Lok Sabha Election 2024 highlights: Congress' weak govt increased naxalism, says PM Modi

Senior BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan hit out at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday for the alleged incident of “misbehaviour” with AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal.

Campaigning for BJP candidate from North East Delhi Lok Sabha constituency Manoj Tiwari, the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister said that even in the Mamata Banerjee-ruled West Bengal, the Sandeshkhali incident happened where women were mistreated.

“Such humiliation and misbehaviour with a sister in Chief Minister's house, will you accept it?” he said referring to the incident involving AAP leader Maliwal.

The BJP changed its candidate for the Soro Assembly constituency in Balasore district on Tuesday, the last day for filing of nominations.

The BJP nominated Parshuram Dhada in place of Rajendra Das. The party had earlier announced the name of Das as its candidate for the Sora Assembly seat and he submitted his nomination papers on Tuesday.

Dhada the sitting MLA from Soro had resigned from the BJD after the regional party denied ticket to him. He joined the BJP last month.

The BJP named Dhada as the Sora Assembly candidate on Tuesday. Dhada submitted his nomination papers on Tuesday.

Police have registered an FIR against two persons, including an independent candidate, for allegedly creating hindrance in peaceful voting at a polling station during the Lok Sabha elections here, officials said on Tuesday. The FIR was lodged at the Sadder police station on Monday against independent candidate Jibran Dar and his woman supporter Sujata Bashir on the complaint of Mehjoor Nagar polling booth's sector magistrate Sarfaraz Ahmad, the officials said.

Anshul Avijit, Congress candidate backed by opposition INDIA bloc, filed his nomination form the Patna Sahib parliamentary seat among other candidates from the prestigious seat , on the last date of nomination for the seventh phase of polls in Bihar on June 1.

Avijit is son of former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and is a debutant , who will be pitted against BJP's senior leader and sitting MP from Patna Sahib Ravi Shankar Prasad.

Eight constituencies comprising Patna Sahib, Patliputra, Nalanda, Arrah, Buxar, Sasaram, Karakat and Jehanabad would go to polls in the seventh and last phase of polls. On the last day of filing of papers on Tuesday, 67 candidates filed their nomination mostly from registered unrecognised political parties(RUPP) and independent nominees in eight seats. Highest was in Patna Sahib seat, where 14 candidates filed their papers on the last day of nomination today, as per data released by the office of Chief Electoral Officer( CEO), Bihar late evening today.

The Himachal Pradesh Police has registered a case against a person for a "misleading and baseless" post about the property of Miraya Vadra, the daughter of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

A case under sections 153 (provocation for riots), 469 (forgery), 500 (defamation) and 505 (inciting a community or persons for offence against any other community) of IPC was registered on Monday against one Anoop Verma at Shimla East police station, police said on Tuesday.

The case was lodged on a complaint filed by Congress member Pramod Gupta who alleged that Verma has tweeted a misleading, false and baseless post against Miraya Vadra.

A senior officer, requesting anonymity, confirmed that a case in this regard has been registered.

As per the complaint, the post said that Miraya Vadra has wealth worth ₹3,000 crore whereas the source of this wealth is that she is the daughter of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and granddaughter of Sonia Gandhi.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday accusing them of hindering his election campaign by incarcerating him.

During a roadshow in Kurukshetra, Haryana, ahead of the general elections there, CM Arvind Kejriwal said, "I am coming straight from jail to meet you all. I was in jail for 50 days and lost 5 kg of weight. The elections were declared on March 16th, and on March 21st, they arrested me. Their (BJP's) intentions were bad, meaning they didn't want me to campaign for the elections. I want to thank the Supreme Court for giving me the opportunity to campaign, and today I am here among you."

Kejriwal appealed the electorate to consider the consequences of their vote, stating, "I have come for 20 days, saying that I have to go to jail again (on 2nd June). Whether I go to jail again or not is in your hands. If you press the lotus button on May 25th, I will have to go to jail, and if you press the broom button, I won't have to go to jail."

