Counting of votes begins in Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, and West Bengal, with significant implications for regional and national parties.
Amidst the INDIA bloc conclave in Delhi, a significant number of Trinamool Congress MPs convened a closed-door meeting, signalling a deepening internal rebellion and discontent within the party's parliamentary ranks following recent electoral setbacks.
Kerala's 2026 assembly election will see a three-cornered contest where religion and communalism have emerged as central themes for the first time, challenging the state's long-celebrated secular fabric.
'The BJP's tally may dip, but the NDA is likely to retain power.'
The TMC is grappling with an extraordinary internal paradox as its legislative faction in West Bengal pledges 'constructive opposition' against the BJP, while a significant portion of its Lok Sabha MPs surprisingly aligns with the BJP-led NDA, exposing a profound ideological schism within the party.
Assam is set to hold elections for its 126-member assembly, with a direct contest expected between the BJP-led NDA and the Congress-led opposition. Key candidates and constituencies are in focus as the state prepares to vote.
The BJP-led government in Bihar secured a vote of confidence in the state assembly, with Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary pledging economic development and significant investments. The motion was passed amidst heated debates and accusations between the ruling NDA and the opposition, highlighting political tensions and differing views on issues like women's reservation.
'Those who have drained Mamata Banerjee's blood -- they are the ones calling us traitors.'
The government has moved to increase the strength of the joint committee of Parliament that will scrutinise the two bills proposing simultaneous elections from 31 MPs to 39, giving representation to more parties.
In apparent signs of thaw after years of bickering stemming out of internal feud in the AIADMK in the past, party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami welcomed Dhinakaran back in to the National Democratic Alliance. The AMMK founder reciprocated with a "heartfelt thanks," yet admitting there was "sibling rivalry" with AIADMK, the party he was once associated with.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday pulled off a stunning performance in Maharashtra winning a record number of seats to propel the party-led ruling Mahayuti alliance to a landslide victory while the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) stormed back to power in Jharkhand on the back of a spectacular showing by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha.
The Congress-led UDF secured a decisive victory in Kerala's local body elections, dealing a blow to the LDF, while the BJP gained significant ground, including winning control of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation.
Senior NDA leaders, including H D Kumaraswamy, Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar, also supported the resolutions, paving the way for Modi to become prime minister for the third time.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Rahul Gandhi are set to address public rallies in Bihar on Wednesday in support of their respective party nominees. Other leaders will also campaign ahead of the upcoming elections.
Several opposition parties on Wednesday decided to jointly oppose the delimitation provisions in the Constitution amendment bill in Parliament, even as they reiterated support for women's reservation, with Mallikarjun Kharge alleging the move is politically motivated.
The Bharatiya Janata Party Parliamentary Board on Monday appointed party national general secretary Tarun Chugh as the central observer for the election of the legislature party leader in Manipur, indicating the possible formation of a popular government in the Northeastern state.
The Congress party has announced its support for Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar as the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Maharashtra.
NDA candidate C P Radhakrishnan filed his nomination papers for the vice presidential election in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior leaders.
Y Khemchand Singh has been elected as the leader of the BJP legislature party in Manipur, setting the stage for a new government in the state. The election took place at a BJP legislature party meeting, with endorsement from NDA constituents expected.
President's rule in Manipur has been revoked, paving the way for a new government led by Y Khemchand Singh. The move comes after months of ethnic violence and the imposition of President's rule in February 2025.
Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien criticizes the government's focus on cross-voting in the vice presidential poll, urging attention to issues like US tariffs, Manipur violence, and MGNREGA funds.
Bharatiya Janata Party MP Nishikant Dubey emphasised the crucial role of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the party's electoral success, stating that the several sections which did not vote for BJP earlier now support the party and it has broken new ground in many states.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the NDA's victory in the Bihar assembly elections as a win for good governance, development, and social justice. He congratulated alliance partners and thanked the people of Bihar for their support.
Nitin Nabin has been formally declared as the BJP national president, succeeding J P Nadda. The leadership transition was witnessed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior ministers.
The TDP and Janasena, which won 16 and two Lok Sabha seats respectively from Andhra Pradesh, will play a crucial role in government formation at the Centre.
'President's Rule has already been extended twice and one cannot keep the assembly in suspension for much longer.'
Bihar's opposition Mahagathbandhan is experiencing internal conflict following their defeat in the recent assembly elections. Congress leaders have expressed dissatisfaction with their alliance with the RJD, leading to a blame game and further disarray within the opposition camp.
'Nitish Kumar previously held tight control over key ministries, but this concession (giving the home portfolio to the BJP) reflects either his weakened political position or a pragmatic acknowledgment of the BJP's growing dominance.'
The government is likely to push for the passage of the National Sports Governance Bill in the Lok Sabha, despite ongoing parliamentary disruptions due to opposition protests over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Other bills are also listed for consideration.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is expected to elect a new president by the end of February, according to party sources. The ongoing organisational election is on track to complete the polling process in more than half of its state units by mid-January. The tenure of nearly 60 per cent of the BJP's state unit presidents is over, and their replacements are likely to be in place by the middle of next month.
'If Nitish Kumar were to depart from this alliance, it would signal substantial instability in central government politics.'
Chirag Paswan has warned the BJP-led NDA that it will settle for nothing less than 40-plus seats in the 2025 Bihar polls, even threatening to contest all 243 constituencies independently if sidelined.
NCP Maharashtra president Sunil Tatkare reaffirms the party's commitment to the BJP-led NDA, dismissing merger speculations and emphasizing the ideology of the late Ajit Pawar.
The ruling Mahayuti is poised to retain power in Maharashtra with the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) also putting up a strong show in assembly polls, most exit polls predicted on Wednesday after conclusion of polling on 288 seats in the state. Jharkhand is likely to see a change of government with BJP-led National Democratic Alliance coming to power in the state, three exit polls said on Wednesday with one poll giving majority to the ruling JMM-led alliance.
Amid deepening fissures in Kumar's ties with the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress, BJP leaders have indicated that they are open to tying up with him again.
Vice President Dhankhar had in March this year undergone an angioplasty at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi.
Ajit Pawar, who heads the Nationalist Congress Party, which is in an alliance with pro-Hindutva BJP and the Shiv Sena, noted Chief Ministers Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal), Chandrababu Naidu (Andhra Pradesh) and Nitish Kumar (Bihar) -- all secular politicians -- aligned with the BJP for the sake of development of their respective states.
Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan was sworn in as the 15th Vice President of India, succeeding Jagdeep Dhankhar.
Several leaders of the BJP and its allies are of the view that the NDA this time is unlikely to follow the instincts that made it pick Dhankhar and will be more conventional in its search for his successor.
Three of the fence-sitters rule fairly large states Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Odisha that together send 63 members to Lok Sabha -- where the Congress or other opposition parties have been pushed to the margins.
