LS polls highlights: TMC Chief Mamata Banerjee to support INDIA Bloc 'from outside'

General Elections 2024 latest news: Catch all the news updates on the Lok Sabha polls here

9:09 PM

LS polls: Mumbai Metro services partially suspended during PM Modi's roadshow

The services of Mumbai Metro were partially suspended for security reasons on Wednesday evening as Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducted a roadshow in Ghatkopar area of the city. The services between Jagruti Nagar and Ghatkopar stations were suspended from 6 pm to 7.40 pm, said a spokesperson of Mumbai Metro One. The Ghatkopar-Andheri-Versova Metro provides connectivity between the eastern and western suburbs and is used by more than three lakh commuters daily.

9:08 PM

'Ask Amit Shah where is Rs 15 lakhs, 2 crore employment opportunities', says Priyanka Gandhi

Hitting out at Home Minister Amit Shah over his remark on Congress's electoral guarantee, party leader Priyanka Gandhi questioned him about the BJP's guarantee of providing Rs 15 lakhs and 2 crores of employment opportunities. Priyanka's statement comes after Amit Shah termed Congress's electoral guarantee as a 'Chinese guarantee' on the basis of their durability.

8:16 PM

LS polls: BJP petitions Election Commission against Rahul Gandhi's remarks on Army

The BJP Wednesday urged the Election Commission to take strict action against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his remarks that the Modi government has created two categories of soldiers, one comprising those from poor families and reserved classes, and the other from rich families. A senior party delegation including External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Union ministers Arjun Ram Meghwal and Rajeev Chandrasekhar approached the Election Commission and lodged a complaint. BJP Rajya Sabha MP and national media incharge Anil Baluni was also part of the delegation.

7:32 PM

I will have to go back to jail, if people vote for BJP, says Delhi CM Kejriwal during a roadshow in Delhi

7:04 PM

Jailed radical preacher Amritpal Singh to contest LS polls from Punjab's Khadoor Sahib seat

The nomination form of 'Waris Punjab De' Chief Amritpal Singh to contest the Lok Sabha election from the Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha seat as an Independent has been accepted. Singh, 31, chief of the 'Waris Punjab De' outfit, has entered the electoral ring as an independent candidate for the Khadoor Sahib seat in Punjab.

6:56 PM

Congress will fail to open its account in Uttar Pradesh: CM Yogi Adityanath

Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath asserted on Wednesday that the Congress Party would fail to secure a single seat in UP during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections while advising Mallikarjun Kharge, the National President of Congress, to prioritise honesty in his statements. While talking to ANI, Yogi accused, "Congress is perpetuating national division based on various factors, such as ideology, religion, geography, and language." Specifically, he criticised Kharge for his unsavoury remarks on revered deities like Lord Shiva and Lord Shri Ram, labelling it as indicative of their narrow-minded approach.

5:46 PM

Rahul Gandhi should have said before elections that he is going to contest on 2 seats, says Amit Shah

5:42 PM

Amit Shah says interim bail to Kejriwal not ‘routine judgment’

Union home minister Amit Shah has asserted that the interim bail granted to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was not a “routine judgment”, claiming that many people believe a “special treatment” has been given to the AAP leader. Asked if Arvind Kejriwal's narrative in the election campaign has become aggressive after walking out of jail, Amit Shah, in an interview with ANI, said, “Right now he (Arvind Kejriwal) is stuck in another issue,” referring to the ongoing controversy around the alleged assault of AAP MP Swati Maliwal. “Let him get free from that then let's see what happens.”

5:14 PM

PM Modi will lead us even after 2029 : Amit Shah responding to Arvind Kejriwal's allegations

5:00 PM

Congress wanted to allocate 15% of budget to minorities, says PM Modi

At an election rally at Pimpalgaon Baswant in north Maharashtra's Nashik district,Prime Minister Narendra Modi today claimed the Congress during its previous rule wanted to provide 15 per cent of the government budget for minorities and vowed not to allow splitting of budget or reservation in jobs and education on the basis of religion.

