BJP lodges complaints with EC against Kejriwal | April 27 - As it happened

The BJP Saturday lodged complaints with the Election Commission against AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal for "misguiding" voters through FM radio advertisement, and distorting party chief Amit Shah's statement on illegal infiltrators.

Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kaoor in a complaint letter to the Election Commission objected the content of the AAP's FM radio advertisement.

"In the radio advertisement, the Delhi Chief Minister can be heard provoking people of Delhi that the central government collects thousands of crores rupees in revenue from Delhi but gives back around partly Rs 325 crore to Delhi,” he said in his complaint.

He requested the EC to review the contents of the AAP advertisement and block it as it was "misleading" for the voters.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi said Saturday nobody had committed the "foolishness" of demonetisation and the "Gabbar Singh Tax" in the last 70 years.

Addressing rallies in Raebareli and Amethi constituencies of Uttar Pradesh, Gandhi also assured the people that implementing the minimum income guarantee scheme, Nyay, was possible.

"In the past 70 years, the foolishness of demonetisation and Gabbar Singh Tax (Gandhi's coinage for the goods and services tax or the GST) was not done by anyone," he said at a rally in Unchahar town of Raebareli district, where United Progressive Alliance chairperson and his mother, Sonia Gandhi, is seeking re-election.

The Congress chief's remarks come against the backdrop Modi repeatedly holding the grand old party responsible for all the "ills" since the country got Independence.

"Today in Kannauj, PM Modi said that we [Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav] had called him 'neech' but we never said so. His accusations are baseless. With due respect we have always considered him someone belonging to upper caste," Mayawati said, earlier in the day.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi on Saturday accused the Narendra Modu government of halting the construction of food work in Amethi - the constituency of her brother and party chief Rahul Gandhi and attacked its "policy and intentions".

Addressing a public meeting ahead of her road show in support of Congress candidate Tarun Punia, son of former MP and retired bureaucrat PL Punia, in Barabanki, she said: "The Central and the state government have not done any works in Barabanki. Even they stalled the project of a food park in Amethi.

"If the food park would have come in Amethi, then lakhs of farmers would have benefitted from that." 

"The policy and the intention of this government is not good. So when you people go out to vote, then think about the government's intention and its policy. The intention of the government is not good," she said. 

Kerala Chief Electoral Officer Teeka Ram Meena has sought a report from the returning officers in connection with the allegations of bogus voting in Kasaragod constituency. He has sought report from the district collectors of Kannur and Kasaragod.

Campaigning for the fourth phase of polling scheduled for April 29 in 72 parliamentary constituencies across nine states ended Saturday after days of hectic canvassing as leaders made energetic efforts to garner votes.

Polling will be held in 17 seats in Maharashtra, 13 each in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, eight in West Bengal, six each in Madhya Pradesh and Odisha, five in Bihar, three in Jharkhand and a part of the Anantnag constituency in Jammu and Kashmir.

The stakes are high for the ruling BJP and its allies as it had swept 56 of these seats in 2014, leaving just two for the Congress and the rest for other opposition parties such as the Trinamool Congress and the Biju Janata Dal.

The fate of 961 candidates, including Union ministers Giriraj Singh, Subhash Bhamre, S S Ahluwalia and Babul Supriyo of the BJP and former Union ministers Salman Khurshid and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury of the Congress, will be decided by about 12.79 core voters in this phase.

Campaigning ended on Saturday evening for the 13 Rajasthan seats which go to the polls in the fourth phase with chief minister's son Vaibhav Gehlot, former BJP MLA and now Congressman Manvendra Singh and two Union ministers in the fray.

Chief minister Ashok Gehlot’s son is contesting his maiden election against Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat from Jodhpur, where polling will be held on Monday.

Former Union minister Jaswant Singh’s son Manvendra Singh, who switched over from the BJP to the Congress, is from Barmer, a seat once also held by his father.

Polling will take place in Tonk-Sawaimadhopur, Ajmer, Pali, Jodhpur, Barmer, Jalore, Udaipur, Banswara, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand, Bhilwara, Kota and Jhalawar-Baran.

Lok Janshakti Party leader and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan will hold election rallies in the two constituencies Sunday.

