Lok Sabha elections 2024 | Highlights from May 6, 2024

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari , cricketer Gautam Gambhir,and Arvinder Singh Lovely are the BJP’s star campaigners in Delhi. Read the report here.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has termed Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar’s statement on the killing of police officer Hemant Karkare in the 26/11 terror attack of 2008 as unfortunate and an insult to those who got martyred while protecting the nation.

“The statement is unfortunate. It is an insult to martyrs. The citizens of the nation will take revenge for such an insult,” he said at an press conference. Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray would have severely condemned such a statement, he added. 

He also condemned Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray for his silence on the remarks. The Congress is an ally of Thackeray’s outfit. Mr. Wadettiwar claimed Karkare, who was the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad chief during the 26/11 terror attack, wasn’t killed by terrorist Ajmal Kasab’s bullet, but by one fired by a policeman affiliated to RSS. His allegations were based on the book “Who Killed Karkare” written by retired police officer SM Mushriff. He is the Leader of the Opposition in the State assembly. - PTI

There will be ‘jungle raj’ in the country if INDIA bloc partners -- the Congress and RJD -- are voted to power, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said in Bihar. 

Addressing an election rally for senior BJP leader and Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, in Bihar’s Samastipur district, Mr. Shah said, said, “If they [INDIA bloc] come to power, there will be a complete ‘jungle raj’ in the country as well as in Bihar.”

He asked, “Who will be the PM of the INDIA bloc? Will Sharad Pawar be the prime minister? Will Mamata Banerjee become [the PM] or M.K. Stalin or Uddhav Thackeray? I will take another name. Please don’t laugh. Can Rahul baba become the PM?” - PTI

The National Conference has suffered a jolt in Ladakh as its entire Kargil unit resigned over its choice of candidate for the Lok Sabha seat.

Additional General Secretary Ladakh Qamar Ali Akhoon conveyed the unit’s decision to party president Farooq Abdullah in a letter. Talking to reporters here, Mr. Akhoon said the party’s high command was pressuring them to extend support to the Congress’ candidate from Ladakh, which was against the decision taken by the Kargil Democratic Alliance, which has put up Haji Haneefa Jan as its candidate.

Radhika Khera, a Congress spokesperson, has resigned from the party claiming that criticism over her visit to Lord Ram temple in Ayodhya led to the denial of justice to her in the incident that happened at the Chhattisgarh Congress office. ​Read the report here.​

The Trinamool Congress has urged Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar to “urgently furnish” the constituency-wise voter turnout in absolute numbers for the first two phases of Lok Sabha polls and also sought an explanation over the “delay” in releasing the figures. 

Various Opposition parties have alleged that the ECI delayed the sharing voter turnout data, while the poll body last Friday asserted that booth-wise data of “actual number of votes polled” is available with the candidates soon after the voting ends. 

In a letter addressed to the CEC, the TMC said the poll panel released the voter turnout percentage for the first two phases “belatedly” on April 30, but the report had no information about the total figure of eligible electors and the number of actual votes cast.

“This is a paradigm shift from the previous voter turnout report(s) from past election(s), where the ECI provided a detailed report in this regard,” the party said. It claimed the report also exhibits notable discrepancies and inconsistencies in the percentages that were initially given.

In the letter, the TMC mentioned certain polling stations where the presiding officer “omitted” the provision for giving the number of voters who physically came to cast their votes as per the ‘Register for Voters’. 

The TMC said “discrepancies” in Form 17C are “indicative of the rampant disregard and lackadaisical attitude with which the ECI is proceeding to conduct the ensuing elections”. “It also suggests the possibility of similar occurrences in other booths, which raises serious concerns about the accuracy of voter turnout percentages reported and published by the ECI. The ECI’s failure to address such discrepancies would undermine the public trust in the electoral process,” it said.

The TMC demanded that the ECI publish the total number of registered electors in each seat, the total number of voters physically turned up as per the ‘Register for Voters’, and the number of voters as per the EVM, for all constituencies which had gone to polls in phases one and two.

“Urgently furnish the Parliamentary constituency-wise precise voter turnout figures for phases one and two of the ensuing general elections to Lok Sabha, 2024, along with an explanation and clarification for the delay in releasing the voter turnout report dated 30.04.2024, without disclosing/revealing the details of the total number of voter turnout (in figures) and the total number of eligible electors for the said phases,” it said.

It also sought that a detailed report should be published after the completion of polling in each of the upcoming phases. - PTI

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya has said both Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will be defeated in Kannauj and Rae Bareli respectively. 

Addressing a gathering in support of Saket Mishra, the BJP candidate from Shravasti, Mr. Maurya said Mr. Yadav will be defeated just like his wife Dimple Yadav was defeated in 2019 from Kannauj. “Rahul will also taste defeat from Rae Bareli,” he said.

Targeting the leaders of the INDIA bloc, he alleged that all “corrupt parties” have come under one roof and said the Opposition was “misleading the people by saying that the Constitution is in danger”.- PTI

Addressing his first election rally in the State, PM Narendra Modi asserted that the expiry date of the BJD government in Odisha is June 4, the day the Assembly election results will be announced. He urged people to give a chance to the BJP to make Odisha the number one State in the country. “The BJP will form a double-engine government here after the ongoing elections. The expiry date of the BJD government is June 4, 2024,” Modi said at the rally in Berhampur.

Addressing another rally in Nabarangpur, the tribal heartland of Odisha, Mr. Modi claimed that his government has been working for the welfare of indigenous people. “You have given 50 years to Congress and 25 years to BJD. Just give five years to the BJP. We will make Odisha the number one state in the country,” he said.

He also said, “We released a visionary manifesto for Odisha promising jobs for youths and women and health facilities for senior citizens. BJP fulfils what it says.” 

“I have come here to invite you to the swearing-in ceremony of BJP’s CM on June 10. On that day, we will implement the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, which the Naveen Patnaik government has been resisting. This son of Lord Jagannath will take care of all senior citizens under this scheme,” he said. - PTI

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, while addressing a rally at Segaon in Madhya Pradesh, said that the party will waive farmers’ loans and raise the daily allowance under the MGNREGA scheme after the party forms the government after the elections. 

Mr. Gandhi alleged Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made up his mind to alter the Constitution and eventually scrap it. ”This election is being fought for saving the Constitution, reservations, and also the Jal, Jungle, and Jameen of tribal people, and public sector,” he said.

Congress has fielded Porlal Kharte from Khargone (ST) and Narendra Patel from Khandwa Lok Sabha constituencies. Both the constituencies will go to polls on May 13 - PTI

Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar has sought the EC’s intervention, claiming that the party’s nominees were “being forced to withdraw from campaigns”. 

The BJP candidates and leaders have been facing protests from the farmers while campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls. Farmers either ask questions to the party’s candidates or show them black flags for not agreeing to their demands.

A delegation of the BJP leaders, led by Mr. Jakhar, submitted a memorandum to Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Sibin C, claiming that the state machinery has failed to ensure the right of campaign of the BJP candidates in the poll fray. Without providing an equal platform to campaign, the election process will be rendered futile, Mr. Jakhar claimed. ”While the BJP has always stood for the rights of the farmers believing in dialogue as the way forward, such unchecked protests against the BJP candidates, who are being forced to withdraw from campaigns in parts of Punjab, can lead to unforeseeable consequences and untoward incidents of violence and clashes,” he said in the memorandum.

“The possibility of anti-social elements sneaking in under the garb of the farmer protest and creating havoc cannot be ruled out. This would vitiate the elections rendering both the process and the final outcome unfair,” he said.

“Free and fair elections and the right to campaign have always remained quintessential ingredients in flourishing democracies. This epistle is to bring to your notice and highlight our apprehension of a well-calibrated ‘sponsored’ denial of the right of the BJP candidates to campaign in Punjab in the backdrop of the deteriorating law and order situation under the incumbent AAP government led by Bhagwant Mann,” he said. - PTI

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said the Congress leaders are living in a fool’s paradise and their dream “to win the elections on false promises” will be shattered once the poll results are announced on June 4.

The BJP leader also took potshots at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying he has forgotten his own slogan “ daro mat” and running from one seat to another while fearing defeat in the Lok Sabha elections.

“First he ran from Amethi to Wayanad and now he is contesting from Rae Bareli and the Congress is sure to be wiped out from Rae Bareli also,” he told PTI.

Mr. Thakur, who is contesting from the Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat, claimed that the people of the constituency were with him and his victory margin this time would be more than the previous margin of 92,029 votes. - PTI

Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini and former CM Manohar Lal Khattar filed their nomination papers on April 6.

The former Haryana Chief Minister is a BJP candidate for the Karnal Lok Sabha seat. While filing his nomination, he was accompanied by CM Nayab Singh Saini. 

“While Saini is contesting the Assembly bypoll from Karnal, the seat that Khattar vacated for him,” Mr. Khattar will be contesting from the Karnal Lok Sabha constituency this time. 

For Mr. Saini to continue as CM, he must contest the Assembly by-election and win it. The Congress has fielded Divyanshu Buddhiraja against Mr. Khattar and Tarlochan Singh against Mr. Saini. Karnal Lok Sabha constituency comprises nine Assembly segments. 

These include six represented by the BJP, including Indri, Karnal, Gharaunda, Panipat Rural and Panipat City, and one by an independent. - PTI

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the ongoing Lok Sabha election is aimed at saving the country’s Constitution, which he claimed the BJP and the RSS want to change.

Addressing a public meeting at Jobat town in Alirajpur district under the Ratlam-Jhabua Lok Sabha seat in Madhya Pradesh, Mr. Gandhi also said the Congress government will ensure the 50% cap on reservation is removed in the interest of the people.

The former Congress president again batted for a caste census, claiming it will reveal everything about the status of people and change the direction of politics in the country.

He said the BJP gave the slogan of “400 paar” (aiming to win more than 400 Lok Sabha seats) with an intention to change the Constitution. “Leave alone 400 seats, the BJP will not get more than 150 seats this time,” the Wayanad MP claimed. - PTI

The Congress appointed former Chief Ministers Bhupesh Baghel and Ashok Gehlot as AICC senior observers for Rae Bareli and Amethi Parliamentary constituencies, respectively.

Ending weeks of suspense, the Congress on May 3 announced that Rahul Gandhi will contest the Lok Sabha elections from Rae Bareli, the constituency held by his mother Sonia Gandhi for the last two decades, and Kishori Lal Sharma, a close aide of the Gandhi family, will fight from Amethi.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is set to spearhead the campaign in Rae Bareli and Amethi, and camp in these Parliamentary constituencies in Uttar Pradesh from April 6 to ensure the party’s victory in the two high-profile seats.

“Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has approved the proposal to appoint Bhupesh Baghel and Ashok Gehlot as AICC senior observers for Rae Bareli and Amethi Parliamentary constituencies respectively,” a statement issued by the party said. - PTI

Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a roadshow in the Krishnanagar Lok Sabha constituency in West Bengal’s Nadia district. Mr. Shah started the procession around 12.30 p.m. from Beldanga More in the area.

“The BJP will end the menace of infiltration in the State. The TMC can never stop it. I would request all of you to ensure the victory of the BJP candidate from this seat. Seeing such a huge crowd and support of the people, I am confident of a victory in Krishnanagar,” Mr. Shah said.

Hundreds of people were seen waving the BJP flags and raising slogans such as ‘Jai Shri Ram’, ‘Narendra Modi Zindabad’ and ‘BJP Zindabad’. The constituency will go to polls in the fourth phase on May 13. - PTI

Odisha will get new energy, new leadership after Assembly elections: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at a rally in Odisha’s Nabarangpur. He said, “BJD government did not allow schemes made by Modi to be implemented in Odisha.” Mr. Modi said that paddy farmers in Chhattisgarh get MSP of 3,100 per quintal, but those in Odisha receive 2,100. PM Modi said, “People of Odisha have strength, passion, but BJD government did not give them right opportunities.” - PTI

Before embarking on another day of hectic campaigning, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma spoke to The Hindu on his party’s electoral prospects in Assam. 

He also hit out at Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for alleging that Assam is under “mafia raj”, noting that she has not even won a municipal election.

Watch the interview here.

The police on Monday destroyed nine IEDs and other explosives dumped by Naxalites in a hilly area in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district, a senior official said.

The police received intel about the presence of explosives in the Tipagad area, following which two bomb detection and disposal squads (BDDS), a quick action team and C60 of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were dispatched to look for the explosives and destroy them in situ if needed, Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police Neelotpal said.

There was credible intel that Maoists planned to carry out IED blasts during the Lok Sabha elections. However, since the intel did not specify the location, area domination exercises were carried out, and there was heavy deployment of security forces to avert attacks, he said.

-PTI

Taking a swipe at the BJP for criticising the Congress manifesto, party leader P Chidambaram on Monday said that if the ruling party leaders read the words ‘generation of wealth’ as ‘redistribution of wealth’, they should either go back to middle school or consult an eye doctor.

Mr. Chidambaram, who headed the committee that drafted the Congress manifesto, said his party is committed to rapid growth and generation of wealth.

Read the full story here.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday filed a police complaint at the Kothagudem Police Station (Bhadradri Kothagudem district) against Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy for his alleged “false, defamatory and provocative speech” claiming that the BJP government would abolish reservations as soon as it forms government” at the Centre.

In the complaint, party general secretary B. Premender Reddy charged that a “fake and morphed video of Home Minister Amit Shah claiming to abolish reservations was created and made viral on social media and even through Congress official handles as part of the same conspiracy”.

Read the full story here.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that two ‘Yagya’ are taking place together in Odisha, one to form a government at the Centre and the other in the State adding that the expiry date of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government will be on June 4, the day the results of the general elections will be announced.

Addressing a public rally in Behrampur, PM Modi exuded confidence in the BJP forming a “double engine government” in Odisha for the first time and stated that he is glad to be present in the pious land of Lord Jagannath.

The state is going to Assembly as well as the general elections simultaneously, beginning May 13.

-ANI

Ten parliamentary constituencies of Uttar Pradesh will go to polls in the third phase of Lok Sabha elections on May 7, with all eyes on Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav’s family members.

While Dimple Yadav is aiming to retain the Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat, which she won in the bypolls following the demise of her father-in-law Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akshaya Yadav, son of Ram Gopal Yadav, the national principal general secretary of SP, will try to reclaim the Firozabad seat, which he had won in 2014.

Aditya Yadav, the son of SP national general secretary Shivpal Yadav, is making his electoral debut from the Budaun Lok Sabha seat, which was represented by his cousin Dharmendra Yadav in 2014.

-PTI

Despite Assam having more women voters, only 12 female candidates are contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, down from the previous count of 14.

These 12 women candidates are competing in seven out of the 14 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state.

Assam has a total electorate of 2,45,72,144 with 1,23,39,241 women voters and 1,23,25,293 male voters.

This declining trend in women candidates has been continuing since the 2014 polls when there were 16 female aspirants.

-PTI

The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has ridiculed the claims of AICC leader Rahul Gandhi made at a public meeting in Nirmal about the Congress government implementing its six guarantees as promised by the party before the Assembly elections. Mr. Gandhi had said every poor woman in Telangana was receiving monthly financial assistance of ₹2,500 in her bank account.

Read the story here.

Days after Congress leader Kishori Lal Sharma filed his nomination from Amethi Lok Sabha constituency, vehicles parked outside the Congress office in Gauriganj, Amethi were vandalised by unidentified people on Sunday night.

Police reached the spot and spoke with the party workers who took to the streets in protest against the incident.

Taking to X Congress shared, “Smriti Irani and BJP workers are badly scared in Amethi. Foreseeing the defeat, BJP goons armed with sticks and rods reached outside the Congress office in Amethi and vandalised vehicles parked there. There has been a deadly attack on Congress workers and the people of Amethi. Many people are badly injured in this attack. During the incident, vehicles of local people were also damaged.”

The Congress also alleged that the police were unable to take any action on the incident.

-ANI

This election is a fight between the kept promises of the Congress and the falsehoods of the BJP, Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar said in Belagavi on May 5.

“We have fulfilled all our promises. But the BJP has been betraying people for 10 years with false promises. This election is nothing but a fight between the kept promises and falsehood,’‘ he said.

Read the full story here.

The BJP has written to the Election Commission of India seeking action against the Congress and its leader Vijay Wadettiwar for allegedly peddling lies and defaming the saffron party’s Mumbai North Central nominee and lawyer Ujjwal Nikam.

