Election wrap: PM Modi's prediction on best performing state for BJP, SC on Kejriwal's bail extension plea, & more

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Ahead of the last phase of Lok Sabha polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed confidence that West Bengal will be one of the best performing state for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and claimed that Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC) is now "fighting for existence" in the state.

Meanwhile, after the culmination of the Lok Sabha polls campaign on May 30, PM Modi will meditate at Rock Memorial, a monument built in tribute to Swami Vivekananda, in Kanyakumari till June 1. The Prime Minister had gone on a similar meditation exercise in a Kedarnath cave after the 2019 poll campaign.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC) is now "fighting for existence" and asserted that the elections in West Bengal are going to be "one-sided".

In his recent interview with ANI, PM Modi said that West Bengal is going to be the "best-performing" state for BJP in 2024.

"In Bengal elections, TMC party is fighting for existence. You must have seen it in the last assembly elections, we had three seats. The people of Bengal took us from three to 80. We got a lot of support in the Lok Sabha in the last elections. This time, the best-performing state in India is going to be West Bengal. BJP is getting [the] most success in West Bengal," he said.

In 2019, BJP won 18 out of 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal in a big jump from just 2 in the 2014 election. The TMC won 22 seats.

Moreover, in the 2021 assembly elections, BJP improved its tally to 77 from just 3 in 2016.

Ahead of Lok Sabha poll results, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Kanniyakumari in Tamil Nadu on May 30. The Lok Sabha poll results will be declared on June 4.

Modi is expected to stay there for two days and meditate at Vivekananda Rock Memorial Hall on May 31. He is expected to leave Kanniyakumari on June 1.

The PM had offered prayers at the Kedarnath shrine in Uttarakhand days before the counting for the Lok Sabha elections 2019.

PM Modi meditated at a cave 11,700 feet up in the Himalayas. He spent the night at the now-famous Rudra meditation cave which is a little over a kilometre’s trek from Kedarnath.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday sought urgent hearing of his application seeking seven-day extension of interim bail in Supreme Court. The top court on May 10 granted Kejriwal temporary bail till June 1.

The court said the CJI will have to take a call since the case is reserved for judgment. "Why was the case not mentioned last week, when justice Datta was sitting in vacation bench" questioned the court.

Justice Dipankar Datta, who was a part of the bench that heard Kejriwal’s case, was sitting in vacation bench last week.

The Supreme Court on May 17 had reserved judgement on Kejriwal's plea challenging his arrest and remand by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The Delhi CM had moved the top court seeking an extension of his 21-day interim bail by one week on medical grounds, citing “alarming” health complications he endured during his recent incarceration in connection with the Delhi excise policy case and the urgent need for medical tests.

Ahead of the Phase 7 of the Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Odisha's fate is about to change.

"The fate of Odisha is about to change; the government is changing. I have said that the expiry date of the current Odisha government is June 4 and on June 10, the BJP CM will take oath in Odisha,” said PM Modi.

In an interview with ANI, the PM said he is confident that the BJP will return to power at the Centre and will form the government in Odisha which is also facing Assembly elections simultaneously.

Describing his relationship with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the PM said his party shares good relations with the leaders of all political parties. "We have good relations with the leaders of all the political parties of India and in a democracy, we do not have enmity. Now the question is whether I should maintain my relations or worry about the fate of Odisha. I chose to devote myself to the bright future of Odisha and if I have to sacrifice my relations for that, I will sacrifice them and after the elections, I will convince everyone that I have no enmity with anyone..." the PM told ANI.

Patnaik has been in power as the Chief Minister since 2000. He is seeking a record sixth term in simultaneous state elections.

RJD supremo Lalu Prasad on Tuesday took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reported "God sent" remark and claimed that INDIA bloc will form government at the Centre after June 4.

The results of the Lok Sabha elections will be announced on June 4.

Talking to reporters, Lalu said, "Modi calls himself 'avtar' (messenger of god). He (Modi) says he is not biological but a messenger of God. We will know the results soon. PM Modi is gone now. We (INDIA bloc) will form the government on June 4."

Lalu's remarks come in the wake of PM Modi's interview with a news channel recently in which he reportedly said that he was not biological but sent by god.

Earlier in the day, the RJD supremo accused the NDA of intending to change the constitution and end reservations if it returns to power for a third term.