Lok Sabha elections 2024 highlights: 'India's prestige has increased globally,' says PM Modi in Andhra Pradesh

Congress candidate from North East Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, Kanhaiya Kumar files his nomination. AAP Delhi Convenor Gopal Rai also with him.

On her resignation from the Congress party, Radhika Khera says "I always heard that Congress is anti-Ram, anti-Sanatan and anti-Hindu but I never believed it. Mahatma Gandhi used to start every meeting with 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram'. I got exposed to the reality when I went to Ram temple with my grandmother and after returning from there, I put a 'Jai Shri Ram' flag on the door of my house and after that Congress party started hating me. Whenever I posted photos or videos, I was scolded and asked why did I visit Ayodhya when elections were under process..."

Delhi: Congress candidate from North East Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, Kanhaiya Kumar performed hawan and took part in Sarvdharm prayers, ahead of his filing his nomination.

A group of Vice Chancellors and academic leaders from across the country on Monday, wrote an open letter opposing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s comments on the selection process of University heads. The letter addressed and refuted the baseless allegations being circulated and is signed by 181 signatories. The letter said, “It has come to our notice from tweet and open sources of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi that appointment of Vice Chancellors is made solely based on affiliation with some organization rather than on the basis of merit and qualification thereby questioning the merit of the process through which the Vice Chancellors are appointed.”

Addressing a public rally in Behrampur, PM Modi says, "June 4 is the expiry date of the BJD government... On June 4, BJP's CM face will be announced. On June 10, the swearing-in ceremony of BJP's CM will take place, in Bhubaneswar. Today, I am here to invite all of you to the swearing-in ceremony of BJP's CM..."

Addressing a public rally in Behrampur, PM Modi says, "For 50 years and then for 25 years, the BJD government ruled Odisha... Odisha has water, agricultural land, mineral ores, a long sea coast, history and heritage, there is everything in Odisha. Then why is it so that Odisha is rich but its people are poor... The reason behind this sin is the loot of the Congress and BJD leaders. Small leaders of BJD have also become owners of big bungalows..."

On statement of Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar about the killing of former Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare, BJP leader Rohan Gupta says, "While opposing the government, they start opposing the country. They don't understand this. It is election time, but don't bring such electoral issues that would benefit your enemies. How can someone give clean chit to Pakistan? Pakistan has always been responsible for attacks in the country - be it 26/11 or Pulwama. I don't think your politics should stoop to this level that you start giving clean chits for vote bank politics. I strongly opine that Congress should give a strong message by taking action against that leader over this statement..."

One minor killed, two injured in an explosion in West Bengal's Hooghly district. They were playing with a crude bomb which they mistook as a ball. The incident took place at Pandua where TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee is scheduled to address an election rally today.

Addressing a public rally in Behrampur, PM Modi says, "In Odisha, two 'Yagya' are happening together. One is for making a strong government in India and the other is to form a strong state government in Odisha led by BJP. Your enthusiasm shows that the double-engine government is going to form in Odisha for the first time..."

In a dramatic turn of events, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on Monday changed its candidate from Jaunpur Lok Sabha on the last day of nomination for the sixth phase nearly 20 days after declaring tainted politician and former MP Dhananjay Singh's wife Shrikala Dhananjay Singh, earlier known as Shrikala Reddy, as its candidate on April 16. Notably, Monday is the last date of nominations for the sixth phase of polling to be held on May 25. Polling in Jaunpur is also scheduled in the sixth phase. The BSP has again relied on its sitting MP from Jaunpur, Shyam Singh Yadav and made him the candidate now. Shyam Singh Yadav is said to be filing his nomination from Jaunpur as a BSP candidate today itself.

Call it a political compulsion or something else, veteran Congress leader Digvijaya Singh seems to be offering an olive branch to RSS by praising the organization just ahead of polls in Rajgarh parliamentary constituency. "Though I am a critic of RSS ideology, I admire the organisation’s commitment. Reason being RSS was formed in 1925 and their agenda has not changed till now in the past one century or so," said Singh, while criticising the BJP in an interview with a local TV news channel a couple of days back. Reading between the lines the BJP was quick to react.

RJD leader Tej Pratap Yadav on Monday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and called him the reason behind the martyrdom of the soldier in the terrorist attack on the Indian Air Force vehicle in Jammu & Kashmir's Poonch on May 4. Speaking with the reporters, Tej Pratap Yadav also launched an attack on the opposition and said, "...They have just made people fight each other, caused Hindu-Muslim differences." He added further, "Shaheed kinke wajah se huye? Modi ji ki wajah se huye. Pehle kahan koi shaheed hota tha? (Who caused the martyrdom? It is because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Were there any martyrs before?" A day before, former Chief Minister of Punjab Charanjit Singh Channi also attacked the BJP and alleged that the Poonch terror attack was "pre-planned" and said such "stuntbaazi" was done to make the BJP win the elections.

