Election 2019 LIVE: EC Bans Sidhu for 3 Days Over Warning to Muslims on Division of Votes

Congress Fields Boxer Vijender Singh From South Delhi | Congress has announced the name of boxer Vijender Singh as its candidate from South Delhi. 

Delhi: Boxer Vijender Singh to contest from South Delhi Lok Sabha seat as Congress candidate. pic.twitter.com/hQHvvGgUne

— ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2019

Congress MLA from Bhupalapally in Telangana Gandra Venkata Reddy has joined Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS). Reddy's wife also made the move to the K Chandrashekhar Rao-led party. They joined the party in the presence of Chandrashekar Rao's son, KT Rama Rao.

The EC in its order condemning the comments said that statements "had the tone and tenor to aggravate existing differences.....between religious communities".  The campaign ban order will be enforced from 10am tomorrow. 

EC Bars Navjot Sidhu From Campaigning For 3 Days

EC Bars Navjot Sidhu From Campaigning For 3 Days | The Election Commission has banned Navjot Singh Sidhu from campaigning for three days for his comments from an earlier rally in Katihar, Bihar. In the rally, Sidhu had appealed to the Muslims to vote as a bloc against the BJP. The poll panel had served a show-cause notice to the Congress leader's following which Sidhu responded by saying that his comments had been misconstrued. Negating his response, the poll body has now issued the ban order. 

BJP's Meenakshi Lekhi to Fight From New Delhi | The BJP has named Meenakshi Lekhi as its candidate from New Delhi and Gautam Gambhir from East Delhi. 

SP's Shalini Yadav to Take the Fight Against PM Modi in Varanasi | Samajwadi Party has announced its candidates for the critical Varanasi seat, where PM Modi will be contesting. SP named Shalini Yadav as its candidate from the constituency. The party is also fielding Sanjay Chauhan from Chandauli. Meanwhile, Congress is expected to decide over the candidature of Priyanka Gandhi from Varanasi in the next day or two. 

Meanwhile, five polling booths in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district, which are going to polls tomorrow, are seeing incidences of stone pelting. 

Pragya Thakur to Face Charges For Babri Remark | Bhopal District Magistrate has ordered the registration of the case against BJP candidate Pragya Thakur over her 'Babri demolition' remarks. The move comes after the Madhya Pradesh poll officer had directed the collector to probe the case. Pragya Thakur sparked a row when she said that she was among those who had demolished the mosque in 1992 and that she was "proud" about it. 

PM Modi Launches Attack on Cong-JD(S) | In his second rally in Rajasthan today, PM Modi hit out at the Congress-JD(S) government in Karnataka. "In Karnataka Congress government and the CM have said that those who are hungry and poor are forced to join the army. Congress politicians don't understand that these people don't go there to eat rotis but to face bullets," he said in the Jodhpur rally.

Actor Sanjay Dutt campaigns for his sister Priya Dutt, who is Congress candidate from Mumbai Northwest. The brother-sister duo held a roadshow. 

Mumbai: Actor Sanjay Dutt campaigns for his sister Priya Dutt, Congress MP candidate from Mumbai Northwest. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/69C5V2FDCS

— ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2019

Cross FIRs were lodged in connection with an incident of clash between supporters of CPI candidate from Bihar's Begusarai seat Kanhaiya Kumar and a group of locals. Two complaints have been lodged by both sides at Gadhpura police station about Sunday's clash, which erupted after the former JNU students' union president was shown black flags at Koray village here during a roadshow.

Congress Likely to Field Boxer Vijender Singh From South Delhi | Congress is expected to shortly announce the name of its candidate from South Delhi - the boxer Vijender Singh. The party had earlier announced the names of six candidates from Delhi, including its state unit chief Sheila Dixit who will be contesting from North-East Delhi. The Congress list drew the curtains on the possibility of an alliance with the Aam Admi Party in Delhi.

Meanwhile, TMC secretary general Subrata Bakshi has written a letter to the CEC demanding the immediate removal of Nayak for his comments on Bengal.

Special Observer Ajay Nayak, who recently came under fire for his comments about the condition of West Bengal, has said that there will be 100% deployment of Central forces in all booths in Asansol which goes to polls in the 4th phase on April 29. TMC had demanded Nayak's removal from the post for likening Bengal's condition to Bihar's from 10 years ago.

Babul Supriyo Faces the Flak For Scuffle With Official, Campaign Song | EC registers two FIRs against Union Minister and BJP's Babul Supriyo. The party's candidate from Asansol is facing the flak for playing the campaign song, which the EC had denied permission for as it was in violation of the Model Code of Conduct. The second FIR against him was lodged following his scuffle with an EC official. Supriyo had snatched the camera of the EC official who had been recording his campaign rally.

