LIVE: Modi and Shah confident of victory; Rahul Gandhi says won't prejudge

The BJP would win more than 300 seats in the Lok Sabha elections and get a full majority, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi

8:15 PM

3 BJP leaders asked to explain Godse comments: Shah

The BJP has asked three leaders to explain their comments on Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse, party chief Amit Shah said Friday, promising "appropriate action" against them. Pragya Singh Thakur, BJP Lok Sabha candidate in Bhopal, apologised after calling Godse a "patriot". Nalin Kumar Kateel, BJP MP from Karnataka, compared Godse with former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. Union minister Anantkumar Hegde, in a tweet, justified Godse's action and later said his Twitter account was hacked.

 

5:17 PM

Pragya Thakur's candidature satyagraha against falsehood: Amit Shah

Amit Shah defends BJP decision to field Pragya Singh Thakur, who is an accused in the Malegaon bomb blasts case, as its candidate in Bhopal. He says the decision was satyagraha against attempts to defame Hinduism.

5:14 PM

BJP alone will get 300+ seats: Amit Shah

Amit Shah says BJP on its own will get more 300 seats in the Lok Sabha elections. "We will get full majority," he says.

5:01 PM

Last-mile delivery my government's achievement: Modi

This government's achievement has been to ensure last-minute delivery--reach to the last person in the queue: PM Modi.

4:58 PM

'Spectacular' elections will bring BJP back to power: Modi

Elections were result in the BJP-led government returning to power with full majority, says PM Modi at BJP press conference in New Delhi. "The people are going to bless us," he says.

4:51 PM

I'm not going to prejudge election results: Rahul Gandhi

The "people's vision" for the country will be clear on May 23 when election results will be declared: Rahul Gandhi.

4:46 PM

BJP had unlimited resources: Rahul Gandhi

Congress president Rahul Gandhi says his party was no match to the BJP compared to resoures and finances for election. He is holding a press conference at Congress HQ in Delhi as BJP president Amit Shah, accompanied by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, holds a paralllel press conference.

4:43 PM

Election Commission biased in favour of BJP: Rahul Gandhi

Congress president Rahul Gandhi says the Election Commission favoured BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The entire election schedule was in Modi's favour," he says.

4:37 PM

India now recognised as a major world power: Amit Shah

PM Modi raised India's stature in the world and improved national security, say Amit Shah in a press conference he and the Prime Minister are holding at their party HQ in Delhi. 

4:34 PM

Modi govt had 133 schemes for people: Amit Shah

Narendra Modi government had 133 schemes for the welfare of the people, says Amit Shah at BJP press conference in Delhi. PM Narendra Modi is sitting besides him at BJP's national HQ in Delhi.

4:25 PM

Congress president Rahul Gandhi to speak to media

Rahul Gandhi is abut to hold press conference at the Congress HQ in Delhi. Separately, BJP chief Amit Shah is about to speak to the media.

4:22 PM

Amit Shah to brief media

BJP president Amit Shah will brief the media at the party's HQ in Delhi. TV channel India Today says Prime Minister Narendra Modi will accompany him. Campaigning for the last and seventh phase of elections ends this evening. The Election Commission cut short the campaigning by a day on Thursday.

4:17 PM

Kashmir challenge will be resolved: Rajnath

Home Minister and BJP leader Rajnath Singh says there is a need to review Article 370 and Article 35 A that grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir to establish whether these Constitutional provisions have benefited or done damage to the militancy-hit state. "Kashmir ek chunauti hai lekin uska hal jaldi niklega (Kashmir is a challenge but it will be resolved soon)," says Singh.

3:11 PM

Rahul Gandhi takes potshots at the BJP by tweeting: The BJP and RSS are not God-ke lovers, they are God-se lovers

3:06 PM

Will never forgive Pragya for insulting Bapu, says Modi

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today in an interview with TV channel News24: "I will never be able to forgive Sadhvi Pragya for insulting Bapu." On Thursday, Pragya Thakur had said: "Nathuram Godse was a deshbhakt (patriot), is a 'deshbhakt' and will remain a 'deshbhakt'. People calling him a terrorist should instead look within, such people will be given a fitting reply in the election."