LS poll 2019 live updates: FIR registered against Prakash Ambedkar over his statement against EC

With exactly a week to go for the first phase of Lok Sabha Election 2019, the political battle heated up on the ground.

With exactly a week to go for the first phase of Lok Sabha Election 2019 on April 11, the political battle heated up on the ground. Amid a series of poll campaigns and filing nominations, political parties are leaving no stone unturned to woo the voters. Nearly 90 crore people will elect the members of the 17th Lok Sabha, polls for which will be held in seven phases on April 11, April 18, April 23, April 29, May 6, May 12 and May 19. The results will be announced on May 23. 

Thank you for joining us. Do come back again on Friday (April 5) for live updates of Lok Sabha election.

Here are the updates from Thursday (April 4)

* FIR registered against Prakash Ambedkar, Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi (VBA) leader by EC over his statement "...Let our govt come to power, we will not spare the EC. We will keep them in jail for 2 days. The Commission is no more neutral. It is functioning as a BJP aide."

* Ram Niwas Rawat to be the Congress candidate from Morena Parliamentary constituency for the upcoming Lok Sabha poll.

* "Advani Ji perfectly sums up the true essence of BJP, most notably the guiding Mantra of ‘Nation First, Party Next, Self Last.’ Proud to be a BJP Karyakarta and proud that greats like LK Advani Ji have strengthened it," PM Modi on Advani's blog.

PM Narendra Modi on veteran BJP leader LK Advani's blog: Advani Ji perfectly sums up the true essence of BJP, most notably the guiding Mantra of ‘Nation First, Party Next, Self Last.’ Proud to be a BJP Karyakarta and proud that greats like LK Advani Ji have strengthened it. pic.twitter.com/YgLpVtss5p — ANI (@ANI) April 4, 2019

* Residents of Dabil village in Khaira tehsil of Jamui LS constituency say that they will not cast vote in any election & boycott the Lok Sabha Election until & unless the road connecting their village is made.

Bihar: Residents of Dabil village in Khaira tehsil of Jamui LS constituency say that they will not cast vote in any election & boycott the #LokSabhaElections2019 until & unless the road connecting their village is made. Say, "Things become worse during monsoon. We feel cheated." pic.twitter.com/KiKIZjwX66 — ANI (@ANI) April 4, 2019

* Election Commission of India has seized Rs 399.505 Crore cash, Rs 162.892 Crore worth liquor, Rs 708.549 Crore worth drugs & precious metals worth Rs 318.495 Crore and freebies/other items worth Rs 29.342 Crore till date, ANI reported.

#LokSabhaElections2019 : Election Commission of India has seized Rs 399.505 Crore cash, Rs 162.892 Crore worth liquor, Rs 708.549 Crore worth drugs & precious metals worth Rs 318.495 Crore and freebies/other items worth Rs 29.342 Crore till date. pic.twitter.com/Y4zfg9Vb7R — ANI (@ANI) April 4, 2019

* "Congress President Rahul Gandhi has filed nomination from a Lok Sabha constituency of Kerala. You all know, he is an MP from Amethi, he knows defeat is confirmed, that's why he ran away to Kerala," said Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath.

* The President has forwarded the report over Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh to Home Ministry. The EC had written to the President against him for the violation of the Model Code of Conduct. Kalyan Singh in his response to the recent development told new agency ANI "We are BJP workers and want BJP to emerge victoriously. We want that once again Modi ji should become PM on 23rd May".

* Odisha government has accepted resignation of Dr Budhan Murmu, BJP's candidate from Saraskana Assembly Constituency in Mayurbhanj district.

#UPDATE: Odisha government has accepted resignation of Dr Budhan Murmu, BJP's candidate from Saraskana Assembly Constituency in Mayurbhanj district. https://t.co/P9Rvezy5Qa — ANI (@ANI) April 4, 2019

* Congress releases list of 12 candidates from Madhya Pradesh. CM Kamal Nath's son Nakul to contest from Chhindwara, Ajay Singh Rahul to contest from Sidhi and Arun Yadav to contest from Khandwa.

Congress releases list of 12 candidates from Madhya Pradesh. CM Kamal Nath's son Nakul to contest from Chhindwara, Ajay Singh Rahul to contest from Sidhi and Arun Yadav to contest from Khandwa #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/XQOW381zYt — ANI (@ANI) April 4, 2019

* Intelligence agencies have warned of a terror attack during the Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir. As per reports, Pakistan's ISI has created several terror outfits, similar to Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad, which plans to target target polling booths and candidates taking part in the polls. Intelligence agencies further suspect that the ISI is trying to send Afghanistan-based terrorists from across the border to train these outfit members in Kashmir.

* "My brother, my truest friend, and by far the most courageous man I know. Take care of him Wayanad, he wont let you down," tweeted Priyanka.

My brother, my truest friend, and by far the most courageous man I know. Take care of him Wayanad, he wont let you down. pic.twitter.com/80CxHlP24T — Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) April 4, 2019

* Barricade collapses on three journalists during Rahul Gandhi's procession in Kerala. All the three injured journalists were immediately shifted to the local hospital. The injured were helped to the ambulance by Rahul Gandhi.

* "I have come to Kerala to send a message that India is one, be it North, South, East or West. My aim is to send a message, there is a feeling in South India that the way Centre, Modi ji and RSS are working its like an assault on culture and languages in South. I understand that my brothers and sisters in CPM will now speak against me and attack me, but I am not going to say a word against the CPM in my entire campaign," said Congress chief Rahul Gandhi.

