Lok Sabha polls, May 15: As it happened

"The Commission is deeply anguished at the vandalism done to the statue of Vidyasagar. It is hoped that the vandals are traced by the state administration," says Election Commission.

No election campaigning to be held in 9 parliamentary constituencies of West Bengal - Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Jadavpur, Diamond Harbour, South and North Kolkata from 10 pm tomorrow till the conclusion of polls.

This is probably the first time that ECI has invoked Article 324 in this manner but it may not be last in cases of repetition of lawlessness and violence which vitiate the conduct of polls in a peaceful manner.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi drove a tractor in Ludhiana earlier today. Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, Ludhiana MP Ravneet Bittu and Congress leader Asha Kumari were also present.

Punjab: Rahul Gandhi drove tractor in Ludhiana earlier today

PM Modi while addressing a rally in Diamond Harbour says, "There is a lot of pressure on bureaucracy and police here, an example of this is the suicide of a former IPS. I'm making a serious allegation, the person who spent his whole life protecting the common man of West Bengal was forced to end his life."

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh (East) holds a roadshow in Varanasi. Congress Varanasi LS candidate Ajay Rai and Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel also present.

PM Narendra Modi while addressing rally in Basirhat, West Bengal says, "Power-drunk Mamata Banerjee is throttling democracy."

In a rally in West Bengal, UP CM Yogi Adityanath says, "In the whole country, Durga puja & Muharram fell on the same day, in UP officers asked me, should we change the timing of puja? I said, the timing of the puja won't be changed, if you want to change the timing, change the timing of Muharram procession."

Central forces in Bengal have started a whisper campaign asking people to vote for BJP, alleges Derek O'Brien

Congress can't say they lost elections because of 'naamdar', it would be against the rules of dynasty. That is why after the 5th phase, 2 of the closest 'darbaari' of the 'naamdar' family started batting on their own: Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Deoghar, Jharkhand

Mamata Banerjee government has reached its expiry date: UP CM Yogi Adityanath

Rahul Sinha, BJP, on Yogi Adityanath's rally in Kolkata cancelled: When stage was being set up yesterday, labourers working on it were beaten up & scared away; the stage was vandalised. The public meeting was scheduled for 2 pm today, stage couldn't be repaired. So we had to cancel it.

Kolkata: CPI (Marxist) holds protest against statue pf Vidyasagar vandalised in violence during BJP President Amit Shah's roadshow yesterday. 

Be it Congress' 'naamdaar' family or the corrupt family in Bihar, their assets are in thousands of crores now. From where the money came? If they had little care of the nation and the poor, they would have hesitated from doing corruption: PM Narendra Modi in Paliganj, Bihar

The Election Commission of India is doing partiality in West Bengal: Amit Shah

Mamata Banerjee claims that BJP is doing it, I want to tell her, we are fighting in every state in the nation,unlike you on 42 seats in West Bengal. Violence didn't take place in 6 phases of elections anywhere but Bengal which proves that TMC is responsible for it: Amit Shah

BJP workers have not initiated violence. There was no one to stop the violence: Amit Shah

Election Commission to hold a meeting with West Bengal observers on poll violence in the state at 11.30 am today via video conferencing.

PM Narendra Modi was indeed the CM of Gujarat for a longer time than I was the CM of Uttar Pradesh. But his legacy is a black stain on BJP & country's communalism....While in our government, Uttar Pradesh was free of riots and anarchy: BSP Chief Mayawati

PM doesn't hesitate from calling BSP, 'Behenji ki Sampatti Party.' Whatever the national president of BSP has, it has been given by well-wishers & the society, and nothing is hidden from the government. PM Modi is misleading the country: BSP Chief Mayawati in Lucknow

Mamata Ji has become so scared of her defeat, that she is killing democracy & doesn't even want to let anyone campaign. I appeal Election Commission to ensure free & fair polls: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis on clashes in Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata, West Bengal

A Trinamool Congress delegation will meet the Election Commission on Wednesday in the wake of vandalism in college and destruction of Bengali polymath Vidyasagar's bust during BJP President Amit Shah's roadshow, according to party officials.

"Trinamool Parliamentary team comprising @derekobrienmp, @Sukhendusekhar, Manish Gupta, Nadimul Haque seeks meeting with EC on May 15 in aftermath of attack on Bengal's heritage after Shah roadshow in Kolkata. BJP outsider ruffians resort to arson & break Vidyasagar's bust," All India Trinamool Congress tweeted.

For the party candidate Ajay Rai, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will hold a mega roadshow in Varanasi, the Lok Sabha constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

Congress president Rahul Gandhi will hold a public meeting at Bargari, a village in Faridkot Lok Sabha constituency in Punjab.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address public rallies in Paliganj (Bihar), Deoghar (Jharkhand), Basirhat and Diamond Harbour in West Bengal, on Wednesday.