LIVE: Modi and Shah confident of victory; Rahul Gandhi says won't prejudge

The BJP would win more than 300 seats in the Lok Sabha elections and get a full majority, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi

8:15 PM

3 BJP leaders asked to explain Godse comments: Shah

The BJP has asked three leaders to explain their comments on Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse, party chief Amit Shah said Friday, promising "appropriate action" against them. Pragya Singh Thakur, BJP Lok Sabha candidate in Bhopal, apologised after calling Godse a "patriot". Nalin Kumar Kateel, BJP MP from Karnataka, compared Godse with former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. Union minister Anantkumar Hegde, in a tweet, justified Godse's action and later said his Twitter account was hacked.

 

5:17 PM

Pragya Thakur's candidature satyagraha against falsehood: Amit Shah

Amit Shah defends BJP decision to field Pragya Singh Thakur, who is an accused in the Malegaon bomb blasts case, as its candidate in Bhopal. He says the decision was satyagraha against attempts to defame Hinduism.

5:14 PM

BJP alone will get 300+ seats: Amit Shah

Amit Shah says BJP on its own will get more 300 seats in the Lok Sabha elections. "We will get full majority," he says.

5:01 PM

Last-mile delivery my government's achievement: Modi

This government's achievement has been to ensure last-minute delivery--reach to the last person in the queue: PM Modi.

4:58 PM

'Spectacular' elections will bring BJP back to power: Modi

Elections were result in the BJP-led government returning to power with full majority, says PM Modi at BJP press conference in New Delhi. "The people are going to bless us," he says.

4:51 PM

I'm not going to prejudge election results: Rahul Gandhi

The "people's vision" for the country will be clear on May 23 when election results will be declared: Rahul Gandhi.

4:46 PM

BJP had unlimited resources: Rahul Gandhi

Congress president Rahul Gandhi says his party was no match to the BJP compared to resoures and finances for election. He is holding a press conference at Congress HQ in Delhi as BJP president Amit Shah, accompanied by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, holds a paralllel press conference.

4:43 PM

Election Commission biased in favour of BJP: Rahul Gandhi

Congress president Rahul Gandhi says the Election Commission favoured BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The entire election schedule was in Modi's favour," he says.

4:37 PM

India now recognised as a major world power: Amit Shah

PM Modi raised India's stature in the world and improved national security, say Amit Shah in a press conference he and the Prime Minister are holding at their party HQ in Delhi. 

4:34 PM

Modi govt had 133 schemes for people: Amit Shah

Narendra Modi government had 133 schemes for the welfare of the people, says Amit Shah at BJP press conference in Delhi. PM Narendra Modi is sitting besides him at BJP's national HQ in Delhi.

4:25 PM

Congress president Rahul Gandhi to speak to media

Rahul Gandhi is abut to hold press conference at the Congress HQ in Delhi. Separately, BJP chief Amit Shah is about to speak to the media.

4:22 PM

Amit Shah to brief media

BJP president Amit Shah will brief the media at the party's HQ in Delhi. TV channel India Today says Prime Minister Narendra Modi will accompany him. Campaigning for the last and seventh phase of elections ends this evening. The Election Commission cut short the campaigning by a day on Thursday.

4:17 PM

Kashmir challenge will be resolved: Rajnath

Home Minister and BJP leader Rajnath Singh says there is a need to review Article 370 and Article 35 A that grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir to establish whether these Constitutional provisions have benefited or done damage to the militancy-hit state. "Kashmir ek chunauti hai lekin uska hal jaldi niklega (Kashmir is a challenge but it will be resolved soon)," says Singh.

3:11 PM

Rahul Gandhi takes potshots at the BJP by tweeting: The BJP and RSS are not God-ke lovers, they are God-se lovers

3:06 PM

Will never forgive Pragya for insulting Bapu, says Modi

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today in an interview with TV channel News24: "I will never be able to forgive Sadhvi Pragya for insulting Bapu." On Thursday, Pragya Thakur had said: "Nathuram Godse was a deshbhakt (patriot), is a 'deshbhakt' and will remain a 'deshbhakt'. People calling him a terrorist should instead look within, such people will be given a fitting reply in the election."

2:34 PM

NPF to review its alliance with BJP in Manipur

Contending that the BJP does not pay heed to its ideas and suggestions, the NPF, a partner in the saffron party-led alliance in the state, has convened a meeting of its leaders on Saturday to decide if it would continue to stay in the coalition or withdraw support.

 

Denying the allegation, the BJP said it has extended all possible cooperation to its partners to ensure smooth functioning of the government.

 

The NPF has four MLAs in the 60-member Assembly. Even if the party pulls out, it wouldn't impact the BJP-led coalition, which currently has 29 legislators in the House.

