Looking forward to exercising his franchise once again Sunday, India's "first" voter Shyam Saran Negi Saturday appealed to Himachal Pradesh electors to elect "honest" candidates for all the four Lok Sabha seats in the state.

"Elect honest and active candidates for your parliamentary seats instead of voting for particular parties," 102-year-old Negi told PTI.

Negi also expressed his desire to vote again on Sunday during the <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">final phase of 2019 general elections</a>.

"A resident of Himachal's tribal district Kinnaur, Shyam Sharan Negi is India's first voter and very important for the state Election Department," Kinnaur District Election Officer Gopal Chand told PTI.

A retired school teacher, Negi, as per his official records, was born on July 1, 1917.

Negi still vividly remembers how he became India's first voter.

"India's first election was held in February 1952, but the voting for remote, tribal areas in Himachal was held five months in advance on October 23, 1952, owing to fears of inclement weather rendering the exercise impossible here during winter," he said.

"I was a school teacher then and had been put on the election duty. Due to it, I reached my polling booth at Kalpa Primary School in Kinnaur at 7 am to cast my vote. I was the first one to reach there and cast my vote," he said.

"Later I was told I was the first to cast my vote anywhere in the area," he said with a glint in his eyes.

Negi added he proceeded to join his election duty after casting his vote.

Negi, who also made a special appearance in Hindi film "Sanam Re", said he never missed casting his vote ever since then whether it be a panchayat election or the Lok Sabha polls.&nbsp;

Talking of his desire to vote again, Negi complained of his failing health as a possible impediment in fulfilling it.

"It's my last wish to vote again. But I have got immobile legs and aching knees now, besides failing vision and hearing," said Negi.

On Negi's fears, District Election Officer Gopal Chand said, "Negi is very important for us. We will have him brought to the polling booth and drop him back at his home."

"We still take care of his health and other needs. A government doctor regularly visits him to check his health," he said.

Negi is among 999 voters of the state who are 100 or above, a state election official said.

Looking forward to exercising his franchise once again Sunday, India's "first" voter Shyam Saran Negi Saturday appealed to Himachal Pradesh electors to elect "honest" candidates for all the four Lok Sabha seats in the state.

Looking forward to exercising his franchise once again Sunday, India's "first" voter Shyam Saran Negi Saturday appealed to Himachal Pradesh electors to elect "honest" candidates for all the four Lok Sabha seats in the state. "Elect honest and active candidates for your parliamentary seats instead of voting for particular parties," 102-year-old Negi told PTI. Negi also expressed his desire to vote again on Sunday during the final phase of 2019 general elections. "A resident of Himachal's tribal district Kinnaur, Shyam Sharan Negi is India's first voter and very important for the state Election Department," Kinnaur District Election Officer Gopal Chand told PTI. A retired school teacher, Negi, as per his official records, was born on July 1, 1917. Negi still vividly remembers how he became India's first voter. "India's first election was held in February 1952, but the voting for remote, tribal areas in Himachal was held five months in advance on October 23, 1952, owing to fears of inclement weather rendering the exercise impossible here during winter," he said. "I was a school teacher then and had been put on the election duty. Due to it, I reached my polling booth at Kalpa Primary School in Kinnaur at 7 am to cast my vote. I was the first one to reach there and cast my vote," he said. "Later I was told I was the first to cast my vote anywhere in the area," he said with a glint in his eyes. Negi added he proceeded to join his election duty after casting his vote. Negi, who also made a special appearance in Hindi film "Sanam Re", said he never missed casting his vote ever since then whether it be a panchayat election or the Lok Sabha polls. Talking of his desire to vote again, Negi complained of his failing health as a possible impediment in fulfilling it. "It's my last wish to vote again. But I have got immobile legs and aching knees now, besides failing vision and hearing," said Negi. On Negi's fears, District Election Officer Gopal Chand said, "Negi is very important for us. We will have him brought to the polling booth and drop him back at his home." "We still take care of his health and other needs. A government doctor regularly visits him to check his health," he said. Negi is among 999 voters of the state who are 100 or above, a state election official said.

India's first voter set to exercise franchise again in last leg of Lok Sabha polls, urges voters to elect honest MPs

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

Preparations are in place for the seventh and final phase of the general elections in West Bengal, where nine Lok Sabha constituencies will go to polls on Sunday.

An electorate of 1,49,63,064 will decide the fate of 111 candidates in these nine seats -- Kolkata North and Kolkata South, Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jadavpur, Diamond Harbour, Jaynagar (SC) and Mathurapur (SC).

Eight seats, barring Jadavpur, will witness a four- cornered contest between the Trinamool Congress, the BJP, the Congress and the Left Front.

The Congress has given the Jadavpur seat a miss.

Sitting MP Abhishek Banerjee, who is the nephew of TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and considered the number two in the party, is seeking re-election from the Diamond Harbour seat, where he is pitted against BJP's Nilanjan Roy.

The CPI(M) has nominated Fuad Halim and the Congress Soumya Aich Roy for the seat.

In the Jadavpur seat, TMC's celebrity candidate Mimi Chakraborty will contest against Anupam Hazra of the BJP.

The CPI(M) has fielded senior leader Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya.

Basirhat Lok Sabha seat will see another star TMC candidate Nusrat Jahan locking horns with BJP's Sayantan Basu.

The Congress has nominated Quazi Abdur Rahim and the Left Front constituent CPI, Pallab Sengupta.

In the Dum Dum seat, the BJP has fielded Samik Bhattacharya against sitting TMC MP Saugata Ray. Left Front major CPI(M) has nominated Nepaldeb Bhattacharya, while the Congress announced the name of Saurav Saha.

TMC MP Kakoli Ghoshdastidar is contesting against BJP's Mrinal Kanti Debnath in Barasat, where the Congress has nominated Subrata Dutta and Left Front Constituent All India Forward Bloc, Haripada Biswas.

In the Jaynagar (SC) seat, TMC's Pratima Mondal will contest against Ashok Kandary of the BJP. The Congress has fielded Tapan Mondal and Left Front constituent RSP, Subhas Naskar.

Choudhury Mohan Jatua is the TMC candidate from the Mathurapur (SC) constituency against BJP's Shyama Prasad Halder. The Congress has named Krittibas Sardar and the CPI(M) fielded Sarat Chandra Haldar for the seat.

Kolkata South will witness Mala Roy of the TMC battling it out against BJP's Chandra Kumar Bose. The CPI(M) has nominated Nandini Mukherjee and the Congress Mita Chakraborty.

In Kolkata North, Sudip Bandyopadhyay will contest against Rahul Sinha, the BJP national secretary. The CPI(M) has fielded Kaninika Bose and the Congress, Syed Shahid Imam.

A total of 710 companies of central forces are being deployed by the Election Commission to cover 17,042 polling booths to ensure free and fair voting, officials said.

The nine constituencies are spread across the three districts of Kolkata, South and North 24 Parganas.

The high-voltage campaign for the final phase saw poll meetings by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Congress leader Sachin Pilot and West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee.

The prime minister held four poll meetings on the last two days of the campaign, while Banerjee took part in several road shows at different places in the metropolis in the run-up to this phase.

Shah's roadshow in the city on Tuesday was marred by violence and destruction of social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's bust in a college in north Kolkata.

In a first such action in India's electoral history, the Election Commission ordered campaigning in the nine West Bengal constituencies to end at 10 pm on Thursday, instead of 6 pm on Friday, in the wake of the violence between the BJP and the TMC during Shah's roadshow.

Besides general election observers and expenditure observers, the poll panel has for the first time deployed a special police observer and a special observer.

VVPAT will be also be used in all the polling booths along with the EVMs, EC officials said

Preparations are in place for the seventh and final phase of the general elections in West Bengal, where nine Lok Sabha constituencies will go to polls on Sunday.

Preparations are in place for the seventh and final phase of the general elections in West Bengal, where nine Lok Sabha constituencies will go to polls on Sunday. An electorate of 1,49,63,064 will decide the fate of 111 candidates in these nine seats -- Kolkata North and Kolkata South, Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jadavpur, Diamond Harbour, Jaynagar (SC) and Mathurapur (SC). Eight seats, barring Jadavpur, will witness a four- cornered contest between the Trinamool Congress, the BJP, the Congress and the Left Front. The Congress has given the Jadavpur seat a miss. Sitting MP Abhishek Banerjee, who is the nephew of TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and considered the number two in the party, is seeking re-election from the Diamond Harbour seat, where he is pitted against BJP's Nilanjan Roy. The CPI(M) has nominated Fuad Halim and the Congress Soumya Aich Roy for the seat. In the Jadavpur seat, TMC's celebrity candidate Mimi Chakraborty will contest against Anupam Hazra of the BJP. The CPI(M) has fielded senior leader Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya. Basirhat Lok Sabha seat will see another star TMC candidate Nusrat Jahan locking horns with BJP's Sayantan Basu. The Congress has nominated Quazi Abdur Rahim and the Left Front constituent CPI, Pallab Sengupta. In the Dum Dum seat, the BJP has fielded Samik Bhattacharya against sitting TMC MP Saugata Ray. Left Front major CPI(M) has nominated Nepaldeb Bhattacharya, while the Congress announced the name of Saurav Saha. TMC MP Kakoli Ghoshdastidar is contesting against BJP's Mrinal Kanti Debnath in Barasat, where the Congress has nominated Subrata Dutta and Left Front Constituent All India Forward Bloc, Haripada Biswas. In the Jaynagar (SC) seat, TMC's Pratima Mondal will contest against Ashok Kandary of the BJP. The Congress has fielded Tapan Mondal and Left Front constituent RSP, Subhas Naskar. Choudhury Mohan Jatua is the TMC candidate from the Mathurapur (SC) constituency against BJP's Shyama Prasad Halder. The Congress has named Krittibas Sardar and the CPI(M) fielded Sarat Chandra Haldar for the seat. Kolkata South will witness Mala Roy of the TMC battling it out against BJP's Chandra Kumar Bose. The CPI(M) has nominated Nandini Mukherjee and the Congress Mita Chakraborty. In Kolkata North, Sudip Bandyopadhyay will contest against Rahul Sinha, the BJP national secretary. The CPI(M) has fielded Kaninika Bose and the Congress, Syed Shahid Imam. A total of 710 companies of central forces are being deployed by the Election Commission to cover 17,042 polling booths to ensure free and fair voting, officials said. The nine constituencies are spread across the three districts of Kolkata, South and North 24 Parganas. The high-voltage campaign for the final phase saw poll meetings by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Congress leader Sachin Pilot and West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee. The prime minister held four poll meetings on the last two days of the campaign, while Banerjee took part in several road shows at different places in the metropolis in the run-up to this phase. Shah's roadshow in the city on Tuesday was marred by violence and destruction of social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's bust in a college in north Kolkata. In a first such action in India's electoral history, the Election Commission ordered campaigning in the nine West Bengal constituencies to end at 10 pm on Thursday, instead of 6 pm on Friday, in the wake of the violence between the BJP and the TMC during Shah's roadshow. Besides general election observers and expenditure observers, the poll panel has for the first time deployed a special police observer and a special observer. VVPAT will be also be used in all the polling booths along with the EVMs, EC officials said

Nine Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal to go to polls in seventh phase

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

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/tmc-west-bengal-cm-and-those-close-to-her-have-lost-their-balance-pm-modi-219453">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> on Saturday arrived in Kedarnath on a two-day visit.

The visit comes a day after the campaign closed for general election 2019.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi lands in Kedarnath, he will offer prayers at Kedarnath temple shortly. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Uttarakhand?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Uttarakhand</a> <a href="https://t.co/JDNRzXYslx">pic.twitter.com/JDNRzXYslx</a>
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Stringent security arrangements have been made for the prime minister's visit, DGP (law and order) Ashok Kumar said.

Modi will visit Kedarnath and Badrinath on Saturday and Sunday respectively.

This is Modi's fourth visit to the holy shrine.

The portals of both the shrines were reopened for devotees after winter break early this month.&nbsp;

On May 19, 59 parliamentary constituencies, including Varanasi, from where Modi is contesting&nbsp;will go to polls in the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha elections.

The results of 2019 Lok Sabha polls will&nbsp;be announced on May 23.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday arrived in Kedarnath on a two-day visit. The visit comes a day after the campaign closed for general election 2019. Prime Minister Narendra Modi lands in Kedarnath, he will offer prayers at Kedarnath temple shortly.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday arrived in Kedarnath on a two-day visit. The visit comes a day after the campaign closed for general election 2019. Prime Minister Narendra Modi lands in Kedarnath, he will offer prayers at Kedarnath temple shortly. #Uttarakhand pic.twitter.com/JDNRzXYslx — ANI (@ANI) May 18, 2019 × Stringent security arrangements have been made for the prime minister's visit, DGP (law and order) Ashok Kumar said. Modi will visit Kedarnath and Badrinath on Saturday and Sunday respectively. This is Modi's fourth visit to the holy shrine. The portals of both the shrines were reopened for devotees after winter break early this month. On May 19, 59 parliamentary constituencies, including Varanasi, from where Modi is contesting will go to polls in the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha elections. The results of 2019 Lok Sabha polls will be announced on May 23.

