Phase 5| LS Polls: 49 seats in fray; fate of Rahul Gandhi, BJP ministers and other prominent netas to be decided

Six states and two UTs vote in fifth phase Bihar: 5 seats Jammu and Kashmir: 1 seat Jharkhand: 3 seats Ladakh: 1 seat Maharashtra: 13 seats Odisha: 5 seats Uttar Pradesh: 14 seats West Bengal: 7 seats The fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections takes place today, with 49 constituencies from six states and two union territories voting, including India's financial capital Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh's capital Lucknow. Over 8.95 crore people, including 4.26 crore females and 5,409 third-gender electors, are eligible to vote in this round and 9.47 lakh polling officials have been deployed across 94,732 polling stations. Prominent candidates on the ballot include former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, BJP ministers Smriti Irani, Rajnath Singh, and Piyush Goyal, Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) leader Omar Abdullah, RJD chief Lalu Prasads daughter Rohini Acharya and Ram Vilas Paswans son Chirag Paswan. Five years ago, the Congress managed to win only one seat in Uttar Pradesh's Rae Bareli, while the BJP secured a dominant 32 seats. The undivided Shiv Sena, then allied with the BJP, took seven seats. Bihar's NDA partners Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and Janata Dal (United) each won one seat. Additionally, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) captured four seats, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) claimed two and the JKNC won one seat. Meanwhile, elections will also take place for 35 assembly constituencies in Odisha, with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik among the candidates on the ballot. Patnaik is contesting from two assembly segments: Hinjili under the Aska Lok Sabha seat in Ganjam district and Kantabanji under the Bolangir parliamentary constituency. The first four phases were held for a combined 380 seats, with voting concluding for all seats in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Karnataka, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Telangana, Nagaland, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Sikkim, and Tripura. Similarly, polling has also finished in the union territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry. The fifth and sixth phases of the general elections will be held on May 25 and June 1, respectively. The fate of the 18th Lok Sabha will be determined on June 4. Fate of five Modi ministers at stake in 14 UP seats The political heartland of India will seal the fate of five Union ministers today. The 14 seats comprise not only Congress citadelsRae Bareli and Amethibut also Ayodhya, the nerve centre of the BJP's Hindutva plank. In fact, this phase will decide the tone and tenor of the sixth and seventh rounds, which will be concentrated across 27 seats in Purvanchal. Moreover, four constituencies in Bundelkhand will decide whether to let the BJP achieve a hat-trick or vote for change. UP's Faizabad constituency, comprising Ayodhya, could be easily mistaken for the nerve centre of temple politics but if past Lok Sabha elections are anything to go by, the poll outcome in this temple town has mostly been tied to the caste factor. And the 2024 LS poll is no different. LS polls: Caste looms over temple in Ayodhya Lok Sabha polls: Lord Ram on my side, says Samajwadi Party candidate in Ayodhya fight Amethi: A tryst with destiny that wasnt to be Amethi was waiting for Rahul Gandhi. When he decided to make Rae Bareli his second arena, as part of his much-awaited return to north India, it undoubtedly became a bit of a letdown for his supporters. A proxy war has been raging since, with Smriti Irani left stranded in a lonely fight for weeks before the Congress made up its mind. If insiders are to be believed, INDIA bloc leaders strongly advised the GOP not to let any part of the election become a clash of big names. Avoid Smriti vs Rahul contest, it was said. For that would have hogged the headlines, overshadowing all else. It was to be made localor rather, issue-based. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON THE PULSE IN AMETHI Battleground Bihar: Can Lalu's daughter carry his legacy? The five seats going to polls in Bihar will witness new candidates in four seats and a turncoat trying his luck in the remaining one. In the high-profile seat of Saran, Rohini Acharya is pitted against BJP MP and former Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy. Acharya, who hit the headlines for donating one of her kidneys to her father, RJD chief and former chief minister Lalu Prasad, is making her debut in electoral politics. Saran is considered the home ground of Lalu Prasad, who had represented the seat four times before being disqualified after his conviction in cases linked to a multi-crore fodder scam in 2013. Lalus bid to return the gift to daughter in Saran Vaishali: Bahubalis hold sway in cradle of democracy Battleground Bihar: As his fathers shadow looms, Chirag faces daunting task in Hajipur Chirag Paswan of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) is riding high on the Modi factor and his late father Ram Vilas Paswans legacy from the Hajipur (SC) constituency. Chirag chose Hajipur this time, believing it to be the karmabhoomi of his father and had to fight hard to overtake his uncle, Pashupati Paras, the current MP from the constituency, in the NDA. The junior Paswan is pitted against Shiv Chandra Ram of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). Shiv Chandra, twice MLA from Rajapakar and former state minister, unsuccessfully contested the election in 2019 but lost to Pashupati Kumar Paras largely due to the Modi wave. Shiv Chandra is considered to be close to Lalu Prasad. Would Hajipur shower its blessing on Modis Hanuman? Clash of surprise picks in Mumbai North Central Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha constituency, home to several celebrities and spread across many posh areas including Bandra and Vile Parle, is witnessing a close contest between renowned lawyer Ujjwal Nikam of the BJP and Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad. Interestingly, neither Nikam nor Gaikwad was the first choice of their respective parties. Nikam was picked at the last moment by the BJP. As for Gaikwad, it was Congress' alliance partner, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), that proposed her name. READ FULL STORY HERE Jharkhand: Battle of OBCsin Sinha family bastion For the first time in Hazaribagh, two OBC candidatesHazaribagh (Sadar) MLA Manish Jaiswal of the BJP and Mandu MLA Jai Prakash Bhai Patel of the Congresslock horns against making the contest interesting and unpredictable. According to locals who have been keeping tabs on the political pulse, both candidates have equal chances of winning the seat. The Hazaribagh Lok Sabha seat is a BJP stronghold, with former Union Ministers Yashwant Sinha and his son Jayant Sinha winning the seat a combined five times, with Jayant being the incumbent MP. However, the saffron party has moved away from the Sinha family this time. READ FULL STORY HERE J&K: Can Omar Abdullah engineer Baramulla? Heads turned when former Jammu and Kashmir CM and National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah chose Baramulla over his comfort zone of Srinagar. Omar, 53, is pitted against Peoples Conference (PC) chairman Sajad Gani Lone, who has the backing of the BJP. Baramulla is a stronghold of the National Conference but neither Omar nor his father, Farooq Abdullah, ever contested from here. The Abdullahs have always preferred Srinagar, given their partys hold in central Kashmir. The stakes are high this time as the LS poll outcome will set the tone for the Assembly polls later this year. READ FULL STORY HERE Ladakh: NC rebel has edge in three-way close contest Only three candidatesBJPs Tashi Gyalson, Congress Tsering Namgyal and independent candidate Haji Hanifa Jan, who belongs to the National Conferenceare in the fray for the Ladakh seat, the largest in the country with a total area of 173.266 sq km. According to political observers, Hanifa Jan has an edge over two other contestants as he enjoys mass support in Kargil district. The votes in Leh will be divided between BJP and Congress candidates, while in Kargil the votes may go to Hanifa Jan with less chances of division of votes, they said. READ FULL STORY HERE

Lok Sabha elections: Caste, bread & butter factors competing with temple tide in Ayodhya

Ayodhya's historic Lok Sabha election post Ram temple inauguration sees competition between caste and convenience. BJP's Lallu Singh eyes third term amidst fielding of nine-time Dalit SP MLA Awadhesh Prasad, attracting Dalit, Muslim, and Yadav voters. CPIM's Arvindsen Yadav and BSP's Sacchidanand Pandey add complexity to the race, challenging SP's prospects in the keenly contested constituency.

Muslims in Ayodhya say mandir-masjid a non-issue, want development

Ayodhya, May 19: As Ayodhya gears up to vote for the first time after the Ram temple consecration, Muslim voters in the pilgrim town say mandir-masjid (temple-mosque) is not an issue for them and employment and development are their primary concerns. Some, including Iqbal Ansari, who was a litigant in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case, [] The post Muslims in Ayodhya say mandir-masjid a non-issue, want development appeared first on Northlines .

Country depends on tourism; 60 pc people come from India: Sri Lankan MP V Radhakrishnan

Country depends on tourism; 60 pc people come from India: Sri Lankan MP V Radhakrishnan Hailing the ties shared by India and Sri Lanka on the occasion of Kumbhabhishekam puja at the Seetha Amman Temple, the Sri Lankan MP, V Radhakrishnan, said that the two countries have a good relationship because of tourism, and 60 per cent of the people that come to the island nation are from India. He added that Colombo and New Delhi should get together and work in future, and Sri Lanka is now booming to get an economic reshuffle. While speaking to ANI, Sri Lankan MP V Radhakrishnan said, The two countries have a good relationship because of tourism... Sri Lanka depends on tourism. 60 per cent of the people come from India. Sri Lanka is now booming to get economic reshuffle. The two countries should get together and work in future, especially in tourism. Indian tourists have consistently topped Sri Lanka's arrival charts -- 3,02,844 or 20 per cent of total arrivals in 2023. In a bid to encourage tourism and revive the island's crisis-hit economy, Sri Lanka waived visa fees in October 2023 for tourists from India and six other countries -- China, Russia, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Japan. On the Kumbhabhishekam taking place, the Sri Lankan MP said, After eight years, the temple should be renovated and the Kumbhabhishekam should be performed... In 2016, we did Kumbhabhishekam and now it's almost eight years in 2024. This time the Indian community has participated in Kumbhabhishekam because recently Ayodhya had an inauguration. After that, there has been a boom in Sri Lanka, he added. At the heart of the ceremony is a ritual known as Kumbaabhishekam, symbolising the renewal of divine energies within its hallowed confines. Among the distinguished guests gracing the event was the Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, underscoring the cross-cultural significance of this sacred gathering. Seetha Amman Temple, nestled in the tranquil village of Seetha Eliya, holds profound mythological significance as the purported location, Goddess Sita was held captive by Ravana, according to ancient lore. Enhancing the sanctity of the ceremony, five revered Kalash filled with Saryu water from the holy city of Ayodhya have been ceremoniously brought in, infusing the proceedings with spiritual resonance and symbolic purity. Meanwhile, G Kumar Sithambaram, Managing Director of a tour company operating in Sri Lanka, said that 'Maha Kumbhabhishekam' was a historical day for the island nation. Today is a historical and holistic day as Maha Kumbhabhishekam took place in Sithavanam, Ashok Vatika, Sri Lanka. This is one of the most remarkable places in the tourism industry. 98.9 per cent of Indian travellers or people who believe in the Ramayana or Bhagavad Gita visit Sri Lanka and offer prayers at Sitaman temple, he told ANI. Many Indian travellers have visited here since November...Because of some issues with the Maldives, I think many people have diverted to Sri Lanka and the VISA is also given free of charge or on arrival to Sri Lanka until May 31st, the tour operator said. Spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravishankar Guruji also participated in the event. On Kumbhabhishekam puja at the Seetha Amman Temple, spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said, It is a great occasion that mother Sita's temple is reconsecrated... Ma Sita is an embodiment of compassion, motherhood, and endurance. This is a historical place where the entire continent recognizes how Sita Mata was here in the Ashok Van and met with Hanumanji. This will reconfirm our ancient connection between the civilizations. We need to bring back those values that are eroding. Ram Rajya is the value of living our lives in accordance with the laws of nature, harmony, prosperity and happiness, he said at the event. The sacred water, drawn from the revered Saryu River in Ayodhya, India, marked the auspicious beginning of a journey destined for the Seetha Amman Temple in Seetha Eliya. The event, which resonated with ancient traditions and divine reverence, symbolised the deep-rooted cultural ties between India and Sri Lanka. The Rath Yatra, a procession of spiritual significance, commenced amidst chants and hymns, evoking blessings for the success and sanctity of the endeavour. The Saryu water, revered for its sanctity in Hindu mythology, holds profound significance in religious rituals, believed to purify and sanctify the surroundings. As it embarks on its voyage to Seetha Eliya, it carries with it the hopes and prayers of devotees for the prosperity and well-being of all. (ANI)

Vision of 'Abki Baar, 400 Paar' needs to be realised to make PoK a part of India: CM Yogi

Vision of 'Abki Baar, 400 Paar' needs to be realised to make PoK a part of India: CM Yogi Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Sunday said that the vision of securing over 400 seats in the Lok Sabha elections needs to be realised to integrate Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) into India. The vision of 'Abki Baar, 400 Paar' needs to be realised to make PoK a part of India, UP CM said. He highlighted his extensive visits to 10 states and the ongoing preparations for the formation of a new government in the country. The Chief Minister was addressing a public meeting in Rampur Khas in support of BJP candidate Sangam Lal Gupta. He said, Everyone in the whole country and the world seems confident about the election results. Slogans of 'Fir ek baar, Modi Sarkar' and 'Abki baar, 400 paar' are echoing across the nation, adding to the woes of Congress and the SP. Reflecting on PM Modi's decade-long tenure, the Chief Minister underscored India's enhanced global stature and successful efforts in countering terrorism and Naxalism. Asserting India's strength, he emphasised that any provocation would be met with a firm response. Criticising the Samajwadi Party, he labelled it as sympathetic to terrorists, citing instances of past attacks during SP's state governance and Congress' central rule. Whenever these two form an alliance, disaster happens, he added. The Chief Minister emphasised the renown of Pratapgarh's gooseberry and its contribution to the region's identity. He also mentioned the honour of having a medical college here named after Sonelal Patel. Reflecting on past governance, he highlighted the hardships faced by the populace during the Samajwadi Party's reign, including hunger-related deaths, a lack of medical care leading to fatalities, farmer suicides, and widespread insecurity among daughters and businessmen. However, contrasting the scenario, he mentioned that 80 crore citizens now benefit from free ration distribution across the nation, with additional plans for health insurance coverage of Rs 5 lakh for individuals above 70 years under the leadership of PM Modi. Criticising Congress and the SP for their alleged lack of developmental agendas, he emphasised his administration's commitment to progress. We have done development and have also done such work that will improve both the world and the afterlife. We also built a grand temple of Lord Ram in Ayodhya, fulfilling centuries-long aspirations, he added. The Chief Minister highlighted that Ayodhya has now transformed into a 'navya' Ayodhya and this is why the whole world is resonating with 'Jo Ram ko laye hai, hum unko layenge'. Expressing devotion to Lord Ram, he emphasised a holistic vision for the nation, focusing on welfare, poverty alleviation, and developmental initiatives. Conversely, he condemned those opposing Ram, associating them with corruption, immorality, and fostering criminal activities like mafia and terrorism. All of them have the same DNA. Together, they spread anarchy and create riots. They used to create disturbances on every festival and occasion. Today, all troublemakers have been dealt with accordingly, Yogi added. Taking a dig at the SP and Congress, CM Yogi said, These people want to impose Jizya tax once again in the country through inheritance tax. Their plans should never be allowed to succeed. BJP will never let Aurangzeb be born again, who was the most cruel ruler in history and who killed his brother and imprisoned his father. Even in the Muslim community, no one names their children after Aurangzeb. Shifting focus to Pratapgarh's development, the Chief Minister emphasised the need to integrate the region into comprehensive growth strategies. Promising a tailored plan for Pratapgarh's economic advancement, he envisioned the establishment of industries to attract job seekers from around the world. Emphasising the BJP's dedication to safeguarding citizens' rights, the Chief Minister criticised the INDI alliance's proposal for reservations based on religious grounds. Expressing concern over the potential volatility of their stance, he cautioned the public against falling for their rhetoric, characterised by falsehoods, manipulation, and caste-based division. BJP is necessary for the development and security of the country. SP made you yearn for development, employment and water, and now it's your turn to make them yearn for votes, he added. Urging support for Sangam Lal Gupta, he assured that Gupta would prioritise both development initiatives and advocacy for citizens' rights. On this occasion, former Minister Suresh Rana, District In-Charge Kaushlendra Singh Patel, former Minister Rajendra Pratap Singh Moti, Dr Shivakant, Rajkumari Ratna Singh, MLAs Rajendra Maurya, Jeetlal Patel, Umesh Dwivedi and other dignitaries were present. The Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh are being held in seven phases. Polling in the first four phases has already been completed. The fifth phase of elections will be held in 14 Lok Sabha constituencies of Uttar Pradesh on May 20, in Mohanlalganj, Lucknow, Raebareli, Amethi, Jalaun, Jhansi, Hamirpur, Banda, Fatehpur, Kaushambi, Barabanki, Faizabad, Kaiserganj, and Gonda, while there will be a by-election in the Lucknow East Assembly constituency. Polling for the remaining Lok Sabha seats will be held on May 25 and June 1. The counting of votes will be done on June 4. (ANI)

POK Will Reunite with India Automatically, says Rajnath Singh

SAMBALPUR : The Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) belongs to India and it will soon reunite with our country. India will not use any force, but it will automatically return to us as the people in that region have started strongly pleading for returning to Indias mainstream life, said defence minister Rajnath Singh. Mr Singh, while campaigning for partys Sambalpur Lok Sabha candidate Dharmendra Pradhan and nominees of the seven assembly constituencies, said the shattered economy of Pakistan and poor governance system in Pakistan had made the life of POK residents miserable and they were looking for salvation from Pakistans regime. After the abrogation of Article 370, massive development work has been going on in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). There has been significant development in the life of residents of J&K. People in POK are keenly observing and comparing their conditions with their counterparts in J&K. They have started demanding to get reunified with India, said Singh. He added that India does not need to use force or any sort of that as the process of POK reunification with this country will happen automatically. Stating that BJP believed in honouring its promises and it had delivered on whatever commitments it had made to the people of the country, Singh said people's trust on the party has increased manifold because of its accomplishments. We believe in honouring our promises. Be it the abrogation of Article 370 or the construction of the grand Ram Temple at Ayodhya, whatever promises were made by the BJP, have been fulfilled, said Rajnath Singh. Singh took potshots at Odishas ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) dubbing it as a non-performer. The Congress ruled Odisha for 50 years and the BJD has been in power here in the state for 25 years. But Odisha has not developed much in the last 75 years as poverty is yet to be eradicated. All the important documents, manuscripts, art, and culture have been lost. I have been told that even the keys of Puri Jagannath temple's Ratna Bhandar are also missing, he said. Observing that the Modi government had been working for the poor and other backward classes, Singh said, be it pucca houses, cooking gas, toilets, and other facilities, the Centre had done a lot of work to bring a massive transformation in the lives of people. It was the BJD government that tried to stop the benefits of Central schemes from reaching the beneficiaries in Odisha. The work for providing pucca houses, toilets, and cooking gas has not progressed much under the BJD rule. Several poor are deprived of availing the benefits of Ayushman Bharat here as the Naveen Patnaik government thinks implementations of such schemes will enhance the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said Singh. He added that nobody can stop BJP from coming to power in Odisha and getting 400 Lok Sabha seats as targeted by Modi.

Congress, RJD were not at Ram temple ceremony for ghuspathiye vote bank: Shah

Bettiah: Launching a scathing on INDIA bloc leaders, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday accused the Congress and RJD leaders of not attending the Ram temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya due to their Ghushpathiye (infiltrator) vote bank. Addressing an election rally at Bettiah in West Champaran district in support of BJPs Sanjay Jaiswal, who Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

'More and more BJP leaders using anti-Muslim tropes': CPI-M complains to EC

NEW DELHI: Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Sunday wrote to the Election Commission alleging poll code violations by BJP leaders, and claimed more and more leaders of the saffron party are now esorting to inciting hatred using anti-Muslim tropes. Yechury, in a post on X, shared a copy of his complaint to the EC, and said the poll panel must act immediately. The ECI must act immediately. ECI cannot consciously remain silent which is tantamount to the betrayal of its constitutional mandate to conduct free and fair polls, Yechury said. In his letter, he said the CPI(M) has filed a series of complaints against BJP leaders for Model Code of Conduct violation. We have through a series of complaints earlier brought to the attention of the Election Commission of India the serious violation of the Model Code of Conduct by a number of leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Their resort to blatant lies and fabrication, fear mongering and overtly communal appeals were highlighted in these complaints. Sadly, in none of these complaints has the ECI punished the culprits, Yechury said. We had urged that the Commission act against offenders immediately to nip the disease in its bud. Unfortunately, the ECI sought not to act, he said. Yechury said on the complaint against Modi, in a departure from precedents, instead of sending notice to him, the EC sent a notice to BJP president J P Nadda. In the complaint against the Prime Minister, the Commission, in a departure from precedents, instead of sending notice to him, sent it to the President of the BJP after a lapse of many days and after the issue being raised in various forums. But this notice to the BJP has had no impact as is revealed by repeated violations both by the Prime Minister as well as other leaders of the BJP, he said. More and more leaders of the BJP are now taking resort to inciting hatred against the Muslim community using anti-Muslim tropes, he said. Referring to PM Modi's speech in Barabanki of Uttar Pradesh on Friday, Yechury wrote in the letter that the PM said 'If SP and Congress come to power, Ram Lalla will be in a tent again and they will run a bulldozer on Ram temple'. He also mentioned UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's remarks made at a rally in Bihar's Saran on May 17, and remarks made by Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma at an election meeting in Raghunathpur in Siwan (Bihar) on May 18. CPI(M) quoted Adityanath's speech where he said he Congress and RJD are trying to rob SCs, STs and OBCs of quotas and divert those to Muslims. Sarma, at the Siwan poll meeting, had said that if the NDA returns to power, it would bring the UCC and put an end to his business of marrying four times and also said we will shut down shops that produce mullas, said the CPI(M)'s complaint. While reiterating our demand for action on the complaints we had lodged with the ECI earlier, we also urge the Commission to immediately act against Narendra Modi, Yogi Adityanath and Himanta Biswa Sarma for the above complaints, Yechury said. We had through our earlier complaints warned the Commission that if it fails to take decisive action in cases where the offenders are those in high positions of power, the impartiality of the ECI will be in question and its credibility compromised, he added. The CPI(M) has filed a number of complaints against Modi and other BJP leaders for violation of the Model Code of Conduct, including those related to the PM's speech in Banswara in Rajasthan. While addressing a rally in Banswara on April 21, Modi had suggested that if the Congress comes to power, it would edistribute wealth to Muslims. The Election Commission had issued a notice to BJP president J P Nadda following complaints by opposition parties. In another letter to the EC on April 13, the CPI(M) had raised various instances where PM Modi making references to the Ram temple in Ayodhya, levelled allegations against opposition parties and allegedly labelled them as opponents of the temple, eing against Lord Ram and insulting Lord Ram. The letter gave references of speeches made by PM Modi in Bihar's Nawada on April 7, in UP's Pilibhit on April 9 and in Ajmer in Rajasthan on April 6.

