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

In an emotional appeal, former Congress President Sonia Gandhi urged voters in Rae Bareli to put their faith in Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha elections.

 In February, Sonia Gandhi informed the voters of her Rae Bareli constituency in Uttar Pradesh that she will not contest the General Elections due to health and age issues.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal hit out against the BJP today, accusing it of putting all rival party leaders in jail.  "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," Kejriwal said.

Ahead of the fifth phase of polling for the Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a rally at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park. Mumbai traffic police has banned parking on 14 roads in the area as it is anticipated that several VVIPs will be travelling for the event, The Indian Express reported.  Over 40,000 people are expected to attend the NDA event. 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.

Defence Minister and senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh on Thursday dubbed as "absurd and unfortunate" Delhi chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "retirement" and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's "removal". Slamming Kejriwal during a public meeting in Rajajipuram, 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." "The entire country wants Modi ji to be the prime minister in 2024 as well as 2029," he added.  Kejriwal on Thursday reiterated his claim that PM Modi will retire from politics once he attains 75 years of age in 2025, in accordance with the saffron party's rules, and added that the prime minister is seeking votes for Union Home Minister Amit Shah as his successor.

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.