PM Modi on two-day visit to Kedarnath, Badrinath

Congress leader Shatrughan Sinha is confident of his victory from Patna Sahib Lok Sabha constituency where polling will be held on May 19. Sinha, who recently quit the BJP, is locked in a straight contest against Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad whom the BJP has fielded this time.

Sinha ended his nearly three decades long association with BJP in April after remaining at loggerheads with the current party leadership for quite some time.

Sinha, who snapped ties with the BJP earlier this month, had generous words of praise for his rival Prasad, saying his refusal to engage in personal attacks during poll campaign showed he was a "bhadralok" (well-educated).

Prasad is a resident of the Bihar capital Patna and his father was a state minister and leader of the Jan Sangh, the parent of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Sinha had recently dismissed the claims made by the BJP that the seat is its stronghold. "Let them (BJP) live in fool's paradise... voters of Patna Sahib will teach them a lesson," Sinha had said.

He cited the victories of Congress and RJD nominees in the past from the prestigious Bihar seat, from where he is seeking re-election for the third straight time, to deride BJP's claim.

The Patna Sahib Lok Sabha seat has six assembly constituencies under it out of which five are held by BJP at present and a lone one by RJD. It has traditionally been a kayastha seat where the caste has around 25 per cent voter base.

Altogether 37 candidates have filed their nomination papers for Patna Sahib, which goes to polls in the seventh and final phase of general elections on May 19.

Other constituencies in Bihar that go to polls in the final phase are Pataliputra, Nalanda, Jehanabad, Arrah, Buxar, Karakat and Sasaram.

Congress leader Shatrughan Sinha is confident of his victory from Patna Sahib Lok Sabha constituency where polling will be held on May 19. Sinha, who recently quit the BJP, is locked in a straight contest against Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad whom the BJP has fielded this time.

Congress leader Shatrughan Sinha is confident of his victory from Patna Sahib Lok Sabha constituency where polling will be held on May 19. Sinha, who recently quit the BJP, is locked in a straight contest against Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad whom the BJP has fielded this time. Sinha ended his nearly three decades long association with BJP in April after remaining at loggerheads with the current party leadership for quite some time. Sinha, who snapped ties with the BJP earlier this month, had generous words of praise for his rival Prasad, saying his refusal to engage in personal attacks during poll campaign showed he was a "bhadralok" (well-educated). Prasad is a resident of the Bihar capital Patna and his father was a state minister and leader of the Jan Sangh, the parent of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Sinha had recently dismissed the claims made by the BJP that the seat is its stronghold. "Let them (BJP) live in fool's paradise... voters of Patna Sahib will teach them a lesson," Sinha had said. He cited the victories of Congress and RJD nominees in the past from the prestigious Bihar seat, from where he is seeking re-election for the third straight time, to deride BJP's claim. The Patna Sahib Lok Sabha seat has six assembly constituencies under it out of which five are held by BJP at present and a lone one by RJD. It has traditionally been a kayastha seat where the caste has around 25 per cent voter base. Altogether 37 candidates have filed their nomination papers for Patna Sahib, which goes to polls in the seventh and final phase of general elections on May 19. Other constituencies in Bihar that go to polls in the final phase are Pataliputra, Nalanda, Jehanabad, Arrah, Buxar, Karakat and Sasaram.

Patna Sahib's big face-off: Shatrughan Sinha vs Ravi Shankar Prasad

Varanasi in eastern Uttar Pradesh is gearing up for the battle royale in the seventh and final phase of Lok Sabha polls on May 19. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the sitting Member of Parliament, is seeking re-election from Varanasi.

Modi held a massive roadshow in Varanasi before filling his nomination on April 26 in which he said that he will come to the people again to thank them once the results are out.

In 2014, Modi won the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat, defeating Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal by a huge margin of 3.37 lakh votes. Modi had polled 5,16,593 votes, about half the total votes, while Congress's Ajay Rai finished third.

Rai is the Congress candidate again this time from the constituency that goes to the polls on May 19, while the 'gathbandhan' has fielded a Samajwadi Party candidate Shalini Yadav as its joint nominee.

Ajay Rai had previously been a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Samajwadi Party (SP) before joining the Congress. He has also contested the assembly elections as an Independent candidate from Varanasi. In 2017 Shalini Yadav contested the mayoral election on the Congress ticket and placed second, with 1.14 lakh votes - the highest tally of a Congress candidate in any recent electoral contest in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bastion.

Apart from Rai and Yadav, there are 23 other candidates contesting against Modi this year.

The other constituencies that will go to the polls on May 19 in UP are Gorakhpur, Maharajganj, Kushi Nagar, Deoria, Bansgaon, Ghosi, Salempur, Ballia, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Mirzapur and Robertsganj.

Varanasi in eastern Uttar Pradesh is gearing up for the battle royale in the seventh and final phase of Lok Sabha polls on May 19. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the sitting Member of Parliament, is seeking re-election from Varanasi.

Varanasi in eastern Uttar Pradesh is gearing up for the battle royale in the seventh and final phase of Lok Sabha polls on May 19. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the sitting Member of Parliament, is seeking re-election from Varanasi. Modi held a massive roadshow in Varanasi before filling his nomination on April 26 in which he said that he will come to the people again to thank them once the results are out. In 2014, Modi won the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat, defeating Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal by a huge margin of 3.37 lakh votes. Modi had polled 5,16,593 votes, about half the total votes, while Congress's Ajay Rai finished third. Rai is the Congress candidate again this time from the constituency that goes to the polls on May 19, while the 'gathbandhan' has fielded a Samajwadi Party candidate Shalini Yadav as its joint nominee. Ajay Rai had previously been a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Samajwadi Party (SP) before joining the Congress. He has also contested the assembly elections as an Independent candidate from Varanasi. In 2017 Shalini Yadav contested the mayoral election on the Congress ticket and placed second, with 1.14 lakh votes - the highest tally of a Congress candidate in any recent electoral contest in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bastion. Apart from Rai and Yadav, there are 23 other candidates contesting against Modi this year. The other constituencies that will go to the polls on May 19 in UP are Gorakhpur, Maharajganj, Kushi Nagar, Deoria, Bansgaon, Ghosi, Salempur, Ballia, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Mirzapur and Robertsganj.

All eyes on Varanasi in final phase of Lok Sabha polls

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday said that he will "accept responsibility and resign" if the Congress party does not perform well in the Lok Sabha elections in Punjab.

"I would take responsibility and would quit if the Congress was wiped out in the state in these Lok Sabha elections. All ministers and MLAs have been made responsible for the Congress party`s performance in the state," the Chief Minister said in a statement.

"The party high command had decided to hold the ministers and legislators accountable for the victory/defeat of the Congress candidates. I am ready to take the same responsibility for the state but I am confident that Congress will sweep all Lok Sabha seats in Punjab," Amarinder said.

Amarinder Singh returned as chief minister of Punjab in 2017 after a decade rule of Akali Dal (SAD) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Congress had won 77 out of the 117 seats in assembly elections with a vote share 38.5 per cent. Singh`s first term as the chief minister of the state from 2002 to 2007.

Punjab will witness polling for its Lok Sabha seats on May 19. The counting of votes will take place on May 23.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday said that he will "accept responsibility and resign" if the Congress party does not perform well in the Lok Sabha elections in Punjab.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday said that he will "accept responsibility and resign" if the Congress party does not perform well in the Lok Sabha elections in Punjab. "I would take responsibility and would quit if the Congress was wiped out in the state in these Lok Sabha elections. All ministers and MLAs have been made responsible for the Congress party`s performance in the state," the Chief Minister said in a statement. "The party high command had decided to hold the ministers and legislators accountable for the victory/defeat of the Congress candidates. I am ready to take the same responsibility for the state but I am confident that Congress will sweep all Lok Sabha seats in Punjab," Amarinder said. Amarinder Singh returned as chief minister of Punjab in 2017 after a decade rule of Akali Dal (SAD) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Congress had won 77 out of the 117 seats in assembly elections with a vote share 38.5 per cent. Singh`s first term as the chief minister of the state from 2002 to 2007. Punjab will witness polling for its Lok Sabha seats on May 19. The counting of votes will take place on May 23.

Will resign if Congress gets wiped out from Punjab: Amarinder Singh

As the long and torrid election campaign came to an end on Friday, BJP president Amit Shah and PM Modi addressed a press conference at the party headquarters in New Delhi.

Party disciplinary committee will take appropriate actions: Amit Shah on Pragya Thakur's Godse remark

Kamal Haasan, whom I see as a Bollywoodian as much as any other influential actor in India, has again put his foot in his mouth by opining that the first terrorist in independent India was a Hindu.

He can safely be declared the first motormouth of Indian politics from Indian cinema. Kamal Haasan has often held radical, agnostic views on life and politics, which he has shared with me over several lengthy stretches of conversation. Kamal Haasan is a man of ideas. But those radical ideas don't make him a mouldable politician. They just make him sound like a fish out of water.&nbsp;

Stars in politics are like chocolate cream in biryani. The combination doesn't jell. And still, the exodus of stars into politics continues. Each year the volume of actors in politics gets larger. Now, with PM Modi welcoming Bollywood into his fraternity, the floodgates are open for glamour (read: entertainment industry) to march into politics (read: corruption).

Of course, they all enter the murky world of politics with the best of intentions.&nbsp;

I remember Hema Malini telling me, "I've seen it all. I am no stranger to money and fame. So, I am not in this for wealth or a name. I am getting into politics to work among the grassroots section of the people."

True to her word, the Dream Girl has transformed her constituency - Mathura - into a bit of a dream. Good roads, solid civic amenities, new malls and cleaner, more serviceable temple facilities. I would rate Hema ji among the more accomplished actors-turned-politicians.

But the best actor-politician has to be Vinod Khanna. He transformed his constituency into a Garden of Eden. Gurdaspur, during Vinod's tenure, was a dream come true. Now it has passed on to Sunny Deol. It remains to be seen whether 'Sunny' days are ahead for the people of Gurdaspur. But I can tell you this. Sunny means well. He is honest and decent. But is he a right fit for politics? Decency and honesty are more disqualifications than recommendations for politics.

The latest to join the political bandwagon is my friend Urmila Matondkar. Her decision to dirty her pretty feet in what a legendary actor described as the cesspool of politics, took me by surprise. But then I thought, why not? If Rahul Gandhi can be thought of as a potential prime minister why can't Urmila be at least a Lok Sabha member?

For all the migration from movies to rajniti that we see these days, I still feel uneasy about the alliance between the two mutually exclusive worlds. I feel actors are good orators in front of the camera. But the lines that they deliver with such (rehearsed) passion at election campaigns must mean more than just a rousing histrionic performance.

In the North, actors have largely failed to deliver as politicians. I feel even in the South the days of iconic star-politicians like MGR, NTR and Jayalalitha are over. Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth, who announced their entry into politics so grandiosely, are today stuck in their own contradictory statements on life and politics.

Kamal Haasan doesn't believe in God. Fortunately or unfortunately, the janata does. They even make gods out of actors and politicians. And never mind if the gods turn out to have feet of clay. 
&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on The Zee News. Read the <a href="https://zeenews.india.com/blogs/more-actors-are-now-in-politics-but-can-they-succeed-2203963.html">original article)</a>

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;

Kamal Haasan, whom I see as a Bollywoodian as much as any other influential actor in India, has again put his foot in his mouth by opining that the first terrorist in independent India was a Hindu.

Kamal Haasan, whom I see as a Bollywoodian as much as any other influential actor in India, has again put his foot in his mouth by opining that the first terrorist in independent India was a Hindu. He can safely be declared the first motormouth of Indian politics from Indian cinema. Kamal Haasan has often held radical, agnostic views on life and politics, which he has shared with me over several lengthy stretches of conversation. Kamal Haasan is a man of ideas. But those radical ideas don't make him a mouldable politician. They just make him sound like a fish out of water. Stars in politics are like chocolate cream in biryani. The combination doesn't jell. And still, the exodus of stars into politics continues. Each year the volume of actors in politics gets larger. Now, with PM Modi welcoming Bollywood into his fraternity, the floodgates are open for glamour (read: entertainment industry) to march into politics (read: corruption). Of course, they all enter the murky world of politics with the best of intentions. I remember Hema Malini telling me, "I've seen it all. I am no stranger to money and fame. So, I am not in this for wealth or a name. I am getting into politics to work among the grassroots section of the people." True to her word, the Dream Girl has transformed her constituency - Mathura - into a bit of a dream. Good roads, solid civic amenities, new malls and cleaner, more serviceable temple facilities. I would rate Hema ji among the more accomplished actors-turned-politicians. But the best actor-politician has to be Vinod Khanna. He transformed his constituency into a Garden of Eden. Gurdaspur, during Vinod's tenure, was a dream come true. Now it has passed on to Sunny Deol. It remains to be seen whether 'Sunny' days are ahead for the people of Gurdaspur. But I can tell you this. Sunny means well. He is honest and decent. But is he a right fit for politics? Decency and honesty are more disqualifications than recommendations for politics. The latest to join the political bandwagon is my friend Urmila Matondkar. Her decision to dirty her pretty feet in what a legendary actor described as the cesspool of politics, took me by surprise. But then I thought, why not? If Rahul Gandhi can be thought of as a potential prime minister why can't Urmila be at least a Lok Sabha member? For all the migration from movies to rajniti that we see these days, I still feel uneasy about the alliance between the two mutually exclusive worlds. I feel actors are good orators in front of the camera. But the lines that they deliver with such (rehearsed) passion at election campaigns must mean more than just a rousing histrionic performance. In the North, actors have largely failed to deliver as politicians. I feel even in the South the days of iconic star-politicians like MGR, NTR and Jayalalitha are over. Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth, who announced their entry into politics so grandiosely, are today stuck in their own contradictory statements on life and politics. Kamal Haasan doesn't believe in God. Fortunately or unfortunately, the janata does. They even make gods out of actors and politicians. And never mind if the gods turn out to have feet of clay. (This article was originally published on The Zee News. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Blog: More actors are now in politics, but can they succeed?