'PoK belongs to India, we will take it back': Amit Shah in UP poll rally

PRAYAGRAJ/JAUNPUR: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) belongs to India and we will take it back. Addressing rallies in Prayagraj and Jaunpur districts of Uttar Pradesh to seek votes for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates, he also said we need a strong prime minister who can give a befitting reply to Pakistan. Accusing the Congress of preserving Article 370 of the Constitution for 70 years, Shah hit out at the president of the party, Mallikarjun Kharge. Slamming Kharge for saying people in other states have nothing to do with Kashmir, he said, Khargeji, you are aged above 80 years, but you have not been able to understand this country. Every child of Allahabad is ready to give their lives for Kashmir. (NC chief) Farooq Abdullah and (Congress leader) Mani Shankar Aiyar say give respect to Pakistan because it has the atom bomb. Rahul baba, today, from the sacred land of Prayagraj I will say that PoK is ours, will remain ours and we will take it back. In a video clip that has gone viral on social media, Aiyar is purportedly heard saying India should give respect to Pakistan as it is a sovereign country and engage with it as it also possesses the atom bomb. While Aiyar has said the video was old, the Congress has distanced itself from the remarks made by him some months ago. Hitting out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Jaunpur's Machhlishahr constituency, Shah said, The Congress, SP and the INDI Alliance threaten us, saying give respect to Pakistan, do not ask for PoK because they have the atom bomb. Rahul baba, if you want to feel scared, feel scared of the atom bomb, but PoK belongs to India and we will take it back. He pointed out that on August 5, 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi abrogated Article 370, which had bestowed special rights on Jammu and Kashmir. In Prayagraj, he said, Rahul baba used to say if Article 370 is scrapped, then streams of blood will flow. I have come to tell Rahul baba that leave streams of blood, no one has the courage to even throw a small stone. This is the government of Narendra Modi, who has worked towards freeing the country from terrorism. Claiming that opposition leaders did not attend the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya as they were afraid of losing their vote bank, Shah said those in the BJP do not fear anyone. The Congress and the Samajwadi Party kept the Ram temple (matter) pending for 70 years. The SP government opened fire on kar sevaks. You made Modiji the prime minister for the second time, he won the court case, performed the 'bhoomipujan' (ground-breaking ceremony) and also the 'pran pratishtha' (consecration) of the temple, he said. In Kashmir, where the Army had to be taken along for hoisting the tricolour, at that same Lal Chowk (in Srinagar) now, the 'shobhayatra' of Lord Krishna is taken out, Shah told the Jaunpur rally. He said during the previous Congress-led UPA rule at the Centre, there were bomb blasts virtually everyday. The aliya, maliya, jamaliya would infiltrate and explode bombs. When the Modi government came, they carried out explosions in Pulwama and Uri and in 10 days, surgical strikes and airstrikes were conducted and terrorists eliminated in Pakistan by Modiji, the home minister said. Claiming that leaders of the INDIA bloc have said Article 370 will be brought back if the alliance of opposition parties forms the government, he said, Should Article 370 be brought back? They want to bring back triple talaq, should it be brought back? They want to give reservation to Muslims, should it be given? They want to scrap the CAA, should it be scrapped? They also want to destroy nuclear weapons. This INDI Alliance cannot take the country forward. Hitting out at dynasty politics, Shah claimed that RJD chief Lalu Prasad wants to make his son the chief minister of Bihar, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi wants to make her son the prime minister, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray wants to make his son the chief minister of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin wants to appoint his son to the top post in the southern state and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wants her nephew to succeed her. Rahul baba, this country is not a grocery shop. We need a strong prime minister who can give a befitting reply to Pakistan. Who is that prime minister who has a 56-inch chest? The writing on the wall is that on June 4, Modiji is going to become the prime minister for the third time, he said. Claiming that Congress leaders say the country should be divided into two parts -- South India and North India -- Shah said the opposition party is not satisfied with dividing India once, it wants to divide the country again. The BJP will never allow another division of the country, he added. The senior BJP leader also accused the Congress of spreading the lie that if Modi comes to power for a third time, he will abolish reservation. Modiji has the majority for the last 10 years and he did not use it to abolish reservation. The Congress, SP and BSP are spreading lies. As long as the BJP has even one MP, no one can touch reservation, he said. The home minister also accused the Congress of being anti-Dalit and alleged that it has always insulted B R Ambedkar. Allahabad and Machhlishahr are scheduled to go to polls in the sixth phase of the seven-phase parliamentary election on May 25.

Muslims in Ayodhya say 'mandir-masjid' a non-issue, want development and jobs

AYODHYA: As Ayodhya gears up to vote for the first time after the Ram temple consecration, Muslim voters in the pilgrim town say mandir-masjid (temple-mosque) is not an issue for them and employment and development are their primary concerns. Some, including Iqbal Ansari, who was a litigant in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case, give the BJP due credit for the development of Ayodhya while others feel much needs to be done to ensure that the gains percolate to all parts of the temple town. When elections come, political leaders start remembering God, irrespective of their party. But people want health and education facilities and security, Ansari told PTI. The BJP has done good work in Ayodhya and hence it should get the due credit. The BJP has an edge here. Though I do not have much interest in elections, I will definitely cast my vote on polling day, he said. Ansari said workers of political parties have been coming to his house to seek his vote and the BJP was the first to approach him. Ansari had earlier said that the BJP brought an end to the Ram temple issue. The 55-year-old found a mention in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech at a poll rally in Haryana's Gohana on Saturday. Hitting out at the Congress for giving the January 22 Ram temple consecration ceremony a miss, Modi had said, They have so much hatred towards Lord Ram that they rejected the invitation (for consecration ceremony). Whereas Ansari, who fought against the Ram Mandir in court, attended the ceremony, the prime minister had said. Ashfaq Hussain, a builder and government contractor associated with the BJP, asserted that Muslim women are with the party. The (Muslim) women have given a thumbs up (to the BJP) on the issue of triple talaq. Their response towards the BJP has been positive vis-a-vis triple talaq and the law and order situation in the state. A significant number of Muslims have got houses under the PM Awas Yojana in the Rudauli assembly segment of the Faizabad Lok Sabha seat. Bablu Khan, a local resident, feels that the stream of development is flowing in Ayodhya. The people of Ayodhya are satisfied and sitting Faizabad BJP MP Lallu Singh will return for a third term. Not everyone agrees. Mohammad Aamir, 25, said people are not interested in mandir-masjid and want jobs. We want jobs. The issue of 'mandir-masjid' will not run households. I am not saying this because I am a Muslim, I am saying this as a jobless person. 'Mandir-masjid' should not be an (election) issue, he said. He added that he will vote for a party that gives priority to public interest. Fareed Salmani, the lone Muslim candidate in the poll fray in Ayodhya, said the lives of people living in areas on the outskirts of the constituency remain untouched by development. Things in the outer areas of the constituency, especially villages, have remained more or less unchanged since my childhood. MPs and MLAs from almost every caste were elected but development is yet to reach many areas, the Independent candidate told PTI. The Faizabad Lok Sabha constituency comprises five assembly seats -- Dariyabad, Rudauli, Milkipur (SC), Bikapur and Ayodhya. Of these, Dariyabad is located in neighbouring Barabanki district and the remaining four assembly segments are in Ayodhya district. There are 19,27,459 eligible voters in the Faizabad constituency. Thirteen candidates are in the fray, including BJP's Singh and Samajwadi Party's sitting Milkipur MLA Awadhesh Prasad. Polling for the Faizabad Lok Sabha seat will be held in the fifth round of the seven-phase elections on May 20.

PoK belongs to India, we will take it back: Amit Shah

PoK belongs to India, we will take it back: Amit Shah Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) belongs to India and ''we will take it back''. Addressing rallies in Prayagraj and Jaunpur districts of Uttar Pradesh to seek votes for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates, he also said ''we need a strong prime minister who can give a befitting reply to Pakistan''. Accusing the Congress of ''preserving'' Article 370 of the Constitution for 70 years, Shah hit out at the president of the party, Mallikarjun Kharge. Slamming Kharge for saying people in other states have nothing to do with Kashmir, he said, ''Khargeji, you are aged above 80 years, but you have not been able to understand this country. Every child of Allahabad is ready to give their lives for Kashmir. ''(NC chief) Farooq Abdullah and (Congress leader) Mani Shankar Aiyar say give respect to Pakistan because it has the atom bomb. Rahul baba, today, from the sacred land of Prayagraj I will say that PoK is ours, will remain ours and we will take it back.'' In a video clip that has gone viral on social media, Aiyar is purportedly heard saying India should give respect to Pakistan as it is a sovereign country and engage with it as it also possesses the atom bomb. While Aiyar has said the video was old, the Congress has distanced itself from the remarks made by him some months ago. Hitting out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Jaunpur's Machhlishahr constituency, Shah said, ''The Congress, SP and the INDI Alliance threaten us, saying give respect to Pakistan, do not ask for PoK because they have the atom bomb. Rahul baba, if you want to feel scared, feel scared of the atom bomb, but PoK belongs to India and we will take it back.'' He pointed out that on August 5, 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi abrogated Article 370, which had bestowed special rights on Jammu and Kashmir. In Prayagraj, he said, ''Rahul baba used to say if Article 370 is scrapped, then streams of blood will flow. I have come to tell Rahul baba that leave streams of blood, no one has the courage to even throw a small stone. This is the government of Narendra Modi, who has worked towards freeing the country from terrorism.'' Claiming that opposition leaders did not attend the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya as they were afraid of losing their vote bank, Shah said those in the BJP do not fear anyone. ''The Congress and the Samajwadi Party kept the Ram temple (matter) pending for 70 years. The SP government opened fire on kar sevaks. You made Modiji the prime minister for the second time, he won the court case, performed the 'bhoomipujan' (ground-breaking ceremony) and also the 'pran pratishtha' (consecration) of the temple,'' he said. In Kashmir, where the Army had to be taken along for hoisting the tricolour, ''at that same Lal Chowk (in Srinagar) now, the 'shobhayatra' of Lord Krishna is taken out'', Shah told the Jaunpur rally. He said during the previous Congress-led UPA rule at the Centre, there were bomb blasts ''virtually everyday''. ''The aliya, maliya, jamaliya would infiltrate and explode bombs. When the Modi government came, they carried out explosions in Pulwama and Uri and in 10 days, surgical strikes and airstrikes were conducted and terrorists eliminated in Pakistan by Modiji,'' the home minister said. Claiming that leaders of the INDIA bloc have said Article 370 will be brought back if the alliance of opposition parties forms the government, he said, ''Should Article 370 be brought back? They want to bring back triple talaq, should it be brought back? They want to give reservation to Muslims, should it be given? They want to scrap the CAA, should it be scrapped? They also want to destroy nuclear weapons. This INDI Alliance cannot take the country forward.'' Hiting out at dynasty politics, Shah claimed that RJD chief Lalu Prasad wants to make his son the chief minister of Bihar, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi wants to make her son the prime minister, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray wants to make his son the chief minister of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin wants to appoint his son to the top post in the southern state and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wants her nephew to succeed her. ''Rahul baba, this country is not a grocery shop. We need a strong prime minister who can give a befitting reply to Pakistan. Who is that prime minister who has a 56-inch chest? The writing on the wall is that on June 4, Modiji is going to become the prime minister for the third time,'' he said. Claiming that Congress leaders say the country should be divided into two parts -- South India and North India -- Shah said the opposition party is not satisfied with dividing India once, it wants to divide the country again. ''The BJP will never allow another division of the country,'' he added. The senior BJP leader also accused the Congress of spreading the lie that if Modi comes to power for a third time, he will abolish reservation. ''Modiji has the majority for the last 10 years and he did not use it to abolish reservation. The Congress, SP and BSP are spreading lies. As long as the BJP has even one MP, no one can touch reservation,'' he said. The home minister also accused the Congress of being anti-Dalit and alleged that it has always insulted B R Ambedkar. Allahabad and Machhlishahr are scheduled to go to polls in the sixth phase of the seven-phase parliamentary election on May 25.

LS polls: Rahul, Smriti, Rajnath among key candidates on Monday's 5th phase in Uttar Pradesh

LUCKNOW: Voting for the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh , which will decide the fate of five Union ministers, including Rajnath Singh and Smriti Irani, and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, will be held on Monday. The seats going to polls in the fifth phase are Mohanlalganj (SC), Rae Bareli, Amethi, Jalaun (SC), Jhansi, Hamirpur, Banda, Fatehpur, Kaushambi (SC), Barabanki (SC), Faizabad, Kaisarganj and Gonda. Besides Defence Minister Singh (Lucknow) and Minister for Women and Child Development Irani (Amethi), those in the fray are Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Kaushal Kishor (Mohanlalganj), Minister of State for Consumer Affairs Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti (Fatehpur) and Union Minister of State for MSME Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma (Jalaun). Rahul Gandhi is in the fray from Rae Bareli, which was represented by his mother and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi earlier. Over 2.68 crore voters are eligible to exercise their polling rights and 144 candidates are in the fray. The BJP gave tickets to 11 of its sitting Lok Sabha MPs in this phase, while it had fielded new candidates in Barabanki (SC) seat and Kaisarganj. In the INDIA bloc, the Congress has fielded KL Sharma from Amethi, Tanuj Punia from Barabanki (SC) and Pradeep Jain 'Aditya' from Jhansi, while the Samajwadi Party (SP) candidates contest rest of the seats. Defence minister Singh is eyeing a fourth term from Lucknow. He is pitted against sitting SP MLA Ravidas Mehrotra from Lucknow Central. And from the neighbouring constituency of Amethi, Irani is in the poll fray. Loyalty towards family, caste or party? What will decide the elections in Rae Bareli and Amethi? In Kaisarganj Lok Sabha seat, the contest is between BJP's Karan Bhushan Singh , son of former MP and ex-president of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, and SP's Bhagat Ram. Faizabad Lok Sabha seat, which covers the temple town of Ayodhya, will see a contest between sitting BJP MP Lallu Singh, who is seeking a hat-trick, and Awadhesh Prasad, the SP MLA from Milkipur (SC) assembly constituency in Ayodhya district. In Hamirpur, the poll contest is between BJP's Kunwar Pushpendra Singh Chandel, eyeing a third term, and SP's Ajendra Singh Lodhi. In Gonda, BJP's Kirti Vardhan Singh, who is eyeing a fifth term, is facing a contest from SP's Shreya Verma. The main electoral contest in Banda is between RK Singh Patel, who is seeking a third term, and Krishna Devi Shivshankar Patel of the SP. Vinod Kumar Sonkar, who is eyeing a hat-trick, will be facing SP's Pushpendra Saroj, son of SP leader Indrajeet Saroj, for Kaushambi (SC) constituency. And in Jalaun, BJP minister Verma is eyeing a sixth term and is pitted against Narayan Das Ahirwar of the SP. Meanwhile, voting will also take place for the assembly by-poll in the Lucknow East assembly constituency. The bypoll was necessitated following the death of BJP's stitting MLA Ashutosh Tandon on November 9, 2023. Amethi: A tryst with destiny that wasnt to be Lok Sabha polls: Lord Ram on my side, says Samajwadi Party candidate in Ayodhya fight

Cong, RJD leaders did not attend Ram temple consecration because of 'Ghushpathiye' vote bank: Shah

Cong, RJD leaders did not attend Ram temple consecration because of 'Ghushpathiye' vote bank: Shah Launching a scathing on INDIA bloc leaders, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday accused the Congress and RJD leaders of not attending the Ram temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya due to their 'Ghushpathiye' (infiltrator) vote bank. Addressing an election rally at Bettiah in West Champaran district in support of BJP's Sanjay Jaiswal, who is seeking re-election from Paschim Champaran Lok Sabha constituency, Shah said, ''Congress and RJD were against the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya from the very beginning. Invitations for the ceremony were sent to them, but they did not come because of their 'Ghushpathiye' vote bank.'' Shah accused Congress and RJD leaders of being scared that attending the ceremony would offend their vote bank. He also criticised the Congress-led opposition for raising fears about Pakistan's atomic power, stating, ''Congress leader Manishankar Aiyar and ally Farooq Abdullah tried to scare us by saying that we cannot take back PoK because Pakistan has atom bombs. PoK belongs to India. It will remain so. We will claim it back.'' Shah also accused Lalu Prasad-led RJD of joining hands with Congress, which opposed the Mandal Commission's recommendations, solely to make Lalu's son Tejashwi Yadav the CM of Bihar. He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for respecting people from backward classes and predicted a landslide victory for the NDA in Bihar. ''The NDA under the leadership of Modi will win 400-plus seats. After four phases of polls, I can confidently say the NDA has already won more than 270 Lok Sabha seats. The RJD will not win even four seats and Congress not even 40,'' Shah said. He added that Congress and RJD never worked for the development of poor people and cannot think of the betterment of Bihar. Paschim Champaran, Valmiki Nagar, Purvi Champaran, Sheohar, Vaishali, Gopalganj, Siwan, and Maharajganj will go to polls on May 25 (sixth phase).

LS polls: Maneka Gandhi eyes bigger victory margin in Sultanpur

LS polls: Maneka Gandhi eyes bigger victory margin in Sultanpur Seeking a second term from Sultanpur, BJP leader Maneka Gandhi on Sunday said her focus is on local issues and asserted that her victory margin will be bigger this time. However, the former Union minister refused to comment on the BJP denying poll ticket to her son Varun Gandhi from Pilibhit Varun, she said, will soon campaign for her in Sultanpur. In an interview to PTI, the eight-time MP said she is only concerned about the problems of her constituency and does not wish to comment on the BJP's call to wipe out the Congress from Rae Bareli. ''I have no comments to make...I am concerned about problems of my own constituency and people here'', she told PTI when asked about the BJP's promise to wipe out the Gandhi family from Rae Bareli. Amethi and Rae Bareli are in close proximity to the district. While Rahul Gandhi is contesting from Rae Bareli this time, Gandhi family loyalist K L Sharma is pitted against Smriti Irani in Amethi. Maneka Gandhi, who had won from Sultanpur in 2019 by a margin of 14,000 votes, said, ''This time my victory margin will be bigger''. She also said that people of her constituency are happy over coming up of a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya but ''it is not an issue in the polls here.'' The BJP leader is pitted against SP's Ram Bhual Nishad, while the BSP has fielded Udraj Verma, an OBC. Asked if she is expecting a ministerial berth if the BJP forms the government again, she said, ''It is not in my hands. It is the prerogative of the PM.'' The BJP is confident of gaining from around two lakh voters of Nishad (fishermen community) with its leader Sanjay Nishad a minister in Uttar Pradesh. Sultanpur will go to polls in the sixth phase on May 25.

Ayodhya's electoral crossroads: BJP's temple run faces challenges

The BJP's bid for a third consecutive term at the Centre is centered around the recently inaugurated Ram temple in Ayodhya. While optimism abounds, there's also uncertainty until the results are in. Local businesses see opportunities, but concerns arise among rural voters about potential displacement due to development projects. The renaming of Faizabad to Ayodhya sparks debate among residents.

Rajiv Gandhi set in motion process to build Ram temple says Jeevan Reddy

HYDERABAD: Criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modis comments that the grand old party will run bulldozers over the Ram temple if voted to power, Congress MLC T Jeevan Reddy on Saturday said that it was former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi who opened the locks of the Babri Masjid and placed the idol of Ram Lalla in 1986 following a court order. He said that Ram temple would have been a reality much earlier if Rajiv Gandhi was voted to power in 1989. Addressing a press conference at the Gandhi Bhavan, Jeevan Reddy demanded the prime minister retract his words. He reminded Modi that he was not even in politics when Rajiv Gandhi set in motion the process for the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. The Congress MLC also sharply accused the Modi of making divisive statements in violation of the model code of conduct. He said that it was the BJP which was running the governments on bulldozers. It is the BJP which dragged the Ram Mandir issue into controversy for its own political benefit, Jeevan Reddy said.

Phase five LS polls: Rae Bareli, Amethi among 14 UP seats going to polls on Monday

Phase five LS polls: Rae Bareli, Amethi among 14 UP seats going to polls on Monday Voting for the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, which will decide the fate of four Union ministers, including Rajnath Singh and Smriti Irani, and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, will be held on Monday. Voting will also take place for the assembly bypoll to Lucknow East assembly constituency. The seats going to polls in the fifth phase are Mohanlalganj (SC), Rae Bareli, Amethi, Jalaun (SC), Jhansi, Hamirpur, Banda, Fatehpur, Kaushambi (SC), Barabanki (SC), Faizabad, Kaisarganj and Gonda. Besides Defence Minister Singh (Lucknow), Minister of Women and Child Development Irani (Amethi), those in the fray are Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Kaushal Kishor (Mohanlalganj) and Minister of State of Consumer Affairs Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti (Fatehpur). Rahul Gandhi is in the fray from Rae Bareli, which was represented by his mother and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi earlier. Over 2.68 crore voters are eligible to exercise their polling rights and 144 candidates are in the fray. The BJP gave tickets to 11 of its sitting Lok Sabha MPs in this phase, while it had fielded new candidates in Barabanki (SC) seat and Kaisarganj. In the INDIA bloc, the Congress has fielded K L Sharma from Amethi, Tanuj Punia from Barabanki (SC) and Pradeep Jain 'Aditya' from Jhansi. The Samajwadi Party (SP) candidates are in the poll fray on the rest of the seats. Defence minister Singh is eyeing a fourth term from Lucknow. He is pitted against sitting SP MLA Ravidas Mehrotra from Lucknow Central. From the neighbouring constituency of Amethi, Irani is in the poll fray. In Kaisarganj Lok Sabha seat, the contest is between BJP's Karan Bhushan Singh, son of former MP and ex-president of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, and SP's Bhagat Ram. Faizabad Lok Sabha seat, which covers the temple town of Ayodhya, will see a contest between sitting BJP MP Lallu Singh, who is seeking a hat-trick, and Awadhesh Prasad, the SP MLA from Milkipur (SC) assembly constituency in Ayodhya district. In Hamirpur, the poll contest is between BJP's Kunwar Pushpendra Singh Chandel, eyeing a third term, and SP's Ajendra Singh Lodhi. In Gonda, BJP's Kirti Vardhan Singh, who is eyeing a fifth term, is facing a contest from SP's Shreya Verma. The main electoral contest in Banda is between RK Singh Patel, who is seeking a third term, and Krishna Devi Shivshankar Patel of the SP. Vinod Kumar Sonkar, who is eyeing a hat-trick of Lok Sabha wins, will be facing SP's Pushpendra Saroj, son of SP leader Indrajeet Saroj, for Kaushambi (SC) constituency. Voting will also take place for the assembly bypoll to Lucknow East assembly constituency. Bypoll in the Lucknow East assembly constituency was necessitated following the death of sitting MLA Ashutosh Tandon on November 9, 2023.

This whole election is between `Ram Bhakt` and `Ram Drohi`, says UP CM Yogi

He further stated that the people will only vote for the BJP over Ram Mandir in Ayodhya

Amit Shah makes strong case for Smriti victory

LUCKNOW: Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a 2-km road show in Amethi on Saturday as the Lok Sabha constituency, known to be the bastion of Gandhi family, has turned out to be a battle of prestige for the BJP and the Congress. Addressing the crowd in the roadshow, Shah refuted the Congress claim that Amethi and Rae Bareli were their family seats. In a democracy it is the people, not a family, who send the candidate to Parliament, he said questioning if any of the Gandhi family members turned up in Amethi or Rae Bareli during the pandemic. Shah, atop a four-wheeler turned into a rath (chariot), was flanked by party candidate Smriti Irani and UP BJP chief Bhupendra Chaudhury, among other leaders. Wading through a huge crowd of BJP cadre and people of Amethi, the roadshow, which commenced from Ramleela Ground culminated at Devipattan temple. Groups of saffron-clad youth could be spotted at various locations along the roadshow route dancing, blowing conch shells and beating damroos while the party supporters fluttered BJP flags shouting the slogans. Asking the people of Amethi to opt between PM Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, he accused the latter of fleeing to Wayanad after losing Amethi in 2019. Now Rahul Baba is back in Rae Bareli. I have been in Rae Bareli for three days and can say with confidence that he is losing from there also, he said. Earlier, the Union Home Minister addressed two poll rallies in Jhansi-Lalitpur and Banad in the Bundelkhand region of UP. All the four seats of Bundelkhand, including Jhansi, Banda, Hamirpur and Jalaun (SC), will vote in fifth phase on May 20. While addressing a poll rally in Jhansi, land of Rani Lakshmi Bai, Shah reached out to people asking them to fight the desi Angrez just like they fought against the British during the freedom struggle. He asked people had to choose between two categories of leaders. On one hand there are leaders who have been behind `12 lakh crore scams, born with a silver spoon and go to Thailand for vacation, on the other, there was PM Narendra Modi who has his tenures both as CM and PM unblemished. He was born in a poor family and never took a holiday, Shah said. He also targeted Samajwadi Party as the one who ordered firing at the Ram bhakts in Ayodhya in 1990. On the other hand, we have Modi, who got the Ram Janmabhoomi case pursued, won it, and eventually got a temple constructed in Ayodhya, Shah asserted. He reiterated that the opposition leaders avoided going to the Ram Temple consecration ceremony for the sake of their vote bank. He claimed that Congress vote bank politics stood exposed as its leaders advised to keep away from the PoK as Pakistan had atom bomb. We are not afraid of their vote bank. We would take back the PoK, which is an integral part of India, he said. The home minister said that there was a time when Bundelkhand was known for `Bahubalis. Give us the mandate, and we will ensure that Bundelkhand will give udyogpatis (industrialists), he said, adding that the area would soon be known for nestling the ambitious defense corridor that would wheel out state-of-the-art weapons.

Congress chief Kharge seeks EC action on BJPs bulldozer remarks

MUMBAI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and other INDIA bloc leaders on Saturday called upon the Election Commission to take action after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders repeated claims that the opposition would run bulldozer over Ram temple if voted to power. Speaking at a press conference in Mumbai, Kharge, NCP-SP leader Sharad Pawar and former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray responded to questions on Modis charge that the INDIA bloc will bulldoze the Ram temple, dilute quota for SC, ST and OBC categories and also restore Article 370 if voted to power. Kharge accused Modi of inciting people over issues that the Congress will never do. Thackeray said the INDIA blocs government will complete construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, while Pawar said it will be the duty of their government to protect not just temples, but the places of worship of all religions. Kharge also said reservation as enshrined in the Constitution will stay. We have never used a bulldozer on anyone. Modi has the habit of lying and inciting people about things which Congress will never do or which are impossible to be implemented, he said, claiming that the INDIA bloc will win 46 out of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra. Kharge said West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will be part of the alliance. Earlier Mamata Banerjee expressed outside support for the alliance, but now she has said that she will be part of the government, he said. Kharge said Modi speaks of providing free ration of 5 kg to 80 crore people. Our government enacted the Food Security Act and it is bound to implement it. The Congress has now said that we will give 10 kg free ration, he said. Pawar said the previous government had taken the decision of the Food Security Act, but Modi is taking credit for it. Thackeray said the INDIA bloc has several prime ministerial faces, while the BJP has only one and even that is not working. Now they cannot replace the face at the fag end of poll campaign. We have decided what we should do when we get the majority, he said. Attacking the BJP and Modi for calling his party nakli (fake) Shiv Sena, Thackeray said BJP will call RSS as nakli Sangh. Citing BJP chief JP Nadda, he said that BJP is capable and runs its own affairs, while the RSS is an ideological front and does its own work, Thackeray said, BJP wants to disassociate itself with an organisation that gave birth to it. The jumla era will end on June 4 and achhe din will come when INDIA bloc comes to power, Thackeray said. Will protect places of worship of all religions: Pawar Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge accused Modi of inciting people over issues that the Congress will never do, while Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said the INDIA blocs government will complete construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. NCP(SP) chief Sharad Pawar said their government will protect not just temples, but the places of worship of all religions.

Barabanki LS polls: BJP's Rajrani Rawat to take on Congress' Tanuj Punia following Upendra Singh Rawat's exit

Barabanki LS polls: BJP's Rajrani Rawat to take on Congress' Tanuj Punia following Upendra Singh Rawat's exit In Uttar Pradesh's Barabanki, which will go to the polls on Monday (May 20) in the fifth phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, the BJP has fielded Rajrani Rawat for the seat, while Congress has nominated Tanuj Punia as an INDIA bloc candidate. The Barabanki constituency, an SC seat, is witnessing an interesting contest amidst the withdrawal of the BJP's sitting Member of Parliament, Upendra Singh Rawat, from the election race. Rawat's withdrawal came after the circulation of an alleged obscene video. This Lok Sabha seat comprises six Assembly constituencies--Kursi, Ram Nagar, Barabanki, Zaidpur, and Haidargarh. In 2019, Upendra Singh Rawat of BJP secured victory from Jhansi by garnering 535,917 votes (46.4 per cent), while SP's Ram Sagar Rawat garnered 425,777 votes (36.9 per cent). Congress' Tanuj Punia stood third with 159,611 votes (13.8 per cent). Meanwhile, in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Priyanka Singh Rawat of BJP won the seat with 454,214 votes (42.5 per cent), while Congress' P.L. Punia secured 242,336 votes (22.7 per cent). BSP's Kamla Prasad Rawat came in third with 167,150 votes (15.6 per cent). Notably, 2009 marked the comeback of Congress in Barabanki for the first time since 1984. P.L. Punia secured victory in Barabanki to become the first Congress candidate to win after 1984. Rajrani Rawat, who is the District Panchayat President, will face the election battle for the first time. Meanwhile, the Congress-SP alliance's Tanuj Punia will face elections for the second time. Taking to her official X handle, Rajrani Rawat urged the people to vote for the saffron party. I salute all the respected people. I tried my best to reach out to all of you, I tried my best to knock on every village and house, but still, I could not reach some places... I request and appeal to all of you to once again, plant lotus in Barabanki, she said. She added, I will respect your vote, all-round development of Barabanki is our goal. All of you are requested to give your support and blessings by pressing the button on the lotus symbol on May 20 and make your Rajrani Rawat victorious with huge votes. The BJP candidate in her campaign also targeted the opposition and said, Those who looted the country, those who demanded proof of the valor of the army, those who questioned the existence of Ram, those who set a record of scams, have come together today to form a 'Thugbandhan', you all should be cautious of them. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing public rallies in Barabanki, also blasted the Congress and SP and targeted them over the matter of Ram Temple in Ayodhya and the divisive, appeasement, and anarchic policies of the Congress and INDI alliance. Meanwhile, Congress' Tanuj Punia is targeting the BJP over jobs, the Constitution, and democracy. After the fourth phase of voting, it has become completely clear that the public is making the INDIA win. In the fourth phase itself, BJP's slogan of crossing 400 should be read as 4 because the public has started the countdown for them. The public is defeating the ones who are playing with farmers, youth, businessmen, employees, students, women, sportspersons, jobs, livelihood, Constitution and democracy..., Punia said In a post on X. In another post, Punia urged people to vote for the Congress and said, Defeat inflation, unemployment, hatred and injustice with your one vote. Press the hand button on May 20, vote for Congress. Notably, SP and Congress are allies in the opposition INDIA bloc formed to take on the BJP in the ongoing 2024 general elections. In the 2019 polls, the BJP emerged triumphant, securing 62 out of 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh, while two seats were clinched by its ally Apna Dal (S). Mayawati's BSP managed to secure 10 seats, while Akhilesh Yadav's SP garnered five, and the Congress Party secured only one seat. In the 2014 elections, the BJP secured 71 out of 80 seats. SP secured five seats, while Congress garnered only two seats. (ANI)

Lok Sabha elections 2024: Mandir, Pak dominate Yogi Adityanath rally in Kurla

If Ujjwal Nikam wins, Yogi promises to take all of Kurla to Ayodhya for darshan

INDIA bloc leaders slam PM on bulldozer remark; say Oppn front govt will protect religious freedom

MUMBAI, May 18: Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and other INDIA bloc leaders on Saturday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his claim that the opposition alliance would bulldoze the Ayodhya Ram temple if voted to power, and said they were committed to protecting the religious freedom of all citizens and ensuring that the country runs []

CPI Appreciates EC for Transparent Elections in AP

Kakinada : Communist Party of India (CPI) state secretary K. Ramakrishna on Saturday said the Election Commission has conducted elections in a transparent manner, with IAS, IPS and other officials from DGP to IG level having been suspended or transferred for alleged bias. Speaking to media at Rajamahendravaram, Ramakrishna charged that Jagan Mohan Reddy had planned to win elections with the help of police, But the Election Commission has foiled his bid. He wanted the upcoming government in AP to hold a detailed probe against sand mafia. At the national level, he wanted the new government to probe Prime Minister Narendra Modis religious comments during the election campaign with a fear of defeat. Ramakrishna called upon secular and democratic forces to raise their voice against Modis criticism that INDIA alliance, on coming to power, will hand over SC, ST and BC reservations to Muslims and Lord Ramas statue at Ayodhya will be placed in a tent and temples destroyed. The CPI leader called upon TD chief N. Chandrababu Naidu and YSRC chief and Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to fight for secularism and against Modi.

LS polls: 49 constituencies in eight states and UTs to vote in fifth phase on May 20

LS polls: 49 constituencies in eight states and UTs to vote in fifth phase on May 20 People from 49 constituencies across eight States and Union territories will be voting in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections on May 20, during which several key candidates will be in the fray. The states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal will be going to polls in the fifth phase, along with two Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir; and Ladakh. Notably, the fifth phase is the smallest in terms of number of seats being polled across all seven phases. The following seats will vote on May 20 across the eight states and Union Territories: Maharashtra: Dhule, Dindori, Nashik, Palghar, Bhiwandi, Kalyan, Thane, Mumbai North, Mumbai North-West, Mumbai North-East, Mumbai North-Central, Mumbai South-Central and Mumbai South. Uttar Pradesh: Mohanlalganj, Lucknow, Raebareli, Amethi, Jalaun, Jhansi, Hamirpur, Banda, Fatehpur, Kaushambi, Barabanki, Faizabad/Ayodhya, Kaiserganj and Gonda. Bihar: Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Muzaffarpur, Saran and Hajipur. Jharkhand: Chatra, Koderma, Hazaribagh. West Bengal: Barrackpur, Bangaon, Howrah, Uluberia, Sreerampur, Hooghly and Arambagh. Ladakh: The sole constituency of Ladakh, will go to polls first time since the abrogation of Article 370. Jammu and Kashmir: The Baramulla constituency will go to polls first time since the abrogation of Article 370. From Rahul Gandhi to Smriti Irani, from Karan Bhushan Singh to Chirag Paswan; many big names will have their fate at stake during the fifth phase of general elections. Other big names like Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Piyush Goyal, Ujjwal Nikam, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference chief Omar Abdullah, and RJD leader Rohini Acharya will also be seeking electoral success. Congress leader Kishori Lal Sharma, the Gandhi family's close aide, has been fielded against Smriti Irani in Amethi. Being tasked with wresting power from the BJP, KL Sharma has exuded confidence in winning the polls. He is up against incumbent MP and Union Minister Smriti Irani. She ended the Gandhi family's stint in 2019 by defeating Rahul Gandhi by over 55,000 votes. Rahul Gandhi, who also contested from Wayanad, will be aiming to retain the lone standing bastion of the party in the state -- Raebareli. On Friday, Sonia Gandhi in her public address, had urged people to vote for her son, Rahul Gandhi. I am handing over my son to you, you have to accept him just like you accepted me, he won't disappoint, she said. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be aiming for a third straight win in Lucknow. He will face Samajwadi Party candidate Ravidas Mehrotra in this seat Union Minister Piyush Goyal, who is contesting the Lok Sabha elections for the first time is up against Congress' Bhushan Patil from the Mumbai North seat. BJP has fielded 26/11 special prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, replacing two-time MP Poonam Mahajan against Congress' Varsha Gaikwad from Maharashtra's Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha seat. After much contention, BJP dropped Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Singh from Kaiserganj after sexual harassment allegations by female wrestlers. The party has fielded his son Karan Bhushan Singh from the seat, who will be seeking to retain his family stronghold. LJP (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan is aiming to carry forward his father Ram Vilas Paswan's legacy. He is pitted against RJD's Shiv Chandra Ram. Rohini Acharya, the daughter of Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, is contesting against BJP's Rajiv Pratap Rudy who registered resounding wins against Lalu Prasad's kin in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In the first general elections in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370, Baramulla will go to polls on May 20. National Conference (NC) leader and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah is pitted against Sajad Lone of the Peoples Conference (PC) and Mir Mohammad Fayaz of the Peoples Democratic Party. Ladakh is going to polls as a separate union territory for the first time after the abrogation of Article 370 bifurcated the erstwhile state into UTs J-K and Ladakh. BJP's Tashi Galsyan is pitted against Congress candidate Tsering Namgyal. The general elections are being held across seven phases. The first four phases were held on April 19, April 26, May 7, and May 13, while the subsequent phases are scheduled on May 20, May 27 and June 1. The counting of votes will happen on June 4. While Bharatiya Janata Party under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third straight term in power, while the Opposition INDIA bloc is aiming to wrest back power from the incumbent BJP. (ANI)

EC issues notices to West Bengal BJP chief over advertisements 'targeting' TMC

EC issues notices to West Bengal BJP chief over advertisements 'targeting' TMC The Election Commission (EC) issued two separate show-cause notices to West Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar on Saturday for his party allegedly issuing advertisements targeting the state's ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC). The poll panel has sought Majumdar's explanation on why two advertisements of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) should not be treated as violative of the Model Code of Conduct, which is in force for the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, and its advisory to political parties. The BJP leader has been asked to respond by 5 pm on May 21. According to an English transcript provided in the notices, one advertisement is titled ''Trinamool is root cause of corruption'' while the other is titled ''Anti-Sanatan Trinamool''. The first one alleged that West Bengal has become a cradle of corruption due to the state government. The other one, besides raising other issues, alleged that the Ram temple in Ayodhya is considered ''unholy'' in ''this state''. The TMC had approached the EC against the advertisements, dubbing those as ''misleading''. While issuing the notices, the poll watchdog reminded Majumdar about the provisions of the Model Code of Conduct, which deals with criticism based on unverified allegations, and its recent advisory to political parties that says unverified and misleading advertisements should not be published in the media.

In DNA of current EC to not take cognisance of 'brazen' MCC violations by PM: CPI(M)

In DNA of current EC to not take cognisance of 'brazen' MCC violations by PM: CPI(M) The CPI(M) on Saturday slammed the Election Commission, alleging that it is in the ''DNA'' of the current panel to not take cognisance of the ''brazen'' violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Citing Modi's remarks that the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress will ''bulldoze the Ram temple'' and its poll code violation complaints to the commission, the Left party claimed that the election panel has completely ignored its complaints. Modi, while addressing a Lok Sabha election rally in Uttar Pradesh's Barabanki on Friday, alleged that the Congress will run a bulldozer on the Ram temple if the INDIA bloc comes to power. ''If the SP-Congress comes to power, it will send Ram Lalla once again to a tent, and a bulldozer will be rolled over the temple,'' he said. The CPI(M), SP and the Congress are among the constituents of the opposition INDIA bloc, formed to take on the BJP in the polls. Sharing a clipping of a headline in a post on X, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said, ''It is in the DNA of the current ECI (Election Commission of India) not to take cognisance of such brazen violation of the MCC by PM Modi.'' ''Earlier my complaints on Modi's incendiary communal speeches in Ajmer on April 6, Nawada on April 7, Pilibhit on April 9 with video evidence and the speech of Banswara with clippings of newspaper reports were completely ignored without even the customary acknowledgment,'' he said. ''The ECI slogan, ''Desh ka garv'', to describe the current elections is totally hollowed out by such nonconduct of 'free and fair elections' with a level playing field,'' Yechury said. The CPI(M) has filed a number of complaints against Modi and other BJP leaders for violation of the Model Code of Conduct, including those related to his speech in Banswara in Rajasthan. While addressing a rally in Banswara on April 21, Modi had suggested that if the Congress comes to power, it would ''redistribute'' wealth to Muslims. He had also alleged that the Congress plans to give the people's hard-earned money and valuables to the ''infiltrators'' and ''those who have more children''. Yechury had written to the Election Commission on April 22 on the Banswara speech, calling it a violation of Section 123 (3) of the Representation of People's Act and the poll code. In another letter to the commission on April 13, the CPI(M) had raised various instances where Modi making references to the Ram temple in Ayodhya, levelled allegations against opposition parties and labelled them as ''opponents of the temple'', ''being against Lord Ram'' and ''insulting Lord Ram''. The letter gave references of speeches made by Modi in Nawada in Bihar on April 7, in Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh on April 9 and in Ajmer in Rajasthan on April 6.

