held on April 11, April 18, April 23, April 29, May 6, May 12 and May 19 for 543 Lok Sabha seats across the country in which nearly 90 crore voters would be eligible to vote. Assembly elections will also be held in Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Odisha simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls, the CEC said.

The Lok Sabha elections will begin on April 11 and continue for over a month till May 19 across seven phases, followed by counting of votes on May 23, the Election Commission announced on Sunday, kick-starting a mega electoral battle where the BJP will pitch for a re-election of the Narendra Modi government amid the opposition’s efforts for a united fight to unseat it.

Srinagar: Citing security reasons, the Election Commission of India (EC) on Sunday announced that assembly elections will not be held in Jammu & Kashmir with the Lok Sabha elections.

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said the announcement exposes the "sinister designs of the Government of India" and wrote, "Decision to hold only Parliamentary elections in J&K confirms sinister designs of GoI. Not letting people elect a government is antithetical to the very idea of democracy. Also a tactic of buying time to disempower people by pushing an agenda that suits their ulterior motives."

Former Jammu & Kashmir chief minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah tweeted: "First time since 1996 Assembly elections in J&K are not being held on time. Remember this the next time you are praising PM Modi for his strong leadership." "In 2014 we had Lok Sabha elections on time & assembly elections on schedule even after the most devastating floods. Shows how badly the BJP & earlier the BJP-PDP mishandled J&K," he said in another tweet.

The state is currently under the rule of the Governor since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) pulled out of an alliance with Mehbooba Mufti’s People’s Democratic Party in June 2018.  The poll body's decision triggered a political slugfest with opposition leaders alleging that elections in the state were deferred due to BJP's "mishandling" of the situation.

CEC Sunil Arora to Hold Meeting on J&K Elections | Meanwhile, the Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora will conduct a meeting in Jammu and Kashmir today to discuss modalities for Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections. The CEC on Sunday announced that no Assembly elections will be held in the state simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections 2019, citing security reasons and the growing incidence of violence in the state. 

Besides giving final shape to its Lok Sabha election strategy, the party will demand answers from Prime Minister Modi and the BJP on what they call "failures" and "unfulfilled" promises of the government. Top Congress leadership, led by Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh, and other senior leaders will deliberate on key issues for the national elections beginning April 11.  

The Congress is expecting a crowd of over three lakh people in the home turf of Modi and BJP president Shah ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, a party leader said. This will be Rahul Gandhi's second visit to Gujarat within a month in the run-up to the polls. He earlier addressed a rally in Valsad district February 14.

Hardik Patel Set to Join Congress Today | Patidar leader Hardik Patel, who shot to fame by spearheading a quota stir in the state and is set to fight the Lok Sabha polls, will also join Congress at the meeting in presence of the party chief Rahul Gandhi.  

The party will also hold a public meeting in Adalaj in Gandhinagar district of Gujarat with the slogan of "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan"and  Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is also likely to address this meeting in her first public rally after entering politics. After the meeting at the Sardar Patel memorial building, senior Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, UPC chairperson Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh, as well as current and former party chief ministers will attend the 'Jan Sankalp' rally', 

CWC Meet at Sardar Vallabhai Patel Memorial | Sources said the Congress is seeking to give a strong political message to the entire nation from the land of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel, with the party leadership scheduled to hold a prayer meeting Sabarmati Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad, followed by the CWC meet at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel national memorial there. The CWC meeting is being held in Gujarat after a gap of 58 years. It was last held in the state at Bhavnagar in 1961.

Congress to Sound Poll Bugle From PM Modi's Home State | The Congress is set to give final shape to its strategy for Lok Sabha elections at its working committee meeting in Ahmedabad on Tuesday and will sound the poll bugle from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state. The day-long meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the party's highest decision-making body, assumes significance as it comes barely two days after declaration of poll schedule for the general elections.