BJP president J P Nadda on Tuesday questioned if Congress leader Rahul Gandhi could be loyal to Rae Bareli when he wasn’t to his old constituency.

“There was also a candidate who ran away from here. He didn't run away just once. From here he went to Wayanad, from Wayanad to Rae Bareli and even then did not return to Amethi,” he said at a public meeting without taking any name.

In 2019, Gandhi lost Amethi – a parliamentary seat once regarded as a family bastion – to BJP's Smriti Irani, but won the Wayanad seat in Kerala.

This time, the former Congress chief contested again from Wayanad. And, amid speculation that he would also fight from Amethi, picked Rae Bareli, which was recently vacated by his mother Sonia Gandhi, who has shifted to the Rajya Sabha.

As he seeks to retain the Rae Bareli seat represented by his mother Sonia Gandhi for two decades, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said he has an emotional family relationship with the people and will stand by both Amethi and Rae Bareli whenever required.

He shared an emotional video with his mother on social media, where he is seen watching family pictures in Amethi and Rae Bareli and remembered their connect with the people of both Amethi and Rae Bareli.

Rahul Gandhi is contesting the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat and is pitted against BJP's Dinesh Pratap Singh, who had unsuccessfully contested the last Lok Sabha election against Sonia Gandhi.

Rahul Gandhi was earlier an MP from Amethi but had lost to Smriti Irani in 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

"Rae Bareli and Amethi are not just constituencies for us, they are our 'karmabhoomi', every corner of which is holding the memories of generations.

Bhartiya Janata Party's spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla on Tuesday criticised Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and claimed that the Congress leader is not trying to protect the Constitution but he is trying to protect his family dynasty.

Speaking with ANI, Shehzad Poonawalla said, "Rahul Gandhi's statement is correct that they are fighting to protect something. But the fight is not to protect the Constitution but family dynasties and the shrinking shop of its politics."

He added, "If he has to say that when his grandmother( former PM Indira Gandhi) imposed an emergency or when she put opposition leaders behind bars, the Constitution was safe, or the Constitution was safe when Rajnath Singh was not given permission to perform the last rites of his mother, then he should talk to his leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. Chowdhury says that under the governance of West Bengal's Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee, the Constitution is not safe."

Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said that this is the first time that the Lok Sabha elections are being fought to safeguard the Constitution, without which people from various sections of the society will lose their rights.

Rahul Gandhi addressed a joint rally with Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav in Uttar Pradesh's Jhansi where both leaders attacked PM Modi for neglecting the interests of the farmers.

"For the first time, this fight, this election is to save the Constitution. Whatever you have got, whether you are poor, farmers, labourers, backward, Dalits, adivasis, minorities, poor general caste has been given by this book (Constitution). Without this (Constitution) the poor people of India won't belong anywhere," Rahul Gandhi said speaking at a joint campaign at Uttar Pradesh's Jhansi with INDIA bloc partner, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

Odisha's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Nikunja Bihari Dhal on Tuesday urged the people not to share their Aadhaar details and mobile number with any political party and candidate.

The CEO also appealed to all political parties and candidates to refrain from the collection of photocopies and personal mobile numbers of voters.

The CEO issued such an appeal after it came to the notice that many contesting candidates and political parties are collecting photocopies and personal mobile numbers of voters which is "antithetical" to the process of a free, fair and impartial election process.

Union home minister Amit Shah and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee addressed on Tuesday in preparation for the May 20 Lok Sabha polls at seven seats in three districts having large pockets of Dalit and Muslim voters.

Addressing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters at North 24 Parganas district’s Bongaon, which is reserved for the schedule caste (SC) community, Shah claimed that Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson, is misleading people on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

“Polling at 380 (of Lok Sabha’s 543) seats, including 18 in Bengal, are already over in the first four phases. (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi Ji has already got 270 seats. The next fight is for crossing the 400 mark. If you give us 30 seats in Bengal, I promise our MP will go to the door of every Matua community member to enforce CAA,” Shah said.