 

Eight of the 28 Congress MLAs, who had won the 2017 polls, defected to the BJP last year, taking its tally from 21 to 29 in the Assembly. The other parties in the ruling coalition are NPP (4), LJP (1), Independent (1) and AITC (1).

2:22 PM

BJP pushed to corner, Congress furious as Godse centre of debate on last day of campaigning

As campaigning for the 2019 general elections wound down on Friday, the BJP was pushed into a corner and forced to ask three of its leaders to explain their comments on Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse, as the Congress questioned the prime minister's silence on the row.

 

The Pandora's box opened on Thursday with BJP's Bhopal Lok Sabha candidate and Malegaon blast accused Pragya Singh Thakur lauding Godse as a "patriot" and issuing an apology hours later saying she respected Gandhi and his work for the country cannot be forgotten.

 

As controversy raged on the last day of campaigning, BJP president Amit Shah said the party has taken serious note of the statements from Union minister Anantkumar Hegde, Pragya Thakur and its Karnataka MP Nalin Kumar Kateel.

 

Stating that the comments were against the party's ideology, Shah asked the party's disciplinary committee to submit a report on the issue in 10 days for further action.

 

"They have withdrawn their statements and also apologised. However, their remarks are against the decorum of public life and the BJP and also against the party's ideology. Taking serious note of their remarks, the party has decided to send them to the disciplinary committee," Shah said on Twitter.

1:03 PM

Special NIA court in Mumbai directs all accused of Malegaon 2008 blast case, including Pragya Thakur, Lt Col Prasad Purohit and others, to remain present before the court at least once a week. Court expressed displeasure over their absence in courtroom. Next hearing on May 20.

12:57 PM

12:45 PM

Madhya Pradesh CEO submits report to EC on Pragya's remark on Godse

The Madhya Pradesh chief electoral officer has submitted a report to the Election Commission over BJP's Bhopal Lok Sabha candidate Pragya Singh Thakur calling Mahatma Gandhi's killer Nathuram Godse a "patriot".

 

Thakur, an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast, had made the comment during a roadshow in the state on Thursday and later, apologised saying that she respected the Father of the Nation.

 

"We have forwarded the report to the EC (Election Commission) in this regard," Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) V L Kantha Rao said Friday.

 

When asked about the details of the report, he said, "We will share it once the EC takes a decision on this." The CEO had earlier directed the Agar Malwa district election officer to file a report on Thakur's statement she made on Thursday.

 

"Nathuram Godse was a deshbhakt (patriot), he is and will remain a deshbhakt. Those calling him a terrorist should instead look at themselves. They will be given a befitting reply in this election," the controversial leader had said in Agar Malwa while attending a roadshow.

12:44 PM

12:41 PM

Ab ki baar, 300 paar (we will win over 300 seats now): Modi at last poll rally in Madhya Pradesh

12:40 PM

Till Modi and BJP are there, nobody can touch land of those living in forests: Modi assures tribals

12:32 PM

PM chants 'ab ki baar 300 paar, phir se Modi sarkar'

PM Narendra Modi in Khargone,Madhya Pradesh: This Sunday when you go to cast your vote then you will be scripting history. After decades you will elect a majority govt for a second time in a row.

12:25 PM

12:25 PM

12:24 PM

PM Narendra Modi in Khargone, Madhya Pradesh

This Sunday when you go to cast your vote then you will be scripting history. After decades you will elect a majority govt for a second time in a row.

12:21 PM

Statements of Ananthkumar Hegde, Pragya Thakur & Nalin Kateel are their personal opinion: Amit Shah

Amit Shah: Statements of Ananthkumar Hegde, Pragya Thakur & Nalin Kateel are their personal opinion, BJP has nothing to do with it. They have withdrawn their statements & apologized. BJP has taken their statements seriously and sent these statements to disciplinary committee. 

12:14 PM

Union minister Anantkumar Hegde calls Rahul Gandhi 'moron' for 'Modilie'

Union minister Anantkumar Hegde Friday stoked a controversy by calling Congress President Rahul Gandhi a "moron" for his tweet that 'Modilies' is a new word in the English dictionary.

 

"This moron @RahulGandhi is hell bent on proving himself that he is one of his own kind of international idiotic skill master and hence the horizons have extended beyond the boundaries. No one can prevent his growth...

 

Amazing...!!!!" the Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship tweeted.

 

Gandhi had tweeted Wednesday that there was a new word in the English dictionary and even attached a snapshot of it.

"There's a new word in the English Dictionary.

 

Attached is a snapshot of the entry :) 'Modilie' is a new word that's become popular worldwide. Now there's even a website that catalogues the best Modilies!" Gandhi tweeted.

11:30 AM

Mayawati unmarried, she doesn't know what a family is: Ramdas Athawale

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale: Mayawati is making remarks about Modi and his wife. She (Mayawati) is not married, she doesn't know what a family is, had she been married she would have known how to handle a husband. We respect Mayawati, she should not make such statements.