Lok Sabha election 2019 HIGHLIGHTS: BJP will not cross 160 seats across India, says MP CM Kamal Nath

The Congress on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop "misusing" the country's armed forces for political gains. Senior Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was running away from "real issues" in the campaign for the April-May parliamentary election. "Since 1947, India has achieved several milestones and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the only PM who thinks the country's achievements are his individual achievement," he said. "It is an insult for the armed forces of the country. It is the country's armed forces not any party's or prime minister's army, the prime minister should stop its misuse for political gains. Our jawans do not sacrifice their lives for votes and if the prime minister says that, then the world is mocking us for it...it does not suit him," he told reporters. (PTI)

Glimpses from @ArvindKejriwal's
massive jansabha for @AtishiAAP in Okhla where women came out on large numbers.

AAP's governance and political discourse focuses on things that matter to every day lives of women like health, education & future of children. pic.twitter.com/kSpHGdnZk0

— Abhinandita Mathur (@abhinandita_m) March 30, 2019

India needs to

1. Repair & Restore our water bodies.

2. Regenerate & Afforest wasteland & degraded land.

We will employ lakhs of rural youth in our gram sabhas to improve the environment.

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 30, 2019

A day after the Nishad Party quit the SP-BSP-RLD alliance in Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party Saturday named its own candidate for the prestigious Gorakhpur Lok Sabha seat, dropping sitting MP Pravin Nishad. Ram Bhuwal Nishad, the SP candidate from Gorakhpur, the seat once held by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, is also from the Nishad community. The Nishad party is headed by Sanjay Nishad, father of Pravin Nishad who had won the Gorakhpur parliamentary seat on an SP ticket in the 2018 bypolls. Gorakhpur was considered a bastion of Adityanath, who had represented the parliamentary constituency several times before. (PTI)

Jaya Prada, BJP MP candidate from Rampur on Sambhal SP leader Firoz Khan's comment 'Rampur ki shaamein rangeen ho jaayengi ab jab chunavi mahual chalega' on her: Unpe toh already case lag gaya hai...SP (Samajwadi Party) walon ke yahi sanskar hain.

Jaya Prada, BJP MP candidate from Rampur on Sambhal SP leader Firoz Khan's comment 'Rampur ki shaamein rangeen ho jaayengi ab jab chunavi mahual chalega' on her: Unpe toh already case lag gaya hai...SP (Samajwadi Party) walon ke yahi sanskar hain. pic.twitter.com/krOw8ots2P

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 30, 2019

KOCHI: The Congress rank and file in the state are waiting anxiously and desperately for the party high command to announce it's candidates in the Wayanad and Vadakara Lok Sabha seats. Congress president Rahul Gandhi may fight from Wayanad while a formal announcement is yet to come from Delhi on the candidature of K Muraleedharan MLA from Vadakara. Even though a formal nod is awaited, Muralidharan has already begun his campaign there and faces a mounting challenge from CPI(M)'s P Jayarajan. On the Wayanad seat, the Congress's allies have begun putting pressure on the national leadership to announce whether Gandhi intends to fight or not. The opposition LDF and NDA camps have started their campaigns. Kerala goes to polls in a single phase for all 20 Lok Sabha constituencies on April 23. 

PATHANAMTHITTA: Independent MLA and chairman of Kerala Janapaksham political party, PC George announced his support Friday for BJP candidate K Surendran in the Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha constituency, which was the nerve-centre of the Sabarimala agitation. George himself has been elected from Poonjar, one of the Assembly segments that fall under the LS constituency. Surendran, the state general secretary of the BJP, is up against sitting Congress MP Anto Antony and LDF candidate Veena George. There are speculations that George, who was once associated with the Congress-led UDF, may make his entry into the NDA. He has reportedly held talks with the BJP national leadership on this issue. 

Arjun Charan Sethi resigned from Biju Janata Dal (BJD) after his son Abhimanyu Sethi wasn't given a ticket from the party; has joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) along with his son.

Odisha: Arjun Charan Sethi resigned from Biju Janata Dal (BJD) after his son Abhimanyu Sethi wasn't given a ticket from the party; has joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) along with his son pic.twitter.com/smH346amoB

— ANI (@ANI) March 30, 2019

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday kicked off his election campaign in northeastern states, beginning from Arunachal Pradesh. While continuing with his ‘chowkidar’ (watchman) rhetoric in Arunachal, the PM in Assam said only a ‘chaiwala’ can understand the pain of fellow ‘chaiwalas’. In Arunachal, Modi lashed out at Opposition parties, claiming they were “disheartened” by India’s growth and success. Launching his campaign in Arunachal’s Aalo, the Prime Minister said the state is a “shield for the country with the people zealously guarding the border as sentinels.” He claimed that the Congress has the habit of taking people of the country for a ride, while saying that the grand old party is “synonymous with corruption”. READ MORE HERE

Slamming Rahul Gandhi for his remarks that the Congress, if voted to power, would scrap the NITI Aayog, senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi alleged on Saturday that the opposition party was "threatening and defaming" constitutional institutions. The Union Minority Affairs Minister's remarks came a day after Congress president Gandhi said his party would replace NITI Aayog with a "lean" Planning Commission. The "shehzada" is speaking under the influence of his "arrogance of feudal mentality", Naqvi said in an apparent reference to Gandhi. (PTI)

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor found himself on a sticky wicket Saturday as his tweet following a visit to the fish market here kicked up a row, with the ruling CPI(M) and BJP alleging he had insulted the fishermen community and demanded an apology. The former Union minister, who is trying to score a hat-trick from the prestigious Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency, had visited a fish market in the state capital recently and spoken to the women selling fish there and had also posted some pictures of his visit. "Found a lot of enthusiasm at the fish market, even for a squeamish, vegetarian MP," Tharoor had later tweeted.

