Lok Sabha Elections 2024 Highlights: Campaigning ends for phase 2 of Lok Sabha polls in 89 seats

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JP Nadda stressed on how to improve the election process and help (BJP) win by more votes, said Bihar Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary

West Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury wrote to CEC Rajiv Kumar seeking immediate intervention to put an end to the blatant acts of misuse of the law by the law enforcement agencies themselves in implicating persons affiliated to the Congress on false and frivolous charges with the obvious intention of marring the Party's electoral prospects.

At a public meeting in Varanasi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah says, PM Modi has freed the entire country from corruption, casteism, nepotism, appeasement, inferiority-complex, terrorism, naxalism and has also freed the country from the symbols of slavery which were there since the times of Mughals and Britishers. He said, making PM Modi the PM for the third term means making our country's economy the third largest economy in the world, making 3 crore 'lakhpati didi'...and to make Kashmir, North-East and naxal affected areas free from terrorism.

Samajwadi Party informed on 'X' that Akhilesh Yadav will contest LS polls from Kannauj and will file nomination on tomorrow

Campaigning for April 26 Lok Sabha polls ends in Kerala and Karnataka

Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda criticized Rahul Gandhi’s "wealth redistribution promise" by saying that Congress party has insulted its own two former Prime Ministers, Shri PV Narasimha Rao and Dr. Manmohan Singh.“He is dreaming of a revolution. By talking about wealth redistribution, Rahul Gandhi has insulted and humiliated two Congress Prime Ministers who brought market reforms and increased the wealth of the nation,” he added

Addressing a public rally in Betul, PM Narendra Modi says, "It is the vote that has guaranteed the country's rapid development in the last 10 years. Your one vote made India the 5th largest economy in the world. We were at number 11 in the world and in such a short time we reached number 5...It happened because of your vote, this is the power of your vote. Your one vote made India proud in foreign countries, your one vote stunned the enemy who was eyeing us from the border and it is your one vote that installed Ramlala in the grand temple in Ayodhya after 500 years..."

ECI extended polling hours in four constituencies- Banka, Madhepura, Khagaria and Munger- in Bihar due to heatwave

PM Modi also criticized Congress' take on religion based reservation in a rally in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh.He said, Our constitution clearly prohibits reservation based on religion. BR Ambedkar himself was against this but Congress has taken a dangerous resolution and to complete this they are continuously trying to fool people and play their own game. Congress is preparing to cut the 15% quota of SC, ST and OBC and to implement reservations based on religion.

Addressing a rally in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, PM Modi criticized Congress and said, Congress has now made another revelation. Their hidden agenda has come out. Congress says that it will impose an Inheritance Tax.Congress says it will also impose a tax on the Inheritance received from parents. Congress will take away almost half of your property that you have accumulated through your hard work and want to give it to your children. He aslo added that Congress has no idea about India's family values...The mantra of Congress is 'Congress ki loot, zindage ke sath bhi loot aur zindagi ke baad bhi loot'

Priyanka Gandhi in a rally at Wayanad assured people that the party will continue to work for them. "Rahul ji will continue to work for you with complete dedication, as he has done in the last 5 years. He will work day and night to resolve your issues," said Priyanka. "He will always be by your side," she added.

SC order said “Matter was listed for directions in view of certain queries that the court had. Queries have been answered. We have also heard certain points. Judgment reserved." SC clarified that this is not a re-hearing, they had some queries that they wanted clarification from the ECI

Supreme Court of India told senior advocate Prashant Bhushan that they are already examining the issue of EVM-VVPAT units. They also said that they are not the controlling authorities of elections. The SC informed that ECI is saying quantum of flash memory is very low, they can store 1024 symbols, not the software. SC added that they have been informed that as far as micro controllers in the CU is concerned it is agnostic, it does not recognise the party or symbol, it knows the buttons. SC clarified that this is not a re-hearing, they had some queries that they wanted clarification from the ECI

"In the 10 last years, they (BJP) have done everything in their power to destroy institutions that protect your rights. Anybody who speaks for your rights is harassed," said Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi while addressing a public gathering in Kambalakkad, Kerala.

