Lok Sabha poll: EC clean chit to PM Modi on 'nuclear button for Diwali' remark in Rajasthan

Pic Courtesy: ANI

More than half of the country has exercised their right to vote. The fifth phase of Lok Sabha poll will take place on May 6 and the counting of votes will take place on May 23. As part of their campaign for the Lok Sabha elections 2019, leaders from several parties will continue to criss-cross the country to woo the voters. 

Thanks for joining us. Please do come again on Friday (May 3) for Lok Sabha live updates

Here are the updates from Lok Sabha election on May 2:

* The EC gave clean chit to PM Narendra Modi on his 'nuclear button for Diwali' remark at Rajasthan's Barmer: PTI

* Samajwadi Party workers seen at Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's public rally in Raebareli, earlier today

Samajwadi Party workers seen at Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's public rally in Raebareli, earlier today pic.twitter.com/D22mwdSw2B — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 2, 2019

* BJP candidate Sunny Deol holds a hand-pump during a roadshow in Gurdaspur, Punjab.

Punjab: BJP candidate Sunny Deol holds a hand-pump during a roadshow in Gurdaspur. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/AOH566GL2X — ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2019

* Congress President Rahul Gandhi alleged that the Narendra Modi government has waived Rs 5.5 lakh crore loan of the industrialists in the last five years but has not done enough for farmers, youths or traders.

* Congress president Rahul Gandhi said if voted to power, Rs 72,000 would be deposited in bank accounts of 5 crore people of the country within one years under NYAY scheme. "Narendra Modi ji has not fulfilled his promises of providing two crore jobs. He did not deposit Rs 15 lakh in bank accounts of the people," Gandhi said.

* A petition was filed in the Supreme Court on Thursday seeking direction to the Centre and the Election Commission to debar Congress President Rahul Gandhi from contesting the Lok Sabha election till the issue of his citizenship is decided.

* Actor-politician and BJP candidate from Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat, Sunny Deol said creating employment opportunities for the youth will be his main priority. "The most important issue (for me) is our youth. Youth is our foundation. I want the creation of job opportunities for them," said Deol in his first media interaction after being named as candidate for Gurdaspur seat.

He also said he wanted to work for the welfare of the farming community.

* The Supreme Court asked the Election Commission to decide on a plea seeking to advance the voting timing to 5 am for the remaining phases of the Lok Sabha election due to heat waves and Ramzan.

* Disgruntled AAP MLA Alka Lamba said she skipped the road show of party chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in Chandni Chowk on Wednesday as she was "insulted" by her party.

* Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday asked the Congress not to give his party lessons in politics, because the SP knew how to deal with its adversaries. He was reacting to Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra`s comment that her party was not eating into the votes of the SP-BSP-RLD alliance in Uttar Pradesh.

* True nationalism is love for people and country, BJP's nationalism narrative devoid of it. There is growing public anger and pain for which people will give message to PM Modi in Lok Sabha polls. If voice of people is drowned by voice of one leader, there are going to be consequences: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra

* Priyanka Gandhi Vadra says this is an election in which we are fighting for the India we all love and for democracy. 

* Senior Uttar Pradesh Congress leader and Faizabad candidate Nirmal Khatri claimed that the Ayodhya dispute was no longer an election plank in the Lok Sabha election and said the BJP was distancing itself from the issue.

* Lok Janshakti Party chief and Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan Thursday slammed the opposition alliance, saying no one knows who is their Prime Ministerial candidate as they are "divided" on the issue.

* The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is facing a tough challenge from the Mahagathbandhan (MGB) on seven of the 12 seats in Uttar Pradesh in the next phase of the Lok Sabha polls.

* I want to increase the number of SP’s MPs in the Lok Sabha. I want to be among those who want to make a new Prime Minister. I want UP to contribute to the next government formation: Akhilesh Read full report

* Akhilesh Yadav on Congress President Rahul Gandhi's claim that BJP controls the SP and the BSP: No one controls us. We are political parties. It is the SP, BSP and RLD alliance in Uttar Pradesh that is poised to give a setback to the ruling party. Our alliance will stop the bad policies of BJP. 

* Akhilesh on political analysts’ claim that the coalition is the ‘Team B’ of the Congress: BJP has learnt to misuse the ED, Central Bureau of Investigation & other agencies against leaders in opposition from the Congress. 

* Akhilesh on political analysts’ claim that the coalition is the ‘Team B’ of the Congress: There is no difference between the BJP and the Congress. Congress wants to benefit the BJP. Who taught the central agencies to intimidate Opposition leaders?

* Akhilesh on being asked if Mulayam Singh Yadav will be a PM candidate: Our alliance wants to give India a new PM. Party will decide about the PM when final seat tally is out. It'll be good if Netaji gets the honour (to be PM) but I feel he is probably not in prime ministerial race.

* Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav to ANI on Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s claim to have fielded weak candidates to eat into BJP's vote share in Lok Sabha polls in UP: I don't believe that Congress has fielded weak candidates anywhere. No party does it. People are not with them.

* BJP tried to buy atleast 7 AAP MLAs by offering Rs 10 crore to each: Arvind Kejriwal

BJP tried to buy atleast 7 AAP MLAs by offering Rs 10 crore to each: Arvind Kejriwal

Read @ANI story | https://t.co/LER7BJwoga pic.twitter.com/rl3aeiCtKO — ANI Digital (@ani_digital) May 2, 2019

* Andhra Pradesh CM and TDP leader, N Chandrababu Naidu in Amravati: Opposition parties will sit together after the election and discuss who will be the Prime Minister, I'm not an aspirant. Polling is to be held in 3 more phases, after that we will discuss. (1.5.19)

Andhra Pradesh CM and TDP leader, N Chandrababu Naidu in Amravati: Opposition parties will sit together after the election and discuss who will be the Prime Minister, I'm not an aspirant. Polling is to be held in 3 more phases, after that we will discuss. (1.5.19) pic.twitter.com/tQzuDtq7VC — ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2019

* Prime Minister Narendra Modi cancels his public rally in West Bengal, scheduled for May 5. 

* Rahul Gandhi to hold rallies in Jaipur and Jharkhand's Simdega.

* Actor-politician Sunny Deol to hold a rally in Dhanipur near Amritsar in Punjab.

* Priyanka Gandhi to address rallies in Rae Bareli, to campaign for her mother Sonia Gandhi, who is contesting from Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituency. 

* BJP president Amit Shah to address rallies in Rajgadh, Neemach and Sihaur in Madhya Pradesh. 

* Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath to campaign in Jharkhand today. 

* Sonia Gandhi to hold rallies in Rae Bareli. 

* JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar to hold rallies in Madhubani, Sitapur and Hajipur in Bihar today.

* The Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed officials to conduct re-elections at five polling stations in Andhra Pradesh on May 6. Voting will be held in polling booths located in Guntur, Prakasam and Nellore districts.

* The Left parties lodged a complaint before the Election Commission against Trinamool Congress alleging 'vote loot' in booths of the Bolpur seat during fourth phase of Lok Sabha polls held on April 29.

* The Election Commission has served a notice to Rahul Gandhi for saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi has devised a law to 'shoot tribals' at a rally in Madhya Pradesh recently. Read full report

As per the complainants, Gandhi had said, "Now, Narendra Modi has made a new law for adivasis (tribals). In that law, there is a line that says that tribals can be shot dead. It is also mentioned that tribals can face encounters, their land can be stolen."

* Congress President Rahul Gandhi said that there will be fresh investigation into the scam involving Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board, commonly known as Vyapam (Vyavsayik Pariksha Mandal).