Lok Sabha elections Highlights: ‘Powerful people have united against me,' says PM Modi in Karnataka

Addressing a public meeting in Parbhani, Maharashtra, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "In 2014, when I was contesting the Lok Sabha elections for the first time, what were the topics of discussion during that time? What were the topics covered in the newspapers? What were the topics discussed on TV? At that time, the talk was of the fear of terrorist attacks. Every day there was news of bomb blasts...Five years later, in 2019, the discussion of cross-border attacks stopped and the discussion of surgical strikes and 'Yeh toh Modi hai ghar mein ghus kar marega' started..."

Andhra Pradesh Congress President Y S Sharmila on Saturday filed her nomination for the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat.

Sharmila was accompanied by Sunitha Narreddy, her cousin and daughter of Y S Vivekananda Reddy, who was murdered in the run-up to the 2019 polls.

“Filed the nomination as Kadapa MP candidate. Kadapa people did not forget Y S Rajasekhar Reddy and Vivekananda.

On filing a complaint against DMK South Chennai Returning Officer, BJP candidate from South Chennai Lok Sabha seat Tamilisai Soundararajan says, "... There was booth capturing by the DMK fellows. 50 of their workers entered the booth, chased all the BJP agents, and they wanted to capture the booth... It was prevented (by the police). But, such activities happened in most of the booths. They (our opponents) are fearing defeat. So, they are doing all this. We strongly condemn and want repoll... Apart from that, most of the voters did not practice their voting rights as the names were deleted... It is worrisome to see..."

“In this 'new' nation, laws are enacted bypassing the process of democracy and enforced upon people against their will. Lakhs of farmers protested for months, some of them died, and some of them were called terrorists, and anti-national, yet they continued their protest. In this 'new' nation, their voices remain unheard until the government is compelled to repeal the laws due to upcoming elections. In this 'new' nation, an entire state is knocked down without internet and phone services for months. Thousands go on hunger strike to demand their rights in Ladakh.”

Congress a vine which doesn’t have roots or branches, it sucks dry those who lend it support: PM Modi at poll rally in Maharashtra.

Addressing a public meeting in Parbhani, Maharashtra, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "...The entire area of Marathwada is of farming. Black cotton, soybean and jowar bajra are important sources of income. But Congress & MVA did not understand your troubles. The biggest challenge in this area is irrigation. During the NDA government, the Jalyukt Shivar Scheme was launched but MVA stopped this scheme..."

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said Rajasthan is going to give all 25 Lok Sabha seats to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a third time.

Addressing a poll rally in Bhilwara, Shah also targeted former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, saying that he was stuck in the election campaign of his son Vaibhav Gehlot, the Congress candidate from the Jalore seat. 

Vaibhav Gehlot is going to lose the election by a huge margin, the Union minister claimed. 

"The first phase of elections was yesterday (Friday). All 12 seats of Rajasthan that voted in the first phase are going to Narendra Modi. Rajasthan is going to make a hat-trick of giving all 25 seats to Narendra Modi for a third time," Shah said.

Addressing a public rally in Bhagalpur, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi says, "As soon as the INDIA alliance government comes, we will end the Agniveer scheme. India does not need two types of martyrs. Everyone should get pension... We will change GST. There will be one tax, minimum tax. We will double the salary of Asha and Anganwadi workers..."

Talk of terror attacks was replaced by buzz about surgical strikes during our regime: PM Modi at rally in Parbhani, Maharashtra.

Addressing a public meeting in Parbhani, Maharashtra, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "The 2024 election is not just to form a government. But the aim of this election is to make India 'Viksit' and 'Atmanirbhar'. Therefore, the issues of the 2024 elections are not just general issues. Every issue is important, every step taken is important and every 'Sankalp' is important..."

Addressing the Vijay Shankhnaad Rally in Bhilwara, Rajasthan, Union Home Minister Amit Shah says, "The first phase of elections was held yesterday...All 12 seats of Rajasthan are in favour of PM Narendra Modi. Rajasthan is going to make a hat-trick by electing PM Narendra Modi for the third time."

Centre is silent on protests in Ladakh over alleged Chinese encroachment: Priyanka Gandhi in Kerala

Addressing a public gathering in Nanded, Maharashtra, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "Congress ke shehzade unhe bhi Wayanad mein sankat dikh raha hai. Shehzade aur unki toli April 26 ko Wayanad mein voting ka intezaar kar rahe hain...Jaise Amethi se bhagna pada, aap maan ke chaliye wo Wayanad bhi chodenge..."

Senior Congress leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bittu joins BJP in the presence of party leader and Union minister Ashwini Vaishaw in Delhi.

Congress candidate from Bangalore Rural seat, DK Suresh said on Saturday that Prime Minister Modi is coming today to hold a rally, he should tell the people that what he has done in the past 10 years for the development of Karnataka.

Suresh told ANI that he is getting more support in his constituency as compared to the last election.

"I am getting more support as compared to last election. Everybody in my constituency, irrespective of caste and age are supporting me. The five guarantees of our government has worked for everyone. I worked hard for the development of my constituency. I tried to resolve the personal and government issues. People remember all my work. I have also given future plans. I have also promised that wherever Cauvery water is needed in my constituency, I assure them good quality and regular supply of water," he said.

