Rahul Gandhi in Rajasthan; Lok Sabha Election 2019 updates: Handful of businessmen are Narendra Modi's masters, says Congress chief

Rahul Gandhi in Rajasthan live updates

Rahul Gandhi takes aim at Modi, asks if ‘chowkidaar’ was seen outside homes of farmers, labourers

Congress president Rahul Gandhi was quoted by ANI as saying at a rally in Jaipur, “Have you ever seen a chowkidar outside the house of farmers, labourers and unemployed youth? How many chowkidars are there near Anil Ambani’s house? There is a queue of chowkidars and Modi ji is standing first in that queue.”

Demonetisation biggest scam of the century, says Congress’ Anand Sharma

Terming demonetisation as the biggest scam of the century, Congress leader Anand Sharma Thursday said people of the country were “cheated” by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who made “false” promises to them.

“Modi is the first prime minister in whose tenure black money was used openly and he says that there is no corruption in his governance. The biggest scam of the century is demonetisation,” Sharma said at a press conference.

If the Congress comes to power at the Centre, a judicial probe commission will be set up, accountability will be fixed and people responsible for the note ban will be punished, he added.

Due to demonetisation, the former commerce minister said, the economy suffered and the country’s GDP reduced by 2 per cent while 86 per cent of the money in circulation in the markets disappeared.

PTI

Mamata Banerjee invokes Sepoy Mutiny for her oust Modi campaign

Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Thursday invoked the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 to draw a parallel with the efforts by her Trinamool Congress to dislodge the​ Narendra Modi government in the ongoing parliamentary polls.

“Sepoy Mutiny was the first uprising against the British in India. Now the biggest threat and problem in the country is Narendra Modi,” she said at a rally in support of​ TMC MP Dinesh Trivedi, who is pitted against BJP’s Arjun Singh.

PTI

‘Congress, gathbandhan’ two sides of the same coin’: BJP’s GVL Narasimha Rao

Addressing a press conference, BJP leader GVL Narasimha Rao said, “The gathbandhan and Congress are two sides of the same coin. They can also indulge in corruption, toy with the country’s security, and engage in politics of caste and community,

Nationalism means respect for people, don’t see respect in anything BJP does: Priyanka 

True nationalism means love of the people and for the country but the BJP mirrors neither love nor respect in anything it does, says Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

Stepping up her attack on the saffron party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for failing to address real issues, Priyanka Gandhi said there will be consequences if the voice of the people is drowned by the voice of one leader.

In an exclusive interview to PTI, the Congress leader also said there is growing “public anger and pain” for which the people of India will give a message to Modi on May 23 when the votes for the Lok Sabha polls will be counted. 

“I believe true nationalism is love of the people and love for the country, which means respect and I do not see respect for the people in anything they are doing,” Priyanka Gandhi said in an interview during her campaign through the constituencies represented by her mother and brother.

While Sonia Gandhi is the MP from Rae Bareli, Rahul Gandhi represents Amethi in the Lok Sabha.  

“Nationalism means solving the problems of the people of the country. The greatest patriotism of any politician, of any government, would be to be able to hear the people when they speak, would be to be democratic, to be able to strengthen the institutions that strengthen the public voice, not weaken it,” Priyanka Gandhi said. 

PTI

Yogi Adityanath in Rajasthan latest updates

‘Modi hai toh mumkin hai’, says Yogi Adityanath on Masood Azhar being named as global terrorist

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Thursday credited  Prime Minister Narendra Modi for UN’s designation of JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, saying it proves “Modi hai to Mumkin hai”.

The UN Sanctions Committee on Wednesday designated the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Azhar a global terrorist after China lifted its hold on a proposal to ban him.

At an election rally in Rajasthan’s Hanumangarh, Adityanath termed the Congress a “threat to the country” and asked people to think whether the party, along with the supporters of Pakistan, wants to compromise with the nation’s security.

