Elections 2019: BJP Names Sunny Deol as Gurdaspur Candidate

Polling has concluded in 117 constituencies across India, in the third phase of elections, on Tuesday, 23 April. The seven-phase voting will end on 19 May, and the results will be announced on 23 May.

Catch all the updates on the 2019 Lok Sabha elections here.

A BJD candidate was arrested for allegedly assaulting an EC magistrate, while OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik and another BJD nominee were among 11 persons injured as a series of violence rocked Odisha on Sunday, 20 April, officials said.

Bombs were also hurled at a BJP assembly candidate's car though none was injured, police said on Monday.

The violence started around an hour before the campaign for the third phase of polls ended on Sunday afternoon.

(Source: PTI)

A total of 117 constituencies across 13 states and two union territories are voting on Tuesday, 23 April, in the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections.

The states where citizens would cast their votes include Karnataka, Kerala, Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, and Tripura. The Union territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu are also going to polls today.

BJP President Amit Shah, Congress Chief Rahul Gandhi and several Union ministers are among the prominent candidates who will cast their votes in the third phase.

Voting began Tuesday for 117 Lok Sabha seats, including all constituencies in Gujarat and Kerala, with BJP president Amit Shah, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and several Union ministers among prominent candidates in the fray.

About 18.56 crore voters are eligible for voting in the third phase of the elections, for which 2.10 lakh polling booths have been set up.

The Election Commission has made elaborate security arrangements.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi will visit Banswara Lok Sabha constituency in Rajasthan on Tuesday, 23 April, where he is scheduled to address public meeting at Beneswar Dham in the district.

Congress eastern Uttar Pradesh general secretary Priyanka Gandhi is scheduled to visit Uttar Pradesh’s Barabanki on Tuesday.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Tuesday announced Sukhbir Singh Badal as its Lok Sabha candidate from Ferozepur and Harsimrat Kaur Badal from Bathinda, reported The Tribune.

SAD patron Parkash Singh Badal announced the candidates on Tuesday morning.

PM Narendra Modi, who cast his vote on Tuesday in Ranip, Ahmedabad, said that the power of the voter ID was more than that of an IED.

Three Trinamool Congress workers have been injured after a crude bomb was hurled at them on Tuesday morning. The incident took place in Domkal municipality in Murshidabad, reported ANI.

Amid complaints of EVM glitches, moderate polling was recorded on Tuesday in the first two hours of voting of phase 3. In the 117 Lok Sabha seats where polling is underway, including all constituencies of Gujarat and Kerala, BJP President Amit Shah, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and several Union ministers are in the fray.

Kerala witnessed enthusiastic voters queuing up at several booths even before 7 am in all 20 Lok Sabha constituencies. However, there were complaints of technical glitches in electronic voting machines in some polling booths. Many polling stations witnessed heavy rush and long queues in the initial hours.

In Bihar, an estimated 9.35 percent of over 89 lakh electorate exercised their franchise in the first two hours of polling in five LS seats. Voting was hampered at two polling stations in Khagaria and three booths in Jhanjharpur due to EVM malfunctioning, official sources said.

BJP MP candidate from East Delhi, Gautam Gambhir held a roadshow on Tuesday morning ahead of filing his nomination.

BJP workers beat up an election official at booth number 231 in Moradabad, alleging that he was asking voters to press the 'cycle' symbol of the Samajwadi Party, reported ANI.

Actor Sunny Deol joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday morning. He is likely to contest the Lok Sabha polls.

Singer Hans Raj Hans will be contesting the Lok Sabha polls from North West Delhi constituency on a BJP ticket, ANI reported on Tuesday.

Congress candidates, Sheila Dikshit from North East Delhi and Ajay Maken from New Delhi parliamentary constituency, filed their nominations for the polls on Tuesday morning.

Sharad Pawar(NCP), Chandrababu Naidu (TDP), Sushilkumar Shinde (INC), Sanjay Singh (AAP), Nazmul Haq (TMC), TKS Elangoval (DMK), Praful Patel (NCP), Mahendra Singh (CPI-M) and others to be present.

AIADMK on Tuesday announced candidates for by-polls in four assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu. V.V. Senthinathan will be contesting from Aravakurichi, S. Muniyandi from Thiruparankundram, P. Mohan from Ottapidaram and V.P. Kandhasamy from Salur. The bypolls in Tamil Nadu will be held on 19 May.

Bhojpuri actor and BJP candidate Ravi Kishan filed his nomination on Tuesday morning from Gorakhpur.

BJP workers thrashed an NCP worker at the SDM office in Bhopal after he allegedly showed black flags to Pragya Singh Thakur, BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Bhopal, during her roadshow.

