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

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who had suspended her INDIA bloc membership amid a dispute with Congress over seat-sharing, seems to have softened her stance. She now indicates willingness to "offer external support" to the Opposition bloc if they win the Lok sabha election.

"Today itself in Delhi 300 people are being given citizenship under CAA. CAA is the country's law." said Home Minister Amit Shah to ANI. He also said in the interview 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.”
 

At an election rally in Dindori, Prime Minister Narendra Modi predicted that Congress is going to lose so badly in the ongoing General Elections that it will be difficult for it to get recognised as the Opposition in Lok Sabha.

Addressing an election rally in Serampore,  Home Minister Amit Shah on Wedneday said that, "PoK is part of India and we will take it". Shah added: "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." 

At a press conference in Lucknow, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said that the poor will be provided 10 kg of free ration per month , if the INDIA bloc government is formed at the Centre.

Ahead of the fifth phase of polling for Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to hold a roadshow in Ghatkopar in eastern Mumbai today, an official said. The LBS road will remain closed for vehicles from Gandhi Nagar junction to Naupada junction, and the Mahul-Ghatkopar road will remain closed from Meghraj junction to RB Kadam junction from 2 pm to 10 pm, an officials stated. The vehicular traffic will be diverted to the Eastern Express Highway, Western Express Highway, Andheri-Kurla Road, Saki Vihar Road, MIDC Central road, Santacruz Chembur Link Road (SCLR), Sion Bandra Link Road and Jogeshwari Vikhroli Link road (JVLR), the official added.

The BJP has revealed its list of star campaigners for the June 1 Lok Sabha election and Assembly bypolls in Himachal Pradesh, which includes names like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, party president J P Nadda and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its list of 40 star campaigners on Tuesday. The list also includes the names of Union ministers Smriti Irani, Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal, and Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has total assets worth over Rs 3 crore, but owns no land, houses or cars, he has said in his election affidavit. The Prime Minister filed his nomination from the Varanasi constituency on Tuesday. 

In the affidavit, PM Modi had declared total assets worth ₹ 3.02 crore, the bulk of which is made up of a fixed deposit worth ₹ 2.86 crore with the State Bank of India.

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.