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will visit the officials of Election Commission (EC) on today.

Naidu's Telugu Desam Party (TDP) had on Thursday "strongly opposed" the Election Commission's decision to hold repolling at five booths under Chandragiri and Chittoor parliamentary constituencies and termed it as "partial one-sided and undemocratic".

"I am writing this letter to strongly oppose the partial one-sided and undemocratic motivated actions of the EC. The decision to conduct repolling in five polling stations under 166-Chandragiri and 25-Chittoor parliamentary constituencies," Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said in the letter.

The EC had on Wednesday declared the poll held on April 11 in these five stations as void and ordered that a re-polling be conducted from 7 am to 6 pm on May 19.

Meanwhile, Naidu might also meet Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Farooq Abdullah and Sharad Yadav, today.&nbsp;

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will visit the officials of Election Commission (EC) on today. Naidu's Telugu Desam Party (TDP) had on Thursday "strongly opposed" the Election Commission's decision to hold repolling at five booths under Chandragiri and Chittoor parliamentary constituencies and termed it as "partial one-sided and undemocratic".

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will visit the officials of Election Commission (EC) on today. Naidu's Telugu Desam Party (TDP) had on Thursday "strongly opposed" the Election Commission's decision to hold repolling at five booths under Chandragiri and Chittoor parliamentary constituencies and termed it as "partial one-sided and undemocratic". "I am writing this letter to strongly oppose the partial one-sided and undemocratic motivated actions of the EC. The decision to conduct repolling in five polling stations under 166-Chandragiri and 25-Chittoor parliamentary constituencies," Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said in the letter. The EC had on Wednesday declared the poll held on April 11 in these five stations as void and ordered that a re-polling be conducted from 7 am to 6 pm on May 19. Meanwhile, Naidu might also meet Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Farooq Abdullah and Sharad Yadav, today.

Andhra Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to meet Election Commission today

BSP chief Mayawati on Wednesday said Congress' NYAY scheme is not a permanent solution for eliminating poverty.

NYAY is a flagship scheme of the Congress party under which it has promised Rs 72,000 to 5 crore families every year if the party is voted to power.

"To influence voters, especially the extremely poor, Congress party announced Rs 6000 per month for them. This is not a permanent solution of eliminating poverty," she said while addressing an election rally here.

"Keeping this in mind, we would like to say that if we get an opportunity to form government at the centre then instead of providing Rs 6,000 per month to extremely poor families, we'll give them permanent jobs in government and non-government sectors," she added.

The BSP chief was campaigning for its candidate Atul Rai from Ghosi Lok Sabha constituency.

Rai, who is an accused in a rape case, is absconding.

In April, a college student in Varanasi had accused Rai of sexually assaulting her. The victim had alleged that she was taken by Rai to his residence on the pretext of meeting his wife. An FIR has been lodged against Rai in the matter.

Ghosi and 12 parliamentary constituencies of Uttar Pradesh will go to polls on May 19.

BSP chief Mayawati on Wednesday said Congress' NYAY scheme is not a permanent solution for eliminating poverty. NYAY is a flagship scheme of the Congress party under which it has promised Rs 72,000 to 5 crore families every year if the party is voted to power.

BSP chief Mayawati on Wednesday said Congress' NYAY scheme is not a permanent solution for eliminating poverty. NYAY is a flagship scheme of the Congress party under which it has promised Rs 72,000 to 5 crore families every year if the party is voted to power. "To influence voters, especially the extremely poor, Congress party announced Rs 6000 per month for them. This is not a permanent solution of eliminating poverty," she said while addressing an election rally here. "Keeping this in mind, we would like to say that if we get an opportunity to form government at the centre then instead of providing Rs 6,000 per month to extremely poor families, we'll give them permanent jobs in government and non-government sectors," she added. The BSP chief was campaigning for its candidate Atul Rai from Ghosi Lok Sabha constituency. Rai, who is an accused in a rape case, is absconding. In April, a college student in Varanasi had accused Rai of sexually assaulting her. The victim had alleged that she was taken by Rai to his residence on the pretext of meeting his wife. An FIR has been lodged against Rai in the matter. Ghosi and 12 parliamentary constituencies of Uttar Pradesh will go to polls on May 19.

Congress' NYAY not a permanent solution to eliminate poverty: Mayawati

Union minister Nitin Gadkari Wednesday said while the BJP is concerned about resolving the people's woes, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi is worried about how her son and Congress president Rahul Gandhi becomes the prime minister.

He was addressing a rally at Alirajpur under Ratlam Jhabua Lok Sabha seat in Madhya Pradesh.

"We are worried about how people should get power, farmers get right price for their produce, but Sonia ji is worried that how Rahul should become the prime minister," he said.

"In Congress, a prime minister is born to a prime minister, a chief minister to a chief minister, an MP to an MP and an MLA is born to an MLA. There is no existence of a common worker in that party," he said.

Warning Pakistan over cross-border terrorism, he said India will be forced to take a tough decision of stopping its share of water from three common rivers.

He said that when Indira Gandhi became the prime minister, she had promised to remove poverty and the same promise was made by Rajiv Gandhi (former PM) and the Manmohan Singh government under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi.

"But they failed to do so... Now, Rahul Gandhi has been promising to eliminate poverty. Tell me whether the Congress has kept its promise," he asked the gathering.

Although BJP chief Amit Shah was earlier scheduled to address these rallies, his visit was cancelled and Gadkari was deputed in his place.

Polling in Dhar and Ratlam-Jhabua Lok Sabha seats will take place on May 19.

The BJP has fielded GS Damor from Ratlam Jhabua seat against sitting Congress MP Kantilal Bhuria.

In Dhar, the saffron party has fielded Chhatar Singh Darbar against Dinesh Girewal of Congress.

Union minister Nitin Gadkari Wednesday said while the BJP is concerned about resolving the people's woes, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi is worried about how her son and Congress president Rahul Gandhi becomes the prime minister.

Union minister Nitin Gadkari Wednesday said while the BJP is concerned about resolving the people's woes, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi is worried about how her son and Congress president Rahul Gandhi becomes the prime minister. He was addressing a rally at Alirajpur under Ratlam Jhabua Lok Sabha seat in Madhya Pradesh. "We are worried about how people should get power, farmers get right price for their produce, but Sonia ji is worried that how Rahul should become the prime minister," he said. "In Congress, a prime minister is born to a prime minister, a chief minister to a chief minister, an MP to an MP and an MLA is born to an MLA. There is no existence of a common worker in that party," he said. Warning Pakistan over cross-border terrorism, he said India will be forced to take a tough decision of stopping its share of water from three common rivers. He said that when Indira Gandhi became the prime minister, she had promised to remove poverty and the same promise was made by Rajiv Gandhi (former PM) and the Manmohan Singh government under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi. "But they failed to do so... Now, Rahul Gandhi has been promising to eliminate poverty. Tell me whether the Congress has kept its promise," he asked the gathering. Although BJP chief Amit Shah was earlier scheduled to address these rallies, his visit was cancelled and Gadkari was deputed in his place. Polling in Dhar and Ratlam-Jhabua Lok Sabha seats will take place on May 19. The BJP has fielded GS Damor from Ratlam Jhabua seat against sitting Congress MP Kantilal Bhuria. In Dhar, the saffron party has fielded Chhatar Singh Darbar against Dinesh Girewal of Congress.

BJP concerned about people, Sonia about son's PMship: Nitin Gadkari

The Congress is not averse to supporting any regional party leader for the Prime Minister's post even if it emerges as the single largest party, Congress leader Gulam Nabi Azad said on Thursday.&nbsp;

"My party high command has already made it clear that the Congress is not averse to making a prime minister from any regional party," Azad told reporters in Shimla.

He was asked if the Congress will be ready to support any regional party leader for the PM's post even if it emerges as the largest party in a hung Parliament.

Speaking in the same vein in Patna on Wednesday, Azad had said the Congress will not make it an issue if the PM's post is not offered to it.

Azad's remarks assume significance as the Congress has been asserting that it would be the fulcrum of any non-NDA government, which was seen as its claim for the PM's post and had led some major regional parties to maintain a distance from it.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, however, seemed not to agree with Azad.

He said the Congress believes it will be the single largest party in the country, subject to the final outcome on May 23. "Naturally, the biggest political party should get a chance to lead," he told reporters here.

"All Congressmen believe that we will be a biggest political party and as the biggest political party, we should be leading this country holding hand with all other like-minded political parties interested in giving a stable democratic, liberal and secular government to the country," he added.

On the question that in the event of no party getting a simple majority in Lok Sabha polls, whom should the President call, Surjewala said, "I think the norm on that is fairly established by the Supreme Court...And the norm as I understand is whoever has the largest number in a pre-poll alliance is normally called first. And that is the settled principle as laid down by the Supreme Court."

Earlier, Azad in an apparent mellowing of Congress' stand on the PM's post, had said in Patna, "It will be good if there is a consensus on Congress leader's name for heading the government at the Centre after the Lok Sabha election results are out. But we are not going to make it an issue that we (Congress) will not let any other (leader) to become the PM, if it is not offered to us (Congress)."

The Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha had said the sole objective of the Congress is to stop the NDA from forming the government at the Centre.

Asked about Modi's assurance of constructing a 'grand statue' of 19th century reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar at the same spot where his bust was vandalised in Kolkata, the Congress leader replied, "Now he should prepare for installing his own statute."

Azad, however, was quick to add that "some alive persons also erect their statutes as BSP supremo Mayawati had done in UP".&nbsp;

The Congress is not averse to supporting any regional party leader for the Prime Minister's post even if it emerges as the single largest party, Congress leader Gulam Nabi Azad said on Thursday.

The Congress is not averse to supporting any regional party leader for the Prime Minister's post even if it emerges as the single largest party, Congress leader Gulam Nabi Azad said on Thursday. "My party high command has already made it clear that the Congress is not averse to making a prime minister from any regional party," Azad told reporters in Shimla. He was asked if the Congress will be ready to support any regional party leader for the PM's post even if it emerges as the largest party in a hung Parliament. Speaking in the same vein in Patna on Wednesday, Azad had said the Congress will not make it an issue if the PM's post is not offered to it. Azad's remarks assume significance as the Congress has been asserting that it would be the fulcrum of any non-NDA government, which was seen as its claim for the PM's post and had led some major regional parties to maintain a distance from it. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, however, seemed not to agree with Azad. He said the Congress believes it will be the single largest party in the country, subject to the final outcome on May 23. "Naturally, the biggest political party should get a chance to lead," he told reporters here. "All Congressmen believe that we will be a biggest political party and as the biggest political party, we should be leading this country holding hand with all other like-minded political parties interested in giving a stable democratic, liberal and secular government to the country," he added. On the question that in the event of no party getting a simple majority in Lok Sabha polls, whom should the President call, Surjewala said, "I think the norm on that is fairly established by the Supreme Court...And the norm as I understand is whoever has the largest number in a pre-poll alliance is normally called first. And that is the settled principle as laid down by the Supreme Court." Earlier, Azad in an apparent mellowing of Congress' stand on the PM's post, had said in Patna, "It will be good if there is a consensus on Congress leader's name for heading the government at the Centre after the Lok Sabha election results are out. But we are not going to make it an issue that we (Congress) will not let any other (leader) to become the PM, if it is not offered to us (Congress)." The Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha had said the sole objective of the Congress is to stop the NDA from forming the government at the Centre. Asked about Modi's assurance of constructing a 'grand statue' of 19th century reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar at the same spot where his bust was vandalised in Kolkata, the Congress leader replied, "Now he should prepare for installing his own statute." Azad, however, was quick to add that "some alive persons also erect their statutes as BSP supremo Mayawati had done in UP".

Congress not averse to supporting regional party leader for PM post: Ghulam Nabi Azad

The Election Commission is learnt to have asked <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/twitter-suspends-over-166000-terrorist-accounts-for-promoting-terrorism-217484">Twitter</a> to take down an exit poll-related tweet.

The EC's move came after it received<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/google-facebook-twitter-have-to-do-more-to-fight-fake-news-european-union-212915"> certain "complaint"</a>, sources aware of the development said Thursday, adding that the user later removed the tweet.

The sources, however, did not specify the complaint.

"There is no such general order issued by ECI today. Only one case was reported to us today which the user himself removed," a senior functionary said.

The move came a day after it issued a show-cause notice to three media outlets for allegedly publishing a survey "predicting results" of Lok Sabha elections.

Section 126A of the Representation of the People Act states that "no person shall conduct any exit poll and publish or publicise by means of the print or electronic media... The result of any exit poll during such period... In case of a general election, the period may commence from the beginning of the hours fixed for a poll on the first day of poll and continue till half an hour after closing of the poll in all the states and union territories."

