India General Elections updates | Highlights on May 26

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said INDIA bloc parties want to turn the country’s majority community into second-class citizens and also alleged that “jihadis” across the border are supporting the Samajwadi Party and the Congress.

He attacked the parties of the opposition bloc, alleging they are planning to rewrite the Constitution to provide reservation on the basis of religion.

The prime minister was in Uttar Pradesh’s Purvanchal region to address rallies in Ghosi, Deoria and Mirzapur in support of BJP and NDA Lok Sabha poll candidates contesting in the seventh and last phase of the general elections on June 1. - PTI

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday alleged that Delhi chief minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal has turned Punjab into an “ATM of corruption” and that he has been relying on it to pay the legal fees to fight his court cases.

At a poll rally in Punjab in support of the BJP’s Ludhiana candidate Ravneet Singh Bittu, he slammed the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), saying they hug each other elsewhere but turn into enemies in Punjab.

“I want to ask the AAP and Congress that you have an alliance in Delhi, Haryana and Gujarat, then why you are playing ‘noora kushti’ (fixed match) here,” Mr. Shah said. - PTI

A voter turnout of 82.71% was recorded in the eight Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal where polling was held in the sixth phase, an election official said on Sunday.

Bishnupur recorded the highest polling percentage of 85.91 till 6 pm on Saturday, followed by Tamluk (84.79), Kanthi (84.77), Jhargram (83.47), Ghatal (82.17), Medinipur (81.56), Bankura (80.75) and Purulia (78.39), he said.

Polling began at 7 am in these constituencies and continued till 6 pm.

Altogether 1.45 crore voters, including 73.63 lakh men, 71.7 lakh women and 133 persons belonging to the third gender, were eligible to exercise their franchise at 15,600 polling stations. - PTI

Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said the Narendra Modi government’s tenure is nearing its end, boldly predicting a shift in power dynamics on June 4, when the results of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections will be declared.

Addressing a rally under Basirhat Lok Sabha constituency, within which Sandeshkhali is situated, Mr. Banerjee claimed that the BJP-led NDA will be voted out of power in the elections.

“The BJP government’s tenure is for a few days more, change will be ushered in on June 4,” Mr. Banerjee said.

Claiming that the BJP-led NDA government has “deprived and tormented” the people of the country during its rule, he said this election is to give a befitting reply to the saffron party. - PTI

Attacking the BJP-led Centre, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the country’s freedom, Constitution and democracy is in danger and called upon Punjabis to once again be at the forefront to save it.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader said the people of Punjab played a big role in the country’s freedom movement.

“So many sacrificed their lives for the sake of freedom. Today, our country’s freedom, Constitution and democracy is in danger,” Mr. Kejriwal said during a townhall programme with the traders and industrialists in Ferozepur.

Mr. Kejriwal, who is on interim bail until June 1 in the Delhi excise policy case, sought support of the people of Punjab and said that they need to come forward and be at forefront in the fight to save the Constitution, democracy and freedom in this country.

Referring to his arrest, Mr. Kejriwal said, “On March 16, the general elections were announced and they arrested me on March 21. They arrested me, my party leaders Sanjay Singh, Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain, and then Modi says in Delhi let’s fight election.” Targeting the BJP-led Centre, the AAP leader said that several opposition leaders have been jailed and “then they say, let’s fight election”. - PTI

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and ruling DMK President M.K. Stalin said his party would dedicate the INDIA bloc’s victory in the Lok Sabha polls to late party patriarch M. Karunanidhi and celebrate his centenary at the national level.

On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Karunanidhi (1924-2018) on June 3, which also marks the culmination of year-long (2023-24) centenary celebrations of the DMK icon, Mr. Stalin heaped praise on the leader for his contributions to democracy and the nation.

Whenever democracy faced crisis situations, “leaders from North India looked up to Karunanidhi” and it was his “stellar contributions” that ensured the retrieval of democracy and brought stability to the government, and “this cannot be disputed by anybody”, Mr. Stalin said. “It was Karunanidhi who championed state autonomy at the national level, batting for federalism.” - PTI

People are witnessing the emergence of a new India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and it is on the path of becoming a superpower, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on May 26.

