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  Fodder for controversy? Smriti Irani says she is not a graduate

  April 12, 2019 11:37 IST

  The declaration has stoked yet another controversy over her already-controversial educational status. In her affidavit for 2014 Lok Sabha polls, she had reportedly said she graduated from the university in 1994.

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  Phase I Lok Sabha polls: Bihar records lowest voter turnout with 50%, West Bengal tops with 81%

  April 12, 2019 10:20 IST

  This time however, the poll panel did not share the overall polling percentage at its briefing, saying the data was being collated and would be available later.

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  Country will be finished if Modi becomes PM for second term: Navjot Singh Sidhu

  April 12, 2019 10:19 IST

  "If Modi comes to power for the second term, then the country would be finished," said Sidhu.

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  Rajnath Singh to file nomination from Lucknow on April 16

  April 12, 2019 9:03 IST

  The general elections are scheduled to be held in seven phases from 11 April to 19 May 2019 to constitute the 17th Lok Sabha.

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  EC issues showcause notice to Mayawati, says she violated code of conduct

  April 12, 2019 10:15 IST

  During the rally Sunday, Mayawati said the Congress was busy dividing the votes and cautioned the gathering to guard against any such attempt.

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  Amid EVM malfunction allegations, Jammu and Kashmir records over 57% voter turnout

  April 12, 2019 10:14 IST

  Addressing media persons at a press conference here, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Jammu and Kashmir, Shailendra Kumar said Jammu Parliamentary Constituency, spread across four districts of Jammu, Samba, Rajouri and Poonch with 20 assembly segments, recorded voter turnout of 72.16 per cent.

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  Lok Sabha elections 2019, April 12: As it Happened

  April 12, 2019 22:50 IST

  Lok Sabha polls 2019 kicked off to a troubled start on Thursday with two people being killed in clashes in Andhra Pradesh, IED blasts in Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, reports of EVM glitches and multiple complaints from voters about their names not being on the electoral list. More than 14 crore people were listed to vote in the first phase, held in 91 Lok Sabha constituencies spread across 18 states and two union territories. The second phase of polling will be held on April 18. And a lot is still waiting to happen in the run up to it. Stay tuned to this space as we bring to you live and latest updates from the general election 2019.

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  Sharad Pawar slams PM over black money issue

  April 12, 2019 8:13 IST

  He also criticised the BJP-led NDA government over its failure to clean the river Ganga.

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  'Namo' food packets at polling booth trigger row in Union minister's constituency

  April 12, 2019 10:41 IST

  "NaMo" are widely-recognised Hindi initials of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, previously seen on BJP merchandise and recently as the name of a TV channel.

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  Polling goes on till midnight in Andhra Pradesh due to faulty EVMs

  April 12, 2019 10:11 IST

  Though the scheduled polling time ended at 6.00 pm, voters in the queue waiting outside the booths were being allowed to exercise their franchise.

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  15 EVMs damaged in 2019 Lok Sabha election first phase

  April 12, 2019 8:14 IST

  While there were six reports of EVM damage from Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh reported five matters, one each were from West Bengal and Bihar and two from Manipur.

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  No political content on NaMo TV without pre-certification: EC tells Delhi CEO

  April 11, 2019 23:18 IST

  The poll panel said any political content has to be permitted by the local media certification committee "strictly in accordance with the EC's instructions in this regard".

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  Twitter, Facebook remove 500 posts after EC flags them

  April 11, 2019 22:50 IST

  EC Director General Dhirendra Ojha told reporters that of these, a whopping 500 posts were removed by Facebook alone. while two posts were removed by Twitter, and one by WhatsApp, after receiving complaints from the poll panel.

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  Soldiers deployed at Siachen, along LoC cast votes as service voters

  April 11, 2019 21:50 IST

  The spokesperson said in a first-of-its-kind initiatives, the Election Commission provided the facility to the troops deployed in far-flung, remote and inhospitable terrain to download their ballot papers online, vote and forward the ballot papers to their respective electoral returning officers through post.

