Mamata Banerjee strongly defended her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, apologising to the public for "traitors" who left the TMC. She accused the BJP of using investigative agencies to engineer defections and praised Abhishek for his resilience against political attacks, asserting that her family never compromised for political survival.
Veteran Congress leader P J Kurien stated that the party has several qualified candidates for the Kerala CM post if the UDF wins the upcoming Assembly elections, but only three names are currently under consideration.
Five people, including two school students, have died after a local train struck a pool car at an open level crossing in West Bengal's Murshidabad district. The gateman has been arrested, and a railway permanent way inspector suspended for alleged dereliction of duty.
One person died and many others fell ill in a temporary crowd surge during the Rath Yatra celebrations in Odisha's Puri on Thursday, official sources said.
Police forces from several adjoining districts were requisitioned to man key junctions, sensitive locations and government buildings in the Lutyens' area ahead of the march.
Two FIRs have been registered against Congress leader Girish Chodankar and tribal leader Govind Shirodkar in Goa for allegedly hurting religious sentiments, following protests by the Hindu Ekta Samiti.
Twenty-three political parties and an Independent MP have jointly written to Chief Justice Surya Kant regarding the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process and other election-related issues, a move spearheaded by the INDIA bloc.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is set to make crucial decisions regarding the status of rebel factions from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Shiv Sena (UBT) before the Monsoon session of Parliament begins on July 20, following demands for their disqualification by their parent parties.
The Congress party is seeking one Rajya Sabha seat in Jharkhand from the JMM and plans to discuss the matter with Chief Minister Hemant Soren, according to AICC Jharkhand in-charge K Raju.
A rebel faction of the Trinamool Congress, led by Ritabrata Banerjee, has taken control of the party's organisational headquarters in Kolkata. This move follows their claim to the party's name and symbol before the Election Commission, intensifying the power struggle with the Mamata Banerjee-led faction. Both sides are now preparing submissions for the Election Commission regarding the party's control.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh once told then Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi in 2012, "I will commit suicide," expressing his deep anguish over ministers' "loose talk" criticising the Election Commission's functioning, a revelation made in Quraishi's upcoming book.
The Calcutta High Court has appointed a retired judge as a special officer to manage the day-to-day expenses of the Mamata Banerjee-aligned Trinamool Congress (TMC) from three debit-frozen bank accounts. The accounts were frozen following a complaint by a rival TMC faction alleging they held proceeds of crime. The court allowed transactions for party expenses and legal costs, noting that the initial freezing lacked specific material basis and that the complainant had previously benefited from these accounts.
The Congress party has accused the government of concealing the supreme sacrifice of six soldiers during Operation Sindoor, thereby denying them honour and recognition. Congress leader Pawan Khera questioned Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's statement in Parliament, suggesting he either lacked knowledge or misled the House. The Defence Ministry, however, refuted these claims, stating that social media posts selectively quoted the minister's remarks to misrepresent the facts.
Supporters of senior BJP leader Narottam Mishra clashed with police and blocked a national highway in Madhya Pradesh's Datia district after Mishra was denied a ticket for the July 30 assembly by-election, leading to injuries among police personnel and arrests.
A delegation of NDA leaders in Karnataka has formally complained to the Chief Electoral Officer, alleging "massive irregularities" in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and demanding an immediate inquiry and door-to-door re-verification.
Senior Trinamool Congress leader Chandrima Bhattacharya has resigned as the party's West Bengal president and from all other posts, citing a loss of trust after an admonishment from Mamata Banerjee. She has since been seen meeting with the Ritabrata Banerjee-led rebel faction, further deepening the organisational crisis within the TMC following its recent Assembly election defeat.
Maharashtra's Shiv Sena minister Sanjay Shirsat sparked a political storm with his controversial comments regarding a fatal tree fall incident in Mumbai, which killed an 11-year-old boy and injured four others, initially suggesting such incidents are 'not in human hands' before clarifying his stance.
Madhya Pradesh BJP president Hemant Khandelwal has termed the land scam allegations against Yadav as "baseless", saying whenever the state has a CM from the backward class, the Congress attempts to weaken him.
'The Ayodhya incident has certainly hurt the faith of all of us, of Ram devotees like us.'
A Joint Committee of Parliament has deferred the adoption of a draft report on a bill proposing the suspension, not permanent removal, of the prime minister, Union ministers, and chief ministers if detained for 30 days on serious criminal charges, opting for more consultations.
Congress leader P T Ajay Mohan has discouraged discussions on who should be the CM before the Assembly poll results, expected on May 4.
The Karnataka Legislative Assembly has officially disqualified Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni after his conviction in the murder case of BJP leader Yogeshgouda Goudar. Kulkarni is currently serving a life sentence.
West Bengal has enacted two controversial legislations, the Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Act and the Maintenance of Public Order (Amendment) Act, aimed at curbing organised crime and violent protests. These laws grant authorities significant powers, including preventive detention without trial and property attachment for riot damages, drawing both support and criticism.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya is expected to submit its final report to the Uttar Pradesh government shortly, sources said on Thursday.
'They will have to adjust themselves to the new reality. Because if they don't understand this changed political perception, their future will be difficult.'
Senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has filed a reply in a legal matter concerning her inclusion in the voter list, which is alleged to have occurred before she became an Indian citizen. The case, initiated by Advocate Vikas Tripathi, seeks the registration of an FIR against Gandhi and is currently pending before a sessions court.
Madhya Pradesh minister Kailash Vijayvargiya's comments about administrative officials rushing to show RSS affiliation after the BJP came to power have ignited a political controversy. The Congress party has strongly criticised the remarks, calling them a threat to the neutrality and constitutional dignity of the bureaucracy and demanding a constitutional review.
A bipartisan group of US senators has introduced a comprehensive bill imposing extensive sanctions on Russia, with India identified as one of five countries that could incur tariffs for its continued purchase of Russian oil.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh has alleged that the BJP's "real and ultimate target" in seeking a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha is to amend the Constitution to end reservation, rather than genuinely implement women's reservation.
A forum of swamijis has urged the Congress high command to immediately appoint D K Shivakumar as the Chief Minister of Karnataka, warning of consequences if the demand is not met.
The Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee has formed a four-member panel to investigate alleged irregularities in pilgrims' offerings and donations at Badrinath Dham. The allegations, which went viral on social media, have sparked political controversy in Uttarakhand, with the Congress demanding strict action. The inquiry will examine CCTV footage and statements, with a report due in seven days.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has filed an application in the Madhya Pradesh High Court expressing regret over an allegedly defamatory statement made against Kartikeya Singh, son of Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Singh had filed a defamation complaint, leading Gandhi to seek quashing of the summons and the case.
Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor has announced his decision to contest the Bankipur assembly by-election in Bihar. He frames the bypoll as a "referendum" on the performance of the current BJP-led government under Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary. Kishor, a former poll strategist, aims to challenge the established parties in a seat traditionally held by the BJP.
NCP (SP) leader Eknath Khadse has firmly stated his disinterest in rejoining the BJP, despite being called by Amit Shah, and affirmed his commitment to Sharad Pawar, dismissing recent speculation about his political future.
Police in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur have registered cases against the X handles of the Congress and Samajwadi Party for allegedly spreading rumours related to the death of a teenage girl.
Mamata Banerjee, Trinamool Congress supremo, has launched a strong counterattack against rebel party members, accusing them of conspiring with the BJP to split the party. She dared them to formally join the BJP and defended her leadership amidst the worst organisational crisis for TMC, while also announcing leadership changes and criticising the rebels' past actions and attempts to seize party assets.
A Station House Officer (SHO) in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, has been shifted to Police Lines following a fact-finding inquiry initiated by Punjab Police. This action comes after news reports linked the officer to an extortion-related investigation by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) under "Operation Hard Ball," targeting India-based organised crime syndicates. The US indictment alleges the officer's involvement in a $400,000 extortion scheme using false murder charges, drawing significant political criticism.
The Nationalist Congress Party in Maharashtra has swiftly distanced itself from MLA Sana Malik's controversial statements on talaq and polygamy, reiterating its firm commitment to women's rights and constitutional principles.
Amid cross-voting from both ruling and Opposition ranks, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayuti on Monday swept 16 of the 17 Maharashtra Legislative Council seats from local authorities' constituencies even as Nashik delivered a surprise defeat to the governing bloc.
'The Dravidian parties wanted to prevent the TVK from forming a government.'