At a poll meeting for Mirzapur Lok Sabha candidate Anupriya Patel and Robertsganj parliamentary seat nominee Rinki Kol, the BJP leader said that in the past 10 years, India has secured its borders and achieved new milestones of development.

“Welfare schemes for the poor have been implemented with the motto of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’. PM Modi treats 140 crore Indians as his family and strives to bring prosperity in every citizen’s life,” he said.

“Under PM Modi’s leadership, people are witnessing the emergence of a new India which is going to become a superpower,” Mr. Adityanath said.

About development in the area, he said medical colleges have been built in Mirzapur and Sonbhadra while a university will soon be established in the region.

“Previous governments had a narrow mindset and that is why they did not think about development. Modi has provided houses to over one lakh poor people in Mirzapur under the PM Awas Yojana. Members of the Kol, Gaud, Chero, Tharu, and Musahar communities in Mirzapur and Sonbhadra also got houses,” Mr. Adityanath said. - PTI

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday lashed out at the BJP-led Centre, asking why there is no prosperity in the lives of people if the country’s economy is growing at a rapid pace.

Addressing her first poll rally in Punjab in favour of party candidate from Fatehgarh Sahib seat Amar Singh, she also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “speaking lies and making hollow promises with the public only to capture power.” Attacking the Modi government, she said 70 crore youth are unemployed in the country and unemployment is the highest in 45 years.

She said 30 lakh posts are vacant in the government sector under the Modi regime.

“He (Modi) makes big claims that the economy is growing at a rapid pace. I want to ask if it is growing so fast then and if there is progress in the country then why there is no progress in your (people) lives. Why did your children not get employment? the Congress general secretary said.

-PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi “openly announced” during his rallies that he would topple the Himachal Pradesh government through “corruption and use of money”, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi claimed on Sunday.

He was referring to Modi’s Friday speech in Mandi during which he claimed that the state’s Congress government would not last.

Gandhi also accused Modi of increasing unemployment by helping “people like Adani”, finishing small and medium businesses, through demonetisation and implementation of the GST.

Seeking support for the Congress’ Hamirpur Lok Sabha candidate Satpal Raizada in Una, a heartland in the state for army jawans, Gandhi said the country does not want two kinds of soldiers and scrapping the Agnipath scheme will be the Congress’ first priority once it comes to power.

-PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has lost self-confidence and has been faltering in his speeches upon realising the BJP will not retain power at the Centre, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said on Sunday.

Asserting the INDIA bloc will form government, he said that after June 4, the day the votes will be counted, the Union cabinet and the media will change.

At an election rally in favour of the party’s candidate from Salempur Ram Shankar Vidyarthi, Yadav promised to do away with the Agniveer scheme if the INDIA bloc forms government.

Hitting out at PM Modi, he said, “When self-confidence is lost, speech falters. He has realised his government is going. The victory wave that started in western Uttar Pradesh has reached the seventh phase. Those who gave the ‘400-paar’ slogan are going to be defeated.” Claiming that people’s anger against the BJP was at its peak, Yadav said, “The country’s 140 crore people will make the BJP yearn for even 140 seats.” “The Modi government has waived industrialists’ loans worth more than Rs 25 lakh crore. The INDIA bloc government will waive the loans of farmers and implement MSP for them,” he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday claimed that “jihadis” across the border are supporting the Samajwadi Party and the Congress who are appealing for “vote jihad” here.

Addressing an election rally hear in support of BJP candidates in Bansgaon and Deoria Lok Sabha seats, the prime minister alleged that the INDIA bloc does not want to take the country forward, but back by several decades.

“Their agenda is not the development of India,” Modi said.

“In Pakistan, ‘duas’ (prayers) are being made for the INDI alliance of Samajwadi Party and Congress. Jihadis across the border are supporting them. The SP and Congress are making an appeal for ‘vote jihad’ here,” said the prime minister in an apparent reference to a remark by an INDIA bloc candidate.

