NDA will break previous records, says PM Modi on eve of poll dates announcement | Updates

Odia actor Arindam Roy on joining BJP | "The main reason (to switch) was our PM Modi. Not just me, but the entire country is impressed with him. I only wish to get an opportunity to work for the people."

Jharkhand CM and JMM leader Champai Soren on upcoming Lok Sabha elections | "We held a meeting to discuss the preparations for our party to plan for the Lok Sabha elections. In 1-2 days, we will inform you about the candidates. We will definitely fight from Jamshedpur and Chaibasa constituencies."

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday launched the Aam Aadmi Party's Lok Sabha election campaign in Gujarat, where he said only his party can finish off the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from the country. READ MORE

On the eve of the Parliament poll dates announcement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday asserted that the "lotus is going to bloom" in Kerala, and the BJP-led NDA would secure power at the Centre by surpassing previous records in the upcoming polls.

The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has called for a statewide protest tomorrow in Telangana over the arrest of party's MLC K Kavitha by ED in connection with the Delhi Liquor scam.

A meeting of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on seat-sharing for Lok Sabha elections is underway at a hotel in Mumbai. 

Union Minister Nityanand Rai on upcoming Lok Sabha elections | "NDA is winning all 40 seats (in Bihar); 400 plus in the country. PM Modi's name and work have influenced households, villages and cities... There is a double-engine government in Bihar, we will win all 40 seats..."

Union Minister Nityanand Rai on upcoming Lok Sabha elections | "NDA is winning all 40 seats (in Bihar); 400 plus in the country. PM Modi's name and work have influenced households, villages and cities... There is a double-engine government in Bihar, we will win all 40 seats..."

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on BJP election campaign | As the Chief Minister of Assam, I am confident that more development will happen here. The hero of this development is Narendra Modi. We want to do a constructive election campaign this time. We will visit villages and find out who has not got the benefits of Orunodoi Scheme, PM Awas Yojana etc. This election campaign will be an economic, socio-development campaign.

BRS leader Ravula Sridhar Reddy on K Kavitha's arrest | "They have taken her away from here, ED has taken her from here. The case is sub-judice, posted before the court on 19th March... K Kavitha has also responded to the summons that have been sent - it is election season and she has to campaign. So, when the hearing is on the 19th, what is the haste? PM Modi is in Hyderabad and you want to arrest her. What do you want to show? There is no evidence and no cash has been seized. The allegations are baseless. BJP and Congress are trying to intimidate BRS. We will explore the legal options before us and fight. We trust the judiciary. The truth will come out."

Telangana BJP chief and Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Friday joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his \roadshow in Malkajgiri, Hyderabad.

BJP MLA Mangal Pandey on Friday took oath as minister in the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government in Bihar.

BJP MLA Neeraj Kumar Singh on Friday took oath as minister in the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government in Bihar.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal on I.N.D.I.A bloc upcoming meeting in Mumbai | "I am curious about the whereabouts of the INDIA alliance. In Kerala, they are involved in internal disputes, while in other states they discuss forming partnerships. The alliance in West Bengal has collapsed, and the same in Punjab. So, while they may be friends in certain regions, nationally they seem to be at odds with each other."

BJP's Renu Devi, Mangal Pandey, Niraj Kumar Singh, Nitish Mishra and JD(U)'s Ashok Choudhary, Leshi Singh, Madan Sahni among others take oath as ministers in Bihar Cabinet.

Governor Rajendra Arlekar administered the oath to the office to them, in Patna.

The Electoral bonds was the biggest extortion racket in the world, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said at a rally in Thane.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds roadshow in Malkajgiri, Hyderabad, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, schedule for which will be announced by the Election Commission on Saturday.  

The Madras High Court has given its nod for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's roadshow in Coimbatore after police denied permission citing security reasons.

