India General Election 2024: 'Feedback From 2 Phases Indicate We're Coming Back To Power', Says PM Modi In Goa

Welcome to our live blog, where we'll be bringing you all the latest updates and developments about elections on 27 April 2024. Stay with us!

The schedule for the Lok Sabha elections 2024 was announced by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on March 16. The voting for Lok Sabha elections 2024 is taking place in seven phases and started on April 19. The counting of votes will take place on June 4.

While voting for Phase 1 took place on April 19, and the second phase on April 27, polling for Phase 3 to Phase 7 will take place on: May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1.

• Phase 1/April 19 - 21 states/UTs - 102 constituencies

• Phase 2/April 26 - 13 states/UTs - 88 constituencies

• Phase 3/May 7 - 12 states/UTs - 12 constituencies

• Phase 4/May 13 - 10 states/UTs - 96 constituencies

• Phase 5/May 20 - 8 states/UTs - 49 constituencies

• Phase 6/May 25 - 7 states/UTs - 57 constituencies

• Phase 7/June 1 -  8 states/UTs - 57 constituencies

Lok Sabha Elections Full Schedule Here

The second phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 took place today covering 88 constituencies spanning across 13 states and Union Territories and saw a voter turnout of 63 per cent.

While the lowest voter turnout was observed in Uttar Pradesh at 54.85 per cent and Bihar at 55.08 per cent. 

• Assam- 70.68%

• Bihar- 55.08%

• Chhattisgarh- 73.62%

• Jammu and Kashmir- 71.91 %

• Karnataka- 68.30%

• Kerala- 65.91%

• Madhya Pradesh- 57.88%

• Maharashtra- 57.83%

• Manipur- 77.32%

• Rajasthan- 64.07%

• Tripura- 79.46%

• Uttar Pradesh- 54.85%

• West Bengal- 71.84%

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a rally in Goa today, ahead of the third phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2024. 

Of the two parliamentary constituencies in the coastal state, PM Modi will address a rally in South Goa's Vasco town and will campaign for BJP candidates in the fray for Lok Sabha elections.

The Congress top brass is all set to hold a discussion and finalise the party candidates for the remaining Lok Sabha seats, including Amethi and Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh, on Saturday evening.

Amid the confusion over whether or not Rahul Gandhi will contest the Lok saabha polls from Uttar Pradesh's Amethi this time, recently during a press conference, Rahul Gandhi stated that he would "abide with the party's decision" regarding the UP Seat.

In 2019, Rahul Gandhi contested for the Lok Sabha Polls from Amethi. The Congress MP was defeated by BJP's Smriti Irani, who won with 468,514 votes.

The Congress has so far announced has candidates for 317 Lok Sabha seats.

Students at Abrama Primary School in Valsad district of Gujarat created postcards to raise voting awareness.

All 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat will go to the polls in the third phase of the General Elections on May 7.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) cadres stage 'Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se' campaign, near Laxmi Nagar area against the arrest of Delhi CM and party national convener Arvind Kejriwal in connection with excise policy case.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Kejriwal on March 21 in a case linked to alleged corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of the Delhi government's now-scrapped excise policy for 2021-22.

Union Minister and BJP candidate from Amethi Smriti Irani attended a public rally in Uttar Pradesh's Amethi on Saturday.

 She said: "It has been said to us that after Wayanad's voting today, the Congress candidate will arrive here, but first he will visit Ram temple. They rejected the invitation to the Ram temple consecration ceremony, now they will go to the temple as they think that this might get them votes, which means now they will go to betray god as well..." 

-LDF MLA P V Anwar has been booked for the penal offence of promoting enmity between different groups due to his remarks that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was a "fourth-grade citizen" and that his DNA should be examined.

- Anwar, while addressing an election meeting in Palakkad district of Kerala on April 22, had also said that the Congress leader does not deserve to be called by the surname of Gandhi.

- Following the incident, a case was registered at Nattukal police station against the LDF MLA on Friday, April 26, on the directions of a magisterial court, according to the FIR.

(PTI Inputs)

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has written a letter to the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer, complaining against the CBI for conducting a raid in Sandeshkhali on election day.

The probe agency is looking into a mob attack against the Enforcement Directorate that was allegedly instigated by a local TMC leader. The ED team was attacked on January 5 as they went to raid the premises of Shajahan Sheikh in connection with a ration scam.

All Indian citizens of 18 years and above can register themselves to vote in the general elections. To register, one must download Form 6 from the National Voters' Service Portal or receive one from your local Booth Level Officer.  

Fill in details such as your Aadhar details, address, educational qualification and other details. Attach all proof needed and submit the form.  

All Voting FAQs Answered Here

All India Majlis e Ittehad Ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi  holds a door-to-door campaign in the Yakutpura constituency of Hyderabad.

Owaisi has been winning Hyderabad seat since 2004 Lok Sabha elections.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday claimed that the Congress was biassed against Hindus.

"The first right on the resources of our country lies with the poor of this country irrespective of religion. The way Congress was biased against the Hindus of India for their vote bank, today they have been exposed," PM Modi said while addressing a public rally in Bihar's Araria.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said PM Modi had been running the "most shameful, false communal rhetoric with zero consequences from the Election Commission."

"There is no Modi wave in this election, there is only Modi poison," he added.

Several people from the Sikh community in Delhi joined the BJP party in the presence of party National General Secretary Tarun Chugh, party leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa, and BJP President Virendraa Sachdeva.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced that the Lok Sabha elections 2024 will be held in seven phases, beginning on April 19, with the vote count scheduled for June 4. 

The voting dates for the phases are as follows: Phase 1 - April 19, Phase 2 - April 26, Phase 3 - May 7, Phase 4 - May 13, Phase 5 - May 20, Phase 6 - May 25, and Phase 7 - June 1.

The different constituencies within same state have been divided in the seven voting phases.

To Know Which Is Your Voting Day Check Here

“Congress has an ideology to make sure every caste and community gets equal representation. However, there is no candidate from the minority community on 48 Lok Sabha seats. This has hurt the people of the society,” Congress Leader Naseem Khan said after his resignation from the party's campaign committee.

A day after Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad’s name was announced as party candidate from Mumbai North Central, former minister and senior party leader Naseem Khan on Friday resigned as the party’s star campaigner.

He wrote a letter to party chief Mallikarjun Kharge stating that he won't campaign for the Lok Sabha elections as the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) bloc had not fielded a Muslim candidate.

The 60-year-old politician said that all these party leaders and workers are now asking him, "Congress ko Muslim vote chahiye, candidate kyun nahi (Congress wants Muslim votes, but why not candidates."

"Due to all this reasons, I will not be able to face and I have no answers to Muslims (sic)," Khan wrote in the letter.

Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge addressing a press conference on Saturday said: "He (PM Modi) did not implement even one of what he said (electoral promises). Still, he says that Modi did a lot of work for the country. I don't want to speak much. Congress is a party of those who made India independent. BJP never fought for the independence of India, for the development of India.”

He added, “We built this country. They (BJP) speak so much about patriotism that Nehru is nothing before them, Indira Gandhi is nothing before them and Lal Bahadur Shastri is nothing before them - Modi is everything. They even put the idea that India attained independence after 2014 and the country was not independent before that - all of these are reflected in his words.”

“What is sad is that those who were nurtured by the Congress party and became leaders also say the same. If Congress was so bad, why did you spend 30-40 years of your life on it unnecessarily? I don't know what has happened to them, but they too criticise Indira Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi."

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said if Narendra Modi continues to be the Prime Minister for the third consecutive term, he would end terrorism and Naxalism from the country and also make India the world’s third largest economy.

He was addressing an election rally at Porbandar in Gujarat in support of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Mansukh Mandaviya.

