Rebel Trinamool Congress MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar announced that 20 dissident Lok Sabha members from TMC have merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) and pledged support to the NDA under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The group expects its numbers to increase to 22 and clarified they have no connection with rebel TMC MLAs in West Bengal. Dastidar also highlighted the alleged non-implementation of central schemes in West Bengal by the previous TMC government.
Former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt wants BJP chief Amit Shah to be made a respondent for allegedly foisting wrong criminal cases against him, former additional solicitor general Indira Jaising tells Prasanna Zore/Rediff.com
At this point at 85, Sharad Pawar is like a mature but ageing trapeze artist who is assessing if he will still land on his feet if he jumps from the safe perch of INDIA to the NDA. Can a Great Betrayal be presented as a tactical move? Watch Sharad Pawar do it, predicts Aditi Phadnis.
Shah had dinner with the BCCI chief at his residence. More details are awaited. The Home Minister arrived in West Bengal on Thursday for a two-day visit to the state.
The DMK has been charting an independent course from the Congress-led Opposition bloc on contentious issues during the Monsoon Session, including not joining a walkout over the anti-paper leak bill and participating in a debate on the National Honour Bill, signalling growing fault lines within the Opposition.
Opposition parties, particularly the Congress, have strongly criticised the BJP for felicitating former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who resigned following student protests over the NEET exam controversy. They have also dismissed the government's proposed anti-paper leak legislation as a 'cosmetic Bill' and questioned the sincerity of education reforms.
Rahul Gandhi recently connected with Gen Z through an engaging 'Ask Me Anything' session on Instagram, offering candid responses on student protests, his views on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and even his philosophy on pet ownership.
As many as 274 fugitives have been repatriated from 36 countries in the last 7 years, an average of around 40 per year and a 10-fold jump from the 2004-13 period when around four fugitives were brought back every year, the government said on Tuesday.
'The BJP is using administrative machinery to fight elections'
Himanta Biswa Sarma was sworn in as the chief minister of Assam for a second consecutive term, along with four other ministers, marking the formation of the third successive NDA government in the state.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has convened an all-party meeting on June 24 in New Delhi to discuss the situation in Manipur which has witnessed sporadic violence since May 3.
He asserted that the concept of 'one flag, one prime minister, one Constitution' was not a political slogan and the Bharatiya Janata Party firmly believes in the principle and finally implemented it with regard to Jammu and Kashmir.
Prashant Kishor's stunning Bankipur victory has broken the BJP's three-decade dominance in one of its safest urban strongholds, signalling a major political shift in Bihar.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared jhalmuri with NDA leaders at the Bharat Mandapam conclave, bringing the popular Bengali snack back into the political spotlight. This act revived memories of his West Bengal election campaign where a jhalmuri break became a political talking point and a subtle jab at the Trinamool Congress.
Lachit Borphukan is revered as one of Assam's greatest military commanders and a symbol of courage, patriotism and selfless leadership.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has criticised the TMC government in West Bengal, alleging that its policies have led to increased infiltration and threaten national security. He framed the upcoming elections as a battle against these issues, promising change if the BJP comes to power.
Bihar on Wednesday witnessed a pitched battle between hundreds of student activists demanding Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation and the police, which used tear gas shells, water cannons and batons in a bid to prevent their 'Lok Bhavan march'.
The BJP is set to form its first government in West Bengal, with the oath-taking ceremony scheduled for May 9 at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata. The event is expected to be attended by prominent BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Speaking in the assembly after tabling the Aparajita Woman and Child Bill (West Bengal Criminal Laws and Amendment) Bill 2024, Banerjee said the Bill aims at quick investigation, fast justice delivery and enhanced punishment of the guilty.
The 55-year-old Bharatiya Janata Party leader had tested positive for coronavirus on August 2 when he was taken to private hospital Medanta in Gurgaon.
The AIIMS had said in a statement on Saturday that "he has recovered and is likely to be discharged in a short time".
Parliament on Thursday passed a bill to amend the anti-paper leak law to introduce stricter punishments, with the government expressing its commitment to go the extra mile to safeguard the interests of students, who are the country's future.
Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah, on Sunday, met Mahendra Singh Dhoni as part of the party's 'Sampark for Samarthan'
Vande Mataram, the national song that has stirred passions and political controversies for more than a century, received legal protection on Thursday with Parliament passing a bill making any insult to it a punishable offence, rekindling the long-running debate over its place in India's history and identity.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced stringent measures, including the establishment of fast-track courts, to combat exam paper leaks and protect the future of India's youth, following widespread protests over the NEET paper leak.
The Indian government has significantly altered its approach to the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP)-led agitation over the NEET paper leak, moving from dismissal to calibrated political engagement, including promises of fast-track courts, a new anti-paper leak law, and negotiations with key protest leaders.
Amit Shah, the Bharatiya Janata Party's Lok Sabha elections incharge for Uttar Pradesh, has turned a moribund state party unit into a battle-hardened machine in less than a year.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating he needs to change his "dil ka angle" (heart's perspective) rather than camera angles to connect with Gen Z, following his Instagram outreach to student protesters. She also condemned the government's handling of student protests and the widespread issue of paper leaks.
Parliament proceedings were stalled for the fourth consecutive day on Thursday as loud protests by an unrelenting opposition over the NEET paper leak and demand for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation reverberated in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, leading to adjournment of the two Houses for the day without transacting any business.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Tuesday said the government was talking to both the Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur to ensure lasting peace and has begun fencing the country's border with Myanmar to check infiltration.
Suvendu Adhikari has been elected as the leader of the BJP legislature party in West Bengal, paving the way for him to become the state's first BJP chief minister.
BJP spokesman Sajid Yousuf Shah claimed he was asked to leave a hotel in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar due to his "Kashmiri identity." Shah expressed sadness over the incident, highlighting persistent stereotypes despite efforts to strengthen bonds between Jammu & Kashmir and India. The National Conference criticised the BJP, stating the incident reflects the "politics of hatred" propagated by the party.
There are strong possibilities of some Union ministers being sent to take organisational roles in the BJP and party office-bearers being inducted into the Modi ministry.
The TMC has challenged the BJP to win the Falta assembly seat in West Bengal, where a re-election has been ordered due to electoral offences. The TMC has dared the BJP to deploy its full resources, including top leaders and central forces, while expressing confidence in the electorate's support.
He said in categorical terms that CAA was brought in to provide citizenship and not to take away anyone's citizenship.
President Droupadi Murmu conferred the prestigious Padma Awards 2026 upon a host of luminaries, including Mammootty, R Madhavan, and Alka Yagnik.
The spiralling agitation over the NEET issue saw protests and counter-protests by Congress and BJP across the country on Wednesday, with clashes and tense face-offs at many places, a day after Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders were forcibly removed from a dharna outside the prime minister's residence.
Singh said he was extremely grateful to Shah for the peace agreement and stressed that the home minister's leadership and efforts have played a pivotal role in fostering reconciliation and paving the way for a more peaceful and united future in the Northeast.
On August 2, Shah, 55, had said on Twitter that he had tested positive for COVID-19.
On July 21, 2026 in New Delhi, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, D K Shivakumar, V D Satheesan, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, K C Venugopal, Pawan Khera and others staged a protest at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence, demanding the resignations of Modi, Home Minister Amit A Shah and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