"Today, their leaders are even changing the Constitution. It is the Constitution that protects your right but they are slowly talking about the fact that if you give them another majority, they will change the Constitution," she added.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday said, "If you look at the speeches of the Prime Minister and other BJP leaders, you find that the truth is reflected in the fact that they will not speak about your problems, they will not speak about development, they will not speak about real issues."

"Every single day they pull out a new issue which is unrelated to your life, unrelated to your progress, to rising prices, to rising unemployment, and they make the whole media talk about those irrelevant issues and make the election about them as well," she said addressing a public rally in Wayanad.

Biju Janata Dal president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday launched his party's campaign for the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections and pledged to make Odisha the number one state in the country by 2036. In the election campaign from his home turf Hinjili, Patnaik targeted the opposition parties and accused them of "obstructing" developmental works in the state.

"Development is our identity. However, it is unfortunate that Opposition parties are obstructing it. Be it the Srimandir Parikrama project or Ekamra project or Samalei project, the opposition parties have been politicising everything. Opposition is engaged in anti-development propaganda. The people of Odisha know their true nature," Patnaik told a huge gathering.

Senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday attacked the Congress and the ruling Left in Kerala, alleging both were taking the support of a banned organisation, Popular Front of India, to win in the Lok Sabha polls in the state. Shah alleged that while the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), political wing of PFI, openly proclaimed its support for the Congress-led UDF in Kerala, the LDF was silent on the ban on PFI.

"On the other hand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is working to protect the country from organisations like the PFI," he said at a poll rally in Alappuzha Lok Sabha constituency while seeking votes for BJP's candidate Sobha Surendran. He also alleged that during the rule of the Communists and the Congress, terrorists were protected in state.

Congress candidate for Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency in Assam, Pradyut Bordoloi alleged that the ruling BJP is trying religious polarisation in Nagaon, which has become a Muslim majority constituency after delimitation by the Election Commission of India last year.

Out of a total electors of around 18.2 lakh, there are over 10.5 lakh Muslim voters in Nagaon constituency after the delimitation. Like every medicine has an expiry date, such a kind of communal polarisation is going to expire and public discourse will take a different turn, he said, expressing optimism about public wisdom.

KP Nanjundi, BJP MLC who resigned from the party on Tuesday, joined Congress in the presence of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, in Bengaluru.

The plea seeks court to:

1) Conduct a court monitored investigation by an SIT into the instances of quid pro quo between public servants, political parties,commercial organisations, companies, officials of investigation agencies and others, and other offences.
b) Issue an appropriate writ, order or direction to the authorities to investigate the source of funding of shell companies and loss- making companies to various political parties, as has been disclosed through the electoral bonds data.
c) Issue an appropriate writ, order or direction to the authorities to recover the amounts from political parties as donated by companies to these parties as part of quid pro quo arrangements where these are found to be proceeds of crime.
d) Issue an appropriate writ, order or direction for investigation into companies which donated to political parties through electoral bonds within 3 years of their incorporation, as has been disclosed through the electoral bonds data and impose a penalty on them.

Addressing the Vijay Sankalp Shankhnaad Maharally in Surguja, Chhattisgarh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "The royal family's prince's advisor and the royal family's prince's father's advisor had said that more taxes should be imposed on the middle class. Now these people have gone one step further than this, Congress says that it will impose an Inheritance Tax, and it will also impose tax on the Inheritance received from parents. The property you have accumulated through your hard work will not be given to your children. The claws of Congress will snatch that too from you...As long as you are alive, Congress will impose higher taxes and when you are no longer alive, it will burden you with Inheritance Tax. Those people who considered the entire Congress party as their ancestral property and handed it over to their children, now do not want Indians to pass on their property to their children."

Addressing the Vijay Sankalp Shankhnaad Maharally in Surguja, Chhattisgarh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "When the Congress manifesto came out, I had said on the same day that the Congress manifesto had the stamp of the Muslim League on it. When the Constitution was being made, it was decided under the leadership of Baba Saheb Ambedkar that there would be no reservation on the basis of religion in India. But for vote bank Congress did not care about the words of these great men, did not care about the sanctity of the Constitution nor did it care about the words of Baba Saheb Ambedkar. Years ago, Congress had tried to give reservation on the basis of religion in Andhra Pradesh. Then Congress planned to implement it all over the country...Congress said that reservation should be given to some people based on religion by stealing some part of the SC/ST and OBC quota."