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  After EC nod, HRD ministry appoints VCs to 3 varsities

  April 11, 2019 21:41 IST

  The three universities are Jamia Millia Islamia, Mahatma Gandhi Central University in Motihari and Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya in Wardha.

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  Twitter records 45.6 mn tweets as India polls begin

  April 11, 2019 20:27 IST

  Prime Minister Modi (@narendramodi) emerged as the most mentioned figure during the first phase of the #LokSabhaElections2019 conversations on Twitter.

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  BSP, SP allegation of Dalits being prevented from voting is baseless: Election Commission

  April 11, 2019 19:51 IST

  The BSP has alleged that they had received reports of Dalits being prevented from reaching polling booths in "various" places in the state.

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  'Namo' food packs trigger row in Noida; EC says no violation

  April 11, 2019 19:36 IST

  The controversy over the packets labelled "Namo Foods" triggered row earlier today as the opposition raised objection and filed a complaint with the election body, even after the local police said the packs only displayed the name of food shop.

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  Karnataka ex-CM Siddaramaiah appeals minorities, BCs and Dalits not to vote for Modi

  April 11, 2019 19:05 IST

  Addressing a public meeting in favour of the Congress-JD(S) alliance candidate Prajwal Revanna at Kaduru in Chikkamagaluru, Siddaramaiah said, "Not a single vote of Dalits, backward castes and Muslims should go to the BJP."

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  Polling in first phase of Lok Sabha Election concludes: 14 crore voters seal fate of 1279 candidates

  April 11, 2019 23:05 IST

  Election officials said voter turnout was high at most places, while poll-related violence saw death of two persons in Andhra Pradesh and complaints poured in from various states about glitches in electronic voting machines and of names missing from the voter lists.

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  No development, no vote, say villagers in Uttarakhand

  April 11, 2019 18:15 IST

  Residents of Digothi and Lodal villages in Tehri district did not vote saying they did not get a road and other facilities.  

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  Electoral bonds: Don't let transparency kill the scheme, says AG

  April 11, 2019 17:59 IST

  Attorney General K.K Venugopal said that stringent safeguards were already in place in the KYC verification guidelines of the purchaser of electoral bonds.  

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  Three injured in Arunachal Pradesh poll clashes

  April 11, 2019 17:40 IST

  The clash broke out outside a polling booth at Pipsorang, District Electoral Officer Santosh Kumar Rai said. Further details were awaited as telecommunication connectivity in the area was bad, the official said.

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  First phase voting: Missing names from electoral rolls irk voters

  April 11, 2019 17:23 IST

  The flood of Twitter posts reporting names going missing from the electoral rolls began after Shobana Kamineni, Vice Chairperson of Apollo Hospitals, tweeted that she found her name disappear from the list at a polling booth in Hyderabad.  

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  AG on electoral bonds: Don't let transparency kill the scheme

  April 11, 2019 17:22 IST

  "Do not let transparency kill the electoral bond scheme," said K.K. Venugopal. The government is in favour of maintaining the anonymity of purchaser and the redeemer of electoral bonds.

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  Voting for the 'naamdars' will be a sin, says PM Modi

  April 11, 2019 16:49 IST

  Modi said that all those accusing the "chowkidar" of theft are themselves indulging in looting public money.

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  Sonia Gandhi declares assets: Rs 60,000 in cash, over Rs 2.4 cr in shares

  April 11, 2019 16:48 IST

  As per the affidavit filed by Gandhi during submitting her nomination, she only has Rs 60,000 in cash and fixed deposits to the tune of Rs 16.59 lakh. 

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  Pakodas or jobs? You decide: Congress asks its Twitter audience

  April 11, 2019 16:39 IST

  The Lok Sabha polls 2019 commenced on Thursday morning with the onset of phase I polling in 91 constituencies across the country.