LIVE: BJP's Central Election Committee meet underway at party's HQ

PM Modi is also attending the CEC meeting at the party headquarters. Stay tuned for latest LIVE news

The BJP's central election committee (CEC) met on Thursday to finalise party candidates for the initial phases of assembly polls in West Bengal and Assam, two of the four states going to the elections besides the union territory of Puducherry. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and party president J P Shah along with other members of the committee held deliberations at the BJP headquarters. 

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Thursday asserted that new farm laws will enhance farmers' income adding that agricultural is the backbone of the country's economic growth.

Meanehile, Kerala BJP chief today announced that 'Metro Man' E Sreedharan will be the party's chief ministerial candidate in the upcoming state Assembly polls.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Centre to submit before it the regulations on Over The Top (OTT) platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime while stressing that there should be some screening of shows and web series being telecast on such platforms.

Retirement fund body EPFO today decided to retain 8.5 per cent annual rate of interest on provident fund deposits for the current financial year for its more than five crore active subscribers.
 

Stay tuned for the latest news of the day.

11:45 PM

Bird flu detected in Sola, Ahmedabad; sale of poultry banned: District Collector

A bird flu case has been reported at a poultry farm in Sola area of Ahmedabad. Sale of meat, mutton and poultry has been banned. Eggs and food items have also been ordered to be destroyed: Ahmedabad District Collector Gujarat, according to ANI

11:29 PM

Election Commisison asks Bengal CEC to not engage civic police in poll duties

Election Commission of India wrote to West Bengal Chief Election Officer stating that no person from civic police or green police or student police shall be engaged in any election related duty, according to ANI

10:34 PM

Board examinations for classes 10th and 12th to be held as per schedule: Goa CM

10:05 PM

Ramesh Pokhriyal unveils QS World University Rankings by subject 2021

9:54 PM

Cong plans to bring a no-confidence motion against BJP-JJP govt in Haryana: Bhoopinder Singh

8:58 PM

ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel to set up Rs 50,000 crore integrated unit in Odisha

The Government of Odisha and ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India Limited signed an MoU today for setting up an integrated steel complex in Kendrapara District of the state for an investment of more than Rs 50,000 crore.

 

ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel is one of the largest steel makers of the world and combines the financial might of the LN Mittal Group including their international presence in the sector and the technological prowess and management strength of Nippon Steel, which is a Japanese company renowned in the world for its high-technology steel products. READ MORE...

8:28 PM

BJP's Central Election Committee meet underway at party's Headquarters

8:21 PM

RailTel launches prepaid wi-fi services at 4,000 railway stations

Railway PSU RailTel formally launched its paid wi-fi service plans on Thursday which will enable users to access high-speed internet at 4,000 railway stations across the country.

 

RailTel already provides free wi-fi service at more than 5,950 stations in the country, and the facility can be availed by anyone with a smartphone and an active connection after an OTP-based verification. READ MORE...

8:08 PM

Union minister Nitin Gadkari takes bus ride to inspect construction work of Dwarka Expressway in Gurgaon

Union minister Nitin Gadkari takes bus ride to inspect construction work of Dwarka Expressway in Gurgaon

7:51 PM

Restrain Rahul Gandhi from campaigning in Tamil Nadu: BJP plea to ECI

The Tamil Nadu unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday urged the Election Commission to restrain Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from campaigning in Tamil Nadu for the April 6 Assembly election, for allegedly violating the model code of conduct.

 

It also wanted the EC to direct the police to register an FIR against him for "inciting the youth to another freedom struggle."

 

BJP state in-charge, election liaison committee, V Balachandran, alleged that Gandhi's campaign in St.Joseph's Matric Higher Secondary School in Mulagumoodu in Kanyakumari district on March 1 was akin to an election campaign in school premises.

7:41 PM

PM Narendra Modi arrives at BJP Headquarters for party's Central Election Committee meet

7:36 PM

Farmers violence: Delhi court grants bail to farmer, retired Army officer

A Delhi court Thursday granted bail to a farmer and a retired Army officer in a case related to the violence on Republic Day during farmers' tractor parade against the Centre's three new agri laws.

 

Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat granted the relief to Baljeet Singh and Harjinder Singh on furnishing a bail bond of Rs 15,000 with one surety of like amount in the case of the violence in Seemapuri area.

 

Baljeet is a farmer by profession and lives in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, and Harjinder is a retired Army Officer from 9 Sikh Light Infantry Battalion of the Indian Army and served for 17 years.

7:17 PM

Amit Shah and Nitin Gadkari arrive at BJP Headquarters for party's CEC meet

7:00 PM

I-T dept detects Rs 175-crore black income in raids on TN contractors

The Income Tax Department detected "unaccounted" income of Rs 175 crore after it raided two groups of civil contractors in poll-bound Tamil Nadu, the CBDT said on Thursday.

 

It said "unaccounted" cash of Rs 3 crore was seized after the searches were conducted on Wednesday at 18 premises in Madurai and Ramanathapuram districts.

6:31 PM

Amit Shah meets PM Modi ahead BJP CEC meet

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the crucial Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting of the BJP to discuss the names of party candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal and Assam.

 

Modi is also expected to attend the CEC meeting at the party headquarters here on Thursday evening along with Shah, BJP President J.P. Nadda and other senior leaders. The CEC is a body that decides who the candidates will be for the different constituencies in the poll-bound states.

 

It has been learnt that the BJP leaders will go into a huddle to finalise the first list of candidates for 60 Assembly constituencies in West Bengal that will go to the polls in the first two phases. The first two phases of polling in Assam and West Bengal will be held on March 27 and April 1.