LS polls Highlights: EC says Kharge's charges of delay in release of voter turnout data unwarranted

Lok Sabha elections latest updates: Catch all the news related to the General Elections here

The Election Commission today criticised Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge over his allegations of discrepancies and delays in releasing voter turnout data, calling the claims "unwarranted."

At a rally in Kannauj, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today asserted that Narendra Modi will not become the prime minister of the country, adding that an INDIA bloc storm is arriving in Uttar Pradesh. Gandhi said, "Take it in writing, Narendra Modi will not become the prime minister of India."

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has filed a complaint in Nagpur against Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut for remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi that could cause communal disharmony and were a “direct threat" to the PM Modi's life, according to a report by NDTV. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing two rallies in Telangana today, as the campaign for the May 13 Lok Sabha polls in Telangana comes to conclusion. Campaigning for the single phase polling for the Lok Sabha polls in Telangana ends on Saturday at 5 PM. PM Modi will address election rallies at Narayanpet and Hyderabad, the saffron party said. On Wednesday, PM Modi had offered prayers at Sri Rajarajeshwara Swamy temple at Vemulawada, about 150 km from here, before addressing two election rallies.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday  expressed displeasure at cabinet colleague Chandrakant Patil's remarks that he and workers of his party BJP wanted to defeat NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar in Baramati, saying he should not have spoken those words.  Patil had said that he and his party workers wanted to defeat Sharad Pawar in Baramati, the bastion of the Pawar family. Ajit Pawar slammed Patil, a senior BJP leader, for his remarks two days after polling in the Baramati Lok Sabha seat in Pune district concluded. Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra is standing from the Baramati seat against sitting MP Supriya Sule, the daughter of Sharad Pawar. "I and my party workers want defeat of Sharad Pawar (in Baramati) and that is enough (for us)," Patil had said. Pawar, disagreed with the BJP leader's comments made in March, said on Thursday, "He (Patil) should not have made those remarks."

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday stated that Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav and all four members of his family contesting the Lok Sabha elections will lose and the opposition party will not be able to open its account in the state.

9:02 PM

Congress too made mistakes, will need to change its politics: Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said his party too has made mistakes and will have to change its politics in future.
 

The remark came at an event in Lucknow where he accused the Narendra of being a monarch and not a prime minister, calling him a front for “two three financiers”.

Answering a question from a member of the audience at the event on the Constitution, the former Congress president said he was “100 per cent” prepared to take on Narendra Modi in a debate, but he knew that the prime minister will not agree.
 

"The Congress party will also have to change its politics in the coming times. This will have to be done. I also want to say that the Congress party has also made mistakes and I am saying this while being from the Congress party," he said in his speech.
 

However, he did not elaborate on what “change” he felt the Congress needed.

7:34 PM

Why Pakistan being discussed when polls are in India: Priyanka Gandhi slams BJP amid Mani Shankar Aiyar row

Why is Pakistan being discussed when elections are taking place in India and the unemployment rate here is at a 45-year high, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra asked on Friday as she hit back at the BJP on the row over Mani Shankar Aiyar's remarks. She also asked the ruling party to fight the polls on real issues. In an exclusive interview with PTI, Priyanka Gandhi accused the BJP of raising the Hindu-Muslim rhetoric to win the elections and asserted that the people don't want the polls to be contested based on religion and caste. "People are saying you've (the BJP) won two elections on religion and now move forward from that," the Congress general secretary said. Questioned on the row over Congress leader Aiyar's remarks, Priyanka Gandhi asked why the issue is being discussed now when the statement is an old one. "I ask when was the statement made? … If it is an old statement, then why are we discussing it today? Secondly, I want to ask, where are elections taking place, in India or in Pakistan? They are taking place in India. So why are we discussing Pakistan?" she told PTI during her campaign trail in Amethi for the party's candidate Kishori Lal Sharma.

 

6:06 PM

INDIA bloc will win at least 50 LS seats in UP: Rahul Gandhi in Kanpur

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday asserted that the opposition INDIA bloc will win at least 50 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh.

Gandhi was addressing a rally here in support of the Congress candidate from the Kanpur Lok Sabha seat Alok Misra. "(On) June 4, 2024, Narendra Modi will not be the Prime Minister of India, you take it in writing (from me)," Gandhi said. "Whatever we had to do, we have done. Now, you will see that in Uttar Pradesh, our alliance is going to get not less than 50 seats. We have stopped the BJP in other states," he said.