4:55 PM

Ready to take part in elections if Centre revokes ban: ex-chief of Jamaat-e-Islami (J-K)

The former chief of Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir,Ghulam Qadri Wani,  on Wednesday stated that the outfit is ready to take part in elections if Centre revokes ban.

4:53 PM

Sanjay Singh meets Swati Maliwal amid manhandling row

AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh today went to Swati Maliwal's residence after Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's assistant Vibhav Kumar allegedly manhandled her at the CM's residence on Monday. On Tuesday, Sanjay Singh admitted the incident and said the party would take appropriate action. Swati Maliwal has not issued any statement on the incident yet.

4:26 PM

It is certain that fake Shiv Sena, fake Nationalist Party, will merge with Congress: PM Modi

"A leader of the INDI alliance in Maharashtra gave a suggestion that all the small parties in Maharashtra should merge with Congress after the elections...It is certain that this fake Shiv Sena, fake Nationalist Party, will merge with Congress and when this fake Shiv Sena will merge with Congress, I will remember Bala Saheb Thackeray the most, because Bala Saheb also used to say that the day he felt that Shiv Sena has become Congress, that day he will end Shiv Sena, meaning that now there will be no trace of fake Shiv Sena," Pm Modi said at a poll rally in Maharashtra.

4:19 PM

Congress- Shiv Sena partnership is a partnership of sin: PM Modi at Dindori rally

"The fake Shiv Sena has shattered every dream of Balasaheb Thackeray. His dream was to build a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya. Congress rejected the invitation of Pran Pratistha and fake Shiv Sena also chose the same path. Congress people are talking nonsense about the temple and the fake Shiv Sena is completely silent. Their partnership is a partnership of sin. And their sin has been exposed in front of the entire world. In the four phases of elections that have taken place, the public has defeated them from all sides," PM Modi said at a rally in Dindori.

4:12 PM

Will be difficult for Congress to get recognised as opposition in Lok Sabha: PM Modi

Congress going to lose so badly that it will be difficult for it to become even recognised opposition (in Lok Sabha), PM Modi said today at a poll rally.

3:55 PM

Take strict action if parties register voters for post-election schemes: Delhi poll body urges police

The Delhi election body has asked the city police to act strictly against political parties and their workers indulging in registration of voters for post-election beneficiary-oriented scheme. The poll body said its Delhi election office has received complaints about "some" political parties "registering voters" for post-election beneficiary-oriented schemes in the garb of conducting surveys.

3:53 PM

Congress biased towards Muslims, Modi is towards none: BJP leader Giriraj Singh

Union minister Giriraj Singh today said that that the Narendra Modi government has never discriminated against Muslims, while charging the Congress-led opposition with a bias in favour of its minority vote bank. The senior BJP leader also said his party looked forward to the construction of "grand temples" at Kashi and Mathura, just like Ayodhya, in Modi's third term with the NDA winning more than 400 seats.

3:25 PM

"Mutton-chicken", "Hindu-Muslim" are PM Modi's words and not ours: Congress chief Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to talk about development matters rather than other issues in his campaign speeches, and said "mutton-chicken", "Hindu-Muslim" are his words and not ours. His remarks came after Prime Minister Modi in an interview to News 18 said he won't be fit for public life if he starts playing the Hindu-Muslim card.

3:21 PM

Election Commission summons Andhra chief secretary, DGP over post-poll violence in state

Taking note of post-poll violence in Andhra Pradesh, the Election Commission of India has summoned the state's chief secretary and the DGP today to "personally explain" the administration's failure to contain the incidents, news agency PTI reported today. The EC also instructed the chief secretary and the police chief to ensure such incidents are not repeated.

2:56 PM

PM Modi, BJP have spread immense hatred against Muslims: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi

Reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's clarification that he never mentioned ‘Muslims’ in his controversial 'infiltrators' remark last month, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi today said that  that his entire political journey was based on "anti-Muslim politics".

 

"In his speech, Modi had called Muslims infiltrators and people with too many children. Now he is saying that he was not talking about Muslims, he never did Hindu-Muslim. Why did it take so long to give this false clarification? Modi's political journey is based solely on anti-Muslim politics. In this election, Modi and BJP have spread countless lies and immense hatred against Muslims. It is not just Modi who is in the dock, but every voter who voted for BJP despite these speeches," Asaduddin Owaisi wrote on X.

2:45 PM

India needs to be in strong hands of PM Modi: Uttarakhand Waqf Board Chairman Shadab Shams

At a time when the world is on the verge of a war, India needs the strong leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttarakhand Waqf Board Chairman Shadab Shams said on Wednesday."The clouds of war hover over the entire world. An atmosphere of chaos and strife grips various countries. In times like these, India needs the strong leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He must get a third term. The country will suffer if its leadership passes into weak hands at this juncture," Shams told news agency PTI.

2:36 PM

BJP wants to destroy Constitution, scrap reservation: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi

At an election rally in Odisha's Bolangir, Rahul Gandhi claimed that if the BJP secures a majority after the Lok sabha polls, it will privatise the public sector and the country will be run by 22 billionaires. "BJP wants to tear this book, but we in Congress and the people of India will not allow it," he said pointing to the Constitution in his hand.

2:00 PM

Chandigarh Congress leader Subhash Chawla set to join BJP

Congress’s former Chandigarh unit president Subhash Chawla is all set to join the BJP, The Indian Express reported today.  Chawla has served as the mayor of Chandigarh twice.

1:47 PM

Case filed against 2 poll officials in Palghar for not distributing voter slips

Police have registered a case against two booth level officers for allegedly not distributing voter slips to electors in Maharashtra's Palghar district for the Lok Sabha election scheduled on May 20, an official said on Wednesday. The duo, deputy teachers at a Zilla Parishad school in Dahanu, were assigned the task of collecting and distributing the voter slips but they ignored it, he said.

1:20 PM

PoK is part of India, we will take it, says Home Minister Amit Shah

At an election rally in Serampore,  Home Minister Amit Shah asserted that  "PoK is part of India and we will take it". Shah stated, "Congress leaders like Mani Shankar Aiyar say it should not be done as they have an atom bomb. But let me say this Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is part of India and we will take it." 

 

 

1:09 PM

PM polarised voters; now "lying" that he "never did Hindu-Muslim" politics: Cong leader Jairam Ramesh

Addressing a press conference in Ranchi, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh alleged that the PM polarised voters on religious lines, and was now "lying" that he "never did Hindu-Muslim" politics. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi is an outgoing prime minister, and his desperation after the initial phases of the elections says this. Amit Shah is an outgoing home minister. We will get rid of the pandemic of lies after June 4," he said.

1:07 PM

PoK will merge with India if BJP gets 400 seats in Lok Sabha elections, claims Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at a Jharkhand rally claimed that that PoK will merge with India if BJP gets 400 seats in Lok Sabha polls. 

12:51 PM

People have prepared to bid farewell to PM Narendra Modi: Congress chief Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge today asserted that the opposition INDIA bloc is in a strong position after four phases of Lok Sabha polls and that the people of the country are prepared to bid farewell to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

12:20 PM

'Outgoing PM' has no agenda barring Hindu-Muslim politics: Congress leader Jairam Ramesh

Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the nation knows very well that "the outgoing PM is a pathological liar". The opposition party's attack came after Prime Minister Modi in an interview to News 18 said he won't be fit for public life if he starts playing the Hindu-Muslim card. "But even by his own pathetic standards, Mr. Modi's latest claim that he does not do Hindu-Muslim politics shows the new depths he reaches daily in lying. Since April 19th 2024, it is a matter of public record that cannot be erased from our collective memory - even if Mr. Modi erases it from his own - that the outgoing PM has blatantly and brazenly used communal language, symbols, and allusions," Ramesh charged on X.

12:06 PM

Will provide 10 kg of free ration per month to the poor, says Cong chief Kharge

If INDIA bloc govt is formed, we will provide 10 kg of free ration per month to the poor, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said in Lucknow.