The section also prescribes that any person, who contravenes the provisions of this section, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years or with fine or with both.

Polling for the seventh and last phase of Lok Sabha elections will be held on May 19.

The Election Commission is learnt to have asked Twitter to take down an exit poll-related tweet. The EC's move came after it received certain "complaint", sources aware of the development said Thursday, adding that the user later removed the tweet.

The Election Commission is learnt to have asked Twitter to take down an exit poll-related tweet. The EC's move came after it received certain "complaint", sources aware of the development said Thursday, adding that the user later removed the tweet. The sources, however, did not specify the complaint. "There is no such general order issued by ECI today. Only one case was reported to us today which the user himself removed," a senior functionary said. The move came a day after it issued a show-cause notice to three media outlets for allegedly publishing a survey "predicting results" of Lok Sabha elections. Section 126A of the Representation of the People Act states that "no person shall conduct any exit poll and publish or publicise by means of the print or electronic media... The result of any exit poll during such period... In case of a general election, the period may commence from the beginning of the hours fixed for a poll on the first day of poll and continue till half an hour after closing of the poll in all the states and union territories." The section also prescribes that any person, who contravenes the provisions of this section, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years or with fine or with both. Polling for the seventh and last phase of Lok Sabha elections will be held on May 19.

Lok Sabha polls 2019: Election Commission asks Twitter India to remove all tweets related to exit polls

Union Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj has slammed Congress chief Rahul Gandhi by saying that his act of trashing the ordinance in 2013 was the height of "arrogance".

In a tweet on Tuesday, Swaraj reminded Congress general secretary <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/ncpcr-notice-to-priyanka-gandhi-over-use-of-children-in-electioneering-215473&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjIloKQvYviAhUYi3AKHbMFBSIQFjADegQIEBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2brFPHnjK8B7KNimdgPWzJ">Priyanka Gandhi </a>that her brother Rahul Gandhi had "insulted" the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by tearing apart the ordinance issued by the President.

"Priyanka Ji, today you talked about arrogance. Let me remind you that when Rahul insulted his own Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh by tearing apart the ordinance issued by the President, it was the height of arrogance," Swaraj tweeted."What are you talking about? (kaun kisko suna raha hai)," Swaraj asked.

Her tweets came in response to Priyanka`s statement at a rally in Ambala. Earlier&nbsp;in the day, while speaking at a rally in Ambala, Haryana, Priyanka Gandhi had said, "The BJP needs to learn from the fate of Duryodhana from Mahabharata that this country has never forgiven the arrogant."

The Union Minister also took pot-shots at West Bengal CM and TMC leader Mamta Banerjee for her refusal to talk to PM Modi to assess the impacts of cyclone "Fani".She invoked a couplet written by Bashir Badr to hit out at Mamta Banerjee.

"Mamta Ji, today you have crossed all limits. You are the Chief Minister of the state and Modi Ji&nbsp;is the Prime Minister of the country. Tomorrow, you will have to talk to him," Swaraj said in another tweet.

Union Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj has slammed Congress chief Rahul Gandhi by saying that his act of trashing the ordinance in 2013 was the height of "arrogance".

Union Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj has slammed Congress chief Rahul Gandhi by saying that his act of trashing the ordinance in 2013 was the height of "arrogance". In a tweet on Tuesday, Swaraj reminded Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi that her brother Rahul Gandhi had "insulted" the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by tearing apart the ordinance issued by the President. "Priyanka Ji, today you talked about arrogance. Let me remind you that when Rahul insulted his own Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh by tearing apart the ordinance issued by the President, it was the height of arrogance," Swaraj tweeted."What are you talking about? (kaun kisko suna raha hai)," Swaraj asked. Her tweets came in response to Priyanka`s statement at a rally in Ambala. Earlier in the day, while speaking at a rally in Ambala, Haryana, Priyanka Gandhi had said, "The BJP needs to learn from the fate of Duryodhana from Mahabharata that this country has never forgiven the arrogant." The Union Minister also took pot-shots at West Bengal CM and TMC leader Mamta Banerjee for her refusal to talk to PM Modi to assess the impacts of cyclone "Fani".She invoked a couplet written by Bashir Badr to hit out at Mamta Banerjee. "Mamta Ji, today you have crossed all limits. You are the Chief Minister of the state and Modi Ji is the Prime Minister of the country. Tomorrow, you will have to talk to him," Swaraj said in another tweet.

Rahul Gandhi's act of trashing ordinance was height of arrogance: Sushma Swaraj

The war of words over the vandalisation of the bust of Bengal Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar escalated on Thursday with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a liar and rejecting his offer to build a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/tmc-goons-vandalised-vidyasagars-statue-committed-to-grand-statue-at-same-spot-pm-modi-219098">grand statue of the late social reformer</a>.

She asserted that the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/bengal-has-money-to-make-vidyasagars-statue-mamata-hits-back-at-modi-219155">West Bengal government had enough money to build it</a>.

She also said that she has never come across a prime minister who kept saying so many lies. Banerjee took a jibe at the BJP which she said could not build a Ram Temple in the last five years and now was making the promise of building a new statue of Vidyasagar, which was vandalised in clashes during BJP president Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata earlier this week.

"In the last five years, you (Modi) could not build a Ram Temple and you want to make Vidyasagar's statue? People of Bengal won't beg before you. We have enough money to build it. Your goons came here and said 'Bengal kangal hai'. Are Bengalis kangal?" a vociferous TMC supremo said making a veiled reference to BJP President Amit Shah who had attacked Banerjee a couple of days.

Banerjee was addressing a public meeting while campaigning for her nephew and sitting MP Abhishek.

Earlier, addressing a meeting in the state Modi attacked the TMC and offered to build a grand statute of Vidyasagar.

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Scoffing at BJP over the promise of making Vidyasagar's statue, Banerjee said, "BJP goons broke Vidyasagar's statue because they did not know him. He has contributed a lot to our society. You (BJP) broke the statue and you are saying we will make another one. Will the old heritage return or what? We do not need your money."

In an unprecedented action in India's electoral history, the EC on Wednesday invoked Article 324 of the Constitution to cut short the last phase of campaigning in West Bengal by a day after violence and clashes between BJP and TMC workers during Shah's roadshow in the state capital on Tuesday.

During the mayhem, Vidyasagar's bust was also vandalised at a college named after him. Since then, both <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/lok-sabha-polls-2019-bjp-tmc-row-heats-up-in-west-bengal-as-amit-shah-pm-modi-attack-mamata-219015">TMC and BJP have been trading accusations</a> against each other.

Vidyasagar, a renowned figure in West Bengal's history, devoted his life to women-centric reforms. He is also credited with bringing more order to the Bengali education system.

Asking the crowd to say 'Chowkidar Chor Hai' (guard is the thief), Banerjee said, "You have to bid him (Modi) goodbye. First, he called himself a 'chaiwala', now he claims himself to be a 'chowkidar'."

"Will you vote for this 'chowkidar'? We will take revenge for the vandalisation of Vidyasagar's statue. The people of Bengal will give you a befitting reply," she added.

Launching a scathing attack on Modi, the TMC supremo claimed that she never saw a "liar" occupying the top post.

"I have never heard any Prime Minister telling so many lies. How on earth did he become the Prime Minister? He does not have any idea how to run the country," Banerjee said.

She claimed that she had video evidence of BJP supporters disguising themselves as CRPF personnel and threatening the people to vote for the saffron party.

"I have video evidence of BJP supporters wearing CRPF uniforms. They go to the polling booths and threaten people to vote for BJP. They even said that they will change the EVMs in the middle of the night. But we will not keep quiet, we will fight," Banerjee said.

Snapping back at BJP over their claims that the state's democracy is under attack, the TMC supremo said, "Modi babu is so scared of Bengal. Just see, he is so scared of TMC."

Urging the people to vote in huge numbers to oust BJP, Banerjee asserted that the people of the country did not want the "dangerous" saffron party in power "anymore."

"On May 23, we will throw you out. You are here for just a few days only. Vote for TMC and defeat BJP. We do not want any more atrocities. The more quickly you will go, the better it would be," she said.

Elections to 33 seats have taken place in West Bengal in the first six phases of elections. The remaining nine seats will go to polls on May 19 in the last round with the counting set to take place on May 23.&nbsp;

The war of words over the vandalisation of the bust of Bengal Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar escalated on Thursday with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a liar and rejecting his offer to build a grand statue of the late social reformer.

The war of words over the vandalisation of the bust of Bengal Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar escalated on Thursday with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a liar and rejecting his offer to build a grand statue of the late social reformer. She asserted that the West Bengal government had enough money to build it. She also said that she has never come across a prime minister who kept saying so many lies. Banerjee took a jibe at the BJP which she said could not build a Ram Temple in the last five years and now was making the promise of building a new statue of Vidyasagar, which was vandalised in clashes during BJP president Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata earlier this week. "In the last five years, you (Modi) could not build a Ram Temple and you want to make Vidyasagar's statue? People of Bengal won't beg before you. We have enough money to build it. Your goons came here and said 'Bengal kangal hai'. Are Bengalis kangal?" a vociferous TMC supremo said making a veiled reference to BJP President Amit Shah who had attacked Banerjee a couple of days. Banerjee was addressing a public meeting while campaigning for her nephew and sitting MP Abhishek. Earlier, addressing a meeting in the state Modi attacked the TMC and offered to build a grand statute of Vidyasagar. × Scoffing at BJP over the promise of making Vidyasagar's statue, Banerjee said, "BJP goons broke Vidyasagar's statue because they did not know him. He has contributed a lot to our society. You (BJP) broke the statue and you are saying we will make another one. Will the old heritage return or what? We do not need your money." In an unprecedented action in India's electoral history, the EC on Wednesday invoked Article 324 of the Constitution to cut short the last phase of campaigning in West Bengal by a day after violence and clashes between BJP and TMC workers during Shah's roadshow in the state capital on Tuesday. During the mayhem, Vidyasagar's bust was also vandalised at a college named after him. Since then, both TMC and BJP have been trading accusations against each other. Vidyasagar, a renowned figure in West Bengal's history, devoted his life to women-centric reforms. He is also credited with bringing more order to the Bengali education system. Asking the crowd to say 'Chowkidar Chor Hai' (guard is the thief), Banerjee said, "You have to bid him (Modi) goodbye. First, he called himself a 'chaiwala', now he claims himself to be a 'chowkidar'." "Will you vote for this 'chowkidar'? We will take revenge for the vandalisation of Vidyasagar's statue. The people of Bengal will give you a befitting reply," she added. Launching a scathing attack on Modi, the TMC supremo claimed that she never saw a "liar" occupying the top post. "I have never heard any Prime Minister telling so many lies. How on earth did he become the Prime Minister? He does not have any idea how to run the country," Banerjee said. She claimed that she had video evidence of BJP supporters disguising themselves as CRPF personnel and threatening the people to vote for the saffron party. "I have video evidence of BJP supporters wearing CRPF uniforms. They go to the polling booths and threaten people to vote for BJP. They even said that they will change the EVMs in the middle of the night. But we will not keep quiet, we will fight," Banerjee said. Snapping back at BJP over their claims that the state's democracy is under attack, the TMC supremo said, "Modi babu is so scared of Bengal. Just see, he is so scared of TMC." Urging the people to vote in huge numbers to oust BJP, Banerjee asserted that the people of the country did not want the "dangerous" saffron party in power "anymore." "On May 23, we will throw you out. You are here for just a few days only. Vote for TMC and defeat BJP. We do not want any more atrocities. The more quickly you will go, the better it would be," she said. Elections to 33 seats have taken place in West Bengal in the first six phases of elections. The remaining nine seats will go to polls on May 19 in the last round with the counting set to take place on May 23.

We will take revenge for vandalisation of Vidyasagar's statue: Mamata Banerjee

Hours after Narendra Modi promised a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/tmc-goons-vandalised-vidyasagars-statue-committed-to-grand-statue-at-same-spot-pm-modi-219098">grand statue of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar at the same spot</a> where the old one stood before being vandalised, Mamata Banerjee shot back and asserted that West Bengal has the money required for the polymath's structure and asked if the Prime Minister can return the 200-year-old heritage.

Terming him a "liar", the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/lok-sabha-polls-2019-bjp-tmc-row-heats-up-in-west-bengal-as-amit-shah-pm-modi-attack-mamata-219015">Chief Minister urged Modi to prove allegations against TMC</a> of vandalising Vidyasagar's statue and threatened to drag him to the jail otherwise.

"He (PM) said he will make Vidyasagar statue. Bengal has money to make the statue. Can he give back the 200 years old heritage? We have proof and you say that TMC has done. Are not you ashamed? He should do sit-ups for lying so much. Liar. Prove allegations otherwise we will drag you to jail," Mamata lashed out.

Vidyasagar, a renowned figure in West Bengal's history, devoted his life to women-centric reforms. He is also credited with bringing more order to the Bengali education system.

The TMC chief also came down heavily on the Election Commission over its unprecedented move of cutting the campaigning in the nine parliamentary constituencies of the state by a day.

Asserting that she is ready to go to prison for her remarks, Banerjee claimed that the poll body is BJP's "brother" and has been sold out to the party.

