Lok Sabha election: EC bars Maneka Gandhi from campaigning for 48 hrs

Campaigning is an important part of democracy and since it is the time for Lok Sabha poll in the country, political leaders from all parties are sweating it out during campaigning with an aim to woo the voters.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed four public rallies on Monday. PM Modi addressed rallies in West Bengal's Buniadpur,  Bihar's Araria, Uttar Pradesh

Congress president Rahul Gandhi along with his sister and AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and another AICC general secretary Jyotiraditya Scindia held a joint rally at Fatehpur Sikri Lok Sabha seat in Agra on Monday. The three Congress leaders are also slated to hold joint rallies in Aligarh and Nagina Lok Sabha seats on Monday. The voting for all the three seats is scheduled to take place in phase 2 on April 18 and the last day of campaigning is Tuesday.

Rahul Gandhi visited Nanded in Maharashtra to campaign for Congress candidate Ashok Chavan. He also addressed a rally in Rajula town under Amreli Lok Sabha constituency in Gujarat on Monday.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath campaigned for BJP candidates in Phulbani, Rourkela, Anugul, while Rajnath Singh addressed rallies in Mathura and Badaun in Uttar Pradesh.

Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar addressed a rally in Kishanganj, while Tejashwi Yadav, Navjyot Singh Sidhu and Shatrughna Sinha addressed rallies in Katihar.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also addressed rallies in Kasganj and Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh and Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia visited Sangrur in Maharashtra to address a rally. NCP chief Sharad Pawar addressed a rally in Latur at 2 pm and Osmanabad at 5.30 PM. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray addressed a rally in Latur.

Here are all the updates from April 15 (Monday):

* Here's the revised travel program of Congress President Rahul Gandhi in Kerala on April 16: 

9:15 hrs: Public Meeting at St. Stephens Higher Secondary School Ground, Pathanapuram, District Kollam
11:00 hrs: Public Meeting at Municipality K.K. Nair Stadium, District Pathanamthitta
13:15 hrs: House of Late Shri K. M. Mani at Karingozhakkal, Pala, District Kottayam
15:00 hrs: Public Meeting at Municipal Stadium, District Alappuzha
17:00 hrs: Public Meeting at Central Stadium, District Thiruvananthapuram

* Uttar Pradesh Police registers FIR against Azam Khan for objectionable remarks against Jaya Prada.

* Election Commission bars Union Minister and BJP leader Maneka Gandhi from election campaigning for 48 hours starting from 10 am tomorrow, for violating Model Code of Conduct during her election campaign held in Sultanpur.

* Election Commission bars Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan from election campaigning for 72 hours starting from 10 am tomorrow, for violating Model Code of Conduct during his election campaign held in Rampur. 

* We will assist farmers every year. Assistance to farmers will directly reach farmers. Earlier, farm loan waivers were once in 10 years: PM 

* We want to double farmers' income. We have helped farmers in natural calamities. Farmers should install solar panel in fields as it will ensure round the year supply of power: PM

* We have distributed crores of bulbs. Today, one LED bulb cost Rs 45: PM

* Our focus is on ease of living. We have decided tasks for 2022 and 2024. By 2022, every Indian should have a home: PM Modi tells Rajya Sabha.

* Fear of losing Amethi is making Rahul Gandhi contest from Wayanad: PM Modi tells in an exclusive interview to Rajya Sabha.

* Mayawati opposes Election Commission's 48-hour campaigning ban, calls it 'unfair'.

* Indians were spectators earlier, are players on the world stage today: PM Modi tells Rajya Sabha TV.

* As many as 81 candidates contesting for the second phase of Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Odisha are crorepatis, with Biju Janata Dal (BJD) President and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik topping the list.

* Urmila Matondkar gets police protection after Congress-BJP workers clash during her poll campaign in north Mumbai.

* Election Commission bans AIADMK's advertisement running in television and social media on grounds that it violated its Model Code of Conduct.

* BJP candidates in Delhi yet to be declared even as nomination for Lok Sabha polls begins on Tuesday.

* Congress candidate Rigzin Spalbar files nomination for Ladakh Lok Sabha seat.

* Sushma Swaraj questions Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav's silence on Azam Khan's controversial jibe on Jaya Prada, asks him not to stay silent like 'Bhishma Pitamah' did at disrobing of Draupadi in Mahabharata.

* Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia Monday took a swipe at the SAD (Taksali) for withdrawing its candidate from Khadoor Sahib seat, saying the party "ran away" as it has been "rejected" by the people.

* Enforcement Directorate officials attach properties — flat, plot, a house and land worth Rs 3.68 crores of Haryana former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala under PMLA in disproportionate assets case.

* BSP supremo Mayawati to address a press conference at 9 pm tonight.

* BJP leader Arvind Dharmapuri, who has contested the Lok Sabha poll from Nizamabad seat, has sought the permission of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to put his own lock in the strongroom, where the electronic voting machines (EVMs) and voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) slips have been kept.

* On Bangladeshi actor seen campaigning for Trinamool Congress: Election Commission says nothing mentioned on a foreign national participating in an election campaign.