For those Malayali leftist politicians who are currently having difficulty understanding my English! pic.twitter.com/vhOi7hThgo

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) March 29, 2019

BJP MP Hema Malini has said it will be dangerous for the country if Prime Minister Narendra Modi doesn't return to power as he alone has the courage to do what is right for the country. The actor-turned-politician, who is recontesting from the Mathura Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh once again this year, also hit out at the Opposition, saying that it is "desperate" as Modi has ensured that there is no corruption in the country. "There is no other choice. Modiji has to come back. It will be dangerous for the country if someone else wins. That's why we all (BJP members) are working hard to bring him back," Hema Malini told PTI Bhasha in an interview.

Unemployment is the most pressing issue of our time, crores of young people have no jobs & no hope under the current govt. Modi can try & distract them with political gimmicks but the youth of India have one thing to say #MainBhiBerozgar pic.twitter.com/8s8OeJfDur

— Congress (@INCIndia) March 30, 2019

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray Saturday said although there were differences between his party and the BJP earlier, all the issues have been resolved now. He also said the two parties had similar goals and their ideologies and hearts were woven together. Thackeray also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the opposition had no leader that matches his stature. He was speaking at a rally here ahead of filing of nomination by BJP chief Amit Shah for the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat.   (PTI)

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma on Saturday described the Congress' Nyay scheme as "anyay (injustice) yojana", saying that the scheme is "laughable" when compared to the welfare schemes implemented by the BJP. "The public is able to see all the 'anyaay' done by them (Congress) in their Nyay scheme. This is a type of 'anyaay yojana', as in the period of more than 70 years of Independence, you (Congress) ruled the country for almost three-fourths of the period, but never thought about the betterment of the people, especially the poor," Sharma told PTI.   (PTI)

?? ???????? ??? ??? ??? ???? ??????? ?? ????? ??? ?? ???? ?? ?????? ?? ?????? ‘??? ?????’ ????? ???????? ???? ?? ?? ?????????? ?????? ??? pic.twitter.com/fjzRJE1Fxe

— Chowkidar Amit Shah (@AmitShah) March 30, 2019

PM Modi attacked the Congress family saying that they put the country on the line for the benefits of people like Ottavio Quattrocchi and Christian Michel who has recently been extradited to India in the Augusta Westland chopper scam. 

????? ????, ?????????? ????, ??? ???? ???? ???, ????? ??? ???????? ??? ?? ?? ???? ?? ??? ????: PM @narendramodi

— narendramodi_in (@narendramodi_in) March 30, 2019

PM Modi says that his government is committed to the development of people involved in the tea business. He added that for such people the Shramyogi Mandhan Yojna was introduced and everyone will get a sum of Rs 3000 per month as pension after attaining 60 years of age. 

PM Modi asserting the rhetoric around national security asks the crowd, who can free Assam, India from infiltrators, on one side there is a nstrong chowkidar, on the other side is the alliance of adulterated parties.

??? ??, ??????????? ?? ?????????? ??, ???????? ??, ????? ????? ?? ??? ??? ?? ???? ???

?? ??? ????? ??????? ?? ?? ????? ??? ????????? ???? ?????? ???

?? ??? ??? ??? ?? ?????????? ?? ????? ?? ?? ????? ??? ??? ?? ??? ???? ?? ?? ?? ???? ????? ?? ??????? ??: PM @narendramodi

— narendramodi_in (@narendramodi_in) March 30, 2019

Come here to Gohpur and see how much affection people have for BJP! Addressing a huge public meeting. https://t.co/lYb0bQI7GF

— Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 30, 2019

Mumbai: Maratha leader Pravin Gaikwad joins Congress in the presence of Mallikarjun Kharge, Ashok Chavan and KC Venugopal pic.twitter.com/ByOZEmGq3H

— ANI (@ANI) March 30, 2019

(Express Photo by Javed Raja)

Amit Shah files nomination from Gandhinagar. The BJP national president said he was fortunate to become a candidate from the constituency represented by LK Advani.

"The Congress rule has reduced the identity of India to that of a victim. Now, you have to decide upon which government you want to elect to power —a powerful government or a tainted government," Modi asked people gathered in Moran rally.

With Modi in power,  Congress' family and the terrorists' household are having sleepless nights, said Modi in Moran in Dibrugarh district of Assam.

