Assembly polls 2021 LIVE: BJP aims for 'Andolan-Mukt' Assam, says Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said the Congress is "shamelessly" talking of secularism. Stay tuned for LIVE updates as we track poll campaigns

Hitting out at the Congress over its poll alliance with the AIUDF in Assam, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said the grand old party is "shamelessly" talking of secularism and culture preservation even as it has Badruddin Ajmal's outfit "seated on its lap".

Earlier in the day, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is still recuperating from the injuries she sustained last week in Nandigram, asserted that she would continue her fight against the BJP "as long as her heart beats and vocal cords function".

Wishing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee speedy recovery, Union Home Minister Amit Shah today said that she is in pain due to her injury and wondered whether she could feel the agony of the families of BJP workers killed during TMC's rule in the state. Shah, who was addressing a poll rally in Balarampur, said 130 BJP workers were killed by TMC goons. He hit out at the TMC for not doing enough for the development of the minorities and introducing cut money culture in the state.

In another news, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati today said that the party will not forge alliances with other parties in four poll-bound states - West Bengal, Kerala, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu.

Stay tuned for the latest news of the day.

8:44 PM

A day after tonsure protest, Lathika Subhash resigns from Congress; to contest as Independent for Kerala polls

A day after she resigned as Mahila Congress chief and tonsured her head in protest following denial of ticket, Lathika Subhash on Monday quit the party and decided to contest as an independent for the April 6 assembly election from Ettumanoor in Kottayam. Fifty six-year-old Subhash, an AICC member, said she had sent in her resignation letter to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran.

 

In the letter to Gandhi, Subhash said: "Congress had miserably failed to understand the feeling of Mahila Congress and its workers. As a woman, I feel this is a planned neglect against us."

 

"None of the Mahila Congress representatives had got the ticket to contest in the election," she said. The parent organisation had not meted justice to the Mahila congress, the senior leader said resigning from the AICC.

7:44 PM

AIUDF seated on lap, Congress talking of secularism: Amit Shah in Assam

Hitting out at the Congress over its poll alliance with the AIUDF in Assam, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said the grand old party is "shamelessly" talking of secularism and culture preservation even as it has Badruddin Ajmal's outfit "seated on its lap".

 

Shah, after launching the BJP's social media campaign 'Selfie with development' here, said the saffron camp will bank on five pillars to fight the assembly polls -- 'Suraksha aur Samman' (protection and respect), 'Samriddhi aur Judao' (prosperity and connection), 'Sanskriti aur Sabhyata' (culture and civilisation), 'Shanti aur Samvad' (peace and dialogue) and 'Swanirbharta aur Atmanirbharta' (Self-reliance).

 

"Assam elections will not just ensure that the BJP stays in power, but will also guarantee preservation of the state's culture, traditions and civilisation," he stated.

 

The Union minister urged the saffron partys social media volunteers to act as 'marg-darshaks' (guide) as it is "your responsibility to create awareness on our mission to build golden Assam".

 

7:22 PM

'Andolan-Mukt' Assam is what we aim for: Home Minister Amit Shah at Guwahati election rally

7:20 PM

Assam assembly polls will also guarantee preservation of indigenous culture, traditions: Amit Shah in Guwahati

Assam assembly polls will not just ensure BJP stays in power, but it will also guarantee preservation of indigenous culture, traditions: Amit Shah in Guwahati

6:44 PM

Home Minister Amit Shah launches BJP's social media campaign 'Selfie with Development' in Assam

Union Home Minister Amit Shah launches BJP's social media campaign 'Selfie with Development' in Assam

 

6:37 PM

Our youth died in movements in Assam: Amit Shah at Guwahati public rally

6:19 PM

Tamil Nadu polls: CM K Palanisamy, M K Stalin file nominations

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palanisamy filed his nomination papers on Monday for the April 6 Assembly elections from the Edappady constituency. He contested the seat in all elections since 1989 and won in 1989, 1991, 2011 and 2016. Accompanied by a horde of supporters, Palanisamy walked some distance to the tehsildar's office where returning officer, Dharmalingam received his nomination papers.

 

DMK President M K Stalin also filed his nomination papers for the Kolathur constituency at the Greater Chennai Corporation Zonal Office. He was accompanied by party leaders Sekar Babu and N.R. Elango.

 

5:34 PM

We're not against the word 'Congress', but against its policies: BJP chief J P Nadda in Assam

5:24 PM

Expect Gulf countries to be helpful in facilitating early return of Indians to work: Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday told Parliament that India is fully cognizant of the plight of Indian workers and students abroad on account of the COVID-19 pandemic, and has repatriated 45.82 lakh people from 98 countries under the Vande Bharat Mission till date.

 

He said re-employment concerns of people working abroad will be addressed by the government and that it is working to improve economic growth and create job opportunities.

 

The government, he further said, is also in touch with the Gulf countries for facilitating the early return of those who were compelled to quit jobs on account of the COVID-19 pandemic.

4:51 PM

Mamata govt did not cooperate on Tajpur port, drove away automobile company from Bengal: Nitin Gadkari

Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday claimed that the West Bengal government did not cooperate with the Centre over the proposed port at Tajpur, besides driving away an automobile company from the state.

 

Addressing an election rally at Egra in the Purba Medinipur district, the senior BJP leader said the parties that ruled the state failed to meet the aspirations of the people, and to eradicate poverty and unemployment.

 

"As the transport minister, I had taken the initiative to bring a big automobile firm to Nandigram but the Trinamool Congress government drove the company away," Gadkari said.

4:41 PM

Many sitting MPs nominated by BJP for Bengal polls did nothing for state's welfare: Mamata Banerjee

Launching a scathing attack on the BJP for nominating its sitting MPs from several assembly seats in Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday sought to know if they would be "spreading lies and engineering riots" after the elections.

 

Banerjee, while addressing a rally here in Purulia district, mocked the BJP's 'rath yatra', and said she has always known that chariots are taken out for Lord Jagannath and his divine siblings.

 

"Some BJP leaders are moving around in so-called 'rath', but we have always known that Lord Jagannath and his divine siblings travel in chariots. Are they (BJP leaders) bigger than God?" the CM, who is still recuperating from the injuries she sustained last week in Nandigram, said.

4:27 PM

Tamil Nadu Assembly polls: MK Stalin files nomination from Kolathur

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief MK Stalin on Monday filed his nomination from Kolathur constituency in Chennai for Tamil Nadu Assembly polls.

 

This is the third time he will be contesting from Kolathur. He will face AIADMK's Adhi Rajaram in Kolathur. After completing the nomination process, the DMK chief carried out a roadshow in the constituency.

 

He will also campaign in Thiruvaarur, Mannargudi, and Nannilam Assembly constituencies today. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami too filed his nomination from the Edappadi constituency as the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) candidate.

4:06 PM

Rahul Gandhi walking the path of Jinnah , says MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Assam

4:06 PM

West Bengal Polls: TMC MLA Debasree Roy resigns

Actress-turned Trinamool Congress MLA Debasree Roy on Monday tendered her resignation to the party ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections. In a letter, the Raydighi MLA thanked the party for allowing her to serve the people for the last 10 years.

 

She wrote, "From today I am severing all my ties with the TMC. Since I am not there in any party position there is no need to resign from that. For the last 10 years, I had been the MLA from Raydighi and I want you to relieve me from all my duties. I am grateful to the party for letting me work for the people for a long time."

 

Over 20 ministers and MLAs have resigned from Trinamool Congress (TMC) ahead of the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections, including big names like Suvendu Adhikari, state Finance Minister Amit Mitra, Land Minister Abdul Rajjak Molla and Agriculture Minister Purnendu Basu.

3:50 PM

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee raises slogans in Purulia