With <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/exit-polls-2019-pm-modi-returning-to-power-with-300-plus-seats-say-pollsters-219927">exit polls going live with their predictions</a> for the Lok Sabha 2019 results on Sunday, one thing that looks imminent is the BJP making a clean sweep in most of the Hindi heartland of the country. The party is slated to win the general elections with a clear majority, comfortably bagging over 300 seats, the pollsters said.&nbsp;

As per various exit polls, the BJP is set to steal the show in states like <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lions-share-of-uttar-pradeshs-seats-going-to-bjp-predict-exit-polls-219936">Uttar Pradesh</a>, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.&nbsp;

In Rajasthan, the NDA is looking to bag over 20 seats out of a total of 25 seats, C-Voter predicted. Today's Chanakya predicted the BJP making a clean sweep in Rajasthan, winning all 25 seats.&nbsp;

The prediction is almost similar for Gujarat where C-Voter predicted the BJP to claim victory on 22 of 26 seats - a slight dip from its 2014 tally when it had swept the state. Today's Chanakya, however, predicted that the party will make a clean sweep, registering a win on all 26 seats.&nbsp;

In Madhya Pradesh, where 29 Lok Sabha seats are at stake, pollsters predicted 25 to 27 seats to go to BJP's kitty. Today's Chanakya showed 27 seats for the BJP while the Congress will settle with 2. The IPSOS exit poll predicted 24 to 27 seats for the BJP and 2 to 4 for the Congress in the state.

The Aaj Tak Axis poll suggested the BJP would register a massive win in Madhya Pradesh with 26 to 28 seats.&nbsp;

The BJP-led NDA is slated to get the lion's share of Uttar Pradesh's 80 Lok Sabha seats, as per exit polls. Times Now-VMR said NDA will get 58 seats in the state, C-Voter predicted 38 seats for the party. The poll of polls, a collection of various exit polls, suggested 43 seats for the NDA.

It is going to be a flop show for the Congress-RJD alliance and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/flop-show-for-congress-rjd-in-bihar-says-pollsters-nda-to-win-big-219966">a thumping victory for the NDA in Bihar</a>, exit polls depicted on Sunday. Out of 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state, the NDA will claim around over 30 seats while the Congress-RJD alliance will settle with around 4-6.&nbsp;

The News18-IPSOS survey gives 34-36 seats to the NDA in Bihar while Congress-RJD is likely to bag 4 to 6 seats. Today's Chanakya projected NDA to win 32 seats and Congress to claim 8. &nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/exit-polls-2019-pollsters-predict-bjp-to-make-a-clean-sweep-in-delhi-on-all-7-seats-219933">In the national capital, exit polls</a> predicted all seven seats to go to the Bharatiya Janata Party.&nbsp;

In 2014, the BJP, along with its NDA constituents had won 336 out of 543 seats and formed the government at the Centre - the first time in about three decades that a party had won such a huge number of seats.

The final results of Lok Sabha 2019 polls will be announced on May 23.&nbsp;

Watch: Reliability, methodology and other things you need to know

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/exit-polls-reliability-methodology-and-other-things-you-need-to-know-219988/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

With exit polls going live with their predictions for the Lok Sabha 2019 results on Sunday, one thing that looks imminent is the BJP making a clean sweep in most of the Hindi heartland of the country.

With exit polls going live with their predictions for the Lok Sabha 2019 results on Sunday, one thing that looks imminent is the BJP making a clean sweep in most of the Hindi heartland of the country. The party is slated to win the general elections with a clear majority, comfortably bagging over 300 seats, the pollsters said. As per various exit polls, the BJP is set to steal the show in states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. In Rajasthan, the NDA is looking to bag over 20 seats out of a total of 25 seats, C-Voter predicted. Today's Chanakya predicted the BJP making a clean sweep in Rajasthan, winning all 25 seats. The prediction is almost similar for Gujarat where C-Voter predicted the BJP to claim victory on 22 of 26 seats - a slight dip from its 2014 tally when it had swept the state. Today's Chanakya, however, predicted that the party will make a clean sweep, registering a win on all 26 seats. In Madhya Pradesh, where 29 Lok Sabha seats are at stake, pollsters predicted 25 to 27 seats to go to BJP's kitty. Today's Chanakya showed 27 seats for the BJP while the Congress will settle with 2. The IPSOS exit poll predicted 24 to 27 seats for the BJP and 2 to 4 for the Congress in the state. The Aaj Tak Axis poll suggested the BJP would register a massive win in Madhya Pradesh with 26 to 28 seats. The BJP-led NDA is slated to get the lion's share of Uttar Pradesh's 80 Lok Sabha seats, as per exit polls. Times Now-VMR said NDA will get 58 seats in the state, C-Voter predicted 38 seats for the party. The poll of polls, a collection of various exit polls, suggested 43 seats for the NDA. It is going to be a flop show for the Congress-RJD alliance and a thumping victory for the NDA in Bihar, exit polls depicted on Sunday. Out of 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state, the NDA will claim around over 30 seats while the Congress-RJD alliance will settle with around 4-6. The News18-IPSOS survey gives 34-36 seats to the NDA in Bihar while Congress-RJD is likely to bag 4 to 6 seats. Today's Chanakya projected NDA to win 32 seats and Congress to claim 8. In the national capital, exit polls predicted all seven seats to go to the Bharatiya Janata Party. In 2014, the BJP, along with its NDA constituents had won 336 out of 543 seats and formed the government at the Centre - the first time in about three decades that a party had won such a huge number of seats. The final results of Lok Sabha 2019 polls will be announced on May 23. Watch: Reliability, methodology and other things you need to know ×

BJP in country's Hindi heartland: Exit polls spell thumping victory for party in Madhya Pradesh, 4 other states

For Bihar, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/exit-polls-2019-pm-modi-returning-to-power-with-300-plus-seats-say-pollsters-219927">the exit polls predict</a> that out of 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state the NDA will claim around over 30 seats while the Congress-RJD alliance will settle with around 4-6.&nbsp;

The News18-IPSOS survey gives 34-36 seats to the NDA in Bihar while Congress-RJD is likely to bag 4 to 6 seats. Today's Chanakya projected NDA to win 32 seats and Congress to claim 8. &nbsp;

Two other pollsters - Jan ki Baat and C-Voter also showed the Modi-Nitish duo to stump the Mahagathbandhan. While the former estimated 28 to 33 seats to go to the NDA in the state and 8 to 11 seats for Congress, the latter said the NDA should be able to comfortably bag 33 seats leaving 7 for the Congress.&nbsp;

In 2014, the result threw the electoral victory in BJP's favour which registered a win on 22 seats. Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) won on 6 seats, Lalu Yadav-led Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) settled with 4.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TCPoll?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TCPoll</a> 
Bihar LS Seat Projection 
BJP+ 32 ± 4 Seats 
Congress+ 8 ± 4 Seats 
Others 0 ± 1 Seats<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/News24TodaysChanakya?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#News24TodaysChanakya</a>
— Today's Chanakya (@TodaysChanakya) <a href="https://twitter.com/TodaysChanakya/status/1130125751859073024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The exit polls seem to predict the electoral result in BJP's favour, suggesting that the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party won't be impacted by the coming together of regional alliances and is likely to retain the throne at the Centre.

While the Times Now-VMR exit poll says the BJP-led NDA will win 306 of the 542 seats and the UPA will settle at 132, Republic C-Voter says the NDA will win 287 seats and UPA 128. Others, which include regional parties, will get 120 seats according to Times Now-VMR and 87 according to Republic C-Voter survey.

The News18-IPSOS survey predicts Prime Minister Narendra Modi's return with 336 seats for the NDA.

In 2014, the BJP, along with its NDA constituents had won 336 out of 543 seats and formed the government at the Centre - the first time in about three decades that a party had won such a huge number of seats.

&nbsp;

For Bihar, the exit polls predict that out of 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state the NDA will claim around over 30 seats while the Congress-RJD alliance will settle with around 4-6.

For Bihar, the exit polls predict that out of 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state the NDA will claim around over 30 seats while the Congress-RJD alliance will settle with around 4-6. The News18-IPSOS survey gives 34-36 seats to the NDA in Bihar while Congress-RJD is likely to bag 4 to 6 seats. Today's Chanakya projected NDA to win 32 seats and Congress to claim 8. Two other pollsters - Jan ki Baat and C-Voter also showed the Modi-Nitish duo to stump the Mahagathbandhan. While the former estimated 28 to 33 seats to go to the NDA in the state and 8 to 11 seats for Congress, the latter said the NDA should be able to comfortably bag 33 seats leaving 7 for the Congress. In 2014, the result threw the electoral victory in BJP's favour which registered a win on 22 seats. Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) won on 6 seats, Lalu Yadav-led Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) settled with 4. #TCPoll Bihar LS Seat Projection BJP+ 32 ± 4 Seats Congress+ 8 ± 4 Seats Others 0 ± 1 Seats#News24TodaysChanakya — Today's Chanakya (@TodaysChanakya) May 19, 2019 × The exit polls seem to predict the electoral result in BJP's favour, suggesting that the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party won't be impacted by the coming together of regional alliances and is likely to retain the throne at the Centre. While the Times Now-VMR exit poll says the BJP-led NDA will win 306 of the 542 seats and the UPA will settle at 132, Republic C-Voter says the NDA will win 287 seats and UPA 128. Others, which include regional parties, will get 120 seats according to Times Now-VMR and 87 according to Republic C-Voter survey. The News18-IPSOS survey predicts Prime Minister Narendra Modi's return with 336 seats for the NDA. In 2014, the BJP, along with its NDA constituents had won 336 out of 543 seats and formed the government at the Centre - the first time in about three decades that a party had won such a huge number of seats.