Hitting out at the opposition, Modi claimed the “INDI jamaat” has been abusing him for his opposition to reservation on the basis of religion.

-PTI

Election authorities in Jammu and Kashmir seized about Rs 95 crore worth of cash and other freebies like liquor that were meant for influencing the minds of voters during the staggered elections to five Lok Sabha seats in the Union territory.

The polling in Jammu and Kashmir was completed on Saturday as Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency voted for their candidates.

While the voter turnout in the three constituencies of Kashmir has broken decades-old records, attempts were made by some candidates to influence the voters across the union territory using money, liquor and other freebies, officials of the election department said here.

“From the date of announcement of elections to the Lok Sabha, we have so far seized material and cash with a total value of Rs 94.797 crore,” the officials said.

Police played the most active role in checking the use of money and freebies as it accounted for Rs 90.83 crore seized during the campaign, they said.

-PTI

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said a Uniform Civil Code for the entire country will be implemented within the next five years after extensive consultations with all stakeholders if the BJP returns to power.

In a wide-ranging interview with PTI, Shah said the Modi government in its next term will also implement ‘One Nation, One Election’ as the time has come for the elections to be held simultaneously in the country.

The senior BJP leader further said the simultaneous elections will also bring down costs.

Asked about the possibility of moving elections to winter or some other time of the year as against the current one being held in scorching heat, Shah said, “We can think over it. If we prepone one election, it can be done. It should be done. This is also the time of students’ vacation. It creates lots of problems too. Over time, the election (Lok Sabha) gradually moved to this period (during summer).” Talking about the Uniform Civil Code, Shah said, “The UCC is a responsibility left to us, our Parliament and the state legislatures of our country since independence by the makers of our Constitution.” “The guiding principles decided for us by the Constituent Assembly include the Uniform Civil Code. And even at that time, legal scholars like K M Munshi, Rajendra Babu, Ambedkar Ji had said that there should not be laws based on religion in a secular country. There should be a Uniform Civil Code,” he said.

-PTI

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday asserted that the ongoing Lok Sabha polls were a choice between Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who celebrated Diwali among Armymen, and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who “rushes abroad for vacations whenever the weather becomes uncomfortable”.

Addressing a rally in Karakat Lok Sabha constituency of Bihar, Shah also dubbed the INDIA bloc as the one comprising “scamsters guilty of financial wrongdoings worth Rs 12 lakh crore” which was taking on Modi, “with an unblemished record during the 23 years he was CM (of Gujarat) and the PM”.

He also said that unlike Gandhi, who was “born with a silver spoon”, Modi has worked hard to reach the top, coming from an “ati pichhda (extremely backward class) family” and selling tea at one point of time to make ends meet.

-PTI

The Congress party is used to political obituaries being written about it after every electoral setback since 2014 but the loss in the Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan last December made even its most optimistic supporter despondent. 

The party had lost the Hindi heartland States in a round of Assembly polls, which were described as the semi-finals ahead of the big final of the 2024 polls.The victory in Telangana was a mere consolation. 

Since last December, most political analysts were quick to conclude that the Lok Sabha elections would be a mere formality and a third term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi was inevitable. 

“Unlike many political commentators, I cannot predict the future. What I am confident of is that this is a much closer election than what is being propagated by the media. We are going to fight an excellent election and we are going to win the election,” former party chief Rahul Gandhi said at the launch of his party’s manifesto on April 5. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday targeted the Samajwadi Party, saying it defamed Mirzapur and turned the entire Uttar Pradesh and Purvanchal into “safe hideout” for the mafia.

He also branded the opposition INDIA bloc as communal and casteist, and claimed they have decided to change the Constitution to give reservation to Muslims.

Training his guns at the SP, he said people associated with it have animosity with law and order.

“People associated with SP have ‘36 ka ankara’ (animosity) with law and order. The SP people used to release captured terrorists and SP government used to suspend police officials for catching terrorist,” Modi claimed while addressing a poll meeting here in support of NDA alliance partner Apna Dal’s candidate from Mirzapur Lok Sabha seat Anupriya Patel and Robertsganj Lok Sabha seat Rinki Kol.

