PM Modi to Hold Roadshow in Varanasi on May 13, File Nomination Thereafter

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Friday said the Congress and Samajwadi Party practise nepotism and and do not let anyone else outside their families take the top positions. Addressing an election rally at the Kaila Devi Dham in Sambhal, UP, Yadav also pointed out that both these parties do nothing but speak about equal opportunities for people whereas the BJP made a tribal candidate the chief minister of Chhattisgarh, an OBC leader in Madhya Pradesh and a Brahmin in Rajasthan.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a roadshow in his Lok Sabha constituency of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, on May 13. The PM file his nomination from Varanasi on May 14. Varanasi is set to go to polls in Phase 7 of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 on June 1.

Sanjay Nirupam joined the Shiv Sena in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde today. Sanjay Nirupam aides have also joined Shiv Sena.

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has announced names of candidates for the Odisha Assembly election and the Lok Sabha Election 2024 in the state. Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren's sister Anjani Soren will contest from Mayurbhanj Lok Sabha constituency as well as Saraskana Assembly constituency.

Former Gujarat Congress MLA Indranil Rajguru courted controversy by using the term "cunning" for Mahatma Gandhi, and also claimed that Congress MP Rahul Gandhi was better than the Mahatma, as he was "pure-hearted and frank". Rajguru later said that he meant to say Gandhi ji was "clever" and not cunning. Gujarat BJP vice president Bharat Boghara said people will not forgive the Congress for Rajguru's comments on Mahatma Gandhi.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said that he should have parted ways with his uncle Sharad Pawar in 2004 itself when the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) gave up its claim on the chief minister's post while forming a government in the state in alliance with Congress. Speaking at a campaign rally at Indapur in Pune district for his wife Sunetra Pawar, who is pitted against sitting MP and his cousin Supriya Sule of NCP (Sharad Pawar) in the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency, Pawar said when his uncle made any unexpected political moves, it was called strategy, while his own political decisions are described as betrayal. "I did not question him (Sharad Pawar) when he toppled the Vasantdada Patil government (in 1978) by not heeding the advice of Yashwantrao Chavan who had given him his first opportunity in politics....or when he questioned Sonia Gandhi's foreign origins in 1999 and split the Congress, and then aligned with the Sonia Gandhi-led party later in that year to form a government in the state," Ajit Pawar said.

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During a public rally in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, " ...For 70 years, Sharad Pawar and company...they kept feeding Article 370 like an orphan kid...you (the public) made Narendra Modi ji Prime Minister for the second time and on August 5, 2019, he removed Article 370 and Kashmir became a part of India forever...I want to ask Uddhav Thackeray, those people, whose feet you fell on to become CM, what those Congress and Sharad Pawar were doing?...they said if Article 370 is removed, there will be a bloodbath in Kashmir. Rahul (Gandhi) baba, it has been 5 years and nobody has the guts to pelt stones (in Kashmir now)…"

"In their 10 years of governance, INDI alliance did nothing but scams and corruption. They did 2G scam, submarine and helicopter scam, and CWG scam. TMC is also on the same path, they are doing scams in unthinkable ways…Ration scam, recruitment scam, coal scam, animal trafficking scam, and all scams were worth hundreds of crores...," said Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing an election rally in Bolpur, West Bengal.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, the party's candidate from Raebareli Lok Sabha in Uttar Pradesh, visited the party office in the city today.

"Rahul Gandhi is very popular in Pakistan. If there is an election in Pakistan and Rahul Gandhi contests it, then he will win a huge margin of votes... We cannot defeat Rahul Gandhi in Pakistan... Rahul Gandhi would definitely win in Pakistan... How can that happen in India what Pakistan wants? Whatever Pakistan wants, the opposite will happen in India...," Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Rahul Gandhi in Bajali today.

On Friday afternoon, PM Modi addressed a mega rally in West Bengal's Bolpur. 

Congress leader Raj Babbar files nomination from Gurgaon (Haryana) Lok Sabha seat. Haryana votes all 10 seats on May 25. 

 Rahul Gandhi filed his nomination papers for Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat on Friday. Congrss leaders Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accompanied Rahul Gandhi. 

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge arrived at Raebareli Congress Office ahead of Rahul Gandhi's nomination filing from Raebareli, 

After Congress named Rahul Gandhi as its candidate for Raebareli, BJP candidate Dinesh Pratap Singh said, "Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have betrayed the people of Raebareli. The people of Raebareli chose Sonia Gandhi as an MP but she gave the power to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and she later gave it to Kishori Lal Sharma. In the last 10 years, neither Priyanka Gandhi Vadra nor Sonia Gandhi met the people of Raebareli..."

