LS polls highlights: First phase Lok Sabha election campaign concludes

General Elections 2024 news updates: Catch all the news updates on the announcements related to Lok Sabha polls here

7:19 PM

First phase Lok Sabha Election campaign concludes

The election campaigning for the first phase of Lok Sabha elections concluded at 3 pm today in the North East, and in other areas, it ended at 6 pm: Election Commission of India

6:17 PM

Campaign ends for lone LS seat in Nagaland

Campaigning for the lone Lok Sabha seat in Nagaland, which would witness a three-cornered fight, came to an end on Wednesday.In a notification, Nagaland Chief Electoral Officer Vyasan R said no person would be allowed to convene, hold, attend, join or address any public meeting or procession in connection with the elections after 4 PM on Wednesday.He also said display to the public of any election matter using cinematograph, television or other similar apparatus is also restricted.Three candidates – Congress nominee S Supongmeren Jamir, ruling NDPP's Dr Chumben Murry and Independent Hayithung Tungoe Lotha – are in the fray.

5:55 PM

TMC unveils poll manifesto 'Didir Shopoth'; promises to repeal CAA and halt NRC

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has unveiled its manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections, 2024, promising a range of welfare schemes aimed at uplifting every Indian. Titled "Didir Shopoth," the manifesto outlines key initiatives, including the repeal of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and halting the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Additionally, the manifesto pledges welfare measures such as doorstep ration delivery and providing 10 free cooking cylinders to families below the poverty line (BPL). TMC spokesperson expressed their commitment to ensuring guaranteed employment, universal housing, free LPG cylinders, minimum support price (MSP) for farmers, and scholarships for students belonging to marginalised communities.

5:01 PM

O Panneerselvam to face IUML, AIADMK in three-cornered fight in Ramanathapuram constituency

Former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam is contesting as an independent candidate against AIADMK's Jayaperumal and K Navaskani from the Indian Union Muslim League, an ally of the DMK. Chandraprabha has been fielded by the Naam Tamilar Katchi party from the Ramanathapuram Lok Sabha constituency.

4:59 PM

Odisha Assembly polls 2024: CM Naveen Patnaik to contest two assembly seats

Odisha Chief Minister and BJD supremeo Naveen Patnaik today announced he will contest from Kantabanji in western Odisha apart from his pocket borough of Hinjili. He opted for a second seat—Bijepur in western Odisha—for the first time in his two-decade political career in 2019.

4:46 PM

Lok Sabha polls 2024 update: RJD fields Mamta Bhuiyan from Palamu

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Jharkhand unit today declared that Mamata Bhuiyan will be its candidate for the Palamu Lok Sabha seat in the state. The RJD was allotted only the Palamu Lok Sabha constituency out of the 14 seats in the state, according to a seat-sharing formula among the JMM-led alliance partners in the state. Bhuiyan has recently switched to RJD from the BJP.

4:43 PM

General Elections 2024 updates: Ex-Union minister Pratik Patil unhappy over Cong not getting Sangli LS seat

Former Union minister has expressed his indignation  over the Congress ceding the Sangli Lok Sabha seat, once his family bastion, to ally Shiv Sena (UBT). Pratik Patil is the grandson of ex-Maharashtra chief minister late Vasantdada Patil. Pratik Patil, who served as minister of state in the Manmohan Singh government, said he had quit the Congress after it gave in to ally NCP (then undivided) to "weaken" Vasantdada Patil's family. 

"Vasantdada Patil may no longer be alive, but his faction within the Maharashtra Congress still exists even if it is non-functional," he said.

4:29 PM

What Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said on NDA's '400 paar' slogan

"If such an election is conducted in the country where there is no 'gadbadi' in the EVM, then they will not win more than 180 seats. The basis on which they are saying they will cross 400 seats is well known to them. They have already done some mischief that they know they are getting over 400 seats," Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said. 