The Sangli seat has seen intense politicking in the recent past as the Patils strongly protested against allocation of the seat to Paksha. This seat has always elected a Congress MP barring 2014

Vishal Patil,  grandson of ex-chief minister Vasantdada Patil, is likely to be the Mahagadbandan candidate from Sangli in Maharashtra. He will fight on the Swabhimanipaksha symbol.

Vishal Patil that grandson of ex chief minister Vasantdada Patil is likely to be the Mahagadbandan' candidate from Sangli. He will fight on the SwabhimaniPaksha symbol @amitabhsin @IndianExpress @decision2019

— Partha Biswas (@parthasbiswas) March 30, 2019

PM Modi attacked Congress for questioning Balakot air strikes and said, "When we entered the houses of terrorists and killed them, what were their reactions? They don't have much of existence in India, yet are being praised in Pakistan...  They speak the language of terrorists," he said.

Congress and corruption has an old connection, says PM Modi. "So, they don't have any concerns about this country or its youth," he added.

Priyanka Gandhi shared a video on her Twitter handle where she could be seen interacting with villagers in Uttar Pradesh. Gandhi, during her public address in Ayodhya on Friday said that PM Modi had no time to listen to the greivances of the poor in the last five year. She added that he did not visit a single village in his own constituency but took many a foreign trip in his tenure.

??? ??? ???, ???????????? ??? pic.twitter.com/TKcoQmdOXW

— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) March 30, 2019

PM Modi said, "I have come to you with the intention to bring development of 25 years in just five years based on this 5-year experience."

The 'Chowkidar' (watchman) was given the opportunity to bring Arunachal into the railway map after 7 decades of independence, said PM Modi

Prime Minister Nrendra Modi addressed public in Aalo in Arunachal Pradesh. He said even as no prime minister has visited the place in thirty years, a chief servant has visited the place more than 30 times. "This chief servant has visted you over 30 times," said PM Modi.

The residents of a village in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district have threatened to boycott the upcoming Lok Sabha elections over the authorities not paying heed to their demand to construct a bridge over Solani river, PTI reported.

P Chidambaram says ASAT test done "only to boost the sagging fortunes of the BJP".

Besides, why was it done now in the middle of an election campaign?

Only to boost the sagging fortunes of the BJP.

— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) March 30, 2019

Amit Shah said he is fortunate to become candidate from constituency represented by L K Advani.

Amit Shah said the country could see, in Modi, the leader it was looking for the past 70 years. He appealed to public to vote for BJP. "There's only one PM, one party that can provide security to this country. That is Narendra Modi, and BJP," he added.

Amit Shah starts speaking at Vijay Sankalp rally.

Chowkidar chor nahi, PM banana "sure" hai.  Saari samasyaon ka wahi "cure" hai, said Rajnath Singh at Shah's Vijay Sankalp rally.

Samajwadi Party (SP) releases a list of two candidates for Lok Sabha elections. Ram Kumar to contest from Kanpur and Rambhual Nishad to contest from Gorakhpur Lok Sabha constituencies.

Samajwadi Party (SP) releases a list of two candidates for #LokSabhaElections2019 . Ram Kumar to contest from Kanpur and Rambhual Nishad to contest from Gorakhpur Lok Sabha constituencies. pic.twitter.com/XEBUVSwtt5

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 30, 2019

Amit Shah nomination a show of unity with allies LJP, Shiv Sena and SAD. Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari (both former BJP chief), allies Uddhav Thackeray, Prakash Singh Badal, Ram Vilas Paswan present in public meeting before Shah's nomination.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said his party and BJP have ended all their differences that had erupted. "Now our thoughts, principles all are same," He questioned the principles of the parties in the Opposition grand alliance and said," I want to ask them, 'Kaun banega pradhan mantri'?

What previous governments could not do in 50 years, Modi government did in last five years, said Nitin Gadkari

Amit Shah will contest the Lok Sabha elections for the first time from Gandhinagar. He has  replaced party veteran LK Advani, the party’s first list of candidates for the upcoming polls has revealed. Shah was earlier an MLA from Sarkhej seat, which is also a part of the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency. The Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat was won by L K Advani six times since 1991, barring the 1996 Lok Sabha polls. 

Amit Shah arrived at Gandhinagar for a public meeting and paid tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

Ahmedabad: BJP President Amit Shah pays tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, he will file his nomination for Gandhinagar parliamentary constituency today. #Gujarat pic.twitter.com/HL1a0fupMx

— ANI (@ANI) March 30, 2019

While speaking at a rally in West Bengal's Alipurduar on Friday, Amit Shah had said, "This election will decide whether democracy will remain here or not because the TMC government has destroyed the culture and heritage of the state and throttled democracy. 

Naranpura area of Ahmedabad all set to welcome Amit Shah who will lead a roadshow before filing his nomination today.

Naranpura area of Ahmedabad all set to welcome BJP national president Amit Shah, who will lead a roadshow before filing his nomination for Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat today. Shah will also address public before starting the roadshow. @IndianExpress pic.twitter.com/J7fJCA0mMY

— parimal dabhi (@parimaldabhi) March 30, 2019