PM Modi, during a recent interview, rejected the proposal of introducing an inheritance tax while slamming the wealth redistribution ideology
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's goal for Viksit Bharat 2047 includes slashing electricity bills to zero by facilitating the adoption of rooftop solar panels in every household
The Opposition, especially the Congress, will have to go much beyond press conferences and urban election meetings by taking these issues to voters in the rural hinterland
From PM Modi's election rallies in Karnataka to BJD leaders joining the BJP in Odisha, catch all the latest updates from around the world here
Congress says PM guilty of distorting remarks
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of insulting India's rajas and maharajas, but remaining silent on the atrocities committed by nawabs, nizams, sultans and badshahs for the sake of appeasement politics. Addressing back-to-back rallies in Belagavi, Sirsi, Davangere and Hosapete, he also continued his attack against the Congress on the "inheritance tax" issue and targeted the party's government in Karnataka on law and order, corruption and development issues. "The BJP is working on increasing the assets of the people, but Congress's shehzada (referring to Rahul Gandhi) and his sister (Priyanka Gandhi Vadra), both are announcing that if they come to power, they will do an 'X-ray' of the country," Modi said. "They will X-ray your property, bank lockers, lands, vehicles, also 'streedhan' and ornaments of women, gold, the 'mangalsutra'. These people will raid every house and capture your assets. After capturing, they are talking about redistributi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday claimed that the INDIA bloc has come up with a "formula" under which the parties in the opposition alliance will get the PM's post for one year each, in case they come to power. "With such a system, the good of the country cannot be expected," he said at an election rally here, as he urged the people not to waste their vote. "I have heard that the INDI Alliance has invented a new formula...if the country has to be given into someone's hands, we will think before giving it or not? Will you give it to anyone? We will think whether the person is able to handle the country or not, the track record will be analysed or not?" Modi asked the people. Questioning the INDIA bloc on which person or leader among them the people could hand over the country's responsibilities to, he asked, "Is there any name? Will you accept without any name, keeping you in the darkness? Will the country accept it?" He claimed, "So they (INDIA bloc) have come up with a formu
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday alleged that while PM Narendra Modi runs a government for billionaires from Delhi, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik leads a dispensation that works for "select people" in Odisha. Addressing an election rally in Cuttack's Salepur, Gandhi claimed that though the BJD and BJP were fighting the electoral battle against each other, in reality, they were working together. "Call it a partnership or marriage, both BJD and BJP are together," he claimed. Taking a dig at Patnaik, Gandhi said that though he was the chief minister, the BJD government in the state was being run by his aide VK Pandian. In an apparent reference to PM Modi, Gandhi said, "Uncle-ji and Naveen-babu have given Odisha PAANN, meaning Pandian, Amit Shah, Narendra Modi, Naveen Patnaik. They have looted your wealth.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of insulting India's Rajas and Maharajas, but remaining silent on the atrocities committed by Nawabs, Nizams, Sultans and Badshahs for the sake of appeasement politics. Addressing a mega public meeting here, he said, "Congress has ensured the writings of our history and our freedom struggle with an eye on appeasement and vote bank. Even today, the Congress' shehzade (prince) is carrying forward that sin. You might have heard Congress' shehzade's recent statement -- he says Bharath's Rajas and Maharajas were atyachari (oppressive)," Modi said. "He (Gandhi) has accused them (Rajas and Maharajas) of usurping the lands and properties of people and poor...Congress' shehzade has insulted great personalities like Chatrapati Shivajji Maharaj and Kittur Rani Channamma, whose administration and patriotism inspires us even today," the prime minister said. Recalling the contribution of the erstwhile Mysuru royal family
The Congress on Sunday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is indulging in "fear mongering" as he is "desperate" after facing a "washout" in the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posed questions for the prime minister ahead of his rallies in Karnataka. "After the Phase II washout, a desperate PM is on a spree of Karnataka rallies today. Instead of lying and fear mongering, these are the questions he should answer," Ramesh said, listing his posers. "Why have BJP MPs performed so poorly as the people's representatives? After a 7-month delay, why has the Centre released less than 20% of drought relief funds? Why is the Centre holding up the Upper Bhadra and Mahadayi projects?" the Congress leader said on X. Elaborating on what he said were "jumla details", Ramesh asked where have BJP MPs been while the Modi government has been "unleashing its vengeance" on Karnataka. Citing the latest data from the Parliamentary Research Service (PRS)
The third phase is scheduled for May 7 which will witness polling in 94 constituencies across 12 states/UTs. The results will be announced on June 4
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the Congress should apologise to the country for doubting the integrity of the electronic voting machines (EVMs). Speaking at an election rally here, he also said Goa was a model of the BJP 'saturation approach' to the implementation of the central government's schemes, which was true secularism and means of doing social justice. Congress lied about EVMs and tried to instigate people, but the Supreme Court has held in its recent ruling that there was nothing wrong with EVMs, the prime minister said, adding that Congress should apologise to the country for its stand. "Goa is a model of the BJP's saturation approach (to welfare scheme) which has benefited farmers, the poor, fisherfolk, women. Modi lives to fulfill your dreams and aspirations," he said, The coastal state is the land of patriots and known for its magnificent temples and churches, Modi added. The 2024 elections are a fight between the NDA's ideology which seeks to fulfill .