Shah said that when Article 370 was scrapped, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi opposed the move, saying it would lead to a river of blood flowing in Kashmir.

-PTI

A day after polling concluded for the 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala, the Congress on Saturday alleged that voters were harassed and the election machinery was hijacked by the ruling CPI(M) in the state with an aim to bring down the turnout percentage.

AICC general secretary K C Venugopal claimed that there were glitches in electronic voting machines (EVMs) in three to five per cent of the polling booths in the state.

"It was a polling process that harassed voters as no drinking water, sitting or lighting facilities were available in the booths where people waited for hours to vote due to the EVM glitches.

"The election machinery was completely hijacked by the CPI(M) with the aim of bringing down the polling percentage," he alleged.

(PTI Inputs)

Congress' Priyanka Gandhi slammed PM Modi while addressing a public meeting in Valsad, Gujarat when she said, "Prime Minister of the country is arrogant; and if a leader is not wise, has too much ego and considers himself supreme, then he gradually goes astray. The farmers of the country came to Delhi to protest, but the Prime Minister didn’t even care to ask about their problems. He only cares about elections and power. He cares about his billionaire friends, and has given the nation’s assets to them."

Slamming BJP during a press conference in Assam's Guwahati, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, "He (PM Modi) didn't implement even a single thing that he promised. Despite that they (BJP) claim that PM Modi has done a lot for the country."

He added, "People of the Congress were part of country's freedom struggle, BJP didn't fight for country's independence."

The Aam Aadmi Party's "war room" for the Lok Sabha polls in Delhi was inaugurated by senior party leader Gopal Rai on Saturday.

The party has fielded candidates on four of the seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital while its INDIA bloc partner Congress is contesting three. The constituencies will go to polls on May 25, the sixth round of the seven-phase elections.

The "war room", located at the AAP headquarters on DDU Marg, will have 12 teams for different purposes, Rai, who is the convener of the party's Delhi unit, said.

-PTI

While addressing a rally in UP's Firozabad, CM Yogi Adityanath stated, "Farmers used to commit suicide when there was government of Samajwadi Party or Congress or BSP. Now, they are getting the benefits of Kisan Samman Nidhi. Around 10 crore poor people received free gas cylinders. Four crore poor people got a home and 2.5 crore people received electricity. Did we see their caste or religion in this? Those who are needy should get the benefits. Therefore, PM Modi gave ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikaas' slogan."

Chief Executive Councillor (CEC) of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council-Kargil (LAHDC), Mohammad Jaffer Akhone speaking on upcoming polls, said, “All the stakeholders of the Kargil region are holding discussions, and I am hopeful that we will agree upon a single candidate’s name for the upcoming polls. In a democracy, everyone has the right to announce candidates and contest elections, but if we field a single candidate, 80 per cent of our votes will consolidate.”

Himachal Pradesh minister Jagat Singh Negi said during a press conference in Shimla, “BJP is busy misleading people. The level of politics that BJP and PM Modi have set is worrying. Congress’ manifesto has been prepared so well that he (PM Modi) is now jealous of it.”

Speaking at a rally in Assam's Barpeta, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge told people that PM Modi is promising to feed people based on policies made by the Congress government.

He said, "When we were in power at the Centre, our numbers were less, but under the leadership of former PM Manmohan Singh and with the blessings of Sonia Gandhi, we worked to fill the stomach of the poor. PM Modi talks about giving free ration to 80 crore people but let me tell you it is our scheme. We implemented right to food, right to work, RTI, RTE and other schemes. It is PM Modi’s arrogance that he talks about ‘Modi guarantee’, ‘Modi hai to mumkin hai’ and so on, without crediting his party."

Further referring to PM Modi's comparison of Congress manifesto with Muslim League's interests, Kharge said, "He is saying that our manifesto is similar to that of the Muslim League, but the things he quotes are not even mentioned in our manifesto. I even asked for his time to explain to him about our manifesto, but he didn’t meet."

