Lok Sabha Election 2019 LIVE updates: Rahul, Priyanka campaign across Uttar Pradesh, turn up heat on Narendra Modi in rallies

Modi biopic makers write to Election Commission again

Makers of the biopic PM Narendra Modi have written to the Election Commission seeking clarification on its decision staying its release. In a letter, the producers have written, “We seek clarification in this regard from your office as we intend to promote the film in areas which are no more affected by MCC, after end of polling on 29 April, 2019.”

Priyanka Gandhi in Unnao latest updates

IN PHOTOS: Congress leader in roadshow through town

Priyanka Gandhi is leading a roadshow through Unnao on the last day of campaigns before the Phase 4 on Saturday.

IN PHOTOS: Priyanka, Rahul pose for the cameras while campaigning

Campaigns in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday led to a photo opportunity for the Gandhi siblings who found a light moment in a busy day. While Rahul Gandhi held rallies at Amethi and Rae Bareli, sister Priyanka led a roadshow at Unnao and then a rally at Barabanki.

Priyanka Gandhi in Unnao latest updates

Congress general secretary hits out at PM for ignoring constituency

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, whose missed opportunity to contest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the Varanasi constituency has been the subject of hot debate since Congress announced Ajay Rai’s name from the seat has criticised Modi for not initiating any “vikas” in his home constituency. “I went to Varanasi and I did not see any development. He (Modi) will never come among the people and see their plight,” said Priyanka before beginning her roadshow at Unnao.

Rahul Gandhi in Rae Bareli latest updates

Modi reads from a teleprompter, says Congress chief

Touring his home constituency of Amethi and his mother Sonia Gandhi’s seat of Rae Bareli, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday accused Narendra Modi of lying to the nation for the last five years. “In his speeches now, you will notice that he does not speak about employment, farmers or Rs 15 lakh anymore. He speaks by looking at the teleprompter which is controlled by a controller from behind. Such times are about to change,” Rahul said.

Narendra Modi in Sitapur latest updates

PM says he asked scientists to devise ASAT missle

“The Congress government was scared of other countries. For me, the nation came first. So I asked scientists to devise a technology for neutralising threats. Now we are among the first four nations of the world who can do that,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said of the ASAT missile test at his Sitapur rally on Saturday. 

He added that earlier, the Congress government which would prioritise its own dynasty’s safety would beg at the doorsteps of other countries. “Now, it is Pakistan who is begging at other countries’ doorsteps,” Modi said.

Narendra Modi in Sitapur latest updates

PM hits out at ’lack of strengh’ in Opposition alliances 

In this third and final rally of the day at Sitapur, Narendra Modi took credit for making India a household name across the world. He said he had not only delivered on issues that he had promised earlier but also drew attention to how the Opposition alliances are ostensibly constituted of leaders who do not want to be seen together. “Have you ever seen Sharad Pawar with Congress leaders in Maharashtra?” he asked. 

Divorce rumours intended to harass husband, says Biplab Deb’s wife

Niti Deb, the wife of Tripura chief minister Biplab Deb, on Saturday rubbished divorce rumours and called them an effort to harass her husband. Speaking to News18, Niti said, “I am really surprised with this development. I was away from my house for just 15 days and these rumours started circulating. I am more worried for my children, how will they react when they get to know?”

BJP slams Shatrughan for Jinnah comment with cartoon

Hot in the heels of party chief Amit Shah alleging that it is the nature of Congress leaders to laud people like Mohammad Ali Jinnah who have tried to divide the nation, the BJP’s Twitter handle uploaded a tongue-in-cheek animation on the issue.

Narendra Modi in Uttar Pradesh latest updates

PM hits out at Mayawati over Ambedkar once again

At Hardoi, the Prime Minister repeated his Kannauj arguments about Mayawati insulting the legacy of Babasaheb Ambedkar and alleged that she did not have much respect for him. He also said the Bahujan Samaj Party chief has co-opted Ambedkar for votes.

Narendra Modi in Uttar Pradesh latest updates

PM takes credit for bringing phone manufacturing companies to country

At his second rally of the day at Hardoi in Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “Before I became Prime Minister, when there used to be a remote control government, there were only two mobile phone manufacturing companies in the country, now within five years there are more than 125 factories manufacturing mobiles in India.” 

Amit Shah in Odisha latest updates

BJP chief hits out at Shatrughan over ‘Jinnah’ comment

Speaking at Odisha’s Mayurbhanj, in his second rally of the day, Amit Shah spoke with quite some aggression against the Congress and the Biju Janata Dal, both. But without skipping a beat since the controversy broke over Shatrughan Sinha lauding Mohammad Ali Jinnah as a Congress great, Shah lashed out at the former BJP leader and said, “It is the nature of Congress to laud people who worked towards dividing India.”

