Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a roadshow in Kolkata (Express Photo by Partha Paul)Lok Sabha Polls 2024 Highlights: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held his first roadshow at Shyambazar Five Point Crossing in this poll season in Kolkata on Tuesday. The roadshow in support of BJP candidate Tapas Roy is scheduled to culminate at Simla Street, where the ancestral residence of Swami Vivekananda is situated. Before the event, the PM visited Maa Sarada’s residence at Bagbazar and paid homage to her. He also paid tribute to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at his statue at Shyambazar Five Point Crossing.
Meanwhile, attacking the All Indian Trinamool Congress (TMC) government during a rally held in Barasat, OM Modi said, “There was a time before Independence when Bengal used to give employment to lakhs of people. Today, most of the factories in Bengal are shut. The youth of the state is compelled to migrate from here. I want to ask you who is responsible for the deterioration of Bengal.” “First Congress looted Bengal, then the Left looted the state and now TMC is looting the state with both hands…exploring legal options on how to return money looted by TMC from the people of Bengal,” he added.
This comes after the BJP targeted West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee over her comment that “a few monks” of the Hindu monastic orders Bharat Sevashram Sangha and Ramakrishna Mission were working against her party Trinamool Congress to help the saffron party in Bengal. Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav will travel together in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday, addressing campaign rallies at the village of Tharwan in the Bansgaon (SC-reserved) constituency at 1.45 pm and at Mohansarai Chauraha in PM Modi’s Varanasi constituency at 4 pm.
INDIA bloc will repeal the anti-people laws brought by BJP govt: Shashi Tharoor
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday here said the INDIA bloc, if it comes to power, will repeal the amendments made to the anti-terror law UAPA and references to religion in the law meant to grant citizenship to the refugees.
There is no need for such a law which does not give a person even a chance to prove his innocence, he said, referring to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Many people have been in jail for a long time because of the laws that have been "weaponised," he said.
Tharoor said that the Congress seems way ahead of the BJP in the elections and that it is gaining seats where it got fewer ones in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
The BJP, on the other hand, is going down in the states where it made a clean sweep, he said, citing Haryana, Rajasthan, Karnataka, and Telangana.
Tharoor also took exception to the speeches of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he was instigating the people.
Responding to the BJP's accusation that the Congress will end reservation, he said there's nothing to this effect in the Congress manifesto. (PTI)
Watch | PM Modi visits Sri Sri Sarada Mayer Bari Temple in Kolkata
Modi will not be PM after June 4: Rahul Gandhi
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said Tuesday that Narendra Modi will not become the next prime minister, calling it a "guarantee".
Addressing a rally in Modi's parliamentary constituency Varanasi, he said the contest here was not between a prime ministerial candidate and Congress nominee Ajay Rai because Modi will not return as PM.
"I am telling you with a guarantee that after June 4, Narendra Modi ji will not be the prime minister of this country," Gandhi said. "The contest between the two is intense and in this contest, Ajay Rai may win," he said.
The rally was also addressed by Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav. (PTI)
BJP's '400 paar' claim 'bakwas', won't cross 200 seats: Mallikarjun Kharge
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge dismissed the BJP's '400 paar' claim as "bakwas", or nonsense and said the party will not cross 200 seats in the Lok Sabha polls.
Addressing the media in Amritsar, Kharge said the BJP's seats were declining as compared to the last elections while the Congress and the INDIA bloc were making gains. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance has been claiming that it will get over 400 seats in the Lok Sabha elections.
Replying to a question on it, Kharge asked the basis of such claims by the BJP. "When your (seats) are declining and ours are increasing. Forget '400 paar', it is 'bakwas'. They cannot even form the government and will not go beyond 200 seats," said Kharge.
Kharge said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was "non-existent" in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Telangana and "not strong" in Karnataka.
"You are weak in Maharashtra, while in West Bengal and Odisha, there is a fight. How are you getting 400 seats?" he asked. (PTI)
PM Modi likely to visit Vivekananda Rock Memorial in TN this week
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit the famous Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari district on May 30 for a spiritual sojourn, a senior BJP leader said on Tuesday.
The PM is expected to arrive at the picturesque VRM situated close to the monolithic statue of Tamil saint Tiruvalluvar mid sea off the coast of Kanyakumari on Thursday evening and may leave for Delhi on June 1, he said.
