The electoral battle to win the Lok Sabha elections is in full swing with all the political parties aggressively campaigning across the country. The 2019 election will see Prime Minister Narendra Modi making a bid to win a second term in the office while the Opposition will try to prevent the PM and BJP from coming to power again.
The exercise is the largest in the world where more than 8000 contestants will fight for 543 seats of the lower house of the parliament and 10 lakh polling stations and 1.1 million electronic voting machines (EVMs) will facilitate the process. Almost 8,000 contestants will fight for 543 seats as almost 900 million voters will exercise their franchise to elect members to the 17th Lok Sabha.
Advertisement
The move comes weeks ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in which BJP-led NDA government is seeking to retain the power even as the Opposition parties will seek to dethrone the Modi government.
Catch all the developments related to the elections at one place. Here are the updates:
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday criticised BJP for its "ill treatment" towards party veterans L K Adavani and Murli Manohar Moshi and said it is "really sad" to see the way the party is treating its founding members.
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday alleged that Congress carried a sting operation and made information on the demonetisation public on Tuesday through TNN World, a website-based news portal. This was the same website which showed live Kapil Sibal's press conference on EVM, in January.
Advertisement
Nirmala accused Congress of a conspiracy-driven election campaign, saying that the website which was registered in December 2018 is only valid for a year. "Maybe Congress has planned to close it after elections", she added.
- A day after resigning from the BJP, senior leader Subhas Chouhan Wednesday joined the ruling Biju Janata Dal.
"I am glad that a senior leader of western Odisha has joined us. I welcome Sri Chouhan and his joining will further strengthen our party," said Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, welcoming Chouhan into the party.
- BJP MP Anshul Verma joined the Samajwadi Party on Wednesday after he was denied ticket by the Bharatiya Janata Party for the Lok Sabha polls.
"I have joined the SP without any conditions. My fault for denial of ticket might be that I had raised voice against distribution of liquor in a temple premises at a conference of the Pasi community, to which I belong," Verma said.
- Actor Urmila Matondkar on Wednesday joined the Congres after meeting the party president Rahul Gandhi.
- A bitter poster war broke out in Amethi. Posters branded her as a "visitor" and accused her of neglecting the Amethi constituency.
The posters, put up by Samajwadi Party leader Jai Pratap Singh Yadav, read: "Dekha chunav, pahan liya saree, nahi chalegi ye hosiyari."
Advertisement
- After PM Modi's announcement on Mission Shakti, Congress president Rahul Gandhi tweeted congratulating the DRDO and said: "I would also like to wish the PM a very happy World Theatre Day."
- PM Modi listed out two reasons that make Mission Shakti "special":
- PM Modi took to Twitter to congratulate the nation on the success of the Mission Shakti
- "This is a fantastic capability to have and it gives us a deterrence in case our adversaries try to militarise the space or try to prevent us from using our existing space capabilities," Saraswat, who is now a member of the NITI Aayog told ANI on Wednesday after the PM's speech.
Advertisement
- In 2010, the then DRDO chief VK Saraswat had said that India has begun work on acquiring such capabilities.
"With the successful testing of Agni-III, we have the propulsion system which can be used to propel a kill vehicle in the orbit. We have the capability required to guide a kill vehicle towards the satellite," he was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times at the 97th Indian Science Congress.
- Initial efforts to develop ASAT missiles began in 1950s in the US and the Soviet Union.
- ASAT (anti-satellite weapons) have not been used in warfare by any of the 3 other countries that possessed this capabilities.
Advertisement
- India has demonstrated anti-satellite missile capability, it's a rare achievement: PM
- I am assuring the international community that this is for our security. Today’s test does not violate any international laws: PM Modi
- We are proud of our scientists. We are now equipped to tackle all sections of development. I want to congratulate all scientists related to Mission Shakti: PM Modi
-India has registered its place in the space race. Till now China, the US and Russia were there. We are the fourth country to attain this standing. Our scientists 300 km far LEO (low earth orbit) shot down a live satellite. It was shot down by an ASAT missile. This operation was done successfully in 3 minutes. All the objectives set by the scientists have been achieved. India has established itself as a space power. Just a few minutes ago, our scientists shot down a live satellite - LEO: PM
Advertisement
- Today is a day of pride for all Indians: PM Modi
There was a meeting of the Cabinet at the Prime Minister's residence, following which the Cabinet Committee on Security also met.
- PM Narendra Modi will shortly address nation with an "important message".
-Congress' minimum income scheme will be rolled out in phases and cover 5 crore families, P Chidambaram said on Wednesday.
- Congress president Rahul Gandhi is expected to take a call later on Wednesday on whether or not he will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls from a second seat in southern India, besides his family pocket borough of Amethi, Uttar Pradesh party sources said.
Advertisement
- The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday transferred three Indian Police Service (IPS) officers in Andhra Pradesh after YSRCP leaders accused them of working in favour of ruling Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party (TDP).
- The ECI issued orders transferring Intelligence Director General AB Venkateswara Rao, Kadapa Superintendent of Police (SP) Rahul Dev Sharma and Srikakulam SP Venkata Ratnam. The three are ordered to report to the police headquarters
