Lok Sabha polls 2024 updates: PM Modi holds roadshow in Kanpur

An election candidate was arrested on Saturday after he filed his nomination for the Ranchi Lok Sabha constituency at the collectorate here, police said.

Devendra Nath Mahato of the Jharkhand Bhasa Khatiyani Sangharsh Samiti (JBKSS) was arrested in a case lodged in 2021 during an agitation against the government, they said.

Mahato alleged that the Congress, JMM and BJP “misused” their powers to put him behind bars.

- PTI

Congress candidate from Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha constituency Jai Prakash Agarwal on Saturday filed his nomination for the seat.

Jai Prakash Agarwal, along with a large number of Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers and leaders, went in a procession to the DM office at Alipur to file his nomination papers, during which Delhi Congress’ interim chief Devender Yadav was also present.

Other prominent Congress leaders present included Subhash Chopra and Anil Bhardwaj. From AAP, Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel and Cabinet Minister Imran Hussain accompanied Agarwal for his nomination.

- PTI

National spokesperson of BJP ally Rashtriya Lok Dal Rohit Jakhar has resigned from the party in protest against the BJP giving a ticket to the son of incumbent MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is facing criminal charges of sexually harassing women wrestlers.

“Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh is an accused in the sexual harassment case of women wrestlers. Giving tickets to his son is an insult to the women wrestlers. For me the honour of the country comes first,” Mr. Jakhar told PTI.

“I sent my resignation from the post of the national spokesperson and the primary membership of the Rashtriya Lok Dal to party president Jayant Choudhary on Friday,” the Jat leader added.

- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a roadshow here in Uttar Pradesh to campaign for the BJP’s Kanpur and Akbarpur Lok Sabha seat candidates.

A large crowd cheered for the prime minister as he waved to them from his car. Modi visited the Gumati Gurdwara before starting his roadshow.

He was accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Kanpur candidate Ramesh Awasthi and Akbarpur candidate Devendra Singh.

- PTI

In a unique initiative, the Election Commission of India (ECI) will deploy National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets on poll duties on June 1 for the last phase of Lok Sabha elections and assembly by-polls, Chief Electoral Officer of Himachal Pradesh Maneesh Garg said on Saturday.

Chairing a state-level meeting with the officers from the police and National Cadet Corps (NCC) here, he said that this step will go a long way in educating and inspiring the youth while engaging them in the biggest festival of democracy.

Three cadets, per polling booth will be deployed based on availability and deployment will be voluntarily in such a manner that their station remains within their respective beat or district, Garg said.

- PTI

Aam Aadmi Party issued a list of 40 star campaigners for Lok Sabha polls in Delhi and Haryana, featuring party convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who is in judicial custody and his wife Sunita Kejriwal.

AAP’s star campaigners’ list also included the names of jailed AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain, as well as Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

Sunita Kejriwal has already taken reins of party’s campaigning for the polls, attending roadshows in support of party’s Lok Sabha candidates in Delhi and Gujarat.

- PTI

Union Minister and BJP leader Anurag Thakur would file his nomination from Hamirpur constituency on May 13 for the last phase of Lok Sabha elections, BJP state Chief Rajiv Bindal on Saturday. Addressing the media in Shimla, Bindal said that actor Kangana Ranaut would file her nomination on May 14 from the Mandi Lok Sabha constituency and former BJP state president Suresh Kashyap would submit his papers from Shimla constituency on May 13. The BJP Lok Sabha candidate from the Kangra seat Rajeev Bhardwaj would file his nomination on May 10.

BJP candidate Sudhir Sharma, who was disqualified from Congress for defying the party whip, will also be filing his nomination from Dharamshala on May 14 for the by-elections while Ravi Thakur will submit his papers from Lahaul and Spiti assembly seat on May 9.

- PTI

The Congress’s Lok Sabha poll candidate from Kangra Anand Sharma highlighted his 52-year career in public service and asserted his deep-rooted connection with Himachal Pradesh, besides talking about his efforts for the development of Kangra and Chamba districts.

