Lok Sabha polls, May 11: As it happened

Former Delhi minister and senior Congress leader Rajkumar Chauhan quit the party to join the BJP on Saturday, a day before the national capital votes in the parliamentary election.

Chauhan was upset with the Congress after he was denied ticket from the North West Delhi Lok Sabha seat. Delhi Congress working president Rajesh Lilothia has been fielded by the party from the seat.

"There was resentment among people over the way I was denied ticket from North West Delhi," Chauhan said.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav Saturday said the world has now started saying the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is dangerous for democracy.

"Today the world has started saying that the BJP is dangerous for democracy. The world's biggest magazine has written that these are the very people who have divided society," Yadav said, referring to the cover story of the Time magazine.

Congress was in power for 55 years at the centre but it befooled the people of the country in the name of eradicating poverty right from first PM Jawaharlal Nehru to Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. Rajiv Gandhi even admitted that out of 100 paise only 15 paise reaches to poor people", he said on Gandhi's highly touted NYAY proposal.

The home minister also criticized Gandhi for promising abolition of sedition law in his party's manifesto. "Congress president Rahul Gandhi and his party talks about abolishing the sedition law, but we will make the law even more stringent so that nobody dares to indulge in acts that may be detrimental to the national integrity" he said.

We have proved development can be ensured without discrimination, we believe in 'Sab ka saath, sab ka vikas': PM at rally in Ghazipur, UP.

The notice to Gautam Gambhir seeks immediate apology in writing & asks to publish the same 'along with true & correct facts' in newspapers & on social media, within 24 hours.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday reminded Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the 2002 Gujarat riots after the latter called the 1984 anti-Sikh riots a "horrendous genocide".

The Member of Parliament from Hyderabad asked Modi what would he call the Gujarat riots.
 

Modi attacks Congress again over Sam Pitroda's 'hua to hua' remark on anti-Sikh riots, says it shows party's mentality.

21 yrs back on this day, India successfully carried out nuclear test - operation Shakti. I salute scientists who brought laurels to the country with hardwork.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi Saturday alleged the BJP, RSS and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had hatred in their hearts for his family, but he would continue to hug the PM as hate could only be defeated by love.

He also said the ongoing election was a fight between two ideologies- that of the Congress, and of the BJP and the RSS on the other.

Gandhi was addressing an election rally here for Congress candidate and folk singer, Prahlad Tipaniya, who is contesting the Lok Sabha election from Dewas seat.

"BJP, RSS and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have hatred for my family and our job is to remove it. He (Modi) speaks with hatred and anger about my father, my grandmother and my great grandfather, but I go and give them a 'jhappi' (hug). You are a prime minister and you must remove hatred and work with love," Gandhi said.

To probe into complaints of irregularities in appointments and awarding of contracts at various departments from 2010-18, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has constituted fact-finding committees, an official spokesman said here on Saturday.

The decision was taken by the administration late Friday night. The each committee would be headed by a senior officer and submit its report by June 14, the spokesman added.

"The fact-finding committees will look into allegations of irregularities in the appointments to the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council and the Skill Development Department besides awarding of dredging contracts and the lack of progress in the implementation of the State Wide Area Network (SWAN) project," the spokesman said.

Giving details, the spokesman said the committee for the J-K Sports Council and the Department of Youth Services would be headed by the Principal Secretary (Home) and include the Secretary, Youth Services and Sports.

Over 7,000 security personnel have been deployed for the re-polls to the Tripura West Lok Sabha seat slated to be held on Sunday, a top police official said on Saturday.

The Election Commission (EC) decided to conduct the re-polls in 168 polling stations in 26 Assembly segments as electoral malpractices were found during voting in the first phase of the ongoing general elections on April 11.

"Over 7,000 paramilitary forces and Tripura State Rifles (TSR) troopers have been deployed in and around the 168 polling stations in four districts," th official told IANS on the condition of anonymity.

However, Returning Officer (RO) of the Tripura West Lok Sabha seat Vikas Singh told IANS that inside the 168 polling stations only the paramilitary troopers were deployed.

Telangana: A scuffle broke out between Congress leaders V Hanumantha Rao and Nagesh Mudiraj during the protest by opposition parties today in Hyderabad against state govt over the issue of state board intermediate results.

Punjab: Actor-turned-politician and BJP candidate from Gurdaspur, Sunny Deol, holds a road show in the Parliamentary constituency. The 13 Lok Sabha seats of the state will undergo polling in the seventh and last phase of general elections.

770 companies of central forces to be deployed in West Bengal in the sixth phase of elections, to be held tomorrow. 

BJP wants to win through 'Red Card'. Officers have been instructed to issue as much Red Cards as possible to SP. SP-BSP workers are being issued Red Cards. They're being stopped from casting votes. We had complained to EC last time, through you I'm doing that today too: Akhilesh Yadav

The guilty in Alwar gang-rape case should be hanged till death. Supreme Court should take action against the Congress government, police and the administration in the state. This matter is not just related to Dalits but all women: BSP Chief Mayawati

Congress President Rahul Gandhi is set to address 3 public rallies in Madhya Pradesh's Shujalpur, Dhar and Khargone today.

West Bengal: EC declares polling at booths 116-Kanchrapara Udbodhoni Madhyamik Vidyalay in 15-Barrackpore LS constituency and 110-Laskarpur Netaji Prathamik Vidayala in Arambag Lok Sabha constituency as void.

The poll body has ordered re-polling to be conducted at the two booths on 12th May.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to address two public rallies in Uttar Pradesh's Sonbhadra and Ghazipur today.