The Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has completed one year, leading to the deletion of nearly six crore voters across 19 states and Union territories. This exercise, which began in Bihar, has faced opposition criticism but was upheld by the Supreme Court. The purification drive has significant implications, including linking voter data to social security benefits in some states.
Recent BJP organisational moves and Rajya Sabha nominations have sparked speculation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may soon undertake a ministerial reshuffle.
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.
Speculation is rife about a potential rebellion among MPs of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), with ruling Sena leader Pratap Sarnaik hinting at welcoming dissidents. Despite a Sena (UBT) MP meeting a rival minister and several skipping a party meeting, senior leaders Sanjay Raut and Anil Desai have dismissed the defection rumours, asserting the unity of their parliamentarians.
Its strength is set to increase by 3 seats once the current round of Rajya Sabha polls for 27 seats are concluded on June 28.
Palghar police have arrested a 23-year-old man from Bharuch, Gujarat, after a multi-state manhunt in connection with the alleged rape and blackmail of a woman and her minor sister. The case, registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and POCSO Act, had drawn political attention with BJP MLC Chitra Wagh demanding swift action.
Maharashtra minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha has ignited a controversy by proposing to rename Mumbai's KEM Hospital, referring to King Edward VII as "King Kasab" who "looted India". The proposal faces opposition from other political parties, with the state government stating no final decision has been made.
An irate woman confronted Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan during a BJP demonstration in Mumbai, blaming him for the traffic chaos caused by the protest over the women's reservation bill. The incident, captured on video, has sparked criticism of the BJP's protest tactics.
'Now if you break the party under the 10th Schedule you have to join another party.' 'You cannot join the NDA as it is not a party. You can only join another party, and that is the BJP.' 'So the question to ask is that these so-called 20 TMC Lok Sabha MPs who are parting ways with the TMC, are they ready to join the BJP and accept Narendra Modi as their leader?'
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'.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has surged past the halfway mark in the West Bengal assembly elections, leading in 185 seats against the Trinamool Congress's 91, signalling a potential political shift in the state. Early trends suggest a geographically split mandate, with the BJP gaining in border, tribal, and industrial regions, while the TMC holds ground in parts of Kolkata and select rural strongholds.
A month after losing power in West Bengal and facing a rebellion by 58 MLAs, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) confronts an unprecedented challenge to Mamata Banerjee's absolute authority, raising questions about the party's survival and future.
Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan claims the truth has emerged in the 2006 Malegaon blasts case after the Bombay High Court discharged four accused individuals.
Rahul Gandhi accuses Mamata Banerjee of not directly fighting the BJP, alleging that this indirect approach benefits the ruling party. He also criticised her government's performance on job creation and handling of corruption.
The Maharashtra Congress has alleged that sensitive information related to the Ashok Kharat case is being leaked, questioning whether the state government is misusing its machinery to settle personal scores.
Maharana Pratap became a hero not because he won a battle, but because he continued fighting after he lost one, asserts Harishchandra.
The TMC has intensified its attack on the BJP, alleging a 'larger conspiracy' involving central agencies ahead of the second phase of West Bengal polls on April 29, while also questioning the credibility of the Election Commission.
Sharad Pawar objected to comparing PM Modi with Jawaharlal Nehru, highlighting Nehru's sacrifices and nation-building contributions.
Maharashtra minister Narhari Zirwal is facing calls for his dismissal after a video showing him with a transperson went viral. The minister claims the video is doctored and a blackmail attempt, while opposition parties demand his sacking for 'obscene and unethical behaviour'.
Amidst the INDIA bloc conclave in Delhi, a significant number of Trinamool Congress MPs convened a closed-door meeting, signalling a deepening internal rebellion and discontent within the party's parliamentary ranks following recent electoral setbacks.
Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange has ended his indefinite fast after talks with Maharashtra government representatives, who submitted a 12-point proposal to him.
Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda has called for a special session of the Haryana Assembly to address the state's deteriorating law and order situation. Citing central government and NCRB reports, Hooda highlighted Haryana's unsafe status, high organised crime rates, and alarming statistics on rapes, murders, and suicides, alleging the BJP government's negligence.
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) received an email threatening bomb blasts at its mayor's office, Vidhan Bhavan, and the RSS headquarters in Nagpur. The threat, attributed to the Khalistan National Army, led to the evacuation of the PMC building and a comprehensive search operation by the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad.
Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), has announced plans for nationwide protests if Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan does not resign by June 13 over alleged irregularities in examinations and recruitment tests, following a peaceful agitation at Jantar Mantar.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis orchestrated a significant victory for the BJP in the recent civic polls, solidifying his position as a key strategist and influential leader within the party.
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.
West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya has expressed the state government's desire for the Tata Group to return to Singur, viewing it as an economic necessity and a signal that West Bengal is open for business. The move aims to reverse the negative perception created when the Nano project was forced out of the state.
The Congress party has suspended 12 newly-elected councillors in Maharashtra's Ambernath Municipal Council and its block president for forming an alliance with the BJP after recent civic polls. The BJP, along with the Congress and NCP, secured a majority in the council, despite Shiv Sena being the single largest party.
The Maharashtra government is forming a committee headed by the Director General of Police to address the issue of defamation through social media platforms. The committee will study the issue and suggest measures to take action against those who defame individuals through social media.
Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress is grappling with an unprecedented political crisis following its recent electoral defeat, which has seen a significant number of its legislators openly challenging her authority and forming a rebel faction.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis rode a motorcycle to work following Prime Minister Modi's appeal to cut down fuel consumption amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
Maharashtra minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule denies allegations of owning hundreds of acres of land and announces a defamation suit. He also addresses concerns about housing irregularities and farm loan waivers.
'Mamata was more feared than loved, and in politics when people start fearing you then they start hating you.' 'So Mamata's comeback now is impossible.'
'All this talk about women's reservation and Nari Shakti is a mirage.' 'It is a classic Trojan horse to bring about an alteration in the structure of political competition -- to the enduring advantage of the BJP.'
A dispute over the alleged construction of a temporary shed and the tying of sacrificial goats ahead of Bakrid triggered tensions at a housing society in Mira Road, Thane district, Maharashtra, leading to police intervention and protests.
A battle of nerves is unfolding between the Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena on Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde's home turf, Thane, with a BJP leader pitching for a substantial share in power on the back of the party's 100 per cent strike rate in the civic polls.
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.
A downsizing in the prime minister's convoy was implemented in his recent domestic visits, official sources said.
The EC also underlined that for electors whose enumeration forms have not returned, the Booth Level Officers (BLOs) would identify a probable cause, such as absent, shifted, dead and duplicate entry based on an inquiry from the nearby electors and would note the same.
The dramatic development marked the culmination of a revolt that began with allegations of forged signatures on a letter proposing a Leader of Opposition and snowballed into an open challenge to the party leadership following the TMC's defeat at the hands of the BJP in the assembly elections.
