LS Polls highlights: BJP wants to abolish reservation, we want to increase it beyond 50%, says Rahul

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

1:10 PM

PM 'blatantly racist" by bringing in skin colour in Election debate: Congress leader P Chidambaram

Congress leader P Chidambaram on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being racist by bringing in skin colour in the poll debate, and said the opposition's support to Yashwant Sinha in the presidential election was not based on the colour of skin. In a post on X, he said in the last election to the office of President of India, there were two candidates - Droupadi Murmu and Sinha. While the BJP and its allies supported Murmu, he said 17 Opposition parties, including the Congress, supported Sinha."Support for a candidate was not based on the colour of the skin. Opposition to a candidate was also not based on the colour of the skin.Support or opposition was a political decision, and every elector abided by the decision of his or her party," Chidambaram said.

 

12:39 PM

Union minister Ramdas Athawale files complaint with EC over Rahul Gandhi's 'change in Constitution' claim

Union Minister of State for Social Justice Ramdas Athawale on thursday stated taht he has filed a complaint with the Election Commission, objecting to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's frequent claim that the BJP would change the country's Constitution. "Rahul Gandhi has frequently claimed that the BJP plans to change the Constitution if it comes to power again. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has refuted these charges several times," he said.

12:00 PM

'Priyanka Gandhi's clerk: BJP's Rae Bareli candidate mocks at Cong's Amethi pick

The BJP's Rae Bareli candidate Dinesh Pratap Singh has accused the Gandhi family of harbouring "hatred" for Rae Bareli-Amethi, and asked why they did not field a local leader but opted for "Priyanka Gandhi's clerk" to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Amethi.

Singh also claimed that the Gandhi will lose by a bigger margin than his mother Sonia Gandhi had won in the 2019 polls.

Sonia Gandhi had beaten Singh in 2019 by over 167,000 votes.

11:16 AM

Sandeshkhali case: TMC says, will file complaint with Election Commission against BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has said it will lodge a formal complaint with the Election Commission against BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari and other party members. TMC alleged that BJP leaders, including Adhikari, confessed on camera to fabricating the Sandeshkhali rape accusations.

11:02 AM

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann to hold roadshows for AAP candidates in Delhi on May 11

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will hold roadshows in East and South Delhi Lok Sabha constituencies on May 11 to campaign for AAP candidates, the party said on Thursday. Delhi will go to polls in the sixth phase of the seven-phase election on May 25. The counting of votes will be held on June 4.

10:13 AM

People fed up with 'corruption, cronyism; YSRCP govt in Andhra will be thing of past after Jun 4: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday asserted that the YSRCP government in Andhra Pradesh will be a thing of the past after June 4 as people are fed up with "corruption, cronyism and mafia raj". "Due to its strong link with Congress culture, YSRCP has only furthered corruption, cronyism and Mafia Raj. Andhra Pradesh is totally fed up of the YSRCP. Come 4th June, their government will be a thing of the past," he said in a post on 'X'.

9:39 AM

Two BJP arrested in Gujarat for allegedly casting bogus vote and live-streaming it on Facebook

Two BJP members were on Wednesday taken into custody in Gujarat’s Mahisagar district over alleged bogus voting after the act was live-streamed on social media and the video went viral. The Congress has claimed that the accused had visited 25 polling stations and indulged in bogus voting in the Gothib taluka panchayat in Santrampur as well.

9:03 AM

INDIA bloc leaders to meet EC today over 'delay' in release of voter turnout data

INDIA bloc leaders will meet the Election Commission of India (ECI) today over their demand to promptly release the absolute voter turnout figures in the ongoing General Elections after each phase, according to a report by news agency PTI. The ECI has stated that booth-wise data of the "actual number of votes polled" is available with the candidates soon after the voting ends.