One of the standout stories of the TVK victory was that of 30-year-old R Sabarinathan, the son of Vijay's driver from Virugambakkam.
Initial vote counting in the Kerala Assembly elections indicates a significant lead for the Congress-led UDF, suggesting a potential shift in power.
'They want to know more about him. They want to see his films. Even those who were earlier not interested in his films want to see him now.'
Voting has commenced for the assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, with over 3.60 crore electors eligible to vote in 152 constituencies in Bengal and 5.73 crore voters in Tamil Nadu. Security measures are heightened to ensure free and fair polling.
Senior BJP leader Smriti Irani has criticised the TMC government in West Bengal, alleging corruption and failure to ensure women's safety. She promised a monthly cash support of Rs 3,000 for every woman if the BJP is voted to power.
The first phase of the West Bengal assembly elections saw a record voter turnout of 91.78 per cent, the highest since Independence, according to the Chief Election Commissioner. Polling took place in 16 districts with women voters outnumbering men. The Election Commission attributed the high turnout to voter-friendly measures.
Kerala's Chief Minister-designate V D Satheesan visited senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, emphasising their close relationship and seeking blessings for his new role.
The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee and the Congress Legislature Party have decided to extend its full support to the TVK to form the government, AICC Tamil Nadu in-charge Girish Chodankar said in a statement citing TVK chief Vijay's request seeking support.
The Congress and BJP in Uttarakhand are engaged in a war of words over the alleged Champawat rape case, which police have now deemed a fabricated incident stemming from a long-standing dispute. Both parties accuse each other of political manipulation and attempting to tarnish the other's image.
In Tiruppur (North), where the TVK victory margin of 69,992 votes was higher than the 61,760 votes polled by the major Dravidian parties combined -- DMK got 351 votes and AIADMK 61,409 votes.
Punjab's Leader of Opposition, Partap Singh Bajwa, has criticised the government's conflicting statements regarding recent blasts, calling for transparency and accountability instead of political theatrics.
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) seized 524.9 kg of ganja worth approximately Rs 2.6 crore in Assam and arrested two individuals as part of increased operations before the upcoming Assembly elections in Assam and West Bengal.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has registered a case to probe the recovery of 79 crude bombs in West Bengal following a directive from the Union Home Ministry.
'Narendra Modi -- a man with deep and vital experience of Indian politics -- has seen the BJP lose many elections between 1975 and 2015, and with every defeat, he learned lessons that made sure he would never allow his party to be defeated so easily again.'
The Election Commission is likely to reduce the number of counting centres for the West Bengal Assembly polls to 77 from 87 earlier, even as questions were raised by the ruling Trinamool Congress over the move just days ahead of counting, an official said on Thursday.
Police in Kannur, Kerala, recovered two steel bombs and a country-made explosive from an isolated plot of land. The Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad defused the explosives, and police have intensified surveillance in the politically sensitive area ahead of the Kerala Assembly election results.
A man impersonating an aide of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been arrested in Dehradun for allegedly swindling crores of rupees from ticket-seekers in multiple states.
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam chief Vijay is scheduled to take the oath of office as the state's new Chief Minister on May 7. The swearing-in ceremony is expected to take place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor stadium in Chennai.
West Bengal's Chief Electoral Officer, Manoj Agarwal, has refuted allegations of potential malpractices at counting centres, assuring that robust security measures are in place. This comes after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee raised concerns about possible tampering with EVMs.
A complaint has been filed against Rajya Sabha member Anurag Sharma, alleging concealment of property details and violation of election rules during the nomination process.
The IMD has forecast thunderstorms and gusty winds across south Bengal on Saturday, the day the first BJP government in West Bengal is scheduled to be sworn in at the Brigade Parade Grounds in Kolkata. Rain and thundershowers are likely to occur across all districts until May 14.
Police in Kerala seized explosive materials, including crude bombs and gunpowder, in the Dharmadam Assembly constituency, represented by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, just before the vote counting. The search followed a tip-off about illegal firecracker manufacturing.
The Enforcement Directorate has arrested three individuals, including an alleged crypto hacker named Srikrishna Ramesh, in connection with a cryptocurrency-linked money laundering case. The arrests follow raids conducted in April, targeting individuals linked to the hacker and sons of a Karnataka Congress MLA.
DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin reiterated his call for the abolition of Sanatana Dharma, claiming it divides people, during his maiden speech as the Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. He also addressed concerns regarding the positioning of the Tamil invocation song in government events.
'The reason why they rushed through the bill was they wanted to avoid using the 2026 Census because the 2026 Census by their own decision will be a caste census.' 'The BJP knows that a significant share of the OBCs who will get captured in the census, for the first time after the 1931 Census, are against the BJP. Only a segment of the OBCs are in their favour.' 'So they wanted to avoid the OBC reservation among women, which is a demand of a lot of Opposition parties.'
TMC workers allege that cars bearing the BJP's flag were allowed entry to the compound where EVMs are kept, a day ahead of the counting of votes in West Bengal. The Election Commission has denied any irregularities.
The Election Commission has announced a stringent security plan for the second phase of the West Bengal assembly polls, ensuring voters can exercise their franchise without fear. Security personnel will be deployed constituency-wise, and area domination exercises will be stepped up in sensitive neighbourhoods. CCTV cameras will be installed at every polling station, and central forces will remain deployed at booths.
The Bhabanipur assembly segment is Banerjee's political bastion, where she is locked in a prestige battle against Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari in what is being seen as a symbolic rematch of Nandigram, where he had defeated her in the 2021 assembly polls.
The AMMK has filed a complaint against the TVK, alleging the use of a forged support letter to claim government formation. The Guindy police are conducting a preliminary inquiry into the matter.
The Congress party is considering supporting TVK in forming a government in Tamil Nadu, following a request from TVK chief Vijay. The party leadership has directed the Tamil Nadu unit to make a final decision, keeping in mind the state's sentiments and commitment to a secular government.
The delimitation in Assam has quietly changed the political scene, raising questions about whether new constituency boundaries helped the BJP by spreading out Muslim-majority voters.
Police in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar used a clever ruse to arrest Nida Khan, accused in a sexual harassment and conversion case at TCS Nashik. Khan was arrested after police put an AIMIM corporator under surveillance and discovered he was providing her shelter.
The INDIA bloc faces a significant challenge as the Congress and DMK part ways, raising questions about the alliance's future and unity.
Investigators probing the murder of Chandranath Rath, a close aide of West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari, have found a key lead in the form of a UPI transaction made at a toll plaza in Howrah.
Sakshi Malik backed Vinesh Phogat in her tussle with the Wrestling Federation of India, urging authorities to let the new mother resume her wrestling career.
A member of actor-turned-politician Vijay-led Tamilaka Vettri Kazhagam on Friday moved the Supreme Court seeking directions to Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar to invite his single largest political party to form the government in the state.
Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari has accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of resorting to 'dramabazi' in front of a counting centre. Adhikari claims Banerjee's actions won't change the election outcome and that her exit from power is imminent.
Senior Congress leader Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan expressed confidence in V D Satheesan's ability to lead Kerala as Chief Minister, emphasising the need for a strong team to meet public expectations. He highlighted the importance of unity within the party and the focus on public welfare.
The Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), a key ally in the United Democratic Front (UDF) coalition, has voiced its discontent with the Congress party over the prolonged delay in selecting a Chief Minister for Kerala, describing the situation as a 'political uncertainty' that is 'unfortunate'.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) removed Col Ashok Yadav (Retd) from the ad-hoc committee running the affairs of the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) citing infighting and disagreements within the panel.
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