Lok Sabha Polls Live Updates: SBI sends electoral bond details to EC; Congress releases second list of 43 candidates

TMC leader Zenith Sangma to contest from the Parliamentary Constituency of Tura seat in Meghalaya, for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The State Bank of India (SBI) has sent all electoral bonds data to Election Commission on Tuesday evening, March 12, as per Supreme Court’s order. The top court had warned the country’s largest public sector lender to disclose the details of the electoral bonds encashed by political parties to the Election Commission by the close of the business hours on March 12 and warned that the court may proceed against it for “wilful disobedience” if it failed to comply with its directions and deadlines. Read here

The Congress party has officially unveiled its second list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections during a press conference held on Tuesday, March 12. The announcement comes hot on the heels of the party’s initial list release on March 8, which featured 39 candidates. Read full story here

Former Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar says, “…The 10 seats in the state were won by the BJP. The JJP leaders must have talked to the central leadership…There is nothing official but they (JJP) have decided that they will fight the Lok Sabha seats separately and accordingly the decisions have been made…”

On implementation of CAA, Assam TMC president Ripun Bora says, ” Mamata Banerjee has been fighting against CAA and we are also still fighting against it. CAA is totally anti-constitutional and anti-democratic, it is against the interest of the people of Assam…CAA will completely nullify the Assam accord…it will endanger the security, identity, culture, history and economy of the people of Assam. Therefore we strongly oppose the implementation of CAA in Assam…they (BJP) want polarisation so that they can win the election.”

Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal says “In this list, out of the 43 candidates, 10 are General candidates, 13 OBC candidates, 10 SC candidates, 9 ST candidates and 1 Muslim candidate.”

Congress releases second list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal says “Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi to contest from Jorhat, Assam. Nakul Nath to contest from Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara. Rahul Kaswa to contest from Rajasthan’s Churu. Vaibhav Gehlot to contest from Jalore.

Haryana BJP president Nayab Singh Saini takes oath as the Chief Minister of Haryana, at the Raj Bhavan in Chandigarh. Former Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar also present. BJP leader Kanwar Pal Gujjar, Moolchand Sharma, Independent MLA Ranjit Singh, Jai Parkash Dalal, Banwari Lal, take oath as minister in the Haryana cabinet.

On implementation of CAA, CPI-M leader Brinda Karat, “There are three main issues why we totally oppose it. Firstly, it changes the definition of citizenship and links it to religion which is highly discriminatory. Secondly, we oppose it because of the timing of this announcement. BJP thrives on polarisation and division – it is in the DNA of their politics. The rules of the at are against the character of the Constitution. They have not given powers to the state government. “

Haryana Bharatiya Janata Party president and Kurukshetra MP Nayab Singh Saini will take oath as the new chief minister. BJP MLA Subhash Sudha said that Nayab Singh Saini was chosen unanimously as leader of party’s legislature group. Read story here

On CAA implementation, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar says, “BJP whenever it commits to something in its manifesto, it has a track record of fulfilling it. It is unfortunate that a bill legislated by Parliament which does not impact anybody today except those being persecuted for religion in three countries -Pakistan, Bangladesh & Afghanistan -is unfortunate that the bill is being made a political football. This is a humanitarian legislation. I appeal to everybody including those in the Muslim community to read the bill. This bill does not prejudice anybody. This type of taking a bill and trying to use falsehood and misinformation to score some political points is shameful…”

Attacking the BJPled government at the Centre over the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said there is no clarity in the rules that were notified and she has doubts whether those have legal validity.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin says the Citizenship Amendment Act will not be implemented in the state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said a country which does not cherish its heritage has a bleak future. Modi launched the ₹1,200 crore Gandhi Ashram Memorial masterplan at Sabarmati in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad city and inaugurated the redeveloped Kochrab ashram at a function on the anniversary of the famous Dandi Yatra, or salt march, taken out by Mahatma Gandhi on March 12, 1930. “A country which does not cherish its heritage lose its future also. The Sabarmati Ashram is not only a heritage for the country but for the entire mankind,” he said. “The Sabarmati Ashram has become a pilgrimage not only our freedom movement but also for ‘Viksit Bharat’ (developed India),” Modi said.