Sunita Kejriwal, wife of Delhi CM and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday held a roadshow in East Delhi constituency for party's candidate Kuldeep Kumar.

The BJP on Saturday dropped incumbent Lok Sabha MP Poonam Mahajan as its candidate from the Mumbai North Central seat and named lawyer Ujjwal Deorao Nikam in her place.

Nikam is a well-known name in the legal circle and was a government counsel in the the Mumbai terror attack case.

Mahajan, the daughter of late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, was elected from the constituency in 2014 and 2019.

-PTI

Speaking at the Kolhapur rally on Saturday, PM Modi expressed disapproval of Congress and opposition alliance's Lok Sabha campaigns, he said, "Congress and INDI alliance have vowed to murder social justice" and condemened their promise of getting rid of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

Further slamming the opposition he said, "DMK leaders call Sanatan 'dengue and malaria' but INDI alliance invites them to Maharashtra and honours them." He also mentioned that Ram temple trustees invited Congress leaders to attend consecration ceremony, but they declined invitation.

"Congress always insulted Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and is now planning to rob Dalits of reservation benefits," claimed PM Modi.

PM Modi also claimed that, "They (opposition) have devised the 'One year, One PM' formula. If they get a chance for five years, then there will be five different PMs. However, the nation will not tolerate this. That's why they are showing their anger towards the nation. In Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, Congress and INDI alliance leaders are demanding a separate nation by splitting South India. Will the land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj ever accept this?"

The BJD on Saturday announced candidates for three more assembly segments in Odisha, dropping two incumbent MLAs.

Chief Minister and BJD President Naveen Patnaik nominated Begunia MLA Rajendra Kumar Sahoo from the Khurda assembly seat which is now represented by Jotirindra Nath Mitra.

The party also fielded debutant Goutam Buddha Das from the Bhograi assembly segment, denying a ticket to incumbent legislator Ananta Das.

-PTI

The Bharatiya Janata Party has announced eight more names of candidates including 4 turncoats for the upcoming Odisha Assembly elections.

Former Madhya Pradesh CM and BJP’s candidate from Vidisha Shivraj Singh Chouhan received a grand welcome by the residents of Machwas village in Khategaon (Dewas) on Saturday.

Addressing a public gathering at Rasulabad village in UP’s Kannauj, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said, “The inflation seen today is because of their (BJP) corruption. The BJP has taken Rs 500-1,000 crore in electoral bonds. They did not give it to the poor. They have kept all the corrupt people in ‘BJP’s godown’, be it in Maharashtra or other places.”

Andhra Pradesh BJP files a complaint with the state's Chief Electoral Officer, seeks action against an official Congress social media account for allegedly tampering with a speech of Home Minister Amit Shah on the issue of reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs. It lodged a similar complaint with police.

-PTI

"Feedback from ground after first two phases of Lok Sabha polls indicates we are coming to power again," said PM Modi during rally in Goa as he lauded the “harmonious coexistence of diverse communities” in the state.

PM Modi mentioned that, "Goa has attained 100 per cent saturation in implementation of Central government schemes."

"Work done in last 10 years just a trailer, much more will be done in our government's next term," stated the prime minister and added that the BJP aims to make "Goa international conference hub".

Speaking of Modi's Guarantee the PM said, "It is Modi's guarantee that people above 70 years of age will be given free medical treatment".

Former Telangana CM and BRS leader K Chandrashekar Rao on Saturday addressed a public gathering in Nagarkurnool in Telangana.

BJP candidate from Vijayawada West Sujana Chowdary on YSRCP manifesto said, “Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s (chief of YSRCP) manifesto does not have meaning because he has not fulfilled anything which he promised in his last manifesto. He says that he wants to ban liquor but he has promoted it. He said that he will stick to the capital of Amravati whereas he has killed Amravati.”