Flop show for Congress-RJD in Bihar, says pollsters; NDA to win big 

Voter turnout till 03.00 PM: Bihar-46.66%, Himachal Pradesh-53.62%, Punjab-48.78%. Watch the latest voter turnout percentage for the last phase of polling.

Voter turnout till 03.00 PM: Bihar-46.66%, Himachal Pradesh-53.62%, Punjab-48.78%

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar says that 'NDA will come to power, JDU will definitely be a part of it'. The 7th phase of lok Sabha election is underway

'NDA will come to power, JDU will definitely be a part of it': Nitish Kumar

Voter turnout till 11 am: Bihar-10.65%, Himachal Pradesh-12.55%, Punjab-10.01%. Watch the latest voter turnout percentage for the last phase of polling.

Voter turnout till 11 am: Bihar-10.65%, Himachal Pradesh-12.55%, Punjab-10.01%

As many as four Union ministers are among the 157 candidates in Bihar whose electoral fortunes will be decided on Sunday in the final phase of general elections.

About 1.52 crore voters will exercise their franchise in the eight Lok Sabha constituencies - Patna Sahib, Pataliputra, Arrah, Buxar, Karakat, Sasaram, Nalanda and Jehanabad - at 15,811 booths, according to figures made available by the Election Commission.

Seven of these seats were won by the NDA last time, five by the BJP and two by the RLSP, which is now with the "Mahagathbandhan".

One was bagged by the JD(U) headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, which then fought separately but is now back with the NDA.

By-poll will also be held for the Dehri Assembly seat, which fell vacant last year upon the disqualification of RJD MLA and former state minister Mohd Ilyas Husain, who was convicted in the bitumen scam by a Ranchi court.

The most keenly-watched contest is in Patna Sahib where Ravi Shankar Prasad, one of the most prominent members of the Narendra Modi cabinet, is seeking entry into the Lok Sabha. The BJP has won the seat in both the elections that have taken place since it came into being after the 2008 delimitation.

However, Prasad faces the challenge of retaining the seat for his party by defeating Shatrughan Sinha - the actor-turned-politician, who won it on both occasions and is now in the fray as the Congress candidate.

The neighbouring Pataliputra has become a prestige issue for the family of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, which has contested the seat twice, losing on both occasions to his former loyalists.

While Prasad himself lost to JD(U)'s Ranjan Yadav, his daughter Misa Bharti was defeated by Ram Kripal Yadav, who fought on a BJP ticket and became a Union minister. Bharti is once again in the fray against Yadav.

Arrah is witnessing a battle of ideological extremes as Union minister RK Singh, an IAS officer, who retired as the Union Home secretary before joining the BJP and making electoral debut five years ago, seeks to retain the seat overcoming the challenge posed by Raju Yadav of the CPI(ML).

Yadav's prospects have been boosted with the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan supporting his candidature and the ultra-Left party has reciprocated the gesture by supporting Misa Bharti in Pataliputra.

In Buxar, Union minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey's bid to retain the seat for the second consecutive term has been challenged by veteran RJD leader Jagadanand Singh, who has represented the Lok Sabha constituency formerly and, unlike the incumbent, who hails from Bhagalpur, is seen as a "local".

Karakat is where RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha made a successful Lok Sabha debut five years ago as an NDA ally and went on to become a Union minister only to part ways in December last year when he joined the Mahagathbandhan.

His bid to retain the seat faces a stiff challenge from JD(U)'s Mahabali Singh, who finished third last time but was the winner in 2009 when his party was with the NDA.

Former Lok Sabha Speaker and veteran Congress leader Meira Kumar is in the fray from Sasaram, which she had represented two times on the trot before losing to BJP's Chhedi Paswan in 2014.

Paswan, who had formerly been the MP from the seat in 1989 and 1991 on Janata Dal ticket, has once again been fielded by his party. Kumar's father, former Deputy Prime Minister Jagjivan Ram, had represented the reserved seat several times, mostly on Congress ticket and twice as Janata Party's candidate.

In Nalanda, second term JD(U) MP Kaushalendra Kumar - a confidant of the Chief Minister, who retained the seat for the party in 2014 surmounting the Modi wave - is once again in the fray.

His bid has been challenged by Ashok Kumar Azad Chandravanshi, who has been fielded by Hindustani Awam Morcha of Jitan Ram Manjhi - a former Chief Minister, who floated his own outfit after quitting the JD(U), started off as an NDA partner but ended up with the Mahagathbandhan.

Jehanabad was won by RLSP's Arun Kumar, but he was expelled by the party and went on float his own outfit which neither the NDA nor the Mahagathbandhan agreed to back. His bid to retain the seat is meeting with a two-pronged challenge from RJD's Surendra Yadav - an MLA from the adjoining district of Gaya, who has been notorious for strong-arm style of politics - and JD(U)'s Chandreshwar Prasad Yaduvanshi.

Another notable candidate in Jehanabad is Angesh Kumar - a rebel candidate initially backed by Lalu Prasad's disgruntled elder son Tej Pratap Yadav, who later pulled back in the larger interest of his father's party.&nbsp;

As many as four Union ministers are among the 157 candidates in Bihar whose electoral fortunes will be decided on Sunday in the final phase of general elections.

As many as four Union ministers are among the 157 candidates in Bihar whose electoral fortunes will be decided on Sunday in the final phase of general elections. About 1.52 crore voters will exercise their franchise in the eight Lok Sabha constituencies - Patna Sahib, Pataliputra, Arrah, Buxar, Karakat, Sasaram, Nalanda and Jehanabad - at 15,811 booths, according to figures made available by the Election Commission. Seven of these seats were won by the NDA last time, five by the BJP and two by the RLSP, which is now with the "Mahagathbandhan". One was bagged by the JD(U) headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, which then fought separately but is now back with the NDA. By-poll will also be held for the Dehri Assembly seat, which fell vacant last year upon the disqualification of RJD MLA and former state minister Mohd Ilyas Husain, who was convicted in the bitumen scam by a Ranchi court. The most keenly-watched contest is in Patna Sahib where Ravi Shankar Prasad, one of the most prominent members of the Narendra Modi cabinet, is seeking entry into the Lok Sabha. The BJP has won the seat in both the elections that have taken place since it came into being after the 2008 delimitation. However, Prasad faces the challenge of retaining the seat for his party by defeating Shatrughan Sinha - the actor-turned-politician, who won it on both occasions and is now in the fray as the Congress candidate. The neighbouring Pataliputra has become a prestige issue for the family of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, which has contested the seat twice, losing on both occasions to his former loyalists. While Prasad himself lost to JD(U)'s Ranjan Yadav, his daughter Misa Bharti was defeated by Ram Kripal Yadav, who fought on a BJP ticket and became a Union minister. Bharti is once again in the fray against Yadav. Arrah is witnessing a battle of ideological extremes as Union minister RK Singh, an IAS officer, who retired as the Union Home secretary before joining the BJP and making electoral debut five years ago, seeks to retain the seat overcoming the challenge posed by Raju Yadav of the CPI(ML). Yadav's prospects have been boosted with the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan supporting his candidature and the ultra-Left party has reciprocated the gesture by supporting Misa Bharti in Pataliputra. In Buxar, Union minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey's bid to retain the seat for the second consecutive term has been challenged by veteran RJD leader Jagadanand Singh, who has represented the Lok Sabha constituency formerly and, unlike the incumbent, who hails from Bhagalpur, is seen as a "local". Karakat is where RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha made a successful Lok Sabha debut five years ago as an NDA ally and went on to become a Union minister only to part ways in December last year when he joined the Mahagathbandhan. His bid to retain the seat faces a stiff challenge from JD(U)'s Mahabali Singh, who finished third last time but was the winner in 2009 when his party was with the NDA. Former Lok Sabha Speaker and veteran Congress leader Meira Kumar is in the fray from Sasaram, which she had represented two times on the trot before losing to BJP's Chhedi Paswan in 2014. Paswan, who had formerly been the MP from the seat in 1989 and 1991 on Janata Dal ticket, has once again been fielded by his party. Kumar's father, former Deputy Prime Minister Jagjivan Ram, had represented the reserved seat several times, mostly on Congress ticket and twice as Janata Party's candidate. In Nalanda, second term JD(U) MP Kaushalendra Kumar - a confidant of the Chief Minister, who retained the seat for the party in 2014 surmounting the Modi wave - is once again in the fray. His bid has been challenged by Ashok Kumar Azad Chandravanshi, who has been fielded by Hindustani Awam Morcha of Jitan Ram Manjhi - a former Chief Minister, who floated his own outfit after quitting the JD(U), started off as an NDA partner but ended up with the Mahagathbandhan. Jehanabad was won by RLSP's Arun Kumar, but he was expelled by the party and went on float his own outfit which neither the NDA nor the Mahagathbandhan agreed to back. His bid to retain the seat is meeting with a two-pronged challenge from RJD's Surendra Yadav - an MLA from the adjoining district of Gaya, who has been notorious for strong-arm style of politics - and JD(U)'s Chandreshwar Prasad Yaduvanshi. Another notable candidate in Jehanabad is Angesh Kumar - a rebel candidate initially backed by Lalu Prasad's disgruntled elder son Tej Pratap Yadav, who later pulled back in the larger interest of his father's party.

