Defence Minister Rajnath Singh or Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari could have been the prime minister, Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said on Wednesday, subtly taking a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders relegated to the second rung of the organisational echelons.
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Speaking to media in Uttar Pradesh' s Gonda, former WFI President and controversial BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said that 'Kaisarganj is a seat of the BJP' and even if the candidate is announced an hour prior to the election, the party will win.
Speaking about his candidature from the segment, he said, "I am not a candidate right now. But BJP has no contest on Kaisarganj Lok Sabha seat...If God has decided this, what can I do? But I am a strong contender, so I will contest 99.9%, 0.1% would remain."
Akhilesh Yadav will be filing his nomination paper from Kannauj Lok Sabha seat. BJP has fielded Subrat Pathak against the SP chief.
AAP workers and leaders, including party MLA Somnath Bharti, protest against CM Arvind Kejriwal's arrest in liquor policy case.
Speaking on party's 'Jail ka Jawab Vote se' campaign, Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj urged the Delhi populace to vote for the party and give an answer to the saffron party.
"We don't want to disturb people of Delhi. Our workers are standing peacefully with placards at various Metro stations to send out the message how the chief minister (Arvind Kejriwal) was arrested and sent to jail on the basis of fake evidence. He was denied medicines in the jail. You (people of Delhi) must respond to BJP with the power of your vote. We believe that people of Delhi will teach a lesson to the BJP", he said.
Polling agents arrive at the Darjeeling Government College to collect polling material and EVMs for phase two Lok Sabha elections 2024.
Voting in the Darjeeling constituency of West Bengal will be held on April 26.
Speaking about PM Modi's statement about Muslim population from Rajasthan hate speech, Union Minister Giraraj Singh said that AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi sigifies the Muslim population in his speeches, "He asks them to come to vote with their children, is he trying to scare us?", he questioned.
He further added that Congress and Tamil Nadu government is practicing appeasement politics towards Muslims and will take away 'mangalsutra and property' of Hindu women.
Owaisi khud musalmano ki sankhya batane ke liye kehrahe hain ki Muslim mahila apne bacho ke saath matt daan kendra pe jaye, kya kisi ko darane ke liye aisi baat kehrahe hain?Union Minister Giriraj Singh
Speaking about BJP's 'inheritance tax' attacks in a press conference, AAP leader Sanjay Singh said that the Modi government looted public's money.
"Pradhan Mantri ji ne desh ka Rs 15 lakh crore apne dosto pe luta diya", he said.
Pradhan Mantri ji ne desh ka Rs 15 lakh crore apne dosto pe luta diya.AAP leader Sanjay Singh
Speaking about the liquor policy 'scam', BJP national spokesperson RP Singh said that jailed Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has done 'perfect planning' to execute the crime and has managed to 'destroy money trails'.
"The liquor scam is a ‘blue collar’ crime that has happened. In that case, an IRS officer who later became Delhi CM (referring to Arvind Kejriwal) and is in jail today, has done a perfect planning to execute this crime. He also has very smartly destroyed the money trails and evidence related to the case", he said.
In reaction to Modi's hate speech in Rajasthan, NCP-SCP chief Sharad Pawar said that the Prime Minister's views can 'hurt the unity of the nation and should be condemned'.
"People expect that the PM of the nation should be for all irrespective of caste religion language etc. In a speech, he tried to take a different stand about minorities in the nation...During the election campaign, we will take his angle among the people and will try to make people understand that his view can hurt the unity of the nation and should be condemned", he said.
PM Modi in MP.
Public in Modi's MP rally.
Public in Modi's MP rally.
Ahead of filing of nomination by party leader Aga Ruhullah from Srinagar Lok Sabha seat, former Jammu and Kashmir CM and JKNC leader Omar Abdullah held a roadshow and said that 'BJP won't file nomination because they are covertly supporting the candidates'.
"We all know that there's no BJP symbol but the candidates are there. Mehbooba Mufti has also got BJP's support. We will win all six seats of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir", he said.
In his public address in Madhya Pradesh's Morena, Prime Minister said that Congress 'snatched' people's OBCs status by giving it to Muslims overnight.
He said that Congress illegally granted OBC status to Muslims 'betraying' Dr B R Ambedkar.
"They want to snatch away reservation from Dalits and Adivasis", he said.
Congress ne dhokebaazi ki hai Babasaheb Ambedkar ke saath. Peeche wale darwaze se. Adivasi, Dalit aur pichdo ke khilaaf shatyantra rach rahi hai Congress.PM Modi
Speaking about reservation, Prime Minister said that Congress wants to snatch away reservation from OBCs and give it to their 'favourite' vote bank instead, he was implying that Congress wants to give reservation to Muslims instead.
