LS polls Highlights: Congress' thinking is anti-development, says PM Modi

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

At an election rally in Barmer, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday accused the Congress of taking an anti-development stance, adding that the country's border districts were deliberately deprived of development by former Congress governments.

Assembly polls will be conducted soon in Jammu and Kashmir (J-K) and statehood restored for the region, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an election rally in Udhampur today. "Please trust me; I will get rid of problems plaguing Jammu and Kashmir for the last 60 years," he said while campaigning for Union Minister Jitendra Singh who is contesting Lok Sabha (LS) election in Udhampur. 

"The time is not far when Assembly Elections will be held in Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir will get the status of statehood. You will be able to share your dreams with your MLA and your ministers," PM Modi said at the rally.

The nomination process for the third phase of the General Election to be held in 94 constituencies across 12 states on May 7 began today. The states and union territories which will go to polling in the third phase are Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Goa, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Polling for the seven-phase elections begins on April 19 and concludes on June 1. Votes will be counted on June 4. April 19 is the last date for the filing of papers. Another notification was released for the "adjourned" poll in the Betul seat of Madhya Pradesh, the EC said. Polling for the Betul Lok Sabha seat was "adjourned" following the death of the BSP's candidate.

Congress leader KC Venugopal hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, accusing him of trying to divert people's attention from critical issues and polarising the Lok Sabha polls. Campaigning for the General Elections with senior party colleague Ramesh Chenithala, the Congress candidate from Kerala's Alappuzha said: "The BJP has no ground to question or criticise our guarantees in the Nyay Patra (Congress manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections). Whenever we bring up people's issues on the campaign trail, the PM tries to divert the public by polarising the discourse. When he visits Kerala, he praises the state. However, when he is in North India, he makes unsavoury remarks and statements about South India. The 'Mission India' of the BJP isn't going to work, especially in the South."

8:49 PM

LS poll is fight between PM's ideology of development and 'corrupt' oppn: Nadda

The 2024 Lok Sabha polls is a fight between the ideology of the BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi that wants to take the country forward and the agenda-less opposition, the ruling party's president JP Nadda said on Friday. He was addressing a public rally in Gondia for his party's Bhandara-Gondiya and Gadchiroli-Chimur Lok Sabha candidates Sunil Mendhe and Ashok Nete, respectively. 

8:35 PM

LS election: AAP announces unconditional support to INDIA bloc candidates in UP

Announcing unconditional support to the INDIA bloc candidates in Uttar Pradesh in the Lok Sabha polls, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday said that these elections are being held to save democracy and end an "autocratic government".

 

"AAP will fully support the INDIA bloc candidates in Uttar Pradesh. What our role will be and how we will be involved in the campaign will be decided after holding talks with the Congress leadership involved in the campaigning. We will fully support the Samajwadi Party candidates," said AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh.

8:06 PM

Counter fake news; freebies are not distributed: EC tells observers for first phase of LS polls

The Election Commission on Friday directed its observers deployed for the first phase of Lok Sabha polls to ensure that fake news and misinformation is curbed in time and facts are conveyed to voters on a pro-active basis to steer a "positive narrative". In a meeting, the poll watchdog also told its 127 general, 67 police and 167 expenditure observers to ensure efforts are made round the clock to block movement and distribution of cash, liquor, freebies and narcotics in poll-bound constituencies.

7:44 PM

Congress attacks Left in Kerala on CAA

The Congress on Friday attacked the ruling Left front in Kerala on various issues, including the CAA and the fielding of a candidate against Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad, as the state moves closer to the Lok Sabha polls on April 26. Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said that as the Left front is a part of the INDIA bloc, it should not have fielded a candidate against Gandhi in Wayanad, where he is a sitting MP, as he is the face of the alliance.

7:28 PM

BJP not against caste census, but Cong demanding it to divide society: Nadda

The BJP is not against caste census but the Congress wants to carry out the exercise to divide society, the ruling party's chief JP Nadda said in Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh on Friday. The Narendra Modi government's focus was on empowerment of 'GYAN' or Garib, Yuva, Annadata-Kisan and Narishakti (poor, youth, farmers and women), whose progress is key for the development of the nation, Nadda asserted.

