BJP Bhopal candidate Pragya Singh Thakur barred from campaigning, PM Modi is ecstatic about Masood Azhar ban | May 1 -- as it happened

"Aaj Bharat ki baat poori duniya mein suni jaati hai. Bharat ki baat ko nazar-andaaz nahin kiya jaa sakta hai. Aur main danke ki chot par kehna chahta hoon ki yeh toh sirf shuruaat hai; aagey aagey dekhiye hota hai kya..." PM Modi adds.

"Aatankwaad ke khilaaf ladaayi mein vishwa samudaay Bharat ke saath khada raha; isske liye mein 130 crore Bharat vaasiyon ki taraf se vishwa samudaay ka aabhaar vyakt karta hoon," PM Modi says, at a rally in Jaipur.

In his first reaction on Masood Azhar ban, PM Modi says, "Der aaye durust aaye."

He adds, "Ab desh ko jahaan par se bhi khatra hoga wahaan par ghus kar ke maarengey aur agar woh goli maarengey toh hum gola maarengey."

EC bars BJP Bhopal candidate Pragya Singh Thakur from campaigning for three days starting 6 am tomorrow. Thakur's remark that she is proud of Babri Masjid's demolition was found violative of the Model Code of Conduct.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued a show cause notice to Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu for calling PM Modi the 'biggest liar' in his speech in Ahmedabad on April 17. He has been asked to reply by 6 pm on May 2.

Samajwadi Party chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav said the BJP should have faced a soldier when they are asking for votes in the name of nationalism.

"When they are asking for votes in the name of nationalism, they should have faced a soldier. People who dismissed him from his job because he complained about food, how can those people be called real patriots?" Yadav was quoted as saying by ANI.

"Loan waivers make farmers lethargic, BJP's no loan waiver policy won't have negative impact on voters," Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar tells PTI.

Dismissed BSF jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav's nomination as SP candidate from Varanasi has been rejected by the election commission.

"Eik baar Pt Nehru jab Kumbh mein aaye to avyavastha ke kaaran bhagdad mach gayi thhi. Hazaaron log maare gaye thhay... Lekin sarkaar ki izzat bachaane ke liye, Pt Nehru pe koi dosh na lag jaaye, isliye uss samay ki media ne ye dikhaane ki bahaduri nahin dikhaayi," PM Modi said, while addressing a rally in Kaushambi.

Asked whether she was afraid of contesting against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi, Priyanka Gandhi said she was not scared at all and that she joined politics "for good".

"If Priyanka Gandhi gets scared, she will sit at home and not do politics. I am in politics for good and will be there," she said.

Priyanka Gandhi also rebuffed the claims that Congress would harm the SP-BSP-RLD alliance in the Lok Sabha election.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that her party has fielded Lok Sabha candidates either with prospects of victory or having potential to damage the BJP's chances in Uttar Pradesh.

"My strategy is very clear. Congress will win on the seats where our candidates are strong. Where our candidates are slightly lightweight, they will cut into BJP's vote share," Priyanka replied when asked whether the chances of Congress' victory are less in UP.

The Delhi High Court directed the Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday to file an affidavit indicating the powers it has to ensure implementation of its guidelines regarding disclosure of expenditure by political parties.

A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice A J Bhambhani gave a final opportunity to the poll panel to submit the document and said it if fails to do so then the court will proceed to pass orders.

The high court also noted that the matter has been pending for the last five years and the direction to EC in February to file the affidavit has not been complied with till date.

"The Election Commission of India has approved shifting of polled EVMs in two districts -- Jagatsinghpur and Gajapati. Entire shifting process will be conducted in presence of candidates and the entire process will be video-graphed," Surendra Kumar, Chief Electoral Officer, Odisha, says.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on his first visit to Ayodhya after becoming Prime Minister, addressed an election rally but avoided talking about the Ram temple issue.

Though the Prime Minister ended his speech with "Jai Shri Ram", he did not make any mention of the Ram temple. He mentioned the grandeur with which ‘Dev Deepawali' was held in the holy city and the ‘Kumbh Mela' in Prayagraj.

The Prime Minister's rally was held about 25 kilometres away from Ayodhya at Gosainganj on the Ayodhya-Ambedkar Nagar border.

He also did not visit the makeshift Ram temple and Mahant Paramhans Das said that it was unfortunate that the Prime Minister failed to give any message to the people about the BJP's commitment towards the construction of a grand Ram temple.

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi has said even security personnel guarding the prime minister's official residence in Delhi may say the "chowkidar" (watchman) is a "chor" (thief).

Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday also reiterated his allegations over the Rafale jet purchase deal.

"I can say with guarantee...if you go in front of the Race Course Road (residence of the PM) where personnel of CRPF, BSF stand with guns...and utter the word 'chowkidar' in front of them, they will respond by saying 'chor hai'.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chants "Jai Shri Ram" and "Bharat Mata ki jai" after ending his speech at a rally in Ambedkar Nagar.

BJP will be defeated in Uttar Pradesh. Our main strategy is to make the saffron lose: Priyanka Gandhi

Be it SP, BSP or Congress, it's necessary to know their reality. Behen ji used the name of Babasaheb Ambedkar but she did everything just the opposite of his principles. SP used the name of Lohia ji but they destroyed the law & order situation in UP: PM Modi

Samajwadi Party (SP) reduced to soil principles of Lohia. Your love for me will raise the blood pressure of SP leaders: PM Narendra Modi in Ayodhya

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaches Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh (East) meets supporters in Baghola, Raebareli.

Election Commission of India: Neither West Bengal police nor central forces is allowed inside the polling booth (in the room where machines and EVMs are kept at the time of voting). They can enter if and when the Presiding Officer calls them in.

Misuse of government machineries is at its peak in the states where the BJP is in power, including Uttar Pradesh. During voting, all limits are crossed. UP, Maharashtra and Tripura are examples. Why the Election Commission is not paying proper attention towards this?

A total of 578 coys of central forces are being deployed for 5th phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2019. 100% polling stations will be covered by central forces as static postings: Vivek Dubey, Special Police Observer for West Bengal

Election Commission bars Jitubhai Vaghani, Gujarat BJP president from election campaigning for 72 hours starting from 4 pm tomorrow, for violating Model Code of Conduct during his election campaign held at Amroli in Surat on 7th April. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a poll rally in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, on Wednesday.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi will hold a roadshow in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, on Wednesday 

On Wednesday, PM Narendra Modi will address a poll rally at Itarsi town which is part of the Hoshangabad Lok Sabha seat in Madhya Pradesh. PM will address the rally at around 3 pm. The saffron party has fielded sitting MP Rao Uday Pratap Singh from Hoshangabad.