LS Polls highlights: BJP wants to abolish reservation, we want to increase it beyond 50%, says Rahul

Lok Sabha elections LIVE updates: Catch all the news related to the General Elections here

8:15 PM

Karni Sena president Suraj Pal Amu resigns from BJP

Haryana BJP spokesperson Suraj Pal Amu, who is also the president of the Karni Sena, resigned Thursday from the party over the choice of an election candidate in Gujarat.

6:27 PM

BJP wants to abolish reservations while Congress wants to increase them beyond 50%: Rahul Gandhi

BJP wants to abolish reservations while Congress wants to increase them beyond 50%, said Rahul Gandhi in Telangana rally.

4:52 PM

Repoll ordered in Dahod by ECI after video of booth capture live streamed by BJP member

After an incident at the Parthampur polling station in Santrampur,where booth capturing occurred, the Election Commission ordered a repoll. The poll body has scheduled the repoll on May 11. Two BJP members were arrested on Wednesday in Gujarat’s Mahisagar district over alleged bogus voting after the act was live-streamed on social media and the video went viral. 

4:11 PM

Lok Sabha contest between vote for development and 'vote for jihad', claims Home Minister Amit Shah

Home Minister Amit Shah today stated that the 2024 election is Rahul Gandhi vs Narendra Modi and that it is a contest between vote for development and "vote for jihad".

Addressing an election rally in Bhongir Lok Sabha constituency of Telangana, he said the election is between Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Bharatiya guarantee" against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's "Chinese guarantee".

4:09 PM

How could central govt determine Hindu, Muslim population without even conducting Census: Tejashwi Yadav

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday cast doubts on the EAC-PM report, questioning how the Centre could determine the Hindu and Muslim population without even conducting a Census. The report of the Economic Advisory Council to the PM (EAC-PM) stated that there has been a rise in Muslim population and a fall in Hindu percentage. The former deputy chief minister of Bihar claimed that the  the Centre was creating a rift between Hindus and Muslims to divert attention from "real issues".

3:58 PM

New videos clipping claim Sandeshkhali women deceived to lodge complaints of assault; TMC hits out at BJP

The Trinamool Congress on Thursday accused the BJP of spreading falsehood about the incidents of Sandeskhali, after videos claimed that a local saffron party leader made several women sign blank papers which were later filled up as complaints of sexual assault against TMC leaders, according to a report by news agency PTI. The videos emerged days after another clipping became viral, which showed a local functionary of the party claiming that the leader of the opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari was behind the episode.

3:47 PM

Lok Sabha polls 2024: Congress candidate Kulbir Zira files his nomination from Khadoor Sahib seat

Congress candidate from the Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha seat Kulbir Singh Zira on Thursday filed his nomination papers in Punjab's Tarn Taran district. Former legislator Zira was accompanied by his family members when he filed his papers. The nomination process for the Lok Sabha elections in Punjab began on Tuesday.

3:36 PM

Lok Sabha polls 2024: Congress leader Vikramaditya Singh files nomination from Mandi

Himachal Pradesh Public works minister and Congress candidate Vikramaditya Singh today filed his nomination papers from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat.

He was accompanied by his mother and the state Congress chief Pratibha Singh, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Congress Working Committee member and in-charge Himachal, Rajiv Shukla.

2:57 PM

Rs 8.36 crore seized by Andhra police at inter-state check-post Garikapadu

Cops in Andhra Pradesh today seized Rs 8.36 crore from a truck carrying PVC pipes at an inter-state check-post in NTR district. "We seized Rs 8.36 crore cash hidden in a cabin behind the driver's seat in the truck coming from Hyderabad and bound for Guntur," a police official told PTI.

2:55 PM

BSP chief Mayawati is our universal leader: Akash Anand

Akash Anand on Thursday said he fully respects the decision of his aunt and party president Mayawati whom he described as a role model for the entire Bahujan community He also said that he will continue to fight for the Bhim Mission till his last breath."You are our universal leader. Totally respect your order.I will keep fighting till my last breath for Bhim Mission and my society," he said. His remarks come after former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati decided on Tuesday night to divest him of his responsibilities as the party's national coordinator and her "successor", barely five months after she had anointed him.

2:22 PM

Home Minister Amit Shah is trying to 'scare' me, says Telangana CM Revanth Reddy

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy today accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of  employing the Delhi police to intimidate him and alleged that Union Home Minister Amit Shah is trying to "scare him." "Amit bhai is trying to scare me off. He is using MHA in doing so. If a political party produced a doctored video against a political party or leader, the concerned political party has to complain. But here, the complaint was by the MHA. It means that they (BJP) are trying to use Delhi Police like they use ED and CBI. Let them do whatever they want, there are courts...I have given the details of my Twitter accounts," Revanth Reddy told ANI.

2:10 PM

Lok Sabha polls 2024: After quitting SAD, Hardeep Singh joins AAP

Days after he quit the Shiromani Akali Dal, which had fielded him from the Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat, Hardeep Singh on Thursday joined the Aam Aadmi Party here. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann welcomed him into the party fold. Singh, a Chandigarh municipal councillor, said he was impressed by the development work carried out by the Mann government.

