Lok Sabha polls 2024 updates: April 28, 2024

Union Minister Raosaheb Danve has said that the Constitution for the ruling BJP is as sacred as the Bhagavad Gita, Bible or Quran, and accused the Congress of creating confusion among voters.

Mr. Danve, who is eyeing his sixth parliamentary term from the Jalna Lok Sabha seat in central Maharashtra, was addressing a public meeting in the Rajur area on Saturday.

He is pitted against Kalyan Kale of the Congress.

The Union Minister of State for Railways, Coal and Mines rejected the Congress’ allegation that the BJP is seeking more than 400 seats to change the Constitution.

- PTI

Haryana’s Chief Electoral Officer Anurag Agarwal Sunday said with more than 25 lakh voters, Gurugram Lok Sabha constituency has the highest voter count for a parliamentary constituency in the state.

Gurugram has 25,46,916 voters, of which 13,47,521 are male, 11,99,317 are female and 78 are transgenders, whereas in Faridabad Lok Sabha constituency, the number of voters is 24,14,168, of which 13,10,206 are male, 11,03,844 female, and 118 transgenders.

Polling for all the 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana will take place on May 25 followed by counting on June 4.

- PTI

The Congress on Sunday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his “insulted maharajas but silent on atrocities of sultans” attack on Rahul Gandhi, saying he “maliciously twists” every statement of the former Congress chief to inflame communal prejudices and passions.

The Opposition party’s remarks came after Mr. Modi on Sunday accused Mr. Gandhi of insulting India’s rajas and maharajas but remaining silent on the atrocities committed by nawabs, nizams, sultans and badshahs for the sake of appeasement politics.

Hitting back at the prime minister, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said Mr. Modi has gone beyond being pathetic.

“He maliciously and mischievously twists every statement of Rahul Gandhi to inflame, incite and ignite communal prejudices and passions,” Ramesh said in a post on X.

“His (Mr. Modi’s) exit is inevitable and his realisation of that is making him more and more desperate. His campaign speeches are shameful really,” Mr. Ramesh said.

- PTI

Congress leader Abhisekh Manu Singhvi on Sunday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was reducing the dignity of his post and that of the Constitution for claiming in Banswara in Rajasthan recently that the opposition party will redistribute citizens’ wealth to “infiltrators” and “those producing more children”.

The BJP was undermining democratic institutions using money, vendetta politics and through misuse of government agencies, Mr. Singhvi alleged.

“In the last 75 years, no prime minister has used such words for ‘mithya prachar’ (false campaign) that he used in Banswara and many times after that. You have reached the level of statesman after 10 years of being prime minister, but you speak such things. You are reducing the dignity of your position and that of the Constitution,” Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Singhvi said.

“This not about Hindu-Muslim riots, this is about the election. And when they (BJP) learned such an inheritance tax was abolished by Congress government two three decades back, the PM brought out a new jumla saying (former prime minister) Rajiv Gandhi did it to inherit the property of Indira Gandhi,” he claimed.

- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday claimed that the INDIA bloc has come up with a “formula” under which the parties in the opposition alliance will get the PM’s post for one year each, in case they come to power. “With such a system, the good of the country cannot be expected,” he said at an election rally here, 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, we will 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, the track record will be analysed or not?” Modi asked the people.

Questioning the INDIA bloc on which person or leader among them the people could 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...”

- PTI

Arsheed Ahmad Lone, National Panthers Party (NPP) candidate from the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat in Jammu and Kashmir, has said he is using money borrowed from his father to fund his election campaign.

Mr. Lone, the poorest of the 20 candidates in the fray, is taking on political giants like PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference leader and former minister Mian Altaf Ahmad.

According to the affidavit filed before the Election Commission, Mr. Lone has declared that he has no income and no assets but a liability of Rs 2.60 lakh, a loan he had taken for a vehicle a few years ago. Also, he has not filed any returns over the past five years, the affidavit said.

“I do not have any income and I am dependent on my father to fund my election campaign,” the 28-year-old from Shopian district told PTI.

Mr. Lone’s father Ghulam Mohammad Lone owns half an acre of apple orchard, which is the only source of income for the family.

The NPP leader said if elected, he wants to serve the people and address the issues of unemployment and development needs of the constituency.

- PTI

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday claimed the BJP will not win any seat in the third phase of the Lok Sabha polls and that the ruling party misunderstood the “direction of the wind” when it made its slogan of “400 paar”.

Addressing a rally in Sambhal, Mr. Yadav also said the Samajwadi Party had an advantage in the third phase, saying that elections on May 7 will be held between Sambhal and “his home” in Etawah and Mainpuri.

