Small parties have the capacity to play both ends against the middle. Puducherry could be heading that way, points out Aditi Phadnis.
An FIR has been registered against former West Bengal chief minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee for allegedly making provocative remarks during the last assembly poll campaign, with a complaint stating her comments were 'capable of promoting enmity between communities'.
The Gulf countries on Monday welcomed a peace deal reached between the US and Iran to end their conflict and called for protection of maritime routes and freedom of international navigation, including the uninterrupted flow of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Maharashtra BJP MLC Pravin Darekar announced the launch of 'Devabhau' and 'Chhava' cooperative taