Lok Sabha Elections | ‘Phir Ek Baar Modi Sarkaar’: PM Modi Reiterates in UP’s Bareilly

The Congress has released a list of candidates for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 from Haryana. Deepender Singh Hooda will be contesting from Rohtak, Kumari Selja from Sirsa, and Mahendra Pratap from Faridabad. Here's the full list:

The election of Mayor and Deputy Mayor in Delhi has been postponed. This election was to be held on Friday 26 April. The election was postponed due to the presiding officer for the mayor election not being decided.

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Thursday announced that Kalpana Soren, wife of jailed former chief minister Hemant Soren, will contest the bypoll from Gandey assembly seat. The JMM, a key member of INDIA bloc in Jharkhand, also announced the candidature of Sameer Mohanty from Jamshedpur Lok Sabha seat.

Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray releases the party manifesto named 'Vachan nama' for the Lok Sabha elections, in Mumbai.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday took a dig at Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav, who have joined hands for Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, describing them as flop pair of "Do ladkon ki jodi." The Prime Minister, who did not take the names of the two, alleged that their friendship is based on "politics of appeasement."
"Can you expect development from flop pair of 'Do ladkon ki jodi'," PM Modi said at an election rally in Uttar Pradesh as he accused them of wanting to snatch the rights of the OBC through the back door.

 Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath on Thursday alleged that the Congress' attempt to give reservations to Muslims from the OBC quota in Karnataka was part of its agenda to push the country towards "Islamisation and division".

The firebrand BJP leader claimed that the Congress wanted to deprive the people belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and other backward classes of their constitutional rights.

According to the data submitted by the Karnataka Backward Classes Welfare Department, all castes and communities within the Muslim religion have been enlisted as socially and educationally backward classes under Category 2B in the State List of Backward Classes Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders have targeted the Congress over the issue, alleging it wanted to transfer the reservation share of OBC to the Muslim community, but the Congress has rejected their claim and accused them of spreading "lies".

Union home minster Amit Shah said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will end the 4% job reservations for Muslims in Telangana if his party comes to power again at the Centre after winning the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Shah added that the reservation will be given to Backward Classes (BC), Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (S) communities instead.

Assam is all set to witness a triangular and a direct contest for the second of the three-phased polls in five constituencies to decide the fate of 61 candidates in the fray on Friday.

Polling will begin at 7 am and end at 5 pm in the five constituencies - Karimganj, Silchar (SC), Diphu (ST), Nagaon and Darrang-Udalguri.

The prominent candidates in the fray are sitting MPs Pradyut Bordoloi of Congress from Nagaon, BJP's Dilip Saikia and Kripanath Malla from Darrang-Udalguri and Karimganj, respectively, and Assam minister Parimal Suklabaidya of BJP from Silchar (SC), among others.

A total of 77.26 lakh voters - 38.95 lakh male, 38.61 lakh female and 179 third gender - are eligible to exercise their franchise across 9,133 polling stations.

Polling will be held amid tight security, with 60 companies of security forces deployed across the five constituencies.

The BJP and the Congress are contesting in all five seats, the AIUDF in two and the Trinamool Congress in one.

Hitting out at the Opposition, Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing the rally in Uttar Pradesh's Shahjahanpur said, “You have to send strong message with your vote to those with anti-national mindset.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday attacked the INDIA bloc parties, saying they are seeking votes for changing the Constitution to provide religion-based reservation.

Addressing a rally at Aonla in Bareilly district, he claimed the Congress not only wanted to conduct an economic survey but also survey institutions and offices.

"If two people in a backward or Dalit family work, they will take away the job of one and give it to those whom they say have the first right on the country's resources," Modi said.

He was referring to former PM Manmohan Singh's 2006 remark that minorities, particularly Muslims, have the "first claim" on the country's resources.

Claiming that the ongoing elections are a referendum on whether reservations should continue or be abolished in the country, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said on Thursday that the Congress if voted to power at the Centre will increase the quota beyond 50 per cent.

Addressing a party programme here, Reddy cautioned that every vote that is cast in favour of the BJP will bolster the saffron party to end the reservation system.

“Not only will we continue reservations for SC, ST, and OBC, but also Congress’s clear policy is to give more than 50 per quota to these sections.

Please support if this system (reservations) is to be implemented or vote for the BJP or NDA if the reservations are to be abolished,” Reddy said.

The CM made an appeal to voters to elect the Congress party in 14 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana so that it will take on the responsibility of protecting the reservations and also increase them.

“These elections are a referendum on whether reservations should be there or abolished in this country,” he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly invokes Sam Pitroda’s remarks. “A Congress-SP govt will snatch half of people's inheritance,” PM Modi said.   For the unversed, Sam Pitorda, the Indian Overseas Congress head, commented on PM Modi’s ‘redistribution of wealth remark’ by stating that the United States (US) has a concept of inheritance tax, which means that 55% of a person’s wealth is handed over to the government and not their children.

Addressing a public rally in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, I went on an election tour to many states and got the opportunity to address public meetings and only one voice is coming from every corner of India that is Phir ek baar Modi Sarkar.”

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday slammed the Congress saying the way the party is going, it will soon get extinct like dinosaurs.

"The BJP is the only party which did what it promised to the people," Singh said, while addressing an election rally here in support of party candidates (Union minister) Ajay Kumar Mishra from Kheri and Rekha Verma from Dhaurahra constituencies.

In his over half-an-hour long address, Singh highlighted how India has moved forward in terms of defence, internal security, economy and development since 2014 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the reins of the country.

Attacking the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress, the defence minister said days are near when these parties will become a thing of the past.

"The way Congress is going, it will get extinct like dinosaurs," he remarked.

In a spirited public rally held in Bareilly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a stirring speech on Wednesday expressing gratitude for the unwavering support of the people towards him and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Addressing a sea of supporters, PM Modi remarked, “This love that you shower on me and my workers is my wealth.”

PM Modi further declared, “I dedicate every moment of my life to serve the people.” He emphasized the unity of purpose across the nation, stating, “From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, there's one single thing that can be heard, 'Phir ek baar, phir ek baar' (Once again, once again).”

Highlighting the achievements of his government, PM Modi underscored the transformative initiatives undertaken for the welfare of women, including provisions for water, electricity, toilets, and cheaper gas connections. He asserted, “BJP has given water, electricity, toilets, cheaper gas connections, and many other essentials to the women of the country.”

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought time from him to explain in person the party's 'Nyay Patra'.

In his two-page letter, he told the prime minister that he is being misinformed by his advisers about things that are not even written in the Congress' manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections.

The Congress' 'Nyay Patra' aims at providing "nyay (justice)" to the youngsters, women, farmers, labourers and marginalised people across all castes and communities, he said.

The Congress chief said in his letter to the prime minister, "It has become your habit to seize on a few words taken out of context and create a communal divide. You are lowering the dignity of the chair by speaking in this manner." "You are being misinformed by your advisors about things that are not even written in our manifesto. I would be more than happy to meet you in person to explain our 'Nyay Patra' so that, as prime minister of the country, you don't make any statements that are false," Kharge said.

 Three Lok Sabha constituencies in the northern part of West Bengal, including the strategically important Darjeeling seat, will go to polls in the second phase of elections on Friday.

The polling for Darjeeling, Balurghat, and Raiganj will decide the electoral fate of two sitting BJP MPs, including BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar, who is seeking re-election from the Balurghat seat. Majumdar is up against veteran TMC leader and Minister Biplab Mitra.

Amidst a new political alignment, Darjeeling hills are gearing up for another election as the long-pending demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland gains focus, with electoral fortunes hinging on promises of a political solution to the demand.

The Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat, bordering Nepal, also houses the strategically important Chicken’s Neck or Siliguri corridor connecting the northeastern states with mainland India.

After Agra, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will shortly address a rally in Uttar Pradesh's Ambala.

Andhra Pradesh CM and YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy filed his nomination from the Pulivendula Assembly seat today.

The Assembly elections in the state are scheduled to be held on 13th May, simultaneously with the fourth phase of of the Lok Sabha elections 2024.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday, during a public rally in Medak said, "BJP has decided to end the Muslim reservation imposed by BRS and Congress. BJP will bring the reservation for SC, ST and OBC... The holistic development of Telangana can only happen when the BJP government will be formed in the centre."

Addressing a public gathering in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "It was clear after Independence that reservation cannot be given based on religion...Congress is such a party which insults Baba Saheb Ambedkar daily, insults the Constitution and tears apart social justice..."

Addressing a public gathering in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "Our country has seen a lot of appeasement politics, it has divided the country into pieces. Appeasement politics has taken away the rights of the truthful and honest. So Modi is ending appeasement and moving towards satisfaction..."

The Election Commission has sought a response from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress party over complaints filed against remarks made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, respectively.

Akhilesh Yadav filed 2024 Lok Sabha election nomination from Kannauj seat on Thursday. He has been pitted against BJP candidate Subrat Pathak, currently representing the seat. 

Addressing the Vijay Sankalp Rally in Morena, Madhya Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "These (Congress) people are again using religious appeasement as a pawn. There is a Congress government in Karnataka...They have declared all the people of the Muslim community in Karnataka as OBC. Congress added so many new people into the OBC community that earlier OBCs used to get reservations in education and government jobs but now the reservation they used to get was secretly snatched away from them..."

Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar says, "Across Karnataka, it is more favourable (for Congress) because we have delivered what we had spoken. We are so happy to see the big support of the people of Karnataka."

Uttar Pradesh: BJP MP and candidate from Kannauj Subrata Pathak says, "In a democracy, the election is the biggest festival. When elections are held they should be interesting...When Akhilesh Yadav sent Tej Pratap here he understood...If the match had been with Tej Pratap it would have been India vs Japan's cricket match. Now that the match would be like India vs Pakistan (Subrata Pathak against Akhilesh Yadav)..."

NCP-SCP chief Sharad Pawar released party's manifesto, for Lok Sabha elections. NCP-SCP leader Jayant Patil says, "We are releasing our manifesto today, issues which included in the manifesto, our leaders will raise these issues in the parliament...Our manifesto is 'Shapath Patra'. Inflation is on the rise, farmers are in bad shape, and unemployment is at its peak...In the last ten years, misuse of agencies, and privatisation-like issues have been on the rise. We have already expressed our stand over all these issues...We will reduce the price of the LPG gas, petrol and diesel price...If we get in power we will fill the vacant places in government jobs...We will also work on Women reservations...Strict laws will be brought to ensure women's safety..."

The West Bengal President Adhir Ranjan wrote to CEC Rajiv Kumar over the misuse of law enforcement officials to harass party workers. "I am writing to bring to your attention and seek your 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..."

Samajwadi Party (SP) Chief Akhilesh Yadav will file his nomination papers for the Lok Sabha election from the Kannauj constituency in Uttar Pradesh at noon today. 
 

On Thursday, PM Modi will campaign in Uttar Pradesh's Agra, Ambala and Shahjahanpur.

He will first campaign in Agra at 1:15 pm, 3:30 pm in Ambala and in the evening at around 5:15 pm in Shahjahanpur.

A day before the phase-2 polling, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will campaign in Madhya Pradesh's Morena at around 11:30 am today.