Lok Sabha elections 2024 updates | Highlights on May 09, 2024

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that several infrastructure projects such as ports, airports and defence contracts were “given to Adani” during the past 10 years.

The Wayanad MP made the allegation at a poll rally in Telangana, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked why Rahul Gandhi was allegedly not taking the names of ‘Adani-Ambani’ in his speeches after the polls were announced.

Hitting out at Mr. Modi, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the prime minister worked for only 20-22 people in the whole of the country and made them billionaires.

Alleging that PM Modi privatised several government firms in order to abolish reservation, the Congress leader said, “BJP wants to abolish reservations while Congress wants to increase them beyond 50%.” He said if Congress is voted to power, a caste census will be taken up across the country.

Pointing to some BJP leaders’ remarks that the saffron party wants to change the Constitution, he said no force can do it. - PTI

BJP president J.P. Nadda slammed the Congress over Sam Pitroda’s “racist” remarks and said that an advisor of Rahul Gandhi talked about dividing India on the basis of colour of skin. 

Addressing a poll rally in Chitrakoot, Mr. Nadda also claimed that the Congress wants to usurp the rights of Dalits, tribals, and backwards by giving reservations on the basis of religion. 

“A general and advisor of Rahul Gandhi has talked about dividing India on the basis of colour of skin. Such people are playing with the culture of India,” he said. - PTI

Accusing the BJP of orchestrating a conspiracy to tarnish the image of West Bengal and its people, TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee denounced the saffron party for allegedly humiliating the state’s 10 crore residents. 

In a virtual address supporting TMC candidate Satabdi Roy in Birbhum Lok Sabha seat, Mr. Banerjee, without mentioning the Sandeshkhali video clip, asserted that the events of the past week had unveiled the true intentions of those conspiring to bring shame and dishonour to the state and its people. 

Mr. Banerjee criticised BJP’s actions, highlighting how they propagated a false narrative about Sandeshkhali for three months, allegedly offered money to villagers to make false accusations against TMC leaders and humiliated the people of the state. He emphasised that the people of Bengal would retaliate through the ballot. - PTI

The Election Commission (EC) has ordered fresh voting on May 11 at Parthampur polling station at Santrampur taluka in Mahisagar district under the Dahod Lok Sabha seat in Gujarat from where a man live-streamed voting on May 7, the video of which went viral, an official said Thursday.

Four election officials, including a presiding officer, an assistant presiding officer and two polling officers as well a police constable were suspended in connection with the incident, the office of the Gujarat Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said in a release. - PTI

The Bharatiya Janata Party has turned insecure amid the Lok Sabha polls and was discussing issues that are not even mentioned in the Congress’ manifesto, former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan said. 

Mr. Chavan was in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar to campaign for Chandrakant Khaire, Lok Sabha candidate of the Shiv Sena (UBT), which is an ally of the Congress and the NCP(SP) in the Maha Vikas Aghadi. 

“The BJP raises the slogan of ‘abki baar 400 paar’ but is insecure. That is why it is discussing issues (to attack the Congress) that are not even mentioned in our manifesto. We have said we will give ₹1 lakh to poor women annually. Now this is something the BJP will not discuss,” he said. - PTI

As many as 52,100 Kashmiri migrant voters across the country are eligible to exercise their franchise in the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar constituency on May 13.

The constituency is gearing up for an intense electoral showdown. As many as 17.4 lakh voters, including 8.7 lakh women, will decide the fate of 24 candidates in the fray.

Over 1.13 lakh Kashmiri migrants are registered to cast their votes for the Lok Sabha elections for three seats in the Valley, officials said.

- PTI

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accused the ruling BJP of spreading false propaganda about the Congress manifesto and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is ignoring the dignity of his post.

Addressing the ‘Nyaya Sankalp Sabha’ organised in Kalasaha of Rae Bareli parliamentary constituency in support of her brother and Congress candidate Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi accused the BJP leaders of saying whatever comes to their mind so that the public’s attention gets diverted from the real issues.

“Whenever there is a discussion on the TV during the elections, it is always based on religion in order to raise an irrelevant issue. Someday you will say the Congress party is going to steal your buffalo. Sometimes you will say the Congress party will enter your house with an X-ray machine and take away your jewellery.

- PTI

TDP supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu referred to Congress leader Sam Pitroda’s recent remarks and said reducing people’s identities to their appearances is “shameful, regressive and racist.” The Andhra Pradesh opposition leader said there is no place for such “divisive” and “racist” comments in a civilised society.

“It is shameful, regressive and racist to reduce people’s identities to their appearances. There is no place for such divisive and racist comments in a civilized society,” said Naidu in a post on X.

According to the former CM and NDA alliance partner in the southern state, people with political influence must uphold India’s spirit of unity in diversity.

- PTI

Five Left Front candidates, including four of the CPI (M), and TMC nominee Mala Roy on Thursday submitted their nomination papers here for the Lok Sabha elections.

CPI (M) and Trinamool Congress supporters engaged in heated arguments with one another when their processions came face-to-face before filing of nominations by candidates at the South 24 Parganas district collector’s office at Alipore.

Nominations were filed by CPI (M)‘s Saira Shah Halim for Kolkata Dakshin seat, Srijan Bhattacharya for Jadavpur, Pratikur Rahaman for Diamond Harbour, Sarat Chandra Halder for Mathurapur and RSP candidate Samarendranath Mondal for Jaynagar constituency.

- PTI

Repolling at four booths in Madhya Pradesh’s Betul Lok Sabha seat will be held on Friday, an official said.

The Election Commission on Wednesday ordered re-election at the four booths after a few electronic voting machines (EVMs) were damaged when a bus ferrying them and polling personnel post-voting on caught fire on Tuesday night near Sonora Gaula village in Betul, the official said.

Repolling would be held from 7 am to 6 pm on Friday at the Government Integrated High School, Rajapur, Government Integrated High School, Raiyat, Government Primary School Kunda, Raiyat, and Government Integrated High School, Chikhlimal, the official said.

- PTI

Battling the exit of some key leaders in poll season, the Congress in Madhya Pradesh is facing a formidable challenge of penetrating the Dhar Lok Sabha seat - a BJP stronghold - where tribals and farmers play a decisive role in determining the outcome of elections.

Reserved for tribal candidates and having around 19.5 lakh eligible voters, the Dhar seat has been held by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the last 10 years. It will go to polls in the fourth phase of the seven-phase election on May 13.

The BJP has fielded former MP Savitri Thakur (45) from Dhar, denying renomination to sitting MP Chhatar Singh Darbar, while the Congress has nominated Radheshyam Muvel (47), a supporter of the leader of opposition in the state assembly Umang Singhar.

- PTI

The Trinamool Congress accused the BJP of spreading falsehood about the incidents of Sandeskhali, after purported videos claimed that a local saffron party leader made several women sign blank papers which were later filled up as complaints of sexual assault against TMC leaders.

The videos surfaced days after another clipping became viral, which showed a local functionary of the party claiming that the leader of the opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari was behind the episode.

- PTI

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman alleged that Jharkhand was bearing the brunt of rampant corruption, migration and lawlessness, and a change in governance was the need of the hour in the state.

Sitharaman, speaking at an event here, also said that allegations of step-motherly treatment towards Jharkhand were baseless.

“This land of (tribal icon) Birsa Munda with bounties of nature, has now become a victim of monumental corruption... It is also bearing the brunt of migration and lawlessness. And, there is no conducive environment for industries here,” she said.

- PTI

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath strongly criticised Congress leader Sam Pitroda’s “racist” remarks terming them “reprehensible” and demanding an apology from the party.

Highlighting Congress’ ongoing efforts to sow division based on colour and ethnicity, the chief minister alleged that the Congress was responsible for the partition of the country in 1947. Even after Independence, the party committed the sin of dividing the country along caste, regional and linguistic lines, he said.

“Sam Pitroda, the advisor and guide of the Congress leadership, espouses the party’s historical divide-and-rule tactic. His remarks are reprehensible,” the chief minister said.

- PTI

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra termed as an “absolute lie” Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks that her party will put a “Babri lock” on the Ram temple in Ayodhya if it is voted to power, saying court judgements will be honoured. 

Prime Minister Modi had recently stated at a rally in Madhya Pradesh that he wants the BJP-led NDA to win 400 seats in the Lok Sabha polls to ensure the Congress does not bring back Article 370 in Kashmir and put a “Babri lock” on the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

“This is an absolute lie (‘yeh ekdum jhooth hai’). The Congress party had said a number of times that it will honour the judgement of the court. We have done this (in the past), and will do so in the future,” she told reporters.

- PTI

A senior police officer’s order seeking the rescheduling of political activities in north Kashmir’s Sopore has sparked a controversy with the National Conference accusing the UT administration of bias and obstructing a fair electoral process.

Sopore falls within the Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency that will go to polls on May 20 in the fifth phase of the seven phase parliamentary polls. NC leader and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is contesting the seat.

On May 8, the office of Senior Superintendent of Police in Sopore, Divya D, issued an official directive to the additional district magistrate, outlining the rescheduling of various political activities in the area.

- PTI

Congress’ Amethi candidate Kishori Lal Sharma said the BJP’s claim that his party had accepted defeat in this constituency smacks of “arrogance” and asserted that his win in the Lok Sabha polls would be a victory of the Gandhi family.

Mr. Sharma cited the past instance of Congress leader Satish Sharma, who contested from Amethi in the 1990s, making way for Sonia Gandhi to contest from the constituency, and said he would do the same in favour of a Gandhi family member if such a situation arises in the future.

- PTI

Himachal Pradesh Public works minister and Congress candidate Vikramaditya Singh on Thursday filed his nomination papers from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat.

He was accompanied by his mother and the state Congress chief Pratibha Singh, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Congress Working Committee member and in-charge Himachal, Rajiv Shukla.

Mandi would be made a smart city and Jalori Jot tunnel would be constructed on the line of the Rohtang tunnel. The remote Pangi area of Chamba would be would also be connected through the tunnel, Mr. Singh told PTI.

Invoking a provocative statement by All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Akbaruddin Owaisi from 2013, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Navneet Rana issued a veiled warning to the Owaisi brothers in their stronghold Hyderabad on May 8.

To the AIMIM leader’s statement that they would take them all of ‘15 minutes’ to balance out the “Hindu-Muslim ratio” in the country, Ms. Rana, who seeking a fresh term in the Lok Sabha from Amravati, albeit on a BJP ticket this time; hit back at the Owaisi brothers, saying “it would take us 15 seconds if the police were removed or made to stand down”.

- ANI

AAP MLA in Goa, Venzy Viegas, on Thursday expressed confidence that the INDIA bloc would win the South Goa Lok Sabha constituency comfortably, and said had he got the opportunity to contest this seat, his party’s election management and campaign would have been better.

He also said that ahead of the polls, the opposition alliance had urged people to channelise their anger into voting wisely.

Polling for two parliamentary seats in Goa - North Goa and South Goa - was held on May 7.

- PTI

Congress, BRS, AIMIM don’t allow celebration of Hyderabad Liberation Day; want to run state on Sharia and Quran, BJP leader Amit Shah alleged at a rally in Telangana.

They are a ‘triangle of appeasement’ who they don’t allow Ram Navami procession, Mr. Shah said.

This election is a choice between Modi’s ‘Bharatiya guarantee’ and Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Chinese guarantee’, he further added, urging voters to vote for the BJP.

- PTI

In light of the three Independent MLAs withdrawing support to the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Haryana earlier this week, the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala on Thursday wrote to the Governor saying that his party did not support the BJP government and was open to back any other political party in the State for government formation.

Mr. Chautala, the senior national vice-president of the JJP, also sought directions to the BJP government to prove its majority on the floor of the House.

Taking strong exceptions to the remarks of former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on the recent terrorist attack in Poonch, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday accused the Congress of politicising armed forces.

Addressing public rally in Bhawanipatna, district headquarter town of in Odisha’s Kalahandi district, Mr. Singh said, “Congress has always resorted to politics of negativity. Recently, a group of terrorists attacked our armed forces in Kashmir. Mr. Channi termed it as election stunt. Does it mean we orchestrated terrorist attack on our army?” 

“What do these people want to do with national security and country’s swabhiman [pride]? The terrorist attacks were carried out in almost all State of the country. After our government came, the terrorism nearly ended,” he said.

“Now, there are stray incidents of incidents of terrorism. The attack in Kashmir was one of those terror incidents. One Indian Air Force personnel was killed. But, displaying courage and valour, our jawans neutralised two terrorists immediately,” Mr. Singh said.

Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being racist by bringing in skin colour in the poll debate, and said the opposition’s support to Yashwant Sinha in the presidential election was not based on the colour of skin. 

In a post on X, he said in the last election to the office of President of India, there were two candidates - Droupadi Murmu and Sinha. 

“Support for a candidate was not based on the colour of the skin. Opposition to a candidate was also not based on the colour of the skin. Support or opposition was a political decision, and every elector abided by the decision of his or her party,” the former Union Minister said.

Sambalpur in western Odisha is set for a high-octane electoral battle between BJP leader and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) organising secretary Pranab Prakash Das.

The seat falls in the BJP stronghold of western Odisha where the party has a wide acceptance that is largely attributed to the presence of organisations affiliated to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. In 2019, BJP candidate Nitesh Gang Deb won the seat by a margin of less than 10,000 votes. The BJD has a robust cadre-based structure that can spoil anyone’s party. Once a formidable force, the Congress now finds itself relegated to the third place.

Having assessed his chances of victory across various constituencies for the past two years, Mr. Pradhan, previously a BJP strategist who has worked in elections in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh, has chosen Sambalpur. His candidature assumes significance as he has returned to direct elections after 15 years during which he was elected to the Rajya Sabha from other States. With the BJP emphasising on its senior leaders getting elected by people this time, Mr. Pradhan chose his home State.

Delhi University (DU) on Wednesday went ahead with the ‘Viksit Bharat Run’ event even as it was accused of mobilising the youth to vote for the BJP in the Lok Sabha election.

