BJP's field day over Sam Pitroda's remark, Priyanka Gandhi in Raebareli, and more

Welcome to today’s election wrap Indian Overseas Congress chairman Sam Petroda against stirred A Rao with his remarks over skin colour, prompting a sharp reaction from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who campaigned in Telangana today. Meanwhile, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra campaigned for her brother Rahul Gandhi in Raebareli. Priyanka charged that the BJP had a Nexus with industrialists and waived their loans worth 16,00,000 crore. Moving on to some other news, the BJD continued to take pot shots at the BJP with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s close aide VK Pandian alleging that the BJP’s intention was to break the Odisha party after elections. This and much more in today’s election, Ramp San Petroda’s racist remarks gave the BJP fresh ammo to attack the Congress in his rallies in Telangana. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said people will not tolerate the attempt to insult them on the basis of their skin colour while referring to Petroda as the philosopher of Shehzada Rahul Gandhi. While Congress distance itself from the controversial remarks, several BJP leaders attacked Petroda after he said people in the eastern part of the country resemble the Chinese while those from the South looked like Africans. Meanwhile, Bengaluru police has summoned BJP president JP Nanda and the party’s IT cell chief Amit Malviya over an objectionable post made by the Karnataka unit of the party. Nadda and Amit Malviya have been given a week’s time to appear before the police. The Election Commission had earlier asked ex, formerly known as Twitter, to takedown the post that contained a video showing the Congress favouring reservation for Muslims at the cost of SCSS, TS and Obcs. Priyanka Gandhi campaigned for the first time in Rai Bareli after Rahul Gandhi filed his nomination from the seat last week. The Congress leader said the entire BJP machinery was engaged in spreading lies about Rahul Gandhi. Priyanka also hit out at the BJP over inflation and unemployment, saying their leaders only talk about religion, caste, temples and mosques without addressing main issues. Moving on to news from Odisha, Odisha’s chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s close aide VK Pandian said the BJP was fighting elections not to form a government in the state, but its aim was to break the BJD. Addressing a group of media persons, Pandian said he was confident of Patnaik becoming the chief minister of Odisha for the 6th consecutive time. In Gujarat, a man has been detained for bogus voting after his life stringed from inside a poll booth in the Dahod constituency during the third phase of Lok Sabha polls. The Congress has claimed that the man was the son of a BJP leader. Police said that the man went live on Instagram and also allegedly cast votes on behalf of two other electors resorting to bogus voting. That’s all for today. Watch this space for the latest news across the country from the grand election season.