Hitting out at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre, the former Union minister alleged that it has “cheated” the country’s youngsters for the last 10 years.

“Throughout my tenure in various (Union) ministries, I have focused on the development of Himachal Pradesh, particularly Kangra and Chamba. My consistent participation in major party rallies here and my work with the Youth Congress across all blocks of Kangra and Chamba exemplify my dedication.” Highlighting his Himachali origin and education in Shimla, the 71-year-old Congress leader said while Delhi was his “karmabhoomi” during his ministerial years, Himachal Pradesh has always remained so ever since he entered politics.

- PTI

AAP candidates from East Delhi, New Delhi and West Delhi Lok Sabha seats filed their nomination papers amid fanfare and in the presence of senior party leaders on Saturday.

All the three candidates - Kuldeep Kumar (East Delhi), Somnath Bharti (New Delhi) and Mahabal Mishra (West Delhi) - took out roadshows along with senior AAP leaders and volunteers of the party before filing nominations.

The AAP is contesting four of the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi in alliance with the Congress. Party candidate from South Delhi Sahi Ram Pehalwan has already filed his nomination.

- PTI

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a ‘ shahanshaah’ (king of king) who lives in a palace but is cut off from the public, responding to the PM’s ‘ shehzada’ jibe for her brother Rahul Gandhi.

Addressing a public rally at Lakhani in Gujarat’s Banaskantha Lok Sabha constituency to canvass for her party candidate Geniben Thakor, she also accused Mr. Modi of using the people of Gujarat for power and then forgetting them.

The BJP has big ambitions in West Bengal. The party hopes to perform better in the districts of the State, where it had won seven out of eight seats in 2019, while the Trinamool’s focus is more in the southern districts with a high proportion of Muslim voters. Click here to read the editorial

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, fighting the second seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from another perceived stronghold of the party in Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh, may have brought himself to challenge the BJP in the Hindi heartland, but a win from both seats, including Wayanad, where he is seeking re-election, may put the Congress party in a predicament in Kerala. 

If Mr. Gandhi relinquishes the Wayanad seat, many Congress leaders believe that it will impact the Congress party’s prospects in the Kerala Assembly elections in 2026.

Despite the Congress’s historical success in Rae Bareli, it cannot be considered a secure seat for Mr. Gandhi, as none of the five Assembly seats in the Lok Sabha constituency is held by the party.

Rahul Gandhi’s political chess, juggling between Wayanad and Rae Bareli, leaves Congress in a quandary in Kerala

Rahul Gandhi's dual-seat strategy of Wayanad and Rae Bareli in 2024 Lok Sabha elections may impact Congress's prospects in Kerala.

Congress leader Arvinder Singh Lovely has joined the BJP. He resigned as the Delhi Congress president on April 28 saying that he had found himself “handicapped and unable to continue” as all unanimous decisions taken by the Delhi Congress have been unilaterally vetoed by the AICC general secretary (Delhi In-charge) Deepak Babaria. At that time, Mr. Lovely made it clear that he was only resigning from his post and not quitting the party. 

In his letter to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Mr. Lovely highlighted a string of issues the local unit was up against in the run-up to the Lok Sabha election, including the alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), selection of “outsiders” as candidates and Mr. Babaria not allowing him to function.

Of the 37 candidates in the fray for the four Lok Sabha seats in Odisha going to the polls in Phase 3, 17 are crorepatis, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) said in a report. This means that 46% of the candidates have declared their assets worth more than ₹1 crore.

Nabarangpur, Berhampur, Koraput and Kalahandi Lok Sabha constituencies are going to polls on May 13.

It noted that the BJP and BJD candidates for the four Lok Sabha seats are crorepatis. Three Congress nominees, four independent candidates, one from Bharatiya Bikash Parishad and another from Naba Bharata Nirmana Seva Party have also announced their properties worth over Rs 1 crore, according to the ADR report. Read the report here.

The INDIA bloc found itself in disarray in the Ladakh Lok Sabha seat. The Congress approved the name of Tsering Namgyal, a Buddhist from Leh, as the party candidate, but, the National Conference and the Congress units of Kargil are supporting Haji Hanifa Jan, a Shia Muslim, as an Independent candidate.