“His visit has nothing to do with any event related to the party. We will know about his schedule one day in advance,” the BJP senior told PTI. The Prime Minister would undertake meditation during his stay at the memorial. (PTI)
Congress wants to give reservation on basis of religion: J P Nadda
Addressing a rally in Kinnaur, Himachal BJP president J P Nadda on Tuesday alleged that the Congress party wants to give reservation based on religion.
"People of Kinnaur are granted Scheduled Tribe (ST) reservation on the basis of geographical conditions because it is a far flung area but the Congress wants to give it to Muslims" he said.
Hitting out at the opposition, Nadda charged that the 'INDI alliance' is nothing but an alliance of corrupt leaders as all its leaders and allied parties are corrupt and involved in various scams.
INDIA bloc will form govt at Centre after June 4: Lalu Prasad Yadav
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.
"Modi calls him '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," he was quoted saying by news agency PTI.
‘Tribal population decreasing due to infiltrators who are grabbing land, putting lives of women at risk’, says PM in Jharkhand
At a rally held in Dumka, Jharkhand, on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that there was a “big crisis of infiltrators” facing Santhal Pargana and there was a rapid decline in the population of tribal community members.
PM also claimed that the term ‘Love Jihad’ originated from the Jharkhand. “Our tribal daughters have come under the target of infiltrators. The lives of daughters are at risk. Daughters being killed….burnt alive. Who is targeting our tribal daughters and why is JMM supporting them? The word love jihad first came from Jharkhand. Jharkhand people have given this word,” he said.
As long as I am alive, INDI alliance will not be able to snatch away reservation of Tribals, Dalits, backward classes, says PM Modi
Speaking about the reservation issue during his campaign in Jharkhand today, PM Modi said: “People of the INDI alliance give reservation to Muslims on the basis of religion... I want to tell the people of INDI alliance that as long as Modi is alive, you will not be able to snatch away the reservation of Tribals, Dalits, backward classes and extremely backward classes and give it to Muslims, to those who do 'vote jihad’.”
Tribal lands being taken over by infiltrators in Jharkhand: PM Modi
Addressing a public rally in Jharkhand’s Dumka PM Modi said that Santhal Paragana was facing a ‘big crisis of infiltrators’ and the number of tribal community members was rapidly decreasing.
“Now there is a big crisis of infiltrators in Jharkhand. Our Santhal Pargana is facing the challenge of infiltrators a lot. In many areas, the number of tribals is decreasing rapidly and the number of infiltrators is increasing. Are the tribal lands being taken over by infiltrators or not?” he said.
'JMM and Congress are looting Jharkhand', says PM Modi at a rally in Dumka
Addressing a public rally in Dumka, Jharkhand Prime Minister Modi accused the “Congress and Jharkhand Mukti Morch (JMM) of looting the state in every way.”
"JMM, Congress, and RJD are openly threatening. They say that Modi has to be removed and the reason why they want to remove me is so that they can get a chance to do scams again. I just want to ask you, will you allow the scams to happen? JMM and Congress are looting Jharkhand in every way,” he said.
"A new government will be formed after June 4. After forming the government, I will build 3 crore more houses for the poor,” Modi said.
Watch | Tejashwi Yadav Launches Scathing Attacks On PM Modi in Bhojpur Speech
In a fiery speech delivered in Bhojpur, Tejashwi Yadav launched a series of scathing attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Tejashwi Yadav criticized Modi's policies and governance, highlighting what he termed as failures and shortcomings of the current administration. Tejashwi Yadav called PM Modi ‘biggest liar in the world’ and also challenged him to “come to Bihar and touch him”.
Some opposition parties will perish, their nominees will lose deposits on Jun 4: BJP candidate from Gorakhpur Ravi Kishan
In an interview with news agency PTI, Actor-politician and BJP candidate from Gorakhpur constituency Ravi Kishan has claimed that half a dozen opposition parties will cease to exist and their candidate lose their deposits after the results of the Lok Sabha elections are declared.
"You will see on June 4 that these 26 parties are going to face defeat. More than half a dozen of them will cease to exist and the deposits of their candidates forfeited," Kishan, who is the current MP from Gorakhpur said.
"The opposition wants the country to run on the basis of Shariat but this cannot happen. The country will be run according to Baba Saheb Ambedkar's Constitution," he said.
TMC is fighting for its existence in West Bengal: PM Modi
"TMC party is fighting for its existence in the Bengal elections. This time, the best-performing state in India is going to be West Bengal. BJP is getting maximum success in West Bengal. The election of West Bengal is one-sided, people are leading it and because of that people sitting in the government, TMC people are frustrated... BJP workers are being put in jails before the elections. Despite all these atrocities, more people are voting and the number of votes is also increasing,” said PM Modi on the Lok Sabha elections in Bengal.
The PM is also scheduled to hold his first roadshow in Kolkata this evening.
On June 10, a BJP CM will take oath in Odisha: PM Modi
In an interview with news agency ANI, PM Modi said that the government in Odisha is going to change in the upcoming Assembly election and a new BJP CM will take oath on June 10.
"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,” he said.
“There has been no progress in Odisha for the last 25 years and the biggest concern is that there is a group that has taken over the entire system of Odisha, it seems that the entire system has been held hostage. If Odisha comes out of the bondage, then Odisha will flourish,” he said.
On voter turnout in Kashmir, PM says people have given a message to the world
Speaking about the voter turnout in Kashmir during the elections, PM Modi said, “When the common man votes there, it is not just to make someone win, voting means that the voter accepts the Constitution of India and expresses his dedication towards the entire spirit of India... As a result, voting records of 40 years have been broken.”
“It is a matter of greatest satisfaction for me that my brothers and sisters from Kashmir came forward to vote with great enthusiasm. By voting, they have given a message to the world and to those who used to have doubts,” he said.
I have become ‘gaali proof’: PM speaks about personal attacks during the election campaigns
On being asked about personal attacks during the election campaigns, PM Modi says "As far as Modi is concerned, after being continuously abused for the last 24 years, I have become 'gaali proof'. Who called me the 'maut ka saudaagar' and 'gandi naali ka keeda'? Our party member in the parliament did the calculation and counted 101 abuses, so whether there is election or no election, these people (Opposition) believe that only they have the right to abuse and they have become so frustrated that now abusing has become their nature."
What PM Modi said on Calcutta High Court's decision to cancel all OBC certificates issued in West Bengal
In an interview with ANI, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about the recent Calcutta high Court judgement which struck down a series of orders passed by the West Bengal government between March 2010 and May 2012 by which 77 communities (classes), 75 of which were Muslim, were given reservation under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.
"They (Opposition) have a modus operandi. First, they started the sin of giving it to minorities by making a law in Andhra Pradesh, they lost in the Supreme Court and the High Court rejected it because the Constitution does not allow it. So they cleverly started the game from the back door and these people overnight made all the castes of Muslim as OBCs and they robbed the OBCs of their rights."
Rahul-Akhilesh to hold a rally in PM Modi's constituency - Varanasi - today
Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav will travel together in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday, addressing campaign rallies at the village of Tharwan in the Bansgaon (SC-reserved) constituency at 1.45 pm and at Mohansarai Chauraha in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Varanasi constituency at 4 pm.
The Rahul-Akhilesh rally comes days after Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Rahul’s sister, and SP leader Dimple Yadav, Akhilesh’s wife, held a roadshow in Varanasi city.
PM Modi to hold his first roadshow in Kolkata today
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold his first roadshow in this poll season in Kolkata on Tuesday.
- He will hold a 2.5-km roadshow from Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s statute at the Shyambazar five-point crossing in north Kolkata to Swami Vivekananda’s ancestral house.
- The PM will be accompanied by state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Suvendu Adhikari.
- The PM is likely to meet monks of different monastic orders and, according to BJP sources, he may visit the home of Sarada Devi in Bagbazar
- This comes after the BJP targeted West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee over her comment that “a few monks” of the Hindu monastic orders Bharat Sevashram Sangha and Ramakrishna Mission were working against her party TMC to help the saffron party in Bengal.
7 days to go till counting, here are security measures in place at Delhi’s strong rooms
The Delhi election office has implemented two-tier security arrangements for polled EVMs and VVPATs stored in the strong rooms of the seven parliamentary constituencies, said the Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi, P Krishnamurthy.
The 2024 Lok Sabha elections were conducted across all seven parliamentary constituencies in the national capital on May 25. Counting of votes will take place on June 4.
According to officials, security deployment is round-the-clock, with the innermost perimeter guarded by Central Armed Paramilitary Forces and the outermost perimeter by State Armed Police. Read full story here
Watch: AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal holds roadshow in Jalandhar, Punjab
In Punjab, disillusionment with AAP boosts Congress hopes
The Congress is hoping now that the anti-incumbency against the over two-year-old AAP government, which had come to power with sky-high expectations, will help it come close to a repeat of 2019. If the Congress had won eight seats then, the Akali Dal-BJP combine had won four, and the AAP one.
The fact that the AAP and Congress are partners in the INDIA bloc, and are fighting together in neighbouring Haryana and Delhi, has also made the Punjab contest interesting. Read full story here
Political Pulse: Who are in the Varanasi race against PM Modi
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi contests his third election from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat, there are six candidates left in the race against him, including Congress state president Ajay Rai.
In 2014, when Modi contested the first time from Varanasi and went on to become the PM, he won by 3.72 lakh votes, or 56.37% of the vote share, against second-placed Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). In 2019, when Modi won from the seat again, his victory margin increased to 4.59 lakh votes – 63.6% of the vote share – against his nearest rival Shalini Yadav of the Samajwadi Party.
While in 2014, 41 candidates were in the fray against Modi – 19 of them Independents – in 2019, 26 candidates contested against the PM, eight of them Independents.
A look at the six who remain in the race this time.
Watch: 'I cannot say about the country, but in Jharkhand, we are winning all 14 seats...', says Former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren's wife Kalpana Soren
Portion of stage caves in at Rahul Gandhi's Bihar rally
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday had a close shave when a portion of the stage set up for one of his election rallies in Bihar caved in, news agency PTI reported.
Gandhi was at Paliganj to canvass for RJD president Lalu Prasad's daughter Misa Bharti, who is contesting Patliputra Lok Sabha seat.
Bharti was leading Gandhi towards his seat when he was seen struggling for balance as a portion of the make-shift stage sagged.
An alert Bharti quickly held Gandhi by the hand, helping him regain his balance and they smilingly told anxious security personnel, who ran to help, that the Congress leader was fine.
Watch: SP chief Akhilesh says, 'They (BJP) used to talk about 400 paar, now they are going to lose 400'
INDIA bloc intends to implement Talibani rule in country: UP CM Adityanath
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday alleged the INDIA bloc parties have indicated that they intend to "implement Talibani rule in the country" and confine women to their homes.
At a poll rally in the Ghosi Assembly constituency, he alleged that the Congress and Samajwadi Party have a negative mindset.
"They stand against Lord Ram and the nation, denying Dalits and backward communities their rights. Now, they have set their sights on reservations for OBC castes," Adityanath said, news agency PTI reported.
"There is talk of taking away reservations meant for the OBCs and allocating them to Muslims. But we will not allow this to happen. These rights belong to the OBC caste and we will not permit them to be usurped," he said.
"We must be wary of the INDI alliance, as they proclaim that if they come to power, they will impose inheritance tax. This tax is akin to Aurangzeb's 'Jizya tax'. Moreover, they declare that if they assume power, they will enforce personal laws, indicating their desire to implement Talibani and Sharia law in the country," the Uttar Pradesh CM said.
With PTI inputs
Amit Shah threatened to topple AAP govt in Punjab, this is dictatorship: Arvind Kejriwal
AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Monday accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah of threatening to topple the Bhagwant Mann-government in Punjab after the Lok Sabha polls, and claimed that the country is under dictatorship.
On Sunday, Shah at a poll rally in Ludhiana asked people to ensure victory of the BJP's Lok Sabha candidates in Punjab and said that "the Bhagwant Mann government will not last long after the BJP's victory".
Kejriwal, while addressing a gathering of traders in Amritsar, said, "Have you heard Amit Shah's statement? He gave a threat. Initially, he abused Punjabis a lot. He issued a threat that after June 4, the Punjab government will be toppled. Bhagwant Mann will no longer remain the chief minister after June 4." "We have 92 seats (MLAs). How can you topple (government)? There is a dictatorship (in the country)," Kejriwal said and alleged that the BJP leaders were openly saying that they would threaten the legislators with the CBI and the ED and then "buy" them.
"I want to tell him (Shah)... do threaten the people of Punjab. Otherwise, they will make it difficult for you to enter Punjab," the Delhi chief minister added.
With inputs from PTI
INDIA govt to scrap Agnipath scheme, send Rs 8,500 to women's accounts each month: Rahul in Bihar
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday claimed that the INDIA bloc, if voted to power, would scrap the Agnipath scheme of recruitment in defence services and deposit Rs 8,500 to every woman's account in each month.
Addressing an election rally at Bakhtiyarpur in Bihar, he asserted that Narendra Modi will not be able to become the prime minister again, since there is a clear wave in favour of the INDIA bloc across the country.
“When the INDIA block will form the government, the Agnipath scheme will be withdrawn,” Gandhi said.
Taking a jibe at the prime minister's ‘sent by God' comment, the Congress leader remarked in jest, “After June 4, if ED asks Modi about corruption, he will say ‘I don't know anything...I was sent by God'."
Rahul Gandhi in Bihar with Tejashwi Yadav
Here's what Priyanka Gandhi said in Chamba today
- "PM Modi made all-out efforts to topple Himachal's Congress govt by using money power"
- "All BJP leaders starting from PM Modi have just one purpose -- to grab power at any cost"
- "Modi govt's policies aimed at millionaires, PM can waive their loans but has no money for old pension scheme"
- "BJP-led Centre discriminated against Himachal during monsoon disaster as people voted for Congress in state"
- "Congress was in power for 55 years but could not become richest party, BJP became richest in world in 10 years"
WATCH | Rahul Gandhi in Bakhtiyarpur, Bihar.
No family member of terrorists, stone pelters will get govt job in J-K, says Amit Shah
Sending a tough message, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said that no family member of any terrorist nor close relatives of stone pelters will get government jobs in Jammu and Kashmir.
Shah also said that the Narendra Modi government has not only targeted terrorists but also eliminated the terror ecosystem, resulting in a drastic fall in terror incidents in the country.
"In Kashmir, we have taken a decision that if someone joins a terrorist organisation, their family members will not get any government job," he told PTI in an interview
WATCH | Priyanka Gandhi in Chamba, Himachal Pradesh
Punjab Lok Sabha Elections Live Updates: Former CM, three turncoats in the fray in Jalandhar
Punjab's Jalandhar parliamentary constituency is likely to witness an interesting political bout as a former chief minister and three turncoats are vying to win the seat reserved for Scheduled Castes.
The Congress has placed its bet on Dalit leader and former Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi, who had an MLA from Chamkaur Sahib seat in Rupnagar district.
The Aam Aadmi Party has fielded two-time former Akali MLA Pawan Kumar Tinu who joined the state's ruling party in April.
The BJP has placed its trust on sitting MP Sushil Rinku, who was first announced as the candidate by the AAP. However, Rinku left the AAP and joined the saffron party to fight from the Jalandhar seat. Rinku had last year quit the Congress and joined the AAP.
The Sukhbir Singh Badal-led Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has fielded former Punjab Congress chief and former MP Mohinder Singh Kaypee from the seat. Kaypee jumped the ship from the Congress to the SAD last month.
Meanwhile, MLC bypoll in Telangana today
Bypoll to the Telangana Legislative Council from Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda Graduates’ constituency will be held on Monday.
The byelection was necessitated following the resignation of sitting BRS MLC Palla Rajeshwar Reddy who won the Assembly polls from the Jangaon constituency in last year’s Assembly polls.
The Congress has nominated Chinthapandu Naveen alias Teenmar Mallanna and the BJP has fielded G Premender Reddy while A Rakesh Reddy is the Bharat Rashtra Samithi’s pick. Counting of votes will be taken up on June 5 for which over 4.6 lakh graduates are expected to exercise their franchise.
Over 4.6 lakh graduates from the constituency are expected to exercise their franchise.
Lok Sabha Elections 2024 | What's on today's schedule?
Leaders across party lines will continue their campaign for the final phase of the polls with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Uttar Pradesh.
- BJP
Amit Shah will hold three public meetings in Kushinagar, Salempur and Chandauli Lok Sabha seats, while BJP national president J P Nadda will be in Varanasi, where he will visit two temples, hold meetings with intellectuals and influential voters and address a handloom weavers’ convention.
- Congress
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will campaign in Bihar where he will hold three rallies in Patna Sahib, Pataliputra and Arrah Lok Sabha seats, all of which vote in the last phase
All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will hold two public meetings in Himachal's Chamba and Shahpur.
Good morning!
Welcome to the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 live blog!
With the high-octane election campaigning entering its last leg ahead of the final and seventh phase of polls on June 1, political leaders across party lines are set to scale up efforts with public meetings and rallies across polling states today.
Stay with us as we bring you latest updates!