Lok Sabha Election Updates: PoK belongs to India, we will take it back at any cost, says Amit Shah

Bharatiya Janata Party's Lok Sabha election candidate Kangana Ranaut criticised the Opposition on Thursday over their ‘pro-Pakistan remarks’.

Ranaut, the BJP candidate from Mandi, said that if the neighbouring country does not wear bangles, India will make it wear them. Read more.

Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal claims, "Arvind Kejriwal is going to join BJP anytime after elections..." (ANI)

: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann held a roadshow in Amritsar on Thursday and sought votes while criticizing opposition parties, including the Akali Dal, BJP, and their INDIA bloc partner, Congress.

Mann also gave a slogan of “Punjab Banega Hero, 13-zero”, reports ANI.

Former Calcutta high court judge and BJP's Lok Sabha candidate Abhijit Gangopadhyay has courted controversy with purported remarks against West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee. In a purported video, Gangopadhyay was heard wondering about "the amount at which chief minister Mamata Banerjee is getting sold."

The BJP, however, has claimed the video was “fake.” HT couldn't verify the authenticity of the video. More details here.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday lashed out at Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, questioning him whether he asked his new ‘bua’ (referring to Mamata Banerjee) why she calls people from Uttar Pradesh as outsiders in West Bengal.

Referring to Samajwadi Party's past alliance with Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in the 2019 elections, Modi said,"The previous bua (hinting at Mayawati) identified the SP people and left them. They have now brought a bua (aunt) from Bengal (hinting at Mamata Banerjee)." Read more.

Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday asserted that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) belongs to India and the country will take it back “at any cost”, reported PTI.

"I wish to declare from the birthplace of Goddess Sita that Bharat and its 140 crore people fear no one. Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is ours and it will remain so. We will take it back," he said while addressing a rally in Bihar's Sitamarhi.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra conducted a roadshow in Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh on Thursday.

AAP national convenor and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal along with Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann held a roadshow in Punjab's Amritsar on Thursday.

Voters across nine states and one Union territory voted to elect 96 lawmakers in the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on Monday. Nearly 70% of the Lok Sabha’s strength of 543—379 seats— have now gone to the polls since the general elections kicked off on April 19. All of India’s south and north-east have voted. The remaining seats are spread across key states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, Maharashtra, and West Bengal. In the first part of a series, Hindustan Times national editor Chetan Chauhan answers five questions on the elections in Bengal, which sends the third highest (42) lawmakers to Lok Sabha. Read here.

The Congress on Thursday claimed that the BJP is "spreading lies" about food rations in India and asserted that what Karnataka has accomplished through its 10 kg free rice guarantee scheme of 'Anna Bhagya' will now be implemented across the country by an INDIA bloc government.

"We will double the current allotment of grain that each individual is entitled to under the National Food Security Act/Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana,"Jairam Ramesh said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday mocked Rahul Gandhi over his ‘khata khat’ remark, saying the people of Raebareli will also send him back.

"For the 'shehzadas' of Samajwadi Party and Congress, the country's development is like the game of 'gilli danda'. The 'shehzadas' born in palaces are neither used to hard work, nor bringing results. They say the country will develop on its own, and say it will be done 'khatakhat, khatakhat'," Modi said at a rally in Uttar Pradesh's Pratapgarh. Read more.

On TMC chairperson Mamata Banerjee, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury asks: "....What triggered Mamata Banerjee to quit the INDIA alliance?....

“...INDIA alliance has been striding ahead and it is on the verge of forming a government, and this is why as an opportunist political leader she thought of extending support in advance so that her support to INDIA bloc will help her in fighting elections in West Bengal. She now understands the crude reality on the ground that voters are gearing toward the INDIA bloc allaince.” (ANI)

Congress has gone from Amethi, they will go from Rae Bareli too, says PM Modi in Pratapgarh.

"Congress ruled the country for 60 years, Samajwadi Party remained in power (in UP) for several years, and the condition was that 85% of the houses did not receive tap water; we provided drinking water to 14 crore families," says PM Modi while addressing a public rally in Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh

Speaking at the polly rally in Pratapgarh, PM Modi says: “At the time of Independence in 1947, we were the 6th best economy in the world, but these leaders (Opposition) brought us to number 11 during their reign.”

“When you brought us (NDA) to power in 2014, we worked hard and today ours is the 5th fastest growing economy in the world.”

Targeting BJP and BJD in Odisha, Congress President Malliakarjun Kharge says that the "open fight" between the two parties has caused a lot of loss to the state.

“Odisha is an important state for us. Many of our leaders have come from here. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru ji got support from Patnaik sahab during independence struggle...Naveen Patnaik has been CM for 24 years...The open fight between them (BJP&BJP) caused a lot of loss to the state,” Kharge says, according to ANI.

“There is unemployment& inflation in Odisha. If we have to amend things here we have to change the both the governments,” he adss.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is addressing a public meeting in Uttar Pradesh's Pratapgarh. Watch here.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has reacted to the alleged assault on Aam Aadmi Party's Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal, saying she will stand with the woman if any atrocity is committed against her.

"If any atrocity happens to any woman anywhere, we stand with the woman. I always stand with women - irrespective of which party they belong to. Secondly, AAP will discuss among themselves and make a decision. It is up to them," Vadra told news agency ANI.

Terrorists got special treatment under the previous governments of Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, alleges PM Modi at Bhadohi rally. “It was kind to SIMI,” he adds.

PM Narendra Modi while addressing his public meeting in UP's Bhadohi, says: "We are trying everything for vocal for local, one district one product, in SP govt it was 'one district one mafia'... Since Yogi ji has assumed the power 'pura mahaul badal gya hai'..."

"He (PM Modi) used to say '400 paar'. Why does he not say that anymore? What has happened? 4 phases of the election has been held and now '400 paar' has ended? Why do they not say it now?" Priyanka Gandhi tells ANI.

"...Rahul, I and everyone has said that INDIA Alliance will decide this (PM face) if such a situation comes...We have been saying from the beginning that the public will make these elections be contested on public's issues...Their issues are inflation, unemployment, farming-based issues, issues of labourers, issues of middle class - PM and other BJP leaders should talk about these issues..."

Union home minister Amit Shah on Thursday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party will construct a temple of Goddess Sita in Bihar's Sitamarhi.

“We, the BJP don't get scared of the 'vote bank'. PM Modi has built the temple of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya now the work that is left is to build a great memorial at the birthplace of Ma Sita. Those who kept themselves away from Ram temple can't do this, but if someone can build a temple as ideal as the life of Ma Sita, it's Narendra Modi, it's BJP,” the minister was quoted by ANI as saying at a rally in Bihar's Sitamarhi. Read more.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah at his public meeting in Bihar's Sitamarhi says, "Today Lalu Yadav, for the sake of power politics, to make his son the Chief Minister, has gone and sat in the lap of the Congress party, which has spent its entire life opposing the backwards and extremely backwards." (ANI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is addressing a public meeting in Uttar Pradesh's Bhadohi. Watch here.

Srinivas BV is not contesting polls, but as the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) chief, his role is pivotal in ensuring first-time voters exercise their franchise in the ongoing Lok Sabha election.

In an interview to HT’s Saubhadra Chatterji, Srinivas claimed IYC will take the party’s manifesto to two crore houses and stressed that unemployment remains the biggest issue in the country. Read the full interview here.