Lok Sabha Election 2024 Updates: INDI alliance will impose Taliban rule, says Yogi Adityanath

"In the present day democratic system of this country, a common man is very important in the elections. Power of the common man's vote will be very important. People of UP's Mirzapur Lok Sabha constituency are very angry and they want a big change here," said Apna Dal (Kamerwadi) leader Pallavi Patel earlier today.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday lambasted the Congress-led INDIA bloc for coming up with promises that suggested it wanted to "levy jaziya tax" and bring the country under “Taliban rule”.

The firebrand BJP leader made the remarks at three back-to-back rallies in Bihar, the first and the last in favour of Patna Sahib MP Ravi Shankar Prasad with one in support of Union minister RK Singh, who represents Arrah, scheduled in between.

“The Congress and the INDIA bloc speak of personal laws. They want to undo what Ravi Shankar Prasad had achieved (as the then Union law minister) by scrapping triple talaq”, alleged Yogi.

He added the opposition alliance wanted to promote “Talibani shasan” in which “women will not have the freedom to go to schools, markets and offices and will be forced to always wear the burqa”.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday lambasted the Congress-led INDIA bloc for coming up with promises that suggested it wanted to "levy jaziya tax" and bring the country under “Taliban rule”.

The firebrand BJP leader made the remarks at three back-to-back rallies in Bihar, the first and the last in favour of Patna Sahib MP Ravi Shankar Prasad with one in support of Union minister RK Singh, who represents Arrah, scheduled in between.

“The Congress and the INDIA bloc speak of personal laws. They want to undo what Ravi Shankar Prasad had achieved (as the then Union law minister) by scrapping triple talaq”, alleged Yogi.

He added the opposition alliance wanted to promote “Talibani shasan” in which “women will not have the freedom to go to schools, markets and offices and will be forced to always wear the burqa”.

He also alleged that the Congress wanted to bring in a “virasat (inheritance) tax” which was like “jaziya”, imposed during the mediaeval times by Muslim rulers on their subjects belonging to other faiths.

Kolkata on Tuesday was witness to multiple high-octane and colourful road shows by top leaders, one by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and two such by Mamata Banerjee, his arch-political rival in West Bengal, even as campaign frenzy reached its zenith ahead of the last phase of Lok Sabha elections.

In his first ever road show in Kolkata, PM Modi led a vibrant cavalcade from the base of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's statue at Shyambazar Five Point Crossing that terminated at the ancestral residence of Swami Vivekananda on Simla Street in North Kolkata, with people gathering in impressive numbers to greet the leader en route.

The political extravaganza was organized in support of BJP candidate from the Kolkata Uttar seat, Tapas Roy, and his counterpart from the Dum Dum constituency in the northern fringes of the city, Silbhadra Dutta.

Ahead of the event, the PM visited Maa Sarada's residence at Bagbazar and paid homage to the Holy Mother who was the spiritual consort to the 19th Century Hindu mystic Ramakrishna Paramhansa.

The Election Commission on Thursday ordered the immediate suspension of senior IPS officer DS Kuttey working in Odisha chief minister's office for unduly interfering in conduct of election and asked another IPS officer Ashish Singh to present himself for detailed medical examination by a special medical board constituted by director AIIMS over similar allegatiins.

The ECI order said D.S. Kutey, a 1997-batch IPS who is special secretary to CM would be placed under suspension under relevant service rules for unduly interfering in conduct of election. The ECI said Kuttey's headquarter is fixed at the Office of Resident Commissioner Odisha, New Delhi where he has to report by May 29 afternoon. "Chief Electoral Officer Odisha would provide to the Chief Secretary of Odisha draft of charge sheet to be issued to Kutey and Odisha chief secretary would arrange chargesheet under relevant service rules by 5:00 pm of May 30," the order said..

On Ashis Singh, the 2010-batch IPS now is working as IG(CM security), the ECI said as he is on medical leave since May 4, he would present himself for detailed medical examination by a special medical board constituted by director of AIIMS, Bhubaneshwar not later than May 30. "The Chief Electoral Officer would coordinate to ensure that Director AIIMS Bhubaneshwar for constituting a special medical board to ascertain illness and treatment being undergone," the ECI order said.