Four Union ministers in fray in last phase of Lok Sabha polls in Bihar

In a bid to lure more and more voters to exercise their franchise at polling stations and to make them more citizen-friendly, a polling booth in Bihar's capital Patna is offering a unique experience to the electorates as special arrangements such as creche, breastfeeding room and first aid facilities have been set up.

To make voting hassle-free for those accompanied by toddlers, tables, chairs, and board games have been set up for the kids to enjoy whilst their parents exercise their franchise without having to worry about their little ones.

"A creche and a breastfeeding room are being set up which is almost ready. Along with these, tables and chairs have been placed for children so that they can play board games. There are bats and balls as well for them. It is a child-friendly booth," Renu Kumari, an official, told ANI.

"The idea is to make sure that children should feel good and not feel stressed out. If they want to relax, they can take a nap as well," she added.

Underlining that no voter should be left behind, Kumari said, "Be it any pregnant lady or mother having little children or breastfeeding mothers, these facilities have been set up so that they do not get inconvenienced while they come out to vote tomorrow."

In Jharkhand's Dumka, which is going to polls tomorrow along with two other seats, polling parties have left for their respective polling stations after collecting EVMs and VVPATs.

"Tomorrow, we will do an air recce to keep a watch on sensitive areas during polling. We have deployed paramilitary forces at hyper-sensitive polling booths. Adequate forces have been deployed in areas based on their sensitivity. We hope that there is a huge voter turnout here," Dumka Deputy Commissioner Mukesh Kumar told ANI.

A total of 59 parliamentary constituencies will go to polls on May 19. About 918 candidates are in the fray.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/pm-modi-among-918-candidates-whose-fate-to-be-decided-in-final-phase-of-lok-sabha-polling-on-sunday-219696">In the last phase of polling</a>, 13 seats each in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, nine in West Bengal, eight seats each in Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, all four constituencies in Himachal Pradesh, three in Jharkhand and one seat in the Union Territory of Chandigarh will witness polling.

Counting of votes for all 543 constituencies will take place on May 23.&nbsp;

In a bid to lure more and more voters to exercise their franchise at polling stations and to make them more citizen-friendly, a polling booth in Bihar's capital Patna is offering a unique experience to the electorates as special arrangements such as creche, breastfeeding room and first aid facilities have been set up.

In a bid to lure more and more voters to exercise their franchise at polling stations and to make them more citizen-friendly, a polling booth in Bihar's capital Patna is offering a unique experience to the electorates as special arrangements such as creche, breastfeeding room and first aid facilities have been set up. To make voting hassle-free for those accompanied by toddlers, tables, chairs, and board games have been set up for the kids to enjoy whilst their parents exercise their franchise without having to worry about their little ones. "A creche and a breastfeeding room are being set up which is almost ready. Along with these, tables and chairs have been placed for children so that they can play board games. There are bats and balls as well for them. It is a child-friendly booth," Renu Kumari, an official, told ANI. "The idea is to make sure that children should feel good and not feel stressed out. If they want to relax, they can take a nap as well," she added. Underlining that no voter should be left behind, Kumari said, "Be it any pregnant lady or mother having little children or breastfeeding mothers, these facilities have been set up so that they do not get inconvenienced while they come out to vote tomorrow." In Jharkhand's Dumka, which is going to polls tomorrow along with two other seats, polling parties have left for their respective polling stations after collecting EVMs and VVPATs. "Tomorrow, we will do an air recce to keep a watch on sensitive areas during polling. We have deployed paramilitary forces at hyper-sensitive polling booths. Adequate forces have been deployed in areas based on their sensitivity. We hope that there is a huge voter turnout here," Dumka Deputy Commissioner Mukesh Kumar told ANI. A total of 59 parliamentary constituencies will go to polls on May 19. About 918 candidates are in the fray. In the last phase of polling, 13 seats each in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, nine in West Bengal, eight seats each in Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, all four constituencies in Himachal Pradesh, three in Jharkhand and one seat in the Union Territory of Chandigarh will witness polling. Counting of votes for all 543 constituencies will take place on May 23.

Lok Sabha polls phase 7: Bihar gets polling booth with creche, breastfeeding room

Lashing out at the opposition parties, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/election-commission-swayed-by-pm-modi-alleges-national-congress-party-216713">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> said Tuesday the Congress and the RJD will push 21st century India into darkness if voted to power.

Addressing a rally here, Modi also claimed that it was just the "BJP-led NDA dispensation that could lead the nation towards the light".

"Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas (Development for all) is our mantra and we strive to ensure security and respect for all. The Mahamilawatis (opposition), on the other hand, think some castes are beholden to them," he said.

Iterating that it was his government that took on the terrorists and the trouble-mongers on both sides of the India-Pakistan border, Modi said, "The mahamilawatis, if elected to power, will give free licenses to stone-pelters, naxals and the tukde-tukde gang."

The opposition leaders will get a befitting reply from people after May 23, when the general election results are declared, he stated.

"Going by the response of people in the six phases of elections, it is clear&nbsp;that the opposition parties will face a humiliating defeat. Their anger has touched the seventh heaven now. They are trying to draw satisfaction from hurling abuses," he asserted.

The PM also insisted that he has always lived and worked for the country, without taking any break.

"Not for once have I lived for myself or my relatives during my tenure as the Gujarat chief minister or the prime minister. People of this country are my family," he added.

Lashing out at the opposition parties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Tuesday the Congress and the RJD will push 21st century India into darkness if voted to power.

Lashing out at the opposition parties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Tuesday the Congress and the RJD will push 21st century India into darkness if voted to power. Addressing a rally here, Modi also claimed that it was just the "BJP-led NDA dispensation that could lead the nation towards the light". "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas (Development for all) is our mantra and we strive to ensure security and respect for all. The Mahamilawatis (opposition), on the other hand, think some castes are beholden to them," he said. Iterating that it was his government that took on the terrorists and the trouble-mongers on both sides of the India-Pakistan border, Modi said, "The mahamilawatis, if elected to power, will give free licenses to stone-pelters, naxals and the tukde-tukde gang." The opposition leaders will get a befitting reply from people after May 23, when the general election results are declared, he stated. "Going by the response of people in the six phases of elections, it is clear that the opposition parties will face a humiliating defeat. Their anger has touched the seventh heaven now. They are trying to draw satisfaction from hurling abuses," he asserted. The PM also insisted that he has always lived and worked for the country, without taking any break. "Not for once have I lived for myself or my relatives during my tenure as the Gujarat chief minister or the prime minister. People of this country are my family," he added.

Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal will push 21st century India into darkness: PM Modi in Bihar

Total 63.75% Voter turnout in Phase 6 polls.Voting took place in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Delhi, Bihar , Haryana, and Jharkhand.

India Votes: Voting Ends for Sixth Phase; W.B records highest Voter Turnout

Use of money to buy votes has been intensified in India. Parties expected to spend $7 Bn in Elections 2019. Watch this video to know more.

India Election Watch: Money decides India's Election?

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Tuesday accused Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and BJP of providing "tampered EVMs" at areas where "polling is happening strongly" in the favour of the grand alliance.

"We are noticing that wherever polling is happening strongly in our favour, malfunctioned EVMs are being provided to slow the polling process as per a strategy. This is happening out of fear as we are winning. Just to minimise the winning margin, Nitish Kumar and BJP are doing this," Tejashwi told ANI here.

"They should give in written that they won`t take support from the `mahamilawati` parties which they call us," he added.

When asked about the Muzaffarpur shelter home case, Yadav said, "There is clear involvement of Nitish Kumar and his dear ones in the case. They should at least abide by the Supreme Court`s order. Also, Nitish Kumar should at least apologise for this."

On Monday, the Supreme Court had asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to complete within two weeks the probe into the alleged killing of 11 girls in the aforesaid case in which Brajesh Thakur is the main accused.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi while posting the matter for hearing on June 3 asked the probe agency to complete the investigation in the said time and also submit a status report in the case.

In Bihar, polling for the 40 Lok Sabha seats at stake is being held in all seven phases, with the last phase scheduled for May 19.

Results will be declared on May 23.

