Congress couldn't stop India's share of river water flowing into Pakistan: PM Modi at Bikaner rally | Lok Sabha polls Live Updates

Referring to growth in IT sector PM Modi said, "India was known for snake charmers due to Congress but now it is country of 'mouse charmers'.

PM Modi while addressing a rally in Sikar said, "Congress leaders don't trust valour of our jawans and raise doubts on terrorist casualties. Also they call Army chief 'street goon', Air chief 'liar'."

Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Gandhi Nagar(Delhi) Anil Bajpayi joins BJP in presence of Union Minister Vijay Goel.

Aam Aadmi Party MLA Anil Bajpayi joins BJP 

"The Congress party is unhappy with India's improved security situation. Instead of celebrating Masood Azhar ban, it is questioning the timing," PM Modi says.

"When there was Congress government at the Centre, terrorist attacks had become a daily affair. No city was safe in their tenure. Everyone knows how terrorists attacked Mumbai in 2008. What happened in Mumbai at that time, was neither the first nor the last," PM Modi says.

Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, earlier in the day, called a meeting of senior officers of the Parliament over preparedness for the 17th Lok Sabha.

PM Modi adds, "I took latest update from officers. I held a review meeting yesterday. More than Rs 1,000 crore was released to concerned governments yesterday in advance. NDRF, Indian Coast Guard, Army, Navy, Air Force are working with the administration. I assure the affected people that nation and the Centre are with them."

"We have gathered here today. At the same time, people living in coastal areas in eastern India are facing an extremely severe cyclone. The Centre is in contact with governments in Odisha, West Bengal, Andhra, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry," Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, while addressing a rally in Rajasthan's Karauli.

The Election Commission of India has approved the proposal for granting relaxation in the provisions of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) in East Godavari, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagram and Srikakulam districts, for all the preventive & relief work associated with Cyclone Fani.

"Aaj Uttar Pradesh mein kisaan ki kya stithi hai? Apne aap ko desh ke chowkidar kehne waale, inhonein kisaanon ko khet mein baihtha diya hai chowkidari karne. Bass vaayde pe vaayda, jhooth par jhooth bola jaa raha hai; bass prachaar ho raha hai aur sachchaai alag hai," Priyanka says.

BJP president Amit Shah cancels his all three public rallies in Jharkhand today, due to bad weather conditions in the state.

Posters claiming that Congress President Rahul Gandhi was 'missing' from his parliamentary constituency appeared overnight in Amethi, but were pulled down on the orders of the Returning Officer following complaints from the Congress party.

The posters carrying photographs of people, apparently from Amethi, asked: "15 years x 365 days = 5,475 days. Where was Amethi MP?" 

It was not clear who got the posters printed and pasted across the constituency.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal took potshots at Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the BJP claimed it was in touch with 14 "frustrated" AAP MLAs, asking if democracy for the PM meant forming government by "buying" opposition party MLAs. 

Kejriwal also asserted that it was not easy to buy AAP members. Tagging a news report, Kejriwal hit out at the BJP in a series of tweets.

"Does democracy mean buying other party's MLAs and forming government through it to Modi ji. How does BJP has this amount of money to buy MLAs. Earlier also you have tried to buy our MLAs but it isn't that easy to buy AAP members," he said in a tweet.

He tagged the same news report in a second tweet and asked senior BJP leader and Union minister Vijay Goel "why his talks over buying 14 AAP MLAs is stuck, how much are you offering and how much are they asking for".

Goel on Thursday said the AAP MLAs were "deeply distressed" and ready to quit the party.

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear next week a review plea filed by 21 Opposition leaders seeking further increase in random matching of VVPAT slips with EVMs in the ongoing general elections.

The apex court had on April 8 directed the Election Commission to increase random matching of VVPAT slips with EVMs in five polling booths per assembly segment from one booth. 

Opposition leaders led by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has sought the review of the apex court's order, saying the "increase from 1 to 5 is not a reasonable number and does not lead to satisfaction desired by this court".

The plea was mentioned for urgent hearing before a bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Deepak Gupta. 

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for petitioners, told the bench that the review plea be listed for hearing next week.

The bench accepted Singhvi's submission and said the matter will be heard next week. 

BJP candidate from Gurdaspur parliamentary constituency, Sunny Deol, is currently campaigning in Pathankot.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to stay in Kharagpur, near the coastal belt and monitor the situation herself, today and tomorrow. All her political campaigns for the two days have been cancelled.

The makers of Vivek Oberoi-starrer biopic on Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday announced that the film will be released countrywide on May 24, a day after the results of the Lok Sabha elections are declared.

The film, titled 'PM Narendra Modi', was earlier set to release on April 11 but was banned by the Election Commission.

In its order last month, the EC had banned the screening of film during the poll period, saying any such film that subserves purpose of any political entity or individual should not be displayed in the electronic media.

Ramayana and Mahabharata are also filled with instances of violence and battles, says Sitaram Yechury, CPI(M),

"Being a pracharak, you narrate the epics but still claim Hindus can't be violent? What is the logic behind saying there is a religion which engages in violence and we Hindus don't?", he says.

Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah is set to address public meetings in Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand today. 

The BJP chief will address rallies in Jharkhand's Koderma (at 12:15 pm), in Khunti (at 2:15 pm) and in Ranchi (4 pm). 

He will also be in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow at 7:15 pm. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to address three election rallies in Rajasthan today. 

Modi will be in Hindaun at 12 pm, followed by public meetings in Sikar at 2:25 pm and in Bikaner at 4:45 pm.