The extent of doubts over the fairness of this election can be assessed by juxtaposing two figures: Total votes polled by the two principal parties and the number of people who were disallowed from voting this time, observes Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.
TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee has questioned the credibility of the West Bengal assembly polls, accusing the Election Commission of partisan conduct and alleging large-scale irregularities during the elections.
Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee has criticised the arrest of Vinesh Chandel, co-founder of I-PAC, alleging it's a politically motivated attempt to intimidate the opposition and undermine the fairness of the upcoming West Bengal elections.
The only thing that might make the BJP stop trying to isolate Muslims completely will be if substantial numbers of the community vote for the party that flaunts its animosity towards it, notes Jyoti Punwani.
'This is a major rupture in Tamil Nadu's political order.' 'For the Dravidian parties, the message is clear: The old DMK-AIADMK binary is no longer guaranteed a future.'
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has accused the TMC of conspiring to include infiltrators in electoral rolls, claiming the party objects to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) while those rightfully removed from the rolls did not protest.
Police in Kannur, Kerala, are investigating faculty members at Kannur Dental College following the death of a first-year student, Nithin Raj RL, who allegedly died by suicide after facing emotional harassment. The college has suspended two faculty members and initiated an internal inquiry.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has criticised the deployment of CRPF armoured vehicles during the Assembly elections, accusing the BJP-led Centre of using government resources to favour their party. She also addressed concerns of potato farmers and urged them to sell their produce in other states.
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.
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) has approved the adoption of the 3x15 scoring system, set to take effect on January 4, 2027, following a vote at its Annual General Meeting in Horsen, Denmark. The decision aims to enhance the sport's appeal, improve match scheduling, and benefit player welfare, despite reservations from some leading Indian players.
The BJP has accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of using 'victim card' politics to gain sympathy during the assembly elections, dismissing claims of threats to her life as a political strategy.
Police in Kannur, Kerala, have launched an investigation into Kannur Dental College following the death of a first-year student, Nithin Raj RL, who allegedly died by suicide after facing emotional harassment from faculty members. The college has suspended two faculty members and is cooperating with the police investigation.
'The Supreme Court stated that once the delimitation plan is approved by Parliament and receives assent of the President, it cannot be undone. Nor can it be modified.'
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.
Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee has urged voters in Murshidabad to support the TMC as the only way to defeat the BJP, claiming that other parties are indirectly aiding the BJP's influence.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has affirmed his government's commitment to a transparent recruitment process, aiming to fill 25,000 vacancies this year while avoiding legal complications.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of playing the 'victim card' and pushing the state towards destruction. He promised to end the TMC's 'syndicate raj' and ensure justice for women if the BJP is voted to power.
Police in Kannur, Kerala, have launched an investigation into Kannur Dental College following the death of a first-year student, Nithin Raj R L, who allegedly died by suicide after facing emotional harassment from faculty members. The investigation includes allegations of caste-based discrimination and threats of academic repercussions.
The Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, has stated that the primary goal of the Election Commission is to ensure all voters in West Bengal can participate in the upcoming assembly elections without violence or intimidation.
The Election Commission's move to transfer West Bengal's chief secretary and DGP soon after the announcement of Assembly poll dates triggered a political slugfest.
Police in Kannur, Kerala, are investigating Kannur Dental College faculty after a first-year student died in a suspected suicide, with allegations of emotional harassment and discrimination.
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami has announced a series of welfare measures, including free refrigerators for rice ration cardholders, if the party wins the 2026 Assembly election in Tamil Nadu.
'The jail staff told me Kasab was served only jail food and not biryani.' 'They told me that Kasab was beaten regularly after court proceedings.' 'And they filled Kasab's bottle with urine so that whenever he felt thirsty he used to drink urine.'
The Supreme Court has directed the establishment of independent appellate tribunals, led by former high court judges, to address appeals related to voter list exclusions in West Bengal, while also cautioning against undermining judicial officers involved in the process.
'We were in a heavily nuclearised environment. China had tested for Pakistan in the 1980s and helped their missile programme stay just one step behind us.'
We cannot simply have a 60-65 per cent import dependency in LPG, the bulk of which comes from just one volatile region -- West Asia, points out R Jagannathan.
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.
Indian badminton star P V Sindhu describes her stressful experience being stranded in Dubai due to airspace closures, following explosions near the airport.
Like the realisation on the failure of development, we have also internalised the failure on democracy, argues Aakar Patel.
If Xi Jinping can establish control over the PLA Ground Force, relations between India and China will settle down to an even keel. The next few weeks will show whether Xi has finally succeeded in gaining control over the PLA Ground Force. That could bring about the substantive shift in India-China relations that both our leaders have been working for, observes Ambassador Prabhat Shukla.
'We kept this Budget on a larger plank, rather than on one incident, however serious.'
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has refuted reports that indelible ink marks on voters' fingers were being wiped off during the ongoing civic polls. The BMC clarified that the Municipal Commissioner had not made any such statement.
'This Budget has a one-year agenda, which you can call the sprint, and the marathon is towards Viksit Bharat.'
'It's a lifetime opportunity to cook for the most high-profile table of India. It's a matter of honour for me.'
Bangladesh is preparing for elections and a referendum on reforms, but the absence of the Awami League and rising political tensions are raising concerns about the legitimacy and stability of the process.
Fair trade watchdog Competition Commission of India (CCI) is examining whether the country's largest airline, IndiGo, violated competition norms, a senior official said on Friday amid the carrier facing regulatory scrutiny over significant flight disruptions.
Given Modi's track record from the time he became Gujarat chief minister in October 2001, it is highly improbable that Nabin will get opportunities to display his individual capacity. Even the team of organisational leaders that he will 'appoint' in a few weeks or months, will unlikely to be his choice, predicts Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.
The Congress will launch a nationwide campaign against the repeal of the United Progressive Alliance-era rural employment legislation Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) on January 5, similar to the pushback against the three farm laws which eventually forced the Narendra Modi government to rollback its decision, party president Mallikarjun Kharge said.
The Supreme Court has directed the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to incorporate provisions for scribe changes and implement screen-reader software for visually-impaired candidates in its examinations. The court emphasized the constitutional rights of differently-abled people and the need for inclusive governance.
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