Claiming that it was her government which took measures to save the lives of people from the cyclone Remal that hit the state, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not speaking the truth about efforts made by Delhi in monitoring it and rescue efforts after the storm.

Speaking at an election rally in Barasat, Modi said that the Centre was providing all help to the West Bengal government to handle the situation in the aftermath of cyclone Remal that made landfall on the adjacent coasts of the state and Bangladesh around midnight of Sunday.

"We shifted nearly 46 lakh people (to safer places) and saved their lives," the chief minister said, addressing an election rally at Behala in Kolkata Dakshin Lok Sabha constituency in favour of Trinamool Congress candidate Mala Roy.

Banerjee said that it was unfortunate that seven people died because of the cyclone, lakhs of people could have lost their lives if the state administration had not taken measures in time.

The Election Commission on Thursday ordered the immediate suspension of senior IPS officer DS Kuttey working in Odisha chief minister's office for unduly interfering in conduct of election and asked another IPS officer Ashish Singh to present himself for detailed medical examination by a special medical board constituted by director AIIMS over similar allegatiins.

The ECI order said D.S. Kutey, a 1997-batch IPS who is special secretary to CM would be placed under suspension under relevant service rules for unduly interfering in conduct of election. The ECI said Kuttey's headquarter is fixed at the Office of Resident Commissioner Odisha, New Delhi where he has to report by May 29 afternoon. "Chief Electoral Officer Odisha would provide to the Chief Secretary of Odisha draft of charge sheet to be issued to Kutey and Odisha chief secretary would arrange chargesheet under relevant service rules by 5:00 pm of May 30," the order said..

On Ashis Singh, the 2010-batch IPS now is working as IG(CM security), the ECI said as he is on medical leave since May 4, he would present himself for detailed medical examination by a special medical board constituted by director of AIIMS, Bhubaneshwar not later than May 30. "The Chief Electoral Officer would coordinate to ensure that Director AIIMS Bhubaneshwar for constituting a special medical board to ascertain illness and treatment being undergone," the ECI order said.

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticised INDIA bloc parties for undermining the constitutional rights of Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC), Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Manoj Jha on Tuesday said that it is Prime Minister Modi who is playing an important role in ending the reservations of these communities, adding that such remarks should not be taken seriously.

He further said that BJP hate social justice, secularism and all those things which is not accepted by Nagpur, referring to RSS.

"I never take him seriously. Prime Minister is playing an important role in ending the reservation. As per constitutional provisions, there has to be reservation in public employment. How many government jobs have you given? So in a way you have ended the reservation. Your people wanted to even change the Preamble. You hate social justice, secularism. You hate all those things which is not accepted by Nagpur (reference to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh which is headquartered in Nagpur)," Manoj Jha told ANI.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he hailed director Payal Kapadia for winning the Grand Prix award at the Cannes Film Festival, asking if India is proud of her, shouldn't his government immediately withdraw the "cases" against her and fellow FTII students.

Last week, Kapadia became the first Indian filmmaker to win the Grand Prix award, the second highest honour at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, for her Malayalam-Hindi feature film "All We Imagine As Light". Following the win, Modi had said the country is proud of her.

Back in 2015, Kapadia was one of the protesting students who went on strike to oppose actor-politician Gajendra Chauhan's appointment as the chairperson of the Pune-based Film and Television Institute of India (FTII).

On May 27, less than 48 hours after polling for phase 6 of the general elections ended, Lalitesh Pati Tripathi, Trinamool Congress’s candidate from the constituency of Bhadohi, Uttar Pradesh, tweeted a photo of five stacks of forms, and said, “Dear @ECISVEEP, @ceoup, I have collected form 17c from all the booths (Bhadohi Loksabha) and tabulated the data of vote %. Now over to you, how long will you take to declare the number of votes polled.” Read more

Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday claimed that the BJP's "backbone has already been broken" in the previous six phases of the Lok Sabhas elections and the last nail in its coffin would be driven on June 1 when the final leg of the polls will be held.