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INDIA bloc in disarray in Ladakh over candidature, BJP close ranks ahead of polls

Disarray in Ladakh Lok Sabha seat as INDIA bloc struggles to agree on candidate impacting Kargil Democratic Alliance

Representatives of election management bodies from 23 countries, including Australia, Russia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, are in New Delhi to observe the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. 

Seventy-five delegates will visit Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh to observe the polls. They will witness the elections and preparations related to it in various constituencies. 

This visit of the foreign delegates as a first in terms of scale and magnitude of participation, the Election Commission of India has said. The programme seeks to familiarise them with the nuances of India’s electoral system as well as the best practices being used. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and election commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu will address the delegates on May 5. - PTI

In West Bengal, candidates across party lines are taking on a formidable foe - the heat. The State is seeing record-breaking temperatures. On April 30, Kolkata sizzled at 43 degrees Celsius, the highest temperature recorded in the city in 50 years. At Paschim Medinipur’s Kalaikunda, the mercury touched an unbearable 47.2 degrees Celsius on that day. Read the report here.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah took a dig at Rahul Gandhi for contesting from the Wayanad and Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seats, claiming that the Congress leader will lose from Rae Bareli by a huge margin. 

Addressing a gathering at Bodeli town in Gujarat’s Chhotaudepur district, he said, “The Congress is fighting elections under their leader Rahul Gandhi. When he lost elections from Amethi, he went to Wayanad. As he has realised that he will lose from Wayanad this time, he is also contesting from Rae Bareli instead of Amethi.”

“Rahul Baba, take my advice. The problem is with you, not with the seats. You will lose from Rae Bareli also, by a huge margin. Even if you run away, people will find you,” he added. 

Mr. Shah accused the opposition INDIA bloc of robbing the quota meant for Dalits, tribals and backward classes by giving it to Muslims in some States.

Polling in 25 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat will be held on May 7 in the third phase of the general elections. - PTI

Political fortunes of two former Chief Ministers and a sitting Union Home Minister, and the control of the crucial Gwalior-Chambal region among others, will be at stake when voters from nine seats in Madhya Pradesh choose their Lok Sabha members on May 7. 

In phase three of the election in the State, BJP candidate Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who was the State’s longest serving Chief Minister, is returning to his traditional Vidisha constituency after nearly 20 years.

On his second day of campaign in Jharkhand, PM Modi made a veiled attack on the Congress party and its leaders while addressing a public meeting in Palamu.

“There was a time when the cowardly Congress government used to go around the world and cry after the terrorist attack. However, today Pakistan is crying all over the world. The Pakistani leaders are praying to make Sahjada [prince] of Congress as the Prime Minister of India. A strong India wants a strong government and for a strong government we need a Modi government,” Mr. Modi said. Read the report here

Uttar Pradesh will see 10 seats going to polls on May 7 in the third phase. While PM Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and State Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath are leading the BJP’s charge against the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, this phase is critical for the SP. 

BJP locked in a direct contest with Samajwadi Party in third phase of election in Uttar Pradesh

With 10 out of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh going to polls on May 7 in the third phase, election campaigning in India’s politically most crucial State reached a crescendo with all the political parties hitting top gear.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma spoke to The Hindu about his party’s electoral prospects in Assam. Read to know his take on reservations, CAA and NRC, and the BJP’s ambitious electoral target.

Himanta Biswa Sarma interview | No need to worry about reservation; PM has only strengthened it during a decade in power, says Assam CM

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma discusses BJP's electoral prospects and criticizes Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in interview with The Hindu.

While speaking to Kashmiri migrants in Jammu on Friday, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah said the issues related to Kashmiri Pandit migrants are not merely a matter of statistics, but a humanitarian crisis that demands urgent attention and meaningful solutions. He accused the BJP of exploiting the Kashmiri migrants’ sufferings for political gains, without genuinely addressing their grievances.