Kharge Confident of Winning 46 Seats in Maharashtra

Mumbai: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday claimed that the INDIA bloc is going to win 46 out of 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra and the opposition bloc will form the next government in the country. He also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of misusing the central agencies against the opposition. He held a joint press conference with Shiv Sena UBT leader Uddhav Thackeray and NCP founder Sharad Pawar on the last day of campaigning for 13 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra. The Congress president said that the BJP is toppling the opposition parties governments in the states, but the opposition parties are together fighting against the BJP. We are strong in Maharashtra. I think we can win 46 seats out of 48 seats in the state, he said. Mr. Kharge alleged that the constitutional institutions are being misused to issue threats to the opposition parties. Even the party symbols were taken away from the opposition parties and given to those who are supporting the BJP. Everything is being done on the instruction of Narendra Modi, he said. NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar said Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was not an election issue, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi tried to polarize people by talking about him during his campaign rally here. Mr. Modi, in his speech here on Friday, dared Mr. Pawar to make Congress leader Rahul Gandhi promise that he would not criticise the late freedom fighter and Hindutva ideologue ever again. Savarkar is not an election issue, and Rahul has not spoken about him (lately). But Modi's speech was divisive and meant to instigate, polarise. I have never seen such a prime minister, Mr. Pawar said. Mr. Thackeray said the INDIA bloc's government will complete the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, while Mr. Pawar said it will be the duty of their government to protect not just temples, but the places of worship of all religions. Claiming that the INDIA alliance has several prime ministerial faces, Mr. Thackeray said the BJP has only one and even that is not working. Now they cannot replace the face at the fag end of poll campaign. We have decided what we should do when we get the majority, he said. To a question on his party's stand on Article 370, Mr. Kharge said, I am not answerable to Modi. We will implement what we have promised in our manifesto.

Uttar Pradesh Transforms Under Modi and Yogi Leadership: Amit Shah

NEW DELHI: Highlighting Uttar Pradesh's transformation from a state known for producing country-made pistols to cannon balls, Union home minister Amit Shah said at an election rally in Lalitpur on Saturday that the state started developing only after Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister and Yogi Adityanath the chief minister. Mr Shah also addressed an election rally in Banda and took part in a roadshow in Amethi in favour of BJP candidates. Canvassing for his party candidate from Jhansi Anurag Sharma, who is eyeing a second term, Mr Shah said, There was a time when country-made pistols were produced in Uttar Pradesh. But Mr Modi built a defence corridor in Bundelkhand and now cannon balls are made here. He added that if Pakistan makes any mistake, the shells made in Bundelkhand will be used to destroy them. Slamming Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's atom bomb remark that has sparked a political row, he said, Mr Aiyar said Pakistan should be respected as it has the atom bomb and not ask for PoK (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir) from the country. But this is Narendra Modi's government. We are not afraid of the atom bomb. PoK belongs to India and will remain so. We will take it. In a purported video clip that went viral on social media, Mr Aiyar is heard saying India should give respect to Pakistan as it is a sovereign nation and engage with it as it also possesses the atom bomb. Making a clarification, Mr Aiyar had said the video was old and dredged up now that the BJP's election campaign is faltering. The Congress said it totally disagreed with the remarks made by him some months ago. In a veiled attack on the Opposition, the Union minister said, This land fought against the Mughals and the British. Now Bundelkhand also has to fight against the desi angrez present in our country. Urging people to vote in favour of the BJP, the home minister said, This election is for the development of the country, for securing the country. This election is an election to protect our religion and culture. This election is to make India great. It is for the welfare of the poor in the country. And to quench the thirst of Bundelkhand. Launching a scathing attack on the Opposition, Mr Shah said, In this election, on one side there is the INDIA bloc which has committed a scam of `12-lakh crores. On the other hand, there is Mr Modi, who has together served for 23 years as a chief minister and Prime Minister, but no one can level a corruption allegation of even `25 paise on him. \On one side are (Congress leader) Rahul Gandhi and (SP chief) Akhilesh Yadav, who were born with a silver spoon. On the other hand, there is our leader, Mr Modi, who was born in the house of a poor tea seller, the senior BJP leader said. On one side, there is the Samajwadi Party, which opened fire on Ram bhakts . On the other side, there is Mr Modi, who is building the Ram temple, he added. The home minister said the Congress party wants to divide the country into two halves -- South India and North India -- but no one can break India as long as the country is run under Mr Modi's leadership. Later, while addressing an election rally in Banda in favour of BJP candidate R.K. Singh Patel, Mr Shah pointed out that this election is between those who opened fire on Ram devotees and those who built the temple of Lord Ram in Ayodhya. The Union minister reminded the gathering that the Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh had opened fire on karsevaks and devotees of Lord Ram during the Babri Masjid demolition and turned Saryu river red with blood. Mr Shah also said Mr Yadav, his wife and Dimple Yadav, Mr Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi did not attend the 'pran pratistha' ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya as they are afraid to lose their votebanks. Attacking the INDIA bloc and Mr Gandhi, the Union home minister said the Opposition Alliance members have said they will have different Prime Ministers on a rotational basis. But Rahul baba, this is not a grocery shop. To run the country, a strong Prime Minister is needed, one who has a 56-inch chest, he added. Sharpening his attack on the Opposition, he said, This entire ' ghamandia gathbandhan ' (arrogant alliance) is an alliance of familists who work only for their sons and daughters. Sharad Pawar wants to make his daughter Supriya Sule the chief minister, while Uddhav Thackeray wants the same position for his son Aditya Thackeray and Mamata (Banerjee) wants it for her nephew. And Mrs Gandhi wants to make her son the Prime Minister. In Uttar Pradesh, on the last day of campaigning for the fifth phase of polling in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, Mr Shah took part in a roadshow taken out to garner support for Smriti Irani, the BJP's Lok Sabha poll candidate from Amethi. Mr Shah and Ms Irani greeted people in an open-top vehicle decorated with saffron flags, banners and flowers, with the slogan of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre written on it. As the roadshow started from the Ramlila Maidan and proceeded till the Devipatan temple, the crowd raised the Jai Shri Ram slogan. The Jhansi, Banda and Amethi Lok Sabha seats will vote in the fifth phase on May 20.

'I can say with confidence that Rahul Baba is losing from Rae Bareli,' asserts Amit Shah

LUCKNOW: In a last-minute push to BJP's poll campaign in the prestigious seats of Amethi and Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserted that he is confident that Rahul Gandhi is losing from Rae Bareli this time. Asking the people of Amethi to opt between PM Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, he accused the latter of fleeing to Wayanad after losing Amethi in 2019. Now Rahul Baba is back in Raebareli. I have been in Raebareli for three days and can say with confidence that he is losing from there also, he said. Campaigning in 14 UP Lok Sabha constituencies, including Amethi and Raebareli, ended on Saturday evening as the voting is slated to take place on Monday, May 20. Shah held a 2-km road show in Amethi on Saturday, where he chose to denounce the Congress' claim that Amethi and Rae Bareli, widely considered as the bastion of Gandhi family, were their family seats. In a democracy it is the people, not a family, who send the candidate to the Parliament, Shah said questioning if any of the Gandhi family members turned up in Amethi or Raebareli during the pandemic. Shah, atop a four-wheeler turned into a Rath (chariot), was flanked by party candidate Smriti Irani, UP BJP chief Bhupendra Chaudhury, senior BJP leaders and the party MLAs, including Mayankeshwar Sharan Singh, of the assembly segments under Amethi Lok Sabha constituency. Wading through a humongous crowd of BJP cadre and local people, the roadshow, which commenced from Ramleela Ground culminated at Devipattan temple passing through Rajarshri Rananjai Tiraha, Gandhi Chowk and Sagra Tiraha amid the chants of Bharat Mata Ki Jai and Jai Shree Ram. Groups of saffron clad youth could be spotted at various locations along the roadshow route dancing, blowing conch shells and beating damroos while the party supporters could be seen waving BJP flags and shouting the slogans. By holding the massive roadshow in Amethi where Congress has fielded KL Sharma against BJPs Smiriti Irani, Shah sought to firm up partys prospects in Raebareli and other adjoining seats including Sultanpur. Notably, Irani had emerged as giant killer in 2019 when she had defeated Rahul Gandhi by a margin of 55,000 votes. However, in Raebareli, BJPs Dinesh Pratap Singh had lost to Sonia Gandhi by a margin of over 1.67 lakh votes. In fact, Congress had won just Raebareli seat losing other 66 seats which it had contested in Uttar Pradesh in 2019. Earlier, the Union Home Minister addressed two poll rallies in Jhansi-Lalitpur and Banad-- in the Bundelkhand region of UP on Saturday. All the four seats of Bundelkhand including Jhansi, Banda, Hamirpur and Jalaun (SC) will vote in fifth phase on May 20. While addressing a poll rally in Jhansi, land of Rani Lakshmi Bai, Amit Shah reached out to people asking them to fight the desi Angrez just like they fought against the British and Mughals during the freedom struggle. He asked the people to choose between two categories of leaders. On one hand there are leaders who have been behind, Rs 12 lakh crore scams, born with a silver spoon and go to Thailand for Vacation, on the other, there was PM Narendra Modi who has his tenures both as CM and PM unblemished. He was born in a poor family and never took a holiday, Shah said. He also targeted Samajwadi Party as the ones who ordered firing at the Ram Bhakts in Ayodhya in 1990. On the other hand, we have Modi, who got the Ram Janmabhoomi case pursued, won it, and eventually got a temple constructed in Ayodhya, Shah asserted. Shah reiterated that the opposition leaders avoided going to the Ram Temple consecration ceremony for the sake of their vote bank. He claimed that Congress vote bank politics stood exposed as its leaders advised to keep away from the POK as Pakistan had atom bomb. We are not afraid of their vote bank. We would take back the PoK, which is an integral part of India, he said. Shah also claimed that after four phases, the BJP had crossed 270 mark. Now it is sure that Modiji will become PM for the third consecutive time and make India the third largest economy in the world, he said. The home minister said that there was a time when Bundelkhand was known for `Bahubalis. Give us the mandate, and we will ensure that Bundelkhand will give `udyogpatis (industrialists), he said, adding that the area would soon be prominently known for nestling the ambitious defense corridor that would wheel out state-of-the-art weapons. In Banda, he reached out to the women voters, saying that it was the BJP who empowered the women by giving them 33% reservation in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. He took a potshot at the opposition for not having a definite PM candidate. If voted to power, they would make their leaders PM one-by-one every year, he said. There cannot be a PM stronger than Modi, who possesses a chest of 56 inches, he said.

Modi's 'dhakad' government brought down wall of Article 370: PM in Ambala

Modi's 'dhakad' government brought down wall of Article 370: PM in Ambala Prime Minister Narendra Modi sharpened his attack on the Congress on Saturday and said it was his ''dhakad'' (strong) government that brought down the wall of Article 370 and as a result, Jammu and Kashmir is now moving ahead on the path of progress. Tearing into the Congress, Modi said its history has been of betraying India's forces and soldiers. ''Their first scam was in the (armed) forces,'' the prime minister said, in an apparent reference to the ''Jeep scandal'', without naming it. Modi was addressing his first Lok Sabha poll rally in Haryana. Later, he addressed another rally in Sonipat's Gohana. ''The Congress maintained its track record with new scams till it was in power at the Centre. Be it the Bofors scam, the submarine scam, the helicopter scam -- the Congress used to keep the forces weak. Do you know why? So that in the name of procuring arms from abroad, it could earn huge sums,'' he alleged. Referring to Haryana contributing a sizable number of soldiers in the armed forces, Modi said when the Congress was in power, mothers in the state were a worried lot thinking about their children's safety. ''Have such things stopped now or not?'' he asked the audience that responded with an emphatic ''yes''. On Jammu and Kashmir, the prime minister said a weak government could never have changed the situation in the region. ''Modi's dhakad government brought down the wall of Article 370 and Kashmir is now moving ahead on the path of progress,'' he said. In August 2019, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre abrogated the provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution that had bestowed special rights on Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the erstwhile state into Union territories. Modi asserted that the welfare of farmers is his priority and said the previous Congress-led government at the Centre spent Rs 7.5 lakh crore to procure foodgrains at the minimum support price (MSP) in 10 years, whereas the current regime's procurement of crops at the MSP was for Rs 20 lakh crore. He also accused the Congress of cheating sugarcane farmers. ''When we came to power, their arrears had run up to Rs 60,000 crore. This year alone, we paid Rs 1.14 lakh crore,'' Modi said. Today, the sugarcane FRP (fair and remunerative price) is around Rs 350 per quintal, whereas it was Rs 210 during the Congress-led government, he said. More than Rs 650 crore, as part of the Kisan Samman Nidhi, were transferred to the bank accounts of farmers hailing from Ambala, Karnal and Kurukshetra, he added. Referring to the AAP-Congress poll alliance in certain states, he said Congress leaders are holding the ''jhadoo'' (broomstick, the Aam Aadmi Party's poll symbol) in Delhi and Haryana, but claiming that ''jhadoowala chor hai'' in Punjab, where the two parties are contesting the election against each other. The prime minister reiterated his claim that the Congress will redistribute the reservation meant for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) on the basis of religion, and alleged that the opposition party wants to snatch the quota for Dalits in jobs and education. ''The Congress has nothing to do with women, farmers and youngsters. For the Congress, its vote bank is everything,'' he said. He also slammed the opposition party for saying it will scrap the Citizenship (Amendment) Act if it comes to power. Seeking to strike an emotional chord with Sikhs, Modi said it was his government that brought the ''saroops'' of the Guru Granth Sahib with full respect from Afghanistan. He said it was his government that started observing ''Vir Bal Diwas'' to commemorate the martyrdom of the sons of 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh. Modi said the Ram temple in Ayodhya was built after a 500-year wait. ''The entire country is happy, but Congress leaders utter insulting words about the temple,'' he said. The prime minister said only 17 days are left for June 4, when the Lok Sabha poll results will be announced. The Congress and its partners in the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) have drawn a blank in the first four phases of polling, he claimed. ''When there is a dhakad government in the country, the enemy thinks 100 times before doing anything,'' Modi said. He said Pakistan, which earlier had bombs in its hands, is now holding on to a ''begging bowl''. The Congress never cared about the small needs of the country's soldiers, including their clothes, shoes and bullet-proof jackets, he said. ''India is now selling to other countries weapons that it used to buy from them,'' the prime minister said. He accused the Congress of betraying the ex-servicemen and keeping the ''One Rank, One Pension'' issue lingering for four decades, and said it was his government that fulfilled the promise made to them. India has a lot to offer to the world in the field of nutrition, Modi said, adding that he wants to take the ''jowar'' and ''bajra'' grown by the farmers of Haryana to the world. Voting for the 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana will be held in the sixth phase of the seven-phase election on May 25. Among those present at the Ambala rally were former Haryana chief minister and the BJP's Lok Sabha poll candidate from Karnal, Manohar Lal Khattar, the party's Ambala and Kurukshetra candidates, Banto Kataria and Naveen Jindal. Earlier, Modi paid tributes to former Union minister Rattan Lal Kataria. Saturday marked the death anniversary of Kataria, who represented Ambala in the Lok Sabha. His wife Banto Kataria is the BJP's Lok Sabha poll candidate from the seat this time.

Amit Shah's Big Claim; Says 'Intruders From Bangladesh Are Cong Vote Bank' | Watch

In a charged election rally in Banda, Uttar Pradesh, Amit Shah takes aim at the Congress and Samajwadi Party. He questions the absence of Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and Akhilesh Yadav from the Ayodhya Ram Mandir Pran Pratistha event, alleging fear of losing their vote bank. Shah further alleges that the Congress and SP consider intruders from Bangladesh their vote bank. He accuses Rahul and Akhilesh of indulging in vote bank politics. Additionally, Shah boldly predicts Narendra Modi's return as PM for the third time on June 4, sending a strong message to the India Alliance.

PM Modi Targets Congress Over Article 370 at Sonipat Rally

PM Modi Targets Congress Over Article 370 at Sonipat Rally Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday kept up the attack on the Congress, saying it should forget the ''dream'' of bringing back Article 370 as it has been ''buried'' in the ''kabristan (graveyard)''. Addressing a rally at Gohana here, his second of the day in Haryana, Modi referred to the Lok Sabha polls as a ''kurukshetra (battle)'' in which ''there is development on one hand and 'vote jihad' on the other''. Striking a chord with the locals, Modi referred to Gohana's famous ''Matu Ram ki jalebi'' to target the opposition. Attacking the INDIA bloc, he said they have a formula of having five prime ministers in five years if they come to power. ''Ask them is the prime minister's post our Matu Ram ki jalebi''. ''In the 2024 'kurukshetra', there is development on one hand and 'vote jihad' on the other,'' he said. ''I want to ask the people of Haryana... who will win?'' He waited for people to respond before saying, ''Your reply has decided 'Phir Ek Baar','' and the crowd went, ''Modi Sarkar''. Modi said now the Congress is not even hiding its ''desh-virodhi agenda (anti-national agenda). They are saying openly what Modi did in 10 years they will reverse it if they come to power, he said. But their ''dream'' of bringing Article 370 back will never be fulfilled, he added. ''They are saying that we will restore Article 370 in Kashmir... This means once again a free run for terrorism and bloodshed in the Valley,'' he said. ''From the brave land of Haryana, I want to tell those associated with the Congress that only tricolour will fly in Kashmir now,'' he said. ''Forget the dream of bringing back 370 in Kashmir. And if you try to do it 'lene k dene pad jayenge' (you will pay very heavy price).'' ''Dhara 370 ki deewar hamne kabristan me gaad diya hai....We have buried the hurdle of Article 370 in kabristan (graveyard),'' he asserted. Modi said the Congress is out of power for 10 years and therefore they are jittery. They are remembering their old days when the ''shahi parivar'' used to run the government with a remote control, he said. On the opposition naming their grouping INDIA, he said, ''The reality does not change by changing name. This INDI Alliance is a gang of the corrupt. (jJamaat of ghotalebaaz).'' ''They want power at any cost. And what is that cost? It is the country's security, stability and respect. And five prime ministers in five years. This is their formula to run the government,'' he said. ''Will the country benefit, if there is new PM each year. What will they do? Will you allow the country to go back to that period of instability.'' The prime minister claimed the Congress wants to give reservation meant for SC/ST and OBC to Muslims. He also ridiculed the party's manifesto, claiming it has Muslim League imprint. The Congress will X-ray people's property and distribute the ''excess'' to those who do 'vote Jihad', he said. He said the Congress party rejected the invitation for the Ayodhya Ram Mandir consecration ceremony on January 22 whereas Iqbal Ansari, who used to fight against Ram temple in court, participated in it. Among those present on the occasion included Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and the BJP's Lok Sabha poll candidate from Sonipat Mohan Lal Badoli. Voting for the 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana will be held in the sixth phase of elections on May 25.

Yogi Adityanath Rallies for BJP, Slams Congress on Ram Temple and Security Issues

Yogi Adityanath Rallies for BJP, Slams Congress on Ram Temple and Security Issues Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said Ram Lalla will not allow Congress to come to power again and accused the opposition party of questioning the martyrdom of security personnel during 26/11. Addressing a rally here to campaign for advocate Ujjwal Nikam, BJP candidate for Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha constituency, Yogi said the ongoing elections are about choosing between Ram bhakts and Ram drohis. Ram bhakt is a rashtra bhakt who will serve the people of India and work for the country's progress. A Ram bhakt who paved the way for the construction of Ram temple can ensure respect for the people and the country as well as safety and security, he said. Mumbai North Central, where Congress has nominated its city chief Varsha Gaikwad, and 12 other constituencies in Maharashtra will go to polls in the fifth phase of the general elections on May 20. Campaigning for these seats ended at 6 pm on Saturday. Adityanath also accused the Congress and its allies of being upset with the construction of the Ayodhya Ram temple. Congress leaders say Ram temple shouldnt have been constructed. If the Congress is so upset about it, it can construct a Ram temple in Italy. If they dont want a Ram temple, they can build one dedicated to Bajrangbali (Lord Hanuman). Some Congress leaders say that if their party comes to power, they will destroy the Ram temple, claimed the senior BJP leader. Ram Lalla will not allow you to come to power, he said. The Uttar Pradesh CM said when the BJP speaks with confidence of winning 400-plus seats, the ground beneath slips for opposition parties. People say they will support only those who got the Ram temple (constructed), he said. Adityanath also accused the grand old party of insulting the martyrs of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks by questioning their sacrifice. Nikam, the special public prosecutor during the 26/11 trial, was instrumental in sending terrorist Ajmal Kasab to the gallows, he said. Nikam stood against anti-nationals. No one has dared target Mumbai again. This is new India under (Prime Minister) Narendra Modis leadership. Now, even if a tiny cracker is burst on Diwali, Pakistan has to clarify that it was not behind it, Adityanath said. He urged people to vote for Modi, stressing that a third term for him would destroy Aurangzebs soul that has ''crept into'' the Congress and its allies. India will be atmanirbhar (self-reliant) and viksit (developed), he said. Earlier in the day, Adityanath addressed rallies in Malegaon in Nashik district and Palghar in the state. After Ayodhya and Kashi Vishwanath, we have to move towards Mathura, he said. During Congress rule, Indias borders were unsafe and the countrys image had diminished, he said, adding that there is respect, security and welfare of poor in new India.