He asserted that the INDIA bloc would form the government at the Centre after the elections and the funds for rural welfare schemes due to the state, which was allegedly withheld by it, would be released.

“As we understand, the BJP’s backbone has already been broken in the previous phases of the elections. The last nail in its coffin would be driven on June 1,” Banerjee, considered number two in the TMC, said at a rally in Bishnupur in South 24 Parganas district.

The Diamond Harbour MP claimed that has been using the ED, CBI, Income Tax Department, National Investigation Agency and a section of the media and judiciary to break the TMC.

Female voters outnumbered male voters for the second consecutive time in the sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections by 3 per cent, according to data released by the Election Commission on Tuesday.

In the fifth phase too, more women had turned up at polling stations as compared to men.

Voting for 58 parliamentary constituencies was held in the sixth phase of elections on May 25.

At the end of his roadshow, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays floral tribute at the statue of Swami Vivekananda, in Kolkata.

Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Tuesday accused Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra of being silent on women harassment incidents in states ruled by her party and its allies.

During a series of election meetings in the Hamirpur parliamentary constituency, Thakur said, "Priyanka Gandhi, who gave the slogan of 'I am a girl, I can fight,' does not see the atrocities on mothers and sisters in Sandeshkhali of Bengal."

He alleged that it was her "vote bank politics" which did not allow her to see the harassment of a woman MP by their colleagues in Delhi.

The minister was referring to the alleged attack on Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's house in the national capital.

"She should change her slogan to 'I am a girl, but I cannot fight'," he said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah hit out at Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and accused BJD of looting the Jagannath Temple's Ratna Bhandaar and vowed to bring corrupt officials to justice within 100 days if BJP wins.

He said that those who have "laid hands" on it will be sent to jail.

The matter pertains to the controversy surrounding the missing keys of the Ratna Bhandar of 12th century Jagannath Temple, which are officially "lost" according to the Odisha government.

Asserting that the Calcutta High Court has exposed the "treachery" of the TMC with the OBCs, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday slammed the Mamata Banerjee-led government in West Bengal for "snatching the rights of OBC youths" for appeasement politics and "vote jihad".

Addressing an election rally in Barasat, Modi, without naming West Bengal Chief Minister Banerjee, criticised her for questioning the court and wondered if the TMC would now “let loose its goons on judges" following unfavourable rulings.

"The court has exposed the treachery of the Trinamool Congress with the OBCs. The party snatched the rights of OBC youths to support its appeasement politics and ‘vote jihad’. The TMC has betrayed the OBCs of West Bengal," he asserted.

Samajwadi Party leader Dimple Yadav on Tuesday asked people to stay away from the BJP, saying the “double engine” of its government has developed a problem.

She said the two engines – the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh and at the Centre – are heading towards an accident, and asked people to “protect” themselves and their children.

"The double engine has developed a problem and is making 'khat khat' noises,” she said at an election meeting, where she often broke into Bhojpuri.

Campaigning for the SP's candidate from Ghosi Lok Sabha seat Rajiv Rai, she said the government did precious little for the welfare of the farmers, youths and unemployed in the last 10 years.

SP spokesman Rajiv Rai is pitted against SBSP's Arvind Rajbhar and BSP's Bal Krishna Chauhan from Ghosi constituency.

Yadav, the sitting MP from Mainpuri seat, said the people have a choice between a "jumlebaz" government (that makes tall claims) and one that could get jobs for their children.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi led a vibrant roadshow from Kolkata’s Shyambazar Five Point Crossing here on Tuesday, ahead of the final phase of the Lok Sabha elections.

The roadshow in support of BJP candidate Tapas Roy is scheduled to culminate at Simla Street, where the ancestral residence of Swami Vivekananda is situated.

Before the event, the PM visited Maa Sarada's residence at Bagbazar and paid homage to her.

