Lok Sabha Elections 2019, April 8: As it Happened

Noida schools and colleges, being used for polling, to remain closed on April 9 and 10. The Gautam Budhh Nagar will go to polls in first phase of Lok Sabha elections on April 11. All educational institutes to remain closed on the day of the polling.

Congress leader Kirti Azad will polls contest from Dhanbad Lok Sabha constituency 

Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid in New Delhi decides to not support any political party in 2019 elections or issue an appeal for any particular party as done in the past. ‘Muslims should keep in view the fact that almost all political parties have disappointed them’, he says.

In an advisory issued on Monday, the Election Commission has asked the media to refrain from telecasting or publishing any opinion polls or exit polls from the start of polling in the first phase of April 11 till the end of polling in the last phase on May 19.

Delhi: BJP President Amit Shah visits senior BJP leaders Murli Manohar Joshi and LK Advani at their residences.

What is the mood of voters in India? NDA may get a clear majority with 295 seats, 23 seats more than magic mark. UPA follows with 127 seats, Others projected to win 121 seats. 

Congress President Rahul Gandhi and party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi's rally in Saharanpur on Monday was cancelled due to bad weather. Both leaders were to address a gathering at the Gandhi Park in Saharanpur to seek support for Congress candidate Imran Masood, who has been fielded from the Saharanpur Lok Sabha seat.ongress office-bearers made the announcement after hours of waiting. The official reason given for the cancellation was bad weather. The rally was scheduled to start around 11.30 am.

BJP president Amit Shah has met party veteran Murli Manohar Joshi on Monday evening and is expected to meet LK Advani later. Shah is meeting the two leaders days after they were not given poll tickets. The BJP has fielded Shah from Gujarat's Gandhinagar, a seat represented by Advani for many years. Joshi has been replaced by Satyadev Pachauri in Kanpur. After being denied ticket, Joshi had issued a statement saying the BJP told him that he would not be nominated by the party in Kanpur.

BJP leaders are making most of the campaign slogan 'Main Bhi Chowkidar' by making small five-minute films in regional dialects, which are then being forwarded on WhatsApp. A number of government welfare schemes like Ujjwala find mention in these five-minute documentaries that also talk about border security and creation of a new India. These films are a combination of songs, laced with nationalism, for example in one video "Yeh mera desh, mera watan, yeh mera ghar, mera chaman, sabka vikas chahta hoon, chahta hoom aman … haan main bhi chowkidaar hoon" the song is juxtaposed by visuals of the tricolour and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on 'Congress calling 75 resolutions in BJP manifesto a bluff': Speed with which Congress has reacted on the manifesto is very clear that they have not gone through even one of the 75. Congress should spend some time, read the manifesto, then talk

Union Min Piyush Goyal on Congress' remark 'Instead of manifesto BJP should have come out with a 'maafinama': Their manifesto doesn't mention as to how to take country towards good governance, how to fight terrorism. It hasn't been able to rise above appeasement and dynasty politics.

PIL moved in Delhi High Court seeking direction to Election Commission of India to ban Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti from participating in Lok Sabha Elections 2019 as their 'statements are against the Indian constitution'.

BJP president Amit Shah expected to visit LK Advani at 5:30. Advani, who is not contesting Lok Sabha elections, is part of party's nyaydarskah mandal. 

India TV Digital head Himanshu Shekhar (English) and Manoj Kumar (Hindi) compare election manifestos of Congress and BJP

"Mayawati ji ke dwaara ias prakaar ka sambodhan... Kanshiram ji aur Ambedkar ji ka isse bada doosra apmaan nahi ho sakta."

"Bahar se laayengey, basaaengey, hum sote rahengey? Hum isska muqabala karengey. Article 370 ko kaise khatam karogey?" he says.

​The Supreme Court on Monday increased voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) from one EVM per Assembly segment to five randomly selected Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). The court said this was being done to ensure the greatest degree of accuracy and satisfaction in the election process. 

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has expressed confidence that members from the minority community in the coastal state will vote for the BJP in the
upcoming Lok Sabha elections

-Pension for small and marginal farmers after 60 years of age to ensure social security

-'Zero tolerance' against terrorism and extremism and empower security forces in combating terrorism

-Capital investment of Rs 100 lakh crore in infrastructure sector

-50 cities to be covered with a strong metro network

-Collateral-free credit upto Rs 50 lakh for entrepreneurs

-Entrepreneurial Northeast' to provide financial support to the MSME in the Northeast

-200 new Kendriya Vidyalaya and Navodaya Vidyalaya

-Legislate a bill to prohibit and annihilate practices such as Triple Talaq and Nikah Halala

-Pension for all small shopkeepers

-Stands firmly on the commitment to bring a Uniform Civil Code

"BJP's 'Sankalp Patra' aims to transform India into a developed nation by 2047, on completion of 100 years of Independence."