“The Kashmiri migrants issue is not merely a matter of statistics or political rhetoric, but a humanitarian crisis that demands urgent attention and meaningful solutions,” he said.

He criticised the BJP’s “divisive rhetoric and discriminatory policies”, claiming that the ruling party has only “exacerbated tensions and alienated communities” in the region. He also called for a more inclusive and compassionate approach to resolve the Kashmiri migrants’ plight, one that prioritises human dignity, justice and reconciliation.

The member of Parliament from Srinagar urged the Kashmiri migrants to ensure maximum participation in the upcoming phases of the ongoing Lok Sabha polls in the Union Territory, emphasising the importance of their collective voice in shaping the country’s political landscape. “There is a dire need to change the government at the Centre so that the problems of the public as well as Kashmiri migrants can be effectively addressed,” he said. - PTI

Criminal conspiracy charges have been added to the FIR registered in connection with the doctored video of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s speech, the Delhi Police said on May 4, a day after it arrested a national coordinator of the Congress’ social media team. 

Arun Beereddy, a native of Hyderabad, who handled the “Spirit of Congress” account on X, was arrested from Delhi on Friday, police said. This is the first arrest made by the Delhi Police in the case.

“We have added section 120B (punishment of criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in the FIR as investigation has indicated to a larger conspiracy,” a police officer said. Mr. Beereddy is among the prominent members of the Congress’ social media team and he is accused of being among those who uploaded the doctored video on social media and also shared it with other members of the party, according to officials.

He was produced before a court in New Delhi on May 3 night and it sent him to three days in custody for further interrogation by the police’s Special Cell. The interrogation of Mr. Beereddy has started, the officials said. - PTI

A BJP legislator in Madhya Pradesh lost his cool and allegedly threatened a policeman after he switched off the mic of former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan during a public rally citing the model code of conduct.

As a video of the incident, which took place, went viral on social media, the Congress filed a complaint with the Election Commission, demanding action against the ex-CM for flouting the model code.

Sub Divisional Magistrate Chandrashekhar Shrivastava said that no action has been taken so far.

- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted his government’s surgical and air strikes had shaken Pakistan, and the neighbouring country’s leaders are now praying that the Congress “shehzada” becomes India’s PM.

Mr. Modi, addressing a poll rally in Palamu, took a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi without taking his name, and said the neighbouring country might want him as prime minister, but India wants “a strong country with a strong PM”.

“Maa Bharati’s disrespect won’t be tolerated anymore. New India’s surgical and air strikes shook Pakistan, which was known for supporting terror attacks on India during the Congress regime.

“The new India knows how to enter enemy territory and strike... Now shaken by the surgical and air strikes, leaders in Pakistan are praying that the Congress ‘shehzada’ becomes PM of India,” Mr. Modi said.

- PTI

The INDIA bloc found itself in disarray in the Ladakh Lok Sabha seat. The Congress high command approved the name of Tsering Namgyal, a Buddhist from Leh, as the party candidate, but, on the other hand, the National Conference (NC) and the Congress units of Kargil supported Haji Hanifa Jan, a Shia Muslim, as an Independent candidate.

The Congress and the NC, as a part of the pre-poll seat sharing agreement, had decided to field a candidate from the Congress party. However, senior Congress leader Haji Asgar Ali Karbalia, who was camping in Delhi this week, was demanding to field a candidate from Muslim-majority Kargil and not Buddhist-majority Leh. 

Congress candidate for the Puri Lok Sabha constituency Sucharita Mohanty has declined to contest the elections and returned the party ticket alleging lack of funding from the party.

Ms. Mohanty, daughter of former Congress MP Brajamohan Mohanty in a mail to AICC general secretary (organization) K.C. Venugopal claimed that her campaign in the Puri Lok Sabha constituency has been hit hard because the party has denied funding.

She alleged that AICC Odisha in-charge Ajoy Kumar “categorically” asked her to fight from her own resources.

“I was a salaried professional journalist who entered electoral politics 10 years ago. I have given all I have into my campaign in Puri. I tried a public donation drive to support my campaign for progressive politics without much success so far. I also tried to cut down the projected campaign spending to the minimum,” she mentioned.