The voter turnout in the second phase of Lok Sabha elections has touched the 66.7 per cent mark, which is less than the figures of the 2019 parliamentary polls, according to sources. Both phases of the ongoing polls have seen a dip in the voter turnout as compared to the last general election. The 66.7 per cent figure is approximate and the Election Commission has so far not come out with the polling percentage formally. Phase two of the Lok Sabha elections was held on Friday across 88 constituencies spread in 13 states. In the second phase of 2019 Lok Sabha elections, held in 95 constituencies across 13 states, the turnout was higher at 69.64 per cent. In the first phase of this election, the turnout was 65.5 per cent as compared to 69.43 per cent in the phase one of the 2019 parliamentary polls. Some of the constituencies were different then and the total number of seats which went to poll were 91. Heat wave is believed to have contributed to several voters not turning up at po
Rejecting the BJP's claims that the Congress' election manifesto resembled that of the Muslim League, party president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday asserted that "Modi's factory of lies" won't work forever. Addressing an election rally at Kayakuchi in Barpeta district of Assam, he said unemployment is a big problem in the country and that 65 per cent of educated youths have no jobs. "The INDIA bloc will surely come to power and stop the BJP. Modi's BJP will be decimated. Once our government comes to power, we will control price rise and our focus will be on poor people. We will fill up 30 lakh vacancies in government departments," he added. Terming Prime Minister Narendra Modi a 'sardar (leader) of liars', Kharge charged him with lying about providing two crore jobs annually, bringing back black money to the country and giving Rs 15 lakh to each citizen, and doubling farmers' income. "Modi's 'factory of lies' won't last forever. He even called the Congress manifesto Muslim League'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday targeted the Congress-led INDI alliance, saying it is mulling to have five prime ministers in five years if voted to power. Addressing a rally at Kolhapur in western Maharashtra, Modi said the opposition bloc cannot even reach a three-digit figure or "at the doorstep of forming a government, but has plans to have one prime minister every year if they get a chance". "In Karnataka, Congress has planned to rotate the post of the chief minister by handing it to the deputy chief minister after 2.5 years. They had this arrangement in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan as well," he said. Modi said the Congress wants to extend the "Karnataka model wherein Muslims were inducted in the 27 per cent quota for OBCs", in the entire country. "The Congress-led alliance has vowed to murder social justice," he said and accused the Congress of stooping low for appeasement and vote bank politics. "Congress wants to change the Constitution and rob Dalits, OBCs of quota
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said the Centre has approved Rs 3,499 crore as drought relief and released only Rs 3,454 crore and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to give the balance amount as soon as possible. The chief minister thanked the Supreme Court for warning the Central government and providing some drought relief to the state. "According to the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) rules, the state was supposed to be paid Rs 18,171 crore, but the Central government has only approved Rs 3,498.98 crore. This money is not sufficient for the drought relief. Our fight for the arrears will continue," he told reporters here. The chief minister said that the union government did not give the drought relief fund out of concern for Karnataka but it was forced to release money after the state government approached the Supreme Court and pleaded about the drought situation. "The Supreme Court, which heard this petition, was convinced that the Centre was doing ...
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said if Narendra Modi continues to be the prime minister for the third consecutive term, he would end terrorism and Naxalism from the country and also make India the world's third largest economy. He was addressing an election rally at Porbandar in Gujarat in support of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Mansukh Mandaviya. Shah said that when Article 370 was scrapped, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi opposed the move, saying it would lead to a river of blood flowing in Kashmir. "In the last five years, let alone the river of blood, nobody even dared to throw a stone there. PM Modi worked to finish terrorism and Naxalism from the country. When Manmohan Singh was the country's prime minister, anyone could enter the country from Pakistan and blow up bombs," the senior BJP leader said. "When Pakistan carried out terrorist attacks in Pulwama and Uri, it forgot that Modi was the prime minister. Within 10 days, PM Modi carried out surgical and
The Congress on Saturday said the BJP's "hypocrisy knows no bounds" and alleged that while it called the administrative allocation of 2G spectrum under the UPA a "scam", the Narendra Modi government was now seeking permission from the Supreme Court to "give away spectrum" without an auction. The opposition party's attack came after the Centre on Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking modification of its verdict in the 2G spectrum case which said the State was duty bound to adopt the auction route while transferring or alienating the country's natural resources. A top source, however, later said the government is not seeking to change the 2012 Supreme Court judgement that backed auction as the preferred mode of allocating telecom spectrum except for narrowly defined sectors such as satellite communication and defence where auction is not feasible. Attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "The hypocrisy of the 'Modi Sarkar' and 'Bhrash
The BJP will benefit from the anti-incumbency against the Biju Janata Dal government, which is in power for an unbroken 24 years in Odisha, and a strong Modi wave to dethrone Naveen Patnaik from the helm of the state, senior saffron party leader Vijaypal Singh Tomar claimed. In an interview with PTI, Tomar said, "There is anti-incumbency and people in Odisha have decided to change the BJD government this time. Similarly, there is a strong Modi wave across India, which has also been strongly felt in this state." Tomar claimed the BJP will win at least 16 out of 21 Lok Sabha in the state and 80 of 147 assembly seats here. On BJD leader V K Pandian, a close aide of CM Naveen Patnaik, Tomar, ostensibly referring to Pandian's Tamil background, said, "One man became super CM and is running the government as its de-facto chief. Is there any justification to this? So, this time, the BJP is not only fighting to make Odisha a developed state but also one for Odisha's pride." Once the BJP for
The once-in-five-year festival of democracy in the world's most populous nation has actors, sport stars and millionaires battling it out alongside the career politicians