Rahul Gandhi had to run away from Amethi, now assume that he will run away from Wayanad too, says PM Modi at rally in Nanded

Addressing a public gathering in Nanded, Maharashtra, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "Yesterday, the first phase of polling concluded. I congratulate & express my gratitude to all those who cast their vote and especially the first-time voters. After the polling concluded, the analysis that was done on the booth level and the information that was received confirms that in the first phase, there has been one-sided voting for NDA."

The opposition Congress has demanded repolling in 47 polling stations in strife-torn Manipur where the first phase polling were held in all polling stations in Inner Manipur parliamentary constituency and some polling stations in Outer Manipur parliamentary constituency on Friday with a number of poll related violence cases.

Manipur has two Lok Sabha seats-Inner Manipur and Outer Manipur Manipur parliamentary constituencies . The second phase polling for the remaining Outer Manipur parliamentary constituency will be held on April 26,2024 and counting is scheduled on June 4.

When sitting MP Ranjan Bhatt unexpectedly pulled out of the race despite being renominated by the BJP for the Vadodara Lok Sabha seat in Gujarat, Hemang Joshi was blissfully unaware of what would unfold next. Joshi and his wife were attending a musical programme on Holi when he was flooded with congratulatory calls. That’s when Joshi learnt the BJP had picked him as its candidate for the Vadodara seat. At 33, Joshi is the BJP’s youngest candidate in Gujarat, which elects 26 MPs. Joshi said he has large shoes to fill considering that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had won from Vadodara, an erstwhile princely state known for its rich cultural heritage and industrial development, in 2014 before vacating it for Varanasi.

Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Giriraj Singh, who is seeking re-election from Begusarai Lok Sabha seat as the NDA nominee, owns movable and immovable assets worth ₹10.16 crore, as per the affidavit filed by him.

His wife owns movable and immovable assets worth ₹4.15 crore.

Singh filed his nomination papers from Begusarai Lok Sabha seat as the NDA nominee on Friday. Elections will be held in Begusarai, Darbhanga, Ujiarpur, Samastipur, Begusarai, Munger Lok Sabha seats of Bihar in the fourth phase on May 13.

– The PM will first hold a public meeting at 2 pm today in the Chokkahalli village of Chikkballapura, according to the Karnataka unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

– He will then travel to state capital Bengaluru and attend another meeting, scheduled to be held at Palace Grounds at around 4 pm.

Barely three weeks before voting on May 7, it is raining cash, drugs, alcohol - and freebies - in Goa. In the past six weeks (March 1-April 13, 2024) more than one lakh litres of alcohol, ₹15.64 crore in cash, drugs worth ₹3.23 crore and freebies adding up to ₹1.18 crore has been seized in Goa by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Being the country’s smallest state with only two parliamentary seats (North Goa & South Goa), the seizures in Goa are proportionately higher compared to other states - during the same period, the cash seizure in Gujarat has been ₹6.5 crore, ₹11.28 crore in National Capital Territory Delhi, ₹6.1 crore in Uttarakhand, and ₹1.47 crore in Odisha. In stark contrast, no cash, not even a penny, has been seized in Nagaland, Ladakh, Lakshadweep and Puducherry.

Assam recorded 75.95 per cent voter turnout in the first phase of polls, which was held in five parliamentary constituencies in the state on Friday. According to the Election Commission, 75.95 per cent of voters in five parliamentary constituencies - Sonitpur, Lakhimpur, Kaziranga, Dibrugarh and Jorhat, came out to exercise their franchise in the first phase of the polls. 79.48 per cent voter turnout was recorded in Jorhat parliamentary constituency, while 76.74 per cent voter turnout was recorded in Dibrugarh, 75.79 per cent in Kaziranga, 74.81 per cent in Sonitpur, and 72.65 per cent in Lakhimpur.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating that even politicians in Pakistan say they wish their country had a leader like him. 

He also alleged that India got divided due to the seeds sown by the Congress. Yadav was addressing gatherings on Friday evening during the campaigning in Hoshangabad Lok Sabha constituency in Madhya Pradesh.

He claimed that the people of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) also want to become part of India as there is a crisis of survival in the neighbouring country.

"Pakistan's leaders, including (former PM) Nawaz Sharif, are continuously saying that they wish Narendra Modi was there (in Pakistan). If you are a leader, then you should be such that even your enemy praises you. This leader (Modi) is making us proud," Yadav said in one of his addresses.

Hitting out at the opposition over its allegation that the Bharatiya Janata Party wants to change the Constitution, Syed Zainul Abedin Ali Khan, spiritual head and Dewan at Ajmer Sharif Dargah said on Saturday said that a false illusion is being created and making amendments is different and it cannot be linked to changing the constitution. 

"The Constitution was made in 1950. How many amendments have been made in the Parliament since then? In the interest of nation and public, if amendments are needed, they will be done. A false illusion is being created. Was the emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi in 1975 not an amendment? Making amendments cannot be linked to changing the Constitution," he said.

 Further, praising the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Central government, Syed Zainul said that the country has been progressing in the last 10 years and the position that country has achieved in the world is the contribution of the present government.