Election 2019 LIVE: MP Man, Who Praised Modi at Digvijaya Singh's Rally, Felicitated by BJP

EC to Take Down Trailers of Mamata Banerjee's Biopic | The Election Commission is learnt to have initiated steps to take down trailers of a biopic on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from at least three websites. After the chief electoral officer of West Bengal submitted a report on the biopic, titled 'Baghini' (tigress), the EC has initiated steps to ensure that the trailers are brought down. Though the producer has claimed that it is slated for release on May 3, an EC official said so far the Central Board for Film Certification has not issued it a certification.

PM Modi to File Nomination on April 26

PM Modi to File Nomination From Varanasi on April 26 | BJP chief Amit Shah has confirmed that PM Narendra Modi will be filing his nomination from Varanasi. He will be accompanied by Sukhbir Singh Badal, Nitish Kumar, Uddhav Thackeray and other NDA leaders.

Priyanka Gandhi in a jibe at PM Narendra Modi tweeted saying, "At a time when Bundelkhand men-women, schoolchildren, birds and animals are facing a terrible drought, drinking water is being used to clean the streets to welcome our Prime Minister. Is he a chowkidar or ruler?"

जब पूरा बुंदलेखंड, वहाँ के नर नारी, स्कूलों के बच्चे, फसलें और पशु-पक्षी भयंकर सूखे का आतंक झेल रहे हैं हमारे प्रधान प्रचारमंत्री के स्वागत में पीने का पानी टैंकरों से बाँदा की सड़कों पर उड़ेला जा रहा है। यह चौकीदार हैं या दिल्ली से पधारे कोई शहंशाह? pic.twitter.com/LV4IYuwn2g

— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) April 23, 2019

Amit Mali, the man who sprung a surprise on Congress's Bhopal candidate Digvijaya Singh during his Berasia rally yesterday, was felicitated by BJP for hailing PM Modi when prompted to talk about the saffron party's 2014 poll promise of disbursing Rs 15 lakhs. "He (Digvijaya Singh) had asked who all got 15 lakhs in their accounts, so I raised my hand, then I went to the stage and told him about the surgical strikes. He made me step down from the stage. Nobody misbehaved with me afterwards," he said. 

Amit Mali: He (Digvijaya Singh) had asked who all got 15 lakhs in their accounts, so I raised my hand, then I went to the stage and told him about the surgical strikes, he made me step down from the stage. Nobody misbehaved with me afterwards. pic.twitter.com/oxjgFgwD8h

— ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2019

In its new list, the BJP also named Som Prakash as its candidate from the reserved constituency of Hoshiarpur, replacing Union Minister Vijay Sampla. Soon after the announcement was made, Sampla questioned the saffron party asking what mistake he had made to warrant this action. "I do not have any allegations of corruption, Nobody can say anything about my character, I built an airport in the area, constructed roads. But if these are mistakes, I will tell the future generations to not commit such mistakes," he tweeted. 

कोई दोष तो बता देते ?
मेरी ग़लती क्या है कि :-
1. मुझ पर भ्रष्टाचार का कोई इल्ज़ाम नहीं है।
2.आचरण पर कोई ऊँगली नहीं उठा सकता ।
3. क्षेत्र में एयरपोर्ट बनवाया । रेल गाड़ियाँ चलाई । सड़के बनवाई ।
अगर यही दोष है तो मैं अपनी आने वाली पीडीयों को समझा दुंगा कि वह ऐसी ग़लतियाँ न करें।

— Vijay Sampla MoS (@vijaysamplabjp) April 23, 2019

Biju Janata Dal chief and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik slammed the BJP over its development model. "Country can’t develop with grand talk. BJP did massive publicity around Gujarat model for which it paid a heavy price. Its double engines in MP, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Punjab were derailed. And in its own bastion Gujarat, BJP was reduced to wafer-thin majority," he tweeted. 

Country can’t develop with grand talk. BJP did massive publicity around Gujarat model for which it paid heavy price. Its double engines in MP, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh & Punjab were derailed. And in its own bastion Gujarat, BJP was reduced to wafer-thin majority. #VoteForBJDTwice pic.twitter.com/1P0FaIRnqm

— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) April 23, 2019

EC Says PM Modi Did Not Violate Code | Hours after Congress filed a complaint against Narendra Modi for holding a roadshow after casting his vote, Gujarat Chief Election Officer has said that the Prime Minister had not violated the Model Code of Conduct. 

Sunny Deol to Fight Contest From Gurdaspur | The BJP is fielding Sunny Deol from Gurdaspur hours after the actor joined the saffron party. The new list also names Kirron Kher as the BJP's candidate from Chandigarh. With this list BJP has announced a total of 437 candidates, which is the highest in terms of the party's history.

PM Modi Did What Cong Couldn't, Says Amit Shah | Amit Shah is addressing a rally in Madhya Pradesh's Chhatarpur city. "In the last five years, the Narendra Modi government did what was not done in 55 years of Congress rule," he says.

पांच साल के अंदर नरेन्द्र मोदी सरकार ने कांग्रेस के 55 साल के शासन में जो नहीं हुआ वो करके दिखाया।

पांच साल के अंदर देश की 7 करोड़ गरीब माताओं को गैस सिलेंडर, 2.5 करोड़ लोगों को घर, 8 करोड़ गरीबों को शौचालय देने का भाजपा सरकार ने किया है: श्री अमित शाह #AayegaToModiHi pic.twitter.com/8kjsvoN25z

— BJP (@BJP4India) April 23, 2019

Non-Bailable Warrants Issued to Arvind Kejriwal, Yogendra Yadav, Manish Sisodia | Delhi court issued non-bailable warrants against CM Arvind Kejriwal, Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and National president of Swaraj India Yogendra Yadav after they didn't appear in a defamation case filed by a lawyer Surender Sharma.

Following a meeting between Congress delegation and the Election Commission, the party spokesperson Abhishek Sanghvi says, "Today after casting his vote, PM (Modi) took out a long procession and delivered a speech. There has never been such a clear violation of the Model Code of Conduct, he is a habitual offender. We appealed to EC to bar him from campaigning for 48-72 hours."

Rumours That Russians Are Operating EVM, Says Chandrababu Naidu | Telugu Desam Party chief Chandrababu Naidu claims that there are rumours that "Russia people are operating" the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).  The Andhra Pradesh CM further said that according to the rumours this is happening remotely. "Rumours are that people are even offering five crores or 10 crores for each assembly segments to get elected. This may or may not be true, but things are in a bad state, he said."

BJP's Gautam Gambhir files his nomination from the East Delhi parliamentary constituency.

Delhi: BJP's Gautam Gambhir files his nomination for the East Delhi parliamentary constituency. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/mGsVXToS8w

— ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2019

The top court has said that there is no need for Rahul Gandhi to make a personal appearance on April 30 to respond to the contempt case against him. Gandhi has been asked to respond to the court by next Tuesday why he should not be held in contempt of court over his statement following the Rafale judgement in which he had said the ruling was the strongest rebuke to PM Modi. 

In West Bengal, Congress supporters are staging a protest outside the Election Commission office after one of their supporters - Piarul Sheikh - died in poll violence in Murshidabad district. Congress state president Soumen Mitra said that the protestors have raised the demand for free and fair elections in the state. They are yet to lodge a formal complaint. 

Hitting out at Mamata Banerjee, PM Modi says, "If the PM seat could be auctioned then Congress and Mamata Banerjee both would buy it with the money that they have looted. But Didi the PM post cannot be bought."

PM Narendra Modi continues to address the rally in West Bengal's Asansol district. Referring to the recent controversy over Bangladeshi actor Ferdous Ahmed campaigning for TMC, he said, "Today TMC's condition has become such that people are not turning up for their rallies so they are forced to call actors from abroad."

Telugu Desam Party leader who also attended the press conference alleged that EVMs are vulnerable to programming errors. "The BJP can get votes only through manipulation," he claimed.

