India
The third phase of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 will be held on May 7 across 94 Lok Sabha constituencies in 12 states and Union Territories (UTs).
Updated : May 02, 2024, 11:55 PM IST
The third phase of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 will be held on May 7 across 94 Lok Sabha constituencies in 12 states and Union Territories (UTs). The states that are going to polls in this phase are Assam (4 seats), Bihar (5 seats), Chhattisgarh (7 seats), Goa (2 seats), Gujarat (26 seats), Karnataka (14 seats), Madhya Pradesh (8 seats), Maharashtra (11 seats), Uttar Pradesh (10 seats), West Bengal (4 seats), Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (2 seats) as well as Jammu and Kashmir (1 seat).
All political parties have intensified campaigning ahead of the polls.
Here are the live updates:
EC directs parties to stop registering voters for beneficiary schemes under guise of surveys
ECI takes a serious view of political parties enrolling voters under the guise of surveys/registration for proposed beneficiary schemes; issues advisory to all parties GeneralElections2024https://t.co/vMmQ2ORc0Q
— Spokesperson ECI (@SpokespersonECI) May 2, 2024
'People watching these elections must be aware that BJP is after...': SP chief Akhilesh Yadav in Budaun
VIDEO | "People watching these elections must be aware that BJP is after the Constitution and our lives. They want to change the Constitution, and secondly, you must have come across the issue of Covid (referring to Covishield vaccine row). Those who got vaccinated also asked… pic.twitter.com/eJQ3715wLA
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 2, 2024
'There is just one sentiment in my heart - My India, My family': PM Modi in Gujarat's Junagadh
WATCH Gujarat: In Junagadh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "There is just one sentiment in my heart - My India, My family. With this sentiment, I have made several resolutions...24/7 for 2047.LokSabhaElections2024 pic.twitter.com/ZFU6NNgwuT
— ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2024
Bhavnagar, Gujarat: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's wife Sunita Kejriwal says, "They have put Delhi CM & my husband in jail forcefully, for the last 40 days. They say that the investigation is going on, if investigations goes on for 10 years, will they keep him in jail for 10 years? It's clearly a dictatorship. He is well read, patriotic and truthful person. For the sake of social service, he left his job and went to the slums to work for them. When we got married, he asked me just one question, I want to do social service, won't you have any issue with that?..."
#WATCH | Bhavnagar, Gujarat: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's wife Sunita Kejriwal says, "They have put Delhi CM & my husband in jail forcefully, for the last 40 days. They say that the investigation is going on, if investigations goes on for 10 years, will they keep him in jail for 10… pic.twitter.com/mn0BZCFlio
— ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2024
Cong is 'disciple' of Pakistan; neighbouring country eager to make 'shehzada' next PM of India: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday dubbed the Congress party a "disciple" of Pakistan, and said the neighbouring country was eager to make the 'shehzada' of the grand old party the next prime minister of India. His comments came amid reports that Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, a former minister in Imran Khan's cabinet in Pakistan, shared a video featuring Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on his social media handle and praised him.
"Pakistan is crying because Congress is dying here. Pakistani leaders are praying for Congress. Pakistan is eager to make 'shehzada' (referring to Rahul Gandhi) the next prime minister. This is not surprising because we already know that Congress is Pakistan's 'mureed' (disciple). The partnership between Pakistan and Congress has been exposed. It shows the country's enemies want a weak government in India, not a strong one," Modi said.
Addressing a poll rally in Anand town of central Gujarat in support of BJP candidates for Anand and Kheda Lok Sabha seats, PM Modi also took a dig at Congress over opposition leader Salman Khurshid's niece Maria Alam's call for 'vote jihad'. "Now, the INDI alliance calls for 'vote jihad'. We have so far heard about 'love jihad' and 'land Jihad'. This (vote jihad) is said by a person who belonged to an educated Muslim family, not by someone who studied in a madrasa. I hope you all know what the meaning of jihad is. This is an insult to democracy and not a single Congress leader has condemned it," he said.
-PTI
On being asked about Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's candidature from Amethi and Raebareli, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh says, "CEC has given the entire responsibility to the party president and I believe there will be an official announcement by the evening today. We want Rahul Gandhi to contest from Amethi and Priyanka Gandhi from Raebareli but they have to hold election campaigns across the country. Both of them are our star campaigners but the CEC, Congress organization, and Congress workers want Rahul Gandhi to contest from Amethi and Priyanka Gandhi from Raebareli but it is their personal choice. They have to decide..."
#WATCH | On being asked about Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's candidature from Amethi and Raebareli, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh says, "CEC has given the entire responsibility to the party president and I believe there will be an official announcement by the evening today.… pic.twitter.com/I1aJx6A8xe
— ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2024
-IANS
Telangana: In view of prevailing situation of hot summer and heat wave in the State, Election Commission extends the polling hours in various assembly segments of Telangana for the Lok Sabha elections scheduled on May 13.
The new timing would be 7 am to 6 pm against the earlier 7 am to 5 pm.
Telangana: In view of prevailing situation of hot summer and heat wave in the State, Election Commission extends the polling hours in various assembly segments of Telangana for the Lok Sabha elections scheduled on May 13.
— ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2024
The new timing would be 7 am to 6 pm against the earlier… pic.twitter.com/ZeNxodiRGF
"I challenge Congress to declare it will not give reservations based on religion": PM Modi in Gujarat
Lashing out at Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that the party, its "shezada" and INDIA alliance parties should declare that they will not resort to religion-based reservations and asserted that the BJP will always protect the quota given to the SCs, STs, OBCs and economically backward section of the general category.
Addressing an election rally here, PM Modi said that Congress abused him in during campaigns in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls and was now resorting to lies.
Referring to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as "shehzada", PM Modi gave challenge to the party and its ecosystem that "they will not play with the Constitution" and not give reservation on the basis of religion. He alleged that the Congress wants to loot the reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Sections and give it to Muslims.
"The reservation for SCs, STs, OBCs and economically backward of the general category will never be looted... Your (Congress) intention is to loot the reservation and give it to Muslims. I challenge the shehzada of Congress, Congress and the Jamat who support it to declare if they have courage that they will never misuse the reservation, will not play with the Constitution or give reservation on the basis of religion. Declare this if you have courage," he said.
"They will not declare this because there is something suspicious. The BJP will protect the reservation given to the SCs, STs, OBCs and economically backward of the general category... They want to snatch away the reservation for their vote bank... They should give a written declaration that they will not give reservation on a religious basis," he said.
-ANI