Indian Polls

Srinagar, May 16 (PTI) National Conference leader Omar Abdullah Thursday said BJP's attempt to "polarise" the electorate in West Bengal will come to nothing as the Trinamool Congress will sweep the Lok Sabha polls in the state.

New Delhi, May 14 (PTI) The Delhi High Court on Wednesday declined to entertain a PIL filed by a BJP leader seeking directions to the Election Commission to "restrict" misuse of religion for poll gains.

The high court also asked the EC to decide BJP leader Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay's representation against the remarks of actor-cum-politician Kamal Haasan that "free India's first extremist was a Hindu", referring to Nathuram Godse who killed Mahatma Gandhi.

Bargari (Pb), May 15 (PTI) Congress President Rahul Gandhi Wednesday lashed out at Narendra Modi, saying the Prime Minister thinks "only one person can run the country while actually it is the people who run the nation.

Gandhi noted that Modi used to make "fun" of former PM Manmohan Singh "but after five years now Modi ji does not make fun of Manmohan ji.Today the country is making fun of him (Modi)".

New Delhi, May 15 (PTI) The Congress on Wednesday condemned the attack on its Rae Bareli legislator Aditi Singh, blaming it on what it called the "hired goons" of BJP in Uttar Pradesh.

It sought a judicial probe to nail the criminal conspiracy behind the incident.

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said the incident shows the true Modi-Shah model of governance in force in UP.

Varanasi (UP), May 15 (PTI) In a big show of strength in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's constituency, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra held a roadshow here Wednesday evening.

Priyanka Gandhi began the roadshow, which had a route similar to Modi's jamboree last month, by garlanding the statue of Madan Mohan Malviya at the gates of the Banaras Hindu University.

Modi had held a roadshow here on April 25, a day before he filed his nomination papers.

Panaji, May 16 (PTI) After the elections for Goa's two Lok Sabha seats, the BJP and the Congress are preparing for a face-off in the bypoll for Panaji Assembly constituency, which was held by former chief minister Manohar Parrikar.

The bypoll was necessitated after Parrikar's death in March.

Refusing ticket to the late chief minister's son, Utpal, the BJP has fielded former MLA Siddharth Kunkolienkar.

Ballia (UP), May 14 :  The SP-BSP-RLD alliance on Tuesday predicted "bad days" for the Bharatiya Janata Party after the Lok Sabha election results on May 23, claiming that even the foundation of the saffron party would not be visible because of the "alliance storm".

Addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh's Ballia district, Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati said: "From May 23, the bad days of the BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah will start."

Kolkata, May 15 (PTI) BJP national president Amit Shah has rebutted Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's charge that he is an "outsider" in West Bengal and said he has come to the state to campaign for his party.

Shah wondered if he is called an outsider for coming to West Bengal, "which is very much a part of India", then why not Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee be labelled as an "outsider" when she visits New Delhi?

The BJP leader was addressing a meet of intellectuals in the city on Tuesday.

Lucknow, May 14 (PTI) Striking an emotional chord with voters of the temple town, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday described himself as a 'Kashi-vaasi' and sought their blessings to pave the way for his election to Lok Sabha for a second term from the seat.

Terming Kashi his guiding spirit, the prime minister said his bond with the holy city was very strong as he had come here several times in the past five years, and added that it is believed that if a person comes here even once, he becomes an inseparable part of the city.

Varanasi, May 14 (PTI) Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will hold a roadshow Wednesday in the constituency represented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, her party said.

The Congress show of strength in the temple town comes nearly three weeks after Modi held his own roadshow here, a day before filing his nomination papers.

Congress leaders here said the party's local unit has made elaborate plans to pull in the crowds for Priyanka Gandhi's roadshow.