Congress planned to implement reservation on the basis of religion in the country: PM Modi at rally in Chhattisgarh

Addressing the Vijay Sankalp Shankhnaad Maharally in Surguja, Chhattisgarh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "...Congress bad governance & negligence is the reason for the country's destruction. Today, the BJP is taking strict action against terrorism & Naxalism. Congress is supporting the people who spread violence and calling them Bravehearts. The biggest leader of this Congress sheds tears when terrorists are killed. Due to such actions, Congress has lost the trust of the country..."

Here's what PM Modi said while addressing a public gathering in Surguja, Chhattisgarh.

"It enrages Congress and some foreign powers when I say 'Viksit Bharat'. If India becomes powerful, then the game of some forces will be ruined. If today, India becomes self-sufficient then businesses of some forces will shut down that is why they want the INDIA alliance's weak government for India."

If India becomes 'atmanirbhar', shops of some forces will be shut; hence they want a weak govt of Congress and INDI alliance: PM Modi

Congress has been supporting those who spread violence: PM Modi at rally in Ambikapur, Chhattisgarh

Addressing the Vijay Sankalp Shankhnaad Maharally in Surguja, Chhattisgarh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "The entire country is witness to action being taken against the corrupt people in Chhattisgarh. I have come here to seek your blessings for 'Viksit Bharat' and 'Viksit Chhattisgarh'. When I say 'Viksit Bharat' Congress and some powers sitting in the world get angry. If India becomes powerful, the game of some forces will be spoilt. If India becomes self-reliant, some forces will be forced to shut shop. That is why they want a weak government of Congress and INDIA alliance..."

Here's what Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitendra Patwari said on PM Modi's questions over Congress' promises of giving money to the poor and women.

"The Rs 16 lakh crore of industrialists that Modi waived off, which was taken from the pockets of poor, farmers, labourers and middle classes... we will stop it and distribute the same money among the poor."

Speaking on the Caste census at the Social justice conclave in Delhi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi says, "...After 70 years, it is an important step, we should assess what is the situation now and what direction we need to take. We will implement this."

BJP candidate from Kota, Om Birla says, "Congress is indulging in polarisation...Votes are never sought on the basis of religion. Religious leaders are asking people for 100% voting...Do you want to demand votes on the basis of caste and religion? They have done politics of caste and religion. Elections are not won on the basis of caste and religion..."

- The Supreme Court today addressed a series of questions to the Election Commission of India on the operation of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), including whether the microcontrollers used were reprogrammable. The move comes as the Lok Sabha elections proceed into their second phase on April 26.

- A Bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta was hearing a series of petitions demanding 100 percent cross-verification of vote counts in EVMs with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) paper slips. It had reserved its decision in the matter of Apil 18.

Lok Sabha Elections: “If BJP comes (to power again), they will change our Constitution. There will be no democracy left in the country. Modi is talking about ‘Abki baar 400 paar’, but the people across India have united against the BJP and they are not coming to power,” says senior CPI(M) leader and former Tripura minister Pabitra Kar.

Posters of Robert Vadra with the words "Amethi ki janta kare pukaar, Robert Vadra ab ki baar" were seen outside the Congress office in Gauriganj, Amethi.

Uttar Pradesh Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak says, "His brother-in-law (Rahul Gandhi) will say whether they would make him (Robert Vadra) contest. I have no such information." On Union Minister & Amethi MP Smriti Irani's statement on Vadra, he says "He is considered an expert of that - buy properties, acquire properties."

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Here's what Union Jal Shakti Minister and BJP candidate from Jodhpur Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said on the Lok Sabha polls.