Keeping up with the times, the Delhi poll body has roped in social media influencers to encourage youth to exercise their franchise on May 25 when the national capital goes to polls.

Speaking to PTI, Delhi Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) P Krishnamurthy said the poll body has been conducting activities under the Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation programme, better known as SVEEP, to spread voter awareness.

In a novel initiative this time, various districts have roped in influencers for the cause.

"Some of our districts have roped in social media influencers, youngsters with significant following like rappers, travel guides, food cuisine experts, to encourage electors to cast vote," he told PTI in an interview.

From holding activities in schools to teaching children about the value of vote to organising walkathons and 'Voters' Mela', the poll body has launched several initiatives to boost voter turnout.

Asserting that people are voting for change, senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Tuesday exuded confidence that an INDIA bloc government would be formed at the Centre and claimed his party will get more seats than the BJP in both Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

The AICC general secretary in-charge of Chhattisgarh and former Rajasthan deputy chief minister said there was a "sea change" from the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, with the people voting for real change this time.

While Rajasthan has 25 Lok Sabha seats, Chhattisgarh has 11 parliamentary segments. The Congress had drawn a blank last time in Rajasthan and won only two seats from Chhattisgarh.

In an interview with PTI while campaigning here for Rahul Gandhi, Pilot also accused the BJP of seeking votes in the name of religion and said it was doing so as it could not ask for mandate on its performance.

BJP is losing ground across the country and will not win more than 230 seats all told, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal claimed on Tuesday, as he called on the people of Haryana to start the "revolution" to unseat the saffron party-led alliance from the Centre.

Kejriwal made the remarks in a roadshow for party candidate Sushil Gupta in Kurukshetra's Pehowa, where he attacked the BJP-led Centre for his jailing, claiming it is scared of him.

This was Kejriwal's first visit to Haryana after being released on bail.

Gupta, the AAP's Kurukshetra Lok Sabha candidate, accompanied Kejriwal during the roadshow.

Uttar Pradesh's former Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief, Akhilesh Yadav, targeted the Yogi Acdityanath government in the state and said that the farmers under Bhartiya Janata Party's rule (BJP) are now in trouble. He also claimed that the people of Jhansi are preparing for the BJPs 'Vidai ki Jhanki.'

Addressing a public rally in Jhansi, Akhilesh Yadav also claimed that the BJP is falling. He said, "Four phases of elections are over and BJP's graph is falling. The people of Jhansi are preparing for BJP's 'vidai ki jhanki'."

Taking a jibe at the Central government, Yadav said, "Those who were talking about doubling farmers' incomes, the farmers are now in trouble under their government."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday attacked the Congress, accusing it of indulging in "shameful" politics and plotting to send "Ram Lala to tent" again.

Alleging that the JMM, Congress and INDIA bloc have become the biggest model of corruption, appeasement and dynastic politics, Modi said he has resolved to free India from these vices.

Addressing a public meeting at Jharkhand's Giridih, the prime minister said, "Shameful statements are being issued by Congress leaders over Ram temple. Their leaders are plotting to send Ram Lala to the tent once again, and talk against the Supreme Court judgement."

The old idol of Ram Lala was kept in a tent-like structure after the Babri Masjid was demolished.

The Trinamool Congress on Tuesday asked the Election Commission to stop "blatant violations" of the poll code by the BJP and its leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while alleging that the model code of conduct has been turned into "Modi Code of Conduct".

After submitting a letter over the matter to the poll panel, the TMC's Rajya Sabha MPs Saket Gokhale and Sagarika Ghose addressed the media and expressed dismay over the "inaction" of the EC against PM Modi over Model Code of Conduct (MCC) violations.

"(BJP chief) J P Nadda was served a notice but there has been absolutely no action taken on our complaints. Instead, PM Modi has become more emboldened in his remarks. He is making promises he has no right to make during elections, announcing financial schemes which his party cannot enact as the ruling party.

The Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday launched the ''Washing Machine Ka Kaalu Jaadu'' campaign to inform the common people about the situation in the country, party leaders said.

At the campaign launch, AAP Delhi state convener Gopal Rai said the BJP is claiming that they are fighting the elections against corruption.

"But we will tell people about the truth of these claims." he said.

The opposition parties often use the word "washing machine" to target the BJP over inducting people like Ajit Pawar, Ashok Chavan, and Himanta Biswa Sarma, who were facing corruption charges.

Demonstrating how the machine works, Delhi Cabinet minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said that the BJP had run a campaign for six months alleging Himanta Biswa Sarma was involved in the Saradha scam.

Odisha recorded a voter turnout of 73.97 per cent in the four Lok Sabha constituencies and 28 Assembly segments which went to the polls on May 13, an official said on Tuesday.

A voter turnout of over 64.81 per cent was recorded till 6 pm on May 13. A revised figure of 73.97 per cent was released on Tuesday.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections the voter turnout in the four Lok Sabha and 28 Assembly segments was 74.18 per cent.

Lok Sabha and Assembly elections are being held simultaneously in Odisha.

The highest voter turnout of 80.22 per cent was recorded in the tribal-dominated Nabarangpur Parliamentary seat followed by Koraput (76.98 pc), Kalahandi (75.71 pc) and Berhampur (63.34 pc)

Patting his government's decision to revoke Article 370 of the Constitution, prime minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday that the step was the reason behind the higher voter turnout in Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency that went to poll in the fourth phase on Monday.

Addressing a joint election rally for Koderma and Giridih Lok Sabha seats at Birni in Giridih, the prime minister also underlined that his government would take a 'decisive action against naxalism and terrorism' in its third term.

"Srinagar witnessed heavy polling after several decades. People are happy and they are saying it's been possible because of removal of 370. It proves that Modi is working in right direction and Modi government's initiatives yield right results," said Modi, hailing his government's decision that has often been used by the opposition to target his regime.

"Those who criticises and abused Modi for it should hear this with open ears. As the wall of 370 fell, it joined the hearts of countrymen. People now have common dreams and aspirations and are moving together to achieve them," the prime minister added.

The Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency reportedly recorded a 36% voter turnout on Monday, the highest since 1998 when the insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir was at its peak, as the first major electoral exercise was held in the Valley since the nullification of Constitution’s Article 370 that stripped the region of its semi-autonomous status.

The Election Commission on Tuesday said it expects star campaigners, particularly of the national parties, to lead by example in the remaining three phases of the Lok Sabha polls and not vitiate the delicate fabric of society.

The commission also said that it is "primarily" the responsibility of the leaders to "correct the course" of their statements or utterances in the remaining phases of the ongoing election.

The statement comes against the backdrop of the poll authority issuing show-cause notices to BJP president J P Nadda and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on complaints of model code violations by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

Assam CM Himanta Biswa says, "Our Constitution advocates the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code and recognizes complete Kashmir as a part of Indian territory...The basic principles on which the BJP is working are in the constitution...Congress wants to promote Sharia, religion-based reservation... Congress ideologies are foreign to the Constitution...Wherever the Constitution was diluted, it came from the Congress party, never came from BJP"...

BJP MP candidate from Berhampur, Pradeep Panigrahi was admitted to AIIMS Bhubaneswar on Tuesday, hours after he was assaulted by his rival and independent candidate Shibashankar Das in Berhampur town after polling ended.

Panigrahi, once key aide of chief minister Naveen Patnaik, had switched to BJP last month more than a year after he was expelled from BJD and given party ticket for Berhampur Lok Sabha constituency.

On Monday evening, after polling ended, Panigrahi was discussing with police officials about sealing of EVM machines outside a polling booth in Gosani Nuagaon area of Berhampur town, when independent candidate from Berhampur assembly seat arrived at the spot and started assaulting him.

Srinagar celebrated the festival of democracy after decades yesterday: PM Modi on polling in Kashmir capital.