The RJD is in alliance with Congress, Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP), Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), Lok Jantrantrik Dal (LJD) and Vikas Sheel Insaan Party (VIP) in the state.&nbsp;

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Tuesday accused Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and BJP of providing "tampered EVMs" at areas where "polling is happening strongly" in the favour of the grand alliance.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Tuesday accused Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and BJP of providing "tampered EVMs" at areas where "polling is happening strongly" in the favour of the grand alliance. "We are noticing that wherever polling is happening strongly in our favour, malfunctioned EVMs are being provided to slow the polling process as per a strategy. This is happening out of fear as we are winning. Just to minimise the winning margin, Nitish Kumar and BJP are doing this," Tejashwi told ANI here. "They should give in written that they won`t take support from the `mahamilawati` parties which they call us," he added. When asked about the Muzaffarpur shelter home case, Yadav said, "There is clear involvement of Nitish Kumar and his dear ones in the case. They should at least abide by the Supreme Court`s order. Also, Nitish Kumar should at least apologise for this." On Monday, the Supreme Court had asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to complete within two weeks the probe into the alleged killing of 11 girls in the aforesaid case in which Brajesh Thakur is the main accused. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi while posting the matter for hearing on June 3 asked the probe agency to complete the investigation in the said time and also submit a status report in the case. In Bihar, polling for the 40 Lok Sabha seats at stake is being held in all seven phases, with the last phase scheduled for May 19. Results will be declared on May 23. The RJD is in alliance with Congress, Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP), Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), Lok Jantrantrik Dal (LJD) and Vikas Sheel Insaan Party (VIP) in the state.

Nitish, BJP providing tampered EVMs in our strongholds, claims Tejashwi

Polling in 51 parliamentary constituencies across 7 states is being held in the 5th phase of Lok Sabha election 2019 Monday. The 5th phase of polling will decide the fate of several key leaders including Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Union Minister Smriti Irani.

India Votes: Which way will Bihar sway

In the battle for 40 seats in Bihar, the dynamics of caste arithmetic is very different from what it was in 2009 and 2014. This time the major parties like BJP and JD(U) and LJP on the one side RJD, Congress, RLSP, and VIP on the other side have tried to consolidate their votes through alliances. How much of the caste arithmetic has changed since 2009 and 2014 and which side would the Muslim and EBC votes go.

IEW: Significance of caste arithemetic in Bihar

The Lok Sabha election 2019 is underway and about to witness its 5th phase on 12th of May. Various political parties in India keeps on targeting dynasty rule from a long period. But will this parties having dynasty rule can win this election?

IEW: Victory assured for political dynasties?

Who are today’s “the Moon” and “the Sun”? The students start to gather. Some are busy sweeping, some are watering the plants, some are arranging the sound box, and so on, as they are in the school. Once you step inside the school, you can feel the warmth in the morning hours.&nbsp;

Now, slowly, the teachers start to gather too. They’re all coming for the school assembly. A group of students are helping to organise the other students into a proper queue. These students are also helping other students to dress properly, helping them in combing their hair, getting their shirts tucked in, checking that their nails are cut a proper length, and so on.

As the final call for the assembly is aired, some children come running, gasping for air, until they settle in organised rows. There is a small group leading the assembly. The state anthem, a song of Bihar, rings in the assembly, as students sing along. I notice that some students are trying to be more attentive, shutting their eyes. The procedure is going on for quite some time, continuing for the next 20 minutes in total synchronisation.&nbsp;

It features different activities, like story-telling, sharing thoughts of the day, doing a quiz, reading the news – and a selection of “Chanda and Suraj”.&nbsp;

That sounds different. “Chanda” means Moon and “Suraj” means Sun in Hindi and other Indian languages. But in this context, the Moon and the Sun do not play a mythical or special role but serve as an example. Here, the selection of “Chanda” and “Suraj” identifies two children for the day in the school who are the most well-dressed among all. The selection happens every single day during the morning assembly.&nbsp;

This recognition acts as a motivation and positive reinforcement for the other students to be well-dressed. Rounds of applause and the crown on their heads act as a morale booster for the school.&nbsp;

Initiating the idea of cleanliness and hygiene is an important task for the students in the school. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) has launched this approach as a part of the school health and hygiene programme. Quest Alliance, through their  Anandshala programme, is tackling it in a more participatory way. They engage the students in the process of selection and coming out with innovative ways of recognising and awarding the students to reinforce health and hygiene. Creative activities about the school’s health and hygiene practices help the students be more inclined towards their school activities and practices in general. As a result, students are trying to maintain good hygiene and come to school enthusiastically.&nbsp;

The schools are framing their vision towards the school hygiene projects, which is binding the students towards the school activities. The students are imbibing the healthy habits, like washing hands before meals.&nbsp;

Hand washing is fun now! For example, in the Government Middle School Waini of Samastipur in Bihar, the students have initiated a Soap Bank to create a repository of soaps to bridge the gap of resources. This soap bank has come up with the contribution from the students and teachers of the school, as in one soap per students and five soaps per teachers. Simultaneously, going back home the students are sparking the healthy habit in their communities. This ultimately bridges the gap between the students, the school and the community. “The children are now asking for soaps to wash their hands”, says the Health and Hygiene Minister of the school.&nbsp;

With time, students in public schools in Samastipur, Bihar, are including the school cleanliness programme on their yearly agenda. They are now raising their voices about sanitation issues in the school and trying to come up with solutions for it. Along with the basic cleaning before the morning assembly, they are demanding clean toilets, repairing of the infrastructure, running water facilities, safe drinking water stations, and hand washing stations in their schools. These messages are being carried back to the community. They are also initiating the hygiene practices back in their community, just like encouraging to wash hands before having meals.&nbsp;

They are asking their parents to get them in proper dress-up before coming to school. The community is also attending the parents and teachers meetings to discuss the matters of sanitation and hygiene practice and water crisis in the school. They are paying attention to the trial for innovations in the school. They are developing the motivation towards their school.&nbsp;

Anandshala is playing a significant role in mobilising students in creating changes in the public schools of Samastipur in Bihar. They involve the students in flag discussions and foster creative thinking about their school.&nbsp;

Partnering with the school teachers and headteachers, they are integrating the students into the school development activities. They are also creating a platform and recognising the changes happening in the school with the District Education Department of the government of Bihar.&nbsp;

The students are now also feeling the connect towards their school. These approaches are helping them and especially the girls to stay back in the school – even on their menstruation. This is assuring them to stay back and ensuring the attendance level in the school. Slowly, the students are gathering confidence about their school and building the ownership of their school.

Thereby, it is helping to bridge the gap between the students and the school and also with the community. 
 
(A previous version of this article was originally published by the American India Foundation) 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;&nbsp;

Who are today’s “the Moon” and “the Sun”? The students start to gather. Some are busy sweeping, some are watering the plants, some are arranging the sound box, and so on, as they are in the school.

Who are today’s “the Moon” and “the Sun”? The students start to gather. Some are busy sweeping, some are watering the plants, some are arranging the sound box, and so on, as they are in the school. Once you step inside the school, you can feel the warmth in the morning hours. Now, slowly, the teachers start to gather too. They’re all coming for the school assembly. A group of students are helping to organise the other students into a proper queue. These students are also helping other students to dress properly, helping them in combing their hair, getting their shirts tucked in, checking that their nails are cut a proper length, and so on. As the final call for the assembly is aired, some children come running, gasping for air, until they settle in organised rows. There is a small group leading the assembly. The state anthem, a song of Bihar, rings in the assembly, as students sing along. I notice that some students are trying to be more attentive, shutting their eyes. The procedure is going on for quite some time, continuing for the next 20 minutes in total synchronisation. It features different activities, like story-telling, sharing thoughts of the day, doing a quiz, reading the news – and a selection of “Chanda and Suraj”. That sounds different. “Chanda” means Moon and “Suraj” means Sun in Hindi and other Indian languages. But in this context, the Moon and the Sun do not play a mythical or special role but serve as an example. Here, the selection of “Chanda” and “Suraj” identifies two children for the day in the school who are the most well-dressed among all. The selection happens every single day during the morning assembly. This recognition acts as a motivation and positive reinforcement for the other students to be well-dressed. Rounds of applause and the crown on their heads act as a morale booster for the school. Initiating the idea of cleanliness and hygiene is an important task for the students in the school. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) has launched this approach as a part of the school health and hygiene programme. Quest Alliance, through their  Anandshala programme, is tackling it in a more participatory way. They engage the students in the process of selection and coming out with innovative ways of recognising and awarding the students to reinforce health and hygiene. Creative activities about the school’s health and hygiene practices help the students be more inclined towards their school activities and practices in general. As a result, students are trying to maintain good hygiene and come to school enthusiastically. The schools are framing their vision towards the school hygiene projects, which is binding the students towards the school activities. The students are imbibing the healthy habits, like washing hands before meals. Hand washing is fun now! For example, in the Government Middle School Waini of Samastipur in Bihar, the students have initiated a Soap Bank to create a repository of soaps to bridge the gap of resources. This soap bank has come up with the contribution from the students and teachers of the school, as in one soap per students and five soaps per teachers. Simultaneously, going back home the students are sparking the healthy habit in their communities. This ultimately bridges the gap between the students, the school and the community. “The children are now asking for soaps to wash their hands”, says the Health and Hygiene Minister of the school. With time, students in public schools in Samastipur, Bihar, are including the school cleanliness programme on their yearly agenda. They are now raising their voices about sanitation issues in the school and trying to come up with solutions for it. Along with the basic cleaning before the morning assembly, they are demanding clean toilets, repairing of the infrastructure, running water facilities, safe drinking water stations, and hand washing stations in their schools. These messages are being carried back to the community. They are also initiating the hygiene practices back in their community, just like encouraging to wash hands before having meals. They are asking their parents to get them in proper dress-up before coming to school. The community is also attending the parents and teachers meetings to discuss the matters of sanitation and hygiene practice and water crisis in the school. They are paying attention to the trial for innovations in the school. They are developing the motivation towards their school. Anandshala is playing a significant role in mobilising students in creating changes in the public schools of Samastipur in Bihar. They involve the students in flag discussions and foster creative thinking about their school. Partnering with the school teachers and headteachers, they are integrating the students into the school development activities. They are also creating a platform and recognising the changes happening in the school with the District Education Department of the government of Bihar. The students are now also feeling the connect towards their school. These approaches are helping them and especially the girls to stay back in the school – even on their menstruation. This is assuring them to stay back and ensuring the attendance level in the school. Slowly, the students are gathering confidence about their school and building the ownership of their school. Thereby, it is helping to bridge the gap between the students and the school and also with the community. (A previous version of this article was originally published by the American India Foundation) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Blog: Students creating awareness about hygiene