"Kshatriya community has always thought the larger context. Today there is a struggle between believer of Sanatan and its non-believers. It is also between the people for Ram Temple and others who are against. Congress' strategy has always been divide and rule. I want to ask if Rahul Gandhi is local of Wayanad? I was born here and lived all my life. I have been elected two times. I want development of Jodhpur. I want to better the infrastructure in terms of train, road, air connectivity. We have all the resources, I want the city to become the manufacturing capital. We will work towards it."

- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday greeted people on the Panchayati Raj Day, asserting that his government will continue to work to strengthen local body institutions.

- The Ministry of Panchayati Raj observes April 24 as National Panchayati Raj Day, marking the enactment of the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992, which came into force on this day in 1993 and paved the way for empowering of local bodies.

- Modi said on X, "On Panchayati Raj Day, greetings to all those working at grassroots to transform rural India and ensure a better quality of life for the people. Our Government will continue to work to strengthen Panchayati Raj institutions and give wings to people's dreams."

BJP candidate from South Chennai Lok Sabha seat Tamilisai Soundararajan says, "EC should seriously think about names of voters missing (from voter list)...Why CM Stalin is silent over this? INDI Alliance is silent too. We suspect that the DMK government is involved in the names of voters missing. Why are they silent when the voters' rights are being denied? We blame DMK for this."

Aam Aadmi Party leader Rinku Gupta and other party workers detained by police as they held a protest in support of CM Arvind Kejriwal at Delhi's ITO. "We were holding a peaceful protest when we were detained by the police. They will release us soon," says Rinku Gupta.

- Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Many voters in Bihar's Bhagalpur Lok Sabha constituency say sitting JD(U) MP Ajay Mandal was "missing" for the last five years but they would vote for him again this year as it would bolster the chances of Prime Minister Narendra Modi returning to power.

- Some, however, are not in the mood to give the MP a long rope and are looking for change.

- With 23.30 lakh voters, Bhagalpur is one of the biggest and most important parliamentary constituencies of Bihar, which sends 40 MPs to the Lok Sabha.

Campaigning for 14 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka going to polls in the first phase on April 26 will come to an end on Wednesday evening.

A total of 247 candidates -- 226 men and 21 women -- are in the fray for this round of voting in most of the southern and coastal districts.

It is a straight electoral contest between the ruling Congress and the BJP-Janata Dal (Secular) combine in the State.

Congress leader P Chidambaram says, "Ask him (PM Narendra Modi) to point out one paragraph in the manifesto which will lead to the conclusion that we are appeasing any section. We recognise there is social division, social inequality, and economic inequality in this country. The most affected people are SCs, STs, and the poor irrespective of religion... If bringing justice to every section of society is considered appeasement, then so be it... The Congress' manifesto has become a talking point throughout the length and breadth of this country, even in the remotest villages of Tamil Nadu. Whereas the BJP manifesto vanished without a trace within 2 hours. Nobody talks about it because there is nothing in it... Modi ki guarantee cannot be the manifesto of a political party, therefore he is envious of the Congress manifesto which has become the talking point, and hence he is tarnishing the Congress manifesto. I would urge him to first read our manifesto."

BJP leader & party's candidate from Meerut Lok Sabha constituency, Arun Govil says, "...I have received a very good response from all sides...People are very positive towards me, everyone is very enthusiastic...There is no limit to development, any amount of development can be done...I would like to do something for the airport, sports stadium, ring road, traffic etc in Meerut."

BJP leader SS Ahluwalia filed his nomination from Asansol Lok Sabha seat yesterday. TMC has fielded sitting MP Shatrughan Sinha from here.

BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Bargarh Pradeep Purohit says, "...In Bargarh district the main issue is water...The problem of pollution is also rising due to companies seems the lives of people don't matter more than industrial development...Apart from this, the issues of farmers, education, and health have witnessed a spike during the 26 years of the BJD-led Naveen Patnaik government and we are taking these topics in the Lok Sabha elections..."

- Polling will conclude in Rajasthan during the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections on April 26, with voting taking place in the remaining 13 of its 25 seats.

- The first phase covered 12 seats in the northern and eastern parts of the state, including Churu, Jhunjhunu, Sikar, Jaipur, Jaipur Rural, Sriganganagar, Bikaner, Bharatpur, Karauli-Dholpur, Dausa and Tonk-Sawai Madhopur. Read more.