BJP's Lallu Singh Eyes Hat-Trick in Faizabad Amidst Political Tensions

BJP's Lallu Singh Eyes Hat-Trick in Faizabad Amidst Political Tensions Eyeing a hat-trick of poll victories from the Faizabad Lok Sabha constituency, incumbent BJP MP Lallu Singh feels that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav are not visiting the Ram temple in Ayodhya ''fearing that they will not get the votes of the minorities''. He also asserted that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) never indulges in the politics of Hindu-Muslim. ''They feel that if they visit (the Ram temple), they will not get the votes of the minorities and hence, they are not going there,'' Singh told PTI, when asked whether he feels that Gandhi and Yadav are hesitating to pay a visit to the newly-built temple. ''In July 2005, when hand grenades were hurled at the Ram Janmabhoomi and then there was a terror attack, it was (SP patriarch) Mulayam Singh Yadav's government in Uttar Pradesh. Not even a minister of state went to Ayodhya after the blasts. From this, you can make out (about them) and they claim that they are devotees of Lord Ram,'' he said. The July 5, 2005 terror attack in Ayodhya left two people dead and seven paramilitary personnel injured. Five suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists were eliminated by security forces in retaliatory action. Asked about Gandhi's allegation that prominent personalities and big businessmen were invited to the Ram temple's consecration ceremony on January 22, while poor people, labourers and farmers were nowhere to be seen, Singh said, ''People from different sections of the society, who had helped build the temple, were invited. He (Gandhi) too was invited. Besides, seers from across the country were present at the ceremony.'' On February 12, Gandhi said in Chhattisgarh's Korba that he saw the likes of Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and big businessmen at the consecration ceremony in Ayodhya, but poor people, labourers and farmers were nowhere to be seen. Singh said, ''He (Gandhi) should talk about his own history. Why did they (the Congress) fail to do what Modiji has done (in 10 years), despite remaining in power for 60 years? Electricity had not reached villages, people neither had houses nor toilets and no one had an LPG gas connection. They never pondered over these (issues) and are talking about useless things.'' Refuting claims that the unity among opposition parties might impact the outcome of the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, the 69-year-old BJP leader said, ''Who is there (in the opposition) that they will unite? Does the Congress have anything in Uttar Pradesh? The Congress has nothing in Uttar Pradesh and the regional parties, whosoever they may be, have tied up with communal forces and are spreading casteism to get power. They do not think about the country. Gradually, people have understood everything.'' To a question on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) indulging in the politics of Hindu-Muslim, Singh said, ''We have never done it. You can ask the Muslims of Ayodhya and if we have done anything like this, then give examples.'' He also recalled that on December 30 last year, Modi unveiled a new-look old city with an airport, a revamped train station and projects worth Rs 15,700 crore, ahead of the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple. The Faizabad Lok Sabha seat consists of five Assembly segments -- Dariyabad, Rudauli, Mikipur (reserved for SC candidates), Bikapur and Ayodhya. Dariyabad is located in neighbouring Barabanki district while the four other Assembly constituencies are in Ayodhya district. SP candidate Awadhesh Prasad is the MLA from Milkipur, while Dariyabad is represented in the Assembly by BJP's Satish Sharma, Rudauli by BJP's Ram Chandra Yadav, Bikapur by the saffron party's Amit Singh Chauhan and Ayodhya by the party's Ved Prakash Gupta. Polling for the Faizabad Lok Sabha seat is scheduled to take place in the fifth phase of the seven-phase election on May 20 and the counting of votes will be taken up on June 4. Thirteen candidates are in the fray from Faizabad, with the main battle between Singh and Prasad. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has also fielded a candidate from the seat.

Congress Rebuts PM Modi's Ram Temple Bulldozer Claim

Congress Rebuts PM Modi's Ram Temple Bulldozer Claim The Congress on Saturday took strong objection to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's charge that the party will ''bulloze the Ram temple'' if elected to power, accusing him of instigating people and demanded that the Election Commission takes action on him. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said it is the BJP that uses the bulldozer. ''It is the BJP that uses the bulldozer. We have never run a bulldozer on anyone till date. The Election Commission should take action against Modi ji and the BJP for saying such things about the temple of God which is currently under construction by the trust. By saying such things, they are creating anger among the public. They are inciting the public, they are instigating them. ''The Prime Minister himself is giving instigative speeches, action should be taken against him. If some small leader had done this, we would not have paid attention, but the person sitting on the post of Prime Minister is speaking such language,'' Kharge said in a post on X. Modi, while campaigning in Uttar Pradesh on Friday, had claimed that the Congress and the SP will run a bulldozer over the Ram temple if elected to power, and asked them to take lessons from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on where bulldozers should be used instead. ''If the SP and the Congress come to power, they will send Ram Lalla back to the tent and bulldoze the temple,'' he claimed. The Congress president, in his reaction, said Modi is inciting people by saying such things that are impossible as ''we cannot do such things''. ''The people of the country know that this will never happen. After our government comes, everything will be protected. This is what our constitution says, we will work under the constitution only,'' he said. Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said the party in its manifesto has promised to ''put an end to the weaponisation of laws, arbitrary searches, seizures and attachments, arbitrary and indiscriminate arrests, third-degree methods, prolonged custody, custodial deaths, and bulldozer justice''. ''That is a complete answer to the outrageous and false charge that the I.N.D.I.A. bloc will take bulldozers to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya,'' he said in a post on X. ''Bulldozer justice may be the signature tune of the chief minister of U.P., but it is anathema to the Congress and the I.N.D.I.A. bloc,'' the former union minister also said.

Salman Khurshid takes exception to 'Congress will bulldoze temple' remark of PM

PATNA: Former Union minister Salman Khurshid on Saturday voiced strong displeasure over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's charge that the Congress, if it came to power, will bulldoze the Ram temple at Ayodhya. Addressing a press conference at the Sadaqat Ashram, the state Congress headquarters, Khurshid also reminded Modi that he entire nation has accepted the temple that was built in accordance with a Supreme Court verdict. The Prime Minister should remember that the credit for the construction of the temple goes not to him but to the Supreme Court. God belongs to all, so do places of worship. It is unfortunate that the PM is speaking such language, said Khurshid. The senior Congress leader, who had held portfolios like Law and Justice and Minority Affairs in the UPA government, added Our party believes in the rule of law. We do not want to bulldoze any place of worship. He also scoffed at allegations made against the Congress, in recent past, by Modi like We will take away buffaloes of cattle owners and rob women of their mangalsutras. INDIA bloc will bulldoze Ram temple if it comes to power: PM Modi The PM has also claimed that our manifesto bore the imprint of the Muslim League. He should tell us when did he get to read the Muslim League's manifesto to draw such a comparison, added Khurshid. The Congress leader claimed that allegations of the PM and other senior BJP leaders were proof that even they have begun to sense that we are coming to power. We are confident of winning the elections, in any case. Once we come to power we will fulfil promises like scrapping of the Agniveer scheme and 10 kg free ration to the poor. The BJP has been boasting about its five kg ration scheme for which credit goes to the Right to Food Act that was passed under the UPA rule, said Khurshid. Modi inciting people, dividing society, alleges Kharge; Uddhav says 'acche din' coming after June 4 The senior Congress leader bristled at remarks of BJP leaders labelling a section of the population as Pakistan supporters and said Let them send their children to the neighbouring country which they refer to so frequently in their discourse. I am grateful to my ancestors who chose to stay back during Partition, preferring one's own mother to a stepmother (sauteli maa).

Khurshid takes exception to Congress will bulldoze temple remark of PM

Patna: Former Union minister Salman Khurshid on Saturday voiced strong displeasure over Prime Minister Narendra Modis charge that the Congress, if it came to power, will bulldoze the Ram temple at Ayodhya. Addressing a press conference at the Sadaqat Ashram, the state Congress headquarters, Khurshid also reminded Modi that the entire nation has accepted the Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

Aurangzeb's soul has crept into Congress: Yogi Adityanath on inheritance tax

MALEGAON: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday hit out at the Congress over its alleged proposal to introduce inheritance, and said Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's soul has crept into the grand old party. He said the inheritance tax is like the 'jizya' tax imposed by Aurangzeb. Addressing a rally in Malegaon town in Maharashtra's Nashik district, he said the BJP is contesting elections not merely for power but to build a developed India. There should be no doubt that Narendra Modi is coming back once again as the prime minister, Adityanath asserted. Inheritance tax is like jizya imposed by Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb's soul has crept into Congress, Adityanath said. The jizya tax was imposed by Aurangzeb on non-Muslim citizens. The construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya symbolises the sentiments of 140 crore people of India, he said, adding that Lord Ram will ensure that the opposition bloc doesn't come to power to destroy his temple in Ayodhya. He said that before 2014, there used to be riots before every Hindu festival. I ask those who are pro-Pakistan to go and beg in that country. There is no place in India for those who shower praise on that nation, Adityanath said.

INDIA bloc leaders slam PM Modi on bulldozer remark

Mumbai: Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and other INDIA bloc leaders on Saturday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his claim that the opposition alliance would bulldoze the Ayodhya Ram temple if voted to power, and said they were committed to protecting the religious freedom of all citizens and ensuring that the country runs as per Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

Quit SP Due to Ideological Differences, Manoj Pandey Tells News18 After Joining BJP, Slams Swami Prasad Maurya

The MLA from Unchahar assembly seat said he decided to part ways with the party when SP chief Akhilesh Yadav turned a blind eye towards Mauryas diatribe against the Ramcharitmanas and Lord Rams consecration ceremony in Ayodhya

Sri Lanka: Rath Yatra of Holy Saryu water flagged off for Seetha Amman Temple

Colombo , May 18 : In a ceremonial event imbued with spiritual significance, Indias High Commisioner to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, alongside Members of Parliament and other dignitaries, inaugurated the Rath Yatra of Holy Saryu Water from Mayurapathi Sri Badrakali Amman Kovil. The sacred water, drawn from the revered Saryu River in Ayodhya, India, marks the auspicious beginning of a journey destined for the Seetha Amman Temple in Seetha Eliya. The event, resonating with ancient traditions and divine reverence, symbolises [] The post Sri Lanka: Rath Yatra of Holy Saryu water flagged off for Seetha Amman Temple appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

Lord Ram's Guardian: Yogi Adityanath Vows to Protect Ayodhya Temple from Opposition Control

Lord Ram's Guardian: Yogi Adityanath Vows to Protect Ayodhya Temple from Opposition Control Lord Ram will ensure that opposition doesnt come to power to destroy his temple in Ayodhya: Yogi Adityanath at rally in Maharashtra.

Modi inciting people, dividing society, alleges Kharge; Uddhav says 'acche din' coming after June 4

MUMBAI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of inciting people and dividing society through his election speeches. Kharge was addressing a press conference of the INDIA bloc, where NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray and other leaders were present. The opposition alliance held an election rally in the city on Friday. No prime minister before Modi has ever indulged in inciting people like he has been doing. He speaks about democracy repeatedly but doesn't adhere to the tenets of democracy, Kharge said. Responding to a question on PM Modi' statement that the Congress will bulldoze the Ram mandir in Ayodhya and also restore Article 370 if the INDIA bloc is voted to power, Kharge said, We have never used a bulldozer on anyone. Modi has the habit of lying and inciting people about things which Congress will never do or the things that are impossible to be implemented. Asked about his party's stand on Article 370, Kharge said , I am not answerable to Modi. We will implement what we have promised in our manifesto. Attacking the PM further, he said, Wherever he goes, he tries to create division, speaks of dividing society. PM Modi had described the Congress' manifesto as Muslim League manifesto, but now he says it is a Maoist manifesto, Kharge added. The Congress chief assured that reservation as enshrined in the Constitution will continue and nobody can touch it. Speaking on the occasion, Thackeray said, 'Achche din' are coming from June 4 (when Lok Sabha poll results will be declared) when INDIA bloc-led government takes charge. PM Modi calls us 'nakli' (fake) Shiv Sena, tomorrow he may call RSS as 'nakli Sangh', the former chief minister said. The BJP is floating 'Pakistan flags in our rally' narrative to divert people's attention from issues like jobs, he alleged. Pawar said that after coming to power, the INDIA bloc government's duty will be to protect all religious places in the country. Kharge noted that if elected, the opposition alliance's government will implement a simple, single rate GST, replacing the present GST. We introduced Food Security Act, but PM Modi is taking credit for free ration supply, he alleged.

No seat is family seat, its all peoples: Shah to Priyanka

LUCKNOW: Confronting the claim of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra that Raebareli Union Home Minister Amit Shah said it was not a seat of any family but that of the people. She (Priyanka Gandhi) says that Rae Bareli and Amethi are the seats of my family. I say that this seat does not belong to any family. This is the seat of poor youth of both the districts. Whoever the people of Rae Bareli and Amethi want will go to the Parliament. This is democracy, family has no seat, he asserted. Shah made a blistering attack on the Congress for declining the invite to consecration of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya claiming that if the Congress would come to power, it would put the lock in the temple again. Addressing a rally in Daulatpur of Unchahar assembly constituency represented by SP turncoat Manoj Pandey who joined the BJP formally on Friday in Shahs presence, the Home Minister said, Congress allies who say Ram temple has not been consecrated properly, if come, they will put the Babri lock on Ram temple again. Calling the opposition alliance a family-based congregation of parties, Shah said: RJD leader Lalu Yadav wants to make his son the chief minister, Mamata (Banerjee) wants her nephew to be the chief minister and Sonia Gandhi wants to make her son the prime minister. He claimed that with Smriti Irani winning in Amethi and Dinesh Pratap Singh in Rae Bareli, both the seats were going to go to the BJP. Assuring the people of Raebareli that Dinesh Pratap Singh would remain with them in their good and bad times, Shah said, I take a guarantee that if Dinesh Pratap is not seen in your good or bad times, it is my responsibility, he said. The Congress party was sitting on Article 370. (Prime Minister) Modi ended it. Congress says that we will bring back Article 370. Modi ji has ended terrorism from the country, the home minister said. No collectors office in Amethi till 2018 Discussing the development work done in Amethi during the last five years, Shah said, There was no collector office in the constituency, which they call the family seat for 70 years. Yogi government along with Smriti Irani laid foundation for the collector office in 2018, he said.

LS polls fifth phase: Fate of 5 Modi Ministers at stake in 14 UP seats

LUCKNOW: The political heartland of India will witness voting on 14 seats, including a couple of high-profile constituencies and fate of five Union ministers, in the fifth phase on May 20. The 14 seats comprise not only Congress citadels Rae Bareli and Amethi but also Ayodhya, the nerve centre of BJPs Hindutva plank. In fact, this phase will decide the tone and tenor of the sixth and seventh rounds, which will be concentrated across 27 seats of Purvanchal. Moreover, four constituencies of Bundelkhand will decide whether to let BJP achieve a hat-trick or vote for change. The BJP had swept the phase in 2019 by winning 13 of the 14 seats in fray. While the BJP had wrested Amethi from Congress, Sonia Gandhi had retained Rae Bareli as the only party MP from UP in 2019. The SP and BSP drew a blank in 2019 and 2014. In 2024, while Congress is contesting on two seats, ally SP is contesting on rest 12 seats. Rae Bareli One of the most prominent seats of fifth phase is set for a fight between Rahul Gandhi and BJP MLC and Yogi minister Dinesh Pratap Singh who had switched over to the saffron party in 2018. BSP has fielded an OBC nominee. Amethi Another high-profile seat witnesses a battle of nerves between Union minister Smriti Irani and KL Sharma, a representative of Congress first family of four decades. Smriti had defeated Rahul Gandhi in 2019 in Amethi and she is seeking a second term. BSP has fielded Nanhe Singh Chauhan. Faizabad The seat of Ram temple is set to test BJPs Hindutva plank. However, Faizabad has never been the saffron stronghold in the true sense. The Congress captured the seat in 2009, BSP won it in 2004 and SP in 1998. The BJP won the seat in 1991, 1996, 2014 and 2019. In 2019, BJPs Lallu Singh, five-time MLA and an MP twice, retained it defeating SPs Anand Sen. This time the contest is multi-cornered with SP having fielded its nine-time MLA Awdhesh Prasad, CPI former IPS officer Arvind Sena and BSP Sachhidanand Pandey. Lucknow The real challenge before the BJP is winning margin of MP Rajnath Singh who is seeking a third term carrying forward the legacy of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee who had represented Lucknow five times in the Lok Sabha from 1991 and 2004. Lucknow parliamentary constituency is the BJPs citadel. The party has never lost this seat since 1991. Singh won the seat in 2014 and 2019. Mohanlal Ganj and Barabanki Both the reserve seats are adjacent to Lucknow with Pasi community holding the key. Mohanlal Ganj BJP candidate and Union minister of state Kaushal Kishore is trying his luck for the third term in a row. Challenging him are the SPs RK Chaudhary and the BSPs Rajesh Kumar. Barabanki Another seat adjoining Lucknow has have tendency of changing winners each time. However, the BJP won the seat in 2014 and retained it in 2019. Pasis among the SCs and Kurmi voters among OBCs are decisive in the constituency. There are over 20% Muslim voters. In 2024, BJP replaced its MP Upendra Singh Rawat with Rajrani Rawat and Congress fielded Tanuj Punia, son of former bureaucrat and Congress leader PL Punia. Gonda BJP MP Kirti Vardhan Singh, from the royal family, is in the fray for the third consecutive term. Challenging him is SPs Shreya Verma, the granddaughter of party stalwart Beni Prasad Verma, and BSP pitted a Brahmin Saurabh Mishra. Fatehpur BJP has repeated its MP Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti who had defeated BSPs Sukh Lal Verma, as the joint SP-BSP candidate, in 2019. The SP fielded its state chief Naresh Uttam, a Kurmi by caste, and the BSP put stakes on Manish Sachan. Kaiserganj BJP has fielded Karan Bhushan Singh, son of Brijbhushan Sharan Singh, SP has named Baghatram Mishra and BSP has made the contest interesting by fielding another Brahmin Narendra Pandey. Kaushambi The reserved seat is set for in interesting battle between BJP MP Vinod Sonkar and one of the youngest SP candidates Pushpendra Saroj, son of SP MLA Indrajeet Saroj. Bundelkhand Four seats Jalaun, Jhansi, Hamirpur and Banda.

