April 5 Campaign roundup: BJP playing divisive politics ahead of polls, alleges Congress

9: 52 pm: Madhusudan Mistry declares assets worth over Rs 3 crore.

9: 51 pm: Sharad Pawar today took a dig at Narendra Modi saying the BJP’s PM nominee is a ‘groom in hurry’ who has declared himself victorious even before the people’s mandate is out.

9: 45 pm: Sonia Gandhi today said the upcoming LS elections is a clash between ideologies of hatred propagated by the BJP-led opposition and that of secularism championed by Congress.

9: 38 pm: Prahlad Modi today said the BJP prime ministerial candidate will not leave the people unhappy after winning.

ALSO READ: Narendra Modi won’t leave Varanasi people unhappy after winning: Prahlad Modi

9: 10 pm: Gautam Gambhir today sought votes for senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley who is contesting the Lok Sabha election from Amritsar.

ALSO READ: Gautam Gambhir bats for Arun Jaitley in Amritsar

9: 04 pm: BJP, SP trying to create communal discord in UP: BSP.

8: 59 pm: Tamil film actor and chief of Naadaalum Makkal Katchi, Karthik is all set to hit the campaign trail for Congress.

8: 37 pm: Bengal-model is better than Gujarat’s, claims Mamata Banerjee.

8: 33 pm: Narayan Rane today said that the ‘Modi wave’ in the country has subsided and will not be seen in the next few days.

8:30 pm: Congress re-assures special status to Goa if voted to power.

8: 22 pm: Sonia Gandhi today attacked the ruling BJD in Odisha accusing it of indulging in large-scale corruption in mining sector and social welfare schemes.

8:21 pm: People fed up with UPA govt: Sushma Swaraj.

8: 16 pm: Narendra Modi today alleged the only agenda of Congress is to any how establish Rahul Gandhi ‘at the cost of the nation’.

8:13 pm: BJP represents theocratic, majoritarian vision of India, said Congress.

8: 06 pm: Parkash Singh Badal today said Arun Jaitley would be the voice of the people of Punjab in Parliament.

8: 01 pm: Vasundhara Raje today said the Lok Sabha results will clearly show who will be cut to size and who will be the winner.

7: 53 pm: ‘3D’ Modi to hit the campaign trail on April 7.

ALSO READ: Narendra Modi to use 3D technology in 185 ‘Bharat Vijay’ rallies

7: 50 pm: 29 candidates file nominations in Punjab.

7: 49 pm: Congress party today released its Goa-specific manifesto in addition to the national one, re-assuring the long-pending promise of special status to the coastal state to preserve its identity.

7: 38 pm: By meeting Imam, Sonia Gandhi committed blunder, said Ram Jethmalani.

7: 37: Rita Bahuguna files nominations for Lucknow.

7: 36 pm: 86 file nominations for third phase polls in Assam.

7.15 pm: Karti P Chidambaram, son of Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram, who is making his electoral debut,  on Saturday declared assets to the extent of Rs 59.66 crore while filing nomination papers for Sivaganga Lok Sabha seat.

6.45 pm: BJP leaders from Telangana on Saturday opposed the electoral alliance with Telugu Desam Party and reportedly threatened to quit the party even as its central leaders were holding talks to finalise the seat-sharing deal.

6.31 pm:

Singer Yo Yo Honey Singh will campaign for BJP candidate Pravesh Verma tomorrow in West #Delhiloksabha seat

— Nitin Gadkari BJP™ (@NitinTweetBJP) April 5, 2014

6.29 pm:  BJP prime ministerial candidate and Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi will address an election rally here on April 11 in support of party candidate contesting from the Jamshedpur Lok Sabha seat.

6.24 pm:

Cong VP #Rahul #Gandhi has reached Mamom Ground, Attingal, Thiruvananthapuram , Kerala to attend a Public rally pic.twitter.com/HoByEdklzD

— INC India (@INCIndia) April 5, 2014

6.11 pm: BJP and the electronic media run the risk of falling foul of the provisions of law if the party releases its manifesto on April 7 and TV channels telecast it on the day polling in the nine-phased Lok Sabha elections begins in Tripura and Assam.

5.30 pm: The Telangana Rashtra Samiti on Saturday announced its second list with seven candidates for Lok Sabha and four for Assembly even as other parties are yet to conclude their seat-sharing arrangements.

5.08 pm: The Samajwadi Party candidate from Jamshedpur Lok Sabha seat, D G Raja today sought financial help from the public to contest the ensuing parliamentary polls.

Read: JD(U) releases party manifesto, promises ‘special category’ status for Bihar

4.49 pm: Aam Aadmi Party candidate from Amritsar Lok Sabha seat octogenarian Padamshree awardee doctor Daljit Singh on Saturday filed his nomination papers in Amritsar.

4.23 pm: The J & K election authority today sought a report from District Magistrate of Rajouri over an alleged violation of the model code of conduct by the state Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

4.06 pm: Congress leader Rita Bahuguna Joshi has accused the BJP of playing divisive politics ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

3.58 pm: BJP owed an explanation to the nation in the wake of a sting operation claiming that Babri Masjid demolition was “an act of planned sabotage”, the Aam Aadmi Party on Saturday said.

3.28 pm:  CPI(M) on Saturday said the stability being promised by BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, would be ‘disastrous’ for the country and ruled out the left supporting Congress after the polls to prevent the saffron party from coming to power

3.16 pm:

Ambala (Haryana): Sushma Swaraj addressing a rally pic.twitter.com/Y7gSEe4nQ6

— ANI (@ANI_news) April 5, 2014

3.00 pm: BJP Vice-President Uma Bharti has fallen ill after addressing an election rally at Malthoun in Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh.

2.57 pm: BJP on Saturday defended Amit Shah’s controversial “revenge” remarks in Uttar Pradesh, saying he has captured the “mood of the nation” and was asking the people to vote for party and Narendra Modi.

Read: Narendra Modi asks BJP workers to ensure Advani’s victory 

2.55 pm: In an embarrassment for Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, a fugitive murder accused presided over his election rally here and was arrested later, the police said on Saturday.

2.49 pm: Congress on Saturday complained to the Election Commission against Narendra Modi’s close aide Amit Shah over his “provocative hate speech”, demanding that he be arrested and banned from campaigning for “creating animosity between communities” in riot-hit western UP.

2.40 pm:

People greeting Rahul Gandhi in Kasargod, Kerala #INCCampaignTrail Har Haath Shakti, Har Haath Tarakki pic.twitter.com/dRnrvGnjvO

— INC India (@INCIndia) April 5, 2014

2.34 pm: RJD President Lalu Prasad on Saturday welcomed Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid Syed Ahmed Bukhari’s appeal to the Muslims to vote for his party and Congress, and demanded a ban on both the BJP and RSS.

2.24 pm: There are “strong undercurrents” against BJP Prime Ministerial nominee Narendra Modi which will severely dent BJP’s poll prospects, an NCP spokesman said and claimed the Congress-led UPA will retain power with the help of regional and like-minded secular parties.

2.04 pm:

Patna : JDU releases manifesto pic.twitter.com/pns2IIspde

— ANI (@ANI_news) April 5, 2014

2.03 pm:

Best wishes to Smt.@SushmaSwarajbjp on filing her nomination. She is already a winner and will certainly be victorious in upcoming polls too

— Vijay Goel (@VijayGoelBJP) April 5, 2014

1.50 pm: Accompanied by Narendra Modi, L K Advani files nomination from Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat.

1:05 pm: Polling in May is a challenge because holidays begin and people go on a vacation, weddings take place, and the temperature is not less that 45 degree Celsius. If people come out to vote despite that it means worshiping democracy, says Modi.

1:04 pm: We have to win polling booths, says Narendra Modi.

1:03 pm: We want to rid the country of Congress, price rise, and unemployment. We want to win this country, says Narendra Modi.

1:02 pm: There are a very few elections where before the polls the results are known, says Narendra Modi.

1:00 pm: In this election, there will be many states in India from where Congress will get any double digit numbers, says Modi.

1:00 pm: I have full faith in BJP party workers, says Narendra Modi.

12:59 pm: Narendra Modi addresses rally in Gandhinagar along with L K Advani.

12.49 pm: The Congress has complained to the Election Commission against BJP leader Amit Shah’s ‘badla’ remark in Muzaffarnagar.

12:24 pm: Denying any row over his seat, veteran BJP leader L K Advani today said he never thought of not contesting from his traditional Lok Sabha seat of Gandhinagar and recalled his long association with Gujarat.

Never intended to not contest from Gandhinagar: L K Advani

12:20 pm: BJP president Rajnath Singh today filed his nomination papers from the prestigious Lucknow Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh.

Rajnath Singh files nomination from Lucknow

12:19 pm: Demo ballot boxes are being sold at markets here among various other innovative products like bindis, mangalsutras, masks and mobile covers to help political parties add zing to their campaign.

12:18 pm: Lakhimpur real test for Congress; tea tribe votes key in Dibrugarh.

12:10 pm: The real aim of BJP is to make you fight, take your wealth and hand it over to a few people, says Rahul.

12:10 pm: Congress party tries to reduce anger in society. BJP wants to anger society, says Rahul.

12:09 pm: We did not say this right belongs to one caste, but regardless of who you are in the country we guarantee you the right to information work, says Rahul.

12:08 pm: We built a partnership between business and poor people, says Rahul.

12:08 pm: We built a relationship between different communities, states and regions, says Rahul.

11.35 am: Rahul Gandhi will address four election rallies in Kerala today – Kasargod, Idduki, Chengannur and Attingal.

11.07 am:

Gujarat Samachar today carries my statement that mosque is not a religious place and can authorizedly be demolished by govt

— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) April 5, 2014

11.05 am: Narendra Modi is slated to address a rally in Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh, today.

11.01 am: BJP president Rajnath Singh has filed his nomination papers from Lucknow.

10.39 am:

Reaching out to people, Shri Rahul Gandhi at the Yavatmal rally for @INCIndia alliance #LS2014 candidates yesterday pic.twitter.com/RXG6gi13oy

— Prithviraj Chavan (@prithvrj) April 4, 2014

10.30 am: L K Advani, who has arrived in Gandhinagar to file his nomination papers, says he is delighted to contest from the constituency.

10.11 am: JD(U) leader K C Tyagi has hit out at BJP leader Amit Shah over his ‘Apmaan ka badlaa’ remark, terming it as highly objectionable.

10.06 am: The Election Commission has ordered additional security for BJP leader Hema Malini and Congress Meerut candidate Nagma.

9.50 am: Veteran BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani will arrive in Gandhinagar today to file his nomination papers. Narendra Modi is likely to accompany the senior leader.

9.45 am: BJP president Rajnath Singh is slated to file his nomination from Lucknow today.