BJP ally and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan asserted on Sunday that the ruling NDA is on track to retain power at the Centre, helped by the "Modi factor" and the appeal of the issue of nationalism, while the Opposition has become a picture of "disunity" in a key state like Bihar.

The Lok Janshakti Party leader said the 2019 general election stands out from many elections he has seen in his over five-decade long career for the centrality of the issue of nationalism in this poll with people supporting the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for development as well as national security.

In an interview to PTI, the Dalit leader said the momentum in the NDA's favour is increasing in every phase of polling and that the "wave has now become a tsunami".

Three phases of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections have been held so far, with the Hindi-heartland states being the key battleground in the remaining phases.

Paswan claimed there has been no contest so far in Bihar, seen as a key state to the NDA's fortunes. Giving seat-wise figures to support his claim, Paswan said opposition parties like the Congress and the RJD have been working at cross-purposes while "united" NDA partners -- BJP, JD(U) and LJP -- have got better of them in most seats.

"Our vote is increasing in every phase. The Modi factor was recently at work in the prime minister's massive road shows in Varanasi and Jharkhand. More people are joining us. On the other hand, opposition parties have not been able to unite either in Delhi or here in Bihar. People wonder what is the point of even voting for them as they don't know what these parties will do," he said.

The NDA may win over 35 seats of the total 40 in Bihar, he said. It had won 31 in 2014.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi and RJD's Tejashwai Yadav have often avoided campaigning for candidates of the other party, Paswan said and added that they held their first joint rally in Samastipur only this Friday.

"I am confident that the NDA will repeat the scale of victory it had achieved the last time. It will form the government under Modi's leadership," he said. 
The NDA had won 336 seats in 543-member Lok Sabha in 2014, with the BJP getting its maiden majority by winning 282 seats on its own.

Paswan said issues like terrorism and nationalism may have emerged as central issues in the poll but Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has also received people's support on the plank of development.

From subsidised food to LPG cylinders, toilets, homes and health insurance, the government is working to provide the masses with all essentials of life, he said, adding that people have been backing the NDA for these measures as well.

But it is the emotive issue of nationalism and action against Pakistan-based terrorists that has been a central theme of the NDA's campaign, something that the opposition has criticised, accusing the ruling dispensation of using them to divert people's attention from issues like jobs and economy.

The LJP leader dismissed the opposition criticism, saying "all is fair in love and war". He also hit back at the opposition parties and alleged a "sinister campaign" over the issue among Muslims.

"The big issue here is that we target terrorists, we say terrorism should be finished, but they (Opposition) whisper in Muslims' ears that we want to finish them. As if, Muslims are terrorists," he said.

Paswan referred to the response from people when NDA leaders in their campaign speeches invoke the issue of nationalism, saying all such references have received wide support from the masses.

The Modi factor and the nationalism issue have helped the NDA cover up localised factors like choice of candidates among others, he said.

Paswan claimed that a section of even Yadavs, seen as a solid vote bank of Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), have supported NDA nominees in seats where opposition candidates enjoyed little connect with them.

Yadavs have long been part of "power politics" and they are in no mood to give votes to candidates of parties Vikassheel Insaan Party or Hindustani Awam Morcha as they have little resonance on the ground, he said. Both these parties are also part of the opposition alliance.

The 72-year-old leader is not fighting the poll this time with his younger brother Pashupati Kumar Paras contesting from Hajipur, a seat Paswan has traditionally represented in Lok Sabha. The senior leader's son Chirag and another brother Ramchandra Paswan, both MPs, are also in the fray. The LJP had won six seats in 2014.&nbsp;

BJP ally and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan asserted on Sunday that the ruling NDA is on track to retain power at the Centre, helped by the "Modi factor" and the appeal of the issue of nationalism, while the Opposition has become a picture of "disunity" in a key state like Bihar.

BJP ally and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan asserted on Sunday that the ruling NDA is on track to retain power at the Centre, helped by the "Modi factor" and the appeal of the issue of nationalism, while the Opposition has become a picture of "disunity" in a key state like Bihar. The Lok Janshakti Party leader said the 2019 general election stands out from many elections he has seen in his over five-decade long career for the centrality of the issue of nationalism in this poll with people supporting the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for development as well as national security. In an interview to PTI, the Dalit leader said the momentum in the NDA's favour is increasing in every phase of polling and that the "wave has now become a tsunami". Three phases of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections have been held so far, with the Hindi-heartland states being the key battleground in the remaining phases. Paswan claimed there has been no contest so far in Bihar, seen as a key state to the NDA's fortunes. Giving seat-wise figures to support his claim, Paswan said opposition parties like the Congress and the RJD have been working at cross-purposes while "united" NDA partners -- BJP, JD(U) and LJP -- have got better of them in most seats. "Our vote is increasing in every phase. The Modi factor was recently at work in the prime minister's massive road shows in Varanasi and Jharkhand. More people are joining us. On the other hand, opposition parties have not been able to unite either in Delhi or here in Bihar. People wonder what is the point of even voting for them as they don't know what these parties will do," he said. The NDA may win over 35 seats of the total 40 in Bihar, he said. It had won 31 in 2014. Congress president Rahul Gandhi and RJD's Tejashwai Yadav have often avoided campaigning for candidates of the other party, Paswan said and added that they held their first joint rally in Samastipur only this Friday. "I am confident that the NDA will repeat the scale of victory it had achieved the last time. It will form the government under Modi's leadership," he said. The NDA had won 336 seats in 543-member Lok Sabha in 2014, with the BJP getting its maiden majority by winning 282 seats on its own. Paswan said issues like terrorism and nationalism may have emerged as central issues in the poll but Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has also received people's support on the plank of development. From subsidised food to LPG cylinders, toilets, homes and health insurance, the government is working to provide the masses with all essentials of life, he said, adding that people have been backing the NDA for these measures as well. But it is the emotive issue of nationalism and action against Pakistan-based terrorists that has been a central theme of the NDA's campaign, something that the opposition has criticised, accusing the ruling dispensation of using them to divert people's attention from issues like jobs and economy. The LJP leader dismissed the opposition criticism, saying "all is fair in love and war". He also hit back at the opposition parties and alleged a "sinister campaign" over the issue among Muslims. "The big issue here is that we target terrorists, we say terrorism should be finished, but they (Opposition) whisper in Muslims' ears that we want to finish them. As if, Muslims are terrorists," he said. Paswan referred to the response from people when NDA leaders in their campaign speeches invoke the issue of nationalism, saying all such references have received wide support from the masses. The Modi factor and the nationalism issue have helped the NDA cover up localised factors like choice of candidates among others, he said. Paswan claimed that a section of even Yadavs, seen as a solid vote bank of Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), have supported NDA nominees in seats where opposition candidates enjoyed little connect with them. Yadavs have long been part of "power politics" and they are in no mood to give votes to candidates of parties Vikassheel Insaan Party or Hindustani Awam Morcha as they have little resonance on the ground, he said. Both these parties are also part of the opposition alliance. The 72-year-old leader is not fighting the poll this time with his younger brother Pashupati Kumar Paras contesting from Hajipur, a seat Paswan has traditionally represented in Lok Sabha. The senior leader's son Chirag and another brother Ramchandra Paswan, both MPs, are also in the fray. The LJP had won six seats in 2014.

NDA is gaining momentum in every phase, set to repeat its 2014 win: Ram Vilas Paswan

A Patna Court on Saturday summoned Congress president Rahul Gandhi to appear before it on May 20, in connection with a defamation suit filed against him by Bihar deputy chief minister and BJP leader Sushil Modi.

The summon was issued to the Congress president in response to the allegations made by the deputy chief minister, who had taken exception to Mr Gandhi's remark "<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/criminal-complaint-filed-against-rahul-gandhi-for-making-allegedly-derogatory-remarks-on-pm-modi-211455">all thieves have the surname Modi</a>" at a political rally.

