Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: Sharad Pawar's BIG statement ahead of 2024 elections

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founder Sharad Pawar on Thursday asserted the political situation in the country is not favourable for the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha polls and pooh-poohed the saffron outfit's claim of winning more than 400 seats, saying it is out of power in several states. Addressing NCP workers at a party conclave in the temple town of Shirdi in western Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district, he said after assuming power at the Centre in 2014, the BJP announced several programmes and gave a host of assurances, but did not implement them and "cheated" people. "The situation in the country is not favourable for the BJP," said Pawar, whose party is a constituent of the national-level opposition INDIA alliance.

Congress Manifesto Committee has held meeting at AICC headquarters ahead of 2024 Lok Sabah elections.

On Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, TMC leader Kunal Ghosh says, "In the 2021 Assembly Elections, TMC fought alone and came to power, whereas Congress allied with the Left and won zero seats... Nobody needs Congress in WB. But for the spirit of the INDIA alliance, TMC is supporting Congress and Mamata Banerjee will make the final call... When Mamta Banerjee offered them two seats in Bengal for the upcoming elections, they said they wanted eight. I want to ask them, you had 294 seats in the Assembly Elections, why didn't you win on any?..."

Amid, massive seat-sharing fight in INDI alliance, sources claim that RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav is currently holding a meeting with JDU chief and BIhar CM Nitish Kumar. This comes amid Congress issued a miffed statement after TMC reportedly offered the party only 2-seat in West Bengal for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

‘Bharat Nyay Yatra’ which was scheduled to kick off from January 14 from northeastern India to the western shore got its new name. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that the march will now be called ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’.

On January 3, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced major appointments across the party in preparation for the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections in April-May. BJP party members such as Sunil Bansal, Dushyant Gautam, Bandi Sanjay Kumar and Jay Panda were handed over charge of various departments, according to reports.

In a party meeting held today, former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot spoke about the INDI Alliance meeting and the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. "It has been discussed with the state party leaders about the situation in their respective states and on what level discussion will be done with other parties on seat sharing. After the meeting today with Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, the way ahead and the level of discussions to be done with other parties will be decided. It will depend on Mallikarjun Kharge who he would assign to talk to which party," said the Congress leader.

Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's party Shiv Sena has said that Congress members who have been invited to the Ram Mandir inauguration on January 22, should attend the ceremony. “The Congress' soul is Hindu. There is nothing to hide in it,” said an editorial in Saamna, the Sena mouthpiece. "If Congress has received any special invitation for the Ram temple consecration ceremony then it (the leaders) should go to Ayodhya. What is wrong with it?" the editorial questioned.
 

The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance aka I.N.D.I.A. could agree to contest the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 in seat-sharing format with its allies. Reports say that the Congress will contest elections on 320-330 seats, out of which about 75 seats will be with the Alliance members.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s new slogan for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 will be: ‘Teesri baar Modi sarkar, abki baar 400 paar’. The slogan refers to the number of seats that the party could win in the Lok Sabha, and to the possible third term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as head of state.