BJP national spokesperson Ajay Alok on Monday criticised former Punjab Chief Minister and Congress Working Committee Member, Charanjit Singh Channi, for his alleged remarks on the recent terror attack incident in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch and said that the latter has "lost his mind." Ajay Alok targeted the Congress party for the CWC member's remarks calling it their "culture." "Charanjit Singh Channi has lost his mind. Does it suit a former Chief Minister to make such disgusting statements? Only the Congress party can do such petty politics over the jawans of the country. It is their culture," Ajay Alok said while speaking to ANI on Monday. An Indian Air Force was killed and four others injured in the terror attack in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday (May 5) evening.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday attacked INDIA bloc partners - Congress and Samajwadi Party, alleging that they want to give a portion of the reservation meant for Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes to Muslims. "They have mentioned some things in their manifesto. They said that if the government came to power, then a part of the reservation given to the backward castes would be given to the Muslims. Will India accept it? Will India accept this if we cut off a portion of the reservation given to Scheduled Castes and Tribes and give it to Muslims?" Adityanath said while addressing an election rally here in support of Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Ashok Rawat from Misrikh Lok Sabha constituency.

Exuding confidence in the BJP and its allies winning more than 400 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Odisha BJP State President Manmohan Samal said that people are excited about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the state. "People are very excited about the arrival of PM Modi here...Tomorrow (6th May), PM Modi will hold public rallies in Brahmapur and Nowrangpur. We will get positive results in the elections, winning more than 400 seats," Samal told ANI. Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Bhubaneswar on Sunday night for the election campaign. He will hold public rallies in Brahmapur and Nowrangpur on Monday.

As voters are waiting to cast their ballots in the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday, several prominent leaders including Amit Shah who s contesting from Gandhinagar and Dimple Yadav from Mainpuri and the battle for 'Pawar' legacy in high-stake contests. The voting in the third phase will take place on May 7, followed by the two phases on April 19 and April 26.

In a setback for Shiv Sena (UBT), its Nashik district chief Vijay Karanjkar joined the Shiv Sena (Ek Nath Shinder) in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. According to reports, Vijay Karanjkar was denied a ticket by the Uddhav Thackeray-led party, and he jumped ships with the Shinde Sena faction. Karanjkar joined Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) a day before the third phase of polling for Lok Sabha elections. Shinde Sena has renominated sitting MP Hemant Godse from Nasik. The last date to withdraw the nominations is May 6.

The Congress on Sunday night announced the names of candidates for Lahaul and Spiti and Barsar assembly constituencies in Himachal Pradesh where bypolls are scheduled for June 1. The party has fielded Zila Parishad chairperson Anuradha Rana from Lahaul and Spiti seat and Subash Chand from Barsar constituency. According to a release issued by the Congress, the candidature of Rana and Chand was approved by party president Mallikarjun Kharge. Rana and Chand will take on the BJP's Ravi Thakur and Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, respectively, both Congress turncoats.

Campaigning for the third phase of the Lok Sabha election ended at 6 pm on Sunday. Among the seats going to the polls in Maharashtra in this phase, Baramati is one of the most watched, as the fight stands between Nationalist Congress Party patriarch Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit Pawar, who split the party and leads a faction of the party. In Baramati, the main contenders are Supriya Sule, the daughter of Sharad Pawar, who is contesting for the fourth time from the constituency, and Ajit Pawar's wife, Sunetra Pawar.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee unleashed an unprecedented attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday by calling him a liar and thief multiple times during a 50-minute Lok Sabha campaign speech in which the Trinamool Congress chairperson referred to defence deals, the PM Cares funds and allegations of sexual assault levelled at some local TMC leaders at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district. 

“CBI and Income Tax are in their hands. They have purchased a large section of the judiciary as well. They are framing one false charge after another. The Prime Minister is coming here and crying for Sandeshkhali. People are thinking his heart is crying for the mothers and sisters. Did you ever realise that they cooked up the narrative? Did you realise even once how money was spent to frame the charges? Banerjee said at the Bolpur Lok Sabha constituency in Birbhum district. 

Banerjee indirectly referred to the sting operation video in which BJP’s Sandeshkhali-2 community block unit president Gangadhar Kayal was purportedly heard saying that BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari instructed him to convince some local women file false charges of rape in exchange for ₹2000 each. Uploaded on YouTube by an unidentified person, the video went viral on Saturday, prompting BJP to allege that it was doctored after TMC state general secretary Abhishek Banerjee called a press conference.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here on Sunday night to lead the BJP's campaign for its candidates on Monday, officials said. 

Modi was received by senior BJP leaders including party’s Odisha unit president Manmohan Samal and Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi at the Biju Patnaik International Airport. 

Modi was seen flashing a lotus symbol to people who were standing on both sides of the road connecting the airport with Raj Bhavan. He is likely to visit Shree Lingaraj temple in the city on Monday morning, sources said. 

The PM is scheduled to address two election rallies in Berhampur and Nabarangpur on Monday.

The Congress filed a first information report on Sunday against the Bharatiya Janata Party’s head of IT cell Amit Malviya, party president JP Nadda and Karnataka party president and MLA BY Vijayendra for posting an anti-Muslim video through BJP Karnataka’s official Twitter, now X, account. 

The FIR was filed by Ramesh Babu, the chairperson of media and communication of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee under Section 125 of the Representation of People Act, 1951 and 1988, and Section 505(2) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. According to Section 125 of the RoPA, 1951, any person connected with an election who promotes or attempts to promote enmity on the basis of religion, race, caste, community or language shall be punishable with a jail term of up to three years and/or fine. 

According to Section 505(2) of the IPC, 1860, anybody who publishes or circulates any statement or report containing “rumour or alarming news with intent to create or promote, or which is likely to promote” enmity, hatred or ill will between different religious, racial, language or religious groups or castes or communities on the basis of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, caste or community or any other ground shall be punished with a jail term of up to three years and/or fine.