Vidhan Sabha Election 2019: PM Modi will address election rallies in Hisar and Gohana in Haryana.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today hit out at the Congress on the issue of Article 370, saying parties like it can neither understand sentiments of people nor respect sacrifices made by brave soldiers.

Addressing a rally in Gohana in Sonipat, Haryana, his fourth one for the October 21 polls, PM Modi while referring to abrogation of Article 370, asked the gathering: "You know what happened on August 5? What no one could have imagined. On August 5, India's Constitution in entirety became applicable in Jammu and Kashmir," he said.

In a last minute change, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will address a public meeting in Mahendragarh today. The former Congress president is replacing his mother and party interim chief Sonia Gandhi who had to cancel her plan at the last moment.

Rahul has already held rallies for the October 21 assembly polls in Maharashtra and Haryana. Congress general secretary and Haryana in-charge Ghulam Nabi Azad, former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the party's state president Kumari Selja and many local leaders and candidates are expected to be present at this public meeting.

Here are the live updates of election campaigning in Maharashtra and Haryana:

Oct 18, 2019 20:13 (IST) PM Modi addresses a rally in Mumbai

Oct 18, 2019 14:49 (IST) 1,007 Crorepati Candidates In Maharashtra, 59 Have Declared Zero Assets





Down from 1,095 crorepatis in 2014, Maharashtra this time goes to the polls with 1,007 crorepati candidates, while 59 candidates have declared zero assets, according to a report prepared jointly by The Maharashtra Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). Out of the 3,112 candidates from the 2019 Assembly polls analysed, 1,007 are crorepatis, the report said, adding "in 2014 Maharashtra Assembly elections, out of 2,336 candidates, 1,095 were crorepatis."

Party wise, 155 out of 162 candidates surveyed from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were crorepatis.

"A total of 126 out of 147 candidates analysed from Congress, 116 out of 124 candidates analysed from Shiv Sena, 101 out of 116 candidates analysed from NCP and 52 out of 99 candidates from the MNS have declared assets worth more than Rs. 1 crore," the report said.

The average of assets per candidate analysed in the Maharashtra Assembly Elections is Rs. 4.21 crore.

"In 2014 Maharashtra Assembly Elections, average assets per candidate for 2,336 candidates analysed was Rs. 4.65 crore."

The report says among major parties, the average assets per candidate for 162 BJP candidates is Rs. 23.58 crores, for 147 Congress candidates is Rs. 14.78 crores, while 124 Shiv Sena candidates have average assets of Rs. 12.57 crore.

Oct 18, 2019 14:13 (IST) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressed a rally in Haryana earlier today. "Jammu & Kashmir is an internal matter of India. I want to ask the Congress party, do they want to internationalise the Kashmir issue," he said during a rally.

Oct 18, 2019 11:16 (IST) Haryana Elections 2019: Rahul to replace Sonia as speaker at Mahendragarh rally



Interim Congress President Sonia Gandhi will not address the election rally in Haryana's Mahendragarh on Friday, and will be replaced by Rahul Gandhi as the speaker there, the party said.

Sonia Gandhi had not campaigned in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections due to her ill health. This was to be her first rally after returning as interim Congress president. The party had even released a detailed programme, which said she will address a public meeting at Government College Khel Parisar in Mahendragarh on Friday.

"Rahul Gandhi will be addressing the public meeting at Mahendragarh at 2 p.m.," the party said.

Haryana goes to polls with Maharashtra on October 21.