HIGHLIGHTS

New Delhi, Apr 20 (PTI) Following are the top stories at 5 pm:

     NATION
    
     ELN86 ELECTIONS-MH-2NDLD MODI
     * Cong a vine, sucks dry those who support it; 2024 polls about making India a developed nation: Modi    Nanded/Parbhani: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday dubbed the Congress a vine which has no roots or branches and sucks dry those who support it, and asked people to be wary of the opposition alliance in realising the goals of 'Viksit Bharat' and 'Viksit Maharashtra'.
    
     ELN54 ELECTIONS-MH-LD MODI
     * Like Amethi, Congress' 'sahabzade' will also lose Wayanad LS seat: PM Modi's swipe at Rahul Gandhi
     Nanded: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the Congress has accepted its defeat even before the Lok Sabha poll results are out, and took a swipe at Rahul Gandhi, saying that just as he lost from Amethi in 2019, the "Congress' sahabzade" will lose the Wayanad parliamentary seat this time.*
    
     ELN87 ELECTIONS-KA-EC-CONG
     * Cong moves EC against K'taka BJP chief over alleged remark on guarantee schemes
     Bengaluru: The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) on Saturday approached the Election Commission seeking legal action against BJP State President B Y Vijayendra for his alleged statement on guarantee schemes of the Siddaramaiah-headed government.*
    
     ELN83 ELECTIONS-RJ-2NDLD SHAH
     * Cong against OBC, BJP will not let anyone do away with reservation: Amit Shah
    Jaipur/Kota: Accusing the Congress of being against the Other Backward Classes, Union Home Minister Amit Shah Saturday said even if the opposition party wants to do away with the reservation given to SC, ST and OBCs, the BJP will not allow that to happen.*
    
     ELN69 ELECTIONS-CONG-ELECTORAL BONDS-FM
     * BJP wants to continue loot: Congress slams Sitharaman's remarks on electoral bonds
     New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday hit out at the BJP over Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's reported remarks that electoral bonds will be brought back after consultations, alleging that after looting Rs 4 lakh crore of public money, they want to "continue the loot."*
    
     DEL10 BJP-JOIN
     * Two Punjab Congress leaders join BJP
     New Delhi: Two Punjab Congress leaders, including its national secretary Tajinder Pal Singh Bittu, joined the BJP here on Saturday as the ruling party at the Centre bolsters its ranks in the state ahead of the Lok Sabha polls there.*
    
     ELN67 ELECTIONS-BH-LD RAHUL
     * Modi govt cares only for super rich, posing threat to Constitution: Rahul
     Bhagalpur (Bihar): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday charged the BJP-RSS combine and a handful of billionaires with posing a threat to democracy and the country's Constitution, to which "Dalits, tribals and the poor owe all that they have".*
    
     ELN79 ELECTIONS-WB-LD MAMATA
     * EC chalked out seven-phase polls to assist BJP campaigning: Mamata
     Malda (WB): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday alleged that the Election Commission of India chalked out seven-phase polls to enable Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his cabinet colleagues to carry out extensive campaigning using the nation's resources.*
    
     ELN76 ELECTIONS-KL-2ND LD PRIYANKA
     * BJP-ruled Centre a fascist, racist, oppressive govt: Priyanka Gandhi
     Thrissur (Kerala): Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday attacked the BJP-ruled Centre, accusing it of being a "racist, fascist, and oppressive" government that was "haughtily" speaking of changing the Indian Constitution that was "written with the blood of freedom fighters."*
         
     DEL6 DL-AAP-KEJRIWAL
     * Kejriwal being pushed towards 'slow death' by denying insulin, doctor's consultations: AAP
     New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party on Saturday alleged that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is being pushed towards a “slow death” inside Tihar jail by denying him insulin and consultations with his doctor.*
    
     CAL4 OD-BOAT CAPSIZE-LD TOLL
     * Toll in Odisha boat capsize rises to 7 with recovery of 5 more bodies
     Bhubaneswar: The toll in the boat capsize in Odisha’s Jharsuguda district rose to seven with the recovery of five more bodies on Saturday, an official said.*
    
    
     LEGAL
    
     LGD1 CJI-POLLS-MESSAGE
     * CJI Chandrachud urges voters not to miss voting in 2024 general elections
     New Delhi: Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud has urged citizens not to miss the opportunity to vote in the general elections, saying that it is one of the "foremost duties" in a constitutional democracy.*
    
     LGD8 SC-LD SOUMYA
     * Journalist Soumya Vishwanathan's mother moves SC against bail granted to four life convicts
     New Delhi: The mother of TV journalist Soumya Viswanathan has moved the Supreme Court against the bail granted to four convicts who were serving life imprisonment in the 2008 case of her daughter's murder.*

    
     FOREIGN
    
     FGN19 RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR
     * Moscow says 50 Ukrainian drones shot down as attacks spark fires at Russian power stations
     Kyiv: Ukraine launched a barrage of drones across Russia overnight, the Defence Ministry in Moscow said Saturday, in attacks that appeared to target the country's energy infrastructure. AP *
    
     FGN13 PAK-IMF-BAILOUT
     * Cash-strapped Pakistan makes formal request to IMF for another bailout
     Washington/Islamabad: Pakistan has made a formal request to IMF for seeking the next bailout package in the range of USD 6 to USD 8 billion with the possibility of augmentation through climate financing, a media report said on Saturday.*
    
     FGN15 US-CHINA-PAK-LD SANCTIONS
     * US sanctions 3 Chinese firms and one from Belarus for providing ballistic missile components to Pakistan
     Washington: The US has slapped sanctions on three Chinese companies and one from Belarus for supplying missile-applicable items for Pakistan's ballistic missile programmes, including its long-range missile programme, the State Department has announced. By Lalit K Jha**
    

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)