The Congress president had made the remarks in Kollar district of Karnataka seeking to underscore the alleged laxity of the Narendra Modi government in pursuing corruption cases against diamantaire Nirav Modi and former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi, both of whom have fled the country.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/case-filed-against-rahul-gandhi-tejashwi-yadav-for-asking-crowd-to-raise-chowkidar-chor-hai-slogan-213931">Case filed against Rahul Gandhi, Tejashwi Yadav for asking crowd to raise 'chowkidar chor hai' slogan</a>

Addressing a rally in Maharashtra's Nanded on April 15, Rahul had again targetted 'Modi ' and said how come all "thieves" have Modi as the common surname.

"But tell me one thing...Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, Narendra Modi...how come they all have Modi as a common name. How come all the thieves have Modi as the common name?" Gandhi had said.&nbsp;

The Bihar deputy chief minister on Friday appeared before the court alleging that since he shared the same surname, he felt humiliated and ridiculed by the Congress chief's remark and that it was tantamount to defamation.

Chief Judicial Magistrate Shashikant Roy, while transferring the matter for further hearing to the court of additional CJM Kumar Gunjan, directed Rahul Gandhi to appear in person on the next date of hearing on May 20.

(With inputs from agencies)

A Patna Court on Saturday summoned Congress president Rahul Gandhi to appear before it on May 20, in connection with a defamation suit filed against him by Bihar deputy chief minister and BJP leader Sushil Modi.

A Patna Court on Saturday summoned Congress president Rahul Gandhi to appear before it on May 20, in connection with a defamation suit filed against him by Bihar deputy chief minister and BJP leader Sushil Modi. The summon was issued to the Congress president in response to the allegations made by the deputy chief minister, who had taken exception to Mr Gandhi's remark "all thieves have the surname Modi" at a political rally. The Congress president had made the remarks in Kollar district of Karnataka seeking to underscore the alleged laxity of the Narendra Modi government in pursuing corruption cases against diamantaire Nirav Modi and former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi, both of whom have fled the country. Also read: Case filed against Rahul Gandhi, Tejashwi Yadav for asking crowd to raise 'chowkidar chor hai' slogan Addressing a rally in Maharashtra's Nanded on April 15, Rahul had again targetted 'Modi ' and said how come all "thieves" have Modi as the common surname. "But tell me one thing...Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, Narendra Modi...how come they all have Modi as a common name. How come all the thieves have Modi as the common name?" Gandhi had said. The Bihar deputy chief minister on Friday appeared before the court alleging that since he shared the same surname, he felt humiliated and ridiculed by the Congress chief's remark and that it was tantamount to defamation. Chief Judicial Magistrate Shashikant Roy, while transferring the matter for further hearing to the court of additional CJM Kumar Gunjan, directed Rahul Gandhi to appear in person on the next date of hearing on May 20. (With inputs from agencies)

Bihar court issues summons to Rahul Gandhi in defamation case

Bihar is expecting "lies and jumlas" in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's election rally in Araria Lok Sabha constituency, RJD leader and former deputy chief minister<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-best-equipped-to-lead-alliance-against-bjp-tejashwi-yadav-191672&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjjuImhn97hAhWBRY8KHTDaBnkQFggaMAc&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw07f8SlRSX9F7tM8KbHErIX"> Tejashwi Yadav</a> said on Saturday.

Hours before the PM's rally at Forbesganj town in favour of NDA candidates in the state, <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/after-stalin-tejashwi-yadav-backs-rahul-gandhi-as-pm-194883&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjjuImhn97hAhWBRY8KHTDaBnkQFggIMAE&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw1V7QeB8vG7pYnyxab2JoA1">Tejashwi Yadav</a>, also the leader of opposition in the Bihar assembly, said Modi will portray himself as the son of the extremely backwards.

"PM @narendramodi ji is coming to Bihar today. He would portray himself as the son of extremely backwards. Will make an abortive bid to create polarisation," he tweeted.

"Bihar is expecting 'lies and jumlas' from him (PM Modi). Hope that the PM would give account of his 2014 promises such as giving special status, special package to Bihar, and also about giving free education and medicine #BiharRejectsModi," Tejashwi Yadav said.

The RJD leader's tweet comes two days after he had termed Modi as a "fake backward", who did nothing for OBCs.

The remark had drawn a sharp reaction from the BJP, with national general secretary Bhupendra Yadav terming it as "arrogant, graceless and childish" made on the advice of Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

Tejashwi Yadav on Monday also asked the PM to name any project in Bihar, for which he had laid the foundation and inaugurated.

Modi would address a public meeting near the highway that was constructed by the UPA government, he said, adding, the Manmohan Singh-led government sanctioned projects worth Rs 1.44 lakh crore for Bihar, "while you (PM) merely indulged in rhetoric".

Taking a swipe at Bihar CM Nitish Kumar for not releasing its manifesto, he said, "Nitish jee is so much scared of PM Modi that they (JDU leaders) have not released their manifesto so far."

BJP has fielded Pradeep Singh from the Araria constituency, which would go to polls along with four other constituencies of Jhanjharpur, Supaul, Madhepura and Khagaria in third phase on April 23

Bihar is expecting "lies and jumlas" in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's election rally in Araria Lok Sabha constituency, RJD leader and former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav said on Saturday.

Bihar is expecting "lies and jumlas" in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's election rally in Araria Lok Sabha constituency, RJD leader and former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav said on Saturday. Hours before the PM's rally at Forbesganj town in favour of NDA candidates in the state, Tejashwi Yadav, also the leader of opposition in the Bihar assembly, said Modi will portray himself as the son of the extremely backwards. "PM @narendramodi ji is coming to Bihar today. He would portray himself as the son of extremely backwards. Will make an abortive bid to create polarisation," he tweeted. "Bihar is expecting 'lies and jumlas' from him (PM Modi). Hope that the PM would give account of his 2014 promises such as giving special status, special package to Bihar, and also about giving free education and medicine #BiharRejectsModi," Tejashwi Yadav said. The RJD leader's tweet comes two days after he had termed Modi as a "fake backward", who did nothing for OBCs. The remark had drawn a sharp reaction from the BJP, with national general secretary Bhupendra Yadav terming it as "arrogant, graceless and childish" made on the advice of Congress president Rahul Gandhi. Tejashwi Yadav on Monday also asked the PM to name any project in Bihar, for which he had laid the foundation and inaugurated. Modi would address a public meeting near the highway that was constructed by the UPA government, he said, adding, the Manmohan Singh-led government sanctioned projects worth Rs 1.44 lakh crore for Bihar, "while you (PM) merely indulged in rhetoric". Taking a swipe at Bihar CM Nitish Kumar for not releasing its manifesto, he said, "Nitish jee is so much scared of PM Modi that they (JDU leaders) have not released their manifesto so far." BJP has fielded Pradeep Singh from the Araria constituency, which would go to polls along with four other constituencies of Jhanjharpur, Supaul, Madhepura and Khagaria in third phase on April 23

Bihar expecting lies and jumlas in PM rally: Tejashwi Yadav

Voters, politicians & celebrities queue up to vote in second phase

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Tuesday announced that he will file a defamation case against Congress president Rahul Gandhi for his alleged "all thieves have Modi in their surnames" comment.

"I will file a defamation case against Rahul Gandhi in Patna High Court within two days," Modi told reporters here.

The BJP leader claimed that Gandhi has hurt the sentiments of crores of people with Modi surname. The Deputy Chief Minister said, "He (Rahul Gandhi) has referred to crores of people with 'Modi'&nbsp;surname as 'chor'&nbsp;and hurt their sentiments."

He asked whether it is a crime to have used the title. "Is it a crime to have `Modi` surname?" he asked. Rahul Gandhi, while addressing a rally in Maharashtra on Monday, asked how come all "thieves" have Modi as the common surname as he attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue of corruption.

"But tell me one thing... Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, Narendra Modi... how come they all have Modi as a common name. How come all the thieves have Modi as the common name?" Gandhi had asked.

In a separate case, the Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to the Congress president on a petition filed against him by BJP leader Meenakshi Lekhi for allegedly making contemptuous remarks in connection with its order on the admissibility of the certain document in the Rafale deal.

The contempt petition accused Rahul Gandhi of misquoting the order when he said the apex court had accepted that "chowkidar" (a reference to PM Narendra Modi), is a "chor (thief)".&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Tuesday announced that he will file a defamation case against Congress president Rahul Gandhi for his alleged "all thieves have Modi in their surnames" comment.

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Tuesday announced that he will file a defamation case against Congress president Rahul Gandhi for his alleged "all thieves have Modi in their surnames" comment. "I will file a defamation case against Rahul Gandhi in Patna High Court within two days," Modi told reporters here. The BJP leader claimed that Gandhi has hurt the sentiments of crores of people with Modi surname. The Deputy Chief Minister said, "He (Rahul Gandhi) has referred to crores of people with 'Modi' surname as 'chor' and hurt their sentiments." He asked whether it is a crime to have used the title. "Is it a crime to have `Modi` surname?" he asked. Rahul Gandhi, while addressing a rally in Maharashtra on Monday, asked how come all "thieves" have Modi as the common surname as he attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue of corruption. "But tell me one thing... Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, Narendra Modi... how come they all have Modi as a common name. How come all the thieves have Modi as the common name?" Gandhi had asked. In a separate case, the Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to the Congress president on a petition filed against him by BJP leader Meenakshi Lekhi for allegedly making contemptuous remarks in connection with its order on the admissibility of the certain document in the Rafale deal. The contempt petition accused Rahul Gandhi of misquoting the order when he said the apex court had accepted that "chowkidar" (a reference to PM Narendra Modi), is a "chor (thief)".

Bihar Deputy CM to file defamation case against Rahul Gandhi for calling all Modis thieves

Voting for the first phase of Lok Sabha Election 2019 began at 7 am on Thursday, April 11. In a gesture to promote Women empowerment, 7 pink polling booths has been set up across Bihar's Gaya. Watch video to know more.

Lok Sabha election 2019: 7 pink polling booths set up across Bihar's Gaya

An estimated 13.73 per cent voting was recorded in the first three hours of polling that began amid tight security in four Lok Sabha seats in Bihar in the first leg of t<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/indias-general-election-begins-with-voting-in-first-of-seven-phases-209447">he seven-phased election</a>.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/live-lok-sabha-polls-2019-voting-underway-in-91-seats-in-first-phase-209404">Live Lok Sabha polls 2019: Faulty EVMs delay voting in several polling booths in Andhra Pradesh</a>

Few incidents of EVM malfunctioning were reported in some booths under Nawada Lok Sabha constituency, and a cane bomb was found at a polling station in Gaya district before voting began at 7 am.

Polling is underway in the four Lok Sabha seats of Aurangabad, Gaya, Nawada and Jamui.

"Polling has, so far, been peaceful in the constituencies," Joint Chief Electoral Officer Pravin Kumar Gupta said.

Before the start of polling, one cane bomb was found at polling station number 9 at Anarban Sulaiya village under Dumariya assembly constituency of Aurangabad Lok Sabha seat.

Voting is currently on at the polling station as the cane bomb has been defused by the bomb squad, Gaya City Superintendent of Police Sushil Kumar said.

Polling will end at 6 pm in most of the booths. In some "sensitive" booths, however, voting will end at 4 pm.

Assembly bypoll for Nawada is also being held along with the Lok Sabha poll on Thursday. A voter turn out of nine per cent has been recorded there till 10 am, the CEO office said.

Bihar will witness a seven-phase polling for its 40 Lok Sabha seat.

The elections which began on April 11 will end on May 19 when the seventh and last phase will be held.

An estimated 13.73 per cent voting was recorded in the first three hours of polling that began amid tight security in four Lok Sabha seats in Bihar in the first leg of the seven-phased election.

An estimated 13.73 per cent voting was recorded in the first three hours of polling that began amid tight security in four Lok Sabha seats in Bihar in the first leg of the seven-phased election. Live Lok Sabha polls 2019: Faulty EVMs delay voting in several polling booths in Andhra Pradesh Few incidents of EVM malfunctioning were reported in some booths under Nawada Lok Sabha constituency, and a cane bomb was found at a polling station in Gaya district before voting began at 7 am. Polling is underway in the four Lok Sabha seats of Aurangabad, Gaya, Nawada and Jamui. "Polling has, so far, been peaceful in the constituencies," Joint Chief Electoral Officer Pravin Kumar Gupta said. Before the start of polling, one cane bomb was found at polling station number 9 at Anarban Sulaiya village under Dumariya assembly constituency of Aurangabad Lok Sabha seat. Voting is currently on at the polling station as the cane bomb has been defused by the bomb squad, Gaya City Superintendent of Police Sushil Kumar said. Polling will end at 6 pm in most of the booths. In some "sensitive" booths, however, voting will end at 4 pm. Assembly bypoll for Nawada is also being held along with the Lok Sabha poll on Thursday. A voter turn out of nine per cent has been recorded there till 10 am, the CEO office said. Bihar will witness a seven-phase polling for its 40 Lok Sabha seat. The elections which began on April 11 will end on May 19 when the seventh and last phase will be held.

Lok Sabha elections 2019: Brisk voting in first three hours in Bihar

Today major states record high voter turnout on first phase of India Lok sabha Election 2019. Watch this video to know more.

India Election watch: Major states record hight voter turnout on first phase of LS election

Returning officer is all set to introduce pink booth for women in Bihar’s Gaya. The decision was taken to make women feel special and come in large number in order to cast their vote. Gaya, one of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar, will vote in the first of the seven-phase polls on Thursday.

Lok Sabha polls 2019: Pink booth specially designed for women to cast vote in Bihar’s Gaya

BJP is all set to launch its election campaign blitzkrieg in Bihar for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls with back-to-back visits by the top guns of the party.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Bihar on April 2, party sources said on Monday.

He is expected to address election rallies in Jamui and Gaya.

But before his visit, BJP president Amit Shah is scheduled to visit Bihar on March 29.

He too will address public meetings in Aurangabad and Nawada.

NDA had finalised a seat-sharing plan in Bihar under which JD(U) and BJP will contest on 17 seats each while the LJP will contest the remaining six seats.

In 2014, NDA won 31 out of 40 seats in Bihar with leading the tally at 22. JD(U) could only manage to win two seats.

In Bihar, the different constituencies will see elections on April 11, 18, 23, and 29 and May 6, 12 and 19.

The counting of votes will take place on May 23.

 
&nbsp;

BJP is all set to launch its election campaign blitzkrieg in Bihar for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls with back-to-back visits by the top guns of the party. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Bihar on April 2, party sources said on Monday.

BJP is all set to launch its election campaign blitzkrieg in Bihar for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls with back-to-back visits by the top guns of the party. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Bihar on April 2, party sources said on Monday. He is expected to address election rallies in Jamui and Gaya. But before his visit, BJP president Amit Shah is scheduled to visit Bihar on March 29. He too will address public meetings in Aurangabad and Nawada. NDA had finalised a seat-sharing plan in Bihar under which JD(U) and BJP will contest on 17 seats each while the LJP will contest the remaining six seats. In 2014, NDA won 31 out of 40 seats in Bihar with leading the tally at 22. JD(U) could only manage to win two seats. In Bihar, the different constituencies will see elections on April 11, 18, 23, and 29 and May 6, 12 and 19. The counting of votes will take place on May 23.

BJP to kick off campaign blitz in Bihar as poll heat picks up

Congress party on Saturday announced that veteran actor and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/former-bjp-leader-shatrughan-sinha-joins-congress-208300">former BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha</a> will contest the ensuing Lok Sabha elections from Bihar's Patna Sahib constituency.&nbsp;

The development came within hours after Sinha officially joined the Congress party today.&nbsp;

Shatrughan Sinha, a vocal critic of the BJP leadership, was denied the BJP ticket from Patna Sahib parliamentary constituency in Bihar. The party fielded Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad from the seat instead.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Shatrughan Sinha to contest from Patna Sahib, Bihar on Congress ticket. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LokSabhaElections2019?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LokSabhaElections2019</a> <a href="https://t.co/giqXNGrEQJ">pic.twitter.com/giqXNGrEQJ</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1114460123206840321?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Sinha had a long association with the BJP. He was the minister for shipping and health and family welfare during former Prime Minister Vajpayee's term.

He won the Patna Sahib Lok Sabha seat in 2009 and then again during the BJP wave under Narendra Modi in 2014.

The National Democratic Alliance, last month, released its list Lok Sabha candidates in Bihar and named <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/lok-sabha-polls-nda-releases-list-of-candidates-for-bihar-ravi-shankar-prasad-replaces-shatrughan-sinha-in-patna-sahib-seat-205017">Prasad its candidate from Patna Sahib seat</a>.&nbsp;

The Bharatiya Janata Party, which will contest the general polls in Bihar in alliance with Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) and Ram Vilas Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), will contest 17 seats.&nbsp;&nbsp;

According to reports, the JD(U) will also fight on 17 seats while 6 seats go to the LPJ.&nbsp;

Bihar will vote in all the seven phases of the general election from April 11 to May 19. Counting of votes will take place on May 23.&nbsp;

Congress party on Saturday announced that veteran actor and former BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha will contest the ensuing Lok Sabha elections from Bihar's Patna Sahib constituency.

Congress party on Saturday announced that veteran actor and former BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha will contest the ensuing Lok Sabha elections from Bihar's Patna Sahib constituency. The development came within hours after Sinha officially joined the Congress party today. Shatrughan Sinha, a vocal critic of the BJP leadership, was denied the BJP ticket from Patna Sahib parliamentary constituency in Bihar. The party fielded Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad from the seat instead. Shatrughan Sinha to contest from Patna Sahib, Bihar on Congress ticket. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/giqXNGrEQJ — ANI (@ANI) April 6, 2019 × Sinha had a long association with the BJP. He was the minister for shipping and health and family welfare during former Prime Minister Vajpayee's term. He won the Patna Sahib Lok Sabha seat in 2009 and then again during the BJP wave under Narendra Modi in 2014. The National Democratic Alliance, last month, released its list Lok Sabha candidates in Bihar and named Prasad its candidate from Patna Sahib seat. The Bharatiya Janata Party, which will contest the general polls in Bihar in alliance with Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) and Ram Vilas Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), will contest 17 seats. According to reports, the JD(U) will also fight on 17 seats while 6 seats go to the LPJ. Bihar will vote in all the seven phases of the general election from April 11 to May 19. Counting of votes will take place on May 23.