Accusing the SP of defaming Mirzapur and “turning entire UP and Purvanchal into a safe hideout for mafia,” he said in the SP government people used to shake with fear but in the BJP government mafia shakes with fear “In the SP government, be it life or land no one knew when it would be snatched. In SP government mafia was seen as a vote bank. But now Yogi Adityanath and his government is taking forward my cleanliness drive here. In the SP government people used to shake with fear but in the BJP government mafia shake with fear,” Modi said.

-PTI

Saran’s Superintendent of Police Gaurav Mangla was transferred on Sunday by the Bihar government, following the post-poll violence in the district that left a person dead.

According to a notification issued by the state Home department, Mangala was transferred to the police headquarters in Patna with immediate effect.

“Following the decision of the Election Commission of India, Kumar Ashish (SP-Rail), Muzaffarpur, will take the charge of SP, Saran with immediate effect,” it said.

One person was killed and two others were injured in post-poll violence in the district’s Bada Telpa area near Bhikhari Thakur Chowk on Tuesday.

RJD supremo Lalu Prasad’s daughter Rohini Acharya was the Mahagathbandhan candidate in Saran against BJP MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy.

-PTI

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a plea filed by the BJP challenging a Calcutta High Court order that had refused to interfere with a single-judge verdict restraining the party from issuing advertisements that are allegedly “violative” of the Model Code of Conduct during the Lok Sabha polls.

According to the cause list of May 27 uploaded on the apex court website, a vacation bench of Justices J K Maheshwari and K V Viswanathan is scheduled to hear the plea.

On May 22, a division bench of the high court had said it was not inclined to entertain the appeal against the interim order passed by the single-judge bench.

The single-judge bench on May 20 had restrained the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from publishing advertisements that violated the MCC until June 4, the day the Lok Sabha poll results are scheduled to be declared.

-PTI

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister Amit Shah and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis worked for Nitin Gadkari’s defeat in the Lok Sabha elections.

Raut alleged that Fadnavis had unwillingly campaigned for Gadkari, who contested from the Nagpur Lok Sabha seat, when he realised the Union minister couldn’t be defeated.

Nagpur is the hometown of both BJP leaders.

“Modi, Shah and Fadnavis worked for Gadkari’s defeat in Nagpur. Fadnavis unwillingly joined the campaign for Gadkari when he realised he couldn’t be defeated. The RSS people in Nagpur are openly saying Fadnavis helped the opposition to get Gadkari defeated,” he wrote in an article in his party’s mouthpiece “Saamna”.

The Sena (UBT) leader alleged that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had distributed Rs 25-30 crore in every constituency, and his machinery worked to defeat candidates of the NCP led by Ajit Pawar.

-PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi waived loans worth Rs 16 lakh-crore of 22 people in the last 10 years but could not give Rs 9,000 crore to deal with the disaster caused by monsoon rains in Himachal Pradesh last year, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Saturday.

Rather than helping the hilly state, Modi made an attempt to “steal” the state’s elected government, Gandhi said.

His statement came days after PM Modi alleged wrongful distribution of Central flood aids by the Congress government in the state and promised action.

Addressing an election rally at Nahan in Himachal Pradesh’s Sirmaur district in support of Congress candidate from Shimla (SC) Parliamentary constituency Vinod Sultanpuri, he said Modi handed over all storage facilities to one person to control the prices of apple.

The share prices of Adani-owned companies rise whenever Narendra Modi is sworn in, Gandhi claimed.

-PTI

A BJP candidate was arrested in Odisha’s Khurda district for allegedly vandalising an EVM as he had to wait in queue for a long to cast his vote because the machine malfunctioned, officials said on Sunday.

Prashant Jagdev, the BJP MLA of Chilika, has been fielded this time from the Khurda assembly segment. The incident happened on Saturday at booth 114 in Bolagad block’s Kaunripatna in the Begunia assembly segment where he is registered as a voter.

Jagdev went to the booth along with his wife, but as the EVM malfunctioned, he had to wait for some time to cast his vote. Soon, a war of words broke out between him and the presiding officer, amid which he allegedly pulled the EVM from the table, as a result of which it fell and broke, officials said.

