Lok Sabha Election 2024 highlights: 'Democracy is alive in Modi's veins,' says PM at Delhi rally

Delhi Lok Sabha Elections 2024 will take place in a single phase on May 25 in the sixth of the seven phases of the ongoing general election. All seven Lok Sabha seats will vote in an interesting fight between the BJP and the INDIA block as Congress and AAP will be fighting together against the BJP. In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the BJP swept all the seats. Dive Deeper

As Ladakh votes to elect its MP for the first time since the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, safeguards under the sixth schedule, statehood and employment are the key issues in the two distant districts of the constituency that is the largest in the country in terms of area.

Spread over more than 59,000 square kilometres -- around 40 times the size of Delhi -- the two districts of Leh and Kargil are divided by geography and religion. Buddhist-dominated Leh and Shia Muslim-majority Kargil have come together over four demands -- safeguards under the sixth schedule of the Constitution, statehood, reservation in jobs for locals and a separate public service commission and two Lok Sabha seats for the region.

The fifth phase of voting for the Lok Sabha election will be held on May 20, in 49 constituencies spread across eight states and Union territories. The voting will begin at 7 am on Monday and conclude at 6 pm. Read More

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address his first public meeting for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in North East Delhi on Saturday evening, the same day that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will campaign at the Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha constituency in what will be his first poll rally in the city a week before all the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi go to the polls on May 25. Read More here

West Bengal's Hooghly is set to witness a clash between two popular stars of the Bengali film industry in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections on Monday as Bharatiya Janata Party's Locket Chatterjee will be locking horns with Trinamool's Rachana Banerjee.

The Trinamool which has not shied away from using star power in its election campaigns, introduced Rachana Banerjee as its party member as the "other Didi" at a Brigade rally in March. The actor is popularly known for hosting the popular Bengali television reality show, "Didi No. 1".

Coming down heavily against the Congress party, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that if the "Maoist manifesto" is implemented, the country will become bankrupt.

He also slammed the Uddhav Thackeray's faction of Shiv Sena for "betraying" the sacrifice of Balasaheb Thackeray and Shiv Sainiks.

Former Rajasthan Chief Minister and Congress leader Ashok Gehlot on Friday expressed confidence in his party's victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha election and said that INDIA bloc government will be formed and Congress will win both Amethi and Raebareli seats with a huge majority.

"On June 4, the results will come in favour of the INDIA alliance and the government will be formed... No one believed their (BJP) words and there was a wave of INDIA alliance in the whole country... Congress is going to win both Amethi and Raebareli seats with a huge majority," he told ANI.

Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah on Friday said that the Muslim community is being targetted in the nation and further questioned that do "Muslims have no right to participate in development" of the nation.

Omar Abdullah said that various narratives are being used to target the Muslim community.

Addressing an election rally in Bandipore, Omar Abdullah said, "Muslims are being targeted. These days narrative is that if Muslims come, they will steal the jewellery of Hindus, if Muslims come, they will take the land of Hindus. The elections are between Modi and Rahul Gandhi and development and jihad. As, if Muslims know nothing apart from Jihad. Do we not want to participate in development?"

The Lok Sabha election results will turn the tables in West Bengal and pave the way for a BJP majority in the assembly polls, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Friday.

Addressing a strategic meeting of the BJP's election convenor, co-convenor and important members of the poll management team in the Sreerampur Lok Sabha constituency, he said the people of West Bengal have made up their minds to vote for the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP.

"The Lok Sabha (poll) results on June 4 will turn the tables in West Bengal and pave the way for a BJP majority in the ensuing assembly elections," said Singh, the Union Minister of State for Personnel.

As the political atmosphere heats up in Maharashtra, NCP state president (Ajit Pawar faction) Sunil Tatkare on Friday expressed confidence that the NDA would triumph in the Lok Sabha polls.

"As part of the NDA, we are contesting from six seats. I believe that the people of Mumbai will vote for NDA candidates. I think the atmosphere of Mumbai will change after a mega rally here," he told ANI.

Taking a swipe at the Congress party, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that had the party been dissolved on the suggestion of Mahatma Gandhi, India would have been five decades ahead from what it is now.

He said that the Congress party made the poor people feel as if "they were born to live in poverty", adding that the Modi government was able to take 25 crore people out of poverty in the last 10 years.

Addressing the public meeting in Mumbai, PM Modi said, "Earlier, there were governments that did not trust the capabilities of Indians...I have seen Prime Ministers who called Indians lazy from the Red Fort...PMs with such a mentality cannot develop India. Under the guidance of Gandhiji, if the Congress had been dissolved after independence, the country would have been 5 decades ahead from now."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address his first public meeting for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in North East Delhi on Saturday evening, the same day that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will campaign at the Chandni Chowk constituency in what will be his first poll rally in the city.