7:12 PM

Bengal PDS 'scam': ED attaches assets linked to ex-minister Jyoti Priya Mallick, two others

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday said it has attached assets worth more than Rs 150 crore linked to former West Bengal food minister Jyoti Priya Mallick and two others in a PDS ration "scam"-related money laundering case. The other two accused are Mallick's alleged aide Bakibur Rahaman and TMC leader Shankar Adhya. All three have been arrested by the federal agency in the case.

6:46 PM

BJP can put Kejriwal behind bars, cannot imprison his ideas: Bhagwant Mann

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday asserted that the BJP can put his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal behind bars, but cannot imprison his ideas and the change he and his Aam Aadmi Party has brought about. The idea with which the AAP works has been witnessed in Delhi and Punjab and they (the BJP) can arrest one Kejriwal, but there are thousands across the country who are following the party principles of giving to the people what they need the most, Mann said at an election rally here.

5:03 PM

BJP’s Annamalai promises IIM, NIA, NCB units for Coimbatore in LS polls manifesto

Earlier today, A case was registered against BJP state chief and Coimbatore seat candidate K Annamalai and a few members of his party over an alleged poll campaign violation, police said.

5:01 PM

There can be no India without Tamil, Bengali and other languages our people speak: Rahul Gandhi in TN rally

Stating that attacks on Tamil language constitute an attack on Tamil people and nothing less, Congress Rahul Gandhi on Friday asserted that there can be no India without Tamil, Bengali and other languages that people speak. 

4:58 PM

Battle is between ideas of Periyar, social justice and that of PM Modi and his govt: Rahul Gandhi inTN rally

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said at a rally in Tamil Nadu that there is an ideological battle taking place in India. The battle is between the ideas of Periyar, social justice, equality and that of RSS, PM Modi and his govt, Gandhi said.

4:43 PM

What kind of an alliance is this which wants to make India powerless?: PM Modi said in Barmer

"In the Congress manifesto, there is the stamp of Muslim League, which was the culprit of partition. Now another party, which is a part of the INDI alliance, in its manifesto has made a dangerous declaration against the country that they will destroy India's nuclear weapons. When two of our neighbours are armed with nuclear weapons, should our nuclear weapons be destroyed? What kind of an alliance is this which wants to make India powerless?," PM Modi said in Barmer.

3:52 PM

Congress stands with anti-national forces, INDIA bloc trying to weaken country: PM Modi in Barmer rally

Addressing an election rally in Barmer, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today accused the Congress of standing with anti-national forces while claiming that the opposition INDIA bloc was trying to weaken the country. "Congress stands with every anti-national force. It ruled for decades but there is not a single major problem of the country for which it gave a complete solution," Modi said.

3:46 PM

Left dividing anti-BJP vote in Thiruvananthapuram, preaching alliance dharma in Wayanad: Shashi Tharoor

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor stated the Left claims to be very concerned about opposition unity, but fails to address why it is devoting most of its energies in Thiruvananthapuram constituency to undermining him instead of focusing on the "BJP's misrule". Accusing the Left of dividing anti-BJP votes in Thiruvananthapuram, Tharoor, said it is ironical that the Left seeks to divide the anti-BJP vote in the parliamentary seat, and preach alliance dharma in Wayanad, from where Rahul Gandhi is contesting.

 

3:40 PM

Lok Sabha polls 2024 update: Graph is down for BJP, says CPI(M) leader Thomas Isaac

Former Finance Minister of Kerala and CPI(M) leader Thomas Isaac came down heavily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, stating the "graph was down" for the BJP in Kerala. Isaac is the CPI-M candidate from Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha seat. Isaac said, "In Kerala, people want Modi to be out. The choice is between Congress and CPM. BJP had around more than 20 per cent of the votes in the last parliament elections but the vote share came down sharply to 16 per cent in the assembly elections. I think the graph is down for the party."

3:35 PM

Ahead of INDIA bloc rally in Tamil Nadu, BJP targets DMK, Congress on 'corruption'

Asserting that the NDA stands for curbing graft, the BJP lashed at INDIA bloc parties over their alleged corruption and attempts to sow division on regional and religious lines. Ahead of an INDIA bloc rally in Tamil Nadu, which DMK leader and Chief Minister M K Stalin and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi are expected to attend, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia alleged that the "glue of corruption" binds opposition parties.