- PTI

Opposition parties, campaigning together or against each other, will join hands after the Lok Sabha polls, says Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, asserting that the people will get a prime minister who is first among equals and listens to others with an INDIA bloc coalition government.

Including the Trinamool Congress in his argument on opposition parties getting together after the “day of reckoning” on June 4, Tharoor said in an interaction with PTI editors at the news agency’s headquarters that a coalition government is nothing to be afraid of.

“The growth performance of the Indian economy has been better under such dispensations than under single party governments,” he said.

In his view, this is an election for “change” and as of now the BJP has “lost its grip” on the narrative.

- PTI

I don’t own a home or even a bicycle, PM Modi said at a rally in Jharkhand. He alleged that corrupt JMM, Congress leaders amassed huge wealth for their children.

Mr. Modi added that 25 crore people came out of poverty in last 10 years of NDA govt.

- PTI

The fight for the Solapur Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra is between two sitting MLAs who are trying their fortunes for the first time in parliamentary politics.

Congress candidate and former Maharashtra chief minister Sushilkumar Shinde’s daughter Praniti Shinde is a three-time MLA from the Solapur City Central assembly constituency while BJP nominee Ram Satpute represents the Malshiras assembly segment.

Praniti is the third member of the Shinde family who is contesting the election from the Solapur Lok Sabha seat. Her father represented this constituency thrice - in 1998, 1999 and 2009, but he could not win the election in 2014 and 2019. In 2004, her mother Ujwala Shinde contested the seat unsuccessfully.

Historically, the Solapur seat has been a stronghold of the Congress, but the party lost it seat in 2014 and again in 2019.

- PTI

Amid an unforgiving sun pushing mercury levels to record highs in West Bengal, candidates across party lines are taking several measures to keep themselves hydrated and beat the heat.

Senior politician and BJP nominee from Asansol, one of the state’s hottest zones, S.S. Ahluwalia, shared his views with PTI on the perils of campaigning in the scorching heat. “I take elections very seriously and I am campaigning for four hours each morning and evening. At times, I am not able to hold the handle of my open-hooded vehicle, which turns so hot that it parches the skin. I wrap a towel around my palm to save injury,” the 73-year-old leader said.

West Bengal is seeing record-breaking temperatures. On April 30, Kolkata sizzled at 43 degrees Celsius, the highest temperature recorded in the city in 50 years. At Paschim Medinipur’s Kalaikunda, the mercury touched an unbearable 47.2 degrees Celsius on that day.

Asserting that opposition unity is a “must to stop BJP” post-election, Assam Trinamool Congress (TMC) president Ripun Bora said lack of joint opposition candidates in the state “will neither affect Lok Sabha poll results nor help BJP in any manner”.

He claimed that though the opposition parties are contesting against each other in some seats in Lok Sabha elections Assam, it will not favour the BJP as the opposition, especially TMC, refrained from putting up candidates in constituencies where another party has a substantial base to take on the ruling regime.

“The BJP won’t benefit from the opposition not fielding joint candidates in the state as we have approached it tactfully. In constituencies like Jorhat, Nagaon, Dhubri and Karimganj, we didn’t allow opposition to get divided and are hoping that Congress pools all the votes from our camp,” Mr. Bora said.

- PTI

After Congress leader Rahul Gandhi filed his nomination from Uttar Pradesh’s Raebareli, his opponent in Kerala’s Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, Annie Raja, CPI candidate, said it is an “injustice to voters.”

Annie Raja said that it is about political morality and by not informing the Wayanad voters of his intention, Mr. Gandhi was being “unjust” to them.”

In a parliamentary democracy, an individual can contest from more than one seat so he is using that democratic right. Now his filing nomination from Raebareli is an injustice to the voters of Wayanad. It is unjust to the voters because he never mentioned even once that he intends to contest another seat simultaneously. It is about political morality,” the CPI leader told ANI.

”It is important that you speak truth to the voters and then they will decide whom to vote for,” she added.

She further said that Gandhi contesting from Raebareli and not from Amethi is not any “political issue” nor does it “make any difference in a democratic setup”.