"To develop India, development has to be made into a mass movement, and a successful result of that is 'swacchta', today 'swachhta' is a mass movement."

Congress MP candidate from Mumbai Northwest, Priya Dutt has filed her nomination at Bandra Collector Office in Mumbai

"The government of India is liable to draw an action plan for the challenges India is prone to face in the coming days: PM Narendra Modi at BJP manifesto release"

The Supreme Court has said it cannot pass an order on the plea seeking stay on release of biopic on Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the Censor Board is yet to certify the film.

"We aim to move forward with the mantra of One Mission One Direction"

"I am grateful to the nation for providing me support in the past 5 years, it is because of the people of the country that we have been able to fulfill our promises."

"Our prime minister has been conferred with 5 major awards in the past 5 years"

"I am confident that the country will believe our manifesto as we have fulfilled the promises that we had made during the launch of our previous manifesto."

"This manifesto lays the roadmap of a continuing government. Those who have performed, their words carry high credibility than those who have failed in the past."

"Our aim is to deplete poverty to a single digit in the next 5 years and to eventually delete it"

"We are the first government in history which consolidated India's middle class and which brought out the fastest depletion of poverty. Previous governments had only given numbers."

"Our new policy of striking terror at its origin point has received global support"

"We are fully committed on nationalism and zero tolerance towards terrorism"

"As far as Ram Mandir is concerned, we reiterate the promise made in the last elections. We will weigh all our option & we will try that the Ram Mandir be built as soon as possible in a harmonious environment."

"Our Sankalp Patra is vision document that lists expectations of 130 crore Indians"

"With all our promises made in this manifesto, we are taking a step towards building a New India"

The Bharatiya Janata Party has released its manifesto for 2019 general elections 

"The BJP has prepared its manifesto keeping in mind the need of the people of the nation and after thorough discussions with the veteran leaders of the party. We promise to present a strong, decision-making and transparent government to the nation."

"India has proved itself today and has marked its name as a power. I firmly believe that the Bharatiya Janata Party in future too, will take forward our country on the path of development. Steps taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, for India's development, will be marked in the history."

"The Bharatiya Janata Party has taken several steps to curb corruption from the country and most importantly, we have worked to safeguard the nation. The BJP has proved no outsider can intrude into India and no one can blot our prestige."

"BJP government gained maximum votes in 2014 general elections and Modi ji was elected as the Prime Minister of the country. We are concluding our previous governance and are keeping a fresh manifesto for the 2019 general elections before the people of the country today."

MP candidate from Mumbai Northwest, Priya Dutt, arrives with Sanjay Dutt at Mumbai's Bandra Collector Office to file her nomination

"Rahul Gandhi's scheme of Rs 72,000 per year for poor a populist slogan and political strategy to seek their votes"

"Respect Narendra Modi as prime minister, don't level corruption allegations against him"

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived at the Bharatiya Janata Party headquarters in Delhi. The party will shortly release its manifesto for Lok Sabha Elections 2019

"Instead of launching a 'Sankalp Patr' (manifesto), BJP should launch a 'Maafi Patr' for injecting a lethal injection of unemployment, farmers suicide, closing of businesses and putting youth towards Pakoda employment."

The Supreme Court has issued notice to the Election Commission on a plea seeking strict action against political parties if their spokespersons or representatives deliver speech and pass remarks pertaining to religions or caste. A Bench headed by CJI seeks response by next Monday

"I am going to file my nomination today and am feeling excited. The complaint filed against me is baseless and bogus. I believe in and respect Hinduism"

"Those who hoard people's money, they should be raided, they should be punished. The raids have not taken place just during elections but before also"

BJP President Amit Shah is slated to meet veteran leaders from the party before manifesto release

BJP President Amit Shah is slated to be in Lucknow at 6 PM today

The Apna Dal has named Pakauri Lal Kol as its MP candidate from Robertsganj parliamentary constituency

Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) releases its 2024 election manifesto 'Kovai 2024' for Coimbatore, in Tamil Nadu

Will create an action plan to increase employment: Tejashwi Yadav

Ahead of the general elections, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) will release its party manifesto from Bihar today

The opposition grand alliance is set to campaign in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut today

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is slated to address an election rally in Cooch Behar today

With just four days to go for voting in western Uttar Pradesh in the first phase of the Lok Sabha polls, the ruling BJP and the Congress will hold mega rallies in several parts of the region on Monday. Union Minister and senior BJP leader JP Nadda will hold public meetings in Meerut, Bijnor and Saharanpur Lok Sabha constituencies, while Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will address publics meeting in Bijnor, Muzaffarnagar, Kairana and Baghpat.

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday is all set to release its party manifesto for the upcoming general elections, that are scheduled to begin from April 11. Issues of development and national security are said to be the BJP's key highlights. Top party leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party chief Amit Shah will be present at the launch of the manifesto, described by the BJP as its "sankalp patra".