Election wrap: Another high-profile exit from Congress, Modi vs Mamata in Bengal, and more

West Bengal's Cooch Behar witnessed a fiery campaign, with consecutive rallies by both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee

On April 4, Gourav Vallabh joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after quitting from all posts and membership of the Congress party. Meanwhile, West Bengal's Cooch Behar witnessed a fiery campaign, with consecutive rallies by both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Here are the top political developments of the day:

1. Former Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh joins BJP ahead of Lok Sabha polls

Gourav Vallabh, the fiery Congress spokesperson who quit the grand old party on Thursday, has joined the BJP ahead of Lok Sabha elections. Vallabh, known for articulating the party's positions on finance and economy-related matters during television discussions, tendered his resignation in a letter to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, calling the grand old party "directionless".

"I am not able to feel comfortable with the directionless way in which the Congress Party is moving forward today. I can neither raise anti-Sanatan slogans nor abuse the wealth creators of the country in the morning and evening. That is why I I am resigning from all posts and primary membership of Congress Party," he wrote on social media platform X.

2. One can trust a poisonous snake but not BJP, Mamata Banerjee says at Cooch Behar rally

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and asserted that even a snake can be trusted but not the saffron party.

"You can trust a poisonous snake; you can even pet it, but you can never trust the BJP... The BJP is destroying the country," she said during a rally in Bengal's Cooch Behar.

The Trinomool Congress (TMC) chief accused the BJP of violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) for the Lok Sabha election and said that the central probe agencies are working at the behest of the saffron party. She urged the Election Commission to look into it and ensure a level-playing field.

3. PM Modi calls Chirag Paswan 'little brother' at Jamui rally, says people of Bihar have resolved to help NDA win all 40 LS seats

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday referred to Chirag Paswan as his 'little brother' and said he is glad that the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader has stepped into his father's shoes.

"Glad my little brother Chirag has stepped into the shoes of my friend late Ram Vilas Paswan," PM Modi said during a rally in Bihar's Jamui.

Exuding confidence in NDA winning 400+ seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha election, PM Modi said that the people of Bihar have resolved to help NDA win all 40 Lok Sabha seats.

4. Congress expelled me after I resigned, claims Sanjay Nirupam

Former MP Sanjay Nirupam on April 4 suggested that his expulsion was orchestrated shortly after he submitted his resignation letter to the party.

"Looks like, immediately after the party received my resignation letter last night, they decided to issue my expulsion. Good to see such promptness,” former Mumbai Congress chief Nirupam in a post on X said.

The Congress party expelled Sanjay Nirupam on April 3 for 'indiscipline' and making repeated statements against the party. The action was taken against the 59-year-old leader due to his remarks against the party's leadership amid seat-sharing talks with ally Shiv Sena (UBT).

5. People want me to contest from Amethi, Robert Vadra says

Robert Vadra, entrepreneur and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's husband, expressed his interest in joining politics. He revealed that people across the country have been urging him to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Amethi, which was earlier represented by his brother-in-law Rahul Gandhi.

"People want me to step into politics. Whether it's the state assembly elections or the general elections, they feel I need to enter politics. Being a member of the Gandhi family, it's very difficult to stay away from politics. There are demands coming from many places," he said in an interview with IndiaTV.

6. NDA suffers major blow in Bihar as 22 LJP leaders quit, offer support to INDIA

Bihar has turned out to be a bother for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) with 22 prominent leaders of Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ramvilas) calling it quits for allegedly being denied tickets to contest the Lok Sabha polls.

The rebels accused Chirag Paswan of taking money for giving tickets and offered to support the state’s grand alliance (Mahagathbandhan), which is part of the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc.