Lok Sabha Polls 2024: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday kicked off an election rally in Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir, followed by a public gathering in Barmer and a roadshow in Dausa, Rajasthan, as part of the Lok Sabha elections. In Barmer, PM slammed opposition and claimed that the INDIA bloc allies want to destroy nuclear weapons of the country.


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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addressed two public meetings in Tamil Nadu on Friday. Addressing a public rally in Tirunelveli, Rahul Gandhi said, "Today, there is an ideological battle taking place in India. On one side, there are the ideas of Periyar, social justice, freedom and equality. On the other side, are the ideas of the RSS, Narendra Modi and his government. Narendra Modi says - one nation, one leader, one language."


A political slugfest commenced between the BJP and TMC after the NIA arrested two accused of the Rameshwaram Cafe Blast. BJP leader Amit Malaviya alleged that West Bengal has become a "safe haven" for terrorists. Meanwhile Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee lashed out at BJP and said,  "Heard one BJP leader saying that a bomb blast took place in Bangalore. The accused are from Karnataka, not from here. They were hiding in Bengal for two hours and in two hours our police managed to nab them. And they are saying that Bengal is not safe?"


Lok Sabha Election 2024 Highlights


7:50 PM Ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister & BJP leader Vishnu Dev Sai held a roadshow in Jagdalpur.


7:30 PM " Their party (TMC) is 'Gunda party', that's why during post-poll violence, 4,500 BJP workers had to leave Cooch Behar and go to Assam...Mamata's goons made the law and order situation so bad here that Cooch Behar's ordinary citizens had to leave Cooch Behar and run to Assam. TMC has goons in it and in BJP, there are nationalists...this time, the majority and minority together will oust thief Mamata and her party," BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari said. 


7:00 PM: BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah conducted a roadshow in Tamil Nadu's Madurai. 



6:30 PM: Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge slammed Prime Minister Modi and Union Minister Amit Shah for supporting corrupt people. "BJP has a washing machine. It washes out the corruption charges of leaders who have been imprisoned before joining the BJP party. They project them as good leaders. Amit Shah and PM Modi are supporting corrupt people." Kharge said.


5:00 PM: "What has PM Modi done in these ten years? I requested him to sanction an AIIMS unit at Kalaburagi, but he rejected it. He has done nothing for this region. We built an ESI hospital, why has he not sanctioned AIIMS? Why is he upset with me? Railway projects sanctioned during my tenure as an MP were cancelled. If he does 10% of my work here, I will appreciate him."  Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge said.


4:15 PM: Addressing a poll rally in Barmer, PM Modi has criticized opposition parties, alleging that their manifesto contains a perilous assertion against the nation, stating their intention to distroy India's nuclear weapons.



 


3:00 PM: Rebel BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister K S Eshwarappa on Friday filed his nomination from Shivamogga for the May 7 Lok Sabha polls as an independent candidate to take on official party nominee B Y Raghavendra, who is seeking reelection from the segment.


In Kalaburagi, Radhakrishna Doddamani, son-in-law of Congress President M Mallikarjun Kharge, also filed his papers. He was accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress chief D K Shivakumar.


Raghavendra is the son of BJP veteran and member of the party's Parliamentary Board and former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa.


BJP leaders had appealed to Eshwarappa to desist from contesting but he remained steadfast on his decision.


Eshwarappa, who had also served as the party's state unit president, is miffed over his son K E Kanthesh being denied the ticket from the neighbouring Haveri segment.


2:20 PM: "The people of Congress and INDI alliance do not care about the sentiments of most of the people of the country, these people were enjoying cooking mutton by going to the house of a criminal in the month of Saavan:" PM Modi 


1:45 PM: Here’s what Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said while addressing an election rally in UP’s Pilibhit. “Someone new has come (BJP candidate Jitin Prasada) who is saying if he would have known earlier that he would be nominated from Pilibhit then he would have turned it into Mumbai. Mumbai is known as the financial capital of the country. BJP has spent more than 40 crore rupees to make UP roads potholes-free but did that happen?”


1: 30 PM: Three farm laws were scrapped by BJP govt as they were afraid of strength of farmers: SP chief Akhilesh Yadav at rally in UP's Pilibhit


1:15 PM: Faces of BJP leaders turn pale on hearing name of Pilibhit: Akhilesh Yadav at rally in UP's Pilibhit


1:00 PM: Congress to become extinct like dinosaur in a few years: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at poll rally in Uttarakhand's Pauri Garhwal


12: 30 PM: During a public gathering in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated, “The primary factor for PM Modi’s ascension to the Prime Minister’s office in 2014 and 2019 was the support from Uttar Pradesh. With 73 seats in 2014 and 65 seats in 2019, Uttar Pradesh enabled PM Modi to secure a full majority. Our goal is to ensure his third term as PM, this time not with 73 or 65, but all 80 seats from Uttar Pradesh will go to Modi.”


12:00 PM: Shivamogga, Karnataka: Former Dy CM and rebel BJP leader K S Eshwarappa holds a road show ahead of filing his nomination for the Lok Sabha elections polls from Shivamogga. BJP has fielded former CM and party leader BS Yediyurappa's son BY Raghavendra from the Shivamogga Lok Sabha seat.


11:55 AM: Speaking at a public gathering in Udhampur, PM Modi stated, "Modi thinks far ahead. So what has happened so far is just the trailer. I have to get busy in creating a new and wonderful picture of the new Jammu and Kashmir. The time is not far when Assembly Elections will be held in Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir will get the status of statehood. You will be able to share your dreams with your MLA and your ministers..."


11:45 AM: Kalaburagi: Karnataka Deputy CM and Congress leader DK Shivakumar says, "A big trend is going on here. There is no wave of BJP in the state. It is only a Congress wave and five guarantee wave which has been there. Congress party will win more than 20 seats in Karnataka... There will be a change in Karnataka. His party (JDS) is going to merge with BJP or BJP will throw them out of their NDA..."
 


11: 30 AM: At a public gathering in Udhampur, J&K, Prime Minister Modi said, “J&K: Addressing a public rally in Udhampur, PM Modi says, "For the sake of power, they had built a wall of 370 in Jammu and Kashmir...Due to your blessings, Modi demolished the wall of Article 370. I have also buried the debris of that wall in the ground. I challenge any political party in India, especially Congress, to announce that they will bring back Article 370. This country won't even look at them.”


11:15 AM: During a public gathering in Udhampur, J&K, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “The purpose of this election extends beyond merely electing Members of Parliament. It is about establishing a robust government in the nation. A strong government is capable of overcoming obstacles and accomplishing its tasks."


10:15 AM: People start to arrive at Modi Maidan in Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir to attend PM Modi’s rally scheduled to be held later today.