Millions of Indians have voted on the first big day of the general election pitting the ruling Congress party against the main opposition BJP.

Polling was held in 91 seats in 14 states and union territories, including in the capital Delhi and the key state of Uttar Pradesh.
Officials say the voter turnout in all states has been higher than in 2009.
The nine-phase vote began on Monday and will conclude on 12 May. Votes will be counted on 16 May.
More than 814 million Indians are eligible to vote in the polls.
The anti-corruption Aam Aadmi (Common Man's) Party, which secured a spectacular result in local polls in Delhi last year, offers a challenge to the main parties.
Several smaller regional parties are also in the fray and if no single party wins a clear majority, they could play a crucial role in the formation of a government.
By Andrew NorthBBC News, Delhi
There's been a quiet, dignified atmosphere to election day in Delhi so far, with a steady trickle of voters rather than a flow.
The streets are quiet because a public holiday has been declared. Parents have been coming to their nearest polling stations with children in tow.
We watched relatives guiding several blind people into one polling station.
Many proud first-time voters were showing off their freshly inked fingers or snapping selfies to send out on social media.
Rich or poor, young or old, it's a moment when the whole city is united behind one goal.
More than 110 million voters were eligible to cast their votes on Thursday and almost a fifth of the parliament's 543 seats were up for grabs.
Brisk voting was reported through the day in Delhi, Bihar, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh, reports said. Voting was also held in the states of Maharashtra, Orissa, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Haryana.
Voting officially ended at 18:00 local time (12:30 GMT) but in some booths it was extended to allow voters who were in the queue to finishing voting.
Election Commission officials said the voter turnout was 64% in Delhi, 65% in Uttar Pradesh, 73% in Kerala, 66% in Jammu and 73% in Haryana.
Among the early voters in Delhi were members of the Gandhi family - Congress party president Sonia, her son and party vice-president Rahul and daughter Priyanka - and the AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal.
In the politically crucial northern state of Uttar Pradesh, which sends the most number of MPs, 80, to parliament, some 16 million voters were eligible to cast their ballots in 10 constituencies.
In the restive Muzaffarnagar constituency, where at least 65 people were killed and 51,000 people - mostly Muslims - were displaced after Hindu-Muslim clashes in September, a number of people living in camps in the area turned up to vote early on Thursday, the BBC Hindi's Nitin Srivastava reports.
Election Commission of India
BJP pledges improved economy
Two soldiers were killed and three others injured in a landmine explosion blamed on Maoist rebels in Jamui, a rebel stronghold in the eastern state of Bihar, but voting remained unaffected in the area.
Thousands of police and paramilitary security personnel have been deployed across the country to ensure smooth polling.
The marathon vote is being staggered over five weeks for security and logistical reasons.
The main contest in the elections is between the Congress, led by Rahul Gandhi, and the BJP, led by the charismatic and controversial Hindu nationalist leader Narendra Modi.
Mr Modi, who is ahead in all the pre-election opinion polls, is the leader of Gujarat state, which witnessed one of India's worst anti-Muslim riots in 2002.
The BJP has promised to improve the economy and infrastructure and curb corruption if it wins in the general elections.
The Congress party has promised "inclusive growth" if it returns to power, with a raft of welfare schemes, including a right to healthcare for all and pensions for the elderly and disabled.
Any party or a coalition needs a minimum of 272 MPs to form a government.


An elderly man who was kicked 18 times in a row during an unprovoked assault has said he forgives his attacker.

The 77-year-old was the victim of an attack by Shane Gull, who has been sentenced to seven years in prison.
Gull punched him in the head outside a newsagent's in Ipswich on 19 March last year at 07:30 GMT.
His victim, who is called Tony, fell to the ground before he was repeatedly kicked in the head and body.
He sustained a cut to his head, swelling to his face and bruised hands during the attack, which was caught on CCTV.
Tony, who does not want to reveal his surname, said his attacker "needs help" before adding: "He certainly needs some care and attention mentally."
"I basically have forgiven him. I just carry on with life the same as before, you can't let it get you down," he told BBC Radio Suffolk.
Gull, 41, of Bull Road, was charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent over the attack in Sailmakers shopping centre, which was then called Tower Ramparts.
He pleaded guilty at Ipswich Crown Court, where he was told his sentence would have an extended licence period of five years.
Police said Gull showed "no remorse whatsoever" when he was shown photos of his victim's injuries.
Tony said he was thankful that he did not turn his back during the attack because his "liver and kidneys would never have recovered."
The following day he said he stood "in the same place doing the same thing, just with a few more bruises".
"I've just taken it in my stride, I surprise myself sometimes," he added.
Det Ch Insp Barry Byford said Gull was "completely unrepentant of his actions".
"This is an extremely disturbing unprovoked attack where an elderly man was viciously assaulted in a public place."


Jack Leaning struck an unbeaten century as Yorkshire piled on the runs against Roses rivals Lancashire on a rain-affected second day at Old Trafford.

Having resumed on 54, with his team 251-6, the 23-year-old played patiently before reaching his ton from 260 balls and eventually ending on 118 not out.
Andy Hodd (44) had fallen early on day two, before much of the morning and afternoon were lost to rain.
But Jack Brooks' career-best 94 not out helped Yorkshire to 421-7 at the close.
The 32-year-old, with only three previous first-class half-centuries to his name, put on an unbroken 165 with Leaning as the pair seemingly batted a Lancashire attack minus the injured Jimmy Anderson out of the game.
After reaching 50 off 100 deliveries, Brooks' next 44 runs came off just 35 - including a seven-ball blitz for 26 runs that included two sixes and three fours.
The eighth-wicket partnership between Leaning and Brooks was also a Roses Match record for either side and gives Yorkshire some hope of forcing a positive result on days three and four.
Tom Bailey (3-107) took the only wicket to fall on the second day, bowling Hodd after the wicketkeeper had added only three to his overnight score.
Anderson, who will be sent for a scan on his right groin on Monday, will not bowl again in this match, but may bat if needed.
Lancashire's Ryan McLaren told BBC Radio Manchester:
"Tough, frustrating. The pitch has slowed up as the game has gone. Having taken that wicket this morning, you would have thought we would have been able to bowl them out pretty quickly.
"But Jack Brooks has batted well and Jack Leaning led the way and anchored the innings. We have created chances, but we didn't manage to take them. It was just a frustrating day.
"Sitting without a seam bowler (Anderson) is part of the game. That happens. But you've just got to adapt and find a way of taking wickets.
"It hasn't been easy, but we've got to try and pitch up, start again and hopefully knock them over quickly and try and bat long."
Yorkshire's Jack Leaning told BBC Radio Leeds:
"It's a big weight off my shoulders to get that hundred after a poor season in red-ball cricket. To do that in a tough situation in a Roses game against Lancashire means a lot.
"I didn't quite feel fluent for much of my innings, but to be able to get back to old ways and graft out ugly runs when I'm not feeling at my best is really pleasing.
"They bowled very well. They held their lengths and set the fields accordingly, which made it tough to score.
"Thankfully to get through that and get the team in a good position is massive. Then, Brooksy coming in and playing like he did was unbelievable."


Gordon Ross is quite clear: he does not want to die.

As a committed nationalist, he says he is looking forward to the Holyrood election in 2016 and possibly a further independence referendum.
But he knows he may not see that happening.
The 66-year-old grandfather lives in a care home on the south side of Glasgow, where his disabilities mean he requires help for all of his personal needs - including feeding and drinking.
He suffers from Parkinson's disease, which gives him violent shaking fits, leaving him weak and exhausted.
He also has a condition which has damaged his nervous system, meaning he has no feeling in his hands or feet.
This means he cannot stand, and must drink from a straw in a plastic bottle. He crushed a glass in his fingers, because he was unable to gauge how strongly he should grip it.
He did not wish to film an interview because he was feeling ill, but spoke frankly to BBC Scotland about his condition.
"I shake very badly; an attack can last at least a quarter of an hour and it is very sore," he said.
"Afterwards I am left dripping in sweat and shattered.
"I know my condition is deteriorating, but I am hoping I am getting to a plateau so things can be more stable for a while."
Mr Ross, a former television producer who also worked as a care home inspector, says his disability means he could not now take his own life should he want to - although he constantly emphasises that he wishes to continue living.
But he argues he has lost the choice an able-bodied person has - and he had himself until a few months ago.
"If I wanted to end my life because my condition has become unbearable, I would require help to do so," he said.
"But anyone who helped me could face prosecution. This discriminates against me as a disabled person.
"A younger person could take the decision to end their life. I could have done so a couple of years ago. But I didn't want to then, and I don't now.
"But if the time comes, I will need help."
He said he wanted to be able to attend the Judicial Review case at the Court of Session in person.
But after a test run in a taxi to see if he could cope with the journey from Glasgow, they turned back.
In the case he hopes to force the Lord Advocate, Scotland's senior prosecutor, to issue guidance, similar to that in England and Wales  which means a person assisting in a suicide "for altruistic reasons" will not face prosecution.
That guidance was issued after a case at the UK Supreme Court which upheld a ban on doctors helping patients to end their lives, but ruled that judges do have the "constitutional authority" to intervene in the debate.
The ruling challenged parliament to re-examine the predicament of those who are severely ill and wish to die but cannot do so without medical assistance.
MSPs are currently debating a bill which was brought forward by the late independent MSP Margo Macdonald.
The Lord Advocate, Frank Mulholland QC declined to give evidence to Holyrood's health committee in January 2015 because the judicial review was pending.
But in a letter to MSPs, he outlined the legal position. He said: "If someone assists another to take their own life, such cases would be reported to the procurator fiscal as a deliberate killing of another, and it would be dealt with under the law relating to homicide."
He went on: "There is a high public interest in prosecuting all aspects of homicide where there is sufficient available evidence."
There is opposition at Holyrood to the Bill but Gordon Ross said even if it went ahead, it might be too late for him.
"That's why I need a decision quickly, and why this court case is so important," he said.


