Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Ex-Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao banned from campaigning for 48 hours

ECI banned former Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao from campaigning for 48 hours for his "objectionable" remarks against the Congress party. The ban came into force at 8:00 pm (IST) on Wednesday.

Wealth redistribution has been a highly debated issue between the government and the opposition in the Lok Sabha elections. The Supreme Court has also appointed a nine-judge bench to interpret the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) in terms of material resource ownership and management. 

Click Here to full report  

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who is a senior leader of the Indian National Congress (INC), made a controversial statement on Tuesday as he said during a gathering in the east Indian state of West Bengal that "better" to vote for the rival Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) than All India Trinamool Congress (TMC). 

Click Here to read the full report 

Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav said, "They (Congress) said that BJP wants to change the constitution. Today it is the Google era and books are available in libraries...data is available to everyone. The first one to change the constitution was Congress' first PM in 1950, this is the history of Congress. Jawaharlal Nehru, his daughter Indira Gandhi, her son Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia (Gandhi) who ran the govt from behind, they all brought changes to the constitution...and then they're accusing someone else..."
 

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, "Rahul Gandhi is lying. We have had the majority for 10 years now. What did we do to the Constitution? We utilised our majority in scrapping Article 370 and Triple Talaq, and in strengthening the country. BJP has majority for the past 10 years. He is scared of the '400 paar' slogan and is, therefore, misleading people."

PM Modi, while addressing a rally in Gujarat said, "If you want to form a government, then at least 272 seats are required. Except for the BJP, no political party in the country is contesting 272 seats, and then they are saying they will form the government. Even the royal family of Delhi is not going to vote for Congress... There is no Congress candidate where they vote... Ahmed Patel's family in Bharuch will not vote for Congress... A big Congress leader who votes in Bhavnagar, will not be able to vote for Congress. This is the condition of the Congress..."

Congress Lok Sabha candidate from Mandi constituency Vikramaditya Singh stated, "I don't want to make any statement on the BJP candidate. I am only asking her that we want to interact with you with a mandate and a vision with committed leadership. I request Kangana Ranaut to come and open a debate with me at Mandi's Seri Manch. I will talk about our vision and the work we have completed." 

Former Congress MLAs Neeraj Basoya and Naseeb Singh have stepped down from the primary membership of the party shortly after Arvinder Singh Lovely, a prominent party leader, resigned from his position as the Delhi Congress chief.

In individual letters addressed to Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, both leaders attributed their resignations to the alliance between the Congress and AAP.

After waiting for 500 years, the construction of Ram Temple was done in Ayodhya. People across the world came to attend the Pran Pratishtha of Ram Temple. I am fortunate enough to take the blessings of Lord Ram here in Ayodhya," Union minister Anurag Thakur said.

Actress Rupali Ganguly formally becomes a member of the BJP at the party's headquarters on DDU Marg in New Delhi, accompanied by senior BJP figures Vinod Tawde and Anil Baluni.

Tamanna Simhadri, a transgender contestant will be contesting from the Pithapuram assembly segment in Andhra Pradesh.

A Bharatiya Chaitanya Yuvajana Party candidate, Simhadri will take on formidable opponents like Janasena founder Pawan Kalyan of the NDA and YSR Congress Party's Vanga Geetha in Pithapuram.

"If elected, I want to transform Pithapuram as a spiritual hub at the national level. I want to set up a Vedic school and offer free education to Brahmin children, also ensure that the government sanctions 20 acres of land for a spiritual centre," she said.

Two leaders from the Samajwadi Party, Lalji Varma and Manoj Kaka, have been summoned by the Delhi Police in connection with a case involving an edited video of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. 

Lalji Varma, the SP candidate from Ambedkar Nagar, has received summons and has even underwent initial questioning. 

"This is a clear attempt to prevent me from filing nomination and contesting election from Ambedkar Nagar but incidents like Surat cannot be repeated everywhere. See the haste with which the Delhi Police is working. They filed the case on April 28 and landed at my house within the next 24 hours. I will not be cowed down by such tactics and will reply to the notice," he said.

Manoj Kaka, a spokesperson for the Samajwadi Party, also received a summons to appear before the police. Kaka has been asked to appear before the police on May 2.

"My father is hospitalised in Varanasi and I will seek more time from the police," he said.

Union Minister Anurag Thakur has accused the Congress party of employing deceptive tactics, including "fear, confusion, rumour, deepfake, and all kinds of tricks" for its propaganda. 

