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Mikes fell silent at 6 p.m., after more than three weeks of hectic campaigning which saw top leaders of national and regional parties criss-crossing the two Telugu states. Election authorities in both the states heightened their vigilance to ensure that there are no violations of rules in the 48-hour 'silence period'.

Chief electoral officers have asked district election officers and superintendents of police to deal firmly with any violation of the rules.

On the last day of the campaign in Telangana, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra addressed a couple of public meetings each, making a last appeal to voters for support their respective party candidates.

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy also held a couple of roadshows besides accompanying Priyanka Gandhi for the meetings in Chevella and Zaheerabad constituencies.

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) president and former chief minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who completed his bus yatra on Friday, addressed a press conference on the last day of the campaign, stressing the need for having voice of BRS in the Parliament to protect the interests of Telangana.

BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao and another key leader T. Harish Rao also held a few roadshows. Telangana is witnessing a three-cornered contest in majority of Lok Sabha seats.

BRS, which lost power to Congress in Assembly elections held in November 2023, is trying hard to make a comeback.

The ruling Congress is looking to continue the good show while BJP is confident of improving on its performance in the recent polls.

The high-voltage campaign saw Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president J.P. Nadda, Central ministers, chief ministers of BJP-ruled states and other leaders campaigning for the party with public meetings and roadshows.

For the Congress, party leader Rahul Gandhi and AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a few public meetings.

However, the campaign was mainly led by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, who addressed 57 public meetings and corner meetings in 27 days.

He also campaigned for the party in Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.

The BRS campaign was led by party chief KCR with his bus yatra, covering 13 constituencies in 17 days.

His son KTR and nephew Harish Rao were the other star campaigners for the party.

The campaign saw no-holds-barred attack by leaders with some even making personal and derogatory comments against the rivals.

Interestingly, every party accused the two others of having a secret understanding.

The Congress attacked BJP over alleged plans to change the Constitution and end reservations for SCs, STs and Backward Classes.

The BJP hit back at Congress and also targeted BRS over corruption, appeasement politics and Muslim reservation.

Both BJP and BRS tried to corner the Congress over its failure to implement the guarantees given by it in Assembly elections.

Leaders of both the parties reminded Congress leaders of their commitment to implement all six guarantees in 100 days.

They questioned Congress over failure to implement promises like farm loan waiver, annual financial assistance of Rs 15,000 per acre to farmers, Rs 12,000 each for agriculture labourers and monthly Rs 2,500 for every woman.

The Congress leaders highlighted the schemes launched to implement promises like free bus travel, enhancing coverage under Rajiv Arogyasri to Rs 10 lakh, cooking gas cylinders for Rs 500 and 200 units of free electricity. The Chief Minister promised farm loan waiver by August 15 and reiterated commitment to implement other promises.

In Andhra Pradesh, ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) and the NDA alliance are locked in a direct fight in both Assembly and Lok Sabha polls.

Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Jana Sena Party (JSP) and BJP have come together to take on YSRCP, which is contesting all the seats on its own.

Congress party, led by Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy's sister Y.S. Sharmila Reddy, has also fielded its candidates but it is not likely to give a fight to rivals, except in a few constituencies.

For the NDA alliance, PM Modi, Amit Shah, JP Nadda and some other central leaders of BJP addressed a few meetings.

TDP president and former chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Jana Sena leader and actor Pawan Kalyan addressed dais with PM Modi at a couple of public meetings.

YSR Congress' campaign was single-handedly led by Jagan Mohan Reddy, who conducted a bus yatra and later undertook whirl-wind tour, covering all three regions -- north coastal Andhra, south coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema.

While Jagan Mohan Reddy sought a fresh mandate to continue welfare schemes implemented during the last five years, the NDA partners accused him of derailing the development and encouraging liquor and land mafia.

YSR Congress' failure to develop a state capital despite promising three capitals, failure to complete Polavaram project, alleged lawlessness and 'destructive' policies were the key issues raised by the opposition.

TDP-JSP, in their manifesto, promised several freebies including free bus travel for women, three free gas cylinders every year to each household, monthly financial assistance of Rs 1,500 to women aged 18-59 years, creation of 20 lakh jobs in five years and monthly unemployment allowance of Rs 3,000.

It also promised that Rs 15,000 will be given annually to every school-going student through 'Thalliki Vandhanam' scheme.

The amount will be credited to the bank account of the student's mother.

Farmers will get financial assistance of Rs 20,000 each in a year.

Protected drinking water and sewerage connection to every house is another promise made by the alliance.

If voted to power, the alliance will provide uninterrupted nine-hour power supply for farmers.

Solar pump-sets will also be provided free-of-cost.

The BJP did not associate itself with the manifesto line with its national policy.

(IANS)

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With rain delaying the match by nearly one and a half hours, it was reduced to a 15-overs-per-side affair with one bowler allowed to bowl full quota of four overs while four bowlers can bowl three overs max. The Power-play overs would be from 1 to 5.

Having won the toss, Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya said they would like to bowl first to see how the wicket behaves as it was under the covers for nearly two days.

Though they are going in with an unchanged side, former skipper Rohit Sharma will start on the bench and is likely to come in as an Impact Substitute.

Pandya said that they want to play good cricket and to their potential. He added that they don't want to repeat their mistakes and enjoy their cricket. "Record at Eden is great, but cricket is played on the day and boys are aware but want to focus on how they can contribute to the game. Same team," said Hardik Pandya.

KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer said it was ironic that he lost another toss despite practising with the coin. "In such games it is crucial. It's gonna be an important game, want to get the Q ahead of the game," he said.

KKR made one change in their playing eleven, bringing in Nitish Rana in place of Angkrish Raghuvanshi.

Playing XIs:

Kolkata Knight Riders: Phil Salt (wk), Sunil Narine, Nitish Rana, Shreyas Iyer (c), Venkatesh Iyer, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Mitchell Starc, Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana.

Impact substitutes: Suyash Sharma, Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz

Mumbai Indians: Naman Dhir, Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Nehal Wadhera, Hardik Pandya (c), Tim David, Anshul Kamboj, Piyush Chawla, Jasprit Bumrah, Nuwan Thushara.

Impact substitutes: Rohit Sharma, Shams Mulani, Shivalik Sharma, Mohammad Nabi, Kartikeya Singh.

In Modi's presence, the Union Minister said that the Prime Minister has come with a guarantee of the welfare of the farmers in Bargarh. "The Prime Miniser has always given priority to Odisha. I am grateful to him," Pradhan said. 

The Prime Minister said the Odisha situation can no longer be tolerated and must be changed. He has said to take the responsibility of protecting the Asmita and the development of 4.5 crore Odia people. He has urged people to give the BJP a chance to serve Odisha once. 

"Odisha will be a number-one state under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," contended Pradhan.

The Union Minister said that Modi has presented a very sensitive issue and emotional issue of Ratnabhandar of Shrimandir. BJP has always raised the issue of Ratnabhandar. Who lost the keys? Why is the treasure not being opened? Whose sin is the state government trying to cover up? Who is playing with Lord Shree Jagannath? He will have to answer.

Similarly, the entire government has been outsourced in Odisha. The Prime Minister said that a super CM has become the Chief Minister. Odisha Chief Secretary, DG, and Cabinet members don't get a chance to meet the Chief Minister. Taking advantage of the chief minister's compulsion, some anti-Odia people are ruling Odisha. He is hurting Odisha's emotions. Odia people will give fitting replies through voting.

Odisha trusts Modi; only Modi can take Odisha to a greater height.  Even after being in power for 24 years, the state does not have access to piped drinking water. There is no irrigation system in the farmland. There are no doctors in hospitals and no teachers in schools. One-third of the people of the state are going outside the State in search of work. People will respond and make changes to the disorder, corruption, tyranny and corrupt rule that has been going on in the state for 25 years. This time, an Odisha speaker will be the chief minister. Pradhan said that Odia people will go with Modi.

In response to a question from the media, the Union Minister said that it is unfortunate that the Congress wanted the Ram Temple to be christened with Ganga water as Honourable President of India visited the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Congress lacks ethics. It is a bankrupt party, said Pradhan. 

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