Election Tracker LIVE: Apna Dal Seals Pact With Congress, Gets Two Uttar Pradesh Seats

BJP MLA and Deputy Speaker of Goa Assembly, Michael Lobo said, “Emergency meeting was held as Parrikar ji got really ill last night. Doctors are seeing him and not saying that he'll recover. By-polls are also near in three constituencies and the meeting was also to finalise the candidature.”

Michael Lobo: Leadership in Goa won't change. Till Parrikar is here, only he'll remain the Chief Minister & no one has made the demand to replace him. We're praying that he gets well, but there are no chances, he is very ill.But if anything happens to him, new CM will be from BJP pic.twitter.com/zfvwDrbXBN

— ANI (@ANI) March 16, 2019

Apna Dal’s Krishna Patel faction joins Congress alliance for 2 Lok Sabha seats- Basti and Gonda in Uttar Pradesh.

Apna Dal’s Krishna Patel faction joins Congress alliance for 2 Lok Sabha seats- Basti and Gonda in Uttar Pradesh. Pankaj Niranjan Singh Chandel, son-in-law of Krishna Patel, has taken membership of the Congress pic.twitter.com/NGBoxzQaol

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 16, 2019

YSRCP releases a list of nine candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The party has fielded Sanjeev Kumar from Kurnool constitunecy, Reddppa from Chittor, YS Avinash Reddy from Kadapa, Madhavi from Araku, Anuradha from Amalapuram, Talari Rangaiah from Anathapur, Nandigam Suresh from Bapatla, Gorantla Madav from Hindupuram and PV Midun Reddy from Rajampeta.

Pawan Kalyan’s Janasena party’s MP from Vizag Gedela Srinibabu candidate joins YSRCP. He is third in a row to join YSRCP after TDP MP from Kurnool Bhutta Renuka and DP MLC Adala Prabhakar Reddy joined party in the presence of the party chief Jaganmohan Reddy earlier in the day. 

Election Commission of India has fixed a timeline for the release of a manifesto by political parties. Manifestos for both single and multiphase elections shall not be released during the prohibitory period, as prescribed under Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. The provision will, henceforth, be applicable and implemented as a part of the Model Code of Conduct for all future elections, EC said.

Prakash Ambedkar, Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi : I spoke to Asaduddin Owaisi today and he agreed to field a candidate from Aurangabad. The name will be declared by AIMIM. We requested him to fight from Mumbai also. He'll confirm about Mumbai within 2 days or we'll contest on all the seats.

Prakash Ambedkar, Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi (VBA): We requested them (AIMIM) that they should contest one seat in Mumbai (North Central) where Poonam Mahajan is sitting MP. They said we'll consider it. After their decision, we will announce on rest of the seats (11). https://t.co/nkwhgUSWPa

— ANI (@ANI) March 16, 2019

TDP MP from Kurnool Bhutta Renuka joins YSRCP in the presence of the party chief Jaganmohan Reddy. Earlier in the day, TDP MLC Adala Prabhakar Reddy who got confirmed MLA ticket from Nellore Rural assembly constituency joined in YSRCP.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at BJP headquarters for the party's Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting. 

Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at BJP headquarters for the party's Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting; received by BJP President Amit Shah pic.twitter.com/xn7rk5GGgR

— ANI (@ANI) March 16, 2019

Asom Gana Parishad gets 3 of the 14 Lok Sabha seats and one of the two Rajya Sabha slots for which polls are due in June. However, both parties remain firm on their individual stand on Citizenship Bill. The decisions were taken at a formal meeting of the AGP leadership with Amit Shah in New Delhi. Himanta Biswa Sarma was also present in the meeting.

Congress stakes claim to form government in Goa; writes to Governor to dismiss BJP-led government which is in "minority" and call "single-largest party Congress to form govt." Also states in its letter, "any attempt to bring Goa under President's rule will be illegal & will be challenged." The strength of the assembly reduced from 40 to 37 after the death of former Deputy Chief Minister Francis D'Souza's death and the resignation of two MLAs — Subhash Shirodkar and Dayanand Sopte.

YSRCP president Jaganmohan Reddy to release the party’s candidate list tomorrow at Idupulapaya.

After Sikkim Krantikari Morcha, another BJP ally withdraws from alliance-Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) have decided to contest both Lok Sabha seats alone as BJP was supposedly reluctant to vacate the East Tripura seat (ST). This comes a week after Ram Madhav announced of a grand alliance in place in Northeast.

KL Chishi to contest as Congress candidate from Nagaland Parliamentary Constituency in the Lok Sabha Elections and Alemjongshi Longkumar as Congress candidate for by-election to the Nagaland Legislative Assembly from 26 Aonglenden (ST) Assembly Constituency.

Rahul Gandhi’s Chennai Event Lands in Trouble | Acting on a complaint given by BJP youth wing, the Election Commission has asked the Chennai district officer for a report on Stella Maris college giving permission for Congress president’s political event. Just yesterday the directorate of collegiate education had also issued a circular to the regional director seeking explanation as to how the campus was used for political event at a time when model code of conduct was in place.

Biju Janata Dal writes to State Chief Electoral Officer stating that 'BJP has been pressurizing Election Commission to stop flow of KALIA assistance being provided to over 20 lakh farmers in Odisha. The party should not be allowed to stop it,' ANI reported.

Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy tweeted, “Danish Ali, the JDS General Secretary, has joined BSP in consent with me and our national president Sri HD Devegowda in a purely political arrangement between the two parties. It is a thoughtful political decision taken by #JDS and BSP to win more seats in the Loksabha elections.”

Shah Faesal to Launch Political Party Tomorrow | Former IAS officer Shah Faesal will launch his political outfit 'Jammu and Kashmir People's Movement' at a function in Rajbagh area of the city on Sunday. He said the function will be held at Gindun Ground in Rajbagh. The 2010 batch UPSC topper resigned from the IAS in January this year to protest unabated killings in Kashmir and maginalisation of Indian Muslims. Faesal had also hit out at the Centre, accusing it of subverting public institutions of Reserve Bank of India, Central Bureau of Investigation and the National  Investigation Agency.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) releases the list of 45 candidates for the Lok Sabha Elections.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) releases first list of seats for the #LokSabhaElections2019. pic.twitter.com/0PrbhOR0c5

— ANI (@ANI) March 16, 2019

Congress President Rahul Gandhi outside the residence of CRPF ASI Mohan Lal who lost his life in the terrorist attack on CRPF convoy in Pulwama on February 14. The Congress President met the family of the deceased ASI, news agency ANI reported.

Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Jayant Chaudhary reaches Bahujan Samajwadi Party chief Mayawati's residence.

TDP MLC Prabhakar Reddy Joins YSRCP | TDP MLC Adala Prabhakar Reddy who got confirmed MLA ticket from Nellore Rural assembly constituency has joined in YSRCP. He is likely to contest for Nellore parliamentary seat. Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy represented in Nellore constituency 2014. Now YSRCP thinking to replace Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy with Adala Prabhakar Reddy.

There will be no elections after 'Modi tsunami' in 2019: Sakshi Maharaj | BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj has said that the upcoming Lok Sabha polls will be fought in the name of the country and there will be no elections after that. "The Modi tsunami has awakened the country. I feel there will be no election in 2024... this is the only election and we are fighting it in the name of the country with full honesty," Maharaj said during a party programme.

After addressing poll rally in Dehradun, Congress president Rahul Gandhi met the family of Major Chitresh Singh Bisht at the latter's residence in Dehradun. Major Chitresh Singh Bisht lost his life on 16 February while defusing an IED which was planted by terrorists across the LoC in Rajouri district, J&K.

After joining Congress in presence of party chief Rahul Gandhi, Manish Khanduri, son of ex-Uttarakhand chief minister & BJP leader BC Khanduri, said, “I believe that under Rahul Gandhi's leadership, Congress will make country stronger. Before coming here,I sought blessings of my father. He asked me if I can walk on path of truth. I replied yes.” 

Shiv Sena has declared that its Goa state unit chief Jitesh Kamat will contest the elections from North Goa while vice president of the state unit, Rakhi Prabhudesai Naik will fight from South Goa. The announcement was maid by senior Sena leader Sanjay Raut.

Days after BJP inducted former Biju Janata Dal MP Baijayant Panda, Balabhadra Majhi, BJD MP from Odisha’s Nabarangpur Balabhadra Majhi switched sides and joined BJP on Saturday. Majhi was welcomed by Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Jual Oram and Panda.

Delhi: Balabhadra Majhi, BJD MP from Nabarangpur (Odisha) who had recently resigned from the party, joins BJP. pic.twitter.com/eAPcZscMDi

— ANI (@ANI) March 16, 2019

BJP, PM Modi trying to rake up old issues to divert public attention from failures, alleges Mayawati | BSP president Mayawati on Saturday accused the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of trying to rake up old issues to divert people's attention from their failures ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. "In order to divert people's attention from the failures of its government and prevent poverty and unemployment for becoming real election issues, BJP and Prime Minister Modi are trying to rake up all kind of dead issues," Mayawati said in a tweet in Hindi. "This is most condemnable... people should remain cautious," she added. In another tweet, she alleged that the Prime Minister mostly remained busy in laying foundation stones and spent Rs 3,044 crore in publicity.

While welcoming Manish Khanduri, the son of former chief minister of Uttarakhand BC Khanduri, in Congress, Rahul Gandhi alleged that senior Khanduri gave all his life to the Army but when he questioned the government on national security, he was removed from the chairmanship of the parliamentary committee on defence.

Rahul Gandhi in Dehradun: He (BC Khanduri) gave all his life to Army. But when he asked a question on national security in Parliament & spoke the truth that the way govt should help Army, it is not there, then he was removed from the Chairmanship of that Committee. pic.twitter.com/db1DOBTxqr

— ANI (@ANI) March 16, 2019

TRS president KCR to kick off LS poll campaign from Karimnagar | TRS president and Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao will kick off his campaign for the Lok Sabha polls with a public meeting at Karimnagar on Sunday. Karimnagar has been a stronghold of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) since the party's formation in 2001. Rao had represented Karimnagar in the Lok Sabha earlier. Rao, the star campaigner for TRS, will address election rallies at various places in the state beginning from Karimnagar, party sources said.

In the season of political realignments, BJP MP Shyama Charan Gupta switches sides and joins Samajwadi Party. He will be contesting the Lok Sabha Elections from Banda constituency as a SP candidate.