Lok Sabha Election 2019 LATEST updates: BJP distanced itself from Sadhvi Pragya’s remarks against Hemant Karkare, claiming that the BJP leader’s remarks were her personal opinions.

Identified as Tarun Gajjar, the man who slapped Hardik Patel at a rally in Surendranagar, spoke to ANI after receiving treatment. “My wife was pregnant when Patidar agitation happened, she was undergoing treatment at a hospital, I had faced problems then, I had decided then, I’ll hit this man. I have to teach him a lesson anyhow,” he said.

He added that everything had shut down during Patel’s rally in Ahmedabad when he had gone to get medicine for his child. “He shuts down the roads, he shuts down Gujarat whenever he wants to, What is he? Gujarat’s Hitler?” he asked.

Reactions have started pouring in from across political circles to Priyanka Chaturvedi’s surprise move of quitting Congress posts and joining the Shiv Sena within a matter of hours. One of the first to chip in has been Congress leader Sanjay Jha, who said on Twitter that Priyanka joining a party close to the BJP was the new nadir of ‘political opportunism’.

Priyanka Chaturvedi, who until hours ago was the Congress’s spokesperson, has now joined the Shiv Sena. Chaturvedi was accompanied by Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. “I am a Mumbaikar born and bred. When 26/11 happened I was concerned about safety. I wanted to work for the safety of not just Mumbai, but all cities. I wanted women everywhere to be as safe as they are in Mumbai. I wanted to return to my roots. I felt like I had forgotten my roots,” Chaturvedi said.

Speaking after BSP chief Mayawati in the historic Mainpuri rally, SP leader Akhilesh Yadav said her presence in the town will give hope to workers of the gathbandhan to aspire to greater heights. Mayawati and Akhilesh’s rally, which had SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav make a rare appearance, garnered huge crowds.

“I am confident of Mulayam Singh Yadav’s victory. He will ensure the upliftment of the backward classes,” Mayawati said at their joint Mainpuri rally on Thursday. She came down heavily on the Narendra Modi dispensation and said their claims of caring for the poor and backward were all dramatics.

In spite of the 1995 guesthouse scandal, the SP-BSP alliance has taken place keeping in mind the importance of the Lok Sabha polls, said BSP chief Mayawati at Mainpuri on Friday. Mayawati is sharing the stage with Mulayam after 25 years. In the infamous guesthouse incident, SP workers had surrounded a guest house in which Mayawati and BSP leaders were holding a meeting, attacking them and causing injuries.

BSP chief Mayawati, SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son Akhilesh Yadav are sharing the dais right now at Mainpuri in a significant coming together of old rivals for the first time in 25 years. This comes 23 years after Mayawati and her supporters had been attacked while campaigning at a guesthouse, allegedly by SP supporters.

Priyanka Chaturvedi, who in the last two days has made her disappointment with Congress leadership over reinstating suspended leaders known before quitting the part, is set to join the Shiv Sena. The development was confirmed by the Sena’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut.

Congress’s national spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi has tweeted her resignation letter to the party. In it, she has essayed her 10-year-long association with the party, mentioning that it hurt her deeply to see that those who had harassed her while she was on official duty had been welcomed back into the party fold with the excuse that all hands were required on deck during the elections.

On Friday, BJP’s Bhopal candidate, 2008 Malegaon blast accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur said at a public meeting that late Mumbai Anti-Terror Squad chief Hemant Karkare had tried to falsely accuse her in the blast case. She then went on to say that she had told him that he will be destroyed. “In a quarter month’s time, he was killed by terrorists (in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack),” she added.

Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi has reportedly resigned from the party, after having spoken out against it on Twitter after it reinstated some leaders who were suspended for misbehaving with her. Chaturvedi has, notably, removed mention of the Congress from her Twitter bio.

At loggerheads for decades, Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati are scheduled to share the dais at a joint rally of the SP-BSP-RLD alliance in the Samajwadi Party stronghold of Mainpuri on Friday.

Preparations are underway for the rally at Christian Field to send out a message to our political opponents that the alliance against the BJP in Uttar Pradesh shares a strong bond, PTI has reported.

Mulayam and Mayawati have been bitter rivals since 1995 when SP cadres allegedly attacked the state guest house where the BSP chief had been camping with her supporters. The SP patriarch, who is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from the party bastion of Mainpuri was conspicuous by his absence at the three joint rallies held earlier in Deoband, Badaun, and Agra due to his aversion to his party’s alliance with the BSP.

Reports suggest that Mulayam was not too keen on attending Friday’s rally either but was cajoled by his son and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav who has confirmed the SP founder’s presence at the Mainpuri rally.

With the second phase of the Lok Sabha election done with, the BJP and Opposition leaders are on the campaign trail in preparation for the remaining five phases.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a “thanksgiving” seminar organised by traders in support of the BJP in Delhi. Reportedly, the event has been organised to “express gratitude” for the various measures promised for businesspersons in the party’s manifesto.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi will address rallies in Gujarat’s Tapi and in Karnataka’s Raichur and Chikodi. Meanwhile, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi will hold a roadshow in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur, reports said.

BJP chief Amit Shah is also scheduled to address rallies in Gujarat’s Valsad and Chhota Udaipur. Congress leader Digvijaya Singh is likely to file his nomination for the Lok Sabha polls, as a candidate of the party from Bhopal. The BJP has fielded Malegaon blast accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur against him.

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