4:26 PM

Lok Sabha LIVE updates: TMC manifesto promises ration at doorstep, 10 free cooking cylinders for BPL families

The TMC today released its Lok Sabha poll manifesto promising multiple social welfare measures and repeal of the CAA if the opposition INDIA bloc comes to power at the Centre. Senior TMC leader Amit Mitra said,"We promise to control petrol and diesel prices through the formulation of a price stabilisation fund. We also promise to repeal the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and stop the National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise in the country." 

3:37 PM

People may be cheated once, but not repeatedly: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on BJP's poll promises

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today stated that the people of the state won't believe the heap of promises showered upon them by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the recent election rallies. "Narendra Modi came here (to Kerala) and showered several promises. But will any person ever believe this? They may be cheated once, but not repeatedly," he said while addressing an election meeting in Pattambi in Palakkad.

3:23 PM

Will repeal NRC, CAA if INDIA bloc voted to power: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

 West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said the CAA and NRC will be repealed if opposition bloc INDIA forms government at the Centre, after alleging that the BJP has made the entire country a "detention camp."  "If the INDIA bloc wins, there will not be the National Register of Citizens (NRC), Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and Uniform Civil Code. We will repeal all discriminatory laws," Banerjee said at the rally.

 

"They (BJP) made the entire country a detention camp... I have never seen such a dangerous election in my life," Banerjee said.

 

3:09 PM

We are focusing to enhance connectivity in Northeast: PM Modi in Agartala

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today that the BJP has decided to construct 3 crore new houses in India. He added that Tripura's people to benefit great deal from it. 

3:02 PM

North east plays a major role in making India 'Viksit': PM Modi in Tripura rally

"North East plays a major role in making India 'Viksit'. After years of Independence and during the rule of Congress justice was not done with the capabilities of the states in North East. Communists ruled in Tripura and they just destroyed the people of Tripura. But, today in Delhi there is a government that continuously thinks about North East and Tripura. North East 'mere liye politics ka nahi, prem aur prathmikta ka vishaya hai', " PM Modi said today.

2:57 PM

After 500 years and a long wait, Lord Ram is 'Virajman' in Ayodhya's temple: PM Modi in Agartala

2:50 PM

Lok Sabha polls LIVE: Clean sweep of INDIA bloc from Ghaziabad to Ghazipur, says SP chief Akhilesh Yadav

Stating that 'winds of change' are blowing from western Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday said there will be an INDIA bloc 'clean sweep' from Ghaziabad to Ghazipur.

2:44 PM

if PM Modi wins again, there won't be any democracy, election left: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

There won't be any democracy, election if Modi wins again, claims West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Assam

2:34 PM

PDA (Pichhde, Dalit and Alpasankhyak) will defeat NDA: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav

Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav today hit out at the BJP-led central government for allegedly betraying PDA (Pichhde, Dalit and Alpasankhyak) families and said that the PDA will defeat the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

 

"PDA is going to defeat NDA. As far as 'Pariwarwaad' is concerned, I want the BJP to take a resolution that they will neither give a ticket to 'pariwar wale' nor take votes from 'pariwar wale'. They (the BJP) cannot even take the name of the INDIA alliance properly. The spelling of India is INDIA; what is INDI? The people who came in 2014 will be gone in 2024," he said at a press conference with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

2:28 PM

DMK accuses probe agencies of tapping phones ahead of Lok Sabha polls 2024

Accusing the federal agencies of tapping the phones of its party leaders, including Lok Sabha candidates, their friends, and relatives, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has filed a complaint with the state chief election commissioner. “We understand that the Enforcement Directorate, CBI [Central Bureau of Investigation], IT [Income Tax Department], and other agencies under the Union Government are illegally intercepting the telephones of candidates, our frontline leaders, their friends, and close relatives,” said DMK leader R S Bharathi in a letter to the commissioner on Tuesday

1:59 PM

Lok Sabha polls 2024 updates: PM Modi watched the Surya Tilak ceremony after his rally in Nalbari

1:57 PM

Prime minister in Nalbari: What PM Modi said on Ram Lalla's Surya Tilak

PM Narendra Modi posted on X: "After my Nalbari rally, I watched the Surya Tilak on Ram Lalla. Like crores of Indians, this is a very emotional moment for me. The grand Ram Navami in Ayodhya is historic. May this Surya Tilak bring energy to our lives and may it inspire our nation to scale new heights of glory."

1:45 PM

Those who opposed Lord Ram in India faced downfall: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister and BJP leader Rajnath Singh stated today that whoever in India has opposed Lord Ram has faced downfall, which is what has happened to the Congress and CPI(M) in the country. "They have created hurdles in celebration of Ram Navami. We all know that whosoever has ever opposed Lord Ram faced downfall in the country. That is what has happened to Congress and CPI(M)," he claimed at an election meeting.

1:28 PM

Cong abandons party flags in Wayanad out of fear for BJP, alleges CPI(M)

CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan said though the Congress is claiming that their fight is against the BJP, their two prominent national leaders- Rahul Gandhi and K C Venugopal- are contesting from the southern state, where the saffron party has no role.

The CPI(M) leader recalled how the BJP, citing the IUML flag, allegedly propagated that the Pakistan flag was raised along with that of the Congress during Gandhi's LS poll campaigns in Wayanad in 2019.

"But, the Congress did not show the courage to say that it was not the Pakistan flag but that of their key partner, the IUML...they were also not ready to explain that without the support of the IUML, they won't succeed in Wayanad constituency," he told reporters here.

1:12 PM

CM Naveen Patnaik announces fifth list of candidates for Odisha Assembly polls

Odisha CM and BJD chief Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday announced the fifth list of candidates for Odisha Assembly polls. Patnaik will stand in the polls from the Kantabanji Assembly seat. 

 

1:09 PM

General Elections updates: Will abide by party decision: Rahul Gandhi on contesting LS polls from Amethi

Amid fierce conjecture over whether he would stand for the Lok Sabha elections from Uttar Pradesh's Amethi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today said he would abide by his party's decision on it. Asked whether he would contest from Amethi besides Wayanad, Gandhi said, "On Amethi, the party will decide. Whatever order I get, I will abide by that.

1:04 PM

AAP launches 'AAP Ka RamRajya' website on Ram Navami

The AAP today launched its "AAP Ka RamRajya" website to display the party's concept of "Ram Rajya", saying Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tried to realise the ideals of Lord Ram in Delhi. The website launch coincided with the Ram Navami festival being celebrated in multiple parts of the country.

12:49 PM

Lok Sabha polls: Came with hope in 2014, trust in 2019, guarantee in 2024, says PM Modi at Nalbari rally

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday stated that he went to people with hope in 2014, trust in 2019 and guarantee in 2024. PM Modi was in Assam to campaign for NDA candidates of three constituencies- Asom Gana Parishad's Phani Bhushan Choudhury for Barpeta, United People's Party, Liberal nominee Jayanta Basumatary for Kokrajhar and BJP's Bijuli Kalita Medhi for Guwahati.

12:33 PM

Will take care of elderly without any discrimination: PM Modi at Nalbari rally

 "Modi has given a guarantee that all the elderly people above 70 years of age will get free treatment facilities up to Rs 5 lakh under Ayushman Yojana. Modi will take care of their treatment without any discrimination," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today at a public rally in Nalbari.

12:27 PM

North east has been transformed by BJP into a source of possibilities: PM Modi

12:23 PM

Former Congress lawmaker Akhanda Srinivas Murthy joins BJP

Former Congress legislator from Pulakeshinagar, R Akhanda Srinivas Murthy joined the BJP today. Murthy had quit the Grand Old Party after being denied a ticket to contest the Assembly polls last year. Murthy subsequently entered the fray on a BSP ticket but lost.

12:01 PM

After a wait of 500 yrs, Lord Ram has finally been seated in his temple, says PM Modi