"Last night we came to know that BJP had filed a complaint with EC so that we cannot hold any meeting after Narendra Modi's meeting. The EC is the brother of BJP, earlier it was an impartial body now everyone in the country says EC has sold out to BJP. I feel sad but I do not have anything to say, I am ready to go to jail for saying this. I am not scared to say the truth," she said.

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Modi is also scheduled to address two rallies in West Bengal's Mathurapur and Dum Dum Lok Sabha seats later in the day.

In an unprecedented move for India's electoral history, the poll commission on Wednesday invoked Article 324 of the Constitution to cut short the last phase campaigning in the state by a day after violence and clashes between BJP and Trinamool Congress workers at BJP president Amit Shah's roadshow Kolkata on Tuesday.

During the mayhem, the bust Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was also vandalised, both the TMC and BJP are trading blame over the matter.

Elections to 33 seats have taken place in West Bengal in the first six phases of elections.

The remaining nine seats will go to polls on May 19 in the last round with the counting set to take place on May 23.

Hours after Narendra Modi promised a grand statue of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar at the same spot where the old one stood before being vandalised, Mamata Banerjee shot back and asserted that West Bengal has the money required for the polymath's structure and asked if the Prime Minister can return the 200-year-old heritage.

Hours after Narendra Modi promised a grand statue of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar at the same spot where the old one stood before being vandalised, Mamata Banerjee shot back and asserted that West Bengal has the money required for the polymath's structure and asked if the Prime Minister can return the 200-year-old heritage. Terming him a "liar", the Chief Minister urged Modi to prove allegations against TMC of vandalising Vidyasagar's statue and threatened to drag him to the jail otherwise. "He (PM) said he will make Vidyasagar statue. Bengal has money to make the statue. Can he give back the 200 years old heritage? We have proof and you say that TMC has done. Are not you ashamed? He should do sit-ups for lying so much. Liar. Prove allegations otherwise we will drag you to jail," Mamata lashed out. Vidyasagar, a renowned figure in West Bengal's history, devoted his life to women-centric reforms. He is also credited with bringing more order to the Bengali education system. The TMC chief also came down heavily on the Election Commission over its unprecedented move of cutting the campaigning in the nine parliamentary constituencies of the state by a day. Asserting that she is ready to go to prison for her remarks, Banerjee claimed that the poll body is BJP's "brother" and has been sold out to the party. "Last night we came to know that BJP had filed a complaint with EC so that we cannot hold any meeting after Narendra Modi's meeting. The EC is the brother of BJP, earlier it was an impartial body now everyone in the country says EC has sold out to BJP. I feel sad but I do not have anything to say, I am ready to go to jail for saying this. I am not scared to say the truth," she said. × Modi is also scheduled to address two rallies in West Bengal's Mathurapur and Dum Dum Lok Sabha seats later in the day. In an unprecedented move for India's electoral history, the poll commission on Wednesday invoked Article 324 of the Constitution to cut short the last phase campaigning in the state by a day after violence and clashes between BJP and Trinamool Congress workers at BJP president Amit Shah's roadshow Kolkata on Tuesday. During the mayhem, the bust Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was also vandalised, both the TMC and BJP are trading blame over the matter. Elections to 33 seats have taken place in West Bengal in the first six phases of elections. The remaining nine seats will go to polls on May 19 in the last round with the counting set to take place on May 23.

Bengal has money to make Vidyasagar's statue: Mamata Banerjee hits back at Modi

Expressing concern about political discourse hitting a new low in Election 2019, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Badal says politics should not become an "India versus Pakistan" situation.

The chief of one of BJP's oldest allies hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a decisive and strong prime minister and said he is the only choice to steer the NDA after the Lok Sabha election results.

We need a strong prime minister...after so many years we got a prime minister who is decisive. You can't let the country run on auto mode...we need a leader who can take the country on the path of faster growth, Badal told PTI in an interview.

He also articulated his concerns about personal attacks against leaders and the quality of leaders in the ongoing Lok Sabha election, now in its last lap.

"We politicians are not enemies...we are not like India-Pakistan...politics should not be like India versus Pakistan, which it is unfortunately becoming.

Everyone has their own views but still we are all Indians and the interest of the country is important for us, Badal said.

"There may be a platform where we may have to be together against a common enemy, Badal added.

Asked if the NDA might need new partners after the results and demand a change of leadership, he said, "People are voting for him (Modi) and he is the right person to lead the country. I think we should stick with him post results. He is the only choice.

Asked whether the NDA would otherwise be ready to sit in opposition, Badal nodded and said, Yeah, yeah.

Badal is contesting Lok Sabha elections after 15 years as the SAD-BJP candidate from the Ferozepur Lok Sabha constituency, which votes on May 19 in the last round of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections.

Discussing the situation in Punjab, Badal said the biggest issue in the state is non-performance of the Congress government led by Captain Amarinder Singh which has failed on all fronts.

The SAD is contesting 10 of Punjab's 13 Lok Sabha seats and the BJP three.

Amarinder Singh is the most incompetent chief minister in the country. In Punjab, there is very strong sentiment against the chief minister. He doesn't travel through the state, the SAD chief said.

Taking on the Gandhi family, he described them as a liability for the Congress in the state "in terms of sentiments.

He also referred to Operation Bluestar, the Army operation to flush out militants in 1984 when Indira Gandhi was prime minister, and the anti-Sikh riots that followed her assassination.

"The biggest sacrilege was done by Congress, they attacked Golden Temple. There can't be bigger sacrilege than this... it is also responsible for killing innocent Sikhs in 1984 in the national capital.

When asked about AAP's prospects in Punjab, Badal said the people have discarded the party and it no longer has any relevance in the state.

It is a typical Punjabi nature to try something new. Once they found it is of no benefit or of new use they discard it... the same is the case with AAP in Punjab,

He said his priority will always be his state.

I am contesting elections as party workers in Ferozepur demanded a candidate from the family. But my focus will be Punjab, said the son of party stalwart Parkash Singh Badal.

Sukhbir Badal's wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal is contesting from the Bathinda Lok Sabha constituency.

Confident of SAD-BJP alliance's better performance than 2014, when it won six of 13 Lok Sabha seats in the state, Sukhbir Badal said the developmental work is done by the alliance government in the state and the leadership of Modi at the centre will be the biggest strength of the two parties in this general election.

Expressing concern about political discourse hitting a new low in Election 2019, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Badal says politics should not become an "India versus Pakistan" situation.

Expressing concern about political discourse hitting a new low in Election 2019, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Badal says politics should not become an "India versus Pakistan" situation. The chief of one of BJP's oldest allies hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a decisive and strong prime minister and said he is the only choice to steer the NDA after the Lok Sabha election results. We need a strong prime minister...after so many years we got a prime minister who is decisive. You can't let the country run on auto mode...we need a leader who can take the country on the path of faster growth, Badal told PTI in an interview. He also articulated his concerns about personal attacks against leaders and the quality of leaders in the ongoing Lok Sabha election, now in its last lap. "We politicians are not enemies...we are not like India-Pakistan...politics should not be like India versus Pakistan, which it is unfortunately becoming. Everyone has their own views but still we are all Indians and the interest of the country is important for us, Badal said. "There may be a platform where we may have to be together against a common enemy, Badal added. Asked if the NDA might need new partners after the results and demand a change of leadership, he said, "People are voting for him (Modi) and he is the right person to lead the country. I think we should stick with him post results. He is the only choice. Asked whether the NDA would otherwise be ready to sit in opposition, Badal nodded and said, Yeah, yeah. Badal is contesting Lok Sabha elections after 15 years as the SAD-BJP candidate from the Ferozepur Lok Sabha constituency, which votes on May 19 in the last round of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections. Discussing the situation in Punjab, Badal said the biggest issue in the state is non-performance of the Congress government led by Captain Amarinder Singh which has failed on all fronts. The SAD is contesting 10 of Punjab's 13 Lok Sabha seats and the BJP three. Amarinder Singh is the most incompetent chief minister in the country. In Punjab, there is very strong sentiment against the chief minister. He doesn't travel through the state, the SAD chief said. Taking on the Gandhi family, he described them as a liability for the Congress in the state "in terms of sentiments. He also referred to Operation Bluestar, the Army operation to flush out militants in 1984 when Indira Gandhi was prime minister, and the anti-Sikh riots that followed her assassination. "The biggest sacrilege was done by Congress, they attacked Golden Temple. There can't be bigger sacrilege than this... it is also responsible for killing innocent Sikhs in 1984 in the national capital. When asked about AAP's prospects in Punjab, Badal said the people have discarded the party and it no longer has any relevance in the state. It is a typical Punjabi nature to try something new. Once they found it is of no benefit or of new use they discard it... the same is the case with AAP in Punjab, He said his priority will always be his state. I am contesting elections as party workers in Ferozepur demanded a candidate from the family. But my focus will be Punjab, said the son of party stalwart Parkash Singh Badal. Sukhbir Badal's wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal is contesting from the Bathinda Lok Sabha constituency. Confident of SAD-BJP alliance's better performance than 2014, when it won six of 13 Lok Sabha seats in the state, Sukhbir Badal said the developmental work is done by the alliance government in the state and the leadership of Modi at the centre will be the biggest strength of the two parties in this general election.

We are not enemies, politics should not be like India vs Pakistan: Sukhbir Badal

Amid election fever in Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity in this holy city can be seen from streets to stands, with booksellers saying titles written on him are flying off the shelf ahead of the polls in his constituency.

Among the books doing well are "The Real Modi" and "Narendra Modi: Ek Sakaratmak Soch", according to booksellers in the temple town.

While the first one is an old paperback edition in Hindi, it is the second title that is catching the eyes of readers in the temple town.

Printed by publisher Apurva Shah of Ahmedabad, "Narendra Modi: Ek Sakaratmak Soch" is an unusual book as it is shaped like a cut-out put up during election rallies.

Amit Singh, the proprietor of the nearly 50-year-old Universal Book Company, located near the famous Godowlia Chowk in the city, pointed to a row of standing miniature Modi cut-outs stacked on a bookshelf next to a Shiv Khera title.

"Those cut-outs are not poll merchandises, but actually a book published by Navrang Printers and people are lapping it up for its quirky design. This book and 'The Real Modi' are selling like hot cakes, or should I say hot chai," Singh told PTI.

The book cover shows an image of Modi wearing a khadi kurta over a churidar pyjama and the content is printed bilingually, one side completely in English and the other side in Hindi.

"During Modi's roadshow here ahead of filing nomination for the 2019 polls, a life-size version of the same book was put up as part of the rally," Singh said.

The book, which is about 11 inches long, saw a third edition coming out in March, and the number of pages corresponds to Modi's age, he said.

It is divided into several segments and in the preface written by Shah, reference has been made to the surgical strike and the airstrike, besides Modi government's flagship schemes like 'Swachh Bharat' and 'Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao'.

From Modi's birthplace Vadnagar in Gujarat, the unique-looking book takes readers to his work regimen at 7, Race Course Road, the official residence of the prime minister.

Singh claimed, "The Real Modi" is a bestseller throughout the year, but lately its sales have gone up, given the election fever gripping the people here.

At Indica Books, publisher of a popular graphic novel-styled book "A Pilgrimage to Kashi", a dummy book cover of "From Mahatma Gandhi to Modi" dangles outside the shop. A staff said, "We are awaiting copies of his book, people want to read about Modi and his life."

Universal Book's Singh said other titles are also selling well.

"One such book is 'RSS 360 degrees' and during the election, there is a renewed interest among readers about this book," he said.

But, it's not just bookshelves that are filled with publications on Modi this election season, in streets and in corner shops, Modi banners and posters can be seen.

Several autorickshaws plying in Varanasi can be carrying a poster of Modi's poll campaign, bearing slogans like — 'Modi hai to mumkin hai' or 'Aatank ko muhtod jawab'.

"At DLW Maidan, some BJP workers pasted these Modi posters behind my auto," said an autorickshaw driver, who did not wish to be identified.

At busy Godowlia Chowk near Dashashwamedh Ghat, several shops selling paan, lassi or Misrambu — a local sweet beverage -- can also be seen sporting a 'Modi clock' — a specially designed wall clock that projects the image of Modi and his various schemes.

Varanasi, the ancient city known also by other names, Banaras and Kashi, will go to polls on May 19.

Amid election fever in Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity in this holy city can be seen from streets to stands, with booksellers saying titles written on him are flying off the shelf ahead of the polls in his constituency.