While Dinesh Pratap Singh of the BJP is pitted against UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in Rae Bareli, Union minister Smriti Irani will take on Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Amethi.

The two seats will go for polls in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections on May 5.

"Will be campaigning for Smriti Irani and Dinesh Pratap Singh in Amethi and Raebareli on April 28," Paswan tweeted.

Union minister and senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari fainted on stage Saturday evening during an election rally near Shirdi in Maharashtra.
He soon recovered and later walked to his car. 

Gadkari was campaigning at Rahata near here for Shiv
Sena candidate from Shirdi Lok Sabha seat Sadashiv Lokhande. 

After finishing his speech, Gadkari fainted while walking back to his seat on the stage. 

His security guard as well as BJP's Ahmednagar candidate Sujay Vikhe Patil and state minister Ram Shinde rushed to his help. 

Within a few minutes, the road and transport minister recovered and later walked to his car.

Opposition parties on Saturday approached the Election Commission alleging display of party name only under the BJP symbol on EVMs during a mock poll in West Bengal's Barrackpore constituency, but the poll panel has maintained that the same insignia was used for the party in 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

A delegation of opposition parties comprising senior Congress leaders Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Ahmed Patel and Trinamool Congress' Dinesh Trivedi and Derek O'Brien met Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora over the issue and demanded that either all such EVMs be removed from the remaining phases of elections or names of other parties be added too.

The EVMs display the party symbols, name of the candidates and their photographs. 

"On EVMs, letters 'BJP' are visible under the party's symbol. No other party's name is there. Either remove all machines which mention BJP clearly or all other parties' name should be added in all such machines. Till then the use of these machines has to be totally stopped in the elections," Singhvi told the reporters after meeting the CEC.

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram Saturday accused the Election Commission (EC) of "failing" the people of the country, alleging that it was partisan and reluctant to take action against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for poll code violations.

He also said that as much as Rs 10 crore is spent on every rally of the prime minister.

"Unprecedented expenses for the PM's rallies. About Rs 10 crore is spent on each rally. The EC is failing the people of the country," Chidambaram alleged.

Maharashtra Congress president Ashok Chavan, who was also present at the press conference, demanded that the EC probe Friday's incident in Dhule where a box was brought out of an aircraft ferrying Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu.

"The box surely didn't contain mangoes. It was something more. The EC should take cognisance of the matter and should investigate it," Chavan said.

The Congress has said it may approach courts seeking action against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah over alleged repeated model code violations.

Senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi alleged that the two leaders have "cheated" on the issue of level playing field for all parties during elections and questioned the "silence of mega policeman" Election Commission.

"We have a right to approach the courts seeking action over model code violations... we can exercise that option ... the mega policeman has turned a blind eye," Singhvi told a press conference, adding silence can be construed as approval.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor summoned on June 7 by Delhi court over his alleged "scorpion" remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Jab satta haasil hoti hai eik insaan ko, uss satta ke moh mein usse eik bahot badi galatfahami ho jaati hai. Woh sochne lagta hai woh satta uski hai, bhool jaata hai ki satta dene waala kaun hai. Yeh pradhaan mantri aur sarkaar bhool chuki hai ki satta dene waale aap hain," Priyanka says.

"BJP's Kisaan Samman Yojana is actually Kisaan Apmaan Yojana," Priyanka Gandhi says, while addressing a rally in Unnao.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati has said people of the country do not want an "anti-poor" Narendra Modi government to return to power.

"BJP's claims and promises - only 'hawa hawai'. Their announcements - for hoodwinking people, BJP's statistics - white lies, BJP governments - head of lies and dramatics," Mayawati said, on Saturday.

"Their leaders - no.1 'jumlebaaz', real meaning of BJP - only development of the rich, meaning people's call, no more anti-poor Modi government," she said, taking a dig at the BJP's slogans of 'abki baar, Modi sarkar' (This time, Modi govt) in 2014 and 'phir ek baar, Modi sarkar' (Once again, Modi govt) in the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

Mayawati wondered why the problems of poverty, unemployment and backwardness of Uttar Pradesh did not change even with the Centre and the state being ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"Will Prime Minister Modi be able to give its reply to the people by looking at them in their eyes? Habituated of terming others wrong, why are they not willing to look at themselves?" the BSP chief asked. 

BJP president Amit Shah has said that Odisha can develop only if the "corrupt and inefficient" BJD government is thrown out.

Shah said people across the country have resolved that Narendra Modi will become the prime minister again.

"I have already addressed election meetings in 261 Lok Sabha constituencies. From east to west and north to south, I could hear people chant Modi, Modi.

"It is clear that the whole country has resolved to make Modi the prime minister once again," the BJP chief claimed, on Saturday.

Shah said people of Odisha must vote BJP to power both at the Centre and in the state for speedy development.

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi has said that in the last 70 years, the "foolishness of demonetisation and Gabbar Singh Tax" was not done by anybody.

"In the past 70 years, the foolishness of demonetisation and Gabbar Singh Tax (Gandhi's coinage for the Goods and Services Tax or GST) was not done by anyone," Rahul Gandhi said at an election meeting in Unchahar in Rabeareli from where UPA chairperson and his mother Sonia Gandhi is seeking reelection to the Lok Sabha.

His remarks come against the backdrop of repeated attacks by the prime minister on the Congress, holding it responsible for all ills since the country got Independence.

"Chowkidar (watchman) has done 'chori' (theft) of factories and employment of people of Raebareli and Amethi (the Lok Sabha seat represented by the Congress chief)," he said, on Saturday.

BJP president Amit Shah Saturday said that Odisha can develop only if the "corrupt and inefficient" BJD government is thrown out.

Addressing a rally in Odisha's Morada, Shah said people across the country have resolved that Narendra Modi will become the Prime Minister again.

"I have already addressed election meetings in 261 Lok Sabha constituencies. From east to west and north to south, I could hear people chant Modi, Modi.

"It is clear that the whole country has resolved to make Modi the prime minister once again," the BJP chief claimed.

"Narendra Modi has lied to the nation for the last 5 years," Rahul Gandhi said in Raebareli today.

"In his speech, he doesn't speak about employment, farmers or 15 lakh. He speaks by looking at the teleprompter and his speech is controlled by a controller from behind. Time is about to change," Rahul Gandhi said. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is presently addressing an election rally in Uttar Pradesh's Sitapur

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi today congratulated students who have passed the UP Board 2019 exams. Taking to Twitter, Priyanka Gandhi said hard workers reach the highest pinnacles of success. 

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also took to Twitter and congratulated the toppers of the UP Board 2019 exams in a series of tweets.

Seven veteran officers have joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in presence of Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Delhi, on Saturday.

Lt Gen JBS Yadav, Lt Gen RN Singh, Lt Gen SK Patyal, Lt Gen Sunit Kumar, Lt Gen Nitin Kohli, Colonel RK Tripathi, WG Cdr Navneet Magon have joined the party at the BJP headquarters.

Addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh's Raebareli, Congress President Rahul Gandhi today said, "Not a single youth in the country can say 'Yes, chowkidar gave me employment' because unemployment rate in the country is highest it has been in 45 years."

"In 70 years, nobody did something as foolish as demonetization and Gabbar Singh Tax," the Congress chief said. 

Congress candidate from Bihar's Patna Sahib, Shatrughan Sinha, today clarified his statement "from Mahatma Gandhi to Muhammad Ali Jinnah, all part of Congress Parivar".

"Whatever I said yesterday was slip of tongue. I wanted to say Maulana Azad but uttered Muhammad Ali Jinnah," Shatrughan Sinha said. 

The Biju Janata Dal has written to the Chief Electoral Officer Odisha and has alleged "distribution of cash among voters" by four associates of Baijayant Panda, BJP's Lok Sabha candidate from Kendrapara. 

While addressing an election rally in Uttar Pradesh's Hardoi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said there are more than 125 factories manufacturing mobiles in India.

"Before I became Prime Minister, when there used to be a remote control government, there were only 2 mobile phone manufacturing companies in the country, now within 5 years there are more than 125 factories manufacturing mobiles in India," Modi said.

The Election Commission has directed the East Delhi Returning Officer to file an FIR against Gautam Gambhir, BJP's candidate from East Delhi parliamentary constituency, for "holding a rally in East Delhi without permission.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently addressing a public meeting in Uttar Pradesh's Hardoi.

