Lok Sabha Elections 2024 HIGHLIGHTS: PM Modi addresses public rally in Maharashtra's Solapur

The father of Amritpal Singh on Monday expressed resentment over the Shiromani Akali Dal's move of fielding its candidate from Punjab's Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha seat from where the jailed radical preacher is also contesting. The statement of Tarsem Singh, the father of radical preacher Amritpal, came hours after SAD nominee Virsa Singh Valtoha met him and his wife on Monday morning to seek their support for the Lok Sabha elections.

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will visit the tribal-majority Rayagada district in Odisha on May 3 to address his second public meeting in the state ahead of Lok Sabha and state assembly polls.

A total of 37 candidates are in the fray from Aurangabad Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra where a three-cornered contest is on the cards among two factions of Shiv Sena and the AIMIM.

Out of the 57 candidates contesting in the four Lok Sabha constituencies going into phase 3 polling on May 7, around 23 per cent are crorepatis with an average asset of Rs 1.84 crore, an analysis of their affidavits pointed out on Monday.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who represents Lucknow in the Lok Sabha, on Monday filed his nomination papers. Singh is seeking a third term from the Lucknow Lok Sabha constituency, once represented by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

BJP national president JP Nadda conducted a roadshow in Nizampet.

Delhi Minister Gopal Rai will embark on a two-day tour of Gujarat to campaign for AAP candidates in the state. During his two-day tour beginning Tuesday, he will hold roadshows, 'jan sabhas' and interactions with party workers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday trained his guns on NCP leader Sharad Pawar, and blamed “wandering souls” for ushering in an era of political instability in Maharashtra 45 years ago. Though he did not name Pawar, it was apparent that the reference was to the Maratha politician’s rebellion against then chief minister Vasantdada Patil in 1978.

The ruling CPI(M) in Kerala on Monday defended party veteran and LDF convenor E P Jayarajan and said there was nothing wrong with his meeting with senior BJP leader Prakash Javadekar.

The BJP and RSS want to subvert and change the Constitution, which gives rights to the poor and protects their future, but the people are aware of this attack, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Monday.

Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Yadav on Monday claimed the ruling BJP is scared of Mulayam Singh Yadav's family and warned that the more its leaders speak against this family, the more the victory margin of SP will be in the Lok Sabha elections.

"Because of the appeasement by Congress and INDI alliance, when terrorism increased in the country, Congress hatched another deep conspiracy, Pune land is its witness," he said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a roadshow in Guwahati.

"Your MP never visits you or stays here. They did nothing for you in the last 5 years," she said.

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann held a roadshow in Rupnagar, in support of party's Anandpur Sahib candidate Malvinder Singh Kang.

Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) released its second list of candidates for the upcoming general elections.

"Army families of Satara are happy looking at the Indian Army who're becoming self-reliant," he said.

Shiv Sena candidate from Mumbai South Central- Rahul Shewale filed his nomination for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024  in the presence of Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde.

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia's wife Priyadarshini Raje Scindia and his son Mahanaaryaman Scindia campaigned in Shivpuri's Kolaras market in support of her husband on Sunday. The Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) has fielded Jyotiraditya Scindia from the Guna seat.

During a public gathering in Solapur, Maharashtra, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said this is the second time he came to Solapur in 2024. "When I came in January, I had brought something, I had come to to fulfil your rights and to give you all something. But today, I have come to ask you something, and I have come to ask because I want to give a lot in the future..." he added. 

PM Narendra Modi met Mohini Gowda, a fruit seller from Ankola, during his recent visit to Sirsi in Karnataka. PM Modi also participated in a public rally in Sirsi, Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka. On his arrival at the helipad, he first met Mohini Gowda

Congress candidate Akshay Bam has withdrawn his nomination from Indore Lok Sabha constituency.  Now there is no big challenge before BJP candidate Shankar Lalwani in Indore. Akshay had sought ticket from seat number four in the last assembly elections, but he was not given the ticket. This time Congress had given him ticket in the Lok Sabha elections.

