The appointment of Rathan U Kelkar as secretary to Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan has sparked a political controversy, with the CPI(M) accusing the Congress of double standards regarding appointments of election officials.
'After more than 12 years in power, he has been forced to retreat under public pressure. The education minister's resignation is the biggest political climbdown of his government so far.'
Veteran BJP leader Hitendra Nath Goswami defeated Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi in Jorhat, securing his sixth term in the assembly. Goswami's grassroots campaign and extensive experience led to his victory.
The Congress party has expelled Navjot Kaur Sidhu after she publicly criticized Rahul Gandhi. The expulsion follows her earlier suspension and a series of posts on X where she attacked the party leadership and questioned their commitment to Punjab.
'The Congress has no positive vision for the country. The truth is that today the Congress has become the Muslimleegi Maowadi Congress -- MMC. The Congress' entire agenda revolves around this, so now a new faction is emerging within Congress itself, which is uncomfortable with this negative politics.'
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met with Trinamool Congress counting agents in Bhabanipur ahead of the vote count for the assembly election. The meeting aimed to ensure agents are well-prepared and updated on the counting process.
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.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) is reportedly set to skip the upcoming INDIA bloc meeting in New Delhi, signalling a growing rift with the Congress party. This development follows a political realignment in Tamil Nadu where Congress allied with the TVK, leading to the end of its long-standing cooperation with the DMK and a request for separate seating in the Lok Sabha.
Speculation about a possible rapprochement or merger between the Congress and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has exposed deep divisions within the Congress's West Bengal unit, with senior state leaders vocally opposing any alliance with Mamata Banerjee.
'The BJP's tally may dip, but the NDA is likely to retain power.'
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.
The BJP must respect Bengal's pluralistic ethos and with this historic mandate give the state the constructive change it truly deserves, expects Kolkata native Payal Singh Mohanka.
Small parties have the capacity to play both ends against the middle. Puducherry could be heading that way, points out Aditi Phadnis.
Whether Vijay has the political spine to stitch together a stable government from this patchwork of conditions, demands, and midnight drama is the question Tamil Nadu is living through right now.
Former Assam Congress chief Bhupen Kumar Borah joined the BJP, marking a significant political shift ahead of the upcoming Assam assembly polls.
Less than two months after ending the TMC's 15-year rule in the state, the BJP government is expected to table one of its most ambitious and politically sensitive promises, setting the stage for what could become the first major ideological confrontation of the post-election period.
BJP rebel Gokul Gite secured a surprising victory in Maharashtra legislative council's Nashik district local governing body constituency, defeating the ruling Shiv Sena nominee Narendra Darade by 109 votes, despite senior Mahayuti leaders' attempts to resolve his independent candidature.
A significant parliamentary revolt within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has emerged, with purported signatures of 19 MPs on a letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker seeking recognition as a separate bloc under Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and extending support to the BJP-led NDA.
Last year, he was the BJP's darling. Today, Arnab Goswami is a hated figure for the Modi bhakts. What changed?
Crorepati Candidates: Congress (61). BJP (52). CPM (52).
As results of the Assembly elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry are declared, here's how the big names fared.
Sweet shops across West Bengal are preparing themed sweets in anticipation of the election results, reflecting the charged political atmosphere.
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.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders Kalyan Banerjee and Kirti Azad have launched a scathing attack on rebel party MPs, accusing them of lacking political morality, maintaining links with the BJP, and abandoning party workers amidst alleged harassment and political attacks.
Mamata Banerjee personally argued a case in the Calcutta high xourt regarding attacks on Trinamool Congress workers in West Bengal.
Addressing tribal leaders from across the country at an event organised by the Adivasi Congress at the Indira Bhawan in New Delhi, Gandhi warned that while an 'economic tsunami' is coming, the system is also revolting due to public pressure.
Five BJP supporters were injured in a bomb blast in Panihati, West Bengal, following the shooting of a BJP leader's aide. Police are investigating the incident and have increased security in the area.
Twenty rebel Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MPs have merged with the obscure Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a move seen by political observers as a strategic way to support the BJP-led NDA without immediately joining the saffron party and bypassing legal complexities.
The AINRC-led NDA has won the Puducherry Assembly elections and is set to form the government. Chief Minister N Rangasamy won both seats he contested.
A group of dissident Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs, led by Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia, plans to meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to seek recognition as the 'real TMC' parliamentary group, claiming the support of 19 members amidst an escalating internal party crisis.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi told INDIA bloc leaders that despite public anger indicating a win for the opposition, the main challenge is the alleged lack of free and fair elections due to the BJP's control over state institutions. He urged unity and a strategy of 'resistance' against what he termed election 'theft'.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari denies political vendetta in the CID's investigation into alleged signature forgery by TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, following complaints from within his own party.
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.
Hopefully, the BJP will realise that it's the right time for parivartan (change) in its polarising poll strategies after achieving the impossible-looking goal of winning West Bengal, argues Sheela Bhatt.
The Congress party has accused the BJP and the Election Commission of being "partners in crime" in what it terms "seat chori" (seat theft), following the rejection of its Rajya Sabha candidate Meenakshi Natarajan's nomination. The party claims the rejection was based on "flawed and unreasonable" logic, alleging non-disclosure of a criminal case against Natarajan, despite her stating only a legal notice exists.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee will hold a virtual meeting with TMC counting agents to prepare for the vote counting of the assembly elections.
Mr Pradhan is not an especially charismatic leader or a brilliant orator, but his understanding of realpolitik and organisational dynamics makes him the ultimate party man, points out Aditi Phadnis.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) is facing a deepening internal crisis marked by fresh resignations and an escalating rebellion, even as its national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to discuss opposition coordination and the future of the INDIA bloc.
The Assam Congress has filed a police complaint against the BJP for circulating a controversial video of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on social media, alleging it incites communal disharmony.
The appointment of Kerala's Chief Electoral Officer as the Chief Minister's secretary has ignited a political firestorm, raising questions about election credibility and sparking accusations of hypocrisy among political parties.