Congress pichdo ke aarakshan ka haq cheen ke apne chahete vote bank ke charno mei rakhke jeetna chahte hain.PM Modi
PM Modi further said that Congress thinks that Muslims have the first right to country's policies and schemes while the PM think it belongs to OBCs and poor.
Taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi, PM said, "He says he wants to target me and people get upset over it, I request you all to not get upset. They are 'naamdaar', we are 'kaamdaar'".
Woh naamdaar hain, hum kaamdaar hain.PM Modi
PM Modi again referred to his 'mangalsutra' statement in Madhya Pradesh after his 'hate speech' against Muslims in Rajasthan.
"Congress wants to loot your mangalsutras and distribute it to their vote bank", he said implying Muslims as the party's vote bank/.
Speaking about 'inheritance tax', PM said that the then PM Rajiv Gandhi scrapped the tax out of greed and the party now wants to bring it back to 'loot the people'.
Congress ki loot zindagi ke saath bhi, zindagi ke baad bhi.PM Modi
Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav arrives in Kannauj to file his nomination as the party's candidate from the constituency.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh in a press briefing said that PM Modi is giving to Congress' manifesto, Nyay Patra.
Ramesh further said that no PM has done it before.
"Even if he's trying to be critical, he is giving publicity to our Nyay Patra", he said,
Modi ji ne 400 paar bolna band kar diya pichle dino se, itne bokhla gaye hain, itne pareshan hogaye hain.Congress leader Jairam Ramesh
Congress leader said that PM Modi is not campaigning for votes now but 'outrightly using the language of polarisation'.
Speaking about the much debated 'inheritance tax', Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that the tax was scrapped in 1985 and is not a part of the party's agenda and whoever claims it to be an agenda, they're lying.
Speaking about the country's social, economic environment, the Congres leader said that an environment of fear has been create in the country and 'people are running away' from the nation because of it.
Reacting to PM's mangalsutra comment, Jairam Ramesh challenged Modi to prove his point.
"I challenge the PM to show me the page in our manifesto where we have mentioned we will snatch away mangalsutras", he said.
Taking a jibe at the Prime Minister, the Congress leader said that 'Modi is the epitome of astayamev jayate' as opposed to the motto of the country 'satyamev jayate' which means 'In truth, there is win'.
Pradhan Mantri asatyamev jayate ke prateek hain.Jairam Ramesh
Speaking about the EC notice that has been issued to the PM following his 'hate speech' in Rajasthan, Jairam Ramesh said that never before has a PM been issued a notice.
"Manmohan Singh, Atal Bihari Vajpayee never got issued any notice, it is the first time a PM has been issued a notice", he said.
Reacting to Modi's statement that Congress is doing auction of welfare and reservation, Jairam Ramesh said that PM is the one who does auctions.
"He auctioned his suit, how can he talk about all this", he said.
Responding to a question about raising 'allegations against PM and BJP, Jairam Ramesh said, "I don't raise allegations, I state facts".
I don't raise allegations, I state facts,Jairam Ramesh
The Congress leader asserted that I.N.D.I.A. bloc will win the elections and it's not a 100 day program but a 5 year one.
I.N.D.I.A. is not a 100 day program, it is a 5 year program.Jairam Ramesh
In his public address in Agra, PM Modi said that Congress' manifesto represents the ideals of Muslim League.
He further alleged that Congress intends to do a religion based reservation.
Congress ke manifesto pe Muslim League ki 100% chaap lagi hui hai.PM Modi
PM Modi continues with his communal speech in Uttar Pradesh's Agra where he again antagonised Muslims saying that they were granted OBC status 'overnight, illegaly'.
He further said that Congress asked Muslims to loot the rights of OBCs.
Congress ne raato raat musalmano se sign karaya aur kaha jaao loot lo.PM Modi
In his public rally in Telangana, Union Home Minsiter Amit Shah said that the saffron party is determined to scrap Muslim reservation in the state.
Modi at his rally in Bareilly slammed the Congress and Samajwadi Party, he said, "I went into the sea with great devotion, I went there to seek the blessings of Lord Shri Krishna but Congress' 'shehzada' made fun of it. I am surprised that in Uttar Pradesh, the contractors of Samajwadi Party who call themselves 'Yaduvanshi' are performing the aarti of those who made fun of our Shri Krishna."
BJP leader and former MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan earlier today attacked Congress MP Rahul Gandhi. Chouhan said that Rahul's 'mental stability is disturbed. These are not the values of India. PM Modi is the world's most popular leader, he is not just India's but the world's hope. Using abusive terms for him only shows how nervous the Congress is. Congress is about to be extinct."
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