23 political parties of the INDIA bloc will meet on Monday to redraw their strategy to take on the BJP and iron out differences amid changed power dynamics after the defeat of regional anchors TMC and DMK in the recent assembly polls.
The Election Commission is preparing to launch the third phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voters' lists, potentially covering 22 states and Union Territories with approximately 40 crore electors.
The Congress party in Kerala has strongly criticised the state government's Public Relations Department (PRD) for publishing advertisements in major newspapers that highlight alleged shortcomings of the previous Oommen Chandy administration, accusing the government of misusing public funds for political gain ahead of upcoming elections.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has accused Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of aligning with forces that attack minorities, during election rallies in Kerala. He also criticised the CM on other issues including alleged corruption and economic failures.
Kerala's General Education Minister V Sivankutty has criticised former DGPs R Sreelekha and T P Senkumar for their alleged adverse remarks against the police, questioning the timing and appropriateness of their statements.
'When Narendra Modi was here, he spoke only about development and what the BJP wanted to do in Kerala. That kind of sober rhetoric or argument is acceptable to the people here.'
AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal has released an open letter to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, alleging secret deals with BJP leaders and the central government, raising questions about the LDF government's functioning ahead of the Assembly elections.
Kerala's Chief Minister-designate V D Satheesan met with senior Congress leader K C Venugopal to address reports of internal discord, as discussions surrounding the formation of the new cabinet continue.
Mamata Banerjee fended off a spirited challenge by a resurgent Bharatiya Janata Party in West Bengal with a landslide victory for her Trinamool Congress on Sunday for a third consecutive term and the saffron party and the Left Democratic Front were poised to form government again in Assam and Kerala respectively while the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam stormed back to power in Tamil Nadu after a gap of 10 years.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi intensified the UDF's campaign for the Kerala polls, accusing the CPI(M) of stealing gold from the Sabarimala temple and questioning PM Modi's silence on the issue. He also addressed concerns about rubber prices and the FCRA amendments.
Shashi Tharoor's relationship with Congress leaders in Kerala appears to be improving after a meeting with Rahul Gandhi. A prominent state leader announced Tharoor will be a star campaigner for the party-led UDF in the upcoming Kerala Assembly polls.
Counting of votes begins in Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, and West Bengal, with significant implications for regional and national parties.
Exit polls predict a BJP victory in Assam and an edge in West Bengal, a DMK government in Tamil Nadu, and a Congress-led UDF comeback in Kerala.
'When the prime minister and home minister promised their full support for the development of Kerala, why should we not be a part of them?'
'Remember Vijay had never spoke of himself as a Christian when he was a film star.' 'The BJP strategy is they want the Christian minority constituency to move away from the DMK.' 'That is what the BJP wants so that it will be very easy to mobilise Hindu votes.' 'This strategy is to weaken the Dravidian ideology and bring in religion based politics into Tamil Nadu.'
According to data released by the ECI, the revised electoral roll has 2,69,53,644 voters, compared to 2,78,50,855 before the Special Intensive Revision began in October last year.
AICC leader K C Venugopal has alleged that the bribery case against him and other Congress leaders in Haryana is a politically motivated move sponsored by the BJP and CPI(M). He denies the allegations and claims to have taken legal action.
The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a key ally of the Congress in Kerala, has criticised the public discussions and arguments regarding who should be the chief ministerial candidate of the United Democratic Front (UDF). IUML leader P M A Salam stated that such debates could lead to discontent among party workers and the general public.
The Congress party has announced its seven candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Pawan Khera, Meenakshi Natarajan, Praveen Chakravarty, Neeraj Dangi, Mansoor Ali Khan, and Pranav Jha, representing various states like Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, and Jharkhand. The elections are set for June 18.
BJP state chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar dismisses Rahul Gandhi's charge of a BJP-CPI(M) understanding in Kerala as baseless, asserting the NDA is competitive and criticising Congress's performance.
Sitting Dalit MLA C C Mukundan from Nattika has openly declared he will contest as an independent after allegedly being denied a CPI ticket for the upcoming Assembly elections, citing party infighting and caste-related issues.
'...especially pressure on the rupee, the current account deficit, and foreign exchange outflows.' 'The key question over the next several months is whether the government can prevent external turbulence from feeding into domestic economic pessimism.'
CPI(M) MLA Kadakampally Surendran alleges that Unnikrishnan Potty, the prime accused in the Sabarimala gold loss case, is conspiring to tarnish his image ahead of the state Assembly election.
According to pollster Pradeep Gupta, years of TMC "misrule" that created a "climate of fear", Prime Minister Narendra Modi's charisma and the organisational abilities of Amit Shah and the RSS brought the BJP to power in West Bengal.
Top Congress leaders are questioning whether the Election Commission's announced schedule for the Assembly polls unduly benefits the BJP, citing concerns over the timing and structuring of election phases.
The Election Commission has issued a notice to LDF convener T P Ramakrishnan, contesting from Perambra, following a complaint about a recorded announcement from a campaign vehicle alleging communal campaigning by the IUML.
Political parties in Kerala are increasingly using AI-generated content to influence voters in the upcoming elections, raising concerns about the blurring lines between reality and fiction in political messaging.
The Kerala government has filed a statement in the High Court opposing former minister Antony Raju's plea to suspend his conviction in an evidence-tampering case, arguing it would undermine the electoral process.
Senior Congress leader Arun Yadav has criticised the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh, alleging neglect of farmers and the enabling of mafia activities.
'If the Opposition associates itself too much with the minorities, then it becomes easy for the BJP to get Hindu consolidation votes.'
A Civil Police Officer in Kerala has been suspended for allegedly violating service rules by posting social media messages in support of a Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate ahead of upcoming Assembly elections.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has responded to Rahul Gandhi's criticism regarding the Sabarimala gold loss case, questioning Gandhi's connections to the accused and accusing him of political opportunism.
Congress MP K Sudhakaran became emotional while paying tribute to a party worker, Kappadan Ramesh, at a function in Kannur. The event was organised to hand over the key of a house built for Ramesh's family. Sudhakaran also addressed speculation about his candidature in the upcoming Assembly elections.
'98 lakhs in Bengal, 97 lakhs in Tamil Nadu, 2.83 crores in Uttar Pradesh.'
The Election Commission has issued a notice to LDF convener T P Ramakrishnan following a complaint by the UDF regarding a recorded announcement from an LDF campaign vehicle, which allegedly made communal remarks against the IUML. The UDF claims the LDF is running a communal campaign, similar to a previous controversy during the 2024 general elections.
Rahul Gandhi intensified the Congress campaign in Kerala, alleging collusion between the LDF and BJP, citing corruption cases and the drug issue in the state. He also criticised the LDF government's handling of the Sabarimala gold loss and unemployment.
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema has condemned the recent blasts in Amritsar and Jalandhar, calling them a deliberate attempt to spread terror and disrupt the state's peace. He accused the BJP of trying to create an atmosphere of fear and division for political gains ahead of elections.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah criticizes Kerala's ruling Left government over the Sabarimala gold loss case, demanding a neutral investigation and accusing the government of protecting the real culprits. He also signals the start of the BJP's campaign for the upcoming Assembly elections.
Over 700 citizens, including former civil servants, academics, activists, and journalists, have written to the Election Commission alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's national address on April 18 violated the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) for elections. They are seeking an inquiry and remedial action.
The ruling LDF in Kerala faces criticism after infidelity allegations against Transport Minister K B Ganesh Kumar surfaced, with the opposition UDF questioning the government's response and commitment to women's safety.
