LS polls Highlights: My heart bleeds for the woman molested at Raj Bhavan, says CM Mamata

General Elections 2024: Catch all the latest news updates on the Lok Sabha polls here

2:45 PM

Lok Sabha polls: Maharashtra govt asks police to take strict action against deepfake creators

The Maharashtra government today ordered the state police to take stern action against those creating deepfakes, saying such content is a  matter of concern amid the poll season. An official release stated that the number of deepfakes and doctored photos being circulated on social media  has increased during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

 

2:34 PM

Congress's attempt to launch Rahul from Raebareli will fail: Home Minister Amit Shah

At a public meeting in Belagavi district, Home Minister Amit Shah today said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh after running away from Amethi and predicted that he will lose the polls there against the BJP candidate by a huge margin. Shah also said former AICC President Sonia Gandhi's multiple attempts to "launch" Rahul Gandhi had failed and claimed that this was the twenty-first attempt.

2:25 PM

Rahul Gandhi's candidature from Raebareli is ‘victory’ for people in Amethi: Smriti Irani

Union minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani said that Rahul Gandhi's candidature from Raebareli is a “victory" for the people of Amethi. “I want to assure the people of Amethi that the Modi government will return, and we will continue to work for people here, with development being the centre of our focus," she said.

2:06 PM

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi files nomination from Raebareli seat

Rahul Gandhi filed his nomination for the Lok Sabha elections today, hours after the Congress announced its decision to field him from the Raebareli seat. 

1:53 PM

Fielding Rahul from Raebareli a responsibility not just a legacy: Congress

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said the party has taken a decision to field Rahul Gandhi from Raebareli after a lot of deliberation and strategy. He also justified Priyanka Gandhi Vadra not contesting any election, saying she can reach Parliament by contesting any bypoll, but is currently taking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to counter him on his alleged "lies" during campaigning.

1:50 PM

Lok Sabha polls 2024 updates: Who is Dinesh Pratap Singh, BJP's Raebareli pick?

With Congress leader Rahul Gandhi set to stand from Raebareli in the Lok Sabha polls, all eyes have turned to BJP candidate Dinesh Pratap Singh. A minister in the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh,  Singh has been picked by the BJP to contest from Raebareli for the second consecutive time. Read here for more details.

1:08 PM

They have accepted their defeat, says Smriti Irani on Congress' KL Sharma nomination

Union Minister Smriti Irani, who currently represents Amethi constituency in the Lok Sabha, on Friday stated that the Gandhi family not fighting from Amethi shows that “they have accepted their defeat here”.  BJP's Smriti Irani, will stand against Congress' KL Sharma. 

12:53 PM

Lok Sabha polls 2024 update: Congress candidate Kishori Lal Sharma files nomination from Amethi

KL Sharma, a close aide of the Gandhi family, has been picked by the Congress to stand from the Amethi Lok Sabha seat – a stronghold of the Gandhi family, breached in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

12:52 PM

'I would still want a Gandhi to fight from the seat,' says Congress's Amethi pick Kishori Lal Sharma

Congress's Amethi LS candidate Kishori Lal Sharma today said he would rather a Gandhi fight from the seat, but he cannot refuse the party's order which asked him to fight the election. "Even today, I want the Gandhi family to contest the election from Amethi. But I consider it my duty to accept the order given by the family," Sharma told PTI at the Gauriganj Congress office here.

12:26 PM

Lok Sabha polls: Who is Kishori Lal Sharma, Congress' Amethi constituency candidate?

The Congress today declared Kishori Lal Sharma as its candidate from the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh. Sharma will fight against BJP's Smriti Irani, who defeated Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the 2019 General Elections. Read here for more details.

12:19 PM

Congress wants to snatch Dalit, OBC quotas; provide reservation to 'jihadi' vote bank: PM Modi

At the West Bengal rally, PM Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "The Congress wants to change the Constitution, snatch Dalit and Other Backward Classes (OBC) quotas, and provide reservation to 'jihadi' vote bank." PM Modi added that the Opposition cannot bring development and they only know how to divide the society for the sake of votes.

12:02 PM

Don't be scared, don't run away, says PM Modi on Rahul's LS bid from Raebareli seat

Hours after the Congress party announced Rahul Gandhi as its Lok Sabha candidate from the Rae Bareli seat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the result of the  Lok Sabha elections was clear. "And now he is scared to fight at Amethi and ran away to Rae Bareli. I want to tell him, don't be scared, don't run away," PM Modi said.at an election rally in West Bengal's Bardhaman-Durgapur.

11:46 AM

TMC has made Hindus second-class citizens in West Bengal, alleges PM Modi at Bardhaman-Durgapur rally

At an election rally in Bardhaman-Durgapur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed that the Trinamool Congress has made Hindus second-class citizens in Bengal. I am not here to enjoy, I want to dedicate my life to serve people, PM Modi also said at the rally.

11:37 AM

Rahul Gandhi will be remembered as the General who left the battlefield: BJP slams Raebareli candidature

"Rahul Gandhi has forgotten his own slogan-'Daro Mat' and ran away from Amethi. Rahul Gandhi running from Amethi has proved to the entire nation that his slogan 'Daro Mat' is loaded with double standards, cowardice and hypocrisy. Rahul Gandhi will be remembered as that General who left the battlefield, left his soldiers, and escaped from the very back door rather than leading from the front," BJP National Spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill said today.

11:32 AM

Lok Sabha polls 2024: PM Modi addresses public rally in West Bengal's Bardhaman-Durgapur