Donegal continued their impressive start to Division One of the Football League as they earned a 2-14 to 1-7 win over a woeful Cork at Ballyshannon.

Martin O'Reilly's goal helped Donegal take an early 1-4 to 0-0 advantage.
Donal Og Hodnett's goal contributed to Cork reducing the margin to a point but two Odhran MacNiallais points helped Donegal lead by five at half-time.
MacNiallais's goal extended Donegal's lead to 2-13 to 1-3 as Rory Gallagher's sided backed up their win over Down.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Midfielder MacNiallais was one of numerous impressive performers for Donegal as the home team's scores were spread around, with regular scoring talisman Michael Murphy restricted to a single point at Father Tierney Park.
As Donegal were able to run through Cork in the early stages, points from Paddy McBrearty, Ciaran Thompson and Murphy put them three ahead before O'Reilly netted in the 14th minute after his clever exchange of passes with the excellent Eoin McHugh.
Cork fought back with an unanswered 1-3 to cut the margin to a point as Hodnett netted after Peter Kelleher had beaten Eamon McGee in an aerial duel.
Kelleher was winning his battle with McGee at that stage but MacNiallais' superb long-range point started a run of five straight Donegal points before the break with Anthony Thompson and McBrearty among the scorers.
The game was put to bed in the third quarter as Donegal hit a further unanswered 1-4, with MacNiallais netting in the 54th minute.
That goal extended Donegal's lead to 2-13 to 1-3 and while Cork hit four of the last five scores, it was still a rather chastening afternoon for the Rebels after their impressive win over Mayo last weekend.
WEEKEND ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE RESULTS
Saturday
Division 1
Mayo 0-07 0-09 Dublin
Division 2
Armagh 0-15 1-13 Laois
Cavan 1-11 1-12 Derry
Division 4
London 1-11 4-04 Carlow
Sunday
Division 1
Donegal 2-14 1-07 Cork
Kerry 1-10 0-14 Roscommon
Monaghan 0-13 0-11 Down
Division 2
Fermanagh 0-10 0-06 Meath
Galway 1-09 1-11 Tyrone
Division 3
Kildare 1-12 1-08 Offaly
Longford 0-13 1-08 Limerick
Sligo 1-11 1-10 Westmeath
Tipperary 2-07 1-07 Clare
Division 4
Antrim 1-08 0-07 Wexford
Leitrim 1-06 0-10 Wicklow, Carrick-on-Shannon
Waterford 1-09 1-10 Louth


Drivers have been urged not to ignore signs warning of flooding on the roads after four people had to be rescued.

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service warned flood water can pose a "serious threat" to people, as well as causing serious damage to cars.
Firefighters had to attend 14 flooding incidents and four rescues last week.
Meanwhile, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) said a band of heavy rain could bring further flooding to parts of Wales on Monday night.
Chris Margett, the fire service's corporate head of protection and prevention, said: "In the event where there is no road closure sign, don't drive through deep water.
"If you are unsure of the water depth just don't do it, you are putting yourself and others at unnecessary risk.
"Flood water can be deceptively powerful - it can literally rip up the road surface and dislodge manhole covers and kerbstones - and its depth and flow rate can quickly change with the weather."
NRW issued nine flood warnings and 22 alerts on the weekend, with two flood warnings remaining in place for the Lower Dee Valley from Llangollen to Wrexham and Tenby, Pembrokeshire.
Resident Maria Eales, from Llechryd, Ceredigion, has described how she became marooned in her home after the River Teifi burst its banks on Sunday.
Ms Eales only moved to the area in July and said this is their "first experience of this kind of weather".
"We can't get through to Cardigan and the rain continues. Fortunately all our Christmas food is in the freezer. We're pretty self sufficient so we'll be okay," she said.
NRW has warned people to prepare for possible flooding, with more warnings expected to be issued on Monday.
The highest rainfall is likely on high ground in the Cambrian Mountains, Snowdonia and the Brecon Beacons.
A spokesman said drains may struggle to cope with the volume of water and roads could be closed, while swollen rivers could also cause disruption in the south Wales valleys.


A 24-hour Tube strike will "definitely go ahead", a union has said.

The announcement comes after London Underground (LU) made an increased but "final" pay offer in a bid to avert the action from 21:30 BST on Wednesday.
Unions were given until 18:30 BST to accept the offer which includes a 2% rise this year and £2,000 for drivers on the new night Tube.
Finn Brennan, a senior negotiator for Aslef, said unions were not being given enough time to consider the proposals.
Almost 20,000 workers are due to take part in the industrial action.
Aslef, the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT), Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) and Unite have been in dispute over the pay offered for the new night Tube service, which is due to start at weekends from mid-September.
LU chief operating officer Steve Griffiths said in a message to staff that a "full and final" offer had been made in an attempt to conclude five months of talks.
Mr Griffiths said he had set a deadline so if industrial action was called off LU could plan to provide the "best possible service" to customers.
He added: "I have made this offer, as I firmly believe that providing you with certainty on your pay is the right thing to do.
"We are not asking staff to work unlimited nights and weekends. Most of you will not be affected at all by night Tube when it's launched in September."
LU's latest offer included an average 2% increase on basic pay, RPI inflation or 1%, whichever is greater, in 2016 and 2017, a £500 non-consolidated "launch bonus" to all staff on night Tube lines or at stations serving these lines.
At the last minute London Underground has gone in big.
There is a 2% increase for all staff, but there is also a "transition bonus" of £500 for staff on affected lines for the night tube and £2,000 extra for drivers. Yes, you read that right £2,000.
So Tube drivers could get in total a £2,500 extra.
Bonuses aside 2% is what Network Rail and the DLR awarded their workers - so that's in line with the industry.
Members have already contacted me saying it is not enough for the loss of work-life balance.
Transport bosses also offered a £2,000 "transition bonus" for drivers working on the overnight services.
Previously a 0.75% pay increase with an additional payment of £250 for drivers was offered.
Mr Brennan said unions were prepared to return to Acas for more talks on Tuesday, however they had been told the new offer "will be off the table by then".
"This is playground negotiating. Having made no offer for three months, they give four unions one afternoon to consider a new offer," he said.
"The strike will definitely go ahead - the company has said the offer is off the table" at 18:30 BST.
The RMT described the offer as "divisive and unacceptable" saying the union's executive will be recommended to reject it.
General secretary Mick Cash said: "While a small minority of staff are being offered a non-consolidated one-off lump sum the remainder of staff are ignored and the key issues of work-life balance and the personal health and safety concerns are sidelined."
The TSSA union also rejected the offer and urged LU to return to the negotiating table.
General secretary Manuel Cortes said: "This dispute is not just about pay but about how to run a safe and secure night Tube which serves the passengers as well as rewarding the staff.
"That service cannot be imposed top down. It has to be negotiated around the table with the staff who will be expected to deliver it."


A duality in the language used by the Muslim Brotherhood in English and Arabic has emerged as the crisis between the Egyptian government and Muslim Brotherhood continues.

Egyptian media commentators have been increasingly critical of the Muslim Brotherhood's use of double-speak - using a particular language and themes when addressing English-language audiences that starkly contrast with the message they have delivered in Arabic to their supporters.
When addressing international audiences, the key themes in the Muslim Brotherhood discourse have consistently been that of liberty, democracy and legitimacy. A narrative of victimhood is invoked against the might of the Egyptian army and police. In contrast, the language used by the group's leaders when addressing its supporters in Arabic is laden with emotional Islamist rhetoric, including references to martyrdom and violence.
Jihad al-Haddad, the group's media spokesman, has been particularly prominent in English language media. His Twitter feed has repeatedly stressed the group's non-violent nature, tweeting on 15 August "#MB's organizational capacity, discipline & commitment 2 non-violence ensures its peacefulness. Our peacefulness is our strength."
On 11 July 2013, in an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, he asserted: "It's democracy at the end of the day. We're all different as human beings and that's why we have to agree to the rules of democracy that govern these differences."
However, Mr Haddad came under fire from some Egyptian social media users who accused him of misleading the Western media about events on the ground in Egypt. In June, the hashtag "Gehad Haddad is a big liar" was trending on Twitter, and is still a popular hashtag for Twitter users pointing out discrepancies in the Muslim Brotherhood's version of events in Egypt.
Senior Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohammed al-Beltagi has been especially vocal since the current crisis began. A regular on the stage at Cairo's Rabaa al-Adawiyah area, where a key pro-Morsi sit-in was held, he authored an opinion piece for The Guardian newspaper on 21 August. In the piece, he condemns the "brutal and humiliating" actions of the Egyptian army but maintains that the Muslim Brotherhood "is committed to peaceful protests and has pledged never to resort to violence in response to the violence perpetrated against itâ€¦ We believe that our peacefulness is a more powerful weapon than all the killing machines employed by the army or the police".
In contrast, Mr Beltagi has taken a more hardline tone when addressing Muslim Brotherhood supporters and Arabic-language media. Privately-owned daily Al-Tahrir quotes Mr Beltagi as telling protestors in Rabaa al-Adawiyah on 3 July: "Say goodbye to your mother, father, and wife, because you will sacrifice your soul to defend Muhammad Morsi's legitimacy."
As the Egyptian Presidency began to warn protesters that they would break up pro-Morsi sit-ins if they did not voluntarily vacate, Mr Beltagi urged supporters on 11 August to remain in Rabaa square, telling them "your brothers in Algeria gave the greatest example when they offered a million martyrs. We, for the sake of peoples' freedom and dignity, are capable of offering more than that in exchange for the ouster of the occupation".
A video circulating online and on television in July shows Mr Beltagi saying: "[The Muslim Brotherhood] are not controlling the current violent upheaval in Sinai, however what is happening in Sinai is in response to that military coup, [the violence] will stop once [Army Chief] Abdul Fattah al-Sisi ends the coup."
The Islamic preacher Safwat al-Hijazi has also adopted a similar tone. While not a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, he is a staunch supporter and considered one of their strongest allies. In an interview with Al-Arabiya's Al-Hadath al-Misri talk show on 18 June, he warns those planning to protest against Mohammed Morsi that "those who spray water on him [Morsi] I will spray with blood". He repeated this warning on 21 June when addressing Morsi supporters at Rabaa al-Adawiyah.
Similarly, Tariq al-Zumur, an Islamist with ties to Jihad groups and a Muslim Brotherhood supporter, was granted the stage at Rabaa al-Adawiyah on 21 June and tells the crowd that those protesting against Mohammed Morsi on 30 June will be "crushedâ€¦ it will be the decisive blow".
The use of doublespeak is not a new Muslim Brotherhood practice. In September 2012, the Muslim Brotherhood English-language Twitter account retweeted a message from Muslim Brotherhood Deputy Guide Khairat al-Shatir to the US Embassy in which he says he was "relieved none of @USembassycairo staff was hurt". The US Embassy responded: "Thanks. By the way, have you checked out your own Arabic feeds? I hope you know we read those too". In Arabic, the Muslim Brotherhood Twitter account and official website had been praising protests taking place by the US embassy, even publishing an article on the website entitled Egyptians rise to defend the Prophet.
In April 2013, a similar situation occurred in the aftermath of the Boston Bombings. Ikhwanweb, the official English website of the Muslim Brotherhood, strongly condemned the bombings and offered its condolences to the American people. However, the vice-chairman of the Freedom and Justice Party, Isam al-Iryan, posted a slightly different take on the events on his personal Arabic language Facebook page.
While he described the attacks as "criminal", he insisted that "our sympathy with the families of the victims, and the American people do not stop us from reading into the grave incident." He went on to raise suspicions over recent global developments, saying that these bombings followed a "series of events" that include the French intervention in Mali, increased violence in Syria, Iraq and Somalia and ponders: "Who disturbed democratic transformations, despite the difficult transition from despotism, corruption, poverty, hatred, and intolerance to freedom, justice tolerance, development, human dignity, and social justice? Who planted Islamophobia through research, the press, and the media?"
BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. For more reports from BBC Monitoring, click here. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.


A grieving uncle died in a road accident hours after laying flowers at the spot where his four-year-old nephew drowned in the sea, an inquest heard.

Peter Thurlow, 42, was hit by a lorry on the M5 in Somerset, shortly after a memorial to mark what would have been the sixth birthday of Dylan Cecil.
Dylan drowned after he was swept off a jetty in Burnham-on-Sea during a family holiday in August 2012.
A conclusion of accidental death was reached by the coroner.
At West Somerset Coroner's Court, deputy coroner Tim Hayden said Mr Thurlow, of Kettering, Northamptonshire, had visited Burnham with friends "for what was in itself a very sad event".
Mr Hayden said: "He had drank throughout the day but it was steadily and he was not in a state of complete intoxication."
Mr Thurlow, a mechanic, had made the 170-mile journey from his home with his partner and Dylan's parents, on 29 April.
The inquest was told he was hit by a lorry while hitch-hiking on the M5 between Burnham and Weston-super-Mare in an attempt to return home to his ill father, who was due to undergo an operation.
Mr Hayden said the driver of the lorry would have had just over a second to react and added there was "no evidence" to suggest she was "anything other than driving extremely attentively at that time".
Last year an inquest absolved Dylan's parents Rachel McCollum and Darren Cecil of any blame for their son's death, recording a verdict of accidental death caused by drowning.
The inquest heard they had jumped in after their son but could not rescue him and his body was recovered four days later.


Northern Ireland's tiny barn owl population has been given a boost as for the first time, the birds have bred successfully in an man-made nest box.

Two female chicks hatched in an owl box on a farm on the Ards Peninsula in County Down during the spring - six years after the box was put up.
They are a welcome addition to Northern Ireland's barn owl population, estimated to be between 30-50 pairs.
They are sometimes called screech owls because of their ear-splitting call.
The parents are now believed to have laid a second clutch of eggs.
Farmer Michael Calvert put the owl box up to encourage the birds to breed.
After spotting evidence that they were using it earlier this year, he got a licence to set a camera trap and got amazing pictures of the juvenile birds and their parents.
"It's been a joy to watch the birds grow, hear them screech and see them learning to fly," said Mr Calvert, who has won awards for his nature conservation work.
The conservation charity, Ulster Wildlife, said the new chicks were great news.
"Barn owls are in serious decline due to loss of suitable hunting habitat and natural nesting sites, such as hollow trees or old barns," said barn owl officer, Catherine Fegan.
The two chicks were ringed under licence by the British Trust for Ornithology before they learned to fly. They will be tracked as part of wider conservation work.
The barn owl is a protected species.  It is illegal to disturb its nesting sites or nesting boxes.


Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal is against the formation of a breakaway European super league.

Speculation regarding a new league came after a meeting of officials from United and top-flight rivals Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City.
But Van Gaal has voiced his opposition, adding that the Champions League should revert to include only title winners.
"Everybody knows, when you follow my career, that I am against all the super leagues and things like that," he said.
On the subject of the Champions League, he said: "It has to be between champions in my opinion. I said that 20 years ago and I say it now again.
"I think sport is to win, not to be second or third."
Van Gaal won the Champions League as Ajax manager in 1995, two seasons before the tournament was expended to allow the runners-up from eight domestic leagues to participate.
England - along with Germany and Spain - now have four teams qualifying for the competition every season based on league position.
Leicester and Tottenham occupy the first two of the four Champions League places available for next season, with United and Liverpool currently outside the Premier League's top four.
Asked about this week's events, Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri said it was mostly "speculation".
"This is sport, no? I understand they want to do something, but if something strange happens, they shouldn't blame the little teams, they should blame themselves," he said.
"They are trying to do something, but I think people must think about what fans want, not only about money, because the culture and the fans are more important than other things."
Chelsea interim boss Guus Hiddink appeared to support Ranieri and Van Gaal, saying: "I think we must all be careful to go into exclusivity when teams like, this year, surprisingly, Leicester is mixing in.
"They have the full right to be where they are now and are a good contender for the next Champions League this year."
This week, Arsenal said they were "strongly opposed" to a European super league, the impetus for which is believed to come from clubs in mainland Europe due to the current financial strength of the Premier League.
Charlie Stillitano, chairman of American company Relevent Sports that organises the pre-season International Champions Cup competition, was also involved in Tuesday's meeting between the five Premier League clubs.
When asked if a super league was on the agenda, Stillitano told radio station Sirius XM: "I think it is. They're talking about it all over Europe. At least a change in format.
"When they came up with the Champions League, the idea wasn't to have PSV and Genk playing in the knockout stage.
"What would Manchester United argue: did we create soccer or did Leicester create [it]?
"Let's call it the money pot created by soccer and the fandom around the world. Who has had more of an integral role, Manchester United or Leicester?
"It's a wonderful, wonderful story - but you could see it from Manchester United's point of view, too."


Olympic bronze medal-winning gymnast Beth Tweddle is "stable" in hospital after suffering a back injury on the Channel 4 reality show The Jump.

Tweddle, 30, who retired from gymnastics in 2013, hit a barrier on landing and has quit the show.
A family statement read: "Beth had a fall on the slopes whilst in training for The Jump. She is stable and due to undergo routine surgery on her back."
Fellow Olympian Rebecca Adlington has also withdrawn because of injury.
Adlington, 26, who won two swimming golds for Britain at the 2008 Olympics, suffered a shoulder injury and said she was "so sad to be leaving".
Holby City actress Tina Hobley, 44, also pulled out of the show after dislocating her elbow and suffering two fractures to her arm.


An Ofcom review into public service broadcasting (PSB) in the UK has raised concerns about a fall in spending on drama and children's programming.

Investment in TV drama has fallen by 44% since the last review in 2008.
The report found that "the drops in the levels of investment, particularly on ITV, are a concern".
The media watchdog's review found spending on children's programmes in the UK had also fallen from £103m in 2008 to £88m in 2014.
The BBC now accounts for 97% (£84m) of total public service broadcasting spending on children's programmes.
Spending by ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 on children's TV has dropped by 74% to £3m in 2014.
The review points out there is "very limited provision of non-animation programming beyond the BBC".
The review found that, despite the success of big budget dramas like Downtown Abbey and Doctor Who, the amount of new UK drama being shown on the main channels has fallen from 627 hours in 2008 to 371 hours in 2014.
Although it noted that "audience satisfaction with drama is stable".
The review found that - following the removal of specific quotas in 2003 - public service programmes in arts and classical music, religion and ethics, and formal education has significantly reduced.
Ofcom also warned broadcasters need to adapt as the trend towards online viewing grows.
The watchdog found that unless the main TV channels adapt their business models, they would struggle to pay for public service programming in the future.
Ofcom warned another challenge for the broadcasters in the future will be delivering news to younger audiences, as viewing of TV news has fallen by 29% among people aged 16-34.
It also found certain audience groups were concerned about how they were portrayed on screen - particularly people from BAME backgrounds or people with disabilities - either being under-represented or unfairly portrayed.
However, the review found that general audience satisfaction  was high with 79% believing PSB was delivering on its purposes, such as delivering trustworthy news and high quality programming reflecting the UK.
That figure is up from 69% in 2008.
The review also found PSB channels continue to make a significant contribution to UK broadcasting.
In 2013, they invested just over £2bn in new UK programmes, not including sports content, compared to around £350m from non-PSB companies.
The main UK TV channels, BBC, ITV, STV, UTV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and S4C, all carry programmes with public service values.
Over half of all TV viewing is on these main channels - but that figure rises to more than 70% when the time shifted channels are taken into account.


A fraudster has been jailed for over 10 years for defrauding hundreds of people out of nearly £50m.

Richard Clay, 50, and business partner Kathryn Clark, 52, operated a firm called Arck LLP, convincing investors to part with, in some cases, their pension funds and life savings.
The pair previously admitted six counts of fraud and two of forgery.
The "elaborate scam" was uncovered in 2012, according to the Serious Fraud Office.
The Nottingham-based company received £47.5m from "several hundred" investors hoping to benefit from property development, including in Cape Verde, police said.
It was only after civil proceedings were initiated that the fraud was uncovered and the defendants were arrested in March 2012.
Clark, of Edwalton, Nottinghamshire, helped to forge bank statements to appease anxious investors, providing "a veneer of credibility" as she was authorised under the Financial Services Act.
One statement was falsified to suggest there was more than £12m in the firm's bank account, when there was just £25, an earlier Insolvency Service hearing was told.
Serious Fraud Office director David Green described the pair's crime as a "pernicious fraud".
Clay, of Belper, Derbyshire, was described as the "directing force" behind Arck's financial schemes, and sentenced to 10 years and 10 months in prison at Southwark Crown Court and given a serious crime prevention order to last for five years.
Clark was handed a two-year suspended sentence and ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work.
At earlier hearings, Clay admitted three counts of fraud, while Clark pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud and two of forgery.
Both were disqualified from being a director of a company for 15 and 14 years respectively, by the Insolvency Service earlier this year.
A hearing to discuss confiscation proceedings is due to take place in March.


UKIP's general election candidate for Newport East has resigned from the role after posting offensive messages online.

Donald Grewar had praised a message on the British National Party's website about gay people, and later backed an English Defence League statement.
In a letter to UKIP's chairman Steve Crowther, Mr Grewar said he was "truly sorry" for his "foolishness".
Mr Crowther said he was sorry to lose him but he had "done the right thing".
Last week the party said it was investigating Mr Grewar after he backed a message on the BNP website calling gay people "perverts" and "paedophiles".
Another comment supporting the English Defence League statement "no surrender to militant Islam or political correctness" appeared on Facebook.


The headquarters of the French tennis federation (FFT) and the home of its president have been searched following allegations of illegal ticket sales.

Prosecutors seized documents from the office and Jean Gachassin's house.
The investigation relates to alleged corruption over ticket sales for the French Open and a deal to extend the Roland Garros stadium where it is held.
The FFT confirmed its headquarters had been searched and said it was fully co-operating with investigators.
France's financial prosecutors office said in a statement it was investigating "misappropriation of property and influence trafficking", "an illicit system of reselling tickets for the French Open tournament", and the "awarding of the contract for the renovation and enlargement of Roland Garros".
A travel agency in Tarbes, southern France was also searched as part of the investigation, according to reports.
The world of tennis was rocked earlier this year after a joint BBC and Buzzfeed investigation revealed suspected widespread match fixing in professional tennis.
The French Open starts on 22 May.


Shipping routes across the Arctic are going to open up significantly this century even with a best-case reduction in CO2 emissions, a new study suggests.

University of Reading, UK, researchers have investigated how the decline in sea-ice, driven by warmer temperatures, will make the region more accessible.
They find that by 2050, opportunities to transit the Arctic will double for non ice-strengthened vessels.
These open-water ships will even be going right over the top at times.
And if CO2 emissions are not curtailed - if the aspirations of the Paris Agreement to keep global temperature rise "well below two degrees" are not implemented - then moderately ice-strengthened vessels could be routinely ploughing across the Arctic by late century for perhaps 10-12 months of the year.
"The reduction in summer sea-ice, perhaps the most striking sign of climate change, may also provide economic opportunities," commented Reading's Dr Nathanael Melia.
"There is renewed interest in trans-Arctic shipping because of potentially reduced costs and journey times between Asia and the Atlantic. So far only a few commercial vessels have utilised these routes as they are not currently reliably open."
Sea-ice is in a committed, long-term decline as the polar north warms.
The traditional September minimum extent is about to be set in the coming days, and this year looks on course to be the second lowest in the satellite record.
Researchers do not see this trend being reversed anytime soon.
"If we experience a 2-degree increase in global temperatures, we will get close to an Arctic that is effectively ice-free for part of the year; that's less than a million sq km of ice cover," said Reading's Dr Ed Hawkins.
"So, even if future emissions are consistent with the Paris agreement, it will of course mean shipping routes will be more open. Not every year, but more regularly than they are now."
"Open water vessels won't be hugging the Russian coast quite so much, and ice-strengthened ships will be going right over the pole," he told BBC News.
The incentives are clear: if vessels can transit the Arctic, they will shave many days off their journey times between the Pacific and North Atlantic ports, and save fuel.
In addition, by plotting a more central course, they can avoid the fees they would otherwise be charged for going through Siberian waters.
The team has been looking at how the opportunities might evolve in the decades ahead.
The group used five prominent climate computer models and essentially trained them to better reflect the distribution of Arctic sea-ice as seen in current observations.
They then ran those models forward through the century under different emissions scenarios, to gauge where and how frequently shipping routes would become navigable.
For European shipping companies currently moving cargo through the Suez canal to and from East Asia to Rotterdam, say, the average journey time tends to take a minimum of about 30 days.
But under a Paris-style future, an Arctic shortcut could shave this to 23 days by mid-century and 22 days by late century for non specialised vessels.
And under a high emissions scenario, these transit times come down further to 20 days by 2050 and 17 days by 2100.
The gains are not so great for North Atlantic ports, such as New York, because a route through the fabled North West Passage is not so much shorter than using the Panama Canal - but the Reading team still finds several days' advantage in going by way of the Arctic.
Another key finding from the research is the way the shipping season in the far north will extend as the period of low-ice conditions grows.
The team says that, for a high emissions scenario, trans-Arctic shipping could be potentially commonplace by late century, with navigable routes available even to open water vessels for perhaps 4-8 months a year.
For a low emissions scenario, where global temperatures are stabilised at less than 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels, the frequency with which open-water vessels can make the transits is much wider than today at 2-4 months.
The Reading scientists stress there will always be some sea-ice, especially in winter, and that year-to-year the conditions could be highly variable.
Shipping companies, they say, will weigh several factors before picking a route (e.g. fuel costs, weather, insurance, draft restrictions, cargo type, etc), and may well conclude on occasions that the time saved by going across the Arctic is still not worth it.
This will be especially so if they think there is a possibility of unprotected vessels running into free, fast-moving ice floes.
It is a point picked up by Rachel Tilling, who studies sea-ice using the Cryosat spacecraft. This European Space Agency mission produces quick-turn-around maps of floe thickness.
"Now there's evidence that Arctic shipping routes are opening, those wishing to use them will need to know how thick the ice is on a day-to-day basis. We provide this information through our near-real-time data service, which we launched to aid science and maritime activities in the Arctic," the University College of London researcher said.
A paper detailing the Reading study appears in Geophysical Research Letters.
Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos


Liverpool set up a fourth-round FA Cup tie against West Ham as they easily saw off League Two Exeter at Anfield.

Media playback is not supported on this device
It was one-way traffic as the hosts dominated, monopolising possession and their pace was too much for Exeter.
Joe Allen put the Reds ahead, sweeping home from close range after good work by Brad Smith and Christian Benteke.
Sheyi Ojo, put through by Jordon Ibe, brilliantly curled in beyond Robert Olejnik, while Joao Teixeira sealed the victory with a calm finish.
Jurgen Klopp's men will now prepare to host West Ham, a side who have comfortably beaten them twice in the league this season, on 30 January.
Klopp fielded a slightly more experienced line-up for this replay than the one at Exeter, which had just three players boasting more than four first-team appearances.
Adam Bogdan paid the price for his poor performance in the original tie with regular goalkeeper Simon Mignolet stepping in as one of three changes, though the Belgium international was largely unemployed.
Allen, Jose Enrique and Ibe added Premier League know-how, though all eyes were on £32.5m striker Benteke who has been a substitute for many of Liverpool's biggest games this season.
The striker, criticised for his performances since his summer arrival, again failed to impose himself on a match. He had a number of chances - heading over the crossbar and into the side-netting, messing up when clear on goal after the break while failing to hit the target when clean through in stoppage time.
However, the 25-year-old - who Klopp said this week had a long-term future at Anfield - did play a part in the opening goal, feeding Smith as the Australian charged forward to cut back to Allen, and assisted Teixeira as he struck from 12 yards.
Benteke received the support of his manager after the match, with Klopp blaming referee Neil Swarbrick for making life difficult for the Belgium international.
"I saw Christian after the game, he was in good shape," said the German. "The ref didn't help, it wasn't easy for him. There were a lot of times when Christian was penalised for a foul and I didn't see a foul. He worked for the spaces in and around the box and it would have been nice for him to score but it's OK.
"Our next opponent is West Ham. We didn't play well at West Ham so we have to correct it and show we can do better - but it's a good game and a very important tournament for us."
Academy product Jon Flanagan, absent for 18 months because of injury, was introduced in the 51st minute and received a standing ovation from the 43,000 crowd.
The 23-year-old, a key player during the club's Premier League title challenge under Brendan Rodgers two season ago, has undergone two separate knee operations since he last played for the team in May 2014.
Former Reds captain Steven Gerrard said the team had missed the full-back and had predicted earlier in the day on social media that Anfield would "erupt" should Flanagan be introduced.
A number of Klopp's young players caught the eye. Ibe's pace gave Exeter problems and the 20-year-old twice went close, hitting the crossbar on one occasion with the ball agonisingly dropping on the line. Ojo, Cameron Brannagan and Smith also showed much promise.
Before the match Exeter manager Paul Tisdale had urged his team to play with "no fear", but they were not allowed to play at all as Liverpool pressed with urgency, forcing the visitors to retreat into their own half, in the first half especially.
Playing on a better surface, the League Two side were unable to rattle their opponents like they had done at St James Park where they were 2-1 up until Smith's late equaliser.
Tisdale's men, 14th in League Two having won just one of their last seven games, lacked the pace to trouble Liverpool's much-maligned defence but they did improve after the break as attacking substitutions were made, with Tom Nichols, Will Hoskins and David Wheeler introduced in a switch to 4-4-2.
But there is a silver lining for the Devon side, whose chairman Julian Tagg described the competition as the club's "lifeblood", as their trip to Anfield is estimated to have earned them £700,000.
Paul Tisdale: "I'm disappointed but not surprised. We have to be realistic, it was a big challenge. I knew I had to pace the team. We couldn't overdo it too early. We didn't get to grips with the game in the first 20 minutes.
"But I'm proud of the players, a lot of them excelled. The key was to show purpose but we took too long to get there. We had our chance in the first tie and the reality was that it was going to be a big challenge.
"The second goal killed the game, but it was a good experience for the players and a great day for the club. The money helps, we're a very small club. We very rarely get these windfalls so it will be put to good use."
Liverpool will turn their attention to the Premier League where Klopp is expected to make a number of changes for the trip to Norwich on January 23. It is back to reality for Exeter who host play-off hopefuls Accrington in League Two on Saturday.
Match ends, Liverpool 3, Exeter City 0.
Second Half ends, Liverpool 3, Exeter City 0.
Foul by Brad Smith (Liverpool).
Tom Nichols (Exeter City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Attempt blocked. Arron Davies (Exeter City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Tom Nichols.
João Teixeira (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Christian Ribeiro (Exeter City).
Foul by Brad Smith (Liverpool).
David Wheeler (Exeter City) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Attempt saved. João Teixeira (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Brad Smith.
Attempt saved. Christian Benteke (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Cameron Brannagan.
Attempt blocked. Tom Nichols (Exeter City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Christian Ribeiro with a cross.
Offside, Liverpool. Kevin Stewart tries a through ball, but Christian Benteke is caught offside.
Goal!  Liverpool 3, Exeter City 0. João Teixeira (Liverpool) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Christian Benteke with a through ball.
Attempt blocked. Pedro Chirivella (Liverpool) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Sheyi Ojo.
Foul by Christian Benteke (Liverpool).
Jordan Moore-Taylor (Exeter City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Liverpool. Pedro Chirivella replaces Jordon Ibe.
Sheyi Ojo (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Craig Woodman (Exeter City).
Attempt blocked. Lee Holmes (Exeter City) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Foul by Christian Benteke (Liverpool).
Troy Brown (Exeter City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Goal!  Liverpool 2, Exeter City 0. Sheyi Ojo (Liverpool) left footed shot from the right side of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Jordon Ibe.
Attempt saved. Sheyi Ojo (Liverpool) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Cameron Brannagan.
Attempt missed. Cameron Brannagan (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.
Attempt blocked. João Teixeira (Liverpool) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Jordon Ibe.
Attempt blocked. Alex Nicholls (Exeter City) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Foul by Kevin Stewart (Liverpool).
Lee Holmes (Exeter City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Substitution, Liverpool. Sheyi Ojo replaces Joe Allen.
Substitution, Exeter City. David Wheeler replaces Matt Oakley.
Attempt missed. Jordon Ibe (Liverpool) left footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by João Teixeira.
Attempt saved. Lee Holmes (Exeter City) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Will Hoskins with a cross.
Foul by Christian Benteke (Liverpool).
Jordan Moore-Taylor (Exeter City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Corner,  Exeter City. Conceded by Brad Smith.
Attempt saved. Christian Benteke (Liverpool) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Cameron Brannagan.
Christian Benteke (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Troy Brown (Exeter City).


James Horwill has been named as Harlequins' new captain ahead of the 2017-18 Premiership season.

The 32-year-old Australia lock, who has captained his country for 16 of his 62 Tests, joined Harlequins in 2015.
Horwill, who previously played for Super Rugby outfit Queensland Reds, will succeed England scrum-half Danny Care as Quins skipper.
"I'm very humbled and honoured to be asked to captain such a great club," Horwill told Quins' website.
Care, who had led the side since replacing Joe Marler in 2015, said: "I feel that it is the right time for a freshen-up, and for someone else to take over."
Director of rugby John Kingston added: "I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Danny for his huge effort and energy whilst being captain of Harlequins.
"James has shown unconditional commitment to the cause since he arrived at the club. I am immensely looking forward to working with him as we seek to build on our Champions Cup qualification."
Quins finished sixth in the table in 2016-17, 14 points off the top four, after 11 wins and 11 defeats in their 22 league games.


Musicians, authors and politicians have paid tribute to singer Leonard Cohen following his death at the age of 82.

Sir Elton John said he was "a giant of a man and a brilliant songwriter", while Boy George called him a "poignant force of energy".
Russell Crowe thanked the Hallelujah songwriter for "the perspective, the wry smiles and the truth".
JK Rowling tweeted the singer's lyrics: "There is a crack in everything, That's how the light gets in."
Actress Mia Farrow and Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda were among others to quote the songwriter's lyrics on Twitter, while Carole King tweeted her respects with "RIP".
Peter Gabriel said Cohen's "unique voice painted unforgettable pictures" and that "there is a big hole where he stood".
"Anyone looking at an empty page trying to write a song lyric sits in the shadow of the mountain that was Leonard Cohen," he wrote.
"Another magical voice stilled," wrote Bette Midler, while Justin Timberlake said Cohen had "a spirit and soul beyond compare".
In a lengthy tribute, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Cohen had "managed to reach the highest of artistic achievement".
"His ability to conjure the vast array of human emotion made him one of the most influential and enduring musicians ever."
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also paid tribute, describing him as "a great creator" and "a talented artist".
An impromptu vigil has been held outside the singer's Montreal home, with fans lighting candles and leaving messages and flowers.
Dire Straits' Mark Knopfler thanked Cohen "for so many years of music", while Canadian singer Alanis Morissette marked his passing with a crying face emoji.
British singers Lily Allen and Paloma Faith also paid tribute, with the latter describing his death as "a tragic loss".
"As if the week could get any worse," tweeted Allen, one of a number of celebrities to allude to this week's election results in America.
US comedian Sarah Silverman said his death would make people "remember songs like Come Healing which is a good one for these days".
Duran Duran singer Simon Le Bon wrote: "Spent a good deal of my early teens, just me & #LeonardCohen alone together in my suburban bedroom. It was a gentle & fulfilling love affair."
Alexandra Burke, whose cover version of Cohen's Hallelujah was the Christmas number one after she won The X Factor in 2008, said: "Leonard Cohen, a lyrical legend, a man who will continue to inspire.  A voice that will always live on. Thank you for the memories."
Nick Cave, who covered Cohen's Avalanche on his 1984 album From Her to Eternity, said he was "the greatest songwriter of them all - utterly unique and impossible to imitate, no matter how hard we tried".
Neil Portnow, chief executive of the Recording Academy, which celebrates music through the Grammy Awards,  described Cohen as "one of the most revered pop poets and a musical touchstone for many songwriters".
"His extraordinary talent had a profound impact on countless singers and songwriters, as well as the wider culture," he added.
"Unmatched in his creativity, insight and crippling candour, Leonard Cohen was a true visionary whose voice will be sorely missed," Cohen's manager Robert Kory told Rolling Stone.
"He leaves behind a legacy of work that will bring insight, inspiration and healing for generations to come."
BBC DJ Mark Radcliffe said Cohen had been "incredible to watch" when he performed at the Glastonbury Festival in 2008.
"There were 70,000 people in front of that stage but he made it feel like a tiny club," he recalled.
Like the late David Bowie, he went on, Cohen had "made great music right to the end with the enigma intact."
Producer John Lissauer, who worked with Cohen on such albums as New Skin for the Old Ceremony and Various Positions, said he had been "an iconic figure."
"He was so consistent in his devotion to the craft and his devotion to recording and performing," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
Appearing on the same programme, former chancellor Lord Darling said seeing Cohen play a gig in London had proved uplifting as he coped with the financial crisis.
"I went along prepared to be even more gloom-filled than I was feeling in the summer of 2008 and actually I came out of it very cheered up," he told the BBC earlier.
"It's no surprise he inspired so many people."
Singer Jennifer Hudson thanked Cohen for his "dedication to music", accompanying her Twitter post with footage of a performance of Hallelujah she gave in 2014.
Yusuf, the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens, said Cohen's death had "once again exposed... the fragileness of life".
Canadian author Margaret Atwood said his death had made her "very sad", sentiments echoed by Hobbit actor Luke Evans.
Other actors to have paid their respects include Annette Bening, who described Cohen as "the most inspiring performer" and "a genius".
Antonio Banderas called him "a great poet", while Kiefer Sutherland described his countryman as "a brilliant Canadian artist".
Appearing on the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire show, music critic Neil McCormick described Cohen as "an Old Testament poet combined with a hard-boiled comedian".
"I've never met someone who took much care with his phrasing and words," he said. "He could say the darkest things about the human condition, but lace it with a humour that made it palatable."
Singer Frank Turner, appearing on the same programme, likened Cohen's songs to psalms - "perfect creations that felt like he had discovered them rather than wrote them."
"He sets a standard for all songwriters everywhere," Turner continued. "He wrote words that will stand the test of time and give the rest of us something to aspire to."
Follow us on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, on Instagram at bbcnewsents, or if you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.


The Colin Tizzard-trained Native River hung on to win the 60th running of the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury.

The 7-2 favourite crossed the line half-a-length in front of fast-finishing Carole's Destrier (25-1) with Double Ross (50-1) a gallant third.
It was a first victory in the race for champion jockey Richard Johnson, who had finished second on two occasions.
Earlier, Tizzard's Cheltenham Gold Cup favourite Thistlecrack cruised to victory in the bet365 Novices' Chase.
Tizzard is enjoying a golden spell having saddled Cue Card to win last week's Betfair Chase at Haydock.
Native River appeared to be coasting to a comfortable win in Saturday's big race before Carole's Destrier gave him a real fright.
Tizzard said: "It looked like he would win by five lengths, but when Carole's Destrier nearly got to him, he went again. It is a sign of a good, honest stayer.
"We expected a big run, but he travelled better than ever before and jumped beautifully."
The trainer later claimed a treble on the card when Ultragold (9-2) won the bet365 Handicap Chase.
Cornelius Lysaght, BBC horse racing correspondent
Another Saturday, more big-race success for the Tizzards - trainer Colin, wife Pauline, ex-jockey-son Joe and daughter Kim - who make up the very much in-form family-run operation based in Dorset.
On one of the great days of the year, Thistlecrack was flawless, Native Run landed a huge gamble after battling back from losing his long-time lead and then Ultragold got up close to the finish to end a heady day.
Once it was doubted that Native River was quite good enough to join Cue Card and Thistlecrack in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, but after this thoroughly likeable performance, achieved in a decent time, that no longer looks the case.
The one-time dairy farmers three-handed-PLUS in the Gold Cup? More than possible, and what a compelling story for the sport between now and March.


Substitute Ollie Palmer salvaged a point for Leyton Orient in stoppage time as they drew with Cambridge United at Brisbane Road.

The visitors had taken a first-half lead through Harrison Dunk and looked set to add to their five successive League Two wins until Palmer's late intervention.
There was little between the two teams in the opening 20 minutes, although the visitors' Luke Berry saw his ninth-minute cross-cum-shot go across the face of the goal with nobody on hand to apply the final touch before the ball ran narrowly wide of the far post.
The deadlock was broken on 21 minutes when full-back Myles Judd blocked a Berry shot in the penalty area and the ball fell to the unmarked Dunk, who had the simplest of chances to tuck the ball into the net.
From that point on the well-organised visitors were seldom asked any serious questions by their lacklustre hosts.
Uche Ikpeazu almost doubled the visitors advantage when his effort brought a good save from home keeper Alex Cisak. The O's shot-stopper was also called into action diving at full stretch to keep out a firm drive by substitute Max Clark.
But Palmer was to have the last word as Cambridge failed to clear the danger and Michael Collins played in the striker, whose shot took a deflection before squeezing under U's keeper Will Norris to give the hosts an unlikely point.
Report supplied by the Press Association.
Match ends, Leyton Orient 1, Cambridge United 1.
Second Half ends, Leyton Orient 1, Cambridge United 1.
Foul by Josh Koroma (Leyton Orient).
Luke Berry (Cambridge United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution, Cambridge United. Joe Pigott replaces Uche Ikpeazu.
Goal!  Leyton Orient 1, Cambridge United 1. Ollie Palmer (Leyton Orient) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Paul McCallum.
Michael Collins (Leyton Orient) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Uche Ikpeazu (Cambridge United).
Substitution, Cambridge United. Ben Williamson replaces Harrison Dunk.
Corner,  Cambridge United. Conceded by Alex Cisak.
Paul McCallum (Leyton Orient) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Paul McCallum (Leyton Orient).
Leon Legge (Cambridge United) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Corner,  Cambridge United. Conceded by Tom Parkes.
Attempt missed. Josh Koroma (Leyton Orient) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.
Corner,  Cambridge United. Conceded by Gavin Massey.
Attempt missed. Gavin Massey (Leyton Orient) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.
Corner,  Leyton Orient. Conceded by Mark Roberts.
Attempt blocked. Paul McCallum (Leyton Orient) header from very close range is blocked.
Josh Koroma (Leyton Orient) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Brad Halliday (Cambridge United).
Brad Halliday (Cambridge United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Myles Judd (Leyton Orient) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Myles Judd (Leyton Orient).
Harrison Dunk (Cambridge United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Harrison Dunk (Cambridge United) hits the bar with a header from the centre of the box.
Foul by Ollie Palmer (Leyton Orient).
Mark Roberts (Cambridge United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt saved. Uche Ikpeazu (Cambridge United) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Substitution, Leyton Orient. Josh Koroma replaces Sandro Semedo because of an injury.
Corner,  Cambridge United. Conceded by Alex Cisak.
Attempt saved. Max Clark (Cambridge United) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
Attempt blocked. Luke Berry (Cambridge United) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Substitution, Cambridge United. Max Clark replaces Conor Newton.
Foul by Nicky Hunt (Leyton Orient).
Brad Halliday (Cambridge United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner,  Leyton Orient. Conceded by Leon Legge.
Attempt blocked. Ollie Palmer (Leyton Orient) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Corner,  Leyton Orient. Conceded by Greg Taylor.
Ollie Palmer (Leyton Orient) wins a free kick in the defensive half.


If you go outside at night on 13/14 November, you might get to enjoy something quite spectacular.

You will see an amazing supermoon up in the night sky, which means the moon will be very big and bright.
There was a supermoon last month but this one is particularly special.
That's because it will be the biggest and brightest that it has been since 1948 - that's almost 70 years!
But what actually is a supermoon anyway?
Two things have to happen for there to be a supermoon.
Firstly, it must be a full moon. Secondly, the moon must be at a point during its orbit where it is particularly close to Earth.
The moon orbits the Earth in an oval shape, and sometimes it is closer to the Earth than at other times.
When the moon is at the stage when it is closest to Earth, this is called its perigee. When it is further away, this is the moon's apogee.
The reason that the supermoon this month is particularly special is because the moon will be even closer to Earth than it has been for decades, so it will be bigger and brighter than you will ever have seen in your entire life!
Usually, a supermoon is about 14% bigger and 30% brighter than a full moon when it is further away from the Earth.
Go out at night and have a look at the sky on the night of 13 or 14 November.
Try to go somewhere where there aren't many other lights, as this can distract from how bright the moon is and how easily you can see it.
If you look at it when the moon is nearer to the horizon, this can create an optical illusion which will make it look even bigger and more spectacular.
There is due to be another supermoon on 14 December, but it won't be as amazing as the November one, which is the biggest so far this century.
The December supermoon will be special for its own reason. Because it is so bright, it will make seeing the Geminid meteor shower next month much more difficult than usual.
As for November's supermoon, you won't see one as impressive as this again until the end of November in 2034, so it's well worth making sure you step outside to take a look!
Let's hope the weather decides to behave that night...


The government has failed in an attempt to make the family of murdered solicitor Pat Finucane pay the costs of a legal challenge against the prime minister.

In June, his family failed to overturn a government decision not to hold a public inquiry into his killing.
A lawyer for the Northern Ireland Secretary told Belfast's High Court that as the challenge had failed, the family should pay the full costs.
But the judge rejected the application.
Sources have said that the bill would have been in the region of at least  Â£150,000.
Mr Justice Stephens said Mr Finucane's family had succeeded in establishing that investigations into his killing had not been in compliance with Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
One of Pat Finucane's sons, John, criticised the government for trying to make the family pay the legal bill.
"I think it was a very vindictive application," he said.
"The only way that that could be viewed is something that is quite mean, petty, and I think designed to stymie any decision by our family to go for an appeal."
Mr Finucane was a high-profile lawyer in Belfast who had represented clients including convicted IRA members, some of whom had taken part in hunger strikes at the Maze prison.
He was shot dead by loyalists in 1989 and his family have campaigned for an independent inquiry to examine UK state collusion in the murder.
Three years ago, Prime Minister David Cameron apologised to the Finucane family.
He agreed to a review of the case by Sir Desmond de Silva QC, but stopped short of a public inquiry.
In December 2012, a report by Sir Desmond said there was collusion in the murder of Mr Finucane.
It said the state had facilitated the killing, and made relentless efforts to stop the killers being caught.
Mr Finucane's family have said they will continue to campaign for a full public inquiry into his killing.


A new Bishop of Oxford has been announced two years after the post became vacant.

The Right Reverend Steven Croft will leave his role as the Bishop of Sheffield to take up his new position.
Dr Croft will be the most senior clergyman in the Church of England for Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.
The Diocese faced "an extended vacancy" after votes in May last year failed to produce a candidate.
Updates on this story and more from Oxfordshire
Downing Street announced Dr Croft's appointment on Tuesday.
He was ordained in 1987 and became the Bishop of Sheffield in 2009.
The Diocese of Oxford has been without a permanent bishop since the Right Rev John Pritchard stepped down in October 2014.
Interviews of potential candidates were held in 2015, but the Archbishop of Canterbury said the Crown Nominations Commission - which elects bishops - had "been unable to discern the candidate whom God is calling".
The Bishop of Dorchester, the Right Rev Colin Fletcher, acted as bishop of the diocese in lieu of a full-time post holder.
Dr Croft will tour the diocese on Tuesday. He will meet the Bishop of Reading and the Bishop of Buckingham.


China's foreign minister says a planned US missile defence system to protect South Korea from North Korea could threaten Chinese security.

Wang Yi told Reuters news agency that the system went "far beyond the defence needs of the Korean peninsula".
The US and South Korea announced plans to deploy the system after the North fired a long-range rocket this month.
China and Russia have previously said the system's radar could penetrate deep into their countries.
Talks over deploying the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence System (Thaad) come amid rising tension between the two Koreas over Pyongyang's recent rocket and nuclear tests.
On Thursday, North Korea vowed to cut two key communication hotlines after Seoul suspended its operations at the jointly-run Kaesong industrial complex in the North.
The US and South Korea have said that Thaad is only designed to protect South Korea from a threat from the North and would not target China or anyone else.
But Mr Wang urged the US to rethink its strategy.
"The facts are clear. The deployment of the Thaad system by the United States... goes far beyond the defence need of the Korean peninsula and the coverage would mean it will reach deep into the Asian continent," he said.
"This directly affects the strategic security interests of China and other Asian countries."
He added: "Ordinary people know that the deployment of the Thaad system is not just to defend South Korea, but a wider agenda and may even serve the possibility of targeting China."
Mr Wang also said China would back a UN Security Council resolution to make North Korea "pay the necessary price" for its recent rocket launch.
Pyongyang insists its recent rocket launch was part of a peaceful space programme.
But US officials say it was cover for the development of an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of striking the US mainland.
The launch came weeks after Pyongyang conducted a fourth nuclear test. Both acts violate UN Security Council resolutions.


Survivors have returned to the Buchenwald concentration camp 70 years after it was liberated by US soldiers.

American forces entered the camp on 11 April 1945, bringing an end to the ordeal of 21,000 prisoners being held there by Nazi troops.
Former inmates and war veterans returned to the site, near the German city of Weimar to mark the anniversary.
It was the first major camp to be liberated by the Americans at the end of World War II.
Survivor Henry Oster said his memories of Buchenwald would last "forever".
"When someone asks how Buchenwald was, you immediately see the dead bodies again," he told AP.
More than 250,000 men, women and children were held at Buchenwald from its opening in 1937 until its closure eight years later. About 56,000 people, including Jews, Roma and Soviet prisoners, died within its walls.
Crowds laid flowers at a memorial for the victims on Saturday and held a minute's silence at 15:15 - the time US troops entered the site.
Mr Oster, 86, recalled the day the soldiers arrived to free prisoners.
"We had no idea the Allies were in Europe. When we heard noises at about 15:30, we looked out of the window, which took a great effort," he said.
"One of my friends said with a weak voice, 'I think we are getting liberated'. We thought he had lost his sense of reality like so many people there."
Mr Oster, a German Jew from Cologne, was taken to an orphanage in France and emigrated to the United States in 1946.
Former army medic James Anderson, 91, also attended the commemoration ceremony.
"The devastation was so tremendous," he said. "The prisoners were so glad to see us, they would hug us and everything.''


South African prosecutors say they are going to appeal against the conviction and sentence given to athlete Oscar Pistorius for killing his girlfriend.

Last week, Pistorius began serving a five year prison sentence for the culpable homicide of Reeva Steenkamp, although he could be out in 10 months.
The double-amputee Olympic sprinter was cleared of murder.
"The appeal on conviction is based on the question of law," the national prosecuting spokesman said.
Pistorius' family have said that he will not appeal.
The athlete was also given a three-year suspended sentence for firing a gun in a restaurant.
"The prosecutors are now preparing the necessary papers in order to be able to file within the next few days," Nathi Mncube from the National Prosecuting Authority said in a statement.
Pistorius was charged by the prosecution with the pre-meditated murder of Ms Steenkamp, a model and law graduate.
He was acquitted of this and the lesser murder charge of dolus eventualis.
In South African law, this charge - also known as common-law murder - applies if the accused knew they might kill someone but still went ahead with their course of action.
The BBC's Pumza Fihlani, who followed the athlete's trial, says the prosecution's grounds for appeal may lie with how the judge interpreted dolus eventualis.
The judge's critics have argued that dolus eventualis includes the possibility of meaning to kill one person and ending up killing another, our correspondent says.
Pistorius says he shot dead Ms Steenkamp in the early hours of Valentine's Day last year by mistake, fearing there was an intruder in the house.
On Sunday, Ms Steenkamp's mother June would not say whether the family would support a state appeal.
"All we have ever said is that we want to know the truth. We owe it to Reeva," she told the Times newspaper.
She was interviewed ahead of the publication next month of her book, Reeva: A Mother's Story.
In the book she describes her daughter's boyfriend as "pathetic", "moody", "gun-toting" and "possessive" and rejects his version of events.
"There is no doubt in our minds that something went horribly wrong, something upset her so terribly that she hid behind a locked door with two mobile phones," she writes.
Inside Oscar Pistorius's home
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Mr Pistorius said he and Ms Steenkamp had dinner at about 19:00 before going to bed at 21:00. He said he woke in the early hours, spoke briefly to his girlfriend and got up to close the sliding door and curtains.
Judge Thokozile Masipa questioned the reliability of several witnesses who said they heard screams and gunshots between about 03:12 and 03:17, saying most had 'got facts wrong'.
Mr Pistorius said he heard the bathroom window sliding open and believed that an intruder, or intruders, had entered the bathroom through a window which was not fitted with burglar bars.
Mr Pistorius said he grabbed his firearm and told Ms Steenkamp, who he thought was still in bed, to call the police.
The judge said it made no sense that Ms Steenkamp did not hear him scream 'Get out' or call the police, as she had her mobile phone with her.
Mr Pistorius could see the bathroom window was open and toilet door closed. He said he did not know whether the intruders were outside on a ladder or in the toilet.
He had his firearm in front of him, he heard a movement inside the toilet and thought whoever was inside was coming out to attack him.
'Before I knew it, I had fired four shots at the door,' he said.
The judge said she did not accept that Mr Pistorius fired the gun by accident or before he knew what was happening. She said he had armed himself with a lethal weapon and clearly wanted to use it. The other question, she said, was why he fired not one, but four shots before he ran back to the room to try to find Ms Steenkamp.
Mr Pistorius said he went back to the bedroom and noticed that Ms Steenkamp was not there.
Mr Pistorius said this was when he realised she could have been in the toilet and rushed back to the bathroom.
Mr Pistorius said he screamed for help and went back to the bathroom where he found the toilet was locked. He returned to the bedroom, pulled on his prosthetic legs and turned on the lights before bashing in the toilet door with a cricket bat.
When the door panel broke, he found the key and unlocked the door and found Ms Steenkamp slumped on the floor with her head on the toilet bowl. He then carried her downstairs, where he was met by neighbours.
3D animation of the apartment


Venezuela's Supreme Court has paved the way for a possible trial of the country's chief prosecutor, Luisa Ortega.

A governing party lawmaker requested that the Supreme Court allow proceedings against her for allegedly committing "grave errors" in her role.
Ms Ortega was once a staunch ally of President Nicolás Maduro.
But in recent months she has become a harsh and public critic of the socialist government.
National Assembly member for the governing PSUV party Pedro Carreño asked the Supreme Court to rule on whether there was sufficient evidence for proceedings against Ms Ortega to go ahead.
The court, which critics say is stacked with government loyalists, ruled in his favour.
Mr Carreño has accused Ms Ortega of "threatening public ethics and administrative morals" and of "violating and threatening the fundamental principles of the constitution".
He wants her to be banned from leaving the country and for her assets to be frozen.
Ms Ortega told Venezuelan radio the move was not just an attack against her but against democracy.
"Hanging over the country is a bleak outlook that could destroy the state," she said.
Ms Ortega, 59, was appointed to the post of chief prosecutor by the National Assembly in December 2007, when the legislature was still controlled by the socialist PSUV.
She first broke rank with the government in March 2017 when she said that a Supreme Court ruling stripping the now opposition-controlled National Assembly of its powers was unlawful.
Earlier this month, she filed a challenge against President Maduro's plan to convene a constituent assembly.
The Supreme Court rejected it but her legal challenge prompted vitriol from socialist party officials who labelled her a "traitor" and even questioned her sanity.
Ms Ortega also publicly contradicted government ministers when she announced that 20-year old protester Juan Pablo Pernalete was killed by a tear gas canister fired by the National Guard.
Foreign Minister Delcy Rodríguez and Information Minister Ernesto Villegas said that evidence suggested he was shot with a bolt gun by fellow protesters.
The use of undue force by the security forces was in the spotlight again when a teenager was shot dead at an anti-government protest on Monday.
A number of National Guard members have been arrested on suspicion of firing guns at demonstrators at the march in Caracas.
On Tuesday, President Maduro fired the head of the National Guard saying Gen Antonio Benavides would move on to "new responsibilities and battles".
He also replaced the commanders of the army, air force and navy.


Counselling is to be offered to pupils at an East Dunbartonshire primary after a man was shot outside their school.

Police said a number of pupils may have witnessed the man being shot as he collected a child from St Helen's Primary in Bishopbriggs on Thursday.
East Dunbartonshire Council said help would be provided to pupils who wanted it after they returned from the September weekend break on Tuesday.
A 33-year-old man was injured in the shooting. Police inquiries are ongoing.
Armed officers were called to the scene of the shooting, which happened in Dornoch Place at about 15:10, as pupils were leaving at the end of the school day.
Police said the gunman approached the victim, shot him and then ran off towards Ronaldsay Drive.
The suspect was holding a silver-coloured gun and wearing a high-visibility reflective yellow jacket with the hood pulled up.
He was described as being in his mid-40s, between 5ft 10in and 6ft tall and of heavy build.
Detectives said they were following a number of lines of inquiry.
They were keen to hear from anyone with information about a burnt-out grey Volkswagen Golf - registration FR12 PYB - found nearby in Wood Lane which is believed to have been involved in the incident. It was reported stolen in March.


Fourteen teams started the 11th World Cup in Australia and New Zealand - only four now remain to contest the semi-finals.

Read our team guides to find out who has hit the fastest World Cup fifty, which team has taken all 10 opposition wickets in each of their first seven games, and who former England captain Michael Vaughan sees as the key players.
New Zealand squad: Brendon McCullum (captain), Corey Anderson, Trent Boult, Grant Elliott, Martin Guptill, Tom Latham, Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, *Matt Henry, Luke Ronchi (wk), Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Daniel Vettori, Kane Williamson.
*Matt Henry replaced the injured Adam Milne on 23 March.
Coach: Mike Hesson
South Africa squad: Kyle Abbott, Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock (wk), AB de Villiers (capt & wk), JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Aaron Phangiso, Vernon Philander, Rilee Rossouw, Dale Steyn, Imran Tahir.
Coach: Russell Domingo
Australia squad: George Bailey, Michael Clarke (capt), Patrick Cummins, Xavier Doherty, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Brad Haddin (wk), Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner, Shane Watson.
Coach: Darren Lehmann
India squad: Ravichandran Ashwin, Stuart Binny, Shikhar Dhawan, MS Dhoni (capt & wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Akshar Patel, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Mohammed Shami, Mohit Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Umesh Yadav.
Coach: Duncan Fletcher
All statistics correct as of 22 March 2015.


Former Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke has criticised the lack of black bosses in football and claims he cannot get an interview for a manager's job.

Yorke, 45, said he knew of black former players who would not do coaching badges as they felt they had little chance of getting a coaching role.
"If it's not because of the colour of our skin then tell me what it is?" the former Trinidad and Tobago player said.
"I'm speaking out about it. Be fair. At least give us an interview."
Speaking to BBC World Service's World Football show, Yorke suggested that black players might have to consider going on strike to force those involved in the game to take a serious look at the lack of black managers.
Earlier this month Grimsby Town sacked Marcus Bignot, leaving Brighton's Chris Hughton and Carlisle's Keith Curle as the only managers from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds in the top four divisions of the English game.
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"Football is a global sport and black players have contributed to the global sport for a number of years," added Yorke, whose former clubs also included Aston Villa and Blackburn Rovers.
"Look to the Premier League. Are there any black managers? Look at the Italian league? Are there any black managers? The list goes on."
Yorke won the Premier League three times at United, in 1998-99, 1999-2000 and 2000-01. He also helped Sir Alex Ferguson's team win the Champions League in 1999.
He added: "People like myself, who have good credibility in the game and played at the very top level, you'd think would get a job or at least be given an interview, but you're not even getting an interview.
"I see managers with my own eyes walking out of jobs and then walking into jobs, getting sacked and then walking back into another job... yet we can't even get an interview.
"I see that as not being fair."
Last month, Brighton boss Hughton said there was a "real enthusiasm for change" to give equal opportunities for black managers in the English game.
"It is going to be about talking around the table as much as possible, highlighting it as much as possible and looking to see change," added Hughton, who has masterminded Brighton's promotion to the Premier League.
"There is no doubt that the balances are not right.
"Where I have seen change is at grassroots level and academy level. I think everybody wants to see that at first-team level up through the leagues.
"I do think there is a real enthusiasm to want change."


Australia's prime minister has been told he will not be welcome at next year's Mardi Gras parade because of his handling of the gay marriage issue.

Organisers passed a motion on Saturday not to invite Malcolm Turnbull, who was the first sitting prime minister to attend the last gay pride event.
Mr Turnbull, a supporter of marriage equality, backed his party's calls to allow a national vote on the issue.
But the stance has angered some who fear a vote would be divisive.
Currently, same-sex couples can have civil unions or registered relationships in most Australian states but they are not considered married under national law.
Cat Rose, who put forward the motion at the Mardi Gras parade's annual general meeting, accused Mr Turnbull of using last year's event as a "media opportunity".
Since then, she added, he had been "nothing but a conduit for homophobes wanting to derail marriage equality through a vindictive plebiscite".
"We wanted to express our disgust at his prime ministership as a community and to say that we don't need his phony friendship," Ms Rose said in a statement released on Facebook.
"For this reason we are not extending an invitation for him to attend the parade while we wait for equality."
Despite opinion polls indicating that most Australians support same-sex marriage, some believe a plebiscite - which would be expensive - could unleash a homophobic campaign.
A survey of 5,500 LGBTI Australians conducted in July by advocacy group Just Equal found that 85% opposed holding the referendum.
Instead, they want Mr Turnbull to allow parliament to vote on the issue.
This week, opponents of the referendum were backed by Australia's upper house, which blocked the government's proposal for the national vote.
Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade is one of the world's largest gay pride events.
It brings hundred of thousands of people to Australia from around the world, adding an estimated A$30m ( $22.6m/£17.9m) to the local economy.
The first march was held in June 1978, on a global day of activism to commemorate the Stonewall riots of 1969, which followed police raids on New York's Stonewall Inn gay bar.
But participants were met with police violence. This year, the New South Wales parliament apologised to the group, now known as the 78ers.


Comedian Tim Vine has won a prize for the funniest joke of this year's Edinburgh Fringe.

His winning one-liner was: "I've just been on a once-in-a-lifetime holiday. I'll tell you what, never again."
Readers of the BBC News website who think they can do better have been sending us their top gags.
Holiday pun is Fringe's funniest
Did you hear about the corduroy pillows? They're making headlines. Erik, Lancaster, California, USA
What do you call two robbers? A pair of knickers!  Emily, Derby, UK
What do you call a deer with no eyes? No idea. What do you call a deer with no eyes and no legs? Still no idea. Helen McDermott, St Andrews, Scotland, UK
The only good thing about being the only boy out of six children, was I got to have a bedroom to myself; even my Mum and Dad had to share. Gary Hughes, Portsmouth, England, UK
I miss my ex-wife.... but my aim is getting better. Steve Holton, Austin, TX USA
I recently read a book titled '1000 places to visit before you die'. Although I couldn't help thinking: 'As opposed to when?' S Porter, Merseyside, UK
Did you hear about the pretentious giraffe? She's constantly looking down on people. Jim Mckeogh, Wynnewood, USA
Did you hear the one about the magic tractor? It was driving along a road and then turned into a field. Adam Williams, Willingham, UK
I think my parents hated me as a child - my bath toys were a radio and a toaster. Andrew Sprawson, Bristol, England, UK
The two most common elements in the universe are hydrogen and stupidity. Robert, Joburg, South Africa
I'm trying to get my book published by Random House, so I've been going door-to-door. Chris Fox, Chapel Hill, USA
Why did the chicken stop halfway across the road? Because he was eggs-hausted. Jack, aged 8, UK
Why was the squirrel angry? Someone pinched his nuts! Col Harvey, Harlow, Essex, UK
What's got eight legs and ticks? A clocktopus. Rowan Smith, Glasgow, Scotland, UK


The first Church of England vicar to marry his same-sex partner is taking a bishop to an employment tribunal after a job offer as a chaplain to the NHS was withdrawn when the bishop refused him the necessary licence.

The vicar, Canon Jeremy Pemberton, will argue that the bishop unlawfully discriminated against him in refusing the licence, without which he could not take up the job.
So what does the case say about the Church of England's position on same-sex marriage?
When Parliament made same-sex marriage legal in England and Wales with effect from March 2014, it created a headache for the Church of England and other organised religions whose teachings, tradition and doctrine hold that marriage can be only between a man and a woman.
While organised religions have specific legal opt-outs from the Equality Act 2010 and the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013, the case being brought by Canon Pemberton at an employment tribunal in Nottingham is the first significant legal test of the Church's position and will be closely watched by all sides in the debate.
The Church of England maintains that its doctrine is clear, and that while it supports vicars in same-sex civil partnerships, marriage is between a man and a woman.
The facts of the case are these: after Jeremy Pemberton became the first Church of England vicar to marry his same-sex partner, Laurence Cunnington, last year, the acting Bishop for Southwell and Nottingham, Richard Inwood, revoked Mr Pemberton's permission to officiate as a priest in that diocese and wrote to the NHS trust in Nottinghamshire saying he would not give Mr Pemberton the licence he needed for the new job.
The NHS then withdrew its job offer, as its chaplains must show that they are "in good standing" with their own religious organisation before taking up a post.
However, Mr Pemberton has continued to work as a chaplain in his old job in another NHS Trust in a different diocese, in Lincolnshire.
At the tribunal, the Bishop will argue that the Church's doctrine and pastoral guidance make clear that those in holy orders cannot enter into a same-sex marriage, as the clergy must "model the Church's teaching" in their own lives.
Mr Pemberton will argue that the bishop unlawfully discriminated against him, and will also question whether the Church's view on same-sex marriage is a matter of doctrine.
The question of same-sex marriage is one that has already divided opinion within the Church of England and the worldwide Anglican communion, and will continue to do so in the future, perhaps even more seriously than the issue of ordaining women priests and bishops.
The Church has tried to take the heat out of the question by carrying out internal consultations for two years on same-sex marriage, called shared or facilitated conversations, in which those of opposing views have the chance to share them with one another in a "safe space".
However, given the strength of feeling among supporters and opponents of same-sex marriage, it seems unlikely that there will be the same room for the kind of compromise that was eventually reached over women priests.
The most recent guidance from the House of Bishops in February 2014 on same-sex marriage said the bishops were in agreement that "the Christian understanding and doctrine of marriage as a lifelong union between one man and one woman remains unchanged", as set out in Canon Law as Canon B30 and in the Book of Common Prayer.
"The Church of England affirms, according to our Lord's teaching, that marriage is in its nature a union permanent and lifelong, for better for worse, till death them do part, of one man with one woman, to the exclusion of all others on either side, for the procreation and nurture of children, for the hallowing and right direction of the natural instincts and affections, and for the mutual society, help and comfort which the one ought to have of the other, both in prosperity and adversity."
The Church acknowledged that its teachings now diverged for the first time from the general understanding and definition of marriage by Parliament.
However, the Church of England says that it nonetheless values theological debate, and allows clergy to argue for a change in its teaching on marriage and human sexuality, while making clear that they should not marry someone of the same sex.
At the same time, it has no wish to be seen as homophobic, and has also issued guidance to say that the Church welcomes gay and lesbian clergy and laity and considers homophobia unacceptable.
But can it hold those two positions at the same time for much longer, especially as social mores around the Church continue to change rapidly, with younger generations in the UK far more likely than their elders to accept same-sex marriage as a given?
The Church may well see its position in this case as clear: that those who serve as clergy must live up to all the teachings of the Church, whether they agree with them or not.
However, campaigners for change in its current position on same-sex marriage will argue with equal vigour that the Church's doctrine has adapted in the past to accommodate changing social mores, and - if it wanted to - the Church of England could do so again.