Lok Sabha Elections 2024 HIGHLIGHTS: PM Modi, Yogi offer prayers at Varanasi's Sankat Mochan Hanuman temple

BJP candidate from North East Delhi, Manoj Tiwari, emphasised the importance of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in deciding the Prime Minister, asserting that "people don't have anyone in their minds except for PM Modi."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, offered prayers at the revered Sankat Mochan Hanuman temple in Varanasi on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted attendees at the 'Nari Shakti Samvad' programme held in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. The event was aimed at empowering and engaging with women in the region. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also participated in the programme, showing support for the initiatives focused on women's empowerment and discussing the government's efforts to enhance women's roles in society.

PM Modi, while addressing  'Nari Shakti Samvad' in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi, said women were neglected during Congress, Samajwadi Party rule.

PM Modi, while addressing  'Nari Shakti Samvad' in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi, hailed women's contributions to the progress of the country, saying when a house cannot run without women then how can the country run?

PM Modi, while addressing  'Nari Shakti Samvad' in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi, took a jibe at Congress, citing a song - 'Mehngai dayain khaye jaat hai'.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the 'Nari Shakti Samvad' programme in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was also present at the program.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, while addressing the 'Nari Shakti Samvad' programme in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi, said women were not safe before 2014.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the 'Nari Shakti Samvad' programme in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was also present at the program.

At a rally in Azamgarh, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav expressed confidence that the ongoing voting against the BJP will persist through the Purvanchal elections, leading to the party's eventual defeat by the seventh phase. Yadav predicted that the BJP would be significantly weakened, stating, "The public will make them crave for 140 seats." He emphasized the strong anti-BJP sentiment among voters in the region.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, addressing a public gathering in Puri, urged voters to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi's re-election in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and to help the BJP win 75 seats in the Odisha Assembly to form the state government. Shah emphasised the importance of having a Chief Minister who is a "dhartiputra" (son of the soil) and speaks Odia, questioning the suitability of a "Tamil babu" (bureaucrat) ruling Odisha.

The Election Commission of India has officially approved the appointment of Sonawane Kuldip Suresh as the Superintendent of Police for Paschim Medinipur, West Bengal.

Addressing a large public gathering in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticized the previous Samajwadi Party (SP) government for its handling of land and employment issues. "During the SP government, the mafia used to occupy the lands of the poor," Modi stated, highlighting the rampant land encroachment by criminal elements during the SP's tenure.

Modi praised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government for its actions against illegal occupations. "Now the BJP government demolishes their illegal palaces and builds houses for the poor," he said, emphasizing the government's efforts to reclaim land from the mafia and provide housing for underprivileged communities.

The Prime Minister also criticized the SP government for its alleged corruption in job allocations. "The youth can never forget how the SP government used to trade their dreams. Their hard work, their qualification, but who used to get the job? Jobs were given based on caste, jobs were given to those who gave bribes," Modi claimed, accusing the previous administration of favoritism and corruption in public sector employment.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee assured voters on Monday of her commitment to extensive election campaign visits. "Everyone expects me to visit them during elections...I will definitely go everywhere. I will come to you too, I will visit Sandeshkhali too," Banerjee declared during a speech in Basirhat.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah claimed on Tuesday (May 21) that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is running for office for the third term, has bagged 310 seats after the completion of five phases of the seven-phased Lok Sabha Elections in the country, adding that the next two phases will ensure “400 paar” for him. He urged the people of Odisha to free the state from “babu-raj” and allow the BJP to form government at the Centre and also in the state. READ MORE...

Claiming that the BJP has bagged 310 seats after the completion of five phases of the Lok Sabha polls, Union Home Minister Amit Shah urged the people of Odisha to free the state from "babu-raj" and allow the BJP to form government at the Centre and also in the state. Addressing an election rally in Sambalpur where the BJP has fielded Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Shah said this time lotus, the party's symbol, will bloom in Odisha. "After the fifth phase of polls, the BJP has already bagged 310 seats. We will secure 400 plus seats after the sixth and seventh rounds of polls," Shah claimed.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleged that the I.N.D.I.A bloc was communal, casteist and dynastic, and all constituents of the alliance displayed these evils to a "severe" degree, "cent per cent". PM Modi launched the blistering attack at rallies in Mahrajganj and Purvi Champaran Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar, where he also predicted a "big blow" for the opposition alliance that stood for corruption, appeasement politics and "perverted anti-Sanatan mindset", on June 4 when Lok Sabha poll results would be out.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said with the completion of each phase of the Lok Sabha polls, it is becoming clearer that the Narendra Modi government is on its way out and the INDIA bloc is coming to power on June 4. Addressing a virtual press conference, Kejriwal said the INDIA bloc will give a stable government to the country. "With each passing poll phase, it is becoming clearer that the Modi government is on its way out and tge INDIA bloc will come to power on June 4," he said.

The Congress took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his promise of a transformative package for Bihar, saying that while he talked about changing the face and fate of the state, all that had changed was Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's alliances. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also posed several questions to the prime minister ahead of his rallies in Bihar. "Why has the outgoing PM failed to reopen the Motihari Sugar Mill? Why were ambulances purchased using a BJP MP's funds caught smuggling alcohol? What happened to the 1.25 lakh crore package the PM had promised in 2015?" Ramesh said in a post on X.

Ahead of the sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a poll rally in Bihar's East Champaran. "It is clear from the five phases of voting that there is a strong wave of BJP-NDA across the country. The families of entire Bihar including East Champaran have completely rejected RJD-Congress," he added. 

BJP national president JP Nadda held a roadshow in Haryana's Rohtak today ahead of the sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections. BJP has fielded its sitting MP Arvind Sharma from this seat. Congress has fielded Deepender Singh Hooda. Haryana will vote on May 25. 

 Around 1,100 villagers in Balangir boycotted the polling in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections over their demand for schools and hospitals. "We boycotted the voting for our demand over panchayat and high school... There are no roads also. There are approximately 1780 voters... We will not cast our vote until our demands are fulfilled," a villager said. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that people have decided they want a strong BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, saying the wave in its support is "getting stronger and stronger". He posted on X following the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha polls a day earlier, expressing gratitude to those who voted. "INDI Alliance can try any sort of votebank politics, the people will not believe them. They are totally discredited and dejected," the prime minister said in the post.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the people of Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency as it recorded its highest-ever voter turnout, and said such active participation is a great trend. The Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency, which was once militancy-infested, recorded its highest-ever voter turnout at 59 per cent on a violence-free polling day on Monday. Polling stations in Baramulla were buzzing with energy as voters in large numbers thronged to exercise their right to vote. "Compliments to my sisters and brothers of Baramulla for their unbreakable commitment to democratic values. Such active participation is a great trend," the PM said in a post on X.

BJP candidate from New Delhi Lok Sabha seat Bansuri Swaraj exuded confidence in her win in the upcoming polls. Speaking to the media, she said, "It has been 78 days since we started campaigning. I came here to express my gratitude for the love and blessings I am getting from the people. With the blessings of Lord Hanuman, we will definitely win this battle. The people of Delhi will give all the seven seats to BJP..."

The Election Commission removed Paschim Medinipur SP Dhritiman Sarkar from his post. The poll panel also asked the authorities concerned to transfer the SP to a "non-election related post with immediate effect", an official said. “Sarkar has been removed from the post of SP of Paschim Medinipur district. He will not be on any election-related duty,” he said. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to hold election rallies in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh today. In Bihar, he is scheduled to address election gatherings in Siwan and East Champaran. Following his engagement in Bihar, the Prime Minister will address rallies in Uttar Pradesh's Maharajganj and Prayagraj.