“Only time will tell whether or not will contest (in Lok Sabha polls)…”

Conducting caste census is our party’s guarantee, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said in Maharashtra’s Nandurbar district. “We have given a guarantee that there should be social, economic and caste census,” Ramesh, Congress general secretary and in-charge of communications, told reporters ahead of party leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra entering Maharashtra on its last leg. “This is our society’s X-ray which will show us the population of various castes and their share in our nation’s wealth. It will also reflect their stake in our democratic institutions, the former Union minister said.Nandurbar district is known for its connection with the Nehru-Gandhi family.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation the Marathwada Rail Coach Factory and launched various other railway projects in Maharashtra, officials said. He also inaugurated five Jan Aushadi Kendras (for affordable and quality generic medicines) at the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (Mumbai), Manmad (Nashik), Pimpri, Solapur and Nagbhir (Chandrapur). He also inaugurated four rail coach restaurants at Nashik Road, Akola, and Mumbai’s Andheri and Borivali stations, the railway officials said. The PM inaugurated and dedicated to the nation 506 projects, including the Latur-based Marathwada Rail Coach Factory, a wagon repair workshop at Badnera and Vande Bharat chair car maintenance-cum-workshop depot in Pune, they said.

Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK announced that CPI(M) will contest from Madurai and Dindigul and the CPI from Nagapattinam and Tiruppur constituencies in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The announcement came a month after the ruling party allotted two seats each to the Left parties, who are part of the alliance with Congress and a few other parties. The DMK will contest on 21 seats, Congress on 9, VCK on 2 and one each to the IUML, KMDK and MDMK.

The Election Commission on Tuesday began consultations with political parties in Jammu and Kashmir to review preparedness for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in the Union territory. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and other officials of the poll panel, who arrived here on Monday for a three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, held interactions with delegations from the National Conference, PDP, BJP, CPI(M), Congress, and the Aam Admi Party, officials said here.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala resigned on Tuesday, March 12. The development came ahead of the Lok Sabha election scheduled in April-May.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his government undertakes developmental works as part of its mission to build the nation and not to win elections as perceived by some people. He was speaking at an event in Sabarmati area of Gujarat’s Ahmedabad city where he inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of Rs 85,000 crore railway projects, including the launch of 10 new Vande Bharat trains.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor hit back at BJP’s Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha candidate Rajeev Chandrasekhar on accusations of his non-performance and said that his ‘ignorant rival’ should first tell voters what the saffron party has done for the constituents when it was in power for the last 10 years. “I will turn the question around and ask what the BJP has done for Thiruvananthapuram in its 10 years in power. Even promises made on the floor of the Parliament have not been honoured,” Tharoor said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flags off 10 new Vande Bharat trains and other train services, from Ahmedabad.

Andhra Pradesh NDA partners finalised their seat-sharing formula for the Lok Sabha and state polls following a marathon discussion on Monday, under which the BJP will contest six Lok Sabha and 10 assembly seats while the TDP will fight 17 parliamentary and 144 state seats. Under the deal, Pawan Kalyan’s JanaSena will contest two Lok Sabha and 21 assembly seats, TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu announced after the meeting.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will perform “Ashram Bhoomi Vandana” and unveil the masterplan of the Sabarmati Ashram Memorial Project during his visit to Ahmedabad in Gujarat on Tuesday, March 12. Planned with a budget of Rs 1,200 crore, the project aims to revitalise Mahatma Gandhi’s teachings and philosophy for the present and future generations, a government release said.

A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, while dismissing the SBI’s plea seeking extension of time till June 30 to disclose the details, also directed the EC to publish the information shared by the bank on its official website by 5 pm on March 15.