Man standing in a queue to vote was killed in clashes between Congress and TMC workers in West Bengal’s Murshidabad.

Chief electoral officer of West Bengal Ariz Aftab said, the family has registered a complaint against six persons and three people have been arrested.

(Source: ANI)

A polling official in Kantapal village in Odisha’s Dhenkanal passes away, after collapsing while on duty.

(Source: ANI)

Babulal Murmu, a polling agent was found dead at his house in Buniadpur in West Bengal’s Dakshin Dinajpur. More details are awaited.

(Source: ANI)

A 46-year-old tribal woman collapsed while standing in a queue to cast her vote in Raigarh Lok Sabha constituency in Chhattisgarh and later died at a hospital, police said.

(Source: PTI)

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supporters thrash a National Conference (NC) polling agent alleging bogus voting, at Bijbehara polling station of Anantnag district in Jammu and Kashmir.

(Source: ANI)

Congress announces Ranvir Sharma as the candidate for the Agra North constituency by-election.

(Source: ANI)

Addressing a rally in West Bengal’s Asansol, PM Narendra Modi slammed the Congress and TMC for breeding corruption. Modi said, “Before 2014, Congress government had made a record of corruption. Today TMC government is giving tough competition to the Congress. Corruption and crime are non-stop in TMC’s rule.”

(Source: ANI)

Abin Babu, a voter in Thiruvananthapuram’s Vattiyoorkavu was arrested for allegedly making a false complaint about malfunctioning of polling machine. He had alleged that VVPAT displayed that his vote had gone to another candidate, not to the one he voted for.

(Source: ANI)

The Bombay High Court has sought response from BJP MP Poonam Mahajan, party MLA Ashish Shelar and corporator Alka Kelkar over allegations that hoardings and posters carrying their pictures were put up in the city without requisite permissions.

A bench of justices AS Oka and MS Karnik was hearing a petition filed by activist Zoru Bathena, who alleged that several illegal hoardings, banners and posters were put up by the BJP in Khar and Bandra areas of Mumbai.

(Source: PTI)

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

(Source: ANI)

Congress delegation met the Election Commission and alleged Prime Minister Narendra Modi violated the Model Code of Conduct by delivering a speech after casting his vote in Ahmedabad.

Congress Spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said, “Today after casting his vote, PM took out a long procession and delivered a speech. There has never been such a clear violation of MCC, he is a habitual offender. We have appealed to the EC to bar him from campaigning for 48 to 72 hours.”

(Source: ANI)

BJP candidate Hans Raj Hans said, he has been a warrior since his childhood and vowed to win in the Lok Sabha elections, after filing his nomination from North West Delhi constituency.

“ I am a son of a farm labourer, it is in my genes to work hard. I consider PM Modi as my hero,” he said.

(Source: ANI)

Addressing a public rally in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur, Congress President Rahul Gandhi called BJP President Amit Shah "murder accused."

"Murder accused BJP President Amit Shah....waah! Kya shaan hai....Have you heard Jay Shah's name? He is a magician, he made Rs 50,000 into Rs 80 crore in 3 months," he said.

(Source: ANI)

BJP has nominated actors Sunny Deol and Kirron Kher as its candidates from gurdaspur and Chandigarh, respectively, reported news agency ANI.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu are likely to campaign for the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi next month, according to sources.

(Source: PTI)

The BJP felicitated Amit Mali, the youth who praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the surgical strikes during Congress’ Digvijaya Singh’s rally.

Mali had raised eyebrows and left Singh embarrassed after he went up on stage and praised Modi during the Congress leader’s rally in Bhopal’s Berasia.

(Source: ANI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will file his nomination from Varanasi on 26 April and participate in a roadshow on 25 April, BJP President Amit Shah said.

Talking about Priyanka Gandhi who is speculated to contest from Varanasi, Shah said, “There is democracy in the country, anyone can contest. Congress is in confusion, not us. Our candidate has been declared, Narendra Modi will contest election from here (Varanasi).”

(Source: ANI)

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadvanis attacked Congress President Rahul Gandhi who sought proof of the Balakot air strike. “Only Pakistan and Congress party’s Rahul Gandhi were asking for proof of Balakot air strike. If we had known about it, then one of your leader could have been attached with a missile which was fired on Pakistan,” he said.

(Source: ANI)

The Congress on Tuesday approached the Election Commission, asking it to take action against sitting BJP MP and Junagadh Lok Sabha candidate Rajesh Chudasama, alleging that huge amounts of cash and several liquor bottles were found with his secretary.

In a written complaint, the Congress' legal cell chairperson Yogesh Ravani demanded that Election Commission disqualify Chudasama.

(Source: PTI)