Union Minister and Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP) president Pashupati Kumar Paras has asked its alliance partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to allot seats to his party members adding if this is not done then doors are open for them. READ MORE

JKNC Vice President Omar Abdullah on upcoming Lok Sabha elections | "We have no expectations from the Election Commission. The Election Commission should play a role in its mission of bringing democracy. It has been ten years since Jammu & Kashmir has seen Assembly elections. Former president Ram Nath Kovind has submitted the report on 'One Nation One Election' but what we can expect if you can't start it from Jammu & Kashmir. This is a golden opportunity, they should announce the dates of both the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections to be held together here in tomorrow's press conference (of the Election Commission)... I have nothing to do with PAGD (The People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration) but the National Conference."

According to India TV-CNX opinion poll, the Congress may win nine seats in Telangana while BJP may get 5. 

Ahead of the Bihar Cabinet expansion, the below-mentioned leaders may take oath as ministers, as per sources.

BJP leaders:

1. Mangal Pandey 
2. Aruna Devi 
3. Neeraj Bablu   
4. Nitish Mishra 
5. Nitin Naveen   
6. Janak Ram 
7. Kedar Gupta 
8. Dilip Jaiswal 
9. Krishnanandan Paswan 
10. Santosh Singh
11. Surendra Mehta
12. Hari Sahani

JD(U) leaders

1. Ashok Chaudhary, 
2. Leshi Singh, 
3. Madan Sahni 
4. Sheela Mandal 
5. Jama Khan 
6. Maheshwar Hazari 
7. Ratnesh Sada 
8. Sunil Kumar 
9. Jayant Raj

According to India TV-CNX Opinion Poll, the BJP may bag 10 seats in the upcoming general elections. The state has a total of 21 Lok Sabha seats.

PM Modi addresses rally in Pathanamthitta, Kerala | "In the last 10 years, we have made all efforts for every category of people in every area as much as possible. We brought back nurses from Iraq who were stuck in a war. We brought back priests who were stuck amid a crisis. During Corona, Indians were brought back from every part of the world because wherever even one Indian was in trouble, our government stood with them strongly. This is 'Modi yude guarantee."

Denied ticket, Congress MP Abdul Khaleque resigns from the party. "I have decided to severe my ties of 25 years with Congress. I already send my resignation letter to Honourable Congress President Kharge ji," he said in an X post.

Senior RJD leader Manoj Jha on Friday alleged that the data on electoral bonds has proved that the ruling BJP at the Centre is "the most corrupt political party in the history" of the country. Jha, the party's national spokesperson, also claimed that the data, which has been put up on the Supreme Court's website, flies in the face of the "nationalistic pretensions" of the BJP, while lending credence to the charge that central investigating agencies were being misused for political ends.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the NDA election meeting at Chilakaluripeta in Palnadu district on Sunday, BJP national general secretary Vinod Tawde said on Friday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi would formally kickstart the BJP's Lok Sabha election campaign in Karnataka on Saturday from Congress President M Mallikarjun Kharge's home turf -- Kalaburagi. He is scheduled to address a mega public meeting at the district headquarters town's N V Ground at 2 pm.

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to stay the appointments of new election commissioners (ECs) under a 2023 law that excluded the chief justice of India from the selection panel. A bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna, Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih told the petitioners, who pointed out that a meeting for the selection of ECs was pre-poned, to file a separate application pointing out the fact.

Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) seat-sharing meeting to be held today evening. Prakash Ambedkar says that he has not been invited to the MVA meeting yet, so he won’t attend it.

AAP withdrew its candidate from Guwahati Lok Sabha seat and demanded from Congress to withdraw their candidates from Sonitpur and Dibrugarh in Assam.

"Every method has its plus and minus points," the Supreme Court on Friday said as it refused to entertain a plea alleging irregularities in the functioning of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the people of Jammu and Kashmir rejected those who dreamt of breaking the country and that Tamil Nadu will also do the same.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who has been renominated for the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha, began his poll campaign on Friday and asked BJP workers to tell voters that this election is about Bharat and not their party. Shah, accompanied by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, first sought the blessings of Lord Hanuman at a temple on Gurukul Road and then offered floral tributes to the statue of Subhash Chandra Bose. Shah appealed to his party cadres to contact each and every voter during the poll campaign and ensure that they press the “lotus button (on EVM)”.

