LS polls highlights: PM Modi begins 'dhyan' at Kanyakumari Vivekananda Rock Memorial

LS polls LIVE: From Anurag Thakur's claim of BJP crossing 400 seats in the 7th phase to JP Nadda's claim of winning 30 plus seats in West Bengal, catch all the latest updates on elections here

11:29 AM

Congress party known for looting country, Lalu's family looted Bihar: Bihar Dy CM Samrat Chaudhary

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary says, "The Congress party is known for looting the country. Congress has been the party that ruined this country and Lalu Yadav's family has been the family that looted Bihar."

11:15 AM

Union Home Minister Amit Shah reaches Varanasi to pray at Kashi Vishwanath temple

 Union Home Minister Amit Shah reaches Varanasi to offer prayers at Kashi Vishwanath Temple, ANI reports.

10:43 AM

Rahul Gandhi unaware of condition, direction of India: BJP's Giriraj Singh

Attacking Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Union Minister Giriraj Singh said, "Rahul Gandhi is a person who does not know the condition and direction of India... He has not seen the country... If a person does not even know this much and is giving knowledge on the country, then there will be nothing more foolish than this."

10:28 AM

'Dakshin mein BJP saaf aur Uttar mein BJP half: Cong leader Jairam Ramesh

Speaking about the prospect of the India bloc against the incumbent BJP, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, "After the first two phases, it had become clear to me that winds of change were blowing. The BJP was going to be cleaned out in the South and it was going to be halved in the North. 'Dakshin mein BJP saaf aur Uttar mein BJP half', PTI reported.

10:14 AM

LS polls: We will get a decisive majority, well above 273 seats, says Jairam Ramesh

Not mentioning the number of seats the opposition allinace will be able to secure, Congres leader Jairam Ramesh said that the alliance will secure a "decisive majority" in the Lok Sabha. He said,  "I don't want to get into numbers. We will get a clear and decisive majority. 273 is clear but not decisive. When I say clear and decisive, it means well above 272."

10:09 AM

AAP, Congress have cheated people of Punjab, says SAD candidate Harsimrat Kaur Badal

Shiromani Akali Dal MP and candidate from Bathinda Lok Sabha seat, Harsimrat Kaur Badal attacked Congress and Aam Aadmi Party and said, "In the last 7 years, Congress and AAP alliance has made promises but never fulfilled them. People are disappointed with this alliance. During the SAD govt, they were getting the benefits of schemes. Now, people are feeling cheated."

10:05 AM

'Law must take its own course': Shashi Tharoors after his former aide detained for gold smuggling

Congress leader and former union minister Shahi Tharoor said that "Law must take its own course" after Customs detained his former aide for smuggling gold. 

9:41 AM

Alliance of gold smugglers: BJP's Chandrasekhar hits out at Cong after Tharoor's aide held for gold smuggling

"Alliance of gold smugglers:" Rajeev Chandrasekhar hits out at CPM, Congress after alleged aide of Shashi Tharoor detained for Gold smuggling. Notably, Chandrasekhar is contesting the Thiruvananthpuram seat in the ongoing elections where Shashi Tharoor is the sitting MP.

9:25 AM

Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav visits Golden Temple in Punjab's Amritsar

Senior BJP leader and Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav visits to offer prayers at the Golden Temple in Punjab's Amritsar, ANI reported. Yadav mentioned that the Golden Temple was attacked in 1984 by the then Congress government. He alleged that Congress follows 'divide and rule' policy to take power.

9:06 AM

BJP will win more than 30 seats in West Bengal, says BJP Chief JP Nadda

Speaking to the members of the press, BJP President JP Nadda said that people in West Bengal are excited about BJP. He said, people of Bengal will make PM Modi the prime minister of India for a third time. Nadda also claimed that BJP will win more than 30 seats in West Bengal.

 

9:03 AM

EC asks Odisha CEO to take strict action against Nandighosha TV for telecasting exit poll

The Election Commission of India has instructed the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Odisha to take strict action against Nandighosha TV for telecasating exit poll results in Odisha, ANI reported.

8:37 AM

Seventh phase of Lok Sabha polling to take BJP beyond 400 seats, says Anurag Thakur

Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Anurag Thakur said that the seventh phase of the Lok Sabha elections will take Bharatiya Janata Party's seat tally (BJP) beyond 400, ANI reported. Thakur said, "...In six phases, the BJP is winning a record number of seats and the seventh phase is about to take it beyond 400. I would like to thank the people." The incumbent BJP set a steep target of securing more than 400 seats in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls along with its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) allies.

Praising his party's performance, Anurag Thakur said that BJP has improved the economic status of the country. "People know that PM Modi has taken our economy forward and now he is on the track to make our country the third largest economy in the next five years," Thakur said.