Lok Sabha Elections 2024 HIGHLIGHTS: AAP, Congress leaders meet to chalk out poll strategy

BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Dhenkanal seat, Rudra Narayan Pani filed his nomination in Dhenkanal today.

"Congress wants to form the government to unleash unrestrained loot in the country," said PM Modi at a rally in Jharkhand ahead of Lok Sabha elections.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said, "This time, they (BJP) will not win 400 seats. That's why they are not raising slogans of '400 paar' anymore. This time, the PDA (Picchda, Dalit and Alpasankhyak) will defeat the NDA. They want to change the Constitution. The 'double engine' is not visible in the hoardings."

At BJP All Morcha meeting in Ahmedabad, BJP chief JP Nadda says, "When we discuss Gujarat, we talk about grand Gujarat, prosperous Gujarat, developed Gujarat and leading Gujarat. So, we can say that Gujarat has led the country in several ways... Today, under the leadership of PM Modi, we are taking India ahead with the resolve of 'Viksit Bharat', this is our fortune."

On PM Narendra Modi's 'Daro Mat Bhago Mat' jibe on Rahul Gandhi filing his nomination from Raebareli, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said, "He himself has run away to Varanasi, ask him."

The Congress on Friday said it has taken a decision to field Rahul Gandhi from Rae Bareli after a lot of deliberation and strategy, and that the constituency is not just a legacy but also a responsibility. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said it is a long election process and there are a few chess moves still left to play.

ECI directed all States/UTs to ensure time-bound issuance of ‘No Dues certificate’ to intending candidates to be included in their affidavits.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi filed nomination from Raebareli.

1717 candidates will contest elections across 10 States/UTs going for polls in phase 4 of Lok Sabha Elections 2024.

Eight personnel of the Border Security Force (BSF), who were deployed on election duty, were injured when the bus they were travelling in rammed into a tree in Chhattisgarh's Raigarh district on Friday, an official said. The accident occurred in the Kamosin Dand area when the paramilitary personnel were heading back after visiting a polling booth on a hill in Dharamjaigarh, said Digesh Patel, sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) of Dharamjaigarh. As many as 17 BSF personnel travelled to the polling booth on the remote Chhuhi Hill under the Raigarh Lok Sabha constituency, which will go to polls on May 7, he said.

"It looks like Rahul ji has levied 'Virasat kar'(inheritance tax) and kept only Raebareli with him. The way Congress has got scared of BJP's works in Amethi will affect not only UP but polling in all phases and Congress' morale will break," he said.

Congress's Amethi candidate Kishori Lal Sharma on Friday said he would rather a Gandhi fight from the seat, but he cannot refuse the party's order which asked him to fight the election. Sharma, a close aide of the Gandhi family, has been fielded by the Congress from the Amethi Lok Sabha seat – a longstanding bastion of the Gandhi family, breached in 2019.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said he has asked the West Bengal BJP unit to create a separate legal cell to provide help to "genuine teachers and candidates" who have lost jobs due to the School Service Commission (SSC) scam.

Chirag Paswan, president of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), who is contesting election from Hajipur Lok Sabha seat as NDA nominee, owns movable and immovable assets worth Rs 2.68 crore as per the affidavit filed by him.

Rahul Gandhi held a roadshow ahead of nomination in Rae Bareli.

"No member of the Gandhi family contesting from Amethi in itself is an indication that Congress has accepted its defeat from Amethi even before election," Smriti Irani said.

Uttar Pradesh's Amethi has long been synonymous with the Gandhis and it would be the first time in 25 years that a Gandhi family member will not be contesting election from the Lok Sabha seat. Considered a citadel of the Gandhi family since its creation as a constituency in 1967, Amethi has been represented by a Gandhi family member for about 31 years since then. The Congress fortress was breached in the last general election in 2019 when BJP's Smriti Irani beat Rahul Gandhi by more than 55,000 votes. This time, Rahul Gandhi will contest the Lok Sabha election from the Rae Bareli seat, while Kishori Lal Sharma, a close aide of the Gandhi family, has been fielded from the Amethi Lok Sabha seat.

