West Bengal and Tamil Nadu on Thursday saw a massive voter participation during the ongoing assembly elections, with turnout reaching 89.93 per cent and 82.24 per cent respectively by 5 pm, according to the Election Commission of India.
Omar Abdullah has so far laboured hard to make best of a bad bargain. Even so, the ground reality is anything but reassuring. The Opposition parties, including notably the PDP, appear to be gaining ground, though more by default. Public patience with Omar's government has nearly run out, notes Mohammad Sayeed Malik, the distinguished commentator on Kashmir affairs.
The Election Commission of India is considering launching the final phase of its special intensive revision of voters' lists in the remaining states and Union territories after the assembly elections conclude.
In a first, the Bihar assembly polls this time saw no voting day deaths and no re-polling being ordered in any constituency.
'The final electoral roll will be published on October 7, 2026.' 'If someone who is otherwise eligible does not find his/her name in that electoral roll, they can fill Form 6 along with other necessary documents to enrol his/her name in the electoral roll after the final publication of the electoral roll also.'
33 candidates face cases of murder, 86 candidates face cases related to attempted murder, 42 candidates have cases related to crimes against women with two of them facing rape cases.
Here is a look at how prominent leaders are faring in the contest.
It was speculated that Rohini was "unhappy" over the expulsion of Tej Pratap Yadav from the party. However, during the assembly elections, she was seen campaigning for Tejashwi.
The Congress party has issued show-cause notices to 43 leaders, including former ministers, accusing them of anti-party activities during the Bihar assembly elections.
As the Shiv Sena marks 60 years, political experts highlight the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction's existential crisis and the Eknath Shinde-led group's struggle for relevance in the face of a dominant BJP, a significant shift from the party's historical 'elder brother' status in Maharashtra.
Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav was present for the filing of nominations by RJD candidates Dr Misa Bharti and Dr Faiyaz Ahmad for the Rajya Sabha election.
Veteran BJP leader Prem Kumar was unanimously elected as the Speaker of the Bihar assembly. The election took place on Tuesday, with Kumar being the sole candidate for the position.
The share of none of the above (NOTA) option went up marginally this time in the Bihar assembly polls as compared to the last elections but is still much lower than 2015, data shared by the Election Commission shows.
In Bihar, women outvoted men and, perhaps, became one of the decisive factors behind the NDA's landslide victory in the assembly polls in the state on Friday.
The final phase of the two-phase Bihar elections takes place today, November 11.
RJD spokesperson Shakti Yadav staged a protest outside Rabri Devi's residence after the Bihar government downgraded the security cover for the Lalu Prasad family. The RJD alleges this is an insult and a threat, while the ruling NDA maintains the decision is based on standard security protocols and should be respected. The move follows the allotment of Rabri Devi's long-occupied bungalow to a BJP minister.
The first phase of the Bihar assembly polls recorded a historic turnout of 65.08 per cent, the highest in the state's history, according to the Election Commission.
Popular folk singer Maithili Thakur has indicated her willingness to make her political debut from her hometown Benipatti in Madhubani district ahead of the Bihar assembly elections.
The social media handles of the Bharatiya Janata Party were abuzz with memes and jibes targeted at Congress and Rahul Gandhi on Friday, soon after the bumper performance of the saffron party in the Bihar assembly polls, with the party's Assam unit apologising for upsetting the 'national child' on Children's Day.
According to data available from the Election Commission of India, 17 seats in the 2020 Assembly elections had a victory margin of less than 1.5%
Less than 10 days are left for filing of nomination papers for the first phase of the Bihar polls.
Petitions have been filed in the Patna High Court challenging the election of 45 members of the Bihar legislative assembly, including Speaker Prem Kumar.
Senior Trinamool Congress leader Kalyan Banerjee has commented on the Supreme Court judgment regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, emphasising its specific application to the Bihar case and highlighting the Election Commission's limited authority in determining citizenship.
Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday asserted that the opposition coalition was certain to form the next government in Bihar, and the swearing-in will take place four days after the results of assembly polls are declared.
The Opposition had the numbers to win one Rajya Sabha seat from Bihar. As it turned out, four MLAs skipped the voting, helping the NDA to sweep the polls.
'This combination of immaturity and desperation somehow becomes lethal; it is unhealthy for democracy'
The BJP will use Samrat Choudhary to make a dent into Nitish Kumar's traditional social support base of Kurmi and Koeri/Kushwaha communities.
Bihar voted in the first phase of assembly elections on Thursday for 121 seats.
After living in India's most palatial residence for 12 years, India's first President Dr Rajendra Prasad returned to his simple hut on the banks of the Ganga. He never owned a house of his lifetime.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav will address joint rallies before the first Phase of voting and, after that, for the seats in the second Phase of voting, they added.
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.
Nitish Kumar may be in the chief minister's chair again, but with the BJP grabbing the home department and the assembly speaker's post, the real power in Bihar has shifted unmistakably, reports MI Khan.
The BJP has announced its candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections across multiple states, including Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Odisha, and Haryana.
'The Bihar assembly polls will open the eyes of everyone once the Gau Bhakts receive votes.'
Bihar assembly Speaker Awadh Bihari Chaudhary, against whom the newly formed National Democratic Alliance government has moved a no-confidence motion, on Wednesday dug in his heels.
The National Democratic Alliance is busy with government formation in Bihar after its historic victory, and plans to distribute ministerial portfolios using the same formula as ticket allocation. Nitish Kumar will stay on as chief minister, while the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) are likely to get one deputy chief minister each.
The NDA government has gradually nuanced its position on the issue of demographic challenge.
Nitish Kumar's decision to contest the Rajya Sabha elections signals the end of his long-standing tenure as Bihar's Chief Minister, paving the way for a potential BJP leader to take the helm.
In the recent Bihar elections, a majority of state ministers from the ruling NDA secured victories in their respective constituencies, with only one minister losing their seat.
The CBI has registered an FIR in the alleged murder of Chandranath Rath, an aide to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, taking over the investigation from the state police following a request from the state government.
