Lok Sabha Elections 2019, April 16: As it Happened

Case registered against Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu in Katihar, Bihar on charges of violating Model Code of Conduct (MCC) during his speech at a rally earlier today. 

Union Minister Uma Bharti on being asked what impact Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will have in this election: Kuchh nahi. Jiska pati chori ke aarop mein ho, usko to log kis nazar se.....chor ki patni ko kis nazar se dekha jata hai Hindustan ussi nazar se dekhega unko.

Congress announces 3 candidates for elections to the Lok Sabha, fields Acharya Pramod Krishnan from Lucknow.

MHA: After receiving report from Bureau of Immigration regarding visa violations committed by a Bangladesh National Mr Ferdous Ahmed(actor who campaigned for TMC), MHA has cancelled his business visa and issued him a leave India notice. He also has been blacklisted.

Election Commission: Accepting the recommendation of EC dated 14th April 2019, President has rescinded the election to Vellore parliamentary constituency, Tamil Nadu.

Karnataka Congress writes to Election Commission on IT raids in Mandya & Hassan districts. The letter reads "IT department has never raided the supporters or leaders of the BJP in Karnataka. It is clearly evident the IT department is acting at behest of ruling BJP as its agent."

Election Commission (EC) issues show-cause notice to Union Minister and BJP MP from Jodhpur, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat for violating Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by threatening public officials in his speech in Pokhran on 14 April.

Speaking to a TV channel, Robert Vadra said that Priyanka Gandhi is ready to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi. In conversation with India TV, Vadra said that Priyanka has been working hard and she will do what party says. 

Your one vote made the surgical strike, air strike, shooting down satellite possible: PM Modi in Chhattisgarh

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has asked for a report from Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) on Bangladeshi actor Ferdous campaigning for TMC in West Bengal.

SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav in Agra: If an alliance of three parties is 'mahamilawat' then we want to ask them, what do we call your alliance which has 38 parties from across the country? Do suggest us a name.

Poonam Sinha, actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha's wife today officially joined Samajwadi Party. It was reported earlier the party intends to float her from Lucknow seat during ongoing Lok Sabha elections. She will be contesting against Union Minister Rajnath Singh. Her husband had recently quit BJP and joined Congress. He will be fighting Ravi Shankar Prasad to defend his seat Patna Sahib. 

BJP to file a complaint against Navjot Singh Siddhu for objectionable comment during a public rally in Bihar's Katihar. The BJP claimed that Sidhu made a communal speech and asked the public to vote on the lines of religion. 

Shivpal Singh Yadav's Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) releases a list of 14 candidates for Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and Haryana.

Congress manifesto calling for scrapping sedition law is encouragement for Naxals: PM Narendra Modi

A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking direction for Election Commission to ensure the safety and security of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) and to secure that they are not tampered with, during the post polling period.

It's because of me that contribution of Ambareesh is being given recognition & she (Independent MP candidate from Mandya Sumanlatha Ambareesh) goes around Mandya saying JDS is a party of thieves. I'm CM because of no other person but you (audience) 'punyaatmas': K'taka CM HD Kumaraswamy

Karnataka: Election Commission flying squad checks luggage of former Karnataka Chief Minister and BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa at helipad in Shivamogga.

BJP President Amit Shah in Davanagere, Karnataka: JD(S) got the least number of seats in the recently held state Assembly elections, BJP got the most number of seats but the 'mahamilawat' made that person the CM whose party got the least number of seats.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh files his nomination from Lucknow for Lok Sabha Elections 2019.

Union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore files his nomination from Jaipur parliamentary constituency for Lok Sabha Elections 2019 . Yog guru Ramdev and Rathore's wife Gayatri Rathore are also present.

Bihar Deputy CM Sushil Modi on Rahul Gandhi's statement 'All thieves have Modi in their surnames': I will file a defamation case against Rahul Gandhi in a Patna court. Is it a crime to have 'Modi' surname? He has referred to crores of people as 'chor' and hurt their sentiments.

Corrupt people are trying to remove chowkidar. We are working for the people: PM Modi

Country wants strong and honest government. People are sick of weak governments: PM Modi 

Lucknow: Union Minister & BJP leader Rajnath Singh holds road show ahead of filing nomination from Lucknow parliamentary seat

Preparations underway for Lok Sabha elections in Ramanathapuram parliamentary constituency of Tamil Nadu; District Collector says, "we are fully prepared to conduct free and fair elections."

Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has alleged that the Election Commission(EC) is under "pressure" from the Modi government to not take action on complaints of political parties over alleged EVM tampering and their demand for re-introduction of ballot paper.

He said the electronic voting machines (EVMs) are not tamper-proof and Voter Verified Paper Trail (VVPATs) machines are not without their flaws either, he said adding that the Congress will bring back ballot paper if voted to power.

Alleging that EVMs were rigged during the 2014 general elections, Siddaramaiah said it could happen this time but "not all EVMs can be tampered with" and therefore, it would be impossible for the BJP to get a majority at national level in the current elections.