Amid election fever in Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity in this holy city can be seen from streets to stands, with booksellers saying titles written on him are flying off the shelf ahead of the polls in his constituency. Among the books doing well are "The Real Modi" and "Narendra Modi: Ek Sakaratmak Soch", according to booksellers in the temple town. While the first one is an old paperback edition in Hindi, it is the second title that is catching the eyes of readers in the temple town. Printed by publisher Apurva Shah of Ahmedabad, "Narendra Modi: Ek Sakaratmak Soch" is an unusual book as it is shaped like a cut-out put up during election rallies. Amit Singh, the proprietor of the nearly 50-year-old Universal Book Company, located near the famous Godowlia Chowk in the city, pointed to a row of standing miniature Modi cut-outs stacked on a bookshelf next to a Shiv Khera title. "Those cut-outs are not poll merchandises, but actually a book published by Navrang Printers and people are lapping it up for its quirky design. This book and 'The Real Modi' are selling like hot cakes, or should I say hot chai," Singh told PTI. The book cover shows an image of Modi wearing a khadi kurta over a churidar pyjama and the content is printed bilingually, one side completely in English and the other side in Hindi. "During Modi's roadshow here ahead of filing nomination for the 2019 polls, a life-size version of the same book was put up as part of the rally," Singh said. The book, which is about 11 inches long, saw a third edition coming out in March, and the number of pages corresponds to Modi's age, he said. It is divided into several segments and in the preface written by Shah, reference has been made to the surgical strike and the airstrike, besides Modi government's flagship schemes like 'Swachh Bharat' and 'Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao'. From Modi's birthplace Vadnagar in Gujarat, the unique-looking book takes readers to his work regimen at 7, Race Course Road, the official residence of the prime minister. Singh claimed, "The Real Modi" is a bestseller throughout the year, but lately its sales have gone up, given the election fever gripping the people here. At Indica Books, publisher of a popular graphic novel-styled book "A Pilgrimage to Kashi", a dummy book cover of "From Mahatma Gandhi to Modi" dangles outside the shop. A staff said, "We are awaiting copies of his book, people want to read about Modi and his life." Universal Book's Singh said other titles are also selling well. "One such book is 'RSS 360 degrees' and during the election, there is a renewed interest among readers about this book," he said. But, it's not just bookshelves that are filled with publications on Modi this election season, in streets and in corner shops, Modi banners and posters can be seen. Several autorickshaws plying in Varanasi can be carrying a poster of Modi's poll campaign, bearing slogans like — 'Modi hai to mumkin hai' or 'Aatank ko muhtod jawab'. "At DLW Maidan, some BJP workers pasted these Modi posters behind my auto," said an autorickshaw driver, who did not wish to be identified. At busy Godowlia Chowk near Dashashwamedh Ghat, several shops selling paan, lassi or Misrambu — a local sweet beverage -- can also be seen sporting a 'Modi clock' — a specially designed wall clock that projects the image of Modi and his various schemes. Varanasi, the ancient city known also by other names, Banaras and Kashi, will go to polls on May 19.

Books on PM Modi in demand in Varanasi: Booksellers

BJP leader Mukul Roy on Wednesday said that his party will obey the Election Commission's decision to cut short the campaign period in West Bengal by a day for the final phase of Lok Sabha elections.

"There is a political crisis in Bengal. EC takes special decisions when it feels the need. No violence was reported anywhere in the country during these Lok Sabha elections other than Bengal. EC took a decision that within 24 hours campaigning should be ended. We, the opposition will suffer the most. Yet, we will obey it," Roy said while addressing a press conference here.

Earlier, Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra Bhushan Kumar told media, "No election campaigning to be held in nine parliamentary constituencies of West Bengal, namely Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Jadavpur, Diamond Harbour, South and North Kolkata, from 10 pm tomorrow till the conclusion of polls."

Campaigning was originally scheduled to end at 5 pm on Friday for the nine constituencies that will go to polls on May 19.

Roy termed the violence at BJP president Amit Shah's roadshow 'criminal conspiracy' by West Bengal Chief Minister.

"Yesterday's incident was a criminal conspiracy by her (Mamata). The Chief Minister must answer. She said that there was no violence in Bengal. Did she forget Panchayat elections? Remember how people were stopped from casting their vote," he said.

Hitting back at Mamata's allegations that Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's statue was vandalised during Shah's roadshow, Roy said, "Vidyasagar does not only belong to Bengal as he is an international figure. They should not drag a figure like Vidyasagar into politics."

The BJP leader also questioned whether Banerjee has permission to hold rallies."Does the Chief Minister have permission for her rallies? he asked.

Snubbing the allegations that Centre is against former Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar because the cop has evidence against him, Roy said, "If she could prove any complaints against me, I will quit politics forever," he said.

BJP leader Mukul Roy on Wednesday said that his party will obey the Election Commission's decision to cut short the campaign period in West Bengal by a day for the final phase of Lok Sabha elections.

BJP leader Mukul Roy on Wednesday said that his party will obey the Election Commission's decision to cut short the campaign period in West Bengal by a day for the final phase of Lok Sabha elections. "There is a political crisis in Bengal. EC takes special decisions when it feels the need. No violence was reported anywhere in the country during these Lok Sabha elections other than Bengal. EC took a decision that within 24 hours campaigning should be ended. We, the opposition will suffer the most. Yet, we will obey it," Roy said while addressing a press conference here. Earlier, Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra Bhushan Kumar told media, "No election campaigning to be held in nine parliamentary constituencies of West Bengal, namely Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Jadavpur, Diamond Harbour, South and North Kolkata, from 10 pm tomorrow till the conclusion of polls." Campaigning was originally scheduled to end at 5 pm on Friday for the nine constituencies that will go to polls on May 19. Roy termed the violence at BJP president Amit Shah's roadshow 'criminal conspiracy' by West Bengal Chief Minister. "Yesterday's incident was a criminal conspiracy by her (Mamata). The Chief Minister must answer. She said that there was no violence in Bengal. Did she forget Panchayat elections? Remember how people were stopped from casting their vote," he said. Hitting back at Mamata's allegations that Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's statue was vandalised during Shah's roadshow, Roy said, "Vidyasagar does not only belong to Bengal as he is an international figure. They should not drag a figure like Vidyasagar into politics." The BJP leader also questioned whether Banerjee has permission to hold rallies."Does the Chief Minister have permission for her rallies? he asked. Snubbing the allegations that Centre is against former Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar because the cop has evidence against him, Roy said, "If she could prove any complaints against me, I will quit politics forever," he said.

Mukul Roy lashes out at Mamata, says BJP will abide by Election Commission order barring campaigning in West Bengal

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday said that his party does not have any problem if it did not get the Prime Minister's post while adding that its sole objective has always been to stop the NDA from forming the government at the Centre.

"We have already made our stand clear. If a consensus is made in the favour of Congress, then the party will take the lead but our aim has always been that NDA government should not come. We will go with the unanimous decision," Azad told reporters here.

"We are not going to make an issue that we (Congress) will not let anyone else become the Prime Minister if it is not offered to us (Congress)," he said.

This comes after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday dared the opposition to name its prime ministerial candidate if it was sure of victory in the Lok Sabha polls.

Also, the NDA allies, particularly the BJP have been very critical of the grand alliance, saying there is no consensus between the leaders of the opposition parties and that the chief's of all the political outfits in the mahagathbandhan want the prime ministerial post.

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday said that his party does not have any problem if it did not get the Prime Minister's post while adding that its sole objective has always been to stop the NDA from forming the government at the Centre.

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday said that his party does not have any problem if it did not get the Prime Minister's post while adding that its sole objective has always been to stop the NDA from forming the government at the Centre. "We have already made our stand clear. If a consensus is made in the favour of Congress, then the party will take the lead but our aim has always been that NDA government should not come. We will go with the unanimous decision," Azad told reporters here. "We are not going to make an issue that we (Congress) will not let anyone else become the Prime Minister if it is not offered to us (Congress)," he said. This comes after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday dared the opposition to name its prime ministerial candidate if it was sure of victory in the Lok Sabha polls. Also, the NDA allies, particularly the BJP have been very critical of the grand alliance, saying there is no consensus between the leaders of the opposition parties and that the chief's of all the political outfits in the mahagathbandhan want the prime ministerial post.

Congress has no problem if it did not get PM's post: Ghulam Nabi Azad

Congress leader Navjot Kaur Sidhu hit out at Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and alleged that it was because of him and party general secretary in-charge for state Asha Kumari, that she was denied a ticket from Amritsar in the ongoing national elections.

"Captain Sahib (Amarinder Singh) and Asha Kumari think Madam Sidhu does not deserve an MP ticket. I was denied the ticket from Amritsar on the ground that I could not win," Navjot Kaur told ANI.

"Captain Sahib should respect women. You talk of women reservation, then please consider it. When educated leaders like me, who are ready to serve are there, it is decent to tell us that someone is better, don't deny us tickets by lying," she said.

Navjot Kaur wanted to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Chandigarh, but the leader was denied a ticket from the constituency. Congress fielded former Union Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal from the seat.

Following this, there were reports that Navjot Kaur might contest from Amritsar, the coveted seat from where Amarinder Singh had won against BJP's Arun Jaitley in the 2014 general elections. However, the party fielded sitting lawmaker Gurjit Singh Aujla from there.

When questioned about Navjot Singh Sidhu's absence from Congress' campaign in Punjab, she said, "Captain Sahib has said that we are winning all 13 Lok Sabha seats. Our aim is to oust Modi. When Captain Sahib is saying that we are winning all seats then Sidhu's campaign does not matter here. He is campaigning at all India level. There is no ego there. Captain sa'ab has said he would win all 13 seats by himself."

The differences between Sidhu and Amarinder came to the fore when the Chief Minister had asked him not to go to Pakistan for Imran Khan's oath-taking ceremony. The Chief Minister also got the invitation but preferred not to go there citing terror attacks in Punjab and killings of Indian soldiers by Pakistan armed forces.

Relations grew bitter when the Punjab chief minister had issued a mild rebuke to Sidhu last year over his hug to Pakistan army chief General Bajwa which snowballed into a huge political controversy. Following which, Sidhu in retaliation took a dig at Amarinder saying that Congress president Rahul Gandhi is his captain and that he went to Pakistan after taking his Rahul in Confidence.

Punjab, where 13 parliamentary seats are at stake will go to polls on May 19.

Congress leader Navjot Kaur Sidhu hit out at Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and alleged that it was because of him and party general secretary in-charge for state Asha Kumari, that she was denied a ticket from Amritsar in the ongoing national elections.

Congress leader Navjot Kaur Sidhu hit out at Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and alleged that it was because of him and party general secretary in-charge for state Asha Kumari, that she was denied a ticket from Amritsar in the ongoing national elections. "Captain Sahib (Amarinder Singh) and Asha Kumari think Madam Sidhu does not deserve an MP ticket. I was denied the ticket from Amritsar on the ground that I could not win," Navjot Kaur told ANI. "Captain Sahib should respect women. You talk of women reservation, then please consider it. When educated leaders like me, who are ready to serve are there, it is decent to tell us that someone is better, don't deny us tickets by lying," she said. Navjot Kaur wanted to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Chandigarh, but the leader was denied a ticket from the constituency. Congress fielded former Union Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal from the seat. Following this, there were reports that Navjot Kaur might contest from Amritsar, the coveted seat from where Amarinder Singh had won against BJP's Arun Jaitley in the 2014 general elections. However, the party fielded sitting lawmaker Gurjit Singh Aujla from there. When questioned about Navjot Singh Sidhu's absence from Congress' campaign in Punjab, she said, "Captain Sahib has said that we are winning all 13 Lok Sabha seats. Our aim is to oust Modi. When Captain Sahib is saying that we are winning all seats then Sidhu's campaign does not matter here. He is campaigning at all India level. There is no ego there. Captain sa'ab has said he would win all 13 seats by himself." The differences between Sidhu and Amarinder came to the fore when the Chief Minister had asked him not to go to Pakistan for Imran Khan's oath-taking ceremony. The Chief Minister also got the invitation but preferred not to go there citing terror attacks in Punjab and killings of Indian soldiers by Pakistan armed forces. Relations grew bitter when the Punjab chief minister had issued a mild rebuke to Sidhu last year over his hug to Pakistan army chief General Bajwa which snowballed into a huge political controversy. Following which, Sidhu in retaliation took a dig at Amarinder saying that Congress president Rahul Gandhi is his captain and that he went to Pakistan after taking his Rahul in Confidence. Punjab, where 13 parliamentary seats are at stake will go to polls on May 19.

Punjab CM, Asha Kumari denied me ticket from Amritsar: Navjot Kaur

Accusing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of fanning violence in the state, Shiv Sena on Thursday said that people will bring her down from power the way CPI(M) was removed from office.

"She did not permit senior leaders to step into the state. What kind of oppressive behaviour is this? She has turned West Bengal into a battleground by fanning violence," Saamna, a mouthpiece of Shiv Sena, said in an editorial.

"There has never been a time when she has not opposed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and Yogi Adityanath. Earlier, Communist Party of India (Marxist) fanned violence in the state and people threw them out of the power. Now it is Mamata's turn," it said.

Clashes broke out on May 14 in Kolkata during BJP president Shah's roadshow and a bust of the 19th-century social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was vandalised in a college named after him.

Commenting on Banerjee's remark if Shah is a god that no one can protest against him, Saamna said, "She, too, is not Goddess Durga herself. Such violence is dangerous for the country."

On May 14, Banerjee had said, "What does Amit Shah think of himself? Is he above everything? Is he God that no one can protest against him?"

Voting for nine seats in West Bengal will be held in the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha election on May 19.

Counting of votes will take place on May 23.

Accusing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of fanning violence in the state, Shiv Sena on Thursday said that people will bring her down from power the way CPI(M) was removed from office.

