Lok Sabha elections: SP-BSP-RLD alliance kick off joint rallies

Bengaluru, Apr 08: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Mamata Banerjee were engaged in a war of words on Sunday as they addressed rallies in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar.

"Mamata Banerjee has an alliance with people who want two prime ministers; one for Delhi and one for Jammu and Kashmir," Modi said at his election rally in Cooch Behar. Modi's comments came days after National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Monday last referred to the post of Prime Minister Jammu and Kashmir had until the 1960s. Abdullah, who has shared the stage with Banerjee in Opposition events, said they would restore the nomenclature if they return to power.

The SP-BSP-RLD alliance in Uttar Pradesh kicked off its joint campaign for the coming Lok Sabha elections, holding its first rally in Saharanpur's Deoband. The top leaders of the parties have addressed the Deoband meeting before Saharanpur. Seven other western UP constituencies go to the polls in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections on April 11.

Yogi Adityanath

Peddapalli: Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath along with Telangana BJP leaders during a public meeting, ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, at Peddapalli, Sunday, April 07, 2019.

M K Stalin

Chennai: DMK supporters during an election campaign led by DMK President M K Stalin (unseen) in Chennai, Sunday, April 07, 2019.

PM Narendra Modi

Surat: Supporters of BJP wear masks of PM Narendra Modi during election a campaign rally, ahead of Lok Sabha polls, in Surat, Sunday, April 07, 2019.

PM Modi in Cooch Behar

Cooch Behar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses an election campaign rally in support of the BJP candidate, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections at Rash Mela Ground in Cooch Behar district of West Bengal, Sunday, April 7, 2019.

Kanhaiya Kumar

Begusarai: Former JNU students' union president and CPI candidate from the Begusarai Lok Sabha seat Kanhaiya Kumar during an election campaign, ahead of the polls, in Begusarai, Sunday, April 07,2019.

Farooq Abdullah

Srinagar: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah dances during an election campaign rally in Srinagar, Sunday, April 7, 2019.

Chandrababu Naidu

Krishna: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party President N Chandrababu Naidu with daughter-in-law Brahamani and grandson Devansh during an election campaign rally at Nandigama in Krishina district, Sunday, April 7, 2019.

SP-BSP supporters

Deoband: Supporters wave flags of the parties during the joint election campaign rally of SP and BSP, in Deoband, Sunday, April 7, 2019.

Saharanpur:

Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati, RLD chief Ch Ajit Singh and his son and party leader Jayant Chaudhary wave during their joint election campaign rally at Deoband in Saharanpur, Sunday, April 7, 2019.

Voter awareness

Odisha: A view of a sand sculpture by artist Sudarsan Pattnaik, to aware voters, at Puri beach, in Odisha on Sunday, April 07, 2019. (PTI Photos)