Withdraw Pragya’s ticket if PM truly respects police, says Milind Deora

Mumbai Congress president Milind Deora has said if Prime Minister Narendra Modi truly respects the Maharashtra Police, he should withdraw the candidature of

Malegaon blast accused Pragya Singh Thakur, who is contesting as a BJP nominee from Bhopal Lok Sabha constituency.

Deora also said that Modi’s focus on emotive issues, rather than the real ones, during his speech in Mumbai on Friday is a clear indicator of the “failure” of his government in delivering on key issues, like employment. Modi addressed a rally at BKC ground here on Friday, ahead of 29 April polling for six seats in Mumbai and 11 seats in Maharashtra.

PTI

Shatrughan does a U-turn, says he meant ‘Maulana Azad’ not ‘Jinnah’

Shatrughan Sinha, newly anointed Congress member and the party’s candidate from Bihar’s Patna Sahib is no stranger to slips of tongue. He had one the very afternoon he joined Congress, when he said that the party’s chief in Bihar had done great work for the “BJP in Gujarat”. On Saturday, he decried his Friday speech where he had said “from Mahatma Gandhi to Muhammad Ali Jinnah, all are a part of Congress parivar” as a slip of tongue. “I wanted to say Maulana Azad but uttered Muhammad Ali Jinnah,” he added.

EC orders FIR to be registered against Gautam Gambhir 

Following a complaint by AAP East Delhi candidate Atishi, the Election Commission has ordered for an FIR to be registered against BJP’s East Delhi candidate Gautam Gambhir for owning two voter ID cards.

Let BJP explain why Shatrughan was in party for so many years, says Chidambaram

Congress leader P Chidambaram spoke on Shatrughan Sinha’s mention of Mohammad Ali Jinnah as among the Congress’s great leaders. ​"Shatrughan Sinha, whatever his views are, he must explain. But a few days ago, he was part of BJP. So let BJP explain why he was a part of BJP for so many years.I don’t have to explain statement of every member (Congress). I can only speak for party’s official position," Chidambaram added.

BJP’s blatantly discriminatory policies have brought Unnao’s leather industry to its knees, but no candidate acknowledges it

The once-prosperous tanning centres at Unnao’s Jajmao area and Kanpur, today wear a deserted look, with the tea sellers and scrap dealers moving base. Forced to shut down by an 18 November order for the Kumbh Mela, ostensibly to prevent the Ganga from being polluted with the waste from these tanneries, the centres remain closed even seven weeks after the religious gathering ended on 4 March.

Home to more than 400 large tanneries with an annual turnover of Rs 8,000 crore, Jajmao area was known for its leather products, with big players like Mirza Tanners and Taj Shoes setting up manufacturing units in the neighbourhood.

Congress election campaign latest updates

While Modi addressed first UP rally of day, Congress hit out at BJP over farmers’ crisis

At around the same time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was attacking the Opposition at his rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Kannauj, Congress, through its official Twitter account, said the jugaljodi of Modi and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adiyanath has spelled disaster for the state.

BJP election campaign latest updates

Vinod Khanna’s wife Kavita hits out at BJP over nominating Sunny Deol from Gurdaspur

In a press conference on Saturday, actor-turned-politician Vinod Khanna’s widow Kavita said she had been ready to file papers from Gurdaspur, a ticket which ultimately went to actor and new BJP joinee Sunny Deol. “I felt hurt because I understand party the has right to decide candidate but there is a way of doing it, and the way it was done I felt abandoned and rejected, I was made to feel insignificant,” Kavita said.

Rahul Gandhi in Uttar Pradesh latest updates

Congress chief to return to party’s mainstay today

Rahul Gandhi will campaign across Amethi, from where he is contesting, and Rae Bareli, where is mother Sonia is contesting from.

Narendra Modi in Kannauj latest updates

Modi slams Mayawati for betraying roots, lists out measures for farmers in great detail

At his Kannauj rally, Narendra Modi listed out the alleged measures his government had taken to safeguard the interests of farmers. He went into quite some detail over the pricing regulation, cold storages and farm insurances put in place in Uttar Pradesh, ostensibly to counter any anti-government sentiment among farmers suffering in the state.

He also struck the Bahujan Samaj Party’s chief Mayawati, saying that she has betrayed her roots of fighting for backward classes by siding with those who had “insulted” BR Ambedkar, “just to defeat Modi”. 

Narendra Modi in Kannauj latest updates

Why do SP, BSP never bring up terrorists, asks PM

In his first rally of the day at Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was told by senior BJP leaders that in Uttar Pradesh, the election did not need to be fought at all as people had been voting so resoundingly for the BJP. He then turned the rhetoric towards his old refrain of terrorism and ways in which ’new India’ would enter houses of terrorists and kill them. “Why do the SP and BSP leaders never bring up terrorists, are they scared of terrorists or do they want to save them?” Modi asked.