Rival Parties Claim EVM Being Manipulated | Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar at a joint media interaction with leaders of the Congress NCP, TDP, TMC and others hit out at the Narendra Modi. He said that people are in a mood to change the Modi-led government but manipulation of EVMs in the "only worrying factor". 

The Congress has announced the name of Ranvir Sharma as its candidate for the Agra North constituency bye-election.

Congress announces Ranvir Sharma as the candidate for the Agra North constituency bye-election. pic.twitter.com/D3aYV23pO9

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 23, 2019

"Before 2014, Congress government had made a record of corruption. Today, TMC government is giving a tough competition to the Congress. Corruption and crime are non-stop in the Trinamool Congress rule. And 'speed-breaker didi' is also there," PM Modi says. 

WB Will Teach TMC a Lesson, Says PM Modi | PM Narendra Modi is addressing a public meeting in West Bengal's Asansol district. He takes a hit at the Trinamool Congress over today's violence during polling. "West Bengal has made a mind to teach a lesson to Trinamool who tries to hijack democracy," he says. 

जो लोकतंत्र को हाईजैक करने की कोशिश करती हो, ऐसी तृणमूल को सबक सिखाने का मन पश्चिम बंगाल ने बना लिया है: पीएम मोदी #AayegaToModiHi pic.twitter.com/N1i1Wm4XDo

— BJP (@BJP4India) April 23, 2019

War Over Between Udit Raj and BJP? |  After threatening to leave the party and even removing the 'Chowkidar' prefix from his Twitter name, Udit Raj has now added the prefix again. The sitting MP from North-West Delhi had been miffed after he was denied a ticket and had even said that it was the party which was quitting him. Following this recent development, however, it seems likely that the party has been able to settle the matter with the disgruntled member. 

TMC Threatening Voters in Hindu Villages, Writes BJP | A BJP delegation met with the Election Commission to complain about the allegedly partisan attitude of Additional CEO Sanjay Basu. In the letter, the saffron party members handed to the poll panel, the BJP said that the Trinamool Congress had "resorted to intimidating and threatening voters specially in Hindu villages". 

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accuses the BJP of 'dragging the elections'. "Elections never been held for such long period in the history of the country, BJP dragged it for 3 months," she says

Central Forces Working for BJP: Mamata Banerjee | Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee alleges that the central forces were working for the BJP by asking voters in Maldaha Dakshin and Balurghat constituencies, where polling is underway, to cast their votes for the saffron party.  "I have got information that the central forces are sitting inside booths in Englishbazar in Maldaha Dakshin and asking voters to vote for the BJP. They do not have the right to do such thing. We have informed the Election Commission about our reservations regarding this," she says. "Why are they (central forces) doing it? The police cannot enter a polling booth," she adds.

Sharpening his attack, Naidu says that the present Narendra Modi government is dangerous. "We had a PC in Delhi, then chennai. This is the third PC. We want to educate people. It is not a political issue, every person has to think over this. Economy is in crisis. Unemployment is at its peak. Farmers are protesting. Every farmer and youth in this country is against the government. There is a fear psycho. How do we save democracy is the biggest question today."

The CM then raises concerns over the ongoing Lok Sabha elections and their transparancy. "ECI is an independent body, it must act impartially. Today if we see these election, they are targeting all the opposition parties through EC. There are lot of issues with EVMs and VVPATs.To save democracy, we are asking the EC to check atleast 50% of EVMs and VVPATs. If there is difference between EVM and VVPAt slips then VVPAT slips to prevail," he says.

At the joint press conference of Opposition leaders currently underway in Mumbai, TDP chief and Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu launches a scathing attacking on the ruling government. "For more than 6 months we are together in raising our voice. They broke the CBI. Indiscriminately they are using Income Tax. Democratic institutions are being destroyed by the government," he says. 

The criminal contempt notice was issued to Gandhi for his 'chowkidar chor hai' remark while attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Rafale judgment, which the apex court said were 'incorrectly attributed' to it.