Had Congress been dissolved on Gandhiji's guidance...: PM Modi's strong jibe in Maharashtra

Had Congress been dissolved on Gandhiji's guidance...: PM Modi's strong jibe in Maharashtra Taking a swipe at the Congress party, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that had the party been dissolved on the suggestion of Mahatma Gandhi, India would have been five decades ahead from what it is now. He said that the Congress party made the poor people feel as if hey were born to live in poverty, adding that the Modi government was able to take 25 crore people out of poverty in the last 10 years. Addressing the public meeting in Mumbai, PM Modi said, Earlier, there were governments that did not trust the capabilities of Indians...I have seen Prime Ministers who called Indians lazy from the Red Fort...PMs with such a mentality cannot develop India. Under the guidance of Gandhiji, if the Congress had been dissolved after independence, the country would have been 5 decades ahead from now. Attacking the Opposition further, he said that many considered the Ram Temple in Ayodhya as impossible, but the struggle of 500 years was finally realized. Some people say that what Modi says is impossible. It is difficult to instill hope in people who are drowned in hopelessness. Everything is impossible for them. These are the same people who thought that the Ram Temple was impossible. The world has to accept that the people of India were so strong with their thoughts that they kept struggling for 500 years, for one dream...As a result, Ram Lalla is Virajman in a grand temple, the Prime Minister said. He also took a jibe at the Congress party over its on-fulfillment of the promise of eradicating poverty. Congress kept saying for 60 years that they will eradicate poverty... In their 20-25-minute speech from the Red Fort, the Prime ministers of this family only spoke on poverty...They made poor people feel as if they were born to live in poverty, it seemed impossible to eradicate people from poverty. In 10 years, Modi brought 25 crore people out of poverty. What seemed impossible, became possible, PM Modi added. He also heavily against the manifesto of the Congress party and said that if the Maoist manifesto is implemented, the country will go bankrupt. On one hand, Modi has a report card of 10 years and a roadmap for the next 25 years. On the other hand, you have INDI Alliance: Where there are as many parties that many promises, as many PM candidates as many parties, PM Modi said. If the Maoist manifesto of the Congress party is implemented, the country will become bankrupt, he added. Attacking Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT), Prime Minister Modi said that he allied with the party that abused Ram Mandir and whose leaders were partying after the Mumbai attacks. The fake Shiv Sena has betrayed the sacrifices of Bala Saheb and Shiv Sainiks. For power... he went along with those who abused the Ram Mandir. For power... he went away with the people who were partying after the Mumbai attacks. The Congress which abuses Veer Savarkar day and night, today he has gone and sat in his lap, Prime Minister Modi said. He added, I challenge them to make Rahul Gandhi say that he will not abuse Veer Savarkar...they can't because as soon as the elections are over, he (Rahul Gandhi) will again start abusing Veer Savarkar. Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra are being held in five phases: April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, and May 20. 13 constituencies including the six seats in Mumbai are among the ones that will vote on May 20. The counting of votes will be held on June 4. The state, with its 48 Lok Sabha seats, is the second-largest contributor to the lower house of Parliament after Uttar Pradesh. Known for its political diversity and significant electoral influence, Maharashtra plays a crucial role in shaping national politics. In the 2019 elections, the BJP emerged as the largest party with 23 seats, followed by the Shiv Sena with 18 seats. (ANI)

High-profile seats of Rae Bareli, Amethi to vote in Phase-V in UP, fate of 5 Union ministers at stake

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh, the political heartland of India, will witness voting in 14 seats in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 20, with the fate of five Union ministers at stake. The 14 seats which will vote in the upcoming phase comprise not only the Congress citadels of Rae Bareli and Amethi but also Ayodhya, the nerve centre of the BJPs Hindutva plank. In fact, the fifth phase will decide the tone and tenor of the remaining sixth and seventh phases of the ensuing election which will be concentrated across 27 seats of Purvanchal. Moreover, four constituencies of Bundelkhand would also decide whether to let the ruling saffron brigade achieve a hat-trick or vote for a change going beyond the benefits of welfare schemes extended by the Modi government. Similarly, the political stature of the tainted Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of the BJP, the six-time Lok Sabha MP, would also be put to test in Kaiserganj where his son is contesting as a proxy as he is caught in the sexual harassment case of ace female wrestlers of the country. The ruling BJP had swept the phase in 2019 by winning 13 of the 14 seats. While the BJP had wrested Amethi from the Congress, former AICC chief Sonia Gandhi had managed to retain Rae Bareli as the only party MP from UP in 2019. The Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party had drawn a blank in this phase in 2019 and 2014. In the fifth phase, while the Congress is contesting in two seats Rae Bareli and Amethi its ally, the SP, is contesting in the remaining 12 seats. Rae Bareli is 'karmabhoomi' of both my 'mothers' Sonia and Indira Gandhi: Rahul At a glance Rae Bareli: One of the most prominent seats of the fifth phase is set for a fierce fight between former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi who has switched from his bastion Amethi replacing his mother and sitting MP Sonia Gandhi. He is being challenged by the BJPs MLC and Yogi government minister Dinesh Pratap Singh who had switched over to the BJP from the Congress in 2018. The BSP has fielded an OBC Thakur Prasad Yadav here. Amethi: Another high-profile seat witnesses a battle of nerves between Union minister and sitting MP Smriti Irani and KL Sharma, a low-profile representative of the Congresss first family of four decades. Smriti had defeated Rahul Gandhi in 2019 in Amethi and she is seeking a second term. The BSP has fielded Nanhe Singh Chauhan. Faizabad: The seat of the Ram temple is set to test the BJPs Hindutva plank. However, Faizabad has never been a saffron stronghold in the true sense. The Congress captured this seat in 2009, BSP won it in 2004 and the SP in 1998. The BJP won the seat in 1991, 1996, 2014 and 2019. In 2019, the BJPs Lallu Singh, five-time MLA and an MP twice, retained it defeating SPs Anand Sen by securing 48.65% of votes. Buoyed by the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the BJP hopes to win this seat with a huge margin in 2024. This time the contest is multi-cornered with the SP having fielded its 9-time MLA Awdhesh Prasad, while former IPS officer Arvind Sena of the CPI and Sachhidanand Pandey of the BSP are also in the fray. Lucknow: The real challenge before the ruling BJP is the winning margin of sitting MP Rajnath Singh who is seeking a third term carrying forward the legacy of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee who had represented Lucknow five times in the Lok Sabha from 1991 and 2004. The Lucknow parliamentary constituency is the BJPs citadel. The party has never lost this seat since 1991. BJP veteran and defence minister Rajnath Singh won the seat in 2014 and 2019. With no prominent candidate facing him, Rajnath Singh is expected to make a hat-trick. The SP has fielded sitting MLA Ravi Das Mehrotra while the BSP has given the ticket to a Muslim Sarwar Mallik. Time is an everchanging entity, Rae Bareli now Modi citadel: BJP candidate Dinesh Pratap Singh Mohanlal Ganj: This reserved seat is adjacent to Lucknow with the Pasi community holding the key. BJP candidate and Union minister of state Kaushal Kishore is trying his luck for the third term in a row. Challenging him are the SPs RK Chaudhary and the BSPs Rajesh Kumar. Barabanki: Another reserved seat adjoining Lucknow, this has the tendency of changing winners each time. However, the BJP won the seat in 2014 and retained it in 2019. Pasis among the SCs and Kurmi voters among OBCs are decisive in the constituency. There are over 20% Muslim voters here. In 2024, the BJP replaced its sitting MP Upendra Singh Rawat with Rajrani Rawat and the Congress has fielded Tanuj Punia, son of former bureaucrat and Congress leader PL Punia. The BSP has fielded Shiv Kumar Dohre. Gonda: The BJPs sitting MP Kirti Vardhan Singh, hailing from the royal family, is in the fray for the third consecutive term. Challenging him is the SPs Shreya Verma, the granddaughter of party stalwart and prominent Kurmi leader Beni Prasad Verma, while the BSP has pitted a Brahmin Saurabh Mishra. Fatehpur: The BJP has repeated its sitting MP Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti who had defeated the BSPs Sukh Lal Verma, who was the joint SP-BSP candidate, with 54% of the votes in 2019. The SP has fielded its state chief Naresh Uttam, a Kurmi by caste, and the BSP has pinned its hopes on Manish Sachan. Kaiserganj: The BJP has fielded Karan Bhushan Singh, son of sitting MP Brijbhushan Sharan Singh, while the SP has fielded Baghatram Mishra and the BSP has made the contest interesting by fielding another Brahmin Narendra Pandey. Kaushambi: Adjacent to the Allahabad Lok Sabha constituency, this reserved seat is set for an interesting battle between the BJPs sitting MP Vinod Sonkar and one of the SPs youngest candidates, the debutant Pushpendra Saroj who is the son of SP MLA Indrajeet Saroj. The BSP has fielded Shubh Narain Gautam, a retired area development officer. Bundelkhand Jalaun: It is set for a three-cornered fight featuring Union Minister Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma of the BJP, Narayan Das Ahirwar of the SP, and Suresh Chandra Gautam of the BSP. While Verma has been a five-time MP and is seeking a third term from Jalaun, both the SP and BSP candidates are making their debut. Jhansi: This land of warriors is witnessing a showdown between Anurag Sharma, the sitting BJP MP, and Pradeep Jain Aditya of the Congress. The BSP has fielded Ravi Prakash making the contest three-cornered. Hamirpur: It is set for a tough contest between Kunwar Pushpendra Singh Chandel of the BJP and Ajendra Singh Rajput of the SP. Chandel is seeking his third term while the BSP has given an interesting dimension to the fight by fielding a Brahmin Nirdosh Kumar Dikshit. Banda: The BJP has repeated its sitting MP RK Singh Patel to clash with Krishna Patel of the SP, along with Mayank Dwivedi of the BSP who is depending on the votes of upper castes.

Visakhapatnam: Steel Employees Stage Dharna for Wages

Vizag Steel Plant entrance. (Photo: AFP/File) Vizag Steel Plant entrance. (Photo: AFP/File) Visakhapatnam: Steel plant employees led by the CITU staged a dharna in front of the work executive directors office on Friday demanding immediate release of wages. The union leaders later submitted a memorandum to the executive director. Honorary president of CITU, J Ayodhyaram, said that as per the company rules, the steel plant management should be paying wages by the seventh of every month. But, contrary to rules, the wage payments were irregular for the last three months. The salary bills total `90 crore a month. The unionists warned that the employees would launch a full-scale agitation if the salaries were not paid on time. JMS general secretary Varasala Srinivasa Rao said banks were slapping abnormal fines on EMIs for the delay in payment of instalments due to the irregular release of the wages. All the banks have declared health accounts as NPA and are pressing the employees for clearance of dues. The banks are waiving loans worth several crores in the case of big business, but are harassing the employees who just missed one or two EMIs, Srinivasa Rao said. Sources said the Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd, for the first time in its 42-year-old history, found it difficult to pay salaries to its employees. The steel plant has 13,557 regular employees, including 9,154 non-executive cadre employees and 4,403 executive cadre employees. A senior officer of RINL said the management was paying salaries before the scheduled date till some time ago. However, due to the current non-movement of raw material from Gangavaram Port to the Steel Plant due to the employees strike, the regular business was affected. The problem has been solved and we will pay the salaries in a day or two.

INDIA bloc will bulldoze Ram temple if it comes to power: PM Modi

LUCKNOW: Claiming that the opposition alliance, especially the Congress, had the intention of reversing the Supreme Court verdict on the Ram temple, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that if they come to power they would get the temple bulldozed. Addressing a poll rally in Zaidpur in Barabanki on Friday, PM Modi advised the INDIA bloc to learn from CM Yogi Adityanath where to run bulldozers. A senior SP leader had said on Ram Navami that the Ram temple is useless. At the same time, the Congress is preparing to overturn the Supreme Court's decision on the temple. For them, only their family and power matter. If the SP and Congress come to power, they will send Ram Lalla back to the tent and bulldoze the temple, he claimed while asking them to take uition from Adityanath as to where bulldozers should be used. The PM addressed three poll rallies in UP at Barabanki, Hamirpur and Fatehpur on Friday. Underlining that the power of a vote had ended a 500-year wait and led to the enthronement of Shri Ram Lalla in the grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the PM took a dig at the opposition saying that they never felt bad witnessing Ram Lalla in a tent. When people used to see Ram Lalla in a tent under the sky, they would abuse the government of the day, said the PM. He launched a scathing attack on the opposition bloc claiming that it was an incohesive conglomerate of power-hungry forces. PM Modi said that opposition parties was still not sure of their PM face and were fighting amongst themselves for the position but would eventually disintegrate like a pack of cards after the Lok Sabha election results on June 4. Modis Babbua & new Bua jibe at Akhilesh and Mamata He added that the shehzada of SP (SP chief Akhilesh Yadav), had a heartbreak when a Congress leader claimed that the people of Rae Bareli would elect the next PM of India. PM Modi was reflecting on the statement of ex-Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel that after Indira Gandhi, the people of Rae Bareli were going to elect the Prime Minister of the country. He also hinted at the chinks in the INDI Alliance. Referring to the AAP and Congress, he said, An INDI alliance party has told the other not to mess with it in Punjab. The PM was seeking support for BJP candidate Rajrani Rawat in Barabanki and the partys Mohanlal Ganj candidate and Union Minister Kaushal Kishore. Aware of the caste dynamics of both the reserved constituencies, Modi accused the Congress of insulting SP stalwart and former MP Beni Prasad Verma, a tall Kurmi leader. Even now the SP shehzada is silent, he said. Maintaining that othing is bigger than vote bank for the SP-Congress, Modi said when he exposed them, they became restless and lost sleep. They start saying anything and start hurling abuses. This is a battle between BJP's policy of contentment vs INDIA bloc's appeasement politics: Modi The SP-Congress have surrendered to appeasement. And when Modi is telling the truth to the country, they say Modi is creating Hindu-Muslim divide. Even their vote bank has also started understanding the truth. Our mothers and sisters are happy with the law on triple talaq and are continuously blessing the BJP, Modi claimed. He said that the local MP from the opposition camp, if elected, will have just one task: abuse Modi day and night. People here should aspire for an MP who can work for them and develop their area and so the people have the only option of Kamal (lotus) , he said. Taking a swipe at SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, the PM said: The Babuaji here, the socialist prince, has now taken refuge under a new Buaji. Apparently referring to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Modi said: The new Buaji in Bengal has said that she would back the 'INDI alliance' from outside. In Fatehpur, the PM took a jibe at the Congress saying its aim was to win just 50 seats in the country so that it could save its honour. He also mocked Rahul Gandhi for contesting the Lok Sabha polls from Rae Baraeli instead of Amethi which he lost to the BJP's Smriti Irani in 2019. Taking a further swipe, Modi said, The dreams of 'panja' (Congress poll symbol) and 'cycle' (SP poll symbol) have shattered 'khata-khat, khata-khat'. Now they are planning for post-June 4 as to who should be blamed for the defeat 'khata-khat, khata-khat'. And, someone was telling me that tickets for foreign trips have also been booked 'khata-khat, khata-khat'. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had used the phrase Khata-khat khata-khat to claim that a fixed stipend would flow into the accounts of poor women if his party came to power. Addressing another rally in Hamirpur, the PM cautioned the people against the inheritance tax allegedly proposed in the Congress manifesto. He said the SP and the Congress would use people's votes to come to power and then gift a part of their property to those who carry out vote jihad for them. Today I have come to caution you against the SP and the Congress. They will take your vote, but after coming to power, they will distribute these gifts to those who do vote jihad for them, he said.

Mumbai: PM Modi pays tributes to BR Ambedkar, Veer Savarkar

Mumbai: PM Modi pays tributes to BR Ambedkar, Veer Savarkar Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to Veer Savarkar and Bhimrao Ambedkar in Mumbai on Friday. He paid tribute to Dr BR Ambedkar, the former Union Minister and head of the Constitution committee, at Chaitya Bhoomi in Mumbai. Prime Minister Modi also paid tribute to the Veer Savarkar, freedom fighter leader of Hindu Mahasabha, at the Veer Savarkar Memorial in Mumbai. Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra are being held in five phases: April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, and May 20. 13 constituencies including the six seats in Mumbai are among the ones that will vote on May 20. The counting of votes will be held on June 4. The state, with its 48 Lok Sabha seats, is the second-largest contributor to the lower house of Parliament after Uttar Pradesh. Known for its political diversity and significant electoral influence, Maharashtra plays a crucial role in shaping national politics. In the 2019 elections, the BJP emerged as the largest party with 23 seats, followed by the Shiv Sena with 18 seats. Earlier in the day, during his address in Uttar Pradesh's Hamirpur, PM Modi sharpened his attack against the Congress party, Samajwadi Party, and INDIA bloc, accusing it of appeasement politics. He said that Congress intends to change the Constitution by giving people's property to their vote bank that is engaged in vote jihad for them. Addressing an election rally in Uttar Pradesh's Hamirpur on Friday, PM Modi said, This time, the SP-Congress has made their intentions clear even before the elections. Congress is saying that it will investigate everyone's property. Then they will give a part of your property to the vote bank that does vote jihad for them. Where there is Congress government, these people are reducing the reservation of Dalits and backward classes and giving it to Muslims. Now these people want to change the Constitution and give the entire reservation of SC-ST-OBC to Muslims, he added. Prime Minister Modi also addressed a mega public meeting at UP's Barabanki, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the Congress party and Samajwadi Party said they would run a bulldozer over the Ram Temple in Ayodhya if elected in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. If the Congress, SP, and their INDIA partners come to power, our Ram Lalla would have to return to the tent again as they would run a bulldozer over the Ram Mandir. They should take lessons from Yogi-ji (Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath) on where to run bulldozers and where not to, PM Modi said. (ANI)

Amit Shah attacks Priyanka Gandhi for calling Rae Bareli 'family seat'

Rae Bareli : Union Home Minister Amit Shah at an election rally here on Friday attacked Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi for calling Rae Bareli a family seat, and said it's not a seat of any family but that of the people.Shah made a scathing attack at the Congress for turning down invitations for Ram Mandir's 'Pran Pratishtha' in Ayodhya, and said if the Congress came to power, they would put the Ayodhya lock in the temple again. Shah held a public meeting in Daulatpur of Unchahar assembly constituency. During the rally, rebel SP MLA from Unchahar, Manoj Kumar Pandey joined the BJP and sat beside Shah on the stage. Congress says that Ram temple has not been consecrated properly. If the INDI alliance comes, they will put the 'Babri lock' on Ram temple again, he said. Shah also called the INDIA bloc a family-based alliance. Lalu (Prasad Yadav) wants to make his son the chief minister, Mamata (Banerjee) wants her nephew to be the chief minister and Sonia Gandhi wants to make her son the prime minister, Shah said. She (Priyanka Gandhi) says that Rae Bareli and Amethi are the seats of my family. I say that this seat does not belong to any family. This is the seat of poor youths of both the districts. Whoever the people of Rae Bareli and Amethi want will go to the Parliament. This is democracy, family has no seat, he said. With Smriti Irani winning in Amethi and Dinesh Pratap Singh in Rae Bareli, both the seats are going to go to the BJP, Shah said. The Congress party was sitting on Article 370. (Prime Minister) Modi ended it. Congress says that we will bring back Article 370. Modi ji has ended terrorism from the country, he said. On one hand, there is Narendra Modi, who is not accused of (scam of) four annas despite being the chief minister and prime minister for 23 years, Shah said. The Union home minister said that PM Modi will put in jail all those who have committed corruption. There was no collector office in the parliamentary constituency which they call the family seat for 70 years, Shah said, adding that the Yogi Adityanath government along with Smriti Irani laid the foundation stone of the collector office in 2018. Shah said that BJP candidate Singh will be among the people 24 hours. I take a guarantee that if Dinesh Pratap is not seen in your good or bad times, it is my responsibility, he said.

'Congress will bulldoze Ram temple if it comes to power,' says Modi in UP's Barabanki

Barabanki (UP): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday here alleged that the Congress will run a bulldozer over the Ram temple if the INDIA bloc comes to power. Addressing an election rally, PM Modi said the Congress is planning to challenge the Supreme Court's order on the Ram temple once it comes to power and will eventually demolish the temple. If Samajwadi Party-Congress comes to power, it will send Ram Lalla once again to a tent, and a bulldozer will be rolled over the temple, he said. PM Modi also accused the Congress of being responsible for the Partition. He said what used to be thought of as impossible - that the country could ever be divided - was done by the party. When the freedom struggle was going on and the talk of dividing the country used to come up, every person used to wonder: Can the country be divided? Did it happen or not? They did it or not? They can go to any extent. Their track record is such, he said referring to the Congress. The country does not matter to them. For them, the game is for family and power, he added. The Prime Minister was in Barabanki to seek support for party candidate Rajrani Rawat who is contesting from the Lok Sabha seat. He thanked the people for voting for him in the previous elections, saying it was their vote which ended the 500-year-long wait for the Ram Mandir. People from Barabanki walked on foot to Ayodhya with bricks with 'Ram' inscribed on them. The youngsters, the first-time voters, will not understand the 500 years of wait ... Generation after generation of our ancestors struggled and sacrificed, he said. He alleged that Congress under its regime sent Ram Lalla to a ent and when it, along with the Samajwadi Party, was invited to the temple's consecration ceremony, the party refused to attend. There is so much poison in their belly... I don't know what enmity they have with Ram, PM Modi said. In Barabanki, there are 13 candidates in the fray with the main contest between Tanuj Punia of the Congress and BJP's Rajrani Rawat. Mr Punia is the son of Congress leader PL Punia, a former MP from Barabanki (SC) Lok Sabha seat. In March, a day after an explicit video allegedly involving him surfaced online, sitting BJP MP Upendra Singh Rawat, who was fielded again by the party, said he would not contest any election until proven innocent. Subsequently, the party gave the ticket to Rajrani Rawat. Barabanki will vote in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections in the state on May 20.

Home Minister Shah attacks Priyanka Gandhi for calling Rae Bareli 'family seat'

Shah made a scathing attack at the Congress for turning down invitation for Ram Mandir's 'Pran Pratishtha' in Ayodhya, and said if the Congress came to power, they would put the Ayodhya lock in the temple again. Rebel Samajwadi Party MLA Manoj Pande joined the BJP and sat beside Shah on the stage. Shah asserted Pande rightly said the Gandhi family never visited Rae Bareli during natural calamities or accidents.

People won't forgive AAP, Kejriwal must apologise: MP CM Mohan Yadav on Swati Maliwal assault case

Madhya Pradesh CM criticizes AAP for Swati Maliwal's assault at Kejriwal's home. BJP demands action. Yadav travels to UP for a public meeting and party members visit Ram temple in Ayodhya.

They will run bulldozer on Ram Temple: PM Modi blasts Congress-SP combine in UP's Barabanki

Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned against Congress and Samajwadi Party's potential threats to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, citing expelled Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam's claim. He accused them of appeasement politics and asserted BJP's path to a third term. Modi highlighted BJP's support among women and urged decisive voting.

'Our Ram Lalla would...': PM Modi makes big statement against Congress-SP in Uttar Pradesh's Barabanki

Acharya Krishnam dropped a bombshell, claiming that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had planned to overturn the landmark judgment, settling the decades-old title dispute and paving the way for the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

Ayodhya voters: BJP fulfilled promises, but...

