Election Tracker LIVE: BJP Knocks on EC Door, Says Rahul Gandhi Falsely Attributed 'Chowkidar Chor Hai' Jibe to SC

Meanwhile, BJP's ally in Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena, has said that it has advised the ruling party to "speak less" on the Rafale deal since the unwanted statements may increase troubles. "At least on the Rafale issue, one needs to shed arrogance and talk with patience. Right from the defence minister to other leaders, people (in the BJP) are speaking whatever they like," the Sena wrote in an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamna. 

"Congress has crossed all limits and has violated the Model Code of Conduct. We have asked the EC to take strict action against Rahul Gandhi. He has no facts to prove anything," Mukhtar Naqvi tells reporters from outside the EC's office. 

BJP Complains Against Rahul Gandhi's Rafale Remark | Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi are addressing the media from outside the Election Commission's office. "Defamatory words were used by the Congress chief. He has repeatedly called the Honourable Prime Minister of the country as a chor and has put words in the Supreme Court's mouth," Nirmala Sitharaman says.

The Aam Aadmi Party announces the name of its sitting MLA Baljinder Kaur as the Lok Sabha candidate from the high-stakes Bathinda parliamentary constituency. Last year, Kaur had contested from Talwandi Sabo assembly constituency on the AAP ticket in 2017 and won.

BJP's Smriti Irani in her response to Congress' jibe over her poll affidavit disclosure says, "In the last 5 years, they have attacked me in every which way possible. I only have one message for them, the more you will insult me, the more you will attack me, the harder I will work against Congress in Amethi."

Meanwhile, the BJP in its reaction to the top court's interim order says that it will wait for the final judgment. "Whatever is the order of the Supreme Court, it has to be complied with," the party says adding, "As far as issues raised by the government is concerned, they have been placed before the court for its consideration." 

Nexus Between BJP & Suited-Booted Friends Will be Exposed, Says Cong | Congress hails the Supreme Court's interim order in the Electoral Bond Scheme case and says that the party has always maintained transparency. The Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi also hits out at the BJP and says, "We hope that the BJP would explain how they got such kind of political funding. We also hope this would expose the nexus between their suited-booted friends and the political party."

Major General Harsha Kakkar, the 31st name in the list of signatory, however, says that he had given consent for the letter. "Yes, I had given my consent for being a signatory to the letter. I had given my consent only after knowing the contents of it," he says.

A third veteran, whose name was listed as a signatory in the letter to President Ram Nath Kovind, says that his consent hasn't been taken. The former Army Vice Chief Lt General ML Naidu says, "No, my consent has not been taken for any such letter and neither have I written any such letter."

Amit Shah Addresses Rally in Odisha's Keonjhar | BJP chief Amit Shah is addressing a rally in Odisha's Keonjhar district. "Even after ruling Odisha for 19 years, Naveen Babu can't talk to people in your Odia language," he says in a jibe at the Chief Minister. 

The first signatory in the letter, SF Rodrigues, also denies signing the letter and says, "Don’t know what it (the letter) is all about. All my life we've been apolitical. After 42 years as an officer, it's a little too late to change. Always put India first. Don’t know who these people are; a classic manifestation of fake news."

'Signatories' Say They Never Gave Their Consent | One of the signatories mentioned in the veterans' letter to President Ram Nath Kovind, Air Chief Marshal NC Suri, says that his consent was not taken in the case. "I don’t agree with whatever has been written in that letter," he tells news agency ANI. 

Air Chief Marshal NC Suri to ANI: To put an end to it,I wrote that armed forces are apolitical&support the politically elected govt. And no, my consent has not been taken for any such letter. I don’t agree with whatever has been written in that letter. We have been misquoted. 2/2 https://t.co/pAU6L6CZ54

— ANI (@ANI) April 12, 2019

Will Never Let TN be Ruled by Nagpur, Says Cong Chief | Congress chief Rahul Gandhi is addressing a rally in Tamil Nadu's Krishnagiri district. "We will never ever let the people of Tamil Nadu be ruled by Nagpur. Tamil Nadu is going to be ruled from Tamil Nadu and MK Stalin is going to be the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu," he says. Congress is contesting the elections in alliance with MK Stalin-led DMK in Tamil Nadu.  

Congress President Rahul Gandhi in Krishnagiri: We will never ever let the people of Tamil Nadu be ruled by Nagpur. Tamil Nadu is going to be ruled from Tamil Nadu & MK Stalin is going to be the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. pic.twitter.com/GJlZ8qs3Lk

— ANI (@ANI) April 12, 2019

Rabri Devi says that Prashant had met Lalu Yadav on five occasions. "I even threw him out of our house. He is a liar," she says.

