Lok Sabha Elections Highlights: ‘Those who lost polls using AI to create fake videos, spread misinformation’, says PM Modi in Bagalkot

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said political rivals who are unable to take on the BJP-led government are now misusing technology to spread fake videos on social media.

At an election rally in Karad of western Maharashtra's Satara district, Modi raised concerns about the misuse of social media and technology and warned "there is a plan to create a big incident in next one month".

Modi spoke of the emergence of fake videos created using artificial intelligence (AI), and asked people to remain vigilant and report any instances of fake videos to the authorities. “Opponents are using AI to distort quotes of leaders like me, Amit Shah and J P Nadda to create social discord. By using technology, these people are making fake videos in my voice, which is creating danger. If you see any fake video, inform the police,” he said.

Jailed former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren's wife Kalpana filed her nomination as the JMM candidate for the Gandey assembly bypoll.

Kalpana, 48, was accompanied by Chief Minister Champai Soren, brother-in-law Basant Soren, Jharkhand Congress president Rajesh Thakur and ministers Alamgir Alam and Satyanand Bhokta, among others.

Bypoll to the seat is scheduled on May 20 along with the parliamentary elections in the state. The seat in Giridih district fell vacant following the resignation of JMM MLA Sarfaraz Ahmad.

As campaigning for the elections continues, Prime Minister Narendra Modi continued his multi-city tour of Karnataka, where he addressed a rally in Bagalkot. Hitting out at the Opposition, he said “those who lost elections are using technology, using Artificial Intelligence to create fake videos of me and spread misinformation.” 

Congress nominee from MP's Indore Lok Sabha seat Akshay Kanti Bam has withdrawn his candidature, says PTI. The leader has joined BJP.

PM Narendra Modi says, "Congress isn't running a govt in Karnataka but a 'vasooli gang'. Karnataka which is known as a tech hub and has made its name in the world, Congress has made it a 'tanker hub'."

"It's your vote that will strengthen Modi and then the country will become the third largest economy in the world. It's our resolution to make India a manufacturing hub, and skill centre. These resolutions can't be fulfilled by those who enjoy vacations," says PM Modi in Bagalkot.

As campaigning for the elections continues, Prime Minister Narendra Modi continued his multi-city tour of Karnataka, where he addressed a rally in Bagalkot. Hitting out at the Opposition, he said, “Can we give our country to Congress?” The PM will head to Maharashtra and hold rallies in Solapur, Satara and Pune later today.

Senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh on Monday filed nomination from the Lucknow Lok Sabha seat. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanth and his Uttarakhand counterpart Pushkar Singh Dhami accompanied the Union Defence minister to the collectorate for filing the nomination paper, reported PTI.

Attacking the Modi government over key issues in Karnataka, the Congress on Monday questioned the 'delay' in the vital Bagalkote-Kudachi Railway line project and also asked when it is going to pay the state's MGNREGS workers their wages.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posed questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of his rally in Bagalkote in Karnataka. 'Why has the Modi Government failed to deliver the Bagalkote-Kudachi Railway line? Why is the Modi Government holding up the Upper Bhadra and Mahadayi projects? When will the PM pay Karnataka's MGNREGA workers?' Ramesh said in a post on X.

A little over six months after he impressed the Congress’s national leadership by waving party flags in Sikh-dominated Tilak Nagar, marking the party’s return to an area scarred by the anti-Sikh riots, Arvinder Singh Lovely stepped down as the party’s Delhi Congress president for the second time in his career.

Pitching him as “Dilli ka Sardar”, the party was quick to declare the event a success at the time. A senior Delhi Congress leader said Lovely’s “proven success” at the rally paved the way for it to progressively reach out and tap into a larger section of Sikh voters in the Capital. His resignation, some in the state unit believe, is likely to hurt the AAP-Congress alliance in Assembly segments dominated by Sikhs.

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The nomination process for the sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections to be held on May 25 in which 57 constituencies, including seven from Delhi, will go to polls commenced on Monday.

The Election Commission issued a notification on behalf of the President starting the nomination process.

According to the notification, May 6 is the last date for filing nominations, while scrutiny of documents will be held on May 7. May 9 is the last date for withdrawal of candidature.

Besides Delhi, elections in this phase will be held in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar and West Bengal.

So far, two phases of Lok Sabha elections have been completed. --PTI

As campaigning for the elections continues, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will continue his multi-city tour of Karnataka, where he is slated to address a rally in Bagalkot. He will then head to Maharashtra and hold rallies in Solapur, Satara and Pune. Bagalkot, Satara and Solapur will go to polls on May 7 in the third phase while Pune will vote on May 13 in the fourth phase.

Congress’s Rahul Gandhi will campaign in Gujarat’s Patan and Chhattisgarh’s Bilaspur today.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi are scheduled to address their political rallies in Jharkhand in the first week of May.

Modi is scheduled to hold rallies in three Lok Sabha seats from May 3. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Jharkhand on May 3 and address a rally at Chaibasa from 3 pm," according to a press release of the party.

The next day he would address two rallies -- one in Palamu and the other at Sisai in Lohardaga Lok Sabha constituency, it said.

Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi may also address a public rally at Basia in Gumla district. "The rally is proposed in the first week of May but the date is yet to be finalised. The date will be declared in a day or two," Jharkhand Congress president Rajesh Thakur told PTI.

Jharkhand's four parliamentary constituencies -- Singhbhum (ST), Khunti (ST), Lohardaga (ST) and Palamu (SC) --would go to polls on May 13. 

A case of Model Code of Conduct violation was registered against BSP chief Mayawati's nephew Akash Anand and four others for allegedly using objectionable language at a poll rally here, police said.

The action came after the district administration took suo motu cognisance of Anand's speech at the rally earlier in the day, they said. "This government is a bulldozer government and a government of traitors. The party that leaves its youth hungry and enslaves its elderly is a terrorist government. Taliban runs such a government in Afghanistan," the BSP leader said.

In his address, Anand also cited a National Crime Records Bureau report of 16,000 kidnapping incidents in the state and accused the government of failing to provide safety to women and children.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed that the INDIA bloc has come up with a "formula" whereby the parties in the opposition alliance will get the PM's post for one year each if they come to power. "With such a system, the good of the country cannot be expected," he said at an election rally in Karnataka's Davangere, as he urged the people not to waste their vote.

"I have heard that the INDI Alliance has invented a new formula...if the country has to be given into someone's hands, will we think before giving it or not? Will you give it to anyone? We will think whether the person is able to handle the country or not, will the track record be analysed or not?" Modi asked the people.

Questioning the INDIA bloc on which person or leader among them could the people hand over the country's responsibilities to, he asked, "Is there any name? Will you accept without any name, keeping you in the darkness? Will the country accept it?" He claimed, "So they (INDIA bloc) have come up with a formula, to make everyone happy. If they get the opportunity for five years (to govern), they have told their alliance partners that each one will get one year of prime ministership. This means one year, one PM, next year second, then third, fourth and fifth..."

Women constituted only eight per cent of the total 2,823 candidates in the first two phases of the Lok Sabha elections, with political activists saying it reflects a deeper issue of gender bias and that talk of women's empowerment rings hollow.

There were 135 women candidates in the first phase of the elections and 100 in the second phase, bringing the combined total for the first two phases to 235.

In the first phase of the elections on April 19, there total number of candidates in the fray was 1,625. In the second phase held on April 26, 1,198 candidates contested the elections. Of the 135 women candidates in the first phase, Tamil Nadu had the highest share at 76. However, that figure accounted for just 8 per cent of the total candidates in the state.

Kerala had the maximum number of women candidates at 24 in the second phase.

Partywise, the Congress fielded 44 women in the two phases and the BJP 69.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday alleged that while PM Narendra Modi runs a government for billionaires from Delhi, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik leads a dispensation that works for "select people" in Odisha.

"Call it a partnership or marriage, both BJD and BJP are together," he claimed. "Uncle-ji and Naveen-babu have given Odisha PAANN, meaning Pandian, Amit Shah, Narendra Modi, Naveen Patnaik. They have looted your wealth, he said addressing a rally in Odisha. 

Speaking during a rally in Odisha today, congress leader Rahul Gnadhi accused PM Modi of “running the government for crorepatis”.

"While Modi runs government for crorepatis from Delhi, Naveen Patnaik runs government that works for select people in Odisha", Gandhi said. 

- Congress is making alliance with those who praise Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, said PM Modi while addressing a rally in Karnataka today

- Congress wants to take over people's wealth, redistribute among its votebank, he said.

- Congress 'prince' did not refer to 'atyachar' by Nawabs, and Badshahs but insulted our Raja, Maharajas, said PM Modi in an attack on Rahul Gandhi.

Months after leading the Congress to a stunning victory in the Telangana Assembly elections, Anumula Revanth Reddy, 54, has been spearheading the party’s campaign in the Lok Sabha elections in the state. He is one of the key leaders the Congress is banking on for boosting its prospects in South India. In a free-wheeling interview with The Indian Express, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy speaks on various burning issues ranging from the recent row over Rahul Gandhi’s pitch on caste census and redistribution to the North-South divide. (Read the full excerpts here)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today accused the Congress of “seeking assistance from the banned outfit Popular Front of India (PFI)” to secure victory in the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat.

“Congress didn’t take Bengaluru’s cafe blast case seriously. Why are you fooling people? You (Congress) should leave if you can’t do your duty properly. It’s the same Congress that is taking help from PFI, a banned terrorist organisation, to gather votes in Wayanad. You are surrendering to them and defending their activities to win one seat,”  he said.

Regarding the Supreme Court’s judgement on EVMs, PM Modi accused the Congress of spreading lies about the voting machine today.

“Just two days ago, the Supreme Court gave a tight slap to Congress and its group. The question is that on whose instructions Congress is spreading lies among people. Congress leaders lied about EVM. Every citizen of the country says that by doing this, they have tried to destroy the democracy of the country and therefore, they should apologise,” he said addressing a rally in Belagavi, Karnataka.

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed all petitions seeking 100 per cent verification of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) votes with their Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips, reports Bar and Bench.

Hitting out at the Congress PM Modi on Saturday said that the party had “grown so far away from national interest that they feel ashamed of the country’s achievement”.

"When India emerges and strengthens its position in the world, everyone feels proud. But Congress has grown so far from National interest, for so engrossed in the welfare of their family that it does not like the country's achievements... They have started feeling ashamed of every achievement made by us,” Modi said addressing a rally in Karnataka’s Belagavi.He also accused the part of protesting against the vaccine for Covid during the pandemic. 

BJP's candidate from Mumbai North Central, Ujjwal Nikam today said "Parliament was the only way through which one can serve the common man."

"A new life is going to start for me which is political life. Till now I used to fight for justice in the court... I think Parliament is the only way through which we can serve the common man," he said. 

Nikam has to his name several prominent cases that drew the media’s attention. Known most prominently as the special public prosecutor in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks case in the trial against Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab, 

Of the myriad cases that Ujjwal Nikam has handled, one is that of the murder of BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, whose daughter Poonam, a two-time MP, was replaced by the public prosecutor as the BJP nominee from Mumbai North Central constituency for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Nikam has to his name several prominent cases that drew the media’s attention. Known most prominently as the special public prosecutor in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks case in the trial against Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab, Nikam has been sought after, across party lines, for many years to represent Maharashtra in crucial cases. This led him to be appointed in many cases, including the 2011 triple blasts, Shakti Mills gangrape cases, the Kopardi and Ahmednagar rape and murder cases. (Read More)

Delhi Congress chief Arvinder Singh Lovely Sunday resigned from his post amid the Lok Sabha elections. “The Delhi Congress unit was against an alliance with a party which was formed on the sole basis of levelling false, fabricated and malafide corruption charges against the Congress party. Despite that, the party made a decision to ally with the AAP…,” he wrote.

As he assumed the role in August last year, a section of the Congress’s Delhi leadership had said that Lovely taking over the reins of the party will ease the way for a seat-sharing agreement with INDIA ally Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), in the coming Lok Sabha elections. (Read more)

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi on Saturday urged voters to defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who, she said, had become arrogant after coming to power.

Addressing her first election rally in Maharashtra at Latur’s Udagir, she said, “A leader has a habit of becoming arrogant after coming to power. The leader changes, which is being witnessed in Narendra Modi. The arrogance is so much that he is not bothered about you (people). So much arrogance that even advisors are not able to tell him the truth and fabricating lies. Even advisors are not able to tell him that people are suffering from inflation. Everybody is scared… it is time to change the government,” she said, campaigning for Congress candidate Shivaji Kolge. (Read More)

Officials have announced that repolling will take place in six polling stations in the Outer Manipur Lok Sabha constituency on April 30. 

Voting at four polling stations in Ukhrul assembly segment, and one each in Chingai assembly seat in Ukhrul and Karong in Senapati was declared null and void and repolling will be conducted on April 30, a notification issued by the office of Manipur's chief electoral officer said.

Earlier, incidents of unidentified individuals damaged EVMs and VVPATs at four polling stations were reported during the voting on April 26.

With her husband Arvind Kejriwal, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo and Delhi Chief Minister in the Tihar jail in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case, Sunita Kejriwal will continue to spearhead the AAP’s poll campaign, holding a roadshow in the West Delhi Lok Sabha constituency on Sunday.

Sunita held her maiden poll roadshow in Delhi Saturday, saying her husband is a “lion” and that nobody could break him and make him bow down.

Sunita held her maiden poll roadshow in Delhi Saturday, saying her husband is a “lion” and that nobody could break him and make him bow down.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is set to step up his party’s Odisha campaign Sunday, the birth anniversary of Madhusudan Das, known as the epitome of “Odia asmita and swabhiman (Odia pride and self-esteem)”.

Rahul is scheduled to visit Satyabhamapur in Cuttack district, the native place of Madhu Babu, to garland his statue before addressing a rally at Salipur that falls under the Kendrapada Lok Sabha seat. This time, Odia pride is a major poll plank for the Congress in Odisha, where it has been struggling to revive its organisation for several years.