A day before the event, DU authorities asked officials and principals of affiliated colleges not to distribute orange caps among participants, as planned earlier. The colour is similar to that usually associated with the BJP.

The Bahujan Samaj Party on Thursday announced two more candidates from Uttar Pradesh for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

This is the 14th list of candidates declared by the BSP.

In a statement here, the party said Shubh Narayan Chauhan was its candidate from the Kushinagar Lok Sabha seat and Sandesh Yadav has been fielded from the Deoria Lok Sabha seat.

Kushinagar and Deoria will go to polls in the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha elections on June 1. 

PTI

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati took issue with the Samajwadi Party (SP) on Wednesday for commenting on the removal of party leader Akash Anand from a key BSP post. She said the “Anti-Dalit” SP would be well advised to avoid comment on the BSP’s internal matters. The BSP president advised Akhilesh Yadav to focus on his family members and candidates belonging to the Yadav community.

“It would be better if the extremely ‘anti-Dalit’ SP does not comment or worry about the BSP organisation. Instead, the SP leadership should worry about their own family and candidates from the Yadav community because their condition is very bad,” wrote Ms. Mayawati, on X (formerly Twitter).

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Sharad Pawar’s ‘regional parties merge with Congress’ remark meets with approval from Maharashtra Congress

Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP) faction may merge with Congress, sparking speculation of regional parties aligning with Congress.

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CPI(ML) eyes return to Parliament from Bihar after three-decade gap 

CPI (ML) aims to re-enter Parliament from Bihar after 30 years, contesting three Lok Sabha seats in upcoming elections.

BJP leader and Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday hit out at leaders doing caste politics.

Mr. Gadkari said, no individual is superior by virtue of caste. “Poverty, starvation and employment are for everyone. Petrol is purchased by Hindus and Muslims at the same price. Gas cylinders are offered at the same price to people from backward and forward castes. Jo karega jaat ki baat, usko padegi kas ke laath (whoever talks about caste, they will be kicked out),” he said.

The BJP leader said the ideology of Communist parties is no more relevant. “ Aaj CPI aur CPM ka band-baja baj gaya hai (the parties are out of power). These parties are finished in the country and in the world. If you visit Budapest in Hungary, there is a famous park where 25 to 30 statues are kept in one corner, including the statue of Lenin and Marx. Forget worshipping them, people don’t even like them anymore,” Mr. Gadkari said.

Mr. Gadkari was campaigning in Matihani for Giriraj Singh, the BJP candidate who is locked in a direct contest against the CPI’s Awadhes Kumar Rai for the Begusarai seat.

The BJP leader accused the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress of not doing any work when they were in power. He said the roads in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh were not motorable and there were no roads to go to villages. Mr. Gadkari said that out of 6.5 lakh villages in the country, 4.5 lakh villages have been connected by roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.

“I am happy to say that the work which Lalu ji and Congress could not do for 60 years, we competed in 10 years. If poverty, starvation and unemployment need to be eradicated we need good roads, water, electricity and resources for telecommunication,” Mr. Gadkari said.

Congress leader​ Rahul Gandhi ​on May 8 dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to get an inquiry done by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) after Mr. Modi had accused the Congress of having a nexus with “Ambani and Adani”.

​Mr. Modi, addressing an election rally in Telangana​, asked if the Congress had received “tempo loads of black money” from the two businessmen since Mr. Gandhi stopped “abusing” them and had gone silent. 

Hitting back at Mr. Modi, Mr. Gandhi released a video in which he asked if receiving money in tempos was “a personal experience” and asserted that the Prime Minister got “a little scared”.

​Read more here.​

After three phases of voting in West Bengal, the stage is set for polling in south Bengal where 32 out of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in the State will go to polls in the remaining four phases. Halfway through, the 2024 Lok Sabha election in West Bengal has not seen a single issue or thread dominating the election campaign.

The 2021 Assembly election was fought on the BJP’s promise of ‘Sonar Bangla’ (Golden Bengal) that the Trinamool Congress successfully countered with Bengali identity and sub-nationalism. In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, when the BJP was on an upsurge in the State, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s campaign struck a chord with the voters and the BJP won 18 seats.

The ongoing election is very different from the earlier two polls with no central issue dominating the political discourse. This year, the Trinamool’s campaign of ‘ Bangla Birodhider Bishorjon’ (immersion of those opposed to Bengal) has not generated much enthusiasm. The Trinamool has tried to mock the Bengali pronunciation of Hindi-speaking BJP leaders, such as Amit Shah and Yogi Adityanath, to keep the ‘outsiders versus Bengal’ divide alive, but such campaigns have also fizzled out.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Trinamool general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, who are addressing a couple of meetings every day, have been talking about the denial of funds from the Centre, termination of jobs by the Calcutta High Court, opposition to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the welfare schemes of the Trinamool government.