Accusing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of fanning violence in the state, Shiv Sena on Thursday said that people will bring her down from power the way CPI(M) was removed from office. "She did not permit senior leaders to step into the state. What kind of oppressive behaviour is this? She has turned West Bengal into a battleground by fanning violence," Saamna, a mouthpiece of Shiv Sena, said in an editorial. "There has never been a time when she has not opposed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and Yogi Adityanath. Earlier, Communist Party of India (Marxist) fanned violence in the state and people threw them out of the power. Now it is Mamata's turn," it said. Clashes broke out on May 14 in Kolkata during BJP president Shah's roadshow and a bust of the 19th-century social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was vandalised in a college named after him. Commenting on Banerjee's remark if Shah is a god that no one can protest against him, Saamna said, "She, too, is not Goddess Durga herself. Such violence is dangerous for the country." On May 14, Banerjee had said, "What does Amit Shah think of himself? Is he above everything? Is he God that no one can protest against him?" Voting for nine seats in West Bengal will be held in the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha election on May 19. Counting of votes will take place on May 23.

People will bring down Mamata Banerjee from power for 'fanning violence': Shiv Sena

BJP president Amit Shah on Wednesday during a press conference said that TMC is fully responsible for the violence in West Bengal during the polls.&nbsp;

Shah said that the Trinamool Congress has alleged that the BJP was responsible for poll violence.&nbsp;

Also read-&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/i-am-not-an-outsider-have-come-here-to-campaign-for-bjp-amit-shah-218863">I am not an outsider; have come here to campaign for BJP: Amit Shah</a>

"But why does poll violence occur only in Bengal. TMC contests polls on 42 seats, but BJP contests poll all across the nation. We are pitted against Congress and many other parties but why do reports of violence only pour in from West Bengal," Shah said. &nbsp;

"Violence didn't take place in 6 phases of elections anywhere but Bengal which proves that TMC is responsible for it," Shah added.

BJP national president Amit Shah said, "Our popularity in Kolkata and Bengal has given Mamata didi the jitters that is why she has resorted to extreme measures."&nbsp;

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Amit Shah said that when his party has lost 60 cadres in the political violence in the state, an attack on him was not unexpected. He said, "If it weren't for the team of CRPF deployed in my security, I might not have come back alive from the violence."

"I have toured West Bengal and the entire country. I am convinced that BJP will win more than 300 seats. Mamata Banerjee should know that we are not scared of FIR filed against me," he added.

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Amit Shah's remarks came following violence during his roadshow in Kolkata and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee's repeated allegations about Shah being an "outsider" who comes to the state to "create division" among the people.

(With inputs from agencies)

BJP president Amit Shah on Wednesday during a press conference said that TMC is fully responsible for the violence in West Bengal during the polls. Shah said that the Trinamool Congress has alleged that the BJP was responsible for poll violence.

BJP president Amit Shah on Wednesday during a press conference said that TMC is fully responsible for the violence in West Bengal during the polls. Shah said that the Trinamool Congress has alleged that the BJP was responsible for poll violence. Also read- I am not an outsider; have come here to campaign for BJP: Amit Shah "But why does poll violence occur only in Bengal. TMC contests polls on 42 seats, but BJP contests poll all across the nation. We are pitted against Congress and many other parties but why do reports of violence only pour in from West Bengal," Shah said. "Violence didn't take place in 6 phases of elections anywhere but Bengal which proves that TMC is responsible for it," Shah added. BJP national president Amit Shah said, "Our popularity in Kolkata and Bengal has given Mamata didi the jitters that is why she has resorted to extreme measures." × Amit Shah said that when his party has lost 60 cadres in the political violence in the state, an attack on him was not unexpected. He said, "If it weren't for the team of CRPF deployed in my security, I might not have come back alive from the violence." "I have toured West Bengal and the entire country. I am convinced that BJP will win more than 300 seats. Mamata Banerjee should know that we are not scared of FIR filed against me," he added. × Amit Shah's remarks came following violence during his roadshow in Kolkata and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee's repeated allegations about Shah being an "outsider" who comes to the state to "create division" among the people. (With inputs from agencies)

If not for CRPF, I wouldn't have come back alive, says Amit Shah on Kolkata violence

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday said that the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/opinions/the-curious-case-of-mamata-banerjee-alternative-to-democracy-is-autocracy-218960&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjYuaPI2Z3iAhULr48KHR5vBzYQFjAAegQIAhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw17o3YuTUrN2ZvPhVP9EFP1">Mamata Banerjee</a> government is out to destroy everything in <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/democracy-is-being-murdered-in-west-bengal-devendra-fadnavis-on-clash-during-amit-shah-rally-218855&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjYuaPI2Z3iAhULr48KHR5vBzYQFjAFegQIBRAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2QU3A8D0NMvxSP7Ub5Obz2">West Bengal</a> and people's conviction and courage will evict the "torturous rule".

The entire nation had seen (on TV) how the roadshow of BJP president Amit Shah was attacked by the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/tmc-is-responsible-for-violence-in-west-bengal-during-elections-says-amit-shah-218876&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjYuaPI2Z3iAhULr48KHR5vBzYQFjAHegQIBBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0GnQSNDRJ5t_0zsJChCy_E">TMC</a> goons and is anxiously watching the outcome of the poll results in West Bengal, he said.

Shah's roadshow in Kolkata was attacked Tuesday after Banerjee had asserted that <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/videos/bjp-tmc-battle-out-on-the-streets-mamata-banerjee-protests-in-kolkata-219002&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjTmdzw2Z3iAhVUiXAKHZO_Bt84ChAWMAR6BAgBEAI&amp;usg=AOvVaw1O23F4f5TmLs_AC0p5GmhL">TMC will take revenge</a> against BJP, Modi claimed.

"Didi's (Mamata) goons carrying guns and bombs are bent upon destruction ... Her government is out to destroy everything in the state. People's conviction and courage will evict the torturous rule", he told a poll rally at Taki on the Indo-Bangla border in North 24 Parganas district.

"Didi is frightened by the rise of BJP in West Bengal. The people of the state had given respect to here by making her the chief minister. But power-drunk Mamata Banerjee is throttling democracy", Modi said.

Keeping up his attack on Banerjee, Modi said, "You have looted peoples' money in the chit fund scam and when they sought explanations you abused them".

"Democracy has given you the chief minister's chair and you are killing it. The entire country is watching your misdeeds...Didi should not be kept in power. In the last four to five years she has shown her colours", Modi added.

He held Banerjee responsible for destroying the state's culture of 'Bhadra Lok'.

The people of Bengal have made up their mind to end the Banerjee's "despotic rule" he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday said that the Mamata Banerjee government is out to destroy everything in West Bengal and people's conviction and courage will evict the "torturous rule".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday said that the Mamata Banerjee government is out to destroy everything in West Bengal and people's conviction and courage will evict the "torturous rule". The entire nation had seen (on TV) how the roadshow of BJP president Amit Shah was attacked by the TMC goons and is anxiously watching the outcome of the poll results in West Bengal, he said. Shah's roadshow in Kolkata was attacked Tuesday after Banerjee had asserted that TMC will take revenge against BJP, Modi claimed. "Didi's (Mamata) goons carrying guns and bombs are bent upon destruction ... Her government is out to destroy everything in the state. People's conviction and courage will evict the torturous rule", he told a poll rally at Taki on the Indo-Bangla border in North 24 Parganas district. "Didi is frightened by the rise of BJP in West Bengal. The people of the state had given respect to here by making her the chief minister. But power-drunk Mamata Banerjee is throttling democracy", Modi said. Keeping up his attack on Banerjee, Modi said, "You have looted peoples' money in the chit fund scam and when they sought explanations you abused them". "Democracy has given you the chief minister's chair and you are killing it. The entire country is watching your misdeeds...Didi should not be kept in power. In the last four to five years she has shown her colours", Modi added. He held Banerjee responsible for destroying the state's culture of 'Bhadra Lok'. The people of Bengal have made up their mind to end the Banerjee's "despotic rule" he said.

Mamata Banerjee government out to destroy everything in West Bengal: PM Modi

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/adityanath-calls-christian-michel-shakuni-mama-of-rahul-gandhi-218828&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiBsevUq53iAhWBpY8KHS_3A5gQFjAAegQICBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0v8WzaRPu0kSOpYQpidYtj">Yogi Adityanath</a> on Wednesday slammed <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/supreme-court-directs-priyanka-sharma-to-apologise-mamata-banerjee-says-we-can-grant-bail-but-she-has-to-apologise-218593&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwijydqPrJ3iAhUjTI8KHZC9CE4QFjAAegQIABAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw12vIxVG2FurnniC3k1oNJq">West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee</a> for allegedly fanning violence during Amit Shah's roadshow on Tuesday, saying it 'was a murder of democracy.'

"It was a murder of democracy. This move by goons will end the TMC government in the state. In a few days, TMC goons will be searching for shelters to hide their faces. Mamata Banerjee is frustrated which is why she is taking such steps," he said addressing a public rally in Barasat.

He also alleged that the Chief Minister is trying to block the term 'Ram'&nbsp;in the state and added, "She is emboldening goons."

Yogi also rakes up the ban imposed on Durga Puja by the government last year saying, while the whole nation observed Durga Puja and Muharram together, as their dates had clashed, only West Bengal government banned the celebration of Durga Puja.

"The whole country including Uttar Pradesh observed Durga pooja and Muharram together. No violence took place in my state as I had given prior warning to people. Why could not West Bengal do the same? TMC government here is very undemocratic. I am sure that after May 23, a nationalist government will be formed and will rule West Bengal," he said.

<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/yogi-adityanath-likens-akhilesh-to-aurangzeb-says-dethroned-his-father-217780&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwigrof9q53iAhVBbn0KHR9gDbMQFjADegQIDxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3PFhn-2chSm-9R2fVTa6Sj">The Uttar Pradesh CM</a> ended his speech shouting the slogan 'Pura Bharat Dol Raha Hain, Modi Modi Bol Raha Hain', indicating that his political quarter will sweep the ongoing Lok Sabha polls.

<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/unfortunate-congress-is-contesting-polls-only-to-cut-bjps-vote-share-adityanath-218507&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiBsevUq53iAhWBpY8KHS_3A5gQFjAHegQICRAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0xIbi76PGTIWq-r9I0yu0B">Adityanath's </a>statement came just days before nine seats are scheduled to go to polls in West Bengal on May 19.

The counting of votes will take place on May 23.&nbsp;

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for allegedly fanning violence during Amit Shah's roadshow on Tuesday, saying it 'was a murder of democracy.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for allegedly fanning violence during Amit Shah's roadshow on Tuesday, saying it 'was a murder of democracy.' "It was a murder of democracy. This move by goons will end the TMC government in the state. In a few days, TMC goons will be searching for shelters to hide their faces. Mamata Banerjee is frustrated which is why she is taking such steps," he said addressing a public rally in Barasat. He also alleged that the Chief Minister is trying to block the term 'Ram' in the state and added, "She is emboldening goons." Yogi also rakes up the ban imposed on Durga Puja by the government last year saying, while the whole nation observed Durga Puja and Muharram together, as their dates had clashed, only West Bengal government banned the celebration of Durga Puja. "The whole country including Uttar Pradesh observed Durga pooja and Muharram together. No violence took place in my state as I had given prior warning to people. Why could not West Bengal do the same? TMC government here is very undemocratic. I am sure that after May 23, a nationalist government will be formed and will rule West Bengal," he said. The Uttar Pradesh CM ended his speech shouting the slogan 'Pura Bharat Dol Raha Hain, Modi Modi Bol Raha Hain', indicating that his political quarter will sweep the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. Adityanath's statement came just days before nine seats are scheduled to go to polls in West Bengal on May 19. The counting of votes will take place on May 23.

TMC undemocratic; nationalist government will rule West Bengal after May 23: Adityanath

WhatsApp clones and software tools that cost as little as $14 are helping Indian digital marketers and political activists bypass anti-spam restrictions set up by the world's most popular messaging app.

The activities highlight the challenges WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook Inc, faces in preventing abuse in India, its biggest market with more than 200 million users.

With fervent campaigning in India's staggered general election, which concludes on May 19, the demand for such tools has surged, according to digital companies and sources in the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its main rival, the Congress party.

After false messages on WhatsApp last year sparked mob lynchings in India, the company restricted forwarding of a message to only five users. The software tools appear to overcome those restrictions, allowing users to reach thousands of people at once.

Divya Spandana, the social media chief of the Congress, and the BJP's IT head, Amit Malviya, did not respond to requests for comment.

Rohitash Repswal, who owns a digital marketing business in a cramped, residential neighbourhood of New Delhi, said he ran a 1,000 rupee ($14) piece of software round-the-clock in recent months to send up to 100,000 WhatsApp messages a day for two BJP members.

"Whatever WhatsApp does, there's a workaround," Repswal said during an interview at his small, two-bedroom house.

Reuters found WhatsApp was misused in at least three ways in India for political campaigning: free clone apps available online were used by some BJP and Congress workers to manually forward messages on a mass basis; software tools which allow users to automate delivery of WhatsApp messages; and some firms offering political workers the chance to go onto a website and send bulk WhatsApp messages from anonymous numbers.

At least three software tools were available on Amazon.com's India website. When purchased, they arrived as compact discs tucked inside thin cardboard casings, with no company branding.

WhatsApp declined a request to allow testing such tools for reporting this story.

"We are continuing to step up our enforcement against imposter WhatsApp services and take legal action by sending cease and desist letters to hundreds of bulk messaging service providers to help curb abuse," a spokeswoman said. "We do not want them to operate on our platform and we work to ban them".&nbsp;

WhatsApp clones

Modified versions of popular apps have become common as technically-savvy hobbyists have long reverse-engineered them. Tools purporting to bypass WhatsApp restrictions are advertised in videos and online forums aimed at users in Indonesia and Nigeria, both of which held major elections this year.