PTI

Amit Shah slams Congress for promise to scrap sedition law

During a rally, BJP chief Amit Shah referred to the Congress’ promise to scrap the sedition law, and said, “On one hand, there is the Congress party, which says that it will repeal the provision relating to sedition. On the other hand is the BJP, which asks you to make Narendra Modi the prime minister again, so that we will scrap Article 370 of the Constitution.”

Decide before 6 May on complaints against Shah, Modi, SC tells EC 

The Supreme Court asked the Election Commission to decide before 6 May, the date of Phase 5 of the election, the nine complaints filed by Congress party against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct.

Priyanka Gandhi in Uttar Pradesh latest updates

Congress general secretary hits out over changes made to video tape shared by BJP

“I stopped children from saying slogans which I think weren’t correct about the PM. BJP edited the tape, removed the part where I was stopping them and they are making this allegation (that Priyanka used children in her campaign), which is typical of them. What they do is twist the truth, what I do is I speak the truth,” she said.

The video showing children hurling abuses at Narendra Modi in the presence of Priyanka was widely shared by BJP workers, including Smriti Irani, but did not have the part where the Congress leader was seen asking the children not to hurl abuses.

Independent candidates from Varanasi accuse EC of bias towards Narendra Modi 

A large number of disgruntled citizens have made a beeline for Varanasi to pin Prime Minister Narendra Modi down in this key electoral battlefield. Most of them know they will not be able to defeat him, but they will use the forum this high-profile constituency provides to highlight long-standing grievances before the nation.

Over a hundred candidates filed their nomination papers as Independent candidates from Varanasi, but these were pared down to around 26. As so many nominations were axed, several candidates accused the Election Commission of bias towards Modi.

Rahul Gandhi in Jharkhand latest update

Congress chief tweets photographs of Simdega rally

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi addressed a rally in Simdega today and tweeted photographs from it, shortly afterwards.

Rahul Gandhi in Jharkhand latest update

Congress chief meets people standing outside helipad wall

Before take off, after his rally at Simdega in Jharkhand, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi met some of the youngsters who were waiting to catch a glimpse of him outside the helipad.

Priyanka Gandhi in Uttar Pradesh latest updates

Priyanka hits back at critics, says Congress can win on its own

Issuing a scathing clarification of her earlier comment on fielding candidates who could ensure that the BJP’s vote share can be diminished, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi said today that she would rather die than help the BJP. SP’s Akhilesh Yadav and BSP leader Mayawati had both interpreted her earlier comments as secret collusion between BJP and Congress.

Amit Shah in Madhya Pradesh latest updates

BJP chief touches upon Masood Azhar, lauds Modi’s diplomacy

Bashing Rahul Gandhi for allegedly trying to be close to terrorists, Amit Shah said at his Rajgarh rally that the United Nation’s listing of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief as a global terrorist had been thanks to Narendra Modi’s diplomacy.

Amit Shah in Madhya Pradesh latest updates

BJP chief speaks of party defeat in state

Speaking at his first rally of the day at Madhya Pradesh’s Rae Bareli, BJP chief Amit Shah admitted that the people of Madhya Pradesh must have wanted a change even though former chief minister “Shivraj Singh Chouhan had done a lot for the state.” Shah said that even though the BJP had won more votes, it got fewer seats. He also went on a ritual tirade against the Sonia Gandhi-Manmohan Singh regime and sought to highlight how they had reduced the rate of development and upliftment of poor people.

Shah also accused Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath of corruption and said barely four months after Nath assumed the chair, his “friend’s” house has been raided and Rs 281 crore recovered.

Jailtey, Sitharaman credit PM with effort to list Masood Azhar

In a press conference, BJP leaders Nirmala Sitharaman and Arun Jaitley sought to firmly place the credit of the United Nations listing Jaish chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist on the Narendra Modi government. The party highlighted repeated visits made by the prime minister to nations in order to secure the listing.

“Untiring efforts were undertaken by the Prime Minister in isolating Pakistan and underlying the need to declare globally recognized but unannounced till last evening the terror mastermind Masood Azhar as a terrorist,” Sitharaman said.

