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Narendra Modi said on Tuesday the opposition Congress and the Samajwadi Party have competed in the appeasement of their vote bank and called both parties «anti-development». «The SP and Congress are more concerned about their vote bank than Kumbh (mela),» he said, addressing a rally in the region known for the Kumbh mela and the 'Triveni Sangam'. «This election of 2024 will decide the direction in which the Triveni of India's future will flow,» Modi said. The prime minister said the members of the INDIA block cannot digest praise of India abroad.

Narendra Modi on Tuesday launched a fresh attack on the Congress, accusing its top leaders, including first PM Jawaharlal Nehru, of having «opposed» reservations for deprived castes. «Had it not been for Baba Saheb Ambedkar, Nehru would have never agreed to quotas for SCs, STs and OBCs. Nehru had made his views clear on the issue in letters he wrote to the then chief ministers in the country», claimed Modi at a rally in Purbi Champaran Lok Sabha constituency in Bihar. «This has been the Congress' trait under successive prime ministers. Be it, Indira Gandhi or Rajiv Gandhi, they all opposed reservations. SCs, STs and OBCs have never got respect from the Congress», the PM added. Modi made the allegation while lashing out at the opposition for spreading a «falsehood» that the BJP, upon return to power with a brute majority, could scrap quotas by changing the Constitution.

public life for indulging in Hindu-Muslim rhetoric everyday and «fostering hatred» in society, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has said. In an interview to PTI, Kharge alleged PM Modi's intentions are not clean as he is giving daily "hate speeches" with Hindu-Muslim rhetoric during the poll campaign. Noting that the PM talks about «taking away buffaloes» and «giving 15 percent budget to Muslims», Kharge said, «By saying such things, he is himself creating division in society». «On the other hand he claims that he has no right to be in public life if he talks Hindu-Muslim. As you talk such things everyday, you should quit public life,» the Congress president said.

Delhi will observe dry days from 6 PM on May 23 to 6 PM on May 25, due to the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections 2024. This decision, mandated by the Election Commission of India (ECI), aims to maintain public order and ensure a fair and peaceful election process. Directive from the Election Commission The ECI has directed that all wine shops and bars in the affected constituencies, as well as adjacent constituencies, will remain closed during this period. «All wine shops and bars will be closed on polling day to maintain public order,» stated the ECI directive. This measure is crucial for preventing any disruptions on election day.

INDI alliance has been completely defeated in the fifth phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections polling which was held on Monday. PM Modi also said that India of the 21st century can't march ahead with the «sins» of the INDI alliance. Addressing a public meeting in Bihar's Champaran. PM Modi said, «In the fifth phase, the INDI alliance has been completely defeated. India of the 21st Century cannot move forward with the sins of the INDI alliance. And that is why in every election the public is strongly attacking parties like Congress and RJD. On June 4, there will be an attack on corruption, politics of appeasement, tukde tukde gang...»

State Bank of India has maintained its position and once again declined to share the standard operating procedures (SOPs) given to its branches for the sale and redemption of electoral bonds, reported The Times of India. The bank justified the denial by saying the information sought was held by the bank in "commercial confidence', was the "intellectual property of the bank" and the internal guidelines were strictly meant for the dealing staff. Anjali Bhardwaj, a transparency activist, filed an application on March 4 to request SOPs issued by SBI starting from April 2017. After the bank denied the information on March 30, she decided to appeal to the first appellate authority (FAA) of SBI. Feeling unsatisfied with the response received on May 17 from the FAA, Bhardwaj has now decided to appeal against the denial to the Central Information Commission (CIC).

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal, who has charged assault allegations against Delhi Chief Minister's aide Bibhav Kumar lashed out at Delhi ministers and AAP leaders for «spreading lies» about "corruption FIR" against her and threatened to file a lawsuit against them. In a post on X, Swati Maliwal claimed that her status in the party changed from «Lady Singham» to "BJP agent" right after she filed a complaint against now-arrested Kumar. «According to them, I was 'Lady Singham' until I filed a complaint against Bibhav Kumar and today I have become a BJP agent? „I will take you to court for every lie you spread!“ Maliwal said in a post on Monday.

Lok Sabha constituency on Monday saw its highest polling ever at about 59%, said Jammu and Kashmir chief electoral officer PK Pole.

Sambalpur: Sambalpur is going to be one of the most watched Lok Sabha constituencies in Odisha where both the BJP and Biju Janata Dal have put their best foot forward.

Rohtak | Kosli: Rohtak was always perceived to be the pocket borough of the Hoodas till Deepender Hooda lost the 2019 elections by a narrow margin. This time, it is a battle of prestige for the family — everyone from Deepender's wife to his mother are all on the field to ensure his victory.

Calcutta High Court on Monday came down heavily on the Election Commission of India for not resolving complaints filed by political parties during the Lok Sabha elections.

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday again slammed Bharat Sevashram Sangha monk Kartick Mahraj for allegedly instigating riots in Murshidabad's Rejinagar during Ram Navami, arguing he must officially use the BJP's symbol as he was allegedly promoting the party's cause.

Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who is contesting from Sambalpur, said the Opposition shouldn't have a problem if the BJP is ambitious. In an interview with ET, the BJP leader also spoke on Opposition's claims and the party's plan for Odisha. Excerpts:

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday appealed to the BJP to keep Lord Jagannath above the political discourse, after the saffron party's Puri candidate Sambit Patra's remark that the state's most revered deity is a «devotee of Prime Minister Narendra Modi» sparked a stir. Patra, however, later clarified that it was a slip of tongue and he wanted to mean that the PM was an ardent 'bhakt' (devotee) of Lord Jagannath and not the other way round.

Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday slapped a show cause notice on former Union Minister Jayant Sinha for not taking part in campaigning after Manish Jaiswal was declared candidate from the Hazaribag Lok Sabha seat and thereby «maligning» the party's image. Sinha, son of former Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha, is the sitting MP of Hazaribagh.

polling was recorded in Ladakh on Monday in the election to decide the fate of three candidates in the fray for the lone Lok Sabha seat in the Union territory, polling officials said here. They also said that the voter turnout in Kargil was 71.45 per cent and 62.50 per cent in Leh.

Rohini Acharya on Monday, addressed her Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) opponent, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, as "uncle" and sought his blessings for her electoral success.

BJP has «not just today but never» acted against them. He, however, made it clear that he is not ready to accept anyone as "special citizens". The comments in an interview to PTI Videos late Sunday is Modi's most unequivocal on minorities amid an outcry from the opposition that his election speeches are communally divisive and polarising.

Lok Sabha constituencies, Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar said that police personnel were deployed at polling booths yesterday itself.

Re-election has been recommended to the Election Commission at a polling booth in Aliganj village under Etah district and is part of Farrukhabad Lok Sabha constituency after a video of a youth casting multiple votes went viral on social media platforms.

Lok Sabha elections, BJP candidate from Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha seat, Ujjwal Nikam, on Monday hoped that all Mumbaikars would exercise their right to vote.