BJP candidate from Delhi North West-Yogender Chandoliya holds a roadshow in Delhi, before filing his nomination. Congress has fielded Udit Raj from Delhi North West Lok Sabha seat.

Parampal Kaur Sidhu, the BJP candidate from the Bathinda Lok Sabha seat, does not see a big challenge in sitting MP and SAD nominee Harsimrat Kaur Badal, claiming there is a “massive" anti-incumbency against her. The Bathinda constituency is considered a stronghold of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) with Harsimrat Kaur Badal, a former Union minister and wife of SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, bagging the seat in the 2009, 2014 and 2019 general elections. She has been fielded again from the seat by the SAD.

BJP's candidate from Puri Lok Sabha seat, Sambit Patra held a roadshow in Puri ahead of filing his nomination papers today. Congress has fielded Sucharita Mohanty from this seat. Puri will vote on May 25. 

Public representatives and BJP workers warmly received Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami upon his arrival in Lucknow to attend the nomination filing of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. 

Rajnath Singh, the Defense Minister and BJP's nominee from the Lucknow Lok Sabha constituency, commenced his day with prayers at the Hanuman Setu Temple in Lucknow. He will file his nomination papers today. The Samajwadi Party has put forward Ravidas Mehrotra as their candidate against Singh. Lucknow constituents will cast their votes in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 20.

Unlike other political parties, winning or losing elections does not matter to the Mera Adhikaar Rashtriya Dal (MARD), which has jumped into the electoral battle to be the voice of the ‘mard’ and to defend men’s honour. MARD has lost deposits on all seats it has contested so far since it was formed in 2018 but its leaders say they are undeterred by elections losses. The party has released its ‘MANifesto’ for the ongoing Lok Sabha polls with the slogan "Beton ke samman me, ‘mard’ utre maidan me" (In honour of sons, men have stepped on to the battleground). The party has so far announced candidates for three seats - Lucknow, Ranchi and Gorakhpur.
 

The nomination process for the sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections to be held on May 25 in which 57 constituencies, including seven from Delhi, will go to polls commenced on Monday. The Election Commission issued a notification on behalf of the President starting the nomination process. According to the notification, May 6 is the last date for filing nominations, while scrutiny of documents will be held on May 7. May 9 is the last date for withdrawal of candidature.

Congress Nizamabad constituency candidate T Jeevan Reddy interacted with farmers of Ankapur village in Telangana and took stock of their grievances. BJP has fielded its sitting MP Arvind Dharmapuri from this seat. Voting for all 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana will be held on May 13.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, eyeing his third term from the Lucknow parliamentary constituency, is set to file his nomination today. According to reports, special arrangements have been made for the filing process to accommodate support from various sectors of society.

A group of Congress workers held a protest near the office of the party’s Northeast Delhi’s candidate for Lok Sabha polls Kanhaiya Kumar, demanding a local person to be nominated from the seat. The protest was held near the Maujpur metro station. Navdeep Sharma, one of the protesters, said they want a local candidate from the seat. "We want our own candidate or leader to fight otherwise, we should have a meeting so that we can express our feelings with the high command. We need a local candidate from among us; we don't want an outsider. Our dissatisfaction is not with anyone; we don't have any problem with anyone,” Sharma told the media. 

The Aam Aadmi Party claimed the Election Commission has "banned" its Lok Sabha campaign song "Jail Ka Jawab, Vote Se Denge", but officials of the Delhi poll body said AAP was asked to modify the contents of the song since it violated EC's guidelines and advertising codes. The over two-minute campaign song, penned and sung by AAP MLA Dilip Pandey, was released at the party headquarters on last Thursday.

The repolling at a polling station in Hanur which falls under Chamarajanagar Parliamentary Constituency in Karnataka will begin at 7 am today. This comes as voting in this constituency was declared void by the Election Commission on the basis of reports submitted by the Returning Officer and General Observer for Chamrajnagar Constituency and after taking all material circumstances into account.