Process of listing Masood Azhar was started by Congress, says Chidambaram

Congress leader and UPA finance minister P Chidambaram sought to remind people that “After Masood Azhar masterminded the Mumbai terror attack in 2008, the process to name him as a global terrorist was started by a Congress/UPA government in 2009.” In a three-part series of tweets, he blamed the BJP for setting the terrorist free in the first place.

Uttar Pradesh election latest updates

Akhilesh Yadav says Priyanka’s words an ’excuse’

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s claim to have fielded weak candidates to eat into BJP’s vote share in the Lok Sabha poll in the state has not cut any ice with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, who sees her statement as an “excuse” since the “people are not with them".

“I cannot believe in these types of statements. I do not believe that the Congress has fielded weak candidates anywhere. No party does it. People are not with them. That is why they are making excuses,” Yadav told ANI in an exclusive interview. Priyanka on Wednesday had said in Raebareli that her party had fielded some candidates in UP with an aim to cut into BJP’s vote share. 

Priyanka Gandhi in Rae Bareli latest updates

Congress general secretary slams BJP for ruining mother Sonia’s projects in Rae Bareli

A day after saying that the Congress had fielded candidates in Uttar Pradesh keeping in mind that they do not eat into the vote share of the SP-BSP-RLD gathbandhan, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi reiterated on the back of complaints by Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati that BJP and Congress were united, that the two parties were “poles apart.” She said, “We’ll always fight them (BJP), they are our main adversary in politics. We’ve made sure not to benefit BJP in any way. We’re fighting strongly, our candidates are strong,”

Priyanka Gandhi in Rae Bareli latest updates

Congress general secretary slams BJP for ruining mother Sonia’s projects in Rae Bareli

Priyanka Gandhi has had a busy day replete with snakes and hectic campaigns. Addressing a rally in Rae Bareli in support of her mother and Congress candidate from the constituency Sonia Gandhi, she said Congress has always worked for the people of the country. “Sonia ji brought so many projects which would’ve benefited the people but ever since the BJP came to power, these projects have been put on hold and the government has never worked to complete the pending projects,” she said.

BSP election campaign latest updates

Mayawati accuses BJP of harnessing Masood Azhar

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati said today that the BJP government had once made Masood Azhar “a guest” and later freed him. “Now at the time of elections they are trying to gather votes in his name, it is condemnable,” said Mayawati.

SC asks EC to decide on rescheduling poll timings during Ramzan

The Supreme Court has asked the Election Commission to decide on pleas for re-scheduling the voting time from 7 am to 5 am in the upcoming phases of the general election during the month of Ramzan and due to heat-wave conditions in Rajasthan and other areas.

Longer version of video shows Priyanka asked kids to not abuse Modi

While BJP leaders including Smriti Irani have slammed Priyanka Gandhi for allegedly encouraging the children in the video to shout slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a longer version of the video shows that Priyanka and others had stopped the children from using the slogans.

In the full version of the video below, Priyanka is seen wagging her finger and asking the children not to say the line.

https://twitter.com/SaralPatel/status/1123181663360393216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1123181663360393216&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiatoday.in%2Felections%2Flok-sabha-2019%2Fstory%2Fsmriti-irani-priyanka-gandhi-vadra-children-abusing-pm-modi-video-1514200-2019-05-01

NCPCR writes to EC over video in which children seen abusing Modi

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has written to the Election Commission of India regarding a video in which children were seen using abusive language for Prime Minister Narendra Modi before Congress General Secretary for eastern Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

The commission went on to add that in a letter on 20 January, 2017, it had asked EC “to ensure that children are not involved for election purposes and also, had recommended to all national parties to not to use children for distribution of posters/pamphlets, participate in slogan shouting, rallies, etc.