“BJP people did not know the direction of the wind, so they kept saying ‘400 paar’ (winning over 400 seats) and when they realised the public sentiment after the two phases of the election, BJP forgot its slogan,” the former U.P. Chief Minister said.

“The wind that came from the west (western UP) in the first phase will change the BJP government. The similar trend was seen in the second phase also. People are not accepting the BJP,” the SP chief said.

“It is now your responsibility in the third phase,” he added to those gathered for the rally taken out in support of party candidate Zia ur Rahman Barq.

“These elections are being held from this part till our home. Netaji (SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav) has also been an MP from this area (Sambhal). Voting is going to take place from here to Mainpuri. I can say that the BJP is not going to open its account in any Lok Sabha seat here,” Mr. Yadav said.

- PTI

Arvinder Singh Lovely on Sunday said he has only resigned as chief of the Congress’ Delhi unit and is not joining any other political party.

His clarification came after Congress ex-MLA Asif Mohammad Khan claimed that the BJP would field Lovely from the East Delhi constituency, replacing Harsh Malhotra.

“I have only resigned as Delhi Congress chief and I am not joining any political party,” he said at a press conference at his residence.

Mr. Lovely said his resignation reflected the pain of Congress workers saddened by the fact that the “ideals they had been fighting for during the last seven to eight years” were being compromised.

“We are fighting the elections together but never did the Congress workers say that we are giving a clean chit to them or giving them credit for building schools and hospitals, which is far from the reality,” Mr. Lovely said, referring to the party’s tie-up with the AAP in Delhi for the Lok Sabha polls.

- PTI

The BJP’s ‘sankalp patra’ (manifesto) for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls is a concrete guarantee of a new, capable and developed India whereas the one issued by the Congress is divisive and is inspired by appeasement politics, Union Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday.

The Congress failed to eradicate poverty during its long rule, while the Narendra Modi government managed to get 25 crore citizens out of poverty in the past 8-9 years, Mr. Singh said.

PTI

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav hit out at Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, claiming “fake” Gandhis were using their surname for votes. Mr. Yadav was speaking at a public rally in Myana town of Madhya Pradesh’s Guna Lok Sabha seat on Saturday.

PTI

Asserting that the Trinamool Congress is contesting the Lok Sabha elections alone in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that the Congress and CPI(M) are helping the BJP in the State.

Addressing an election rally in Malda district, Ms. Banerjee claimed that the TMC will put up a spirited fight against the Narendra Modi-led dispensation at the Centre and will play a major role in installing an INDIA bloc government after the Lok Sabha polls.

PTI

Terming Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “master of exaggeration” for “turning an arithmetic inevitability into a guarantee”, senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram said that India will become the third largest economy in the world no matter who becomes the PM.

The former Union finance minister said India would achieve the feat given the size of its population, and there was “no magic” involved in it, but refrained from allotting a time frame within which the nation would progress to the coveted third place in the global ranking.

PTI

The Congress alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is indulging in “fear mongering” as he is “desperate” after facing a “washout” in the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posed questions for the Prime Minister ahead of his rallies in Karnataka.

Members of the women’s wing of the Congress staged a protest against Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna who is embroiled in an alleged sex scandal and demanded his immediate arrest.

Raising slogans against the 33-year-old, who is the grandson of JD(S) supremo and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, the protesters burnt his posters and sought a thorough inquiry into the case.

Mr. Revanna was the NDA candidate in the Hassan Lok Sabha constituency, which went to polls on April 26.

PTI

The AAP claimed the Election Commission has imposed a ban on the party’s Lok Sabha campaign song, ‘ Jail ke jawab mein hum vote denge’, stating that it shows the ruling BJP and Central investigation agencies in a bad light.

There was no immediate response from the poll panel to the AAP’s claim.

Addressing a press conference, senior AAP leader Atishi said, “It is probably the first time that the EC has imposed a ban on a party’s campaign song.” According to the EC, she said, the song shows the ruling party and investigation agencies in a bad light.

PTI

BJP president J.P. Nadda alleged that Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee wants a government at the Centre that is “soft on terrorism”.

Addressing an election rally in Murshidabad in West Bengal, Nadda claimed that the TMC Government in the State helmed by Ms. Banerjee is known for corruption, extortion, appeasement and discrimination.

“We want a ‘Majboot Sarkar’ but Mamata Banerjee wants a ‘Majboor Sarkar’. We are opposed to her politics of appeasement which favours infiltrators... her government has sympathy for terrorists,” Mr. Nadda said.

PTI

Women constituted only 8% of the total 1,618 candidates in the first two phases of the Lok Sabha polls, with political activists saying it reflects a deeper issue of gender bias and that the talk of empowering them rings hollow.

In the first phase of the Lok Sabha polls, there were 135 women candidates while in the second phase, there were 100 women candidates, bringing the combined total for the first two phases to 235 women candidates.

Of the 135 women candidates in phase 1, Tamil Nadu had the highest share at 76, but they account for just 8% of the candidates in the State, while Kerala has the maximum women candidates at 24 in phase 2.

Party-wise, the Congress has fielded 44 women till now while 69 women have been fielded by the BJP in the first two phases.

This significant gender imbalance has sparked criticism from political analysts and activists, who ask why parties are waiting for the Women’s Reservation Bill to be implemented instead of proactively issuing tickets to women.

PTI

“While PM Modi runs government for crorepatis from Delhi, Naveen Patnaik runs govt that works for select people in Odisha... Call it a partnership or marriage, BJD and BJP are together... The government in Odisha is run by Pandian,” said Rahul Gandhi taking a dig at Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik. 

PTI

BJP president J.P. Nadda asked if West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wants to win the Lok Sabha elections by scaring and threatening people as he hit out at her government over the seizure of arms and ammunition by the CBI in Sandeshkhali.

In a statement, he expressed confidence that the BJP will win over 35 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state and conveyed his party’s solidarity with the Sandeshkhali women who were allegedly sexually assaulted by former Trinamool Congress strongman Shahjahan Sheikh and his associates.

Mr. Sheikh, now suspended from the TMC, is in Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) custody and is also accused of land grab by locals.

- PTI

In a setback to the opposition amid Lok Sabha polls, several Samajwadi Party leaders joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in Lucknow on Sunday. Former Samajwadi Party MLA Jai Choubey and several other leaders including Balram Yadav, and Jagat Jaiswal joined the BJP in the presence of Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak. 

“Former MLA and several district presidents have joined our party today. Welcome, and congratulations to all of you. Those working at the block level are also coming along with them, they have a big responsibility in their hands,” Mr. Pathak said.

”You all have decided to join the BJP... Under PM Modi’s leadership, the BJP has reached to masses. Under PM Modi’s guidance, we have taken a resolution of ‘Viksit Bharat’ and I hope you all will contribute to it,” Deputy CM Pathak added.

- ANI

In 10 years, India has become strong, PM Modi said at an election rally in Belagavi, Karnataka. The prime minister said that the Congress is ashamed of India’s success and should apologise to the nation for conspiring to destroy country’s democracy.

Mr. Modi added that the grand old party is taking help of the banned outfit PFI to win the Wayanad election seat

- PTI

Unlike routine days, people stepping out on a small errand can find themselves in one of the many makeshift white tents placed along roads in the city. These tents house four to five policemen, called Static Surveillance Teams (SSTs), deputed round the clock in three shifts every day across over 180 checkposts in the State.

A common sight in the city amid the election season is vehicles parked on the roadside for questioning and checking as police ensure that the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is enforced in earnest.

Officials said that major seizures often happen following a tip-off either from the department or other sources. “The SSTs and flying squad teams (FST) collaborate in such cases where information about the vehicle carrying unaccounted cash or goods is shared with the police force earlier,” Rachakonda Commissioner of Police Tarun Joshi explained.

The Congress alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is indulging in “fear mongering” as he is “desperate” after facing a “washout” in the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posed questions for the prime minister ahead of his rallies in Karnataka.

“After the Phase II washout, a desperate PM is on a spree of Karnataka rallies today. Instead of lying and fear mongering, these are the questions he should answer,” Mr. Ramesh said, listing his posers.

“Why have BJP MPs performed so poorly as the people’s representatives? After a 7-month delay, why has the Centre released less than 20% of drought relief funds? Why is the Centre holding up the Upper Bhadra and Mahadayi projects?” the Congress leader said on X.

Elaborating on what he said were “jumla details”, Mr. Ramesh asked where have BJP MPs been while the Modi government has been “unleashing its vengeance” on Karnataka.

- PTI

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and BJP president JP Nadda will address election rallies in different parts of Odisha.

Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to address an election rally at Salepur in Cuttack district around 1 p.m., and also visit Satyabhamapur to pay tributes to ‘Utkal Gourav’ Madhusudan Das, AICC general secretary and the party’s Odisha in-charge Ajoy Kumar said.

People from across four Lok Sabha constituencies of Cuttack, Kendrapara, Jajpur and Jagatsinghpur would be attending Rahul Gandhi’s rally, he said.

