Lok Sabha election 2019: Congress releases list of 5 candidates

Lok Sabha 2019 election will take place in seven phases - April 11, 18, 23, 29, May 6, 12 and 19.

New Delhi: India is in the grips of election season with political parties ramping up their efforts to woo voters. With just 17 days left for voting in the first phase, parties are working overtime to perfect their election strategies and reach out to voters in a bid to get their support.

While BJP is hoping to sail through the election and have Narendra Modi as PM for another term, a number of political parties in the rival camp are plotting his downfall. Congress, a party which was nearly destroyed in the last Lok Sabha election, is hoping that Rahul Gandhi is able to take it past the finish line. Regional parties too have national ambitions and could leave a lasting impression on Lok Sabha election 2019.

Thank you, readers, for joining us. Do come again on Tuesday (March 26) for election live updates.

Here are the updates from Monday (March 25):

* Congress releases a list of 26 candidates for Lok Sabha election. Former MP Sanjay Nirupam will contest from Mumbai North-West in Maharashtra.

* Kuppalji Devadoss an independent candidate filed his nomination for Chennai South parliamentary constituency by paying his election security deposit in coins. 

Chennai: Kuppalji Devadoss an independent candidate filed his nomination for Chennai South parliamentary constituency by paying his election security deposit in coins. #TamilNadu #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/c5H8wJY8Rf — ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2019

* Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) releases their election manifesto

* Paralympics Games winner Deepa Malik and Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) MLA Kehar Singh Rawat joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

* Makkal Needhi Maiam chief Kamal Haasan met TMC chief and Chief Minister and Mamata Banerjee. He said, "Meeting was excellent we are proud to say that Makkal Needhi Maiam is an ally of TMC in Andaman. We hope this relation evolves in future. I'm going to campaign for their candidate (in Andaman)."

* Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) releases their election manifesto for the Lok Sabha election.

* Karti Chidambaram files nomination for the Sivaganga parliamentary constituency as the Congress candidate.

* Hema Malini files nomination from Mathura. (Read full report here)

* Rahul Gandhi says that the Congress manifesto covers a wide range of topics and issues but removing poverty is the priority. (Read full report here)

* "Congress party assures that 20% of India's poorest families will be given Rs 72,000 per annum."

- Families earning less than Rs 12,000 per month to be given Rs 72,000 per annum.

- We have discussed this with top economists of the world to come up with this.

- If Modi can give money to the rich, we can give money to the country's poor. 25 crore people will be taken out of poverty.

Rahul Gandhi: Congress party promises that India's 20%,most poor families will get yearly 72,000 rupees in their bank accounts under minimum basic income guarantee scheme pic.twitter.com/cGWcUErPRh — ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2019

* CWC meet has ended. Rahul to address members of the press shortly.

* Supreme Court has junked a petition which sought a ban on  road shows, bike rallies before elections. (Read full report here)

* Supreme Court asks Election Commission to file an affidavit by March 28 on why physical verification of VVPAT paper trail should not be extended to more than one polling station per assembly segment: ANI

* Hema Malini offers prayers before filing her nomination:

Mathura: UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and BJP's Lok Sabha candidate from Mathura Hema Malini offer prayers at Banke Bihari temple, ahead of her filing nomination. pic.twitter.com/G3b0yWIcaX — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 25, 2019

* National Conference-Congress candidate from Srinagar, Farooq Abdullah, files nomination.

* Congress' Raj Babbar, BJP's VK Singh and Hema Malini to file their nomination papers today for the first phase of Lok Sabha election. The April 11 voting in UP would be conducted in Saharanpur, Kairana, Muzzafarnagar, Bijnor, Meerut, Bagpat, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar.

* Sources tell Zee News' Ravi Tripathi that there is a heating argument between Sheila Dikshit and Ajay Maken on the possibility of Congress-AAP alliance in Delhi. In the CWC meeting, both leaders of Congress argue on the merits and demerits of an alliance with AAP.  Dikshit is against an alliance, has reportedly questioned Maken's contribution when he was heading the Congress' Delhi unit.

* BJP releases list of candidates for two parliamentary constituencies in Odisha. Mahameghabaham Aira Kharbela Swain to contest from Kandhamal, Prakash Mishra from Cuttack. (Read full report here)

* A decision on whether Congress forms an alliance with AAP in Delhi is likely today at the CWC. Senior party leaders from Delhi attending the meeting.

* Actress-turned-politician Jaya Prada may join BJP. Sources say she could be given a ticket to contest from Rampur.

* CWC meet begins in New Delhi.

* Congress Working Committee meeting to take place in New Delhi to fine-tune manifesto and take stock of poll preparedness.

* Today is the last day for filing nominations.