Two employees of the railway have been suspended after tickets with photo of PM Narendra Modi printed on them were issued to passengers at UP's Barabanki railway station yesterday.

ADM says, "On 13 April, when shift changes, the old roll was mistakenly used. 2 employees suspended, dept probe underway."

DMK MP candidate from Chennai Central Lok Sabha constituency, Dayanidhi Maran campaigns in the constituency in Tamil Nadu.

All 39 Lok Sabha seats in the state will go to polls on 18th April.

Repolling in Konarchar polling booth for the by-poll to Meghalaya's Selsella Assembly constituency went off smoothly on Monday, an election official said.

The re-poll was necessitated as the 712 voters of this polling booth cast their votes in the EVM meant for the Tura Lok Sabha seat poll, instead of the one for the Assembly by-poll on April 11.

Chief Electoral Officer Frederick Roy Kharkongor said the poll percentage for the Lok Sabha was recorded at 93.40 per cent while 93.12 percent voters turned out in the bye-election.

The BJP is likely to revive its "Operation Kamala" to topple the Congress-JD(S) government in Karnataka after the ongoing general election, but it will not succeed in its effort, Coalition Coordination Committee chairman Siddaramaiah has said.

There is no "threat" to the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) government, which is "very much stable" and functioning smoothly without hiccups, he said on Monday.

The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader further said "Operation Kamala 2.0" will not succeed as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is unlikely to return to power at the Centre.

Leaders of political parties have intensified their efforts to woo the voters, as campaigning for the second phase of Lok Sabha elections come to an end today evening. Polling will be done across 97 constituencies spread over 13 states and one Union Territory, on April 18. 

All 39 Parliamentary constituencies of Tamil Nadu, 14 in Karnataka, 10 Maharashtra, 8 Uttar Pradesh,  5 each in Assam, Bihar and Odisha, 3 each in Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, and 2 in Jammu and Kashmir and one each in Manipur, Tripura and Puducherry will be covered in this phase. 

BJP President Amit Shah is scheduled to address election rallies in Karnataka and Kerala on Tuesday. In Kerala, the BJP president is slated to address rallies in Thrissur (4:30 PM) and in Ernakulam (6:30 PM).

In Karnataka, the BJP chief is scheduled to address rallies in Davanagere (10:40 AM) and in Tumakuru (12:40 PM)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to address four mega election rallies on Tuesday. Modi will address two rallies in Odisha, while the other two will be in Chhattisgarh. 

In Odisha, the prime minister will address rallies in Sambalpur (11 AM) and Bhubaneswar (6 PM). In Chhattisgarh, the venues would be Korba (1 PM) and Bhatapara (3 PM). 

The nomination process for election to the 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana will commence on Tuesday. ​

Haryana's Joint Chief Electoral Officer Inder Jeet said that as per the schedule issued by the Election Commission (EC) for the general elections to 17th Lok Sabha, polling in Haryana will be held on May 12.

The state will witness multi-cornered contests on all seats this time.

The Lok Sabha polls in Vellore constituency in Tamil Nadu is likely to be cancelled over excess use of money power, sources aware of the development said Monday. The Election Commission is learnt to have prepared a recommendation in this regard to be sent to the president.

"It would be sent today itself," an official said on Monday.

Since the president signs the notification for Lok Sabha elections, it is he who rescinds it. The decision came after a large sum of cash was allegedly seized from the DMK candidate's office a few days ago. 

Union Home Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party candidate from Lucknow, Rajnath Singh is slated to file his nomination papers on Tuesday after holding a roadshow.

A senior BJP leader said that Singh was expected to hold the roadshow from party office to collectorate and would be joined by several party leaders and National Democratic Alliance partners.

The roadshow will start around 9:30 in the morning on Tuesday. The home minister will pay tributes to Mahatma Gandhi and Dr BR Ambedkar near the Hazratganj crossing and reach the collectorate around 12 nmoon.

Villagers in Chhattisgarh's Dokada have decided to boycott 2019 general elections over no roads in the village. Locals say, “No Road, No Vote. We will not go to cast our vote till our demand of road development in the village is fulfilled.”

Following the seizure of Rs 11.5 crore cash from a warehouse in Tamil Nadu's Vellore district, the Election Commission (EC) is expected to decide the issue of cancelling the election in the Lok Sabha constituency on Tuesday.

Sources said the Election Commission had received a "damaging" report from the state's Chief Electoral Officer on misuse of money power and that cancelling the election was a likely option.

The process for filing of nominations for the seven parliamentary constituencies in Delhi will begin from Tuesday, officials said. While the Aam Aadmi Party has declared its candidates for the seven seats, the Congress has almost finalised its candidates and is expected to declare the list soon.

The BJP, however, is yet to declare its candidates. A senior party leader said, "It will be done at the right time." The last date of filing of nominations is April 23, with April 19 and 21 being closed owing to Good Friday and Sunday, respectively.