Mr. Wadettiwar, the leader of opposition in the Maharashtra legislative assembly, purportedly called Mr. Nikam an “anti-national” and accused him of hiding the information that then Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare was not killed by terrorist Ajmal Kasab’s bullet during the 26/11 terror attack, but fell to a bullet of a policeman affiliated to the RSS.

His allegations were based on the book Who Killed Karkare written by retired police officer S.M. Mushriff.

-PTI

The BJP’s Uttar Pradesh unit on Sunday slapped a show cause notice on the party’s Fatehpur Sikri MLA Babulal Chaudhary after his son filed his nomination papers as an Independent candidate from the Fatehpur Sikri Lok Sabha seat.

The saffron party has fielded incumbent MP Rajkumar Chahar from the constituency. However, Babulal Chaudhary’s son Rameshwar Chaudhary has also filed his nomination from the seat and is contesting as an Independent candidate.

Govind Narayan Shukla, the BJP’s state general secretary, told PTI that state unit chief Bhupendra Singh Choudhary has issued a show cause notice to Babulal Chaudhary and sought his response by 5 pm on Monday.

-PTI

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti was served a show cause notice on Sunday for allegedly using a child to seek votes during campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls in Rajouri district.

Rajouri is part of Anantnag parliamentary constituency which is going to the polls in the sixth phase on May 25.

Read the full story here.

In a setback for Shiv Sena (UBT), its Nashik district chief Vijay Karanjkar joined the Shiv Sena (Ek Nath Shinder) in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Vijay Karanjkar was reportedly denied a ticket by the Uddhav Thackeray-led party, and he jumped ships with the Shinde Sena faction.

-ANI

Union Minister for Home Amit Shah, on Sunday, reiterated that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will remove reservations for Muslims and share it with SC/ST and BCs in Telangana after it comes to power here.

“When I said the same before, the video of my speech was doctored to show as if I spoke about removing quotas. As long Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP are there, there is no question of abolishing reservations for marginalised sections,” he asserted at a public meeting in Parade Grounds.

Read the story here.

With the parliamentary election closing in and electioneering picking up in Punjab, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which is toiling to reclaim lost ground appears to be narrowing its focus down to “regional identity”.

As the party continues its ‘Punjab Bachao Yatra’ (Save Punjab) march, party president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Sunday targeted the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), calling them outsiders and Delhi-based parties that have never let Punjab’s interests prevail.

Read the story here.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will spearhead the Lok Sabha poll campaign in Rae Bareli and Amethi, and camp in these parliamentary constituencies in Uttar Pradesh from Monday to ensure the party’s victory in the two high-profile seats, according to sources.

Ending days of suspense, the Congress on Friday announced that Rahul Gandhi will contest the Lok Sabha elections from Rae Bareli, the constituency held by his mother Sonia Gandhi for the last two decades, and Kishori Lal Sharma, a close aide of the Gandhi family, will fight from Amethi.

Priyanka Gandhi has already taken command of the campaigns and will remain camped in Rae Bareli and Amethi from Monday onwards, till the end of polls.

- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address two NDA election meetings in Andhra Pradesh on Monday, along with alliance partners TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu and Janasena chief Pawan Kalyan.

The first meeting is scheduled in the afternoon at Vemagiri in Rajamahendravaram, East Godavari district, followed by another public meeting in the evening at Anakapalli in the eponymous district.

The Prime Minister is expected to land at Rajamahendravaram airport around noon. He will address his first meeting here at 3.30 pm and then proceed to Anakapalli for the second meeting scheduled at 5.30 pm, according to a local BJP leader.

The twin PM meetings dubbed ‘Prajagalam’ (people’s voice) come ahead of Andhra Pradesh’s simultaneous assembly and Lok Sabha elections on May 13.

- PTI

A 48-hour silence period at 94 Lok Sabha constituencies spread across 12 States and Union Territories commenced at 6 p.m. on May 5 with the conclusion of campaigning for the third phase of the Lok Sabha election. Voting will take place on May 7. Polling for more than half of the total number of constituencies will be completed by the end of this phase.

Read the story here.