The year began with Ayodhya getting ready for the Ram temple consecration ceremony. Almost four months later, the excitement has settled down and some voters are crediting the Bharatiya Janata Party for fulfilling its promise while others feel that development should reach every corner of the district.

In Ayodhya's Faizabad, High-Stakes Battle Between BJP, Samajwadi Party And BSP

In the temple town of Ayodhya, BJP's Lallu Singh is eyeing a third term from the Faizabad constituency against Samajwadi Party's Awadhesh Prasad and BSP's Sachchidanad Pandey.

LS polls: Lord Ram on my side, says SP candidate in Ayodhya fight

LS polls: Lord Ram on my side, says SP candidate in Ayodhya fight Asserting that he enjoys the benevolence of Lord Ram, Samajwadi Party candidate from Faizabad Lok Sabha seat Awadhesh Prasad has claimed the BJP will not get any advantage of the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. ''Ayodhya's Ram temple is not at all an issue this time. And the BJP will not be able to get even one per cent of benefit from it,'' he told PTI in an interview. ''I am fortunate that I was born in Ayodhya. In this Lok Sabha poll, Lord Ram's benevolence will be on me, and his benevolence cannot be simply ignored,'' Prasad added. As campaigning for the Faizabad seat, which will go to polls on May 20, gathers momentum, Prasad -- a nine-time MLA -- is busy addressing public meetings in various assembly segments of Ayodhya which is part of the Faizabad parliamentary constituency. Attacking BJP's Faizabad candidate and sitting MP Lallu Singh, he said, ''The voters have been telling me that he (Singh) has never visited them in the last 10 years. If you ask this question to 100 persons, then at least 80 per cent of them will stand in my favour.'' On Singh making efforts to win Faizabad seat for a third term, the 78-year-old SP leader said he (Singh) will not be able to save his deposit in the polls. Denying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's road show in Ayodhya has possibly increased the BJP candidate's chances, Prasad said, ''Modi ji had come to Ayodhya, but there were no discussions about his visit.'' He also said that unlike previous elections, ''this time, it is the people who are contesting the polls on my behalf. They are campaigning for me, and they have made up their mind to make the Samajwadi Party and INDIA bloc candidate victorious in the elections''. When asked how strong the INDIA bloc is in Faizabad, Prasad said, ''The alliance is very strong...local Congress leaders are extending full support to us in every assembly segment of the constituency.'' ''If we have to save the Constitution, save democracy and also the reservations, then we have to defeat the BJP. ''The voters of Faizabad want to defeat the BJP because it has virtually ruined their lives. Inflation is adversely impacting various sections of society, a large number of youngsters are jobless,'' the former UP minister said. He also thanked SP chief Akhilesh Yadav for reposing faith in him and fielding him from the seat. Prasad had won the Sohawal assembly seat for the first time in 1977 on a Janata Party ticket, followed by his victories in 1985 on a Lokdal ticket and in 1989 as Janata Dal nominee. In the elections held in 1993, 1996, 2002 and 2007, he won from Sohawal assembly seat as Samajwadi Party candidate. He then won the 2012 and 2022 UP assembly elections from Milkipur (SC) assembly constituency. According to Parasnath Yadav, the SP district president, Prasad began his political career when he was around 21-year-old. During the Emergency, he was jailed. Prasad was a cabinet minister and minister of state in the governments headed by Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav. Faizabad Lok Sabha seat consists of five assembly segments of Dariyabad, Rudauli, Milkipur (SC), Bikapur and Ayodhya. Of these assembly segments, Dariyabad is located in neighbouring Barabanki district, while the rest of the four assembly constituencies are in Ayodhya district. Except Milkipur (SC) seat which is with the SP, the other four assembly segments were won by the BJP in 2022 state polls. There are 13 candidates in the fray with the main battle being between BJP's Singh and SP's Prasad. The Bahujan Samaj Party has also fielded a candidate from the Faizabad constituency.

In Ayodhya, voters talk of a promise fulfilled and yearning for development

In Ayodhya, voters talk of a promise fulfilled and yearning for development The year began with Ayodhya getting ready for the Ram temple consecration ceremony. Almost four months later, the excitement has settled down and some voters are crediting the BJP for fulfilling its promise while others feel that development should reach every corner of the district. Prajjwal Singh, a resident of Arhgarha Chauraha, told PTI that Ayodhya's transformation began on January 22, when the Ram temple consecration ceremony was held. ''On January 22, 2024, the promise that was made to us by various BJP leaders was fulfilled in a grand manner. From that day, Ayodhya set out on the path of development,'' he said. ''The hospitality sector has seen visible growth. A number of eateries and food joints have come up. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath deserve a round of applause for such a positive transformation of Ayodhya,'' Prajjwal Singh told PTI. He said there are some traffic woes in the area but they are temporary and will be resolved subsequently. Tulsinagar resident Amit Pathak said growing up, he has witnessed the political and physical transformation of Ayodhya. ''No prime minister or chief minister has visited Ayodhya as many times as Narendra Modi and Yogi Adityanath. Electric buses, railway station beautification and airport inauguration are some examples of this transformation,'' he said, adding that today, it is easier to reach Ayodhya from any other part of the country. Himanshu Varma, a resident of Nirmochan Chauraha, said Ayodhya has witnessed development and it will take time to reach the entire district. Yashvendra Pratap Singh, a resident of the Khajurhat area of Ayodhya said there is no doubt the Ram temple has had a positive impact on the minds of people and that it has given an edge to the BJP over its rivals. ''However, infrastructure development should also take place in the outskirts of Ayodhya,'' he said. ''Holistic development of the entire district should take place. For example, the pilgrims who come to visit the Ram temple have to walk a few kilometres in scorching heat. There should be arrangements to provide water to them,'' he added. Homepathy doctor Indroneel Banerjee said issues like parking and sewerage system need attention. ''These elections will definitely be fought by the ruling party in the name of Lord Ram. A number of positive things have happened. The service sector has benefited in the last four months thanks to the Ram temple,'' he said. ''But some problems like lack of parking space remain. For a city which wants to take the next step in road traffic management, having parking lots is essential. The sewerage system could be a challenge in the days to come. We will come to know what steps have been taken to tackle waterlogging,'' he said. Shailesh Singh, a resident of the Balapakauli area, said rest houses should be built for pilgrims and steps should be taken to minimize traffic jams. For Adarsh Prakash, inflation and income tax relief and not Ram temple are the main issues in this election. Polling in the Faizabad Lok Sabha constituency will be held in the fifth round of the seven-phase elections on May 20. It comprises five assembly segments -- Dariyabad, Rudauli, Mikipur (SC), Bikapur and Ayodhya Of these, Dariyabad is located in neighbouring Barabanki district and the remaining four assembly segments are in Ayodhya district. There are 19,27,459 eligible voters in the Faizabad constituency. Thirteen candidates are in the fray, including sitting BJP MP Lallu Singh and Samajwadi Party's sitting Milkipur MLA Awadhesh Prasad. Lallu Singh is eyeing a hat-trick from the seat.

Nobody Can Change Constitution: BJP Ayodhya MP To NDTV

BJP MP and Ayodhya candidate Lallu Singh denied that his party was planning to amend the Constitution, adding that PM Modi's vision for India matches Dr BR Ambedkar's vision for the Indian Constitution. Ahead of polls in Faizabad constituency in Phase 5 of the Lok Sabha elections, NDTV's Tanishq Punjabi speaks to BJP's Ayodhya pick.

Congress Fielded Lawyers Against Ram Temple Construction: Union Minister

Hitting out at the Congress, Union minister Anurag Thakur on Thursday claimed it had deputed a battery of lawyers to ensure that the Ram temple in Ayodhya could not be constructed.

Congress deputed lawyers against Ram temple's construction: Anurag Thakur

Congress deputed lawyers against Ram temple's construction: Anurag Thakur Hitting out at the Congress, Union minister Anurag Thakur on Thursday claimed it had deputed a battery of lawyers to ensure that the Ram temple in Ayodhya could not be constructed. Addressing a public rally in Bilapsur district, Thakur also attacked the INDIA bloc and alleged that members of the opposition alliance sent lawyers who contested cases of terrorists like Ajmal Kasab and Dawood Ibrahim to the Rajya Sabha. ''What kind of character is this of the Congress and the opposition parties...they fielded a battery of lawyers against the construction of Ram temple and at the same time they sent lawyers to fight cases of the terrorists,'' he said. ''These are the same people who knocked the door of the court at 2:30 in the night to stop Afzal Guru's hanging,'' the senior BJP leader added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is engaged in securing the borders of the country while Congress leaders are giving slogans to break the country into pieces, he said. PM Modi considers Himachal as his second home and gave big projects worth thousands of crores of rupees to the state, Thakur said and added that today the entire country including Himachal has only one choice -- Modi. ''If you go to any corner of the country, people are saying 'My Choice Modi'. After four phases, it has become clear that the public has cast their vote for a stable and honest government -- the Modi government,'' he said. He said Modi is going to become the PM for the third time, and only an official announcement is to be made on June 4.

Ayodhya: Lallu Singh Is In War Mode

After Ram mandir, BJP now wants to build a Sita temple

Amit Shah announced BJP's plan to build Ma Sita temple at Punaura Dham, akin to Ram Lalla temple in Ayodhya, showcasing BJP's dedication to Hindu heritage and cultural significance.

After Ram temple in Ayodhya, Amit Shah promises magnificent temple of 'Maa Sita' in Sitamarhi

After construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya, Union Home Minister Amit Shah Thursday promised that a big and magnificent temple of Maa Sita would be constructed in Sitamarhi and this would also be connected with Ramayan circuit.

Lallu Singh In War Mode; Not Taking Anything For Granted: Ground Report From Ayodhya

Congress follows Gandhi who said 'Hey Ram' before dying, not anti-religion: Priyanka

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra defends Congress at 'Chaudah Mill roundabout,' 20 km from district HQ in Uttar Pradesh, citing Mahatma Gandhi's 'Hey Ram' ideals against Modi's anti-religion accusations about pitiable state-run cowsheds, turning down Ayodhya ceremony invites, and highlighting Gandhi family bond with Rae Bareli. She also criticizes Modi government for taking credit for free ration scheme

Congress follows Mahatma Gandhi's ideals of religious harmony: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra

Congress follows Mahatma Gandhi's ideals of religious harmony: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday said her party follows the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi who uttered ''Hey Ram'' before dying and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was wrong in accusing it of being anti-religion. ''They accuse us of being against the Hindu religion. We follow Mahatma Gandhi's ideal who had chanted 'Hey Ram' before dying,'' she said, addressing a poll rally at 'Chaudah Mill roundabout,' about 20 km from the district headquarters. She alleged that while the saffron party claims to be a ''champion of Hindu religion,'' the condition of the state-run cowsheds in Uttar Pradesh remains pitiable. ''They accuse us of being against religion for turning down invitations for the consecration ceremony in Ayodhya. Just look at the condition of the cowsheds in UP where a video showed dogs eating flesh of a dead cow,'' she said. She said that during the Congress rule in Chhattisgarh, the party improved the condition of cowsheds and used to purchase cow dung to aid self help groups running the cowsheds. Priyanka has been canvassing every day in the Rae Bareli constituency, where Rahul Gandhi has thrown in his hat replacing his mother Sonia Gandhi, who had to vacate the seat after being nominated to the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan. Priyanka highlighted the strong bond the Gandhi family has with the constituency since the days of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. ''Bhaiya (Rahul Gandhi) will follow the tradition after winning the election,'' she said. She accused the Modi government of trying to take credit for free ration scheme by putting his photograph on the papers related to the scheme, saying it was the Congress-led UPA government that brought the Right to Food Act. The Congress leader also lambasted the BJP over frequent question papers leak in UP and promised stringent laws to stop such leaks. She promised doing away with GST on education and scrap Agni-Veer scheme for recruitment in the armed forces if her party comes to power at the Centre. She said her party will restore the earlier method of permanent appointment with pension provision for the army personnel. The Congress general secretary also spoke about creating a Rs 5,000 crore fund to help small entrepreneurs. Voting in Rae Bareli is scheduled in the fifth phase on May 20. BJP has fielded Dinesh Pratap Singh to take on Rahul Gandhi. BSP of Mayawati has given ticket to Thakur Prasad Yadav.

Choose a PM who can showcase India's strengths to the world: PM Modi

Jaunpur (UP): Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that this Lok Sabha election is an opportunity for the country to choose a leader who can run a strong government that makes the world aware of India's strength.Modi was addressing an election rally organized at a college ground here in support of BJP candidates Kripashankar Singh from the Jaunpur parliamentary constituency and BP Saroj from the Machhlishahr (reserved) seat. This election is an opportunity to choose the prime minister of the country. Such a prime minister who runs a strong government which cannot be dominated by the world but which makes the world aware of India's strength, he said. Therefore, when you vote for our Kripashankar ji from Jaunpur, BP Saroj ji from Machhlishahr, your vote forms a strong government. The votes given to them will go directly into Modi's account, the prime minister said. Amid slogans of 'Jai Shri Ram' and 'Har Har Modi', Modi said, Your enthusiasm shows that you have made it difficult for the INDI alliance to win even a single seat in Uttar Pradesh. On development, he said, You have seen in Kashi how a strong government works. We are seeing it happen in Ayodhya. Earlier when people used to talk about development, sometimes the discussion was about Delhi, sometimes about Mumbai. Now, the country and the world also talk about Kashi-Ayodhya, Modi added. It is my pledge to make a developed India and the growth engine of developed India will be Purvanchal. Modi and Yogi are going to change the picture and fate of Purvanchal in the next five years, he said. Voting will be held in Jaunpur and Machhlishahr on May 25.

This election is to choose prime minister who can make world aware of India's strength, says PM Modi in Jaunpur

Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the importance of the upcoming Lok Sabha election, urging the country to choose a leader capable of leading a strong government that showcases India's strength on the global stage. Speaking at an election rally in Jaunpur, Modi supported BJP candidates Kripashankar Singh and BP Saroj. He highlighted the development initiatives in Kashi and Ayodhya, pledging to transform Purvanchal's future along with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Lok Sabha election: BJP, SP battle in Faizabad/Ayodhya, the birthplace of Ram Lalla

The Faizabad/Ayodhya Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh, historically significant due to the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and the tearing down of the Babri mosque, is in the spotlight as it gears up for polling in the fifth phase on May 20. Sitting BJP MP Lallu Singh faces competition from Awadhesh Prasad of the Samajwadi Party.

Faizabad/Ayodhya: In birthplace of Ram Lalla, BJP, SP battle for poll sweepstakes

The News Mill

Ram Lalla Rath visits Fremont Hindu Temple

Ritu Maheshwari India Post News Service Ram Lalla Rath with Ram idol, Prasad and Akshat from Ayodhya are visiting all the 700+ temples in USA. Ram Lalla Rath visited Fremont Hindu Temple on Saturday, May 11th. There was outpouring of devotees excited to get a glimpse of Ram Lalla and be part of Ayodhya celebrations. []

People will vote for efforts of Modi, Yogi for Ayodhyas transformation' says Lallu Singh

A tryst with destiny that wasnt to be

AMETHI: Amethi is waiting for Godot. Or for a Gandhi. Not just for a 53-year-old with that name, but something inclusive of thatand more than that. A Nehru-Gandhi did not get into a direct contest here, but had long-time aide KL Sharma stand in. Those within and outside who had bet big on a re-run of 2019 are disappointed. The gladiatorial fight that was to be is now substantially downscaled. But a fight is on, albeit by proxy, and reduced to a scrimmage of competitive accusations. Even while abandoning Rahul in 2019, its as if Amethi kept up its love for high-profile contests, as if to keep itself in the reckoning by default, its own little tryst with destiny. They are getting one, even if in an abridged version. Smriti Irani, Union minister and the BJPs prime commentator-critic on all things Nehru-Gandhi, has stayed put to defend her turf. Though Rahul Gandhi has shifted to adjoining Rae Bareli, he looms large even in his absence. Mostly because his sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, is quite visibly there. Even though the Congress has appointed Rampur MLA Aradhana Mishra Mona as the party poll in-charge for Amethi, Priyanka is managing the electioneering here along with Rae Bareli, like a safe-keeper of the legacy vote. All around the constituency, the pockmarked narrative of Indian democracy reveals itself. Amethi moves through its village dirt tracks and peri-urban roadways at a groaning pace, as if caught in a time zone of struggle all its own. But also representative, at once, of the cracks in the India story. Despite its seeming mundaneness, the Amethi electorate stands witness to history. Its creation, in 1967, was coeval with the unfolding of the crucial post-Nehru phase in modern Indian politics. Since then, it has in a way reflected the mood of the nation at all the cusp moments. Electing a Congress candidate, Vidya Dhar Bajpai, as its first MP, going with the Janata Party candidate in 1977 and a BJP candidate in 1998 and 2019. Loyalty towards family, caste or party? What will decide the elections in Rae Bareli and Amethi? Does Amethi have no dreams? Yes, it would like to be Baramati... Intermittently, and for a long period till 2014, Amethi backed the Congressall of nine times. Emerging as a family bastion that sent Sanjay and Rajiv Gandhi, and then Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, to the Lok Sabha. In the first instance, the seat changed MPs under a tragic circumstance (Sanjay died in a plane crash). In the latter instance, it was an entitled transfer of legacy, giving rise to the third generation of Indians to use the phrase dynastic politics. Nonetheless, Amethi was waiting for Rahul Gandhi. When he decided to make Rae Bareli his second arena, as part of his much-awaited return to north India, it undoubtedly became a bit of a letdown for his supporters. A proxy war has been raging since, with Smriti Irani left stranded in a lonely fight almostshe had been camping in the constituency for weeks before the Congress made up its mind. If insiders are to be believed, INDIA bloc leaders strongly advised the GOP not to let any part of the election become a clash of big names. Avoid Smriti vs Rahul contest, it was said. For that would have hogged the headlines, overshadowing all else. It was to be made localor rather, issue-based. Amethi cannot entirely vanish into the provincial anonymity that is the lot of its other contiguous constituencies. (Who after all thinks of Pratapgarh or Sultanpur? Although Ayodhya, its northern neighbour, is another matter.) Such diminution of stature is impossible. What with Priyanka at the helm of an army come to reclaim its castle. And the aggressive Didijias Smriti is called in these partsis also quite hands-on, not confining herself to the plushness of her Gauriganj residence. The BJP top brass too have rolled up their sleeves, strategising to retain the seat, come what may. What benefits have accruedor notto the people of this star constituency under this regime or that? What development has happened? Thats the ball being thrown around in the heat and dust of Amethi. Memories, long and short, are being dredged up. Both sides claim to know Amethi like the back of their hand and take credit for having done transformative work. Each side disagrees entirely with the other, of course. What have the Gandhis ever done for Amethi? Look at the work of the last five years, from electricity to roads, Smriti thunders in meeting after meeting, bite after bite. What has she done? Can she even count the number of villages in Amethi on her fingers? Priyanka retorts. She lists the universal themesjoblessness, high prices, and the promise of instant Nyay. Theres nothing meethi about Amethi right now. Bitterness is writ large over the discourse as the attacks get personal . It may not be easy for the Congress. The ground is a bit more alien than it used to be. Part of the reason lies in Amethis five assembly segments. Three of these are held by the BJPTiloi, Jagdishpur (SC) and Salon (SC). Two by the Samajwadi PartyGauriganj and Amethi. Ironically, the latter two segments, particularly Gauriganj, are better off than the three held by the BJP. In a curious inversion, therefore, the SP MLAs and their familiesGayatri Prajapatis wife Maharaji Prajapati and Rakesh Pratap Singhare supporting Smriti. This is while the Congress has a tie-up with Akhilesh Yadavs party and is dependent on its workers for election work. Former Congress MLA Deepak Singh admits its time to read carefully. He can barely hide his disappointment that Rahul changed mind about contesting from Amethi. Were working on the ground silently, he says. The community map is more or less equalsavarnas (29%), OBCs (26%), Muslims (20%) and SCs (26%)but they are deeply divided. Sharma is attempting an MY + Brahmin combination. Whether he will succeed or not depends on who you ask. Didiji has put in a lot of hard work. She lives here and votes here. She has a clear edge because of her track record of development work, says Govind Singh, a local BJP worker, brushing aside talk about her being a bit brusque in her interactions with the local unit. Amethi has never seen such an involved MP before. Didi sab ka dukh sukh ki saathi hai (shes with everyone in their happiness and sorrow), says another BJP worker. Any delay or uneven development is blamed on the local bureaucracy. However, even as she wades from one village chaupal to the next, talk about Smriti focusing more on Gauriganj and Salon fly in the air. The constituency is also divided into micro zones of influence. The Congress presence is more in the southern parts of Amethi, Tiloi and Jagdishpur, where, local leaders claim, Smriti has focused less. Added to this is the still-simmering controversy over the shutting down and reopening of the Sanjay Gandhi Hospital in Munshiganj. There are also whispers about the BJPs Tiloi MLA Mayankeshwar Saran Singh having uneven equations with the MP. For cycle mechanic Rajesh, none of this matters much. He straightens his half-clad, sun-browned body and wipes the sweat off his brow as he says, So far, no one has come to ask for votes. My grandfather and father used to campaign for Rajiv Gandhi. Its my family legacy, cant break my ties with Rahulji. Does he know Rahul is not contesting? He turns his glazed eyes to the far horizon. How does it matter? Dilli bahut dur hai. My work can only earn my family two daily meals, he adds. Does Amethi have no dreams? Yes, it would like to be Baramati. But for that, UP has to become Maharashtraa growth engine. As of now, though, college student Ankush Tiwaris wish list is only to get to Mumbai for a job. Will UP's rural voters spring a surprise in this election? Rae Bareli is 'karmabhoomi' of both my 'mothers' Sonia and Indira Gandhi: Rahul

Reservations will end, Ill go to jail if we lose: CM; Oppn. is in disarray: BJP

BJP wont cross 250-seat mark, says Kejriwal in his first roadshow for Cong. nominees; Modi govt. made Lord Ram smile in Ayodhya, vote for us so that Lord Krishna smiles in Mathura, says M.P. CM

IRCTC Shri Ramayana Yatra: Journey from Ayodhya to Rameshwaram will take 18 days, only this much fare will have to be paid.