1:56 PM

People of Hyderabad are not cattle, says AIMIM chief Owaisi on PM Modi's 'leasing the city to AIMIM' remarks

Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remark that Congress and BRS had given Hyderabad "on lease" to AIMIM, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen leader Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesdaysaid that the people of Hyderabad are not cattle, adding that they are the citizens, not the property of political parties. PM Modi on Wednesday alleged that for all these years, Congress and BRS have given Hyderabad to AIMIM on "lease."

1:53 PM

Will end drain of wealth from Indian families to crony corporates: Congress

The Congress said today that the Modi government is aiding "drain of wealth" from ordinary Indians to crony corporates, and said it will end this practice if it comes to power at the Centre. "On June 4, as the Congress-led government takes power, we will rapidly accelerate economic growth while ensuring that ordinary Indian families are the biggest beneficiaries. We will end the 'drain of wealth' from Indian families to crony corporates," Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh stated. This comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Rahul Gandhi had stopped "abusing" Adani and Ambani and whether his party received money from them in return.

1:29 PM

Congress, BRS, AIMIM are 'triangle of appeasement': Amit Shah in Telangana rally

Congress, BRS, AIMIM are 'triangle of appeasement'; they don't allow Ram Navami procession, alleges Home Minister Amit Shah in Telangana rally.

1:10 PM

PM 'blatantly racist" by bringing in skin colour in Election debate: Congress leader P Chidambaram

Congress leader P Chidambaram on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being racist by bringing in skin colour in the poll debate, and said the opposition's support to Yashwant Sinha in the presidential election was not based on the colour of skin. In a post on X, he said in the last election to the office of President of India, there were two candidates - Droupadi Murmu and Sinha. While the BJP and its allies supported Murmu, he said 17 Opposition parties, including the Congress, supported Sinha."Support for a candidate was not based on the colour of the skin. Opposition to a candidate was also not based on the colour of the skin.Support or opposition was a political decision, and every elector abided by the decision of his or her party," Chidambaram said.

 

12:39 PM

Union minister Ramdas Athawale files complaint with EC over Rahul Gandhi's 'change in Constitution' claim

Union Minister of State for Social Justice Ramdas Athawale on thursday stated taht he has filed a complaint with the Election Commission, objecting to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's frequent claim that the BJP would change the country's Constitution. "Rahul Gandhi has frequently claimed that the BJP plans to change the Constitution if it comes to power again. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has refuted these charges several times," he said.

12:00 PM

'Priyanka Gandhi's clerk: BJP's Rae Bareli candidate mocks at Cong's Amethi pick

The BJP's Rae Bareli candidate Dinesh Pratap Singh has accused the Gandhi family of harbouring "hatred" for Rae Bareli-Amethi, and asked why they did not field a local leader but opted for "Priyanka Gandhi's clerk" to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Amethi.

Singh also claimed that the Gandhi will lose by a bigger margin than his mother Sonia Gandhi had won in the 2019 polls.

Sonia Gandhi had beaten Singh in 2019 by over 167,000 votes.

11:16 AM

Sandeshkhali case: TMC says, will file complaint with Election Commission against BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has said it will lodge a formal complaint with the Election Commission against BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari and other party members. TMC alleged that BJP leaders, including Adhikari, confessed on camera to fabricating the Sandeshkhali rape accusations.

11:02 AM

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann to hold roadshows for AAP candidates in Delhi on May 11

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will hold roadshows in East and South Delhi Lok Sabha constituencies on May 11 to campaign for AAP candidates, the party said on Thursday. Delhi will go to polls in the sixth phase of the seven-phase election on May 25. The counting of votes will be held on June 4.

10:13 AM

People fed up with 'corruption, cronyism; YSRCP govt in Andhra will be thing of past after Jun 4: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday asserted that the YSRCP government in Andhra Pradesh will be a thing of the past after June 4 as people are fed up with "corruption, cronyism and mafia raj". "Due to its strong link with Congress culture, YSRCP has only furthered corruption, cronyism and Mafia Raj. Andhra Pradesh is totally fed up of the YSRCP. Come 4th June, their government will be a thing of the past," he said in a post on 'X'.

9:39 AM

Two BJP arrested in Gujarat for allegedly casting bogus vote and live-streaming it on Facebook

Two BJP members were on Wednesday taken into custody in Gujarat’s Mahisagar district over alleged bogus voting after the act was live-streamed on social media and the video went viral. The Congress has claimed that the accused had visited 25 polling stations and indulged in bogus voting in the Gothib taluka panchayat in Santrampur as well.

9:03 AM

INDIA bloc leaders to meet EC today over 'delay' in release of voter turnout data

INDIA bloc leaders will meet the Election Commission of India (ECI) today over their demand to promptly release the absolute voter turnout figures in the ongoing General Elections after each phase, according to a report by news agency PTI. The ECI has stated that booth-wise data of the "actual number of votes polled" is available with the candidates soon after the voting ends.