6:05 PM

Congress anti-Hindu, does not care about country: PM Modi in Telangana rally

Slamming the Congress party and claiming that it is anti-Hindu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the grand old party knows that religion-based reservations are anti-Constitutional and Babasaheb Ambedkar had also opposed it. Addressing an election rally at Narayanpet in Telangana, Modi claimed that Congress neither cares about Hindus nor this country, and that it is against Hindus and wants to make Hindus second-class citizens. "Congress divides the country in the name of religion and caste. Congress knows that reservations based on religion are anti-constitutional. Congress also knows that Babasaheb Ambedkar opposed it,” he said.

5:57 PM

Delhi court orders framing of charges of sexual harassment against ex-WFI chief, BJP MP Brij Bhushan Singh

Delhi court orders framing of charges of sexual harassment and using force to outrage women's modesty against ex-WFI chief and BJP MP from Kaiserganj, Brij Bhushan Singh. The Delhi court also orders framing of charge for criminal intimidation against Brij Bhushan Singh.

5:03 PM

PM Modi stopped talking about BJP's manifesto, is busy abusing Congress: Mallikarjun Kharge

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge today stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were worried after three phases of Lok Sabha polls and were hence talking about non-election issues and abusing the Congress. Kharge said the BJP leaders, instead of seeking votes on "development," are distorting their (Congress) leaders' speeches and call Rahul Gandhi 'shehzada.' "After three phases of polls, Modi and Shah Saab got worried. They stopped talking about their manifesto, but only are abusing the Congress," Kharge said.

5:00 PM

EC rejects Kharge's charges of delay in release of voter turnout data; says allegations unwarranted

The Election Commission on Friday came down heavily on Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge over his allegations of discrepancies and delays in releasing voter turnout data, calling it a "deliberate attempt to spread confusion." Read here for more details.

4:35 PM

Lok Sabha polls 2024: Congress is anti-Hindu by mentality, alleges PM Modi in Telangana

At a public rally in Mahbubnagar, PM Narendra Modi said, "Congress is anti-Hindu by mentality... Congress is fully involved in giving the reservation of SC, ST, and OBC to Muslims on the basis of religion... Remember one thing, 'Vanchit ka jo adhikaar hai, Modi uska chaukidar hai'."

 

4:17 PM

Lok Sabha polls 2024: Mann, Cong leaders to campaign for AAP's Kurukshetra candidate

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and senior Congress leaders like Bhupinder Singh Hooda will campaign for AAP's Haryana unit president Sushil Gupta, who is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Kurukshetra.

 

3:47 PM

News update: Election Commission says, Kharge's charges of delay in release of voter turnout data unwarranted

3:41 PM

Sandeshkhali's women being compelled to withdraw complaints due to ongoing elections, says NCW

Women from West Bengal's Sandeshkhali are being "compelled" to withdraw their complaints by TMC workers in view of the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, the NCW has claimed, seeking an inquiry from the Election Commission in the matter.

Several purported videos of Sandeshkhali women shared by the Trinamool Congress on Thursday claimed that a local BJP leader made those women sign blank papers, which were later filled up as complaints of sexual assault.

3:34 PM

Trinamool Congress threatens to move EC against NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma

The Trinamool Congress today stated it will file a formal complaint to the Election Commission (EC) against NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma for "misusing her chair" and "being one of the major conspirators of Sandeshkhali matter" after multiple women alleged that they were deceived by local BJP leaders into filling sexual assault complaints against TMC leaders.National Commission for Women (NCW) had recommended to President Droupadi Murmu that President's rule be imposed in West Bengal over alleged atrocities on women and violence in Sandeshkhali.

3:12 PM

Every inch of PoK belongs to India, no force can snatch it: Home Minister Amit Shah

Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday slammed the Congress for "raising question mark" on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and asserted that every inch of it belonged to India and no force can snatch it. "Mani Shankar Aiyar is telling us to respect Pakistan as it possesses an atomic bomb. Few days ago, INDIA alliance leader Farooq Abdullah said do not talk about PoK as Pakistan has an atomic bomb. I want to tell the Congress and INDIA alliance that PoK belongs to India and no force can snatch it," Shah said at an election rally in Jharkhand's Khunti.

3:08 PM

Join Ajit, Shinde instead of dying with Congress: PM Modi tells Pawar, Uddhav

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today advised the NCP (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT) to join hands with Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde after Lok Sabha poll results instead of “dying by merging” with the Congress. “A big leader here who is active for 40-50 years is worried after polling in Baramati (Lok Sabha seat). He says that after June 4, smaller parties, in order to survive, will merge with the Congress,” Modi said, without naming Sharad Pawar.

2:39 PM

General Elections 2024: Trinamool leader Abhishek Banerjee files nomination for Lok Sabha polls

TMC candidate from Diamond Harbour seat, Abhishek Banerjee files nomination for Lok Sabha polls.