New Delhi:

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge today claimed that the NDA government has been formed by mistake and could fall at any time. His remarks come days after there was speculation that the Bharatiya Janata Party was struggling to keep its alliances.

“NDA government has been formed by mistake. Modi ji doesn’t have the mandate. It’s a minority government. This government can fall anytime,” Mr Kharge told reporters in Bengaluru.

“We would like it to continue, let it be good for the country, we should work together to strengthen the country,” he added.

The NDA won 293 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha. The BJP, which enjoyed a handsome majority in the previous two terms, secured only 240 seats, way behind the 272 mark needed to form a government.

The four allies whose support helped the BJP form the government for a record third term are N Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP, which has won 16 seats, Nitish Kumar’s JDU (12), Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena (7) and Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party-Ram Vilas (5).

Mr Kharge’s jibe at the coalition government received a swift response from NDA leaders.

Janata Dal (United)’s leader asked Mr Kharge for the scorecards of prime ministers when the Congress had formed coalition governments.

In the 1991 Lok Sabha elections, Congress won a similar number of seats as the BJP did in 2024. Without a clear majority, Congress formed a minority government under PV Narasimha Rao. Mr Rao then engineered a split into smaller parties, turning a minority Congress into a majority party within two years.

New Delhi:

After his controversial statement on the BJP’s performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections, RSS leader Indresh Kumar attempted to clarify his remarks by saying the polls show that those who opposed Lord Ram have been defeated while those who set the goal of restoring Lord Ram’s glory are in power.

Mr Kumar had sparked a row yesterday by stating that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was restricted to 240 seats, well below the majority mark, in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls due to its “arrogance”. Speaking at an event near Jaipur on Thursday, Mr Kumar said, “The party which did bhakti of Lord Ram and became arrogant was stopped at 240; however, it became the biggest party.”

“And those who had no faith in Ram were stopped at 234,” he said, referring to the INDIA bloc. “See the ‘Vidhan’ of Ram Rajya in democracy; those who did ‘Bhakti’ of Ram, but gradually turned arrogant, emerged as the biggest party; however, the vote and the power that they should have been given was stopped by God due to arrogance.”

Mr Kumar’s remarks sparked a row. The RSS leader sought to mitigate the damage by clarifying, “The mood of the country is very clear at present. Those who opposed Lord Ram are not in power; those who set the goal to respect Lord Ram are in power and the government has been formed for the third time under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”

Mr Kumar’s remarks follow RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s statement a few days ago. Mr Bhagwat had said that a true ‘sevak’ should serve people without arrogance and maintain dignity.

The RSS yesterday sought to quell the suggestions of a rift with the BJP and that Mohan Bhagwat’s recent critical references related to the Lok Sabha polls were aimed at the ruling party, insisting that such claims are just speculation meant to create confusion.

“There is no rift between the RSS and the BJP,” RSS sources said, amid assertions by a section of people, including opposition leaders, that Mr Bhagwat’s remarks, including “true sevak is never arrogant,” were a message to the BJP leadership following its below-par performance in the polls.

“There was not much difference in his (Mr Bhagwat’s) speech from what he had given after the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Any address is bound to make a reference to an event as important as national elections. But it was misinterpreted and taken out of context to create confusion. His ‘arrogance’ remark was never directed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi or any BJP leader,” the sources said.

In his speech, Mr Bhagwat had on Monday expressed concern over peace eluding Manipur even after one year of conflict, criticised the common discourse during polls, and called for moving on instead of unnecessary discussion on the what and how of the elections after they were over and results were out.

Opposition leaders had seized on his remarks to take a swipe at the BJP and PM Modi. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh had said, “If not the ‘one-third’ Prime Minister’s conscience or the repeated demands of the people of Manipur, perhaps Mr Bhagwat can prevail upon the former RSS office-bearer to go to Manipur.”

Such claims by the opposition leaders are nothing but politics meant to spread confusion, the RSS sources said.

 

Indian stocks, bonds, and the rupee are poised to climb on Monday after exit polls indicated a resounding victory for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party.

The polls suggest the Bharatiya Janata Party-led alliance will clinch substantially more seats than the 272 required for a majority in the 543-seat lower house of Parliament. The votes will be counted on Tuesday.

The predictions are likely to calm investors rattled by recent stock market volatility, driven by concerns that the BJP might fall well short of PM Modi’s ambitious 400-seat target due to low voter turnouts and tight races in several states. A landslide win would enable the party to push through policies that are seen as crucial for boosting India’s economic growth, which is already among the world’s fastest.

“There was some skepticism, with volatility picking up as some people were getting jittery on the election outcome. Now it will settle – this is a resounding vote for continuity,” said Vinit Sambre, who oversees about $12 billion as head of equities at DSP Mutual Fund in Mumbai. “Markets could react positively on Monday.”

While the final results might differ from the exit polls, the strength of the projected victory is expected to benefit risk assets. Indian equities reached a record in May, while the bond markets are near their highest levels in about a year. Most pollsters predict the BJP and its allies to win between 350 and 400 seats. In 2019, the alliance won 352.

“The suggested size of the majority would allow the government to continue unabated with its current policy program,” said Gary Dugan, chief investment officer at Dalma Capital Management Ltd. in Dubai. “We could imagine a 3-5% return from the market on Monday.”

Read | Will BJP Cross 370 Seats? What Bookies In Shadow Betting Market Expect

Should the results on June 4 align with the exit polls, analysts expect the NSE Nifty 50 Index to reach a new record. The main gauge slid nearly 2% to 22,531 last week as foreign investors treaded cautiously ahead of the election outcome.

“Foreign investors will need to cover short positions quickly,” said Abhay Agarwal, founder and chief investment officer at Piper Serica Advisors. “Margin calls on short positions may lead to the market spiking beyond 23,000 on Monday – a new high – and close to 23,500 on June 4th” if the numbers for the ruling alliance are above 350, he said.

Shares of state-owned companies, infrastructure-linked firms and those of some corporates including the Adani Group and Mukesh Ambani’s conglomerate may be in focus Monday.

These companies are perceived to benefit from the BJP’s pro-growth policies and their outpeformance may extend in case of a strong election result, a CLSA note said. Engineering giant Larsen & Toubro Ltd., and power generators NTPC Ltd. and NHPC Ltd. are among CLSA’s preferred stocks.

Sentiment will also be buoyed by faster-than-expected economic growth data, published after market hours on Friday.

India’s gross domestic product grew more than 8% in the fiscal year that ended in March, cementing the nation’s position as the world’s fastest-growing major economy.

Read | 3 Possible Lok Sabha Election Outcomes And How Markets Could React

S&P Global Ratings recently indicated a potential credit rating upgrade for India, boosting financial markets ahead of the country’s inclusion in JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s emerging market bond index later in June.

“For the bond market, many things have been positive of late,” said Saurabh Bhatia, head of macro strategy and fixed income at Sapient Finserv, adding that the election outcome may give further fillip. “A strong government leads to more fiscal discipline and macro stability. Bonds will rejoice.”

Strategy views

Farley Capital (Andrei Stetsenko, partner and portfolio manager)

• If we see a renewed push to implement long-stymied but potentially economically transformative reforms to politically-sensitive areas such as agriculture, labor laws, and land acquisition, there would be potential for the “India premium” to other emerging markets to widen even further
• If, however, that political capital ends up focused more on potentially divisive social issues, I’d expect the opposite

Quantum Advisors (Nilesh Shetty, portfolio manager)

• The consensus view was that PM Modi would come back and exit polls reaffirm that view. Any opportunistic shorts will cover, which can lead to a near-term rally
• Over the last three decades, election results have not mattered much as average GDP growth has hovered around 6.5% irrespective of the government in power

Trust Mutual Fund (Sandeep Bagla, chief investment officer)

• Equity, currency, and bond markets should greet the exit poll results with a renewed enthusiasm as the uncertainty regarding poll verdict is finally getting over
• Given the likely buoyancy in the rupee, bonds should be well supported and there’s a distinct possibility that the 10-year benchmark bond yield could touch 6.90% in the near future

Societe Generale SA (Rajat Agarwal, Asia strategist)

• The average outcome of the exit polls is not much of a surprise from the opinion polls ahead of the elections. This is pretty much the number that market and foreign investors were working with
• Foreign investors have been more concerned about Indian valuations rather than the election outcome, so this result may not change their behavior

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

BJP President JP Nadda today said that he cast his vote to make India even stronger and self-reliant. In an exclusive interview with NDTV, Mr Nadda said that the people of India are hopeful about the country’s future under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“I voted to make the country stronger, and self-reliant. The way India has progressed under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. So not just us, but crores of people now see an India different from how it was 10 years ago and are hopeful about the future,” Mr Nadda said.

“10 years ago, people had given up on politics and politicians. Now those people have placed their hopes on BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and are moving ahead,” he added.

The 63-year-old also dismissed the Opposition’s claims that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would change the Constitution if voted to power. He said that the Congress when Indira Gandhi was the PM, changed the Preamble of the Constitution themselves in 1976 and were now trying to raise the issue to divide the voters.

“Congress never works on a positive note. They never the country any positive message. They work with obstacle-creating powers, and always try to find issues that will divide the society,” Mr Nadda said.  

“Congress does not like when they see something that will unite the country and take it forward. Congress only wants to divide the society and keep playing vote bank politics,” the BJP chief added.

The BJP is hoping to win a third consecutive term and is up against a united Opposition, who are contesting under the banner of the INDIA bloc.

The BJP and its allies won 352 of the 543 seats in India’s lower house of parliament, Lok Sabha, in the last election in 2019 with the BJP alone winning 303 seats. The BJP is expecting to sweep the election this time, eyeing a third term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He headlines the contest, followed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is largely considered the face of the opposition.

Kolkata:

Polling is underway for the nine Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal in the seventh phase on Saturday, marked by reports of violence and tension across various areas. Clashes were reported in the Satuliya area in Bhangar, within the Jadavpur constituency near Kolkata, between the Indian Secular Front (ISF) and CPI(M) supporters. The confrontation led to several injuries among ISF members, exacerbated by the presence of country-made bombs.

In Kultali, South 24 Parganas district, an angry mob forced its way into polling stations, seizing an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) and throwing it into a nearby pond. This incident occurred after some polling agents were allegedly barred from entering the booths, prompting local residents to retaliate by seizing the EVM equipped with Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) and discarding it.

West Bengal: EVM machine was seen floating in water during voting in South 24 Parganas. pic.twitter.com/HInj1D7gLe

— IANS (@ians_india) June 1, 2024

“Today morning at 6.40 am Reserve EVMs & papers of Sector Officer near Benimadhavpur FP school, at 129-Kultali AC of 19-Jaynagar (SC) PC has been looted by local mob and 1 CU, 1 BU , 2VVPAT machines have been thrown inside a pond…FIR has been lodged by Sector Officer and necessary action has been initiated. Poll process in all six booths under the Sector is running uninterrupted. Fresh EVM and papers have been provided to the Sector Officer,” the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal said in a statement.

(1/2)
Today morning at 6.40 am Reserve EVMs & papers of Sector Officer near Benimadhavpur FP school, at 129-Kultali AC of 19-Jaynagar (SC) PC has been looted by local mob and 1 CU, 1 BU , 2VVPAT machines have been thrown inside a pond.

— CEO West Bengal (@CEOWestBengal) June 1, 2024

Tensions flared in Sandeshkhali under Basirhat Lok Sabha late Friday night and persisted into the early hours of polling. Local women, armed with bamboo sticks, protested against alleged threats from Trinamool Congress (TMC) activists and state police. They accused associates of the now-suspended Trinamool leader Sheikh Shahjahan, who is currently imprisoned, of intimidating their families. State police, however, claimed the unrest began after local BJP supporters assaulted civic volunteers.

Tensions also escalated in Canning in South 24 Parganas district, as clashes erupted between supporters of TMC and BJP within the precincts of Itkhola Gram Panchayat. There have been reports of stone pelting in the area in which a media personnel sustained injuries.

The Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, and BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya shared videos of the protests, accusing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of using party goons and state police to intimidate voters.

In Bhangar, clashes between TMC and All India Secular Front (AISF) activists erupted early on Saturday, injuring a woman AISF activist. Additionally, the vehicle of AISF candidate Nur Alam Khan was vandalised, allegedly by Trinamool supporters.

Polling for the nine Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, including Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Diamond Harbour, Jadavpur, Kolkata Dakshin, and Kolkata Uttar, began at 7 am under stringent security measures. Voting will continue until 6 pm.

Prominent candidates in this phase include Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee from Diamond Harbour, BJP’s Rekha Patra from Basirhat, and CPI(M)’s Sujan Chakraborty from Dum Dum. The polling is being conducted under heavy security, with 1,020 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in the state, 978 of which are on polling duty. A total of 1,960 quick response teams (QRTs) are deployed statewide to address any tensions.
 

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that Article 370 was neither the agenda of the people of Kashmir nor of the country but only of “four-five families” and that it is a matter of greatest satisfaction for him that the brothers and sisters in Kashmir came forward to vote with great enthusiasm in the Lok Sabha polls.

In an exclusive interview with the news agency ANI, the Prime Minister said there is a feeling of more unity with the removal of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, the feeling of belongingness is increasing and the result is visible in the elections and in the increase in tourism.

“Article 370 was the agenda of only four-five families, it was neither the agenda of the people of Kashmir nor the agenda of the people of the country. For their benefit, they had built such a wall of 370 and used to say that if 370 is removed, there will be a fire…Today it has become true that after the removal of 370, there is a feeling of more unity. The feeling of belongingness is increasing among the people of Kashmir and hence its direct result is also visible in elections, tourism,” he said.

Modi government abrogated Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019, months after it came to office for the second successive term.

The Prime Minister noted that the people in Kashmir warmly welcomed the delegates during events related to the G20 summit.

Srinagar, Baramulla and Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary constituencies in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir saw record turnout in Lok Sabha polls held in different phases earlier this month.

Srinagar recorded 38.49 per cent polling, Baramulla 59.1 per cent and Anantnag-Rajouri 51.35 per cent as of 5 pm on April 25, the day the polling was held on the seat. The polling has been highest since 1989. These were the first Lok Sabha elections in Jamu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370.

The Prime Minister said that the decisions of the government were always for a good cause.

“First of all, I would like to pray to the justice system of our country that if the government wants to do any work, they have a design, strategy to do that work. To solve such problems, work had to be done under that strategy. Now sometimes I had to shut down the internet for that. Some NGO went to court and it became a big issue in the court but today the children there proudly say that the internet has not been shut down for the last 5 years and we have been getting all the facilities for the last 5 years. There was some pain for a few days, but it was for a good cause… It is very important to save the country from such NGOs,” he said.

The Prime Minister said that enthusiastic participation of voters in Lok Sabha polls has given a message to the world and “those who had doubts”.

“When the common man votes there, it is not just to make someone win, voting means that the voter accepts the Constitution of India and expresses his dedication towards the entire spirit of India… As a result, voting records of 40 years have been broken. It is a matter of greatest satisfaction for me that my brothers and sisters from Kashmir came forward to vote with great enthusiasm. By voting, they have given a message to the world and to those who used to have doubts,” he said.

Voting has been held in six phases of Lok Sabha polls and will conclude with the last phase on June 1. Votes will be counted on June 4.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The story so far: South Africa’s top court on Monday barred former President Jacob Zuma from contesting in the upcoming elections. Mr. Zuma was forced to quit as the President of South Africa in 2018 after allegations of corruption. He was found guilty of contempt of court in 2021 and handed 15 months in prison, of which he only served two months. He is still on trial for corruption allegations.

Mr. Zuma was a member of the African National Congress (ANC) party when he was the President of South Africa. Following his resignation, Cyril Ramaphosa became the President.

Zuma’s comeback attempt and disqualification

In December 2023, Mr. Zuma announced that he would not be voting for the ANC. He is now the leader of a new party called uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) (means Spear of the Nation), named after the former paramilitary wing of the ANC. Following this, the ANC suspended his membership. “Former President Jacob Zuma is actively impugning the integrity of the ANC and campaigning to dislodge the ANC from power, while claiming that he has not terminated his membership. This conduct is irreconcilable with the spirit of organisational discipline and letter of the ANC Constitution,” the ANC said in a statement announcing Mr. Zuma’s suspension in January 2024.

However, on March 28, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) announced that they had received an objection to Mr. Zuma’s candidature, which had been upheld. Although the IEC did not specify a reason, it reiterated the eligibility criteria for candidates to qualify for the presidential election, which, among other things, says that people convicted of an offence and sentenced to more than 12 months in prison are ineligible to contest in the election. Mr. Zuma’s 15-month sentence falls within this stipulated time period.

A court in South Africa overturned the disqualification, allowing Mr. Zuma to run for presidency. The court’s decision was challenged by the IEC, and on May 20, the Constitutional Court ruled in its favour and barred Mr. Zuma from contesting in the election. The Election Commission had approached the Constitutional Court to seek clarity on whether it had powers to enforce section 47(1) of the Constitution, which states that “anyone who…is convicted of an offence and sentenced to more than 12 months’ imprisonment without the option of a fine” is ineligible to contest in elections. The Constitution of South Africa also adds that “a disqualification under this paragraph ends five years after the sentence has been completed.”

What are the charges against Mr. Zuma?

Mr. Zuma was jailed on charges of contempt of court for refusing an order to appear before a probe into the charges of corruption that mired his nine-year presidency. Violence erupted in South Africa after the former President was imprisoned in July 2021, killing more than 300 people. The rioting by Mr. Zuma’s supporters first started in KwaZulu-Natal province and spread to other parts of the country, including Gauteng province, which has Johannesburg, South Africa’s largest city.

Mr. Zuma was released on medical parole two months later.

Mr. Zuma is also facing an ongoing trial on charges of corruption in a 1999 arms deal. Charges against him were dropped and reinstated multiple times over the last two decades.

Shortly after Mr. Zuma resigned from the post of President in 2018, he was charged with corruption over a $2.5 billion state arms deal. He was the deputy President at the time of the deal, and allegedly received bribes from a French defence equipment company through his financial adviser Schabir Shaik, who himself was jailed for 15 years in 2005 on charges of soliciting bribes on behalf of Mr. Zuma. Mr. Shaik was released on medical parole in 2009.

Apart from the arms deal, there are several other corruption allegations against Mr. Zuma. The Gupta family, headed by Ajay, Atul and Rajesh (‘Tony”) Gupta from Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, were at the heart of many allegations levelled against Mr. Zuma. In April 2023, the UAE rejected an extradition bid by South Africa to bring the brothers back to the country and prosecute them.

What do opinion polls say?

According to Gallup, the ANC could lose its majority in South Africa for the first time in 30 years— since 1994— when Apartheid was abolished. The party has enjoyed a majority in the country since Nelson Mandela became the President. It won almost 70% of votes in 2004, but the vote share has been declining since then. Corruption allegations, poor economic conditions, and rising unemployment are the main reasons why South Africans are losing their faith in the ANC.

“The coming elections may serve as a turning point for the nation if the ANC receives less than 50% of the vote, dropping the party out of the majority position it has held and necessitating negotiations to form a coalition government,” the survey noted.

Corruption charges against Mr. Zuma are not the only problem the ANC faces. Current President Ramaphosa has been embroiled in his own fair share of controversies, including allegations of misconduct and a violation of the Constitution he helped to draft in the 1990s.

In June 2022, Arthur Fraser, former state security head and ally of ex-President Zuma, filed a criminal complaint alleging that Mr. Ramaphosa had money in the range of $4 million to $8 million stolen from his northeastern Phala Phala game farm in February 2020, but never reported this theft. The President instead tasked a member of his personal protection unit to conduct an off-the-books investigation. The scandal was termed Farmgate by local media.

Another opinion poll conducted by Ipsos through interviews in March and April 2024 found that the ANC was struggling to retain voters. “Nationally, only 38% believe that the ANC will live up to their election promises, and the party’s support base has long been concentrated in rural areas,” the poll said.

South Africa goes to polls on May 29.

(With inputs from agencies)

New Delhi:

The BJP will never change the Preamble of the Indian Constitution or end reservation, Union Minister Rajnath Singh said in an exclusive interview with NDTV. Mr Singh said that the Congress had changed the Preamble in 1976, but is now trying to unnecessarily target the BJP and make it a poll issue.

“In 1976, the first time a change was made to the Preamble of the Indian Constitution. And that was done by Indira Gandhi,” Mr Singh told NDTV.

“And our constituent assembly was then of the consensus that amendments can be made to the Constitution as required. Congress and other political parties have done this a lot. But there is no question of making changes in the preamble. But they did it, and are now trying to blame us. The BJP does not even think about it,” he added.

Rajnath Singh’s remarks come after claims by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi that the BJP will “tear up and throw away” the Constitution if it retains power. Some other Congress functionaries had expressed apprehensions that the BJP may drop the word “secularism” from the Preamble of the Constitution.

Mr Singh also said that the ruling party has no plans of ending caste-based reservation, but will never give reservation based on religion.

“Why would we end reservation? This country needs reservation for OBC, ST. They (Opposition) are the ones talking about giving reservations on the basis of religion. But we say that in no situation will we give religion-based reservation as the Constitution does not allow it,” the Defence Minister said.

The BJP, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is hoping to win their third ongoing term. Six of the seven phases of voting for the Lok Sabha elections have already been held, with results to be announced on June 4 after the final round of voting on June 1.

New Delhi:

This sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections features several high-profile candidates, including Kanhaiya Kumar, the former president of the JNU student’s union, who is now contesting under a Congress banner. Joining him in the fray are BJP leader and former Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, former Union Minister Maneka Gandhi, and actor-turned-politician Manoj Tiwari.

A total of 889 candidates from six states and a Union territory will go to polls today. In the national capital Delhi, seven seats are up for grabs.

Here are the key battles in the sixth phase:

Manoj Tiwari vs Kanhaiya Kumar – Northeast Delhi

In Northeast Delhi, the incumbent MP Manoj Tiwari from the BJP is up against Kanhaiya Kumar, marking one of the most closely watched battles in this phase. Mr Tiwari has been a significant political presence in Delhi. Kanhaiya Kumar, having made a name for himself as a fiery student leader at JNU, joined the Congress in 2021. This election marks his second attempt at a Lok Sabha seat, following his 2019 campaign in Bihar’s Begusarai where he lost to Union Minister Giriraj Singh from the BJP.

Sambit Patra vs Arup Patnaik – Puri

In Odisha’s Puri, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra is contesting against BJD’s Arup Patnaik and Congress’ Jay Narayan Patnaik. Mr Patra recently sparked controversy with his statements, notably claiming that “Lord Jagannath is a devotee (bhakt) of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.” Arup Patnaik, a former Mumbai Police Commissioner, previously contested from Bhubaneswar in 2019, where he was defeated by BJP’s Aparajita Sarangi.

Manohar Lal Khattar vs Divyanshu Budhiraja – Karnal

Former Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, a heavyweight in the BJP, is contesting from Karnal. Mr Khattar faces Congress’s Divyanshu Budhiraja for the Karnal seat. This contest is significant as Mr Khattar’s political experience and prominence in Haryana’s politics are being challenged by a younger opposition.

Bansuri Swaraj vs Somnath Bharti – New Delhi

In the New Delhi constituency, Bansuri Swaraj, daughter of former union minister Sushma Swaraj, is aiming to retain the seat for the BJP. She is up against AAP’s Somnath Bharti, a senior leader in the party. The incumbent MP, Meenakshi Lekhi, who secured a substantial victory margin in 2019, was not given a ticket this time.

Dharmendra Pradhan vs Pranab Prakash Das – Sambalpur 

In Odisha’s Sambalpur, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan  faces off against Pranab Prakash Das, the organisational secretary and second-in-command in Naveen Patnaik’s BJD. In 2019, the BJP’s victory margin was less than 1 per cent, equating to approximately 9,000 votes. In 2014, BJD won with a 3 per cent margin, and in 2009, Congress secured the seat with a 2 per cent margin. 

New Delhi:

BJP leader Sambit Patra found himself in the eye of a political storm following an unfortunate slip of the tongue. During an interaction with media after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s roadshow in Odisha’s Puri yesterday, Mr Patra suggested that Lord Jagannath, the revered deity of the ancient town, is a devotee of PM Modi. This gaffe has ignited a fierce backlash from political rivals, especially from Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal (BJD).

The incident occurred in the sweltering heat and chaos following PM Modi’s roadshow. Mr Patra in his clarifications has said that he had aimed to highlight PM Modi’s devotion to Lord Jagannath but mistakenly stated, “Jagannath is Modi’s bhakt.” The comment, captured on camera, immediately stirred controversy, drawing ire from multiple quarters. The political fallout as a result of Mr Patra’s remarks has prompted the BJP leader to undertake a period of “upvaas” (fasting) in atonement.

READ | Sambit Patra’s “Slip Of Tongue” That Found A New ‘Bhakt’ For PM Modi

“Today, a statement made by me had created a controversy. After PM Narendra Modi’s roadshow in Puri, I gave byte to many media channels and everywhere I said the same thing, that PM Narendra Modi is an ardent devotee of Mahaprabhu Jagannath… In the end, when another channel took my byte, it was extremely hot, crowded and noisy. Unknowingly, while giving the byte, I said the opposite, that Mahaprabhu is a devotee of PM Narendra Modi. This can never be true, and a person in his senses can never say such things that god is a devotee of a human. I have made this mistake unintentionally. I know some people must have been hurt but even god forgives mistakes made unintentionally… I need to seek forgiveness from Mahaprabhu Jagannath for this slip of the tongue and I have decided to do a ‘upvaas’,” Mr Patra said.

आज महाप्रभु श्री जगन्नाथ जी को लेकर मुझसे जो भूल हुई है, उस विषय को लेकर मेरा अंतर्मन अत्यंत पीड़ित है।

मैं महाप्रभु श्री जगन्नाथ जी के चरणों में शीश झुकाकर क्षमा याचना करता हूँ। अपने इस भूल सुधार और पश्चाताप के लिए अगले 3 दिन मैं उपवास पर रहूँगा।

जय जगन्नाथ।

ଆଜି ଶ୍ରୀ… pic.twitter.com/rKavOxMjIq

— Sambit Patra (Modi Ka Parivar) (@sambitswaraj) May 20, 2024

The reaction from Naveen Patnaik was swift and sharp. The Odisha Chief Minister condemned Mr Patra’s statement in a scathing social media post, saying that such remarks insult the sanctity of ‘Mahaprabhu’ Jagannath and hurt the sentiments of millions of devotees. He urged the BJP to refrain from dragging the deity into political discourse, a sentiment echoed by other opposition leaders.

“Mahaprabhu Shree Jagannatha is the Lord of the Universe. Calling Mahaprabhu a bhakt of another human being is an insult to the Lord. This has hurt the sentiments and demeaned the faith of crores of Jagannatha bhaktas and Odias across the world,” Mr Patnaik wrote.

Mahaprabhu Shree Jagannatha is the Lord of Universe.

Calling Mahaprabhu a bhakt of another human being is an insult to the Lord. This has hurt the sentiments and demeaned the faith of crores of Jagannatha bhaktas and Odias across the world.

The Lord is the greatest Symbol of…

— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) May 20, 2024

The controversy quickly gained momentum, with leaders from various parties joining the chorus of condemnation. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised the BJP’s perceived arrogance, suggesting that such statements indicate a dangerous level of self-aggrandisement within the party. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal echoed these sentiments, calling Mr Patra’s statement a height of arrogance and an “insult to God”.

The Congress, BJD, and AAP capitalised on the uproar, with the Congress demanding an apology from Prime Minister Modi himself. “Sambit Patra, who is immersed in Modi Bhakti, should not have committed this sin. Narendra Modi should apologise for this disgusting statement,” stated the Congress’s official communication.

Amid the escalating backlash, Mr Patra took to social media to clarify his statement. He explained that it was an inadvertent slip of the tongue, a mistake made under the strain of the moment. “I gave a number of bytes today to multiple media channels…by mistake during one of the bytes I pronounced just the opposite. I know you too know and understand this. Sir, let’s not make an issue out of a nonexistent issue. We all have a slip of the tongue sometimes,” Mr Patra wrote directly to Chief Minister Patnaik, seeking to defuse the situation.

Despite Mr Patra’s apology, opposition parties remained unyielding. The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) lodged a formal complaint, alleging that Mr Patra’s statement was a deliberate attempt to insult religious sentiments. They accused him of violating the model code of conduct and called for strict action.

This controversy unfolds as Odisha heads into a crucial phase of the elections, with Patra’s gaffe potentially influencing voter sentiment. The BJP, which is striving to make significant inroads in the state, now faces the challenge of mitigating the fallout from this incident.