Representational Image
They might have been halted rallies and campaigns for the Lok Sabha polls on the ground, but on the social media, the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) continue to up the ante against each other.
The Lok Sabha polls 2019 commenced on Thursday morning with the onset of phase I polling in 91 constituencies across the country.
The Congress exhorted voters to exercise their franchise and posted on Twitter: "Waqt aa chuka hai. Apne aur apne bachchhon ke bhavishya ka faisla karne ka. Pakode talne se bachne ke liye, shantipurna Bharat ke liye, kisaano ki behtari ke liye, mahilaon ki suraksha ke liye Congress ko vote dein. #MyVoteForCongress #AbHogaNyay [The time has come -- to decide your and your children's future. To avoid frying pakodas (fritters), for a peaceful India, for the betterment of the farmers, and for protection of women against crime, vote for the Congress]"
This tweet came right after Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: "2019 Lok Sabha elections commence today. I call upon all those whose constituencies are voting in the first phase today to turn out in record numbers and exercise their franchise. I specially urge young and first-time voters to vote in large numbers."
Congress president Rahul Gandhi also tweeted: "No 2 crore jobs. No 15 lakhs in bank account. No acche din. Instead: no jobs. Demonetisation. Farmers in pain. Gabbar Singh Tax. Suit boot sarkar. Rafale. Lies. Lies. Lies. Distrust. Violence. Hate. Fear. You vote today for the soul of India. For her future. Vote wisely."
The Lok Sabha election is scheduled to be held in seven phases from April 11 to May 19, 2019 to constitute the 17th Lok Sabha.
The counting of votes will be conducted on 23 May and the results will be declared on the same day.
In the run up to this election, the opposition had been targetting the Modi government over what it claimed was a severe unemployment crisis across the country.
The Congress' "pakoda" jibe at the BJP alludes to a remark by PM Modi in a television interview last January. In a televised interaction, PM Modi had asked if a person earning Rs 200 a day selling pakodas can be considered unemployed.
Rahul Gandhi had then said that self-employment is different from job creation.