Supreme Court lists for hearing on March 21 pleas challenging the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023, which dropped the Chief Justice of India from the selection panel of Election Commissioners. Supreme Court also allows petitioners to file applications regarding the latest development of the appointment of two new Election Commissioners under a 2023 law and says it will examine it on March 21

BRS chief KCR  announced that Nagarkurnool and Hyderabad Lok Sabha seats will be given to BSP.

The Election Commission is expected to announce the schedule for General Elections 2024 and some State Assemblies at 3 pm tomorrow (i.e) Saturday, March 16.

"DMK-Congress' INDI alliance can never make Tamil Nadu a developed state as its history is of scams and corruption," he said.

"People of Jammu and Kashmir rejected people who dreamt of breaking country, people of Tamil Nadu are going to do same," PM Modi said in Kanyakumari.

After resigning as Congress leader and MLA, Dr Raj Kumar joined Aam Aadmi Party.

"BJP tried its best to delay the disclosure of Electoral Bond. But, the Supreme Court order made them to disclose it," Congress leader Manickam Tagore said.

PM Modi addressed election rally in Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari.

After declaring candidature on 20 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, BJP has now started preparations for the elections. With emphasis on booth level, preparations have been started to get 51 per cent votes. The meeting of BJP officials started in Mumbai today for Mission Lok Sabha 45+.

PM Modi in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. PM Modi will address NDA rally in Palnadu (Bapuri) on March 17. Overnight stay in Hyderabad. PM Modi in Jagtial, Shivamogga and Coimbatore on March 18. Overnight stay in Coimbatore. PM Modi's road show in Palakkad and rally in Salem on March 19

The Congress on Friday alleged that the electoral bonds data has exposed "corrupt tactics" of the BJP such as quid pro quo, seeking donations for the company's protection, kickbacks and money laundering through shell companies. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also said the party continues to demand unique bond ID numbers, so that it can precisely match donors to recipients.

"Like it was done in 2G case, where an SIT was made, in this case also an SIT should be constituted to probe the matter," he said.

Rajiv Kumar welcomed the two newly-appointed Election Commissioners, Gyanesh Kumar & Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu who joined the Commission today.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a BJP rally in TN's Kanyakumari on Friday, as part of his southern outreach with the Lok Sabha polls around the corner. He is slated to address rallies next week as well, in the western region of the state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has completed all “impossible-looking” tasks, be it the abrogation of Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, or the implementation of One Rank One Pension (OROP), Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said.

Today, another meeting of Maha Vikas Aghadi will be held on the distribution of Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra. The meeting will be held at Hotel Trident at 5 pm. Sanjay Raut, Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar, Balasaheb Thorat, Vinayak Raut will be present at the meeting. The formula for seat sharing is likely to be decided today, according to sources.

Congress' Govind Ram Meghwal has been pitted against BJP leader and Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal once again from the Bikaner Lok Sabha seat in Rajasthan. Govind had contested on the BSP ticket in 2009 and faced defeat from the latter.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded the late Sushma Swaraj's daughter Bansuri Swaraj, who will be making her electoral debut. She has been pitted against Aam Aadmi Party's senior leader Somnath Bharti from the New Delhi constituency.

In a setback to opposition unity in Assam, the Trinamool Congress on Thursday announced candidates for four Lok Sabha seats in which other anti-BJP parties have already declared nominees. Through a post on X, the All India Trinamool Congress published the candidate list for Kokrajhar (ST), Barpeta, Lakhimpur and Silchar (SC) seats. It nominated Gauri Sankar Sarania in Kokrajhar, Abul Kalam Azad in Barpeta, Ghana Kanta Chutia in Lakhimpur and Radhashyam Biswas in Silchar.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a roadshow in Hyderabad today and address BJP rallies in Telangana on March 16 and March 18 ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.