In a surprising turn of events, the famous hair stylist Javed Habib has joined BJP. Habib is seen addressing reporters after officially joining the saffron party . 

#NewsAlert | Hair stylist Javed Habib joins @BJP4India. pic.twitter.com/QlK1uUhuso

— News18 (@CNNnews18) April 22, 2019

The Election Commission has announced re-polling at 4 polling stations in Karimganj and one poll booth in Diphu, which fall with the Autonomous District Parliamentary constituency on April 24.

Meanwhile, Congress' Digvijaya Singh raked up quite a row at a public meeting earlier when he asked a young attendee to come on stage and say whether he had received Rs 15 lakh in his account, as had been promised by the BJP government in 2014. To Singh's utter surprise, the man walked up to the stage and hailed PM Modi instead. "Modi ji did the surgical strike and killed terrorists," the man is seen saying in the video before he was pushed off the stage. 

#WATCH Bhopal: Congress candidate Digvijaya Singh asks a youth in the crowd 'did you get Rs 15 lakhs in your account?' The youth walks up to the stage and says 'Modi ji did surgical strike and killed terrorists.' pic.twitter.com/FRoVhHPk5h

— ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2019

Cong to Soon Decide on Priyanka Gandhi's Candidature From Varanasi | CNN News18  sources have said that the Congress is likely to take a decision within the next day or two over its general secretary Priyanka Gandhi's candidature from Varanasi. If fielded from the Uttar Pradesh constituency, Priyanka Gandhi will be directly pitted against PM Modi.

Yashwant Sinha to Campaign For TMC | Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress has roped in former Finance Minister and a BJP leader Yashwant Sinha for its poll campaign. 

Better If Priyanka Gandhi Does Not Act, Says Smriti Irani | The BJP candidate from Amethi, Smriti Irani, responds to Priyanka Gandhi's earlier jibe. "I have remained an actress, so it is better if Priyanka Gandhi stays away from acting. As far as her claims go about the people not have shoes as a result of poverty, if she has some shame she should go there and see the reality for herself."

The Prime Minister also contends that issues of national security should be discussed during the Lok Sabha elections. "If they get into the house and kill you, how will the country be protected. Shouldn't this be talked about in the elections?"

"The Congress and their Mahamalivati gang ​​say that (PM) Modi should not talk about nationalism, national security and terrorism," PM Modi says. Calling the opposition parties the 'saboot' gang he says "They are demanding we prove the bravery of our sons. But will you rely on your saboot or trust the person who asks for proof?" 

My Govt Addressed Corruption, Congress Didn't, Says PM Modi | PM Narendra Modi is addressing a rally in Rajasthan's Udaipur city. Modi says that it was under his government that those who were engaging in rampant corruption were punished. Taking a hit at the previous government led by the Congress party he said that the loans were given to the party's billionaire friends during their regime. 

Adityanath claimed that during Congress rule China entered Indian territory at will and play with the country's security. But under Modi's leadership, soldiers forced China to move back after a two-month stand-off in Doklam, he said.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who had been reprimanded by Election Commission for referring to the Indian Army as 'Modiji ki Sena' called on it (army) to depict a strong India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Re-polling to Take in Palin, Nyapin, Tali and Koloriang  | Place in The Election Commission has decided to nullify the ballots cast on April 11 in four Lok Sabha constituencies and one Assembly constituency in Arunachal Pradesh. Re-polling  in the Palin, Nyapin, Tali and Koloriang will take place on April 27. Assembly polls will be held again in Palin. 

Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav upped the ante against Prime Minister Modi today. Tejashwi alleged that visitors were barred from meeting his father, party supremo Lalu Prasad in Ranchi jail at the instructions of the Prime Minister. The PM was there in Araria when the notice barring people from meeting Lalu Prasad was issued last Saturday", he said.

The AICC general secretary further said, "PM Modi has not visited a single village in Varanasi. Let them beg for votes, Amethi and Raebareli will never bow down in front of anyone."

Irani Insulted the People of Amethi, Says Priyanka Gandhi | After addressing a public meeting in Amethi's Ghorha, Priyanka Gandhi takes a potshot at BJP's candidate from the constituency.  "Smriti Irani came here and distributed shoes; she wants to insult Rahul Gandhi. But that was an insult to the people of  Amethi. People in Amethi have never begged for anything. You should not beg, they who want your votes should beg in front of you," she says.