Prime Minister Narendra Modi will campaign in Maharashtra and Rajasthan today.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi today admitted that he had misquoted the Supreme Court after its ruling on the Rafale fighter jet deal. The remarks were made "in the heat of political campaigning," he said. He added that his words were mostly in response to the ruling BJP claiming victory after a December top court order giving the government a clean chit in the case.
Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi's party has fielded three-time chief minister of Delhi Sheila Dikshit as its candidate from the parliamentary constituency of North East Delhi. Senior Congress leader Ajay Maken is the party's candidate from the New Delhi parliamentary constituency. Days ago, there was speculation that the veteran politician might contest the election from East Delhi. Instead, the Congress is fielding Arvinder Singh Lovely from there.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is campaigning in Maharashtra and Rajasthan. "Terrorists know that PM Modi will find them from the depths of hell and punish them," PM Modi told people in Dindori, Maharashtra.
In West Bengal, BJP chief Amit Shah accused Chief Minster Mamata Banerjee of minority appeasement. "Mamata increased allowance of the Imams. Why isn't she giving the allowance to the Poojari. This is nothing but a discrimination," he said.
Here are the highlights on Lok Sabha Elections-related news:
"We will fight on our own," Sheila Dikshit tells NDTV on contesting national elections from Delhi
"We are going to fight on our own and that has been our tradition. We have never relied on anyone else," Sheila Dikshit told NDTV.
"We are not afraid of the BJP," she said.
"We will do it before the deadline (on announcing the name of the seventh candidate from Delhi)," she added.
"In Amethi, a food park had to be built. If it had opened, it would have benefitted five lakh farmers. They didn't let the work complete," said Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
"Know what is the aukat of politicians who have come before you," says Priyanka Gandhi Vadra
"Netas who have come before you, know what is their aukat. They understand that it is a favour that we are chosen and we repay it by working for you," said Priyanka Gandhi Vadra at Rae Bareli.
"Publicity shows progress, but reality is different," said Priyanka Gandhi Vadra
"Public trusted BJP leaders and brought them in power. Now I go to villages and wherever I am going, I see the reality. The publicity shows progress, but the reality is different,"said Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
"Wherever I go, I see pain," she said.
"Smriti Irani is insulting people of Amethi," says Priyanka Gandhi Vadra
"Smriti Irani distributed shoes, she thinks she is insulting Rahul, but she is insulting people of Amethi," says Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. "We know that you have made us leaders, they are insulting you by distributing shoes, tell them that people of Amethi & Rae Bareli don't beg for things. Their campaign is far from reality. I see sorrow wherever I go," she added.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra speaks near Rae Bareli
"People have come to spread lies, they say how Rahul (Gandhi) doesn't visit the area. You know how much he tours the area," she said.
Trinamool candidate Nusrat Jahan files nomination
Trinamool Congress celebrity candidate Nusrat Jahan filed her nomination for the Basirhat parliamentary constituency in West Bengal. Accompanied by a large number of Trinamool activists, the 28-year-old Bengali film actress, filed her nomination at the District administrative office in North 24 Parganas.
Basirhat will go for the polls in the seventh phase on May 19.
Rahul Gandhi to address two rallies in Madhya Pradesh tomorrow
Congress president Rahul Gandhi will hold two rallies in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday to campaign for his party''s Lok Sabha poll candidates in the state. He will address a public meeting in Shahdol district between 3 pm and 4 pm and later hold another rally at Sehora
town in Jabalpur district, Congress' state unit general secretary Rajiv Singh said.
We will deliver as far as NYAY is concerned: Rahul Gandhi- When you were standing in queues after notes ban, was there anyone (government)standing behind you?
- We will deliver as far as NYAY is concerned.
- Narendra modi gave crores to 15 people, we will give money to crores of people
- Imposition of GST affected sales, resulting in unemployment
Pragya Thakur will win by huge margin, Digvijaya Singh does not stand a chance: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and senior BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan spoke to NDTV's Sreenivasan Jain on controversial leader Pragya Thakur, who has been fielded by the BJP in Bhopal.
"She will win by a huge margin. Pragya Thakur will be a representative of all the 26 lakh people in Bhopal. She does not discriminate. What is the fuss about her contesting from Bhopal," he said.
Mr Chouhan said that the senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, who is contesting against Pragya Thakur, does not stand a chance in the constituency. "Digvijaya Singh would be defeated anyway. Even if we field a party worker in Bhopal, he will win the seat for us, he said.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan also supported BJP's decision to field Pragya Thakur, claiming that she was framed in the 2008 Malegaon blast case. "What has happened with Pragya Thakur is a case in point... How a woman has been tortured... How there have been attempts to defame Hindutva," he said.
Congress releases list of candidates from Delhi
Congress has released the list of its candidates who will contest the Lok Sabha elections from Delhi. The list includes six candidates. Former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, who is also heads the party's Delhi unit, is among the candidates.
Mamata Banerjee can see that she will lose: Amit Shah- Mamata Banerjee can see that she will lose.
- Democracy has taken a hit with this kind of violence in Bengal.
- The refugees who have come from Bangladesh, be it Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, or Christians, BJP has clearly signaled in its 'sankalp patra' that we will give them citizenship. We will take forward a zero-tolerance approach towards terrorism.
Amit Shah is addressing a press conference in Kolkata, West Bengal
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will campaign for the BJP in Maharashtra and Rajasthan today.
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