Superintendent of Police Avinash Kumar said the MLA was arrested on the basis of a complaint lodged by the presiding officer.

-PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday branded the opposition INDIA bloc as communal and casteist, and claimed they have decided to change the Constitution to give reservation to Muslims.

While the SP-Congress is dedicated to vote bank, Modi is dedicated to rights of backwards and the poor, he said addressing a poll meeting here in support of NDA alliance partner Apna Dal’s candidate from Mirzapur Lok Sabha seat Anupriya Patel and Robertsganj Lok Sabha seat Rinki Kol.

“People of the country have identified the people of ‘INDI alliance’. These people are staunch communal, casteist and dynast (parivar wadi). Whenever their government is formed they take decision on this basis,” he said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said that the Modi government’s Kashmir policy has been vindicated by the successful polling in Jammu and Kashmir, where even separatists have voted “overwhelmingly”, as he assured that the assembly elections in the region will be held before September 30.

Once the elections are over, the government will start the process of restoring statehood to the Union Territory, Shah said in an interview to PTI late Saturday.

“I have said in Parliament that we will give the statehood after the assembly elections,” he said, adding that everything is going according to plan, such as the surveys of the backward classes and delimitation exercise of the Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies.

“We have completed the delimitation process. Because the reservation can be given only after the delimitation process is completed. Because we have to know about the status of various castes (to give reservation). That has been done. Lok Sabha election is also over (in Jammu and Kashmir). Next is the assembly election which will also be held. We will complete the process before the Supreme Court deadline,” he said.

-PTI

With Himachal Pradesh gearing up for the 2024 Parliamentary election, the stakes for Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), which swept all four Lok Sabha seats in the State twice – in 2014 and 2019 - are even bigger as the task appears daunting amidst simultaneous byelections for six Assembly seats in the hill State.

The elections are poised to be a direct fight between the BJP and the Congress party, which is in power in Himachal Pradesh. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) party has fielded its candidates for all four seats as well.

The Congress-ruled state of Himachal Pradesh saw political turbulence, a few months ago with six of its MLAs turning rebels. With all of them now contesting as candidates of the BJP for the byelections on six Assembly seats, the BJP has a challenge at its hands to accomplish an ambitious feat. These byelections were necessitated following the disqualification of the Congress MLAs from the State Legislative Assembly for defying a party whip in February this year.

Three-time MP and Akali leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal speaks about bringing AIIMS, a central university, and other projects as some of her achievements as she braces for a multi-cornered electoral bout to get elected from the Bathinda parliamentary constituency for the fourth time in a row.

The Bathinda parliamentary constituency, which goes to polls on June 1, is considered a stronghold of the Shiromani Akali Dal with its candidate Ms. Harsimrat, the wife of party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, winning this seat since 2009. - PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address election meetings in Mirzapur, Ghosi and Bansgaon in Uttar Pradesh on May 26. Home Minister Amit Shah is set to address three rallies – two in Bihar and one in Punjab. BJP chief J. P. Nadda is scheduled to address three rallies in Jehanabad, Bhojpur and Nalanda in Bihar.

Mamata Banerjee on May 25 accused the BJP of unleashing a reign of terror in Purba Medinipur district, the stronghold of her principal adversary Suvendu Adhikari, and killing a TMC worker.

“Even yesterday, they (BJP) killed an active member of our party at Mahisadal in Purba Medinipur district. Sensing defeat in the polls, they are resorting to killing and attacking people and TMC workers. But we will resist their bid,” Ms. Banerjee said.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi charged Prime Minister Narendra Modi with heaping “insults” on Muslims by claiming that “mangalsutras” of women and quotas for deprived castes will be taken away by the INDIA bloc and given to the community.

Addressing an election rally in the Karakat Lok Sabha constituency of Bihar, Mr. Owaisi, whose party is not a part of the Opposition coalition, vowed to ensure that Modi did not get a third consecutive term in office, which would lead to “scaremongering in the name of Hindus and Muslims, temples and mosques”. - PTI