Congress veteran Kishori Lal Shama (KL Sharma) filed his nomination for the Amethi Lok Sabha seat on Friday, May 3 at the collectorate. KL Sharma will be contesting opposite BJP MP Smriti Irani in Amethi.

Union Minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani told reporters, "No member of the Gandhi family contesting from Amethi in itself is an indication that Congress has accepted its defeat from Amethi even before elections."

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi will file his nomination for the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat shortly on Friday, May 3. 

Ahead of this, Congress and Samajwadi workers gathered at the Congress Office in Rae Bareli ahead of party Rahul's nomination.
 

BJP candidate Bhartruhari Mahtab from Odisha's Cuttack constituency files his nomination.
 

Taking a sharp swipe at Trinamool Congress, PM Modi during his rally in Bardhaman said, "I want to ask TMC, in Sandeshkhali our Dalit sisters were served huge injustice. The whole country was demanding action. The TMC saw shielding the culprit. Was the reason that the name of the culprit was Shahjahan Sheikh?... The TMC is busy in appeasement. Can a vote bank be above humanity?..."

Prime Minister Modi on Friday while addressing a rally in Bardhaman said that he wants to dedicate his life to serving people at a poll rally in Bengal's Badhaman. 

Talking to his supporters, PM took a sharp swipe at TMC, Left and Congress stating that they 'lack vision for development.'

"They have only looted and betrayed West Bengal. People are seeing the BJP as the only ray of hope."

On Friday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with his mother and Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi arrived at Fursatganj Airport, Amethi. Rahul will shortly file his nomination from Rae Bareli 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday will address an election rally in Jharkhand and will undertake a roadshow in Ranchi.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to visit the West Singhbhum district on Friday where he will address an election rally in Chaibasa at 'Maha Vijay Sankalp Sabha' at Tata College Ground from 3 pm to seek votes for party candidates in two Lok Sabha constituencies—Singhbhum and Khunti, both are scheduled tribe (ST) reserved seats, an  official said.

BJP's candidate from Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha seat, Ujjwal Nikam offered prayers at the Siddhivinayak Temple before filing his nomination today.

Congress has fielded Varsha Gaikwad from the Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha seat. 
 

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi on fielding Kishori Lal Sharma for Amethi Lok Sabha congratulated him, saying, "Our family has had a long association with Kishori Lal Sharma ji. He has always been dedicated to serving the people of Amethi and Raebareli. His passion for public service is an example in itself. Today it is a matter of joy that the Congress Party has made Shri Kishori Lal Ji a candidate from Amethi. Kishori Lal Ji's loyalty and dedication towards duty will definitely bring him success in this election.Best wishes."

After Congress announced that Rahul Gandhi will contest from Rae Bareli and not Amethi, Union Minister Giriraj Singh said, "The Gandhi family never goes back to the seat from where it loses. Rahul Gandhi lost Amethi and he left it. This time if he loses Raebareli too, he will leave that too. Just like Bahadur Shah Zafar was the last emperor of the Mughal Sultanate, Raebareli is the same for the Gandhi family."

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday mocked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for opting for Rae Bareli over Amethi saying that "he knows he stands no chance in front of Smriti Irani."

BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla on X said, “All this drama & build-up for what? With Rahul Gandhi running away and surrendering out of Amethi & fielding somebody like KL Sharma, it is evident that Congress has given up on Amethi.  They too realise that Rahul stands no chance in front of Smriti Irani. So they sent him to what they consider a safer Rae Bareli! But isn’t that a complete fraud on people of Wayanad? Not that he will win in Rae Bareli but it just shows “use and throw” mindset of Congress. Rae Bareli too will reject this behaviour & opt for an MP who stays with them & doesn’t desert them.”

Furthermore, the saffron party's national secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, "Rahul Gandhi is losing from Wayanad and this is why is going to to contest from Raebareli. Earlier, he accepted defeat from Amethi, now he is running away from Wayanad. The situation is such that no one from Congress wants to contest from Amethi, which was Congress' traditional seat...Rahul Gandhi will also have to leave Raebareli, and people will give him a befitting reply, he will be defeated in Raebareli too..."
 

Congress on Friday released the list for the upcoming elections in 2024. Rahul Gandhi will contest from Rae Bareli and Kishori Lal Sharma from Amethi.

Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge will hold public meeting in Ahmedabad on Friday.

The campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections is underway as the third phase of the polls nears on May 7. Today is the last day for filing nomination papers on the Amethi and Raebareli seats. 

Congress released another list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections 2024.