File photo of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.



The Bahujan Samaj Party, earlier today, alleged that Dalit voters were being stopped from reaching polling booths by Uttar Pradesh police using force and demanded immediate intervention of the Election Commission. In a statement, the party's national general secretary Satish Chandra Misra said that he has been informed that that BSP voters, especially Dalits, were stopped from reaching polling booths.



Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that there was a "strong wave" in BJP's favour. Addressing an election rally in Silchar in southern Assam, Modi said, "The people of India have made up their mind. The opposition has no way out. Five seats are going to polls in Assam, the NDA will be victorious in all five. There is a strong wave in favour of us."



PM Modi once again vowed to bring the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill during a rally in Assam. Speaking in Silchar, Modi said he was committed to introducing the controversial law that had sparked violent protests in northeastern states two months ago. “The bill will be brought after consultations with all sections; it will be amended in way so as not to impact Assamese people,” he said.



BJP chief Amit Shah, meanwhile, asked people in Bengal whether they want to learn Urdu or Bengali as the BJP stepped up campaigning in the state that is crucial for the BJP to return to power. Asserting that May 23 will sound the death knell for Mamata Banerjee, Shah said only Mamata can lead Bengal out of her clutches and end the era of Jungle Raj.



UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi filed her nomination from Rae Bareli, her pocket borough, today with Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and party’s eastern UP incharge Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in tow. Sonia Gandhi, while addressing the media, said one must not forget Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2004 when talking about the “invincibility” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.



Prime Minister Narendra Modi today lashed out at the Opposition, saying the 'Mahamilavati' gang was scared that if he returns to power, their shops of corruption and dynastic politics will be shut down. Modi, who was addressing a rally in Bihar, said while voters were happy with the action taken against Pakistan, the Opposition was trying to "tie the hands" of armed forces. Modi will later head to Mangaldoi and Silchar in Assam for public meetings.



BJP chief Amit Shah will battle it out with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on her home turf. Shah will address public meetings in Raiganj and Kalimpong while Banerjee will be in Kalimpong.



Union minister Smriti Irani held a grand road show before filing file her nomination in Amethi. Irani has been wooing voters in Amethi, the pocket borough of the Gandhi family, by taking potshots at Rahul Gandhi for contesting from Kerala’s Wayanad as a second seat. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath participated in a road show in Irani’s support and also addressed a rally.



The hectic campaigning comes on a day when 91 seats across 20 states are voting to choose their representatives. Among the big names in the fray are Union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Kiren Rijiju and VK Singh. Voters in Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Odisha will be voting in two elections with the Assembly polls in these states being held simultaneously along with the Lok Sabha elections. Polling is being held in all Lok Sabha constituencies of Andhra Pradesh (25), Telangana (17), Uttarakhand (5), Meghalaya (2) and Arunachal Pradesh (2) besides lone seats in Mizoram, Tripura, Manipur, Nagaland, Sikkim, Andaman and Nicobar, and Lakshadweep. Eight seats in Uttar Pradesh, seven in Maharashtra, six in Bihar, five in Assam, four in Odisha, two each in Jammu and Kashmir and West Bengal and one seat in Chhattisgarh are also going to polls.