Chairman of Indian Overseas Congress, Sam Pitroda says, "...In America, there is an inheritance tax. If one has $100 million worth of wealth and when he dies he can only transfer probably 45% to his children, 55% is grabbed by the government. That's an interesting law. It says you in your generation, made wealth and you are leaving now, you must leave your wealth for the public, not all of it, half of it, which to me sounds fair. In India, you don't have that. If somebody is worth 10 billion and he dies, his children get 10 billion and the public gets nothing...So these are the kind of issues people will have to debate and discuss. I don't know what the conclusion would be at the end of the day but when we talk about redistributing wealth, we are talking about new policies and new programs that are in the interest of the people and not in the interest of super-rich only."

On Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik to kick off election campaign from his home turf Hinjili constituency, BJD leader and Baharampur Lok Sabha candidate Bhrugu Baxipatra says, "...It is the wonderful opportunity for the people of Ganjam, BJD leaders and workers, frontline and grassroots level cadres that CM is going to begin his campaign from his own home district...We all pray to lord Jagannath that all blessings are showered on the people of Odisha...We are waiting to welcome him and we know for sure that the BJD will surely form the government in Odisha; we will send high numbers of Lok Sabha members from Odisha..."

An independent candidate from Maharashtra's Aurangabad Lok Sabha seat found a unique mode of transportation for going to file his nomination. Saheb Khan Pathan went to file his nomination riding a camel yesterday.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday in a fiery retort lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his "gold and mangalsutra" remarks, saying her mother Sonia Gandhi sacrificed her mangalsutra for the country. Priyanka Gandhi launching a sharp attack on PM Modi said," When there was war, Indira Gandhi (her grandmother and former prime minister) donated her gold." She further said, "My mother's 'mangalsutra' was sacrificed for this country," referring to the assassination of her father and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi by terrorists. More here.

- The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday issued a show cause notice to Trinamool Congress MLA Hamidul Rahman for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct by "threatening opposition party workers and voters", an official said.

- Acting on a complaint from Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, the poll body examined the transcript of the speech made by Rahman, TMC's Chopra MLA, in his constituency in Uttar Dinajpur earlier this month and asked him to respond to the show cause notice by 5 pm on April 25.

- "The commission received a complaint through Suvendu Adhikari's video post on X handle on April 11 alleging that while delivering a speech at a public meeting, Rahman was threatening voters and opposition party workers," the official said.

- Congress leader Satej Patil and BJP Rajya Sabha MP Dhananjay Mahadik engaged in a war of words in Kolhapur in western Maharashtra on Tuesday after Patil warned the opposition not to obstruct his party's workers while they campaigned. If opponents created obstructions, he will confront them with a stick, Patil reportedly said. Mahadik responded by asking whether Patil wanted start riots by using such language.Mahadik responded by asking whether Patil wanted start riots by using such language.

- "I want to tell the opponents not to mess with us while we campaign. You do your campaign but do not try to mess with us," the Congress leader said. "I want to tell the opponents not to mess with us while we campaign. You do your campaign but do not try to mess with us," the Congress leader said.

As part of his campaign for the Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to hold a roadshow in the Bhopal Lok Sabha seat this evening. The BJP is thought to have a dominance in Bhopal.

This roadshow will be PM Modi's sixth visit to the state in the last eighteen days and his second of its like in Madhya Pradesh. On April 7, he kicked off his Madhya Pradesh campaign with a roadshow in the Jabalpur seat, a BJP stronghold since 1996.

Election Commission of India has ordered repolling in eight polling stations in Arunachal Pradesh where EVM damage and violence were reported during polling to simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly polls on April 19, an official said.

The Commission in an order on Sunday declared the polling in the eight polling stations as void and ordered fresh polling on April 24 from 6 am to 2 pm, Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Liken Koyu said in a communique.

The polling stations where repoll would be held include, Sario in Bameng assembly constituency in East Kameng district, Longte Loth under Nyapin assembly seat in Kurung Kumey, Dingser, Bogiya Siyum, Jimbari and Lengi polling booths under Nacho constituency in Upper Subansiri district.