On the other hand, Mr. Nadda is scheduled to reach Bhubaneswar at 4.30 p.m. and address a public meeting in Ambapua area in Gopalpur assembly segment around 5.30 p.m., BJP spokesperson Golak Nayak said.

He will also have “exhaustive interactions” with party workers from three Lok Sabha constituencies of Berhampur, Koraput and Nabarangpur, in Berhampur.

- PTI

Naushad Siddiqui, chairman of Indian Secular Front (ISF), political bedfellow-turned-estranged partner of the Left and Congress in West Bengal, says RSS and TMC agents may have penetrated the ranks of his erstwhile partners who thwarted the alliance and dampened effective resistance to TMC-BJP’s joint domination of the state’s political landscape.

Mr. Siddiqui, the sole non-BJP opposition MLA in the Bengal assembly, won the Bhangar segment, a political hotspot with a consistent history of violence, in the 2021 state polls as part of the Left-Congress-ISF united front that was forged ahead of the elections. Both the Left and Congress drew a blank in those polls.

Ironically, the alliance fell through in the run-up to the 2024 general elections with the ISF now choosing to put up its candidates in 17 out of the 42 seats where the party is simultaneously fighting the Left and Congress besides the state’s ruling dispensation and its prime challenger.

- PTI

Samajwadi Party candidate from Ballia Lok Sabha seat Sanatan Pandey has been booked for allegedly spreading enmity, hatred and animosity among different sections of the society and threatening the District Election Officer, police said.

Superintendent of Police Dev Ranjan Verma said that on the complaint of Sub Inspector Makhan Singh in Ballia city an FIR has been lodged against Pandey under Section 171 F of the IPC (exercising undue influence in elections), 189 (threatening a public servant), 186 (obstructing a public servant in public work), 505 (2) (spreading hatred and animosity between different groups) and sections 125 and 136 of the Representation of the People Act 1950.

He said Mr. Pandey, while commenting on the tenure and works of the present government on April 27, was accused of spreading enmity, hatred and animosity among different sections of the society and threatening the District Election Officer.

- PTI

Mumbai North Central MP Poonam Mahajan, who has been denied renomination by the BJP this time, has said people from the constituency treated her like a family for 10 years and she hopes the relationship would always continue.

In a post on X on Saturday, Ms. Mahajan, who has been replaced by prominent lawyer Ujjwal Nikam, also thanked the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving her an opportunity to serve the people of Mumbai North Central constituency for 10 years.

“I wish to continue on the path of ‘nation first’ shown by my late father Pramod Mahajan. I hope to walk on that path always,” she said.

- PTI

After snapping ties with the BJP, the Akali Dal is all set to contest the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat on party symbol ‘takdi’ or scales for the first time since 1996 as it braces for a showdown with its former ally which has used star power to clinch the seat on numerous occasions.

The Shiromani Akali Dal had joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party in 1996. As part of the seat-sharing arrangement for the 13 Lok Sabha constituencies of Punjab, the BJP used to contest from Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Hoshiarpur.

The SAD walked out of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in 2020 over the now-repealed farm laws.

- PTI

Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram said the PM has imagined a Congress manifesto written by one of his ghost speech writers and he should debate the real issues included in the document.

Mr. Chidambaram’s remarks come amid repeated attacks by the prime minister over Congress leader Sam Pitroda’s ‘inheritance tax’ comments amid the row on the issue of ‘wealth redistribution’.

​

“The Hon’ble Prime Minister continues to discover and read in the Congress’ manifesto words and sentences that are not there! He has imagined a Congress’ manifesto written by one of his ghost speech writers,” Mr. Chidambaram, who was the chairman of the committee that drafted the Congress manifesto, said.

- PTI

​Read the full story here.​

Delhi Congress Chief Arvinder Singh Lovely resigned from his post on April 28.

In his letter, Mr. Lovely said all his decisions have been vetoed by the AICC Delhi-in-charge. 

He said that he was against a partnership with the AAP which came to power levelling false, fabricated corruption charges on the party.

Mr. Lovely alleged that the party high command unilaterally took decision on the three Lok Sabha candidates rejecting views of the Delhi Congress.

Mr. Lovely slammed Congress’ North East Delhi candidate Kanhaiya Kumar for publicly praising Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.

​Read the full story here.​

Hailing the BJP’s decision to put senior advocate and 26/11 prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam on its ticket for the Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha constituency, party leader Shaina NC said the need of the hour was for more distinguished and honest citizens to enter public life and hold responsible public offices.

