Lok Sabha elections 2024 LIVE updates | 1,351 candidates in fray for phase 3; Rahul Gandhi to resume campaigning tomorrow

Bhagalpur: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addresses an election campaign rally ahead of Lok Sabha polls, in Bhagalpur, Saturday, April 20, 2024. (PTI Photo) (PTI04_20_2024_000129B)

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who was not participating in Lok Sabha poll campaign since Sunday as he was unwell, will resume electioneering on April 24 with public meetings in Maharashtra’s Amravati and Solapur. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said Mr. Gandhi will be addressing a public meeting in Amravati at 12:30 p.m. and in Solapur at 3:30 p.m.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Congress tried to extend reservation on the basis of religion and give it to Muslims, and once again accused the party of hatching a “deep conspiracy” to snatch people’s wealth and distribute it among “select” people. Amid a row over his ‘redistribution of wealth’ remarks, the Prime Minister again charged that the Congress will snatch people’s wealth and distribute it to select people. Mr. Modi said the then prime minister Manmohan Singh had given a speech in which he had said that Muslims have the first right on the resources of the country.

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Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said the party is exploring legal remedies as the Election Commission is not acting on the complaint against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his “redistribution of wealth” remarks. Ms. Shrinate said institutions like the EC need to have complete faith of the people and they should work to restore that trust if it is shaken. The Congress moved the EC seeking “appropriate action” against Mr. Modi for his ‘redistribution of wealth’ remarks at a poll rally in Rajasthan, alleging that the comments were “divisive”, “malicious” and targeted a particular religious community.

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As many as 1,351 candidates from 12 States and Union Territories are in the fray for the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 7, the Election Commission said. These include eight candidates from Betul seat of Madhya Pradesh, where the election was to be held in the second phase but was postponed to the third following the death of the BSP candidate, the EC said in a statement. The last date for the withdrawal of candidature for all 12 States and Union Territories was April 22.

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