- ANI

Bilaspur, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bastion for over 3 decades, along with six other Lok Sabha constituencies in Chhattisgarh will go to polls on May 7 in the third phase of General Elections.

The Bilaspur constituency is set to witness a contest between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Tokhan Sahu and Congress leader Devendra Yadav.

The Bilaspur Lok Sabha constituency includes eight Assembly seats, which include Surguja, Raigarh, Janjgir-Champa, Korba, Bilaspur, Durg, and Raipur.BJP had registered victory in the seat in both the 2019 and 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

- ANI

Politics is not a five-minute noodles and one can not expect quick results as leaders have to earn the trust of people by withstanding turbulence and setbacks, Janasena founder and actor Pawan Kalyan has said.

Janasena, TDP and BJP are NDA partners in Andhra Pradesh for the May 13 polls.

Comparing the vision of the National Democratic Alliance for Andhra Pradesh, and that of the ruling YSR Congress party in the state, he said the former has got more credible leadership, people with commitment and experience.

He appealed to the people to vote for the alliance, alleging that Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy completely damaged and messed up the state during the last five years.

- PTI

The Congress is heading towards its end and is like a “termite” gnawing at itself, Union minister and BJP Guna Lok Sabha seat candidate Jyotiraditya Scindia has said.

The Congress has become ideologically bankrupt and nobody wants to stay with it. While the party has not fielded candidates on many seats, some of its nominees have withdrawn from the poll race, Mr. Scindia told PTI in an interview.

The scion of the erstwhile royal family of Gwalior severed his 18-year-long ties with the Congress in 2020 and joined the BJP.

In a coordinated rebellion, Mr. Scindia quit along with 22 Congress MLAs loyal to him, leading to the collapse of the then 15-month-old Kamal Nath-led Madhya Pradesh government and the BJP’s return to power in the state.

- PTI

Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has expressed his confidence in the MahaYuti alliance winning all six seats in the Mumbai region. The Maharashtra CM was speaking on Shiv Sena candidate Yamini Jadhav’s nomination and said that people came out in large numbers to support her.

Speaking to reporters, Eknath Shinde said, “South Mumbai MLA Yamini Jadhav filed her nomination. People in thousands were present to support her. This is Mahayuti’s strong fort...”

He added, “Work done by the central government in the last 10 years and our government in two years speaks for itself. All six seats of Mumbai will be won by Mahayuti candidates.”

Yesterday, after filing her nomination, Yamini Jadhav talked about solving the issues faced by the public. Speaking to reporters, she said, “As a public representative, I will try my best to solve the issues that the public is facing.”

- ANI

To ensure free, fair and transparent elections, all 98 polling booths in Daman will be videograped, and livestreaming will be broadcast to the Election Commission of India and Collector office in the district, Daman’s Deputy Collector Priyanshu Singh said on Friday.

Daman’s Deputy Collector Priyanshu Singh, and Assistant Returning Officer (ARO) shared details about the election preparation going on in the Union Territory.

”This time, just to ensure free, fair, transparent and safe elections, we have taken several steps. All the 98 polling stations in Daman District will have livestreaming facilities, and the livestream will be broadcasted in the Election Commission of India, in the collector office and to all the other relevant stakeholders,” Mr. Singh said.

- ANI

Russian chess great Garry Kasparov hoped that his “little joke” on Indian politics does not pass for “advocacy or expertise” after his cheeky social media post on Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s love for the game went viral.

Within hours of asking Mr. Gandhi to “first win Rae Bareli before challenging for the top”, the 61-year-old said it was just a joke and should be seen as one.

“I very much hope my little joke does not pass for advocacy or expertise in Indian politics! But as an ‘all-seeing monster with 1000 eyes,’ as I was once described, I cannot fail to see a politician dabbling in my beloved game!” the former world champion, who retired in 2005, wrote in response to a post by actor Ranvir Shorey.

- PTI

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is also scheduled to embark on a two-day visit to the state from Saturday, during which he will meet intellectuals and journalists.

- PTI