ANI

Amit Shah in Madhya Pradesh latest updates

BJP chief to campaign in Sehore, party yet to declare candidate in seat

BJP president Amit Shah will address rallies at Rajgarh, Sehore, and Neemuch in Madhya Pradesh. Sehore is part of Vidisha Lok Sabha constituency and is considered one of the most high-profile seats in the State. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is sitting MP from here and in 2014 had defeated Congress candidate Lakshman Singh with a huge margin. Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan has represented this seat in past.

EC gives second clean chit to Narendra Modi

The Election Commission on Wednesday concluded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech in Latur in April in which he had urged first time voters to dedicate their votes in the name of the Balakot air strike heroes and the soldiers killed in the Pulwama attack, is not violative of its instructions on invoking armed forces in poll campaigns. It also found that Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath’s remarks on defence forces were not violative of the model code.

EC gives second clean chit to Narendra Modi

The Election Commission on Wednesday concluded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech in Latur in April in which he had urged first time voters to dedicate their votes in the name of the Balakot air strike heroes and the soldiers killed in the Pulwama attack, is not violative of its instructions on invoking armed forces in poll campaigns. It also found that Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath’s remarks on defence forces were not violative of the model code.

Rahul Gandhi in Rajasthan latest updates

Congress chief to speak in Jaipur a day after Modi

Rahul Gandhi will also address a rally at Jaipur on Thursday. Given the fact that Modi had also addressed a rally on Wednesday in Jaipur, easy comparison between the rallies of the two leaders is likely to take place.

The incumbent MP from Jaipur is BJP’s Ramcharan Bohara who had defeated the Congress candidate in 2014 with a record margin of over 5.39 lakh votes, the largest in the state. In 2009 elections, Congress candidate Mahesh Joshi had won with a thin margin of 16000 votes.

In 2014 it was the infighting within the Congress that contributed to its defeat and this time various reports suggest that the BJP is plagued by the same ailment.

Rahul Gandhi in Jharkhand latest updates

Congress chief to campaign in BJP stronghold of Simdega

Congress president Rahul Gandhi will visit Jharkhand where he will address a rally at Simdega followed by a public meeting at Jaipur, Rajasthan. Simdega, where Rahul Gandhi will address a rally, is part of Khunti Lok Sabha constituency. Bharatiya Janata Party has won this seat six times since 1991 and lost to Congress only in 2004.

BJP this time has fielded Jharkhand’s three-term chief minister Arjun Munda as its candidate from this seat. In 2014 BJP registered a massive victory in Jharkhand where it won 12 out 14 Lok Sabha seats. Though this time, the party faces a tougher challenge than previous years because all its opponents — Congress, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) (JVM (P), and Rashtriya Janata Dal — have come together to form a coalition and prevent division of anti-BJP vote.

Gujarat election latest updates  

Shankersinh Vaghela calls Pulwama a BJP conspiracy

The Pulwama terror attack was the BJP’s conspiracy as was Godhra, former Gujarat chief minister Shankersinh Vaghela here on Wednesday. “The vehicle with RDX which was used in Pulwama attack bore the registration initial of Gujarat, GJ. Godhra was a conspiracy,” said Vaghela, who is now in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

Rahul Gandhi gets EC notice for saying Modi govt enacted law allowing tribals to be ‘shot at’

The Election Commission on Wednesday issued a show cause notice to Congress president Rahul Gandhi for his alleged remarks that the Narendra Modi government has enacted a new law which allows tribal to be shot at.

Citing his speech made at Shahdol in Madhya Pradesh on 23 April, the commission pointed at a provision of the model code which bars “unverified” allegations to be levelled against political opponents.

BJP election campaign latest updates

Masood Azhar likely to dominate Amit Shah’s campaign speeches

A day after announcing the news of the United Nations designating Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist at a rally in Jaipur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be taking a break from campaigning on Thursday. But what the Bharatiya Janata Party is touting as a  “big diplomatic win” for India will be sure to come up in the speeches at rallies that party chief Amit Shah has lined up in Madhya Pradesh.

Shah is expected to address rallies in Madhya Pradesh’s Rajgarh, Neemuch and Sehore.