For Indian politicians, WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter are key campaigning tools to target the country's near 900 million voters.

Two Congress sources and one BJP source told their workers used clone apps such as "GBWhatsApp" and "JTWhatsApp", which allowed them to cut through WhatsApp's restrictions.

Both apps have a green-colour interface that closely resembles WhatsApp and can be downloaded for free from dozens of technology blogs. They are not available on Google's official app store but work on Android phones.

WhatsApp describes such apps as "unofficial" and says its users can face bans, which means the company can block the account associated with a particular mobile number if it detects unusual activity. Some Congress workers said they did not care.

"WhatsApp occasionally bans some of these numbers, but the volunteers would use new (mobile) sim cards to sign up," said a Congress member with direct knowledge of the activities.

In Mumbai, a person in the social media team of a senior BJP candidate said no restrictions on JTWhatsApp meant his team could easily send forwards to up to 6,000 people a day, as well as video files containing political content which would be far bigger in size than allowed on the official WhatsApp service.

Reuters was not able to ascertain the overall scale of such activities and found no evidence that BJP and Congress leaders officially ordered workers to campaign this way.

'Business sender'

In New Delhi, digital marketer Repswal said he would typically charge 150,000 rupees ($2,161) for a month's service for creating digital content, providing a database of mobile numbers and then sending 300,000 WhatsApp messages.

He uses a piece of software named "Business Sender" which he said he also sells for 1,000 rupees ($14).

A person can add many mobile numbers in a field and compose messages with pictures. Using a so-called "Group Contacts Grabber" feature, the user can also extract a list of mobile numbers from a particular WhatsApp group with a click of a button.

Repswal didn't name the two BJP members he worked for, but in a demonstration for Reuters, added dozens of mobile numbers in the software, typed a test message saying "your vote is your right" and hit "send". Then, his WhatsApp web version started delivering the messages almost robotically, one after the other.

Business Sender was "not supported or endorsed" by WhatsApp and was developed by "Tiger Vikram Mysore INDIA", its system properties said.

A member of the software support team at Business Sender, Rajesh K., declined to identify the developer by his real name, but said the tool was designed in Lebanon about four months ago and takes advantage of what he called a "loophole" in WhatsApp's system.

"This is not rocket science or fabricated software," said Rajesh. "There are hundreds of such software available."

In April, when a Reuters reporter responded to a text message with an "Election Special" offer of sending 100,000 "bulk WhatsApp" messages for 7,999 rupees ($115), he was invited to an office in a dusty industrial area of Noida in northern Uttar Pradesh state.

"How many messages you want to send, tell us: 10,000, 1 million, 2 million," a representative asked, while showing a black-coloured, password-protected website they use for sending bulk WhatsApp messages.

WhatsApp clones and software tools that cost as little as $14 are helping Indian digital marketers and political activists bypass anti-spam restrictions set up by the world's most popular messaging app.

WhatsApp clones and software tools that cost as little as $14 are helping Indian digital marketers and political activists bypass anti-spam restrictions set up by the world's most popular messaging app. The activities highlight the challenges WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook Inc, faces in preventing abuse in India, its biggest market with more than 200 million users. With fervent campaigning in India's staggered general election, which concludes on May 19, the demand for such tools has surged, according to digital companies and sources in the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its main rival, the Congress party. After false messages on WhatsApp last year sparked mob lynchings in India, the company restricted forwarding of a message to only five users. The software tools appear to overcome those restrictions, allowing users to reach thousands of people at once. Divya Spandana, the social media chief of the Congress, and the BJP's IT head, Amit Malviya, did not respond to requests for comment. Rohitash Repswal, who owns a digital marketing business in a cramped, residential neighbourhood of New Delhi, said he ran a 1,000 rupee ($14) piece of software round-the-clock in recent months to send up to 100,000 WhatsApp messages a day for two BJP members. "Whatever WhatsApp does, there's a workaround," Repswal said during an interview at his small, two-bedroom house. Reuters found WhatsApp was misused in at least three ways in India for political campaigning: free clone apps available online were used by some BJP and Congress workers to manually forward messages on a mass basis; software tools which allow users to automate delivery of WhatsApp messages; and some firms offering political workers the chance to go onto a website and send bulk WhatsApp messages from anonymous numbers. At least three software tools were available on Amazon.com's India website. When purchased, they arrived as compact discs tucked inside thin cardboard casings, with no company branding. WhatsApp declined a request to allow testing such tools for reporting this story. "We are continuing to step up our enforcement against imposter WhatsApp services and take legal action by sending cease and desist letters to hundreds of bulk messaging service providers to help curb abuse," a spokeswoman said. "We do not want them to operate on our platform and we work to ban them". WhatsApp clones Modified versions of popular apps have become common as technically-savvy hobbyists have long reverse-engineered them. Tools purporting to bypass WhatsApp restrictions are advertised in videos and online forums aimed at users in Indonesia and Nigeria, both of which held major elections this year. For Indian politicians, WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter are key campaigning tools to target the country's near 900 million voters. Two Congress sources and one BJP source told their workers used clone apps such as "GBWhatsApp" and "JTWhatsApp", which allowed them to cut through WhatsApp's restrictions. Both apps have a green-colour interface that closely resembles WhatsApp and can be downloaded for free from dozens of technology blogs. They are not available on Google's official app store but work on Android phones. WhatsApp describes such apps as "unofficial" and says its users can face bans, which means the company can block the account associated with a particular mobile number if it detects unusual activity. Some Congress workers said they did not care. "WhatsApp occasionally bans some of these numbers, but the volunteers would use new (mobile) sim cards to sign up," said a Congress member with direct knowledge of the activities. In Mumbai, a person in the social media team of a senior BJP candidate said no restrictions on JTWhatsApp meant his team could easily send forwards to up to 6,000 people a day, as well as video files containing political content which would be far bigger in size than allowed on the official WhatsApp service. Reuters was not able to ascertain the overall scale of such activities and found no evidence that BJP and Congress leaders officially ordered workers to campaign this way. 'Business sender' In New Delhi, digital marketer Repswal said he would typically charge 150,000 rupees ($2,161) for a month's service for creating digital content, providing a database of mobile numbers and then sending 300,000 WhatsApp messages. He uses a piece of software named "Business Sender" which he said he also sells for 1,000 rupees ($14). A person can add many mobile numbers in a field and compose messages with pictures. Using a so-called "Group Contacts Grabber" feature, the user can also extract a list of mobile numbers from a particular WhatsApp group with a click of a button. Repswal didn't name the two BJP members he worked for, but in a demonstration for Reuters, added dozens of mobile numbers in the software, typed a test message saying "your vote is your right" and hit "send". Then, his WhatsApp web version started delivering the messages almost robotically, one after the other. Business Sender was "not supported or endorsed" by WhatsApp and was developed by "Tiger Vikram Mysore INDIA", its system properties said. A member of the software support team at Business Sender, Rajesh K., declined to identify the developer by his real name, but said the tool was designed in Lebanon about four months ago and takes advantage of what he called a "loophole" in WhatsApp's system. "This is not rocket science or fabricated software," said Rajesh. "There are hundreds of such software available." In April, when a Reuters reporter responded to a text message with an "Election Special" offer of sending 100,000 "bulk WhatsApp" messages for 7,999 rupees ($115), he was invited to an office in a dusty industrial area of Noida in northern Uttar Pradesh state. "How many messages you want to send, tell us: 10,000, 1 million, 2 million," a representative asked, while showing a black-coloured, password-protected website they use for sending bulk WhatsApp messages.

Lok Sabha polls 2019:  How $14 software tool helps overcome WhatsApp controls

Election Commission will hold a meeting with West Bengal observers on poll violence in the state at 11.30 am today via video conferencing.

This comes a day after clashes broke at the mega roadshow of BJP president Amit Shah in Kolkata resulting in utter chaos after sticks were hurled at his convoy and police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the crowd.

Clashes reportedly broke out on Tuesday after some miscreants started throwing sticks at the convoy in which Shah was travelling in.

The incident took place on College Street when allegedly some TMC supporters began sloganeering and the furious BJP supporters responded by pelting stones and sticks at the University gates, resulting in chaos and mayhem.

Since the Lok Sabha polls began on April 10, BJP and TMC have been at loggerhead in West Bengal.

Voting for nine seats in the state will be held in the seventh and final phase of the general election on May 19. Counting of votes will take place on May 23.

Election Commission will hold a meeting with West Bengal observers on poll violence in the state at 11.30 am today via video conferencing. This comes a day after clashes broke at the mega roadshow of BJP president Amit Shah in Kolkata resulting in utter chaos after sticks were hurled at his convoy and police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the crowd.

Election Commission will hold a meeting with West Bengal observers on poll violence in the state at 11.30 am today via video conferencing. This comes a day after clashes broke at the mega roadshow of BJP president Amit Shah in Kolkata resulting in utter chaos after sticks were hurled at his convoy and police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the crowd. Clashes reportedly broke out on Tuesday after some miscreants started throwing sticks at the convoy in which Shah was travelling in. The incident took place on College Street when allegedly some TMC supporters began sloganeering and the furious BJP supporters responded by pelting stones and sticks at the University gates, resulting in chaos and mayhem. Since the Lok Sabha polls began on April 10, BJP and TMC have been at loggerhead in West Bengal. Voting for nine seats in the state will be held in the seventh and final phase of the general election on May 19. Counting of votes will take place on May 23.

Election Commission to hold meeting with West Bengal observers on poll violence today

After<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/ahead-of-sixth-phase-of-lok-sabha-polls-bjp-worker-raman-singh-found-dead-in-west-bengal-217897"> West Bengal</a> witnessed <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-polls-2019-violence-marred-fourth-phase-of-lok-sabha-polls-in-west-bengal-214584">violence during the ongoing elections</a>, "as many as 710 companies of central forces will be deployed in the state for the seventh phase," said Vivek Dubey, Special Police observer for West Bengal.

For the penultimate phase which went to polls on May 12, 713 companies of Central forces were deployed to ensure peaceful voting in the state.

Earlier, the Election Commission of India had removed Bankura District Magistrate Uma Shankar in the aftermath of violence marred polls.

On Sunday, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker was severely injured in a clash with Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers outside polling booth number 1 in Bankura.&nbsp;

Bricks were hurled during the clash in which the victim suffered multiple injuries.

Nine parliamentary constituencies including Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Diamond Harbour, Jadavpur, Kolkata Dakshin and Kolkata Uttar will vote in the last phase of the Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal on May 19.&nbsp;

After West Bengal witnessed violence during the ongoing elections, "as many as 710 companies of central forces will be deployed in the state for the seventh phase," said Vivek Dubey, Special Police observer for West Bengal.

After West Bengal witnessed violence during the ongoing elections, "as many as 710 companies of central forces will be deployed in the state for the seventh phase," said Vivek Dubey, Special Police observer for West Bengal. For the penultimate phase which went to polls on May 12, 713 companies of Central forces were deployed to ensure peaceful voting in the state. Earlier, the Election Commission of India had removed Bankura District Magistrate Uma Shankar in the aftermath of violence marred polls. On Sunday, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker was severely injured in a clash with Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers outside polling booth number 1 in Bankura. Bricks were hurled during the clash in which the victim suffered multiple injuries. Nine parliamentary constituencies including Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Diamond Harbour, Jadavpur, Kolkata Dakshin and Kolkata Uttar will vote in the last phase of the Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal on May 19.

710 companies of central forces to be deployed for last phase polls in West Bengal

In a show of strength ahead of the final phase of polls, BJP national President Amit Shah Tuesday held a roadshow in the city in support of the party's candidates.

The rally started at around 4.30 pm from Esplanade area in central Kolkata to Swami Vivekananda's house in north Kolkata.

Shah stood atop a decorated truck along with BJP's Kolkata north and Kolkata south candidates Rahul Sinha and Chandra Kumar Bose respectively and was seen waving at the crowds which had gathered on both sides of the road.

Tableaux highlighting the culture of various parts of the state and country were seen moving ahead of the convoy.

Waving party flags, BJP supporters were heard shouting slogans like 'Jai Shri Ram', 'Narendra Modi Zindabad' and 'Amit Shah Zindabad'.

People dressed as Lord Ram and Lord Hanuman were also seen in the rally.&nbsp;

In a show of strength ahead of the final phase of polls, BJP national President Amit Shah Tuesday held a roadshow in the city in support of the party's candidates.

In a show of strength ahead of the final phase of polls, BJP national President Amit Shah Tuesday held a roadshow in the city in support of the party's candidates. The rally started at around 4.30 pm from Esplanade area in central Kolkata to Swami Vivekananda's house in north Kolkata. Shah stood atop a decorated truck along with BJP's Kolkata north and Kolkata south candidates Rahul Sinha and Chandra Kumar Bose respectively and was seen waving at the crowds which had gathered on both sides of the road. Tableaux highlighting the culture of various parts of the state and country were seen moving ahead of the convoy. Waving party flags, BJP supporters were heard shouting slogans like 'Jai Shri Ram', 'Narendra Modi Zindabad' and 'Amit Shah Zindabad'. People dressed as Lord Ram and Lord Hanuman were also seen in the rally.

Amit Shah holds roadshow in Kolkata

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