He also paid tribute to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at his statue at Shyambazar Five Point Crossing.

Accompanying him were prominent West Bengal BJP leaders, including Sukanta Majumdar and Suvendu Adhikari.

The roadshow started around 7:10 pm and will cover a distance of about two kilometres.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal and claimed it has "no relation with good governance" while alleging that Mamata Banerjee government is promoting a "corrupt ecosystem" with its politics revolving around "vote bank politics."

While addressing a rally at Jadavpur, PM Modi accused the TMC of working only for its vote bank.

"The TMC and good governance have no relation. You won't find good governance in Bengal even under a microscope. The TMC works only for its vote bank and can never do anything for the State's youth. The party has any vision," he said.

The Prime Minister said that TMC wants to keep you poor and backward so that their business keeps running.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Tuesday held a roadshow in minority-dominated Phulwarisharief, Masaurhi and Paliganj Vidhan Sabha seats under Pataliputra Lok Sabha constituency, from where his daughter and Rajya Sabha MP Misa Bharti is pitted against BJP’s Ramkripal Yadav yet again and announced that INDIA. bloc would form the new government on June 4.

“The slogan of 400 plus of the BJP would remain an empty slogan only. The days of Narendra Modi are over. As soon as the helicopters stop, his countdown for jail will begin. The people have shown him his due place,” Prasad told media persons.

Sitting in his rath, Prasad started his roadshow from Philwarisharief and moved through Masaurhi and Paliganj. He also got down at a few places to interact with the people.

“All 40 seats will go to the I.N.D.I.A. bloc this time in Bihar, as people have understood the Modi government. The victory of Misa is assured this time from Pataliputra seat,” he added.

Lalu also took a jibe at PM Modi’s remarks in an interview that God sent him for a purpose.

Former Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday claimed the NDA has won 360-370 seats in the six phases of the Lok Sabha elections held so far and will cross the 400-mark after the seventh round.

At a press conference at the BJP office here after a party meeting in Panchkula, he also exuded confidence that the BJP will win all 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana and Narendra Modi will return as prime minister for a third time.

In the six phases of the elections held so far, the NDA has won 360-370 seats. "Now, as soon as the seventh phase of elections is completed, we will cross the 400-mark and a strong government will be formed under the leadership of Narendra Modi," Khattar said.

The BJP will also retain all 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana, he said.

Phase 6 of the general elections, which saw 58 constituencies, including the seven constituencies of Delhi, go to polls on May 25, saw a voter turnout of 63.37%, the Election Commission of India said on Tuesday. Within three days of polling, the poll body also released details of the absolute number of votes cast, the shortest gap between the polling day and release of such data this election season. It also gave gender-wise breakup of voter turnout for each constituency (in percentage). The EC also gave details of the absolute number of electors in the 57 constituencies that will vote in the final phase on June 1.

For phases 1 to 5, data about the absolute number of votes cast was released on May 25.

In its press release, the EC noted that this turnout does not include postal ballots, and that actual data of Form 17C, which is shared with the agents of the candidates on the day of polling, will prevail. “Final turnout will only be available post-counting with counting of postal ballots and its addition to total vote count. Postal Ballots include Postal Ballots given to service voters, absentee voters (85+, PwD, Essential Services etc.) and Voters on Election Duty. Daily account of such Postal ballots received, as per Statutory provisions, are given to all candidates,” the EC said.

With only three days left for the seventh and the final phase of polling for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday transferred three police officers in West Bengal, an official said.

The poll panel on Tuesday removed the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Sunderban police district Koteshwar Rao, Minakhan SDPO under Basirhat police district Aminul Islam Khan and IC of Rahra police station Debashis Sarkar to non-election related posts, he added.

"Suggestions for the replacements in these three posts were sought from the state secretariat by Wednesday," he said.

AAP MP Raghav Chadha says, "People are giving immense love and blessings to Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann in Punjab. A historic mandate was given in 2022 elections (in Punjab), similarly, people of Punjab are going to give a historic mandate to Aam Aadmi Party in these Lok Sabha elections."