Rabri Devi Hits out at Prashant Kishor

Rabri Devi Says Kishor Approached Lalu Prasad Multiple Times | Rabri Devi hits out at Prashant Kishor and says that the Janata Dal(United) vice-president had approached her husband, Lalu Prasad Yadav to advise him to come together with JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar. "But we protested. We don't trust Nitish," she says in an interview with News18. 

It seems that the Prime Minister has changed his poll pitch to first-time voters and misses a mention of the Balakot strikes, which has struck a controversy. "Will the young people be okay with a weak government, who will have a weak stand on national security?" he says. 

Modi Takes a Hit at Sharad Pawar in Maharashtra Rally | Prime Minister is addressing a rally in Ahmednagar in Maharashtra. He takes a swipe at the Nationalist Congress Party's Sharad Pawar and says, "Your party's name begins with Nationalist but this is only to deceive the people, especially when your allies have said that there should be two prime ministers in Kashmir."

BJP MP Cries Foul Over Rahul Gandhi's Rafale Comment | BJP MP Meenakashi Lekhi files a contempt plea against Rahul Gandhi for his remarks on recent SC verdict in Rafale case. Lekhi told the SC bench that the Congress president, in his remark on the top court's Rafale case verdict, had said, "Supreme Court has said, chowkidaar chor hai (in its verdict)". SC agrees to hear the contempt plea on April 15. 

"A new serial will come which is titled Kyunki Mantri Bhi Kabhi Graduate Thi," Priyanka Chaturvedi says referring to the actor-turned-politician's long-running serial Kyunki Saan Bhi Kabhi Bahun Thi. The party spokesperson then sings a parody version of the serial's theme song.

Priyanka Chaturvedi says that the letter written by the 150+ veterans to the President over the use of the armed forces should be replied to. "The government is patting its own back while not answering on the intelligence lapses that led to the Pulwama attacks, what is the EC doing about this? Will they take note of this letter?" she says. The party spokesperson also takes a jibe at BJP leader Smriti Irani's poll affidavit in which the Union Minister accepted to not being a graduate. 

The Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi in a press conference hits out at the BJP over the issue of politicisation of the armed forces. Listing all the instances in which the BJP leaders have used the armed forces in their poll pitch, Chaturvedi says, "Political parties using armed forces is wrong." 

A plea filed by an NGO has sought that either the issuance of electoral bonds be stayed or the names of donors be made public to ensure transparency.

The Supreme Court has directed the Finance Ministry to reduce the window of purchasing electoral bonds from 10 days to five days in April and May. The top court also said it would examine in detail changes made in law and ensure the balance does not tilt in favour of any party.

The SC has issued an interim order in the matter as it deals with "weighty issues with tremendous bearing on the electoral process". According to the top court, which was hearing a petition by the NGO Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), a lengthy hearing is required on the matter. 

Parties to Submit Electoral Bond Details in Sealed Envelopes to EC | The top court has issued an interim order in the electoral bond scheme case as per which all parties must disclose the details of the bonds to the Election Commission. The parties will have to submit the details to EC in sealed envelopes by May 30, a week after the declaration of the poll results. 

AAP Likely to Get 3 Seats in Arrangement | The Aam Admi Party and the Jannayak Janata Party will be announcing their pre-poll alliance for the Haryana elections today. The JJP is likely to get seven seats and the AAP three in the seat-sharing arrangement. This might be a setback for the Congress' plans to ally with AAP as the JJP is said to be reluctant to go with the grand-old party.  

The Congress takes a swipe at the BJP after 150 veterans wrote a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind expressing their opposition to the politicisation of the armed forces. "Modi may try to use soldiers for votes, but it's clear that soldiers stand with India and not the BJP," the Congress tweeted.

Modi may try to use soldiers for votes, but it's clear that soldiers stand with India and not the BJP.
156 Veterans of the Indian Armed Forces including 8 former Chiefs of Staff write to the President of India urging him to act against Modi for trying to use soldiers for votes. https://t.co/NHUVDH2BeY

— Congress (@INCIndia) April 12, 2019

Narendra Modi in his rally address had said, "I want to tell the first-time voters: can your first vote be dedicated to the veer jawans (valiant soldiers) who carried out the air strike in Pakistan. Can your first vote be dedicated to the veer shaheed (brave martyrs) of Pulwama (terror attack)." According to the Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra Bhushan Kumar, the poll body has received a report and the matter is under examination.  

Local Authorities Say Remark Violated Model Code | After the Election Commission sought a report over Narendra Modi's April 9 rally address in Maharashtra's Latur district appealing to first-time voters to dedicate their votes to the soldiers who carried out the Balakot strikes, local poll authorities said that the remarks are prima facie violative of the poll body's orders.