Mr. Shaina said, “Ujjwal Nikam is a renowned public prosecutor. We know all about how he represented the state in the 1993 bomb blast and the 26/11 terror attacks cases. We often talk about the need for more clean, honest and distinguished citizens to enter public life. I think Ujjwal Nikam is a shining example of a distinguished professional, who has decided to join politics and enter public life. We welcome this decision.”

- ANI

Backed by a strong army of 4500 social media volunteers, the ruling YSR Congress party leaves no stone unturned in disseminating information regarding the state government’s welfare programmes and swiftly issues fact-check messages to counter misinformation round the clock.

The YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led party is keen on retaining power in the state and also put up a good show in the Lok Sabha polls. Parliamentary elections and Assembly polls are scheduled to be held simultaneously in the southern state on May 13.

Sajjala Bhargav Reddy, the YSRCP’s social media in-charge underscores the wing’s mission--to ensure accurate information reaches every voter in the state while effectively thwarting the opposition’s “malicious” campaigns across mainstream and social media platforms.

- PTI

Repolling will be held in six polling stations in the Outer Manipur Lok Sabha constituency on April 30, officials said.

The repolling was necessitated as unidentified persons had damaged EVMs and VVPATs before the completion of voting at four of these six polling stations on April 26, while EVM malfunctioning was reported at one polling station, and voting could not be completed at another due to “threat and intimidation by unknown miscreants”, they said.

- PTI

The BJP will win more than 10 of the total 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana on the back of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity and his development agenda and corruption-free governance, BJP Rajya Sabha member K Laxman said.

It is going to be a landslide victory for the BJP in Telangana in the Lok Sabha elections, Mr. Laxman, a member of BJP’s parliamentary board, said.

The BJP won four seats in Telangana in the 2019 general elections.

“People from every nook and corner of the state are looking towards PM Modi, his development agenda and welfare schemes for the poor and his achievements during the last 10 years,” he added.

- PTI

Hathras ‘hing’ received the coveted Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2023 but it appears to have done little for the local traders, who are seeking change and accountability in this Lok Sabha election.

“Our leaders need to focus on improving our living conditions instead of engaging in empty rhetoric,” said hing trader Rohit Upadhyay.

Pritish Jindal, a shopkeeper, said, “We contribute significantly to the local economy and yet we are burdened with excessive taxes and receive little in return in terms of infrastructure or support.” Some feel bogged down by the “soaring” GST rates.

“This is the biggest hing market in the world. Hing brought from Iran and Iraq is processed here and the market is known for this process worldwide. Despite the significant business here, we feel ignored when it comes to key issues like inflation, unemployment and infrastructure. The Goods and Services Tax (GST) has devastated our trade,” said Lalit Vashney, another hing trader.

- PTI

Rajasthan Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore said that the BJP will register a victory in all 25 constituencies of Rajasthan in the Lok Sabha elections. 

Rajyavardhan Rathore said, “In 2014 and 2019, people gave all the 25 seats to PM Modi and in 2024 also it is sure that BJP will be winning all the 25 Lok Sabha seats in the Lok Sabha polls.”

Mr. Rathore further claimed that Congress indulged in political appeasement to consolidate its vote bank. “When the Britishers went away from India, their book of divide and rule was left behind in our country. They are following that by spreading lies. Congress indulged in political appeasement, they won’t work. They are trying to get votes by diverting and scaring people,” he further said. 

- ANI

Congress MLA and an invitee member of Congress Working Committee Sudip Roy Barman has reiterated his demand for fresh elections in the West Tripura parliamentary constituency and Ramnagar assembly constituency stating that the whole election process was turned into a farce through “false voting” and denying genuine voters their right cast votes.

The Congress MLA shared a list of 579 polling booths where according to him, the polls were completely rigged. He also alleged that the AROs of certain districts forced the micro observers to change their original reports that detailed poll-related malpractices occurred on the day of polls.

- ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address four rallies in the North Karnataka region in Belagavi, Uttara Kannada, Davanagere and Ballari on April 28. PM Modi will address public rallies to strengthen the BJP state unit’s efforts to consolidate votes in the North Karnataka region.

Former Chief Minister Jagdish Shettar and other dignitaries welcomed the Prime Minister, who arrived at Kundanagari Belgaum for the Lok Sabha election campaign on Saturday night.

Voting was held in 14 Lok Sabha seats out of 28 in Karnataka on April 26. The other 14 seats that will go to polls on May 7 are Bagalkot, Belgaum, Bidar, Bijapur, Chikkodi, Davanagere, Dharwad, Kalaburagi, Haveri, Ballari, Koppal, Raichur, Shimoga, and Uttara Kannada.

BJP has always performed brilliantly in the Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka. It is the only state in the south where BJP’s hold has been strong.

- ANI