IRCTC Shri Ramayana Yatra: For the devotees of Ram, this Shri Ramayana Yatra is going to last for a total of 18 days and 17 nights, in which many important places related to the life of Lord Ram are going to be visited. IRCTC Shri Ramayana Yatra: There is good news for Ram devotees. IRCTC [] The post IRCTC Shri Ramayana Yatra: Journey from Ayodhya to Rameshwaram will take 18 days, only this much fare will have to be paid. first appeared on informalnewz .

PoK will be merged with India if BJP gets 400 seats in Lok Sabha polls: Himanta

PoK will be merged with India if BJP gets 400 seats in Lok Sabha polls: Himanta Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma Wednesday asserted that if the BJP wins 400 seats in the Lok Sabha polls, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir will be ''merged with India'', and a Krishna Janmabhoomi temple and Gyanvapi temple will be built in Mathura and Kashi, respectively. Addressing an election rally in Jharkhand's Ramgarh, he said the BJP needs to secure over 400 seats to also implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) across the country. PoK will be merged with India if the BJP gets 400 seats in the Lok Sabha polls. The party needs that many seats to build the 'Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi temple and 'Gyanvapi temple', just like when it crossed the 300-seat mark in 2019, it built the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Sarma said. Later, at a press conference in state capital Ranchi, the BJP leader also accused the Congress of suppressing Hindu sentiments. There is a Hindu awakening in the country after years and their voice cannot be suppressed amid this Modi tsunami across India, Sarma said. ''During the Congress regime, a law was enacted that discussion can be held on the Ram temple... Congress brought in such a law that no civil court, high court or the Supreme Court can adjudicate on the ownership of Krishna Janmabhoomi and the so-called Gyanvapi Mosque. Is such a law acceptable that prohibits us from building God's temples?'' the Assam CM said. The injustice on India by Aurangzeb and Babar (Mughal leaders) has been minimised with the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Sarma claimed. Sarma also emphasised on the need to check infiltration in Jharkhand, cautioning that unless that happens, original inhabitants will be reduced to minorities in 20 years and infiltrators from Bangladesh will become original citizens. He said Assam and West Bengal committed blunders by not checking infiltration during the Congress regime. Hitting out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the BJP leader said: ''He roams around with a red-colour copy of the Constitution, whereas our original Constitution has pictures of Lord Ram and Lord Krishna on every page... It can never be red... China's constitution can be of red colour.'' He also wondered whether the copy of the Constitution displayed by Gandhi has directive principles of state policy. ''If yes, then why did your manifesto say that you will strengthen the (Muslim) Personal Law? It is mentioned in our Constitution that there cannot be Personal Law. The Constitution says that the Uniform Civil Code will be implemented in our country,'' Sarma added.

Rahul Gandhi will face defeat in Raebareli, should have declared intention to contest two LS seats: Amit Shah

Rahul Gandhi will face defeat in Raebareli, should have declared intention to contest two LS seats: Amit Shah Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday expressed confidence that BJP candidate Dinesh Pratap Singh will defeat Rahul Gandhi in the Raebareli Lok Sabha seat and took a dig at the Congress leader, stating that he should have told people of Wayanad in Kerala that he will contest from two seats. In an interview with ANI, Amit Shah alleged the INDIA bloc oycotted Ram Mandir Pran Prathishta ceremony fearing their minority vote bank. Targeting Rahul Gandhi, he said stature is built by the people and does not come by birth. Stature is built by the people of the country. It is not built by birth...What does democracy mean?...Dinesh Pratap Singh will defeat Rahul Gandhi, he said. Amit Shah said Rahul Gandhi should have declared that he is going to contest from two Lok Sabha seats and it is not right to hide it. Anyone can contest from anywhere but Rahul Gandhi should have said before elections that he is going to contest on two seats. I think from the democratic point of view, it is not right to hide it...He should have told the people of Wayanad about it and then asked them to make their choice...When you see a threat in post-poll survey, and then you come to Raebaerli, I think it is not correct.., he said. Rahul Gandhi, who is MP from Wayanad and is re-contesting from the seat, later decided to contest from Raibareli in Uttar Pradesh, a Congress stronghold, and a seat which his mother Sonia Gandhi has won from 2004. Rahul Gandhi lost to Union Minister Smriti Irani in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Amethi. He has won the seat from 2004. Raebareli will go to the polls on May 20 in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha election. Asked about his remarks that Sonia Gandhi spent over 70 per cent of MP funds on minorities, Amit Shah said the objection was to use most of it for a particular section. We object to 'minority only'. Are the rest of the voters, not yours? Are you taking them for granted? It is just a small question, he said. Shah also expressed confidence of BJP improving its tally in Uttar Pradesh, saying that the party will win more than 65 seats it won in 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Asked about the opposition's Dakshin mein BJP saaf aur Uttar mein half retort, Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserted that the BJP party will emerge as the single largest party in the five southern states. I stand by my remarks. Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu - combining the seats in these five states, BJP will emerge as the single largest party, he said. Asked if the BJP gained politically because of the construction of the grand Ram temple in Ayodhya, Amit Shah said it was not a matter of political gain or loss for the party and was a question of the trust of crores of people of the country. For us, there was no question of political gain or loss. From the beginning, it was a question of the trust of crores of people of the country, it was a question of faith and it was a question of devotion... Ram Temple became an issue during the elections when the Pran Pratishtha ceremony was taking place and invitations were sent to all the political parties, the entire INDI alliance boycotted the Pran Pratistha and this is my clear allegation that they did not consider it appropriate to go there due to fear of their minority vote bank, Amit Shah said. The entire Ghamandiya alliance (INDI Alliance) boycotted the Ram Mandir Pran Prathishta ceremony - My clear allegation is that they did this fearing their minority vote bank...On Eid, you have no issues spending, celebrating Eid with Muslim brothers, even though you aren't Muslim, but despite being Hindu you won't attend the Ram Mandir Pran Prathistha because your Muslim vote bank will be upset...what kind of politics is this? he asked. On Kashi Vishwanath Temple and Krishna Janmabhoomi, Amit Shah said both these cases are before the court. The court has also taken cognizance of it. It would not be appropriate for me to say anything on this... We decided to construct the Ram temple only after the court's decision, he said. Asked about his remark that BJP is getting 270 seats after four phases of Lok Sabha polls, Amit Shah said he believes that elections and the results of elections have great importance. Whatever government is elected, it should get support from every part of the country and the government should be stable and have a full majority...I believe that the opposition, as usual, has tried to politicise our '400 paar slogan', which is their short-sightedness. Stable governments give strength to the country, help in taking decisive steps, providing welfare to the poor, crushing internal security threats like terrorism, Naxalism and in changing the country's agenda and the country's position in the world, he said. He slammed the opposition parties for trying to mislead people over BJP's '400 paar' slogan for the party-led NDA. ...It has been very clearly explained that if our aim was to remove reservation, we would have the majority for 10 years, but we did not do that. As far as reservation for Muslims is concerned, I am still of the opinion that there should be no reservation in this country on the basis of religion, it is not the scheme of the Constitution, the Constitution does not agree with it. Bharatiya Janata Party will not provide reservation on the basis of religion. On the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), he said it is mentioned in the party's manifesto for Lok Sabha polls. This is certainly an important issue in our 'Sankalp Patra'. We will bring UCC...We also want to bring 'One Nation, One Election'. This too should be discussed. One of our important poll issues is that in the days to come, we will not allow personal laws to come, he said. Four phases of Lok Sabha polls have been held and the voting will conclude on June 1 with results on June 4. (ANI)

'Dream-come-true' moment for those who got Indian citizenship under CAA

'Dream-come-true' moment for those who got Indian citizenship under CAA Bharat Kumar's protracted struggle to call India home after escaping religious persecution in Pakistan ended following an 11-year wait as he was among the 14 people who were granted Indian nationality under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) on Wednesday. ''It is a great feeling to be an Indian. It has given a new life to me,'' the 24-year-old told PTI minutes after he received the citizenship certificate from Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla at a special function held here. Kumar said his family came to India to escape religious persecution in the Sindh province of Pakistan. ''When we came here, I was just 13 years old. We had to leave Pakistan as it was difficult to live there under constant fear,'' he said about the life across the border. In Delhi, Kumar's family lives in the Majnu Ka Tila area and they are engaged in small-time business. He said a total of five people got Indian citizenship in his locality on Wednesday. Over a hundred had applied for it, he said. ''We were told that the rest of the applicants will also get the citizenship in due course,'' he said, adding that getting Indian citizenship is a ''dream come true'' for him. He said they were grateful to the government for ending the uncertainty and their woes. Seetal Das, who also lives in Majnu Ka Tila and sells mobile phone covers for a living, said his family of 19 too came from Sindh in Pakistan in 2013 and three of them got citizenship on Wednesday. ''I am very happy. The government has fulfilled our desire. Now I can live a dignified life in India.'' Asked about the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, Kumar said he would miss exercising his franchise this time as the deadline to include his name in the voters' list is already over. ''I will definitely vote in next election as an Indian,'' he told PTI. Yoshoda, who too came from Sindh in Pakistan and received the Indian citizenship on Wednesday, said she can now live a dignified life as an Indian. Expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she said that with her Indian nationality, the future of her family and children would be secured now. ''My long wait for getting Indian citizenship is over now. I am really happy.'' The first set of citizenship certificates under the CAA was issued Wednesday here to 14 people, nearly two months after rules under the contentious law were notified to grant Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from three neighbouring countries. The union home secretary handed over the certificates to the 14 people after their applications were processed online through a designated portal. The CAA was enacted in December 2019 for granting Indian nationality to persecuted Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who came to India on or before December 31, 2014. After the enactment, the CAA got the president's assent but the rules under which the Indian citizenship was granted were issued on March 11 this year after over a delay of four years. Union Home Minister Amit Shah termed it a ''historic day'', saying the decades-long wait of those who faced religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan is over. Dayal Das, a 47-year-old resident of Majnu Ka Tila, said, ''Our kids' future is secure now as we have received the Indian citizenship certificate after struggling a lot to flee Pakistan. We came to India from Hyderabad in Sindh, Pakistan, in 2013. We felt unsafe there and came to our country. Today, our struggle has paid off and we can call ourselves Indians. I am really thankful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for implementing CAA and giving us citizenship.'' Das' two children -- Bharat and Yashoda (25) -- have also been granted citizenship along with him. ''My children will have access to education and other facilities. After our other family members also get citizenship, we will visit the Ram temple in Ayodhya to offer prayers. It is due to the blessings of the almighty that we have got citizenship of our country,'' he said. Das said that now he will apply for a voter card. ''It will be the first document that I will get. Then we will get other identity cards made. I will get to vote and I plan to exercise my franchise in the Delhi Assembly elections next year,'' he said. Das runs a cold drink shop in Majnu Ka Tila.

Shah Accuses Naveen Patnaik of Blocking Ram Temple Participation

Bhubaneswar: Union home minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah on Wednesday attacked Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik by accusing that the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government headed by him very tactfully stopped the people of the state from participating in Prana Pratishta Utsav of Ram Lalla at Ayodhyas Ram Temple on January 22. He asserted that people of Odisha will not forgive Naveen Patnaik for his misdemeanour and vote him out of power this time. When the whole world was celebrating the Pran Pratishtha of Ram Lalla, Naveen Babu very cunningly deprived them of the opportunity to be part of this festival. This is a sheer act of ungratefulness, Shah said while addressing a grand public rally at Soroda in Ganjam district. Shah, as per political experts, hinted at the BJD government celebrating Jagannath Parikrama Pakalpa, a renovation programme of Lord Jagannath temples courtyard in Puri, in a grand style, apparently to divert the attention of Odisha people from all the euphoria that was created around the Prana Pratishta Utsav. The home minister also castigated the ruling BJD for not the Centres Ayushman Bharat healthcare programme saying CM Naveen Patnaik denied the scheme to people of Odisha fearing that it will account for rise in Prime Minister Narendra Modis popularity in the state. He also took a potshot at the BJD for rebranding the free rice provided by the Centre to the poor in the state. Naveen Babu! You have pushed Odisha backward by 25 years. People of Odisha have decided to say Bye-bye, Tata, Goodbye to you. You cannot any longer cheat them. Odisha will have a new government after the elections and an Odia will become the chief minister of the state, declared Shah. The home minister, while questioning the state government on its silence over the missing of Lord Jagannaths Ratna Bhandar keys, assured that the Narendra Modi government will ensure that the persons responsible for missing of the keys are brought to book and punished. He also told the people that the patrons of chit fund scamsters who have looted Odisha people to the tune of Rs 20,000 crore will also be strictly dealt with. The BJP stalwart said there had been a complete halt in extremism and Maoist activism in the country due to strong leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Earlier, we used to see bloodshed caused by the Pakistan-sponsored terrorists. After Narendra Modi came to power at the Centre, he challenged them and destroyed the enemy camps in Pakistan soil. Now, bloodshed in Jammu and Kashmir has stopped and Maoist activities have also come to an end, said Shah. Later in the evening, Shah held a roadshow in Cuttack city seeking votes for the party's Lok Sabha candidate Bhartruhari Mahtab and MLA candidates.

Three Sadhus Dead in Road Accident in Uttar Pradesh's Basti

Three Sadhus Dead in Road Accident in Uttar Pradesh's Basti Three sadhus were killed on Wednesday after being hit by a pickup vehicle near Raipur village here, police said. The police identified the victims as Ram Milan Pal (55) of Ayodhya, Achhe Lal (58) of Maharajganj and Ram Bhajan Pal (53) of Maharajganj district. According to police, the victims were going to Katra Kuti Dham from Makhauda Dham, after completing 'Chaurasi Kosi Parikrama' on foot. They were hit by a vehicle from behind, killing them on the spot, they said. A case was registered and the bodies were sent for postmortem. Efforts are being made to arrest the driver, they added.

Congress plotting to send Ayodhya's Ram Lalla back to the tent: PM Narendra Modi

Religion-based reservation dangerous; Cong wanted to implement it, says PM Modi at poll rally

NASHIK: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday alleged the Congress during its previous rule wanted to allocate 15 per cent of the government budget for minorities and vowed not to allow splitting of budget or reservation in jobs and education on the basis of religion. Addressing an election rally at Pimpalgaon Baswant in north Maharashtra's Nashik district in support of Mahayuti candidates, Union minister Bharati Pawar (BJP) and Hemant Godse (Shiv Sena), the PM said splitting budget on religious lines was dangerous. The BJP's star campaigner maintained Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Constitution, was firmly against religion-based reservation in jobs and education. Modi claimed the Congress, when in power at the Centre, had drawn up plans to allocate 15 per cent of the total budget to minorities. When I was the chief minister (of Gujarat), the Congress had brought up this proposal. The BJP opposed this move strongly and hence it could not be implemented. But the Congress wants to bring this proposal again, he told the gathering. The PM asserted Ambedkar was against religion-based quota, but the Congress wants to take away reservation rights of SCs/STs/OBCs and give them to Muslims. BJP wants over 400 seats to help RSS succeed in 'conspiracy' to abolish reservation: Congress Modi is the chowkidar (watchman) of rights of deprived sections of society and will never let the Congress take away their rights, the BJP stalwart declared. Modi said the ongoing Lok Sabha polls are about electing a prime minister who takes strong decisions for the country. In the last 10 years, the PM said, his government has provided free ration, water, electricity, houses and gas connections irrespective of religion. Welfare schemes are made for every one, he maintained. Without naming NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar, Modi said, An INDI alliance leader from Maharashtra knows the Congress is losing badly (in elections). So, he has suggested that small parties merge with the Congress so that it at least stands as an opposition party. When the duplicate Shiv Sena (referring to Sena UBT) merges with the Congress, I will remember Balasaheb Thackeray because the late leader dreamt of a grand Ram mandir in Ayodhya and abolishing Article 370, he added. BJP wants to destroy Constitution, scrap reservation: Rahul Gandhi

With 300 we built Ram Mandir, with 400 well build Mathura; take back PoJK: Assam CM Himanta Sarma pitches for Modis return for the 3rd term

Himanta Biswa Sarma asserted that when the BJP got 300 seats, it built the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and now temples will be built at Krishna Janmabhoomi site in Mathura and in place of the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi after it gets 400 seats in Lok Sabha polls

Will build temples in Mathura, Varanasi if BJP wins 400 seats: Himanta

New Delhi: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that when the BJP got 300 seats, it built the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and now temples will be built at Krishna Janmabhoomi site in Mathura and in place of the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi after it gets 400 seats in Lok Sabha polls. He also said that Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) will be included in India under the leadership of PM Modi. He further said that during Congress' rule, no discussions were held in Parliament regarding Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. When the Congress government was in power, we were told that one Kashmir is in India and the other in Pakistan. It was never discussed in our Parliament that Pakistan has 'Occupied Kashmir,' it is actually ours. Right now, agitation is happening every day in PoK and people are protesting against Pakistan by holding the Indian tricolour in their hands. If Modi ji gets 400 seats, then PoK will also become India's. It has already started, Himanta added. The Assam Chief Minister also asserted that the BJP government is working to give more strength to reservations. PM Modi himself comes from the OBC category. BJP has been in power for 10 years. Our government is working to give more strength to reservations. Congress wants to end SC, ST and OBC reservations and give reservations to Muslims which they have already started in Karnataka, he added. Earlier, highlighting the protests in the Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday, reiterated that it has been India and will always be, adding that people in PoK must be comparing their situation with those living in Jammu and Kashmir, pointing out the evident progress in the latter region. The Pakistan Paramilitary rangers on Monday, unlawfully deployed in PoJK, gunned down several protestors leaving dozens and several others severely wounded. The incident left several locals of the area injured, as locals in several thousand were out on the streets to raise their demands against taxes on electricity bills, cuts in subsidies and an end to the perks and privileges of the Prime Minister and President.

LS polls: Caste looms over temple in Ayodhya

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradeshs Faizabad constituency, comprising Ayodhya, could be easily mistaken for the nerve centre of temple politics but if past Lok Sabha elections are anything to go by, the poll outcome in this temple town has mostly been tied to the caste factor. And the 2024 LS poll is no different. Sitting BJP MP Lallu Singh, also a five-time MLA from Ayodhya, is pitted against the Samajwadi Partys Awadhesh Prasad, a nine-time MLA and a former minister in the Akhilesh cabinet. Lallu Singh, who is a contractor by profession, is seeking a third term riding on the back of the general goodwill for the BJP after the Ram temple construction in Ayodhya and the resultant development in the district. In 2014, he had polled an impressive winning margin of 2.8 lakh votes, which however came down drastically to just 65,000 in 2019. This time, he is fighting anti-incumbency and a formidable SP candidate, who has the support of the Congress. The SP-Congress combine hopes their joint candidate can defeat the BJP this time. However, votes tell a different story. In 2019, the BJP had bagged 5,29,021 votes, while the SP got 4,63,544 and the Congress 53,386. This time, a third factor could influence poll calculations as the CPI has fielded former IPS officer Arvind Sen as its candidate. Sen is the son of veteran politician late Mitrasen Yadav, who had represented the constituency thrice in Parliament. Sen is expected to poll a considerable number of votes from the same electorate pool that the SP hopes to tap into. All this boils down to the constituencys caste dynamics, which can swing results. The BJP has retained Singh, a Thakur by caste, for the battle in the land of Lord Ram, who himself was a Rajput. The saffron party has the support of Thakurs and other upper castes as well as a section of non-Yadav OBCs. SP candidate Prasad comes from the Dalit Kori community and is trying to mobilise Dalits, who constitute a sizeable population of 5.5 lakh in the constituency. He can also expect help from the SPs traditional Muslim-Yadav vote bank. Meanwhile, CPIs Sen, an OBC, is getting traction among his caste group on the ground. The BSP has also fielded Sachidanand Pandey, a Brahmin, as its candidate for Faizabad but the community is not strong enough to create a ripple.

After Ayodhya, we will now focus on Mathura