LS polls Highlights: Handing over my son Rahul to you, says Sonia Gandhi to Raebareli voters

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

7:40 PM

Why BJP sponsoring Adani's Dharavi redevelopment project: Cong asks PM

The Congress on Friday demanded answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on why the BJP is "sponsoring" industrialist Gautam Adani's Dharavi land redevelopment plan and asked why Mumbai has lost several big-ticket projects to Gujarat in the last few years. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also asked why the prime minister's roadshow in Mumbai was planned "callously and carelessly".

6:45 PM

Odisha to turn saffron, BJP will win over 75 Assembly, 15 LS seats: Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday claimed that Odisha would turn saffron after the elections, since the BJP would win over 75 assembly and 15 Lok Sabha seats. He asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already won 270 Lok Sabha seats in the first four phases of elections and is now moving towards 400.

5:57 PM

Abhishek challenges BJP to public debate on development governance records

TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Friday challenged the BJP to a public debate to compare their respective records of development governance. 

Addressing an election rally at Dhaniakhali in West Bengal's Hooghly district, Banerjee dared incumbent BJP MP and candidate Locket Chatterjee to confront him with their respective report cards on actual development work in the constituency. He was flanked by TMC's Hooghly candidate Rachana Banerjee.

5:10 PM

I am handing over my son Rahul to you: Sonia Gandhi to Raebareli voters

5:06 PM

SP, Congress will gift people's property to those who do 'vote jihad': PM Modi at Hamirpur rally

Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated today that the SP and the Congress will use people's votes to come to power and then gift a part of their property to those who carry out "vote jihad" for them. PM Modi cautioned people against the "intentions" of the two opposition allies in Uttar Pradesh.

 

4:31 PM

Himachal BJP expels 2 rebel leaders from party

The BJP in Himachal Pradesh today expelled Rakesh Choudhary and former minister Ram Lal Markanda for six years after it failed to persuade them to withdraw their assembly poll nominations as Independents. Markanda and Choudhary have been expelled from the primary membership of the BJP for six years with immediate effect.

4:28 PM

PM Modi has already won over 270 seats: Home Minister Amit Shah at Rourkela rally

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already won over 270 seats and is now moving towards 400, Home Minister Amit Shah said at a rally in Rourkela.

4:14 PM

We are giving free ration, free treatment and houses to poor people: PM Modi

"Previous govts made the farmers in Bundelkhand die by suicide. Today Modi, in Hamirpur, Jhansi and Jalaun, Kisan Samman Nidhi's Rs 1,800 crore was given to the farmers. We are giving free ration, free treatment and houses to poor people"

3:16 PM

UP CM's 'bulldozer' against reservation for Dalits, backwards: Congress slams PM Modi's remarks

The Congress on Friday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his "learn from from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath where to run bulldozers" remark and claimed that the CM's "bulldozer" is against reservation for Dalits, tribals and backward classes.In a post in Hindi on X, Ramesh said, "The outgoing Prime Minister today said that the INDIA Janbandhan should learn from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath where to run the 'bulldozer'. See how Yogi's 'bulldozer' is against the reservation system for Dalits, tribals, and backward classes!"

3:10 PM

Cong aiming to win 50 seats to save its honour, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today stated that the Congress is aiming to win 50 seats in the Lok Sabha elections to save its honour. PM Modi also took a jab at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for not contesting from Amethi, the seat which he lost to BJP leader Smriti Irani in the 2019 elections.

2:44 PM

'Dictatorship' going on in the country is unacceptable : Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal  slammed the BJP, accusing it of putting all rival party leaders in jail."The dictatorship that is going on in our country is not acceptable. India has never seen such a period in the past 75 years, putting opposition leaders in jail," said Kejriwal. "Like in Russia, (Vladimir) Putin had either sent all rival leaders in jail or got them killed and then conducted the elections and got 87 per cent votes. When there is no opposition, you will be the only one who will get votes," he added.

2:38 PM

Trinamool files complaint with EC against Abhijit Gangopadhyay for comments on Mamata Banerjee

The Trinamool Congress today filed a complaint with the Election Commission against BJP candidate for Tamluk Lok Sabha constituency Abhijit Gangopadhyay, stating that he made "sexist" remarks against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at a public rally. In a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal,  Derek O'Brien said, "In the said speech, Gangopadhyay has made certain highly offensive utterances, being: 'Mamata Banerjee, how much are you being sold for? Your rate is 10 lakhs, why? Because you're getting your make-up done by Keya Seth? Mamata Banerjee, is she even a woman? I keep wondering sometimes."

2:33 PM

Rae Bareli not a seat of any family but that of the people: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah took on Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi for calling Rae Bareli a "family seat", and said it's not a seat of any family but that of the people. Shah made a scathing attack at the Congress for turning down invitation for Ram Mandir's 'Pran Pratishtha' in Ayodhya, and said if the Congress came to power, they would put the "Ayodhya lock" in the temple again.

1:57 PM

Congress weaved a false narrative of saffron terrorism: PM Modi

"SP's love for mafias hasn't ended yet, their party chief is reading 'fatiah' on the grave of the mafia... Pakistan used to attack our country, Congress used to give them a clean chit and they have weaved a false narrative of saffron terrorism," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today. 

1:36 PM

Supreme Court to hear today NGO's petition on release of voter turnout data for LS polls within 48 hours

The top court today will hear a petition by an NGO seeking a direction to the Election Commission to upload polling station-wise voter turnout data on its website within 48 hours of conclusion of polling for each phase of the General Elections.

1:16 PM

Trinamool Congress leader shot at in West Bengal's Cooch Behar

A local Trinamool Congress leader, Animesh Roy, was shot at in West Bengal's Cooch Behar district, police said on Friday. The panchayat pradhan of Lalbazar in Sitalkuchi, was returning home along with an aide on Thursday night when he was attacked, they said. Roy received a gunshot wound on his right thigh, they added.

12:58 PM

Will be happy to see AAP winning all 13 seats in Punjab: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal

12:50 PM

INDIA alliance in electoral fray to create instability: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today hit out at the opposition INDIA bloc, saying they are in the fray to create instability while the BJP-NDA alliance is dedicated to national interest. "Today, on one side there is the BJP-NDA alliance dedicated to the national interest and on the other side, the INDI Alliance is in the field to create instability in the country. As the elections progress, these INDI alliance people have started collapsing like a pack of cards," Modi said.

11:42 AM

BJP releases 19th list of candidates for Lok Sabha polls

The BJP has fielded Subhash Sharma from Anandpur Sahib, Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodi from Firozpur, and Arvind Khanna from Sangrur.

 

11:38 AM

Congress, SP should take tuition from Yogi ji on where to run a bulldozer and where one shouldn't: PM Modi

"If SP and Congress come to power, Ram Lalla will be in a tent again and they will run a bulldozer on Ram temple. They should take tuition from Yogi ji, where to run a bulldozer and where you shouldn't," PM Modi said at the Barabanki rally today.

11:30 AM

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav vying for prime minister's post: PM Modi

11:26 AM

Confident that PM Modi is coming back with a good majority: FM Nirmala Sitharaman

11:14 AM

PM Modi must explain why his govt 'callously' scrapped Backward Region Grant Fund: Cong leader Ramesh

The Congress  today slammed the BJP for "scrapping" the Backward Region Grant Fund in 2015 and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to explain why his government "callously" did away with the "forward-thinking" scheme of the UPA. "Why has the Modi Sarkar scrapped the Backward Regions Grant Fund? Why has the BJP neglected UP's mentha farmers? Why has CM Yogi repeatedly lied about reopening the Budhwal Sugar Mill?" Ramesh said.

10:54 AM

NDA moving forward on target of achieving 400 seats: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh

"Political experts across the country have been claiming that BJP-led NDA government is going to be formed this time. We are moving forward on our target of achieving 400 seats," Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told news agency ANI today.

10:24 AM

Narendra Modi eager to reclaim PM post instead of paving way for next generation, says Uddhav Thackeray

At an election rally in Thane, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for repeatedly targeting him and NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar and claimed that he is eager to reclaim the PM's post instead of paving the way for the next generation. Canvassing for incumbent MP and his party candidate Rajan Vichare on Thursday, Thackeray called the contest a clash between loyalty and betrayal.

10:08 AM

Confident about son's victory in Kalyan, says Maha Chief Minister Eknath Shinde

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday expressed confidence about his son, sitting MP Shrikant Shinde's victory from Kalyan Lok Sabha constituency. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday visited Kalyan when his son filed his nomination seeking a third term as MP. Eknath Shinde expressed confidence about his son's victory. 

10:02 AM

Nonsense: Defence minister Rajnath Singh rejects Arvind Kejriwal's claims on PM's retirement

Slamming Kejriwal during a public meeting in Rajajipuram, Defence Minister Singh said, "The chief minister of Delhi said that Modi ji will not become the prime minister after the 2024 elections. I am surprised. He has just come out on bail, he has to go to jail again after June 1 and he is talking such nonsense about the prime minister of India."

9:56 AM

BJP's East Delhi candidate releases manifesto; promises to set up DU campus

The BJP's East Delhi candidate Harsh Malhotra has promised to set up a Delhi University campus, a multilevel car park and redevelop slums in the area if he is elected as MP. The BJP candidate is pitted against AAP's Kuldeep Kumar in East Delhi.

9:06 AM

Lok Sabha polls 2024: PM Modi to address rally at Mumbai, Delhi CM Kejriwal to hold roadshow in Amritsar

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a rally at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav will also hold joint rallies in Uttar Pradesh. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal will also hold a roadshow in Amritsar.