New Delhi: A day after Congress president Rahul Gandhi's programme at Stella Maris college, the Directorate of Collegiate Education has issued a circular to the regional joint director asking how the campus was used for a discussion involving a political leader when Model Code of Conduct is in place. The Directorate of Collegiate Education has demanded an explanation as to why the meeting was conducted in the college. Mr Gandhi scion held a discussion with students of Stella Maris college on Thursday.
During his interaction, Rahul criticised the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government over issues like demonetisation, GST and Rafale among others.
He also assured that in 2019, the Congress has decided to "pass women reservation Bill in Lok Sabha. We are also going to reserve 33 per cent in all government jobs at the national level."
Here are the LIVE Updates of the Lok Sabha Elections 2019:
Mar 16, 2019 22:29 (IST)
Congress has clarified that Apna Dal's Krishna Patel faction has joined the Congress alliance for 2 Lok Sabha seats- Basti and Pilibhit (not Gonda, as reported earlier) in Uttar Pradesh. Pankaj Niranjan Singh Chandel, son-in-law of Krishna Patel, has taken membership of the Congress party.
Mar 16, 2019 20:07 (IST)
The Election Commission of India has fixed a timeline for the release of the manifesto by political parties. Manifestos for both single and multi phase elections shall not be released during prohibitory period, as prescribed under Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the poll body has said. The provision will, henceforth, be applicable and implemented as a part of the Model Code of Conduct for all future elections, it added.
Mar 16, 2019 17:48 (IST)
In a setback to the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the party's sitting MP Balabhadra Majhi from Odisha's Nabarangpur district joined the BJP today. He quit the party on Thursday amidst reports that he would be denied a ticket for the coming general elections. After joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Majhi met party President Amit Shah. Earlier, former BJD MP Baijayant Jay Panda had joined the BJP. He was last week appointed the party's national Vice President and Spokesperson.
Mar 16, 2019 17:46 (IST)
Danish Ali, the well-known General Secretary of the Janata Dal Secular has quit the party and joined Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party. It is expected that he will contest the Lok Sabha elections from Uttar Pradesh on a BSP ticket. Mr Ali was busy negotiating seat sharing between the ruling coalition partners in Karnataka, the Congress and his Janata Dal Secular. He finally met Congress President Rahul Gandhi in Kochi on Wednesday, after which it was announced that the JDS would contest eight and the Congress 20 of Karnataka's 28 Lok Sabha seats.
Mar 16, 2019 15:46 (IST)
After addressing a rally in Dehradun, Congress president Rahul Gandhi met the family of Major Chitresh Singh Bisht at the latter's residence in Dehradun. Major Chitresh Singh Bisht lost his life on 16 February while defusing an IED which was planted by terrorists across the LoC in Rajouri district, Jammu & Kashmir.
Mar 16, 2019 13:34 (IST)
Congress President Rahul Gandhi has reached Parade Ground in Dehradun where he will begin his addess shortly.
Mar 16, 2019 13:27 (IST)
Son of former BJP chief minister of Uttarakhand Major General (retd) BC Khanduri, Manish Khanduri joins Congress in presence of Rahul Gandhi in Dehradun.
Mar 16, 2019 13:26 (IST)
BJP MP Shyama Charan Gupta joins Samajwadi Party. He will be contesting LokSabha Elections 2019 from Banda constituency.
Mar 16, 2019 13:20 (IST)
In a jolt to the BJP in Assam, its sitting MP from Tezpur Ram Prasad Sarmah Saturday announced that he quit the saffron fold and alleged neglect of old workers by "new intruders in the party". He said he was resigning from the primary membership of the BJP after serving the RSS and VHP for 15 years and the BJP for 29 years.
Mar 16, 2019 12:32 (IST)
Union Minister Smriti Irani tweeted saying, "I am proud to join #MainBhiChowkidar movement. As a citizen who loves India, I shall do my best to defeat corruption, dirt, poverty & terrorism and help create a New India which is strong, secure & prosperous."
Mar 16, 2019 12:30 (IST)
Janata Dal (Secular)'s senior leader Danish Ali joins BSP | JD(S) general secretary Danish Ali joins Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in the presence of BSP All India General Secretary Satish Mishra, ahead of Lok Sabha elections in Lucknow on Saturday.
Mar 16, 2019 12:15 (IST)
Congress president Rahul Gandhi will kick off the party's campaign for Lok Sabha elections in Uttarakhand on Saturday with a rally in Dehradun at 12:30 pm. Mr Gandhi will address the 'Vishal Parivartan Rally,' a public meeting at Parade Ground, Dehradun. The Congress chief is also scheduled to pay a visit to the families of the slain soldiers hailing from Dehradun.