* The BJP announced an alliance with the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) on one seat in Rajasthan. RLP is led by MLA and former BJP leader Hanuman Beniwal who will now contest the Lok Sabha polls on Nagaur seat as RLP candidate. Jat leader Beniwal had floated his own party RLP ahead of the 2018 Assembly elections and won three seats. 

* Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to hold a roadshow in Ghaziabad on Friday in support of Congress candidate Dolly Sharma.

* Samajwadi MP from Gorakhpur Pravin Nishad joins BJP in presence of Nishad Party chief Sanjay Nishad and union minister JP Nadda.

* Cyberabad police seized 2 crores cash and arrested two persons from Hyderabad. They were heading to Rajahmundry to hand it over to TDP Lok Sabha candidate from Rajahmundry. Cops also seized Rs 70 lakhs unaccounted cash from a girls' hostel in Prasad Nagar in Prakasam district. Police and the flying squad of the EC jointly held the raids after receiving tip-off. Probe is underway

* Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge files nomination from Gulbarga parliamentary constituency in Karnataka.

* West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee launches the first official music video of Trinamool for Lok Sabha Polls. 

The 2 minute 30 second video was ‘shared’ on all her social media channels – Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram. "I am very happy to share the new music video “Maa, Mati, Manush” for the forthcoming Lok Sabha Elections," Mamata Banerjee wrote on her Facebook page.

* All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen Asaduddin Owaisi confident of 4th win from Hyderabad; BJP, Congress allege he indulges in divisive politics. Read more

* Former Rajya Sabha MP from Telangana Ananda Bhaskar Rapolu joins BJP. He has resigned from Congress on March 22.

* Rahul, accompanied sister Priyanka Gandhi, holds a roadshow in Wayanad after filing nomination. 

Kerala: Congress President Rahul Gandhi holds a roadshow in Wayanad after filing nomination. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Ramesh Chennithala also present pic.twitter.com/kAW08X22u0 — ANI (@ANI) April 4, 2019

*Congress President Rahul Gandhi files nomination from Wayanad parliamentary constituency.

* Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSR Congress Party's political campaign song ‘Ravali Jagan, Kavali Jagan’  (We want Jagan, Jagan should come) amassed more than 11 million views on YouTube by Thursday morning, becoming the most-watched Indian political campaign song on the Google-owned video platform. Read more

* Hardik Patel won’t be able to contest Lok Sabha polls. No hearing in the Supreme Court over his plea on April 4, which is the last day of nomination for phase 1.

* Actor Rajpal Yadav arrives at Delhi Congress Chief Sheila Dikshit's residence in Delhi, fuels rumours of joining Congress.

* Congress President Rahul Gandhi and General Secretary UP-East Priyanka Gandhi Vadra reach Wayanad, from where he'll file his nomination. Hundreds of supporters have gathered to welcome them. The duo will now embark on a mega roadshow.

#WATCH Congress President Rahul Gandhi and General Secretary UP-East Priyanka Gandhi Vadra arrive at Wayanad, Kerala. pic.twitter.com/Xqcskiaoaj — ANI (@ANI) April 4, 2019

* Rahul and Priyanka leave for Wayanad from Calicut in a chopper.

* Political parties have spent more than Rs 37 crore on 831 election advertisements since February 19 on Google platforms. Read the detailed report here.

* The BJP the top advertiser with a total advertisement expense of Rs 1.21 crore for 554 ads, accounting for 32 per cent of the total ad expenditure on Google. At the second position is Jagan Reddy-led YSR Congress Party, which spent over Rs 1.04 crore on 107 Google ads. Pramanya Strategy Consulting Private Limited and Digital Consulting Pvt Ltd, which promotes the Telugu Desham Party (TDP) and its chief Chandrababu Naidu, ranked third and fourth on the list respectively. Congress ranked a distant sixth with an expenditure of Rs 54,100 on 14 ads, accounting for a meagre 0.14 per cent share. 

* Google releases Indian Transparency Report ahead of Lok Sabha Election 2019, detailing the amount spent by political parties on election advertisements since February 19.

* Body of a 42-year-old man was found hanging at the booth office of Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) in West Bengal's Siliguri on Thursday morning. Read more

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Schedule of BJP National President Shri @AmitShah's public programs in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

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* Election Commission of India has seized Rs 377.511 crore cash, Rs 157 Crore worth liquor, Rs 705 Crore worth drugs & precious metals worth Rs 312 Crore till date: ANI

* Rahul and Priyanka will embark on a massive road-show at around 9.30 am before filing the nomination papers from Wayanad.

* Congress President Rahul will file his second nomination from Wayanad around 11.30 am on Thursday. Rahul arrived with sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the Congress general secretary for Uttar Pradesh East, in Kozhikode on Wednesday. The Gandhi scions were greeted by hundreds of UDF supporters, who had been waiting hours to see them. Rahul will also contest from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, his traditional stronghold.

Congress President @RahulGandhi is received by a huge crowd of well wishers as he arrives in Calicut to file his nomination for the Lok Sabha elections from the Wayanad constituency. @INCKerala pic.twitter.com/aKcjl9lMOp — Congress (@INCIndia) April 3, 2019

* BJP president Amit Shah to hold roadshow in Andhra Pradesh' Visakhapatnam on Thursday. Shah will also address public meetings in Telangana. 

* The Congress will hold press conferences in 22 states and Union Territories across the country on Thursday to unveil its manifesto for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. While senior leader Anand Sharma will address a press conference in Mumbai, Kapil Sibal will address a press conference in Bengaluru, Sharmishtha Mukherjee in Chennai, Pawan Khera in Kolkata and Rajeev Gowda will hold a press conference in Hyderabad.

* BSP chief Mayawati and Jana Sena Party founder Pawan Kalyan, who formed an alliance for the Assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh, will campaign in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.