Supreme Court Justice B V Nagarathna has emphasised the critical importance of an independent Election Commission to ensure the neutrality and integrity of the electoral process in India.
Senior police officials in West Bengal are visiting police stations to ensure free and fair polling for the upcoming Assembly elections, focusing on maintaining law and order and preventing electoral malpractice.
The Supreme Court on Monday granted protection from arrest to psephologist Sanjay Kumar in connection with two FIRs lodged by the Election Commission of India accusing him of spreading misinformation over Maharashtra's electoral rolls through posts on social media.
TMC leaders have raised concerns about the vote counting process in the West Bengal Assembly elections, alleging irregularities and lack of cooperation from the Election Commission.
The commission, however, has not specified how many among these new entrants are first-time voters who have just turned 18, nor has it given a detailed gender break up of these voters.
In a dramatic election mirroring the Nandigram contest, BJP's Suvendu Adhikari defeated Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur, marking a significant victory for the BJP and a setback for the Trinamool Congress.
In a momentous occasion after the Bharatiya Janata Party's win, the Durga temple in Asansol, reopened its doors to devotees after remaining shut for several years.
The Supreme Court declined to initiate an inquiry into alleged voter roll irregularities in West Bengal, stating it would amount to a 'fishing inquiry'. The court's decision came after concerns were raised about the addition of a significant number of voters ahead of the state's Assembly elections.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has promised to expel infiltrators from West Bengal and secure the border if the BJP wins the upcoming assembly elections. He accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of neglecting North Bengal and favouring Muslims in budget allocations.
The Supreme Court has declined to interfere with the Election Commission's circular regarding the deployment of central government personnel for vote counting in West Bengal, dismissing a plea by the TMC.
The Election Commission of India has prohibited the conduct and dissemination of exit polls from April 9 to April 29 during the upcoming assembly elections in several states. Violators face imprisonment or fines.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accused the Mamata Banerjee government of favouring infiltrators over the native population in West Bengal, asserting that the upcoming assembly election is a battle to save the state's identity.
The BJP is showing strong leads in West Bengal and Assam, while actor Vijay's party is making a significant debut in Tamil Nadu. The Congress is ahead in Kerala, offering some consolation amid the changing political landscape in the state elections.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has accused West Bengal's Mamata Banerjee government of diverting resources to 'Bangladeshi Muslim infiltrators' and warned of losing Bengal if she remains in power.
Rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah's Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) is on track for a significant victory in Nepal's general elections, potentially reshaping the country's political landscape.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has accused the BJP of attempting to manipulate the upcoming West Bengal assembly elections by submitting a large number of Form 6 applications to illegally register voters from outside the state.
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.
What lessons opposition parties need to learn post defeat of Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal elections? The election saw spectacular victor of BJP which rose from 3 seats in 2016 to 206 seats in 2026 assembly elections.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the BJP of attempting to illegally include voters from outside the state in West Bengal's electoral rolls, alleging a coordinated effort to interfere with democratic rights.
Kerala's Chief Electoral Officer, Ratan U Kelkar, addressed concerns regarding the release of detailed polling data from the recent Assembly elections, defending the timeline and transparency of the process.
Voting has commenced for the assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, with over 3.60 crore electors eligible to vote in 152 constituencies in Bengal and 5.73 crore voters in Tamil Nadu. Security measures are heightened to ensure free and fair polling.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asserted that the TMC will return to power for a fourth term, urging opposition parties to unite against the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre. She criticised the BJP's chargesheet against the TMC and alleged corruption in the Haldia dock complex. Banerjee also questioned Prime Minister Modi's claim of being the BJP candidate in all West Bengal seats.
The campaign for the current election cycle ended on Monday as canvassing for the final phase in West Bengal concluded with a bitter war of words between rival parties over cross-border infiltration, corruption, unemployment and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Small parties have the capacity to play both ends against the middle. Puducherry could be heading that way, points out Aditi Phadnis.
The BJP has taken an early lead in the Gujarat local body elections, winning a significant number of seats as counting progresses. The Congress trails behind, while Independents and other parties, including AAP and AIMIM, have also secured seats.
Counting of votes begins in Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, and West Bengal, with significant implications for regional and national parties.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asserted that the TMC will return to power for a fourth consecutive term, urging opposition parties to unite against the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre.
The Bhabanipur assembly segment is Banerjee's political bastion, where she is locked in a prestige battle against Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari in what is being seen as a symbolic rematch of Nandigram, where he had defeated her in the 2021 assembly polls.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah promised to end 'goonda raj' and 'syndicate raj' in West Bengal if the BJP wins the state elections. He also pledged to identify and take action against infiltrators and stop cattle smuggling.
The Madras High Court has restrained TVK MLA R Srinivasa Sethupathi from voting, including in the upcoming confidence motion, due to a petition challenging his one-vote victory.
The Election Commission suspended three central armed police force personnel after a video surfaced showing them playing carrom inside a Trinamool Congress office in West Bengal. A departmental inquiry has been ordered into the matter.
The BJP's landslide victory in West Bengal has not merely redrawn the electoral map but overturned the operating logic of politics in the state, breaching the TMC's entrenched fortress despite a decade-and-a-half of dominance, minority consolidation, and a sustained "outsider" narrative.
By asking Vijay to produce letters of majority support before inviting him to form the government, the governor risks overstepping established Constitutional principles, notes Harishchandra.
The Congress-led UDF has swept back to power in Kerala, sparking celebrations and discussions about forming the new government. Senior leaders are vying for the Chief Minister's post, while the defeated CPI(M)-led LDF grapples with the reasons for their loss after 10 years in power.
The TVK has ended the nearly six-decade dominance of DMK and AIADMK in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, securing 108 out of 234 constituencies in its debut, but falls short of the 118 seats needed for an absolute majority, prompting discussions on coalition options and the governor's role.
Bangladesh is set to hold parliamentary elections with unprecedented security measures in place, following a period of interim governance and political changes.
The voting for the 13th parliamentary elections was held along with a referendum on a complex 84-point reform package.
The VCK party, led by Thol Thirumavalavan, will announce its official position on supporting Vijay's TVK in forming the government. The decision follows discussions regarding power-sharing and key positions within the new government.
A woman in Goa has been booked for allegedly concealing her Portuguese nationality and fraudulently enrolling in the voter list.
Odisha's Chief Electoral Officer has ordered a thorough verification of nearly 1 million voter deletions following complaints of wrongful removals, particularly concerning deceased voters and those who may have shifted residences.
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