Lok Sabha Elections Highlights: Sanjay Nirupam returns to Shiv Sena

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Live: Election Commission of India directs all states/UTs to ensure time-bound issuance of ‘No Dues certificate’ to intending candidates to be included in their affidavits.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Live: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has arrived at the Collectorate to file his nomination for the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Live: Former Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam announced his decision to join Shiv Sena, saying, "After 20 years, joining Shiv Sena feels like a 'ghar wapasi' (homecoming)." He expressed his intention to join the party in the presence of chief minister Eknath Shinde, highlighting his discontent with the current state of affairs within the Congress.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Live: Congress won't be able to cross half-century mark, says PM Modi at rally in Bengal.

A private helicopter from Pune that went to pick Shiv Sena UBT deputy leader Sushma Andhare at Mahad crashlanded on Friday morning. The police said that both pilots have minor injuries. Raigad superindent of police Somnath Gharge said that Andhare was to travel from Mahad to Baramati and the district authorities had given a clearance. He said that Andhare was not injured, but both pilots had injuries on their hands. Sources in Shiv Sena UBT that the helicopter was provided by NCP (SP) as Andhare was to go for campaigning of Supriya Sule. Raigad district collector Kishan JAwale said that there was a lot of dust which flew off while landing. DGCA sources said that when a helipad is prepared, lot of water has to be sprinkled so that there is no dust flying. In this case, it was not done and the helicopter crashed.

Yogesh Naik

In response to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's candidacy from the Raebareli Lok Sabha seat, BJP leader and Patna Sahib Lok Sabha candidate Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "He (Rahul Gandhi) did not seem willing to contest; it must have been imposed on him. After his defeat in Amethi, he went to Wayanad... Now it appears that there is a possibility of defeat from there (Wayanad) as well... His fear and apprehension of defeat are quite evident."

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Live: Congress leader KL Sharma files nomination from Amethi.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Live: In an X post, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said: "Many people have many opinions on the news of Rahul Gandhi contesting elections from Rae Bareli. But he is a seasoned player of politics and chess. He makes his moves after careful consideration. The party leadership has taken this decision after a lot of deliberation and strategy. This decision has devastated the BJP, its supporters and sycophants. The poor self-proclaimed Chanakya who used to talk about 'traditional seats' is not able to understand what to do now?

• Rae Bareli has not only been Sonia ji's seat but also Indira Gandhi's seat. This is not a legacy but a responsibility, a duty.

• As far as the Gandhi family's stronghold is concerned, not just Amethi-Rae Bareli, the entire country from north to south is the stronghold of the Gandhi family. Rahul Gandhi has become an MP three times from Uttar Pradesh and once from Kerala, but why couldn't Modiji muster the courage to contest elections below Vindhyachal?

• One more thing is clear that the Congress family is the family of expectations and aspirations of lakhs of workers. An ordinary worker of Congress is superior to the big ones. Yesterday, a prominent journalist was sarcastically saying to a worker of Amethi that “when will your turn come to get a ticket”? Look, it has come! An ordinary worker of Congress will break both the illusion and arrogance of BJP in Amethi.

• Priyanka ji is campaigning vigorously and is alone shutting up Narendra Modi by answering his every lie with the truth. That is why it was necessary that she should not be limited to her constituency only. Priyanka ji will reach the House by contesting any by-election.

• Today Smriti Irani's only identity is that she contests elections from Amethi against Rahul Gandhi. Now Smriti Irani has lost that fame too.

• Now instead of making useless statements, Smriti Irani should answer about local development, the closed hospitals, steel plant and IIT - that needs to be answered.

• There are some chess moves left, please wait a bit."

Samajwadi Party fields Bhagat Ram Mishra from Uttar Pradesh Kaiserganj where BJP has nominated Brij Bhushan Sharan singh's son Karan.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Live: Delhi high court issues notice to CBI & ED in AAP leader Manish Sisodia’s plea seeking bail in the cases registered in connection with the alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy. Though the court posted the matter for May 8, it took note of EDs statement that the probe agency had no objection regarding continuation of city court’s February 5 order by which Sisodia was allowed to meet his wife once a week while being in custody.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Live: At the residence of Gaya Prasad Shukla, a tradition dating back to 1967, when Indira Gandhi contested her first election from Rae Bareli, continues. Before filing her nomination, she performed a havan here, a practice upheld by Sonia Gandhi since 2004. Today, Rahul Gandhi is also expected to participate in the havan ceremony before filing his nomination.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Live: PM Modi said: “I had already told you that the prince is looking for another seat for himself due to fear of defeat in Wayanad. Now he had to run away from Amethi and choose Rae Bareli seat. These people go around and tell everyone - Don't be afraid! I would say the same thing to them - don't be afraid! Do not run!”