Speaking at the Lucknow airport, Thakur denounced the Congress for allegedly circulating a morphed video of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, describing it as an attempt to interfere with the electoral process.

"It was during Congress regime that democracy was finished by imposing Emergency," he said.

"Congress is using fear, confusion, rumour, deepfake, and all kinds of tricks. The way foreign powers try to destabilise any country, the Congress is using all kinds of tricks for its propaganda."

- Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address two public meetings in Gujarat's Banaskantha (3:30 pm) and Sabarkantha (5:15 pm).

- Home Minister Amit Shah will address public meetings in Chhattisgarh's Mela ground in Korba at 11:30 am where he will appeal people to vote for Saroj Pandey, BJP candidate from Korba Lok Sabha seat.

He will then visit Karnataka and first hold a roadshow in Haveri at 3:30 pm from Kurubagiri Cross, M.G. Road, to Ashoka Circle, Ranebennur in Hubballi and later address a public meeting in Karnataka's Dharwad at 5:30 pm.

From Karnataka, the Home Minister will head straight to Telangana and visit Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency and take part in a roadshow at 7:30 pm The roadshow will be held from Mahankali Mandir, Lal Darwaza, Old City to Sudha Talkies, Hyderabad, where he will ask people to vote for BJP candidate Madhavi Latha.

- Congress National General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will address a 'Nyay Sankalp Sabha' in Assam's Dhubri at 12 pm.

- Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi will hold a public meeting in West Bengal's Malda North at 10 am, followed by a roadshow from Bulbuli Mod to Mangalbari Railway Crossing at 3:30 pm Later. He will address another public meeting in Malda South at 4 pm.

- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will address a public meeting in Uttar Pradesh's Badaun at the Inter College, Gangola, Dataganj.

- Akash Anand, Bahujan Samaj Party Chief Mayawati's nephew and party's National Coordinator, will address a public meeting in Uttar Pradesh's Aurraiya at 2 pm.

- Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will address three public meetings in Maharashtra — one at Solapur (at 3 pm), one at Sangli (at 5 pm) and one at Hatkanangale (at 6 pm).

Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: Former MP Dhananjay Singh released from Bareilly Central Jail. The Allahabad High Court had granted him bail in a 2020 kidnapping and extortion case. "I thank you all for the co-operation. I have been granted bail. A fake case was filed against me. My wife is contesting the election as Bahujan Samaj Party, I will proceed to my constituency from here. I wish she wins the election," says Dhananjay Singh.

Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: Former Congress MLA Nasseb Singh resigned from the primary membership of the party. He wrote, "Today You have appointed Davinder Yadav as DPCC Chief. He as AICC (In-Charge Punjab) has run a campaign in Punjab solely based on attacking Arvind Keiriwal's false agenda and today, in Delhi he will be mandated to praise and support AAP and its Chief Arvind Kejriwal. Being deeply pained and humiliated at the recent developments in the party, I resign from the party..."

Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: Representatives of 18 political parties from 10 countries, including Australia, Israel, Russia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Tanzania, arriving in India on the BJP's invitation to get a first-hand experience and insights into the ruling party's election campaign.

Their representatives will meet BJP president J P Nadda today.

Lok Sabha Elections LIVE: BJP candidate from Dadra & Nagar Haveli Lok Sabha constituency, Delkar Kalaben Mohanbhai said, "There are a lot of issues- road, water, transport, electricity, and employment, we have mentioned those in our manifesto. We will work on these issues and fulfill our promises..." (30.04)

Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: YSRCP General Secretary and candidate from Nellore parliament constituency, Vijayasai Reddy V said, "It is a local manifesto pertaining to the district of Nellore parliament. To the extent possible, whatever could be done and that could be achieved for the next five years has been incorporated into this manifesto."

"While preparing the manifesto, we consulted, we came together, and discussed various issues about all seven assembly segments with the respective candidates for their respective assembly...We are also equally confident that we will be implementing all the promises that have been made in this Nellore local manifesto. This manifesto will definitely change the topography of the entire Nellore parliament..." he added. 

Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: BJP workers returning from the rally of Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath in DVC More area were allegedly attacked.

BJP MP Dilip Ghosh said, "There is nothing new in breaking vehicles, shouting slogans of 'go back' etc. When this demonic power starts destroying, violence increases. Everything will cool down after June 4."

As the third phase of the Lok Sabha polls is set to take place on May 7, Indian PM will be holding rallies and roadshows in the state of Gujarat. PM held public meetings in Telangana and Maharashtra on Tuesday (Apr 30).