* Rahul Gandhi accuses Arvind Kejriwal of taking U-turn on alliance. Read full report

* Former Goa CM Manohar Parrikar's son Utpal Parrikar writes to NCP's Sharad Pawar over his remark on Manohar Parrikar, states, "This is yet another unfortunate attempt to invoke my father's name to push blatant falsehoods for political gains. Urge you to desist from such conduct."

* Mamata Banerjee accuses Congress of taking help from RSS to win elections. 

* Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav defends Azam Khan's controversial remarks against Jaya Prada, says 'his speech has been misrepresented by media'. Read full report

* BJP releases names of seven candidates from Uttar Pradesh for Lok Sabha election. Bhojpuri actor Ravi Kishan to contest from Gorakhpur; Praveen Nishad to contest from Sant Kabir Nagar. Read full report

* Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharama in Shivamogga, Karnataka: Pakistan says they are victims of terrorism. But when Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) claims responsibility for an attack and they have their training camps in Pakistan, then is it not Pakistan's responsibility to destroy these camps? But they didn't, so we attacked Balakot.

* "No one has a right to talk about any women like this, it is a very derogatory comment. This shows what kind of mentality he has. No one has the right to speak like this," Hema Malini on Azam Khan's remark.

* Election Commission bans UP CM Yogi Adityanath and BSP chief Mayawati from election campaigning for 72 hours & 48 hours respectively, starting from 6 am tomorrow, for violating Model Code of Conduct by making objectionable statements in their speeches.

* Stones pelted on Mehbooba Mufti's cavalcade in Kashmir, PDF chief escapes unhurt (Read more)

* "It's being done to create fear. It's just beginning, it'll take a violent turn. Have asked for police protection; there's a threat to my life; I've filed a complaint," Urmila Matondkar, Congress candidate from Mumbai(N) on the scuffle between Congress workers and BJP supporters during her campaign.

* "Not only Azam Khan, but both Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party should apologize to the crores of women in our country," said BJP president Amit Shah.

* Senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi writes to Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora seeking investigation into the fake letter circulating on social media in his name.

* "Priyanka ji said in the beginning that wherever you see, you'll find publicity of Narendra Modi being done. Switch on TV-Narendra Modi, switch on a radio-Narendra Modi, walk on the roads-Narendra Modi. Where does all this money for publicity come from?" Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Fatehpur Sikri.

* Scuffle broke out between Congress workers & BJP supporters during Congress candidate from Mumbai North, Urmila Matondkar's election campaign at Borivali -Watch

* Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has been injured while offering prayers at a temple in Thiruvananthapuram and has been shifted to General Hospital there. He has suffered injuries on his head and has received 6 stitches. Doctors says he is out of danger.

* SC issues notice to Union of India, & Election Commission of India on a plea seeking direction to bring all National & State recognized Political Parties under the ambit of RTI (Right to Information).

* Supreme Court asks Election Commission to watch Vivek Oberoi starrer 'PM Narendra Modi' & take a call on whether it should be banned. SC asked EC to give its view to the court by April 22 in a sealed cover. Makers of the movie had moved SC against stay on its release by EC. 

* Supreme Court issues notice to Congress President Rahul Gandhi in connection with a contempt petition filed against him. Supreme Court has sought an explanation from him.

* SC raps EC over no action against Mayawati, Yogi Adityanath's remarks; summons poll panel

* “One should not be afraid of these collectors, I will make district magistrate clean Mayawati's shoes,” said Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan.

* He shouldn't be allowed to contest elections. Because if this man wins, what will happen to democracy? There'll be no place for women in society. Where will we go? Should I die, then you'll be satisfied? You think that I'll get scared & leave Rampur? But I won't leave," said Jaya Prada.

* "It isn't new for me,you might remember that I was a candidate from his party in'09 when no one supported me after he made comments against me.I'm a woman&I can't even repeat what he said.I don't know what I did to him that he is saying such things," Jaya Prada reacts on Azam Khan's remarks.

* BJP Goa filed a complaint with the Election Commission on Sunday against a Roman Catholic priest for 'creating an atmosphere of hate & fear against a particular political party & a specific religion' in an address inside a religious institution.

* FIR has been registered against Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan for his allegedly derogatory comment on Jaya Prada.

* People in Thatha village situated in Begusarai district of Bihar were surrounded by river water on three sides. Thus they announced their decision to boycott the polls over no roads in village. Locals were quoted by ANI as saying, “Government is doing nothing for us. There’s no medical facility in village and to reach hospital also, we have to travel by boat. Hum ko chaiye road tab vote.”

* Case registered against BJP MLA from Belapur, Manda Mhatre, for violating model code of conduct, for allegedly asking voters at a programme to vote twice in  Lok Sabha poll.

* "Armed forces and soldiers have always been kept separate from politics, in this country. For the first time in 70 years, they are being politicised. Yogi ji says, 'Ye Modi ki sena hai'. Rashtradroh ka mukadma to Yogi ji pe chalna chahiye," Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot told ANI.

* Every person in favour of giving one more term to PM Modi, says Dharmendra

* Will not contest polls if proved guilty, said Azam Khan on objectionable remarks against Jaya Prada. (Read more)

* My part in defeating Digvijaya Singh already done, said BJP leader Uma Bharti (Read more)

* Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said those who did not have faith in Lord Ram and Lord Krishna were now taking refuge in 'Bajrang Bali'. (Read more)