The Supreme Court has directed the establishment of independent appellate tribunals, led by former high court judges, to address appeals related to voter list exclusions in West Bengal, while also cautioning against undermining judicial officers involved in the process.
Congress leader K Muraleedharan criticises blaming communities for voting choices in Kerala, responding to BJP leaders' remarks about the Catholic church. He also expresses confidence in the UDF's prospects in the upcoming election and criticises the Election Commission's arrangements.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserts the BJP will form a government in West Bengal and address the issue of infiltration, accusing Mamata Banerjee of allowing it for vote-bank politics.
'Samrat Chaudhury's limited independent standing within the party, his reliance on the central leadership for his elevation, and his lack of a personal mass base all point toward this outcome.'
Opposition MPs have submitted notices in both Houses of Parliament seeking a motion for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, alleging partisan conduct and obstruction of electoral fraud investigations.
NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar defends the Congress party's right to contest the Baramati assembly bypoll, criticising his grandnephew Parth Pawar's remarks against the Congress candidate. Pawar cites the importance of electoral contest and questions Parth's political maturity.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches at multiple locations in West Bengal as part of an investigation into the operations of an alleged illegal call centre.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accused the TMC government in West Bengal of 'maha jungleraj' following an incident in Malda where judicial officers were allegedly held hostage. He framed the upcoming elections as a battle between the TMC's 'fear' and the BJP's 'trust', promising accountability for alleged atrocities and a focus on development.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has criticised the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in West Bengal, citing the Malda incident as evidence of lawlessness and accusing the party of 'maha jungleraj'. He framed the upcoming elections as a battle between the TMC's 'fear' and the BJP's 'trust', addressing issues such as infiltration, corruption, and demographic change.
Aranmula, Kerala, prepares for Assembly elections with a focus on development, health sector performance, and religious sentiments, as incumbent Health Minister Veena George faces challenges from Congress and BJP candidates.
Congress leader K C Venugopal has filed a defamation complaint against a Haryana-based man, alleging politically motivated accusations ahead of the Kerala Assembly elections.
'If I leave now, those whom I've acted against will regroup. Let me complete what I have started -- I will do that in the next five years.'
The Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) has criticised Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma after its Guwahati Central candidate, Kunki Chowdhury, was summoned by police in connection with an election-related case. The AJP alleges the ruling BJP is using intimidation tactics due to Chowdhury's strong performance.
'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.'
In West Bengal's assembly elections, fish has become a potent symbol of Bengali identity, with the Trinamool Congress and BJP clashing over food habits and cultural representation.
Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has accused the state government of imposing arbitrary conditions on crop purchases, alleging anti-farmer policies and demanding compensation for weather-related crop damage.
'EPS exposed all the traitors. The DMK has given them political asylum. They are political orphans.'
The upcoming publication of West Bengal's electoral rolls is expected to intensify political tensions and debates ahead of the Assembly elections, reflecting concerns about voter inclusion and identity.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the BJP of manipulating voter rolls to divide the state, alleging a conspiracy to deprive Bengali-speaking people of their voting rights. She claims the Election Commission is complicit in deleting lakhs of names from voter lists.
A look at the careers of Indian sportspersons who have transitioned into politics, highlighting their successes, failures, and party affiliations.
The draft rolls published on December 16 had already pared down the electorate from 7.66 crore to 7.08 crore, deleting over 58 lakh names on grounds of death, migration, duplication and untraceability.
The BJP has released its first list of candidates for the West Bengal assembly polls, featuring Suvendu Adhikari against Mamata Banerjee in a high-stakes electoral battle. The Left Front has also announced its initial list of candidates, setting the stage for a crucial election.
Over 130 Lok Sabha and 63 Rajya Sabha MPs have signed notices seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging partisan conduct and obstruction of electoral fraud investigations.
Opposition leaders have criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation, calling it politically motivated and a misuse of official platforms during ongoing elections.
BJP leader Nitin Nabin accuses the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government of altering West Bengal's demography by favouring infiltrators and neglecting the rights of the state's residents, promising to rectify the situation if the BJP comes to power.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar declined to comment on the opposition's notice to move a motion in Parliament for his removal, amidst accusations of partisan behaviour.
Prateek Bordoloi's withdrawal after his father's BJP switch underscores Congress' mounting challenges ahead of the Assam elections.
The Congress party has accused the Modi government of abusing its power and distorting the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) during the upcoming assembly elections in Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal and Puducherry. The party alleges that the MCC has become 'Modi's Code of Campaigning' filled with defamation and lies.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah sharpened the BJP's campaign for the West Bengal assembly polls, releasing a 'charge sheet' against the TMC government and framing the election as a battle for the country's security.
'A genuine tribute to Dr Ambedkar does not lie in selective invocation. It lies in asking a harder question: Is the Constitution still doing its job -- restraining even assertive majorities?' asks Manoj Mohanka.
The Supreme Court has expressed serious concern over the 'hostage' situation involving seven judicial officials in West Bengal's Malda district, demanding explanations from state officials and authorising the Election Commission to seek a CBI or NIA probe.
Voters in Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry are voting in crucial assembly elections.
'You cannot run Parliament with 800 MPs as nobody will get time (to speak in Parliament). And Parliament sits for barely 60 days in a year.' 'Look at the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. They have 650 MPs and they sit for 150 days on an average in a year.'
The BJP has released its list of candidates for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, with the notable absence of K Annamalai, sparking speculation and discussion within the state's political circles.
Both sides have now revealed a preference for escalation over strategic defeat, and each new provocation narrows the space for the next pause. The Touska seizure, Iran's refusal to negotiate under blockade, Israel's strikes on Iranian oil infrastructure -- all of these add up to an increasingly untenable situation. This makes the wild card -- Trump and his motormouth -- more consequential than ever, notes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the Iran War.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched the BJP's manifesto for West Bengal, promising a Uniform Civil Code, a Bengali chief minister, and improved governance.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has launched a strong rebuttal against Union Home Minister Amit Shah's 'chargesheet' on the West Bengal government, accusing the BJP of attempting to polarise the state ahead of elections and failing to address critical issues such as violence in Manipur and women's safety in BJP-ruled states.
Sonia Gandhi criticises the government's proposed delimitation, claiming it's a politically motivated move to delay the caste census and gain an unfair advantage, rather than genuinely promoting women's reservation.
The alliance between Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) and AIMIM in West Bengal has collapsed following allegations of a multi-crore deal with the BJP, leading to AIMIM's withdrawal and both parties planning to contest the elections independently.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has established a four-member ad-hoc committee to manage the affairs of the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI), following a directive from the Delhi High Court to restore democratic governance within the sport.