Congress election campaign latest updates

Kamal Nath asks where money for Modi’s plane rides came from

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath on Saturday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should tell the nation who bears the expenses of his plane rides. “He should reply from where did he get the money to construct a Rs 700 crore office of BJP in Delhi. Then only he should ask me questions,” he said, presumably in reply to Modi’s attack on him and his government at Madhya Pradesh’s Banda on Friday.

Amit Shah in Palamu latest updates

BJP chief says generations of Congress leaders have failed to eradicate poverty

“The Congress talks about poverty eradication. This is what five generations have been saying. Jawaharlal Nehru has said garibi hatao, Indira Gandhi has said garibi hatao, Rajiv Gandhi has said garibi hatao, Sanjay Gandhi has said garibi hatao, Sonia Gandhi has said garibi hatao, but poverty could not be removed. But only Modi ji has taken concrete steps towards this and decided to provide electricity, toilets, gas cylinders and drinking water to every household in the country by 2022,” Amit Shah said in his Palamu rally. 

In the rally, Shah hit out at all the leaders of the grand alliance, saying Akhilesh Yadav, Mayawati, Chandrababu Naidu would take turns at being prime minister of the alliance’s government in the absence of a concrete face.

Amit Shah in Palamu latest updates

BJP chief hits out at Rahul at Jharkhand rally, says he takes holidays every two months

At his Palamu rally on Saturday, BJP chief Amit Shah began with a paean to Narendra Modi, whom he said he has been working with for the past 20 years. “In these 20 years, he has never taken a day’s holiday. But these mahamilavat’s leaders…especially Rahul baba goes on a holiday every two months. Every MP is worried, his mother is also worried. Yet Narendra Modi ji works tirelessly for 18 hours out of 24 hours a day,” the BJP chief said.

Congress election campaign latest updates

Shatrughan Sinha lauds Muhammad Ali Jinnah for playing role in India’s Independence

Shatrughan Sinha, who recently left BJP and joined Congress, on Friday lauded Muhammad Ali Jinnah along with Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru, saying they all had a role to play for India’s independence. “The Congress family has everyone from Mahatma Gandhi to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to Muhammad Ali Jinnah to Jawaharlal Nehru to the late Indira Gandhi to Rajiv Gandhi to Rahul Gandhi… This is one party which had the most important role in the development and freedom of the country. This is why I joined the Congress," he said. 

ANI

Congress election campaign latest updates

Was able to attend rallies in spite of aircraft snag, tweets Rahul Gandhi 

On Friday, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi was delayed by over three hours while on his way to Patna, after his flight developed technical issues. “I managed to attend all the rallies scheduled for today in Bihar, Odisha and Maharashtra,” the Congress chief wrote on Twitter.

Prakash Raj slams BJP over candidate’s lack of grasp over issues

Actor-turned-politician Prakash Raj, who is contesting from Bengaluru Central constituency as an independent candidate, on Friday hit out at the ruling BJP government by posting a video of its candidate Ranjeeta Koli who is contesting from Bharatpur Lok Sabha seat. In the video, Koli was apparently unable to reply to a question by a news reporter who asked her on the development she would like to bring in her constituency after winning the elections. 

Raj however incorrectly attributed the woman in the video to be the BJP candidate from Badaun, Uttar Pradesh. However, according to the party it has fielded Sanghamitra Maurya from Badaun Parliamentary constituency.

By opting out of Varanasi contest against Narendra Modi, Priyanka Gandhi chose her battles wisely

After Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s decision to refrain from contesting against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi, nothing resonates more forcefully than author C JoyBell C’s famous quote, “Choose your battles wisely. After all, life isn’t measured by how many times you stood up to fight.”

Surely, it would set the clock back of the slim chance of reviving the Congress in a state that sends 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha. Surely, it disappointed the party workers, who had hoped that the entry of the Congress general secretary for Eastern Uttar Pradesh would galvanise the party’s moribund organisational structure, attract the youth and bring Dalits and minorities back to the party fold once again.

BJP election campaign latest updates

Amit Shah to hold meetings at Jharkhand and Odisha

BJP president Amit Shah will cover Daltonganj in Jharkhand and Morada and Duburi in Odisha in campaigns today.

BJP election campaign latest updates

Narendra Modi to return to Uttar Pradesh for rallies in three places

Saturday marks the last day of campaigning in 71 Lok Sabha constituencies  which are headed to polls  in the fourth phase on Monday. With his big nomination day coming to an end, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will return to the campaign trail on Saturday when he will address public rallies at Kannauj, Hardoi and Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh.