Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, addressing party cadre after the stunning win in Haryana and impressive show in Jammu and Kashmir polls, singled out its principal rival, the Congress, and launched a blistering attack on the party and its leader Rahul Gandhi.

The Congress, which exit polls predicted will sweep Haryana, has been shown “no entry” board by voters, said the Prime Minister, adding that nowhere has the Congress been given a second chance. 

“Congress rarely comes back to power. It was 13 years ago that the Congress came back to power in Assam and there are some states where the Congress has not returned to power for 60 years,” he said.

Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir election results live updates here.

“It has been spreading fear over caste. People who were born with a silver spoon and leading 5-star lives, want the poor to fight among themselves over caste. Our Dalit community must not forget. It is Congress which has committed most atrocities against the Dalits,” said the Prime Minister. 

Rahul Gandhi, who has been bullish over the caste census, has questioned the Modi government over the delay in conducting a caste census.

“For the Congress, the caste census is the foundation of policy making. It is a tool for policy making. We cannot make policies in the reality of India without a caste census,” said Rahul Gandhi, while on a visit to the US.

Mr Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition, said just like the Constitution, the “caste census” is a policy framework and a guide for the Congress.

The Prime Minister said the Congress tried to provoke Dalits, tribals, farmers and youth in all possible ways, but people saw through its tricks and propaganda and rejected the party.

“In the land of Gita, truth and development and good governance have won,” the Prime Minister said.

“The Congress wants to spread anarchy in the country. It wants to weaken it. It has been constantly trying to stoke fires. It tried to instigate the farmers,” said the Prime Minister, adding that “those who are with the country are with the BJP”, he said.

Voting is underway in all 90 assembly constituencies of Haryana to decide the political fate of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and 1,000 other candidates contesting in the state assembly elections. Olympic wrestler Vinesh Phogat is also among the key candidates contesting on a Congress ticket. The ruling BJP is eyeing a hat-trick while the Congress is hoping to make a comeback in the state after a decade. The other key contestants are Congress, AAP, INLD, BSP, JJP and Azad Samaj Party (ASP).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spearheaded the BJP’s campaign and addressed four rallies in Haryana, attacking the Congress over several issues. He said the Congress kept every matter important for the country entangled, including the Ram temple issue. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also addressed several rallies in Haryana, during which he said a “Congress storm” is on its way in Haryana and his party would form the government.

Here are the Live Updates on Haryana Elections 2024:

Faridabad:

Cow vigilante Bittu Bajrangi alias Rajkumar Panchal, an accused in the Nuh violence case, filed his nomination as an independent candidate from NIT assembly segment in Faridabad on Monday.

The assembly elections will be held in Haryana on October 5.

In an official statement, District Election Officer Vikram Singh confirmed that Bajrangi has filed his nomination as an independent from NIT Faridabad seat.

Bajrangi, who formed Gau Raksha Bajrang Force, has a long association with controversies.

Bajrangi has been an accused in the case of Nuh violence that had started in July last year after a procession organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad was attacked by a mob.

Five people, including two home guards, were killed and many injured in the violence that erupted on July 31 last year in Nuh and spread to other areas of the state. In Gurugram, a naib imam was killed at a mosque amid a series of incidents of arson.

In July this year, three cases were registered against Bajrangi in Faridabad.

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