Lok Sabha polls: Shatrughan Sinha to challenge Ravi Shankar Prasad in Bihar's Patna Sahib 

BJP, JD (U) and LJP announce list of constituencies in Bihar for 2019 Lok Sabha polls

India Elections 2019: BJP announces list for all seats from Bihar

Bihar NDA announces Lok Sabha election 2019 candidates

The National Democratic Alliance on Saturday released its list for 39 out of the total 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar. The Bharatiya Janata Party, which will contest the general polls in Bihar in alliance with Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) and Ram Vilas Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), will contest 17 seats.&nbsp;&nbsp;

According to reports, the JD(U) will also fight on 17 seats while 6 seats go to the LPJ.&nbsp;

Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will contest from Shatrughan Sinha's Patna Sahib seat.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
BJP in-charge for Bihar, Bhupendra Yadav: Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to be BJP’s candidate from Patna Sahib.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LokSabhaElections2019?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LokSabhaElections2019</a> <a href="https://t.co/LIVPmAFOLA">pic.twitter.com/LIVPmAFOLA</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1109333651559317509?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

BJP's party in-charge for Bihar, Bhupendra Yadav announced that Lok Janshakti Party's Chandan Kumar will contest from Nawada. LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan's son, Chirag Paswan, is fielded from Jamui seat while his brother&nbsp;Ram Vilas Paswan's brother Pashupati Kumar Paras to contest from Hajipur

Besides this, Ramkirpal Yadav will contest from Patliputra, RK Singh from Arrah, Aswani Choubey from Buxar, Radha Mohan Singh from East Champaran, Rajiv Pratap Rudy from Saran, Yadav stated.

Meanwhile, former Chhattisgarh chief minister and BJP leader Dr Raman Singh on Saturday said that a meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party's central election committee will be held later in the day today, news agency ANI reported.&nbsp;

Singh said that the leaders are likely to take a final call on 6 Lok Sabha seats in Chhattisgarh, following which the names of the candidates will be declared.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday released a list of 36 candidates for Lok Sabha polls in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Maharashtra and Odisha ahead of the general elections.

The party has fielded Girish Bapat from Pune (Maharashtra), its <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/lok-sabha-polls-bjp-releases-list-of-36-candidates-sambit-patra-to-contest-from-puri-204967">national spokesperson Sambit Patra from Puri (Odisha)</a>, Dilip Kumar Kilaru from Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh), Bharati Pawar from Dindori (Maharashtra) and Sanbor Shullai from Shillong (Meghalaya).

The decision was taken after a meeting of the Central Election Committee of the BJP in New Delhi. The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj among others.

The National Democratic Alliance on Saturday released its list for 39 out of the total 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar. The Bharatiya Janata Party, which will contest the general polls in Bihar in alliance with Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) and Ram Vilas Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), will contest 17 seats.

The National Democratic Alliance on Saturday released its list for 39 out of the total 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar. The Bharatiya Janata Party, which will contest the general polls in Bihar in alliance with Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) and Ram Vilas Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), will contest 17 seats. According to reports, the JD(U) will also fight on 17 seats while 6 seats go to the LPJ. Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will contest from Shatrughan Sinha's Patna Sahib seat. BJP in-charge for Bihar, Bhupendra Yadav: Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to be BJP’s candidate from Patna Sahib.#LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/LIVPmAFOLA — ANI (@ANI) March 23, 2019 × BJP's party in-charge for Bihar, Bhupendra Yadav announced that Lok Janshakti Party's Chandan Kumar will contest from Nawada. LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan's son, Chirag Paswan, is fielded from Jamui seat while his brother Ram Vilas Paswan's brother Pashupati Kumar Paras to contest from Hajipur Besides this, Ramkirpal Yadav will contest from Patliputra, RK Singh from Arrah, Aswani Choubey from Buxar, Radha Mohan Singh from East Champaran, Rajiv Pratap Rudy from Saran, Yadav stated. Meanwhile, former Chhattisgarh chief minister and BJP leader Dr Raman Singh on Saturday said that a meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party's central election committee will be held later in the day today, news agency ANI reported. Singh said that the leaders are likely to take a final call on 6 Lok Sabha seats in Chhattisgarh, following which the names of the candidates will be declared. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday released a list of 36 candidates for Lok Sabha polls in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Maharashtra and Odisha ahead of the general elections. The party has fielded Girish Bapat from Pune (Maharashtra), its national spokesperson Sambit Patra from Puri (Odisha), Dilip Kumar Kilaru from Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh), Bharati Pawar from Dindori (Maharashtra) and Sanbor Shullai from Shillong (Meghalaya). The decision was taken after a meeting of the Central Election Committee of the BJP in New Delhi. The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj among others.

Lok Sabha polls: NDA releases list of candidates for Bihar, Ravi Shankar Prasad replaces Shatrughan Sinha in Patna Sahib seat

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders of Bihar are likely to announce the seat-sharing in Bihar for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections on Sunday.

The announcement will be made during a press conference at the Janata Dal (United) office in Patna later today.

Bihar JD (U) chief Bashishtha Narayan Singh, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) president Pashupati Kumar Paras and Bihar BJP president Nityanand Rai are expected to be present at the presser.

Rai told ANI, "All is well in NDA. We will win all 40 seats in Bihar. I do not want to comment on Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance)."

According to sources, the BJP is likely to contest on Patliputra, Patna Sahib, Arrah, East Champaran, West Champaran, Sheohar, Madhubani, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Maharajganj, Saran, Buxar, Sasaram, Begusarai, Araria, Aurangabad and Ujiyarpur parliamentary constituencies.

The JD (U), on the other hand, will test their fate while contesting from Purnia, Madhepura, Supaul, Kishanganj, Katihar, Siwan, Balmiki Nagar, Jhanjharpur, Sitamarhi, Gaya, Gopalganj, Munger, Banka, Bhagalpur, Nalanda, Karakat and Jahanabad Lok Sabha seats.

Sources added that the LJP will fight on six seats - Hajipur, Vaishali, Samastipur, Jamui, Nawada and Khagadia.

The formula of seat-sharing was announced a few months ago in Delhi by BJP president Amit Shah, JD(U) national president Nitish Kumar, and LJP founder Ram Vilas Paswan.

According to the NDA seat-sharing formula, the BJP and the JD(U) will contest 17 seats each, while the remaining six would be fought by the LJP.

Bihar will see polling in seven phases. The dates of polling in Bihar are April 11, 18, 23, 29 and May 6, 12 and 19. The counting of votes will take place on May 23.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) won only four seats and the Congress won two. The JD-U, which contested separately, won two seats. The BJP-led NDA won 31 seats, with the former's tally being 22.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders of Bihar are likely to announce the seat-sharing in Bihar for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections on Sunday. The announcement will be made during a press conference at the Janata Dal (United) office in Patna later today.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders of Bihar are likely to announce the seat-sharing in Bihar for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections on Sunday. The announcement will be made during a press conference at the Janata Dal (United) office in Patna later today. Bihar JD (U) chief Bashishtha Narayan Singh, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) president Pashupati Kumar Paras and Bihar BJP president Nityanand Rai are expected to be present at the presser. Rai told ANI, "All is well in NDA. We will win all 40 seats in Bihar. I do not want to comment on Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance)." According to sources, the BJP is likely to contest on Patliputra, Patna Sahib, Arrah, East Champaran, West Champaran, Sheohar, Madhubani, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Maharajganj, Saran, Buxar, Sasaram, Begusarai, Araria, Aurangabad and Ujiyarpur parliamentary constituencies. The JD (U), on the other hand, will test their fate while contesting from Purnia, Madhepura, Supaul, Kishanganj, Katihar, Siwan, Balmiki Nagar, Jhanjharpur, Sitamarhi, Gaya, Gopalganj, Munger, Banka, Bhagalpur, Nalanda, Karakat and Jahanabad Lok Sabha seats. Sources added that the LJP will fight on six seats - Hajipur, Vaishali, Samastipur, Jamui, Nawada and Khagadia. The formula of seat-sharing was announced a few months ago in Delhi by BJP president Amit Shah, JD(U) national president Nitish Kumar, and LJP founder Ram Vilas Paswan. According to the NDA seat-sharing formula, the BJP and the JD(U) will contest 17 seats each, while the remaining six would be fought by the LJP. Bihar will see polling in seven phases. The dates of polling in Bihar are April 11, 18, 23, 29 and May 6, 12 and 19. The counting of votes will take place on May 23. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) won only four seats and the Congress won two. The JD-U, which contested separately, won two seats. The BJP-led NDA won 31 seats, with the former's tally being 22.

Bihar: NDA leaders likely to announce seat-sharing for Lok Sabha polls

bihar

Bihar, News on Bihar, stories on Bihar, articles on Bihar, Bihar stories at Wion, Bihar news, Bihar latest news