"Shatrughan Sinha, whatever his views are, he must explain. But a few days ago, he was part of BJP. So let BJP explain why he was a part of BJP for so many years," P Chidambaram said today. 

'I don't have to explain statement of every member (Congress). I can only speak for party's official position," he added.

Delhi BJP President Manoj Tiwari, who is re-contesting from the North East Delhi Lok Sabha seat, on Saturday held a massive roadshow in Delhi.

Tiwari, who is pitted against Delhi Congress chief and three-time Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Aam Aadmi party's Dilip Pandey, kicked off the 15 km-roadshow from MIG flats in north east Delhi to Loni road, covering areas like Shahdra, Jagatpuri and Mansarovar park.

Hundreds of BJP supporters participated in the roadshow and raised slogans in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Kavita Khanna, wife of late actor Vinod Khanna, today spoke on being denied a ticket by the Bharatiya Janata Party from Gurdaspur. 

"It is my decision that I'm not going to make this a personal issue and make a personal sacrifice and put my entire might and support with Prime Minister Narendra Modi," she said. 

"I felt hurt because I understand party the has right to decide candidate but there is a way of doing it, and the way it was done I felt abandoned and rejected, I was made to feel insignificant," Kavita Khanna said. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing an election rally in Uttar Pradesh's Kannauj, today slammed Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati for seeking the support of Samajwadi Party. 

"Just for sake of power," the prime minister said. 

"SP, BSP and Congress want 'helpless' govt as their mantra is 'Jaat, paat japna; janata ka maal apna'," Modi further said. 

Addressing an election rally in Uttar Pradesh's Kannauj, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today termed the opposition alliance as 'opportunist' and 'mahamilawati'. 

The prime minister also slammed the opposition SP-BSP-RLD alliance for attacking 'chowkidar', Ram bhakts.

Modi further ridiculed the opposition leaders for their "dream" to become the prime minister. "Whatever efforts opposition makes, it will be Modi again," he said. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is presently addressing an election rally in Uttar Pradesh's Kannauj.

The Shiv Sena has appointed Priyanka Chaturvedi as the "Upneta" of the party.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath has said that the prime minister should tell the nation who bears the expenses of his plane rides. 

"He should reply from where did he get the money to construct a Rs 700 crore office of BJP in Delhi. Then only he should ask me questions," the chief minister said. 

"Raids are being held against Mayawati, against our family. BJP people are trying to frame opposition leaders, because they know that in these polls, they're going to get defeated by 'mahagathbandhan' in respective states. CBI, ED, IT are working like IT cell of BJP," says Tejashwi Yadav.

Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah is slated to address public rallies in Odisha and Jharkhand today. 
 
Shah will address rally in Jharkhand's Palamu (at 10:30 am), in Odisha's Mayurbhanj (at 1:30 pm) and in Odisha's Jajpur (at 3:30 pm)

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is slated to hold roadshows in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao and Barabanki today.

She will also address election rallies in the state. 

Congress President Rahul Gandhi is set to campaign for himself and for UPA Chairman Sonia Gandhi today.

He will also address 3 public meetings in Uttar Pradesh's Amethi and Raebareli.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to address election rallies in parts of Uttar Pradesh today. The prime minister will address rallies in Kannuaj (at 11 am), in Hardoi (12:30 pm) and in Sitapur (at 2:05 pm). 

Campaigning for the April 29 Lok Sabha polls in 13 out of 25 constituencies in Rajasthan ends today. Chief Electoral Officer Anand Kumar said public meetings, rallies, processions or campaigning through electronic and social media and SMSes will be restricted after 6 pm on Saturday. 

Polling for the 13 Lok Sabha seats will take place on Monday from 7 am to 6 pm.

The 13 seats are Tonk-Sawaimadhopur, Ajmer, Pali, Jodhpur, Barmer, Jalore, Udaipur, Banswara, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand, Bhilwara, Kota and Jhalawar-Baran.
A total of 172 candidates are in the fray in these seats.

The remaining 12 constituencies - Sriganganagar, Bikaner, Churu, Jhunjhuju, Sikar, Jaipur Rural, Jaipur, Alwar, Bharatpur, Karauli-Dholpur, Dausa and Nagaur -- will go to poll on May 6.