"Let the election be over first, then the party will decide. Rahul Gandhi will win both seats and we all know that in Wayanad people have great love & affection for him," he said.

Samajwadi Party announced candidates from Fatehpur, Kaiserganj.

"Rahul Gandhi is not the person who is going to get scared. He fights and wins from Wayanad, however, we all had that wish that someone from the Gandhi family should fight from Uttar Pradesh whether it's Amethi or Raebareli," he said.

"He will be defeated and he will never forget that defeat in his life," he said.

Priyanka Gandhi will accompany KL Sharma during nomination in Amethi today.

"Congress will contest elections in Amethi with full might. I will stay in Amethi and campaign. There will be politics of truth and service," Priyanka Gandhi said while addressing public in Amethi.

KC Venugopal and Robert Vadra reached Rae Bareli for the nomination filing of Rahul Gandhi from the seat.

Congress candidate Rahul Gandhi will worship at the Central Office in Hathi Park, following the old tradition. After the worship, Rahul Gandhi's convoy will reach the nomination place from the central office via Hathi Park, Degree College intersection. Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Robert Vadra, Mallikarjun Kharge will be with Rahul Gandhi. BJP candidate Dinesh Pratap Singh will be the first to reach BJP office. BJP leader's convoy will leave the supermarket and reach the nomination venue via Hathi Park, JJ Plaza, Degree College intersection. State Deputy Chief Minister Brijesh Pathak will also be present along with BJP candidate Dinesh Pratap Singh. Candidates of both parties will file nominations today, the last day of nomination. 

(With inputs from Pradeep Kumar)

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi will file his nomination from Raebareli and party leader KL Sharma from Amethi.    

"Rahul Gandhi will lose with even more votes in Raebareli, than in Amethi... The lotus will bloom, the cycle will be punctured and the hand will be twisted," he said.

Senior Congress leaders including Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot have reached Rae Bareli. Rahul Gandhi will file his nomination around 12 pm today from this seat. 

"I want to thank Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi for giving me the opportunity to contest from their traditional seat," he said.

"BJP is going to win in Raebareli and Amethi with a huge margin. Rahul Gandhi had first left Amethi and went to Wayanad, now he has come to Raebareli," he said.

"I want BJP to win 27 seats, I'll win one seat as an independent candidate and total 28 members in Karnataka will contribute to making Narendra Modi the Prime Minister," he said.

BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and BJP candidate from Kaiserganj Lok Sabha seat Karan Bhushan left from their residence in Gonda to file the nomination papers.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi left for Rae Bareli for the nomination of the latter on the seat. Today is the last day for filing of nomination paper for Amethi and Rae Bareli.

BJP leader Giriraj Singh took a dig at Rahul Gandhi and said that he will leave Rae Bareli "like he did in Amethi" after his loss in the Lok Sabha election on the seat. Rahul Gandhi was declared a candidate from the Rae Bareli seat in Uttar Pradesh on Friday.

The party announced Rahul Gandhi's name as Lok Sabha candidate from Raebareli.

Rahul Gandhi will contest from Raebareli and Kishori Lal Sharma from Amethi, ending the suspense over both seats.

"Prime Minister Modi will address three election rallies in the state. There is a lot of enthusiasm among the party workers & public. People are seeking freedom from the TMC government," he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address three election rallies in West Bengal on Friday (May 3). He arrived in state capital Kolkata on Thursday evening and stayed overnight at the governor house, an official said. The Prime Minister will address public meetings in Krishnanagar, Purba Bardhaman and Bolpur Lok Sabha constituencies.

Rahul Gandhi is likely to contest the Lok Sabha elections from the Rae Bareli seat vacated by his mother while a loyalist of the Congress leader could be fielded from Amethi, sources said, with the party still to announce its nominees for the constituencies in Uttar Pradesh. Friday is the last date of filing of nominations for the seats that will go to polls on May 20 in the fifth round of the seven-phase general elections.