Read in detail- Narendra Modi takes swipe at Rahul Gandhi over Rae Bareli move: 'Don't run...'

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Live: Priyanka Gandhi calls upon workers to fight election for KL Sharma and ensure his victory. She asks partymen to fight for truth.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Live: Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, accompanied by party's Rae Bareli candidate Rahul Gandhi, reach Fursatganj airfield.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Live: On KL Sharma's candidature, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi said: "Our family has had a long association with Kishori Lal Sharma. He has always been dedicated to serving the people of Amethi and Raebareli. His passion for public service is an example in itself. Today it is a matter of joy that the Congress Party has made Kishori Lal a candidate from Amethi."

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Live: Congress supporters assemble at Rae Bareli airport to greet party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi will submit his nomination for the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat later today.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Live: "I am grateful to the party, Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi who have given a chance to fight election to a small worker. Rahul Gandhi was involved in decision-making," Congress candidate from Amethi KL Sharma said.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Live: Bikram Singh Thakur, former industry minister of Himachal Pradesh and BJP member, accused the state government, led by chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, of implementing anti-people policies that are driving big industries away from Himachal Pradesh. 

Thakur labelled the sixteen-month tenure of the government as a total failure during a press conference held on May 2.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Live: “I have mixed feelings because this is the second innings of my life. Till this time, I never thought that I am going to file a nomination form on behalf of a political party,” Ujjwal Nikam, the BJP candidate for Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha seat, ahead of his nomination filing today.

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Live: BJP national secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, "Rahul Gandhi is losing from Wayanad and this is why is going to to contest from Raebareli. Earlier, he accepted defeat from Amethi, now he is running away from Wayanad. The situation is such that no one from Congress wants to contest from Amethi, which was Congress' traditional seat...Rahul Gandhi will also have to leave Raebareli, and people will give him a befitting reply, he will be defeated in Raebareli too."

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Live: 

Here is the list of winners 

• 1980 Sanjay Gandhi (INC) 

• 1984 Rajiv Gandhi (INC) 

• 1989 Rajiv Gandhi (INC) 

• 1991 Rajiv Gandhi (INC) 

• 1996 Captain Satish Sharma (INC) 

• 1998 Sanjay Singh (BJP)

•  1999 Sonia Gandhi INC) 

• 2004 Rahul Gandhi (INC) 

• 2009 Rahul Gandhi (INC) 

• 2014 Rahul Gandhi (INC) 

• 2019 Smriti Irani (BJP)

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Live: 

This will be the first time that Amethi will go to poll without a member of Gandhi family after 1999. Amethi’s connection with the Nehru-Gandhi family though may be traced back to 1977 when Sanjay Gandhi lost the poll from this seat. Sanjay Gandhi won the seat in 1980. Rajiv Gandhi won the poll from Amethi in 1984, 1989 and 1991. Captain Satish Sharma was elected from the seat in 1996. BJP’s Sanjay Singh, however, won the poll from Amethi Lok Sabha seat in 1998. 

On KL Sharma's candidature from Amethi Lok Sabha seat, Congress worker Yogendra Yadav says, "There is no disappointment. We will definitely win from here. KL Sharma is also a part of the (Gandhi) family now. He has worked for Gandhi family in Amethi for 30-35 years... There is no resentment among the workers... The Gandhi family is coming for KL Sharma's nomination. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge will be here," ANI reported.

In response to the alleged molestation case involving Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose, BJP leader Dilip Ghosh said, "This is nothing new. This is TMC's politics. I don't know how low they will stoop."

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Live:

KL Sharma, a staunch loyalist of the Gandhi family nominated as Congress candidate from Amethi, has been a trusted aide for years.

He previously served as the constituency representative for Sonia Gandhi in Raebareli.

Known as the go-to person in Raebareli and Amethi for Gandhi-related matters.

His nomination from Amethi aims to signify the Gandhis' continued association with the constituency indirectly.

Read in detail- Who is Kishori Lal Sharma, Congress party's candidate in Amethi?