Lok Sabha Election 2024 highlights: Congress govt had 'loot east policy', says PM Modi

Lok Sabha elections 2024 LIVE: Union Minister and BJP candidate from the Lok Sabha constituency, Nitin Gadkari, asserted that if anyone feels that he has done any discrimination, then there is no need to vote for him in the Lok Sabha elections, reported news agency ANI.

 "All the recognition that I have received belongs to the people of Nagpur...There is a difference of opinion between wife and husband, families, political parties...In the last ten years, if I have ever done any discrimination in work or injustice to Dalits and Muslims, then there is no need to vote for me. If I have worked with sincerity, then please vote for me," said Gadkari before campaigning for Phase I of the Lok Sabha elections ended today.

Lok Sabha elections 2024 LIVE: Exuding confidence in BJP's performance in Kerala, defence minister Rajnath Singh said that the party would register victory in double-digit seats in the state in the upcoming polls, reported news agency ANI. 

"I pay my respect and condolences to BJP workers of Kerala who sacrificed their lives to get a double-digit vote percentage for the BJP... Now I can confidently say that BJP will now win double-digit seats in Kerala," said Singh

Lok Sabha elections 2024 LIVE: Voting for the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 will take place on April 19. Today is the last day of campaigning for political parties, with the BJP and the Congress party concluding their rallies for the first phase of the elections. On Friday, a total of 102 constituencies across 21 states will cast their votes for the general elections. Dig Deeper

Lok Sabha elections 2024 LIVE: Defence minister and BJP leader Rajnath Singh held 26 public meetings and three road shows across 12 states while campaigning for the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Lok Sabha elections after the notification was issued by the Election Commission of India, reported news agency ANI.

Lok Sabha elections 2024 LIVE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday wrote personalised letters to all BJP and NDA candidates contesting in the first phase of the Lok Sabha election on April 19. Addressing the candidates as his "fellow karyakarta", PM Modi wrote that this in not an ordinary election. "Families across India, especially the senior members, would remember the difficulties they have gone through in the 5-6 decades of Congress' rule. In the last 10 years, the quality of life of every section of society has improved, with many of these troubles removed. Yet a lot more is still to be done and this election will be decisive in our mission to ensure a better life for everyone," PM Modi's letter read. Dig Deeper

Lok Sabha elections 2024 LIVE: Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Wednesday said he was ready to sanction funds liberally for development, provided people showed the same generosity while voting for the ruling Mahayuti alliance.

Lok Sabha elections 2024 LIVE: While campaigning in Kerala's Wayanad, Telangana CM Revanth Reddy has predicted that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will get a majority of over 5 lakh votes. 

"Rahul Gandhi will get a majority of over 5 lakh (votes) because people here are not casting their votes for an MP, but for prime minister. People know that the INDIA alliance will form government (at the Centre) and Rahul Gandhi will become the PM," said Reddy as quoted by news agency PTI.

Lok Sabha elections 2024 LIVE: DPAP chief Ghulam Nabi Azad won't contest Lok Sabha polls from Anantnag-Rajouri seat in Jammu & Kashmir, says party.

Lok Sabha elections 2024 LIVE: RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has claimed that Bihar CM Nitish Kumar is sitting at home during election time. 

"We have seen this for the first time in history that CM is sitting at home. Whether he is staying at home or he has been trapped, this is a thing to ponder upon...," said Yadav.

Lok Sabha elections 2024 LIVE: Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin has claimed that the BJP is getting election funds via CBI, ED, and IT raids.

 "We will win 40 out of 40 seats...Jharkhand CM & Delhi CM are in jail, the reason you know? It is because of the fear of the elections. They (BJP) do not think about the people, they only think of the corporates...All parties are getting election funds, that's not an issue, but BJP is getting via CBI, ED, and IT raids...," said Stalin as quoted by news agency ANI.

Lok Sabha elections 2024 LIVE: While addressing a poll rally in Kerala, Defence minister and BJP leader Rajnath Singh said, "...Supreme Court categorically said that if someone is responsible for the financial crisis of Kerala then it is the state government. I want to say give enough strength to the BJP; LDF, UDF can be only checked by the BJP and we can give them a befitting reply. UDF and LDF have looted the people of Kerala in their successive regimes...The people of India have decided 'abki baar 400 paar'..."

Check out these news stories related to the Lok Sabha election 2024

Lok Sabha elections 2024 LIVE: AIADMK leader and former Tamil Nadu CM E Palaniswami is holding a roadshow in Salem

Lok Sabha elections 2024 LIVE: Telangana CM Revanth Reddy has accused PM Modi of ignoring south India before elections.

 "It's good for the slogan (BJP's 400 plus slogan) but it won't succeed as PM Modi has got two terms but he has betrayed people. South India is in India only, why didn't he come here earlier, why didn't he give us the bullet train and riverfront like Sabarmati. He is remembering South India for votes. He hasn't given political representation (President, Vice-President, HM, Defence Minister) and financial allocation to South India. BJP has no right to seek votes here, South has banned them... BJP is doing legal corruption and all those who are doing such including Pinarayi Vijayan are coordinating with PM Modi. Why he (Kerala CM) is not supporting the LDF candidate in Wayanad? He is supporting Surendran (BJP's candidate)...," said Reddy as quoted by news agency ANI.

Lok Sabha elections 2024 LIVE: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched allegations at PM Modi involving industrialist Adani. 
While addressing a public meeting in Kolar, Gandhi said, "Wherever Mr Adani wants money, doesn't matter how poor the family is, doesn't matter if they're starving, if Mr Adani wants that land, Mr Narendra Modi can get him that land. He wants Mumbai airport, the owner will get a CBI case and soon will hand the airport to Adani. He wants the storage facility of our farmers, he will get that storage facility."

Lok Sabha elections 2024 LIVE: While campaigning for his son and Congress candidate from Sivaganga, Karti Chidambaram, Congress leader P Chidambaram accused the BJP government of causing inflation and massive unemployment in the country. 

"BJP under PM Modi has been in office for 10 years, which is a big time to assess the government. This government has left us with inflation and massive unemployment, and on these two grounds, this government must go. No government must remain in power for more than 10 years, after which there must be a change of government, of thinking, of policy, and a change of actors... BJP is contesting only about 420 or 430 seats, of which, they are contesting on 25 seats in Tamil Nadu. If they will lose all 25 seats in Tamil Nadu how will they win 400... We will sweep in Tamil Nadu, kerala, Karnataka, and Telangana, and we will win a substantial number of seats in Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi...," said Chidambaram as quoted by news agency ANI.

Lok Sabha elections 2024 LIVE: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has jibed at the BJP, saying, "I have said this earlier, I am saying it now, BJP will be wiped out from the west (Western UP). It is so as they have betrayed the farmer. They said that would double the farmer's income but have failed even to provide MSP... It's not '400-paar' but 400-haar'. BJP has become a godown for the corrupts, all the corrupts are there now. Don't you see what has happened in Electoral bonds? BJP can't answer it. Extortion has been done through ED and CBI. This govt is playing with institutions. If institutions are weakened so does democracy."

Lok Sabha elections 2024 LIVE: The Trinamool Congress on Wednesday released its election manifesto, two days before the first phase of the election begins. Coochbehar, Alipurduar, and Jalpaiguri will go to the polls in the first phase. The 10 promises announced included party convener Mamata Banerjee's oft-repeated assurance that there will be no Citizenship (Amendment) Act, National Register of Citizens (NRC) and Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Bengal. The promises will be fulfilled once the Trinamool forms the government in the Centre as part of the INDIA alliance, Trinamool leaders said asserting Trinamool's support to the Congress-led alliance in the Centre though there has been no alliance in the state. Dig Deeper

Lok Sabha elections 2024 LIVE: All India Trinamool Congress has released its manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Lok Sabha elections 2024 LIVE: While addressing a public rally in Karnataka’s Mandya, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, “The election season is here, and it is a fight between two ideologies. On one side is the Congress party and INDIA alliance, which is fighting for the Indian Constitution and Democracy. On the other hand, we have the BJP and RSS which are trying to kill the Democracy and Constitution of the country. They are putting their people in every institution of the country.”

Lok Sabha elections 2024 LIVE: While addressing a public rally in Karnataka’s Mandya, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, “PM Modi is running a government, influenced by billionaires and only works for 22-25 people in the country. Meanwhile, we run the government for common people, farmers and businessmen. During Karnataka elections, we promised ‘five guarantees’ to the people, and I can proudly say that our government has delivered on all the promises that we made.”

Lok Sabha elections 2024 LIVE: While addressing a public meeting in Tripura's Agartala, PM Modi said, "Today your mobile bill under the Modi government is ₹400- ₹500, but if there had been a Congress government in Delhi, your mobile bill would not have been less than ₹4000 or ₹5000...Earlier, political parties only remembered the North East when they needed your votes. During Congress' rule, only one policy was for the North East.- loot east policy..."

Lok Sabha elections 2024 LIVE: While addressing a public meeting in Tripura's Agartala, PM Modi said " North East plays a major role in making India 'Viksit'. After years of Independence and during the rule of Congress justice was not done with the capabilities of the states in North East. Communists ruled in Tripura and they just destroyed the people of Tripura. But, today in Delhi there is a government that continuously thinks about North East and Tripura. North East 'mere liye politics ka nahi, prem aur prathmikta ka vishaya hai'..."

Lok Sabha elections 2024 LIVE: While addressing a public meeting in Tripura's Agartala, PM Modi said "I have visited the Northeast more than 50 times. During Congress government, several ministers didn't even know where Tripura is on India's map. For Tripura, BJP means politics of development. But communists here had a history of 'politics of destruction'".

Lok Sabha elections 2024 LIVE: While addressing a public meeting in Tripura's Agartala, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "Today is the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami. After 500 years and a long wait, it is that Ram Navami when Lord Ram is 'Virajman' in Ayodhya's temple.