* Narendra Modi arrives in Delhi for a meeting with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.
* Salman Khurshid slams BJP over EC attack. "EC looks into the evidence and makes its decisions. If a candidate wants to look into election arrangements they can," he says
* BSP chief Mayawati attacks Narendra Modi in a press conference, alleging that BJP-SP are hand in glove
- We have reports that people who were at Modi's roadshow were BJP supporters from outside Varanasi
- Modi said his silence is powerful. He's right, should remain silent, will be good for him and the country
- We urge EC to take steps to stop roadshows as they create inconvenience to public
- We have reports that people who were at Modi's roadshow were BJP supporters from outside Varanasi
* Hitting back at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for using "choicest adjectives" against Narendra Modi, BJP today said her "Poribortan" (change) is for anarchy and not for development. "Didi's Poribortan is not for good governance or development. It is for anarchy, booth capturing and encouragement to illegal infiltration," BJP leader Arun Jaitley said in the Campaign Diary. Read more
* No differences within Election Commission. All decision taken unanimously: CEC VS Sampat
* Narendra Modi in Robertsganj, Uttar Pradesh
- I want to tell Maoist people, the gun on the shoulder take lives, doesn't help make it
* CEC VS Sampat told a leading news channel that Rahul Gandhi was in the poll booth during the last phase of elections because of EVM malfunction. Rahul Gandhi had entered EVM area of polling booths in Amethi, causing outrage among opposition leaders.
The CEC also added, that "Money power has prevented a level playing field in this election"
ALSO READ: Lok Sabha elections: Who will Kolkata vote for?
* Samajwadi leader Akhilesh Yadav commences roadshow in Varanasi
* Rahul Gandhi concludes his Varanasi roadshow with public address:
- We want to give 33% reservation to women in Parliament and assemblies; we will pass this bill in 2014
- BJP says they will empower women, I suggest they to first learn to respect women.
- Modi talks of empowering the women of India, but he doesn't realise that the women of this country are already so powerful.
- While Modi's speeches are full of hate, we talk with love.
- Here's how Modi's Gujarat model works; while we are talking about uplifting the poor and expanding the middle class, Modi has take land from the poor and given it away to Adani.
- The same Gujarat government, however, took seven years to provide land to the Air Force, and charged a lot more for it. Under Gujarat model, 45000 acre lands, which belonged to poor farmers, were given to one businessman Adani at Rs 1/mtre.
- We want those in China to buy goods that have 'Made in Chandauli' marked on them, rather than the other way around.
- People of India want to work and the government prevents you from working. Instead, our money is sent to China to produce goods that could have easily been made here.
- Migrants from UP are attacked across states India, because the governements there are not working in your interest. They are working to encourage hate crimes.
- We want industries to develop,because it will bring jobs,but we want a partnership between the rich and the poor
- We implemented Right to Food, but the state govt of Uttar Pradesh has still not implemented it
- UPA will bring about health reforms, because we understand how important health issues are to the poor.
- Even as Narendra Modi issued loans to businesses, Congres returned Rs 70,000 to the farmers. We have also opened bank gates for them. Congress has always worked for farmers
- We revised 100 years old Land Acquisition Bill for farmers, to give the farmers a fair deal. No one can grab a poor farmers's land now, the Land Acquisition Bill ensures compensation four times the market price of the land.
- Right to Pension for the old people is another right we are about to give to lay strong foundation for the poor
- MNREGA was introduced It was poor who fought against British and they had to run away. India developed because of its people
READ ALSO: Rahul Gandhi makes his last pitch for Lok Sabha Elections 2014 in Varanasi
* Meanwhile in Uttar Pradesh BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi addressed a rally in Kushinagar.
- I was suppose to go to Ghosi but we received sad news that our party leader passed away. I bow to him and condolences to the family
- Sonia Gandhi came and abused me here. Congress sits with a dictionary every evening and decides which abuse to hurl at me. But the more muck you throw at me, the more the lotus will flourish.
- Lata Mangeshkar praised me and a Congress leader demanded that her Bharat Ratna award be taken back, what kind of politics is this?
- Sugar mill is shut but your MP is a Minister what has he done? You cannot elect someone who is not concerned about your future
- Your MP is so close to Sonia Gandhi but is not not concerned about the problems of Kushinagar's farmers
- Law and order is a part of your MP's ministry yet law and order situation keeps getting worse here in UP
* In the last leg of his Varanasi roadshow, Rahul Gandhi address public:
* Bharatiya Janata Party vice president Muktar Abbas Naqvi said the battle for second position in the 2014 general elections is between the Congress Party and the Aam Aadmi Party, suggesting that there was no doubt in his mind that the BJP will emerge as the top contender to form the next government. Read more
* Rahul Gandhi pays tribute to Banaras Hindu University founder Madan Mohan Malviya in Varanasi
* Late shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan's family played shehnai for Rahul Gandhi during his roadshow in Varanasi. The family had, earlier, refused to become a proposer for Narendra Modi on his nomination from Varanasi Lok Sabha seat. Bismillah's grandson Affaq Haider had said they did not want to be associated with any political party on this 'hot seat'.
* CBI court in Mumbai summons Amit Shah on May 23 in the Tulsiram Prajapati fake encounter case
* None of top UP police officers expressed security concerns on Narendra Modi's rally but only the DM of Varanasi, says Meenakshi Lekhi
* READ: Rahul Gandhi's tit-for-tat campaign against Narendra Modi in Varanasi
* BJP leader Arun Jaitley questioned the Election Commission's nod to Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi's roadshow in Varanasi's Muslim dominated and congested Beniya Bagh area, the same place where its party prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi was denied permission to hold a rally. Read more
* Another BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi also accused the Returning Officer in Varanasi of being biased for allowing Rahul Gandhi to hold a roadshow in Varanasi:
READ: Why BJP might have got it wrong by attacking Varanasi's popular DM Pranjal Yadav
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has reached Varanasi and begun his roadshow to campaign for party candidate Ajay Rai for the final phase of the Lok Sabha elections. The BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal from Varanasi are the other two main candidates from this consutituency.
Surrounded by vast, dense crowds, Rahul began his roadshow from the Gol Gadda Chauraha, a Mulsim dominated area. The roadshow will continue till Lanka.
The congress vice president is accompanied by Union Minister Ghulam Anabi Azad, and senior Congress leaders Madhusudan Mistry and Pramod Tiwari. This roadshow is being seen as a response to Modi’s ally in Amethi on May 5.
Also Read: Congress pulls out all stops for Rahul Gandhi's tit-for-tat roadshow in Varanasi
The Congress has directed its state unit chiefs, chief ministers and workers to join the show. A large number of workers had reportedly already reached the temple city from Haryana, Uttarakhand and Maharashtra, on Friday. They may even be joined by these states' chief ministers.
Rahul Gandhi arrived earlier on Saturday morning at Varanasi's Babatpur airport to begin his roadshow. His supporters have thronged the streets of the city.
Saturday, May 10, is the last day day of campaigning ahead of final phase of the Lok Sabha polls.
Also Read: Overheard from Varanasi - Political conversations from the streets, gauging the city's political mood
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