Delhi

New Delhi, Mar 11 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with the crown prince of Abu Dhabi on Monday and thanked him for inviting India to address the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

The prime minister and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces expressed happiness over the growing strength of all-round bilateral cooperation.

New Delhi, Mar 11 (PTI) Days after visiting Islamabad, Saudi State Minister for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir on Monday held extensive talks with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj here with a focus on deepening cooperation to combat terrorism.

It is learnt that the recent Indo-Pak tensions triggered by Pulwama attack and India's subsequent air strike on a terrorist training camp in Pakistan also came up during the meeting.

During his four-and-a-half-hour visit, Jubeir also called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed bilateral issues, officials said.

New Delhi, Mar 11 (PTI) The choice is between Mahatma Gandhi's India or Godse's India with love on one hand and hate on the other, Congress president Rahul Gandhi told his party's booth workers here on Monday, a day after the Lok Sabha elections were announced.

In an all out attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gandhi flayed him on a host of issues such as the Rafale deal, employment generation, national security and alleged agrarian distress.

NEW DELHI, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina on Monday jointly unveiled e-plaques for development projects in Bangladesh via video conference, said an official statement issued in New Delhi.

Both leaders unveiled e-plaques for the supply of buses and trucks, inauguration of 36 community clinics, 11 water treatment plants and extension of "National Knowledge Network" to Bangladesh, said the external affairs ministry's statement.

New Delhi, Mar 10; PTI/GANASHAKTI: Amid heightened tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad, a reciprocal visit by the Indian team to Pakistan for inspection of projects in Indus river basin this month has been postponed, senior officials said Sunday.

During the 115th meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission held in Lahore from August 29-30, 2018, both the commissioners had agreed to undertake the treaty-mandated tours of the Indus basin on both sides, the official said.

New Delhi, Mar 10 (PTI) The Election Commission on Sunday imposed model code of conduct' with immediate effect for the Lok Sabha elections and announced that voter verifiable paper audit trail' will be used in all polling stations this time.

Among other things, the model code of conduct bars the government from announcing any policy move that may impact voters' decision.

New Delhi, Mar 10 (PTI) As the Election Commission announced the schedule for the much-awaited Lok Sabha polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the BJP-led NDA seeks people's "blessings again".

"Guided by sabka saath, sabka vikas', NDA seeks your blessings again. We spent the last five years fulfilling basic necessities that were left unfulfilled for 70 long years," he tweeted from his personal handle.

He said, now, time has come to "build on that and create a strong, prosperous and secure India".

New Delhi, Mar 10 (PTI) The Delhi government has issued global tenders for engagement of 375 of the 1,000 electric buses it has decided to procure to combat high levels of air pollution and boost public transport in the national capital.

Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said the 375 e-buses will form the first phase of the procurement of the 1,000 buses.

New Delhi; 10 March 2019: The Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases from April 11 and the results will be announced on May 23, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora announced on Sunday.

Assembly polls will also be held simultaneously in Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Odisha, making this one of the biggest electoral exercises to be held across the country in decades.

New Delhi, Mar 10 (PTI) Lok Sabha elections will begin on April 11 and polling would be held over seven phases through May 19, followed by counting of all votes on May 23, the Election Commission announced on Sunday.

Assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal, Odisha and Sikkim will also be held simultaneously, the Election Commission (EC) said. However, elections for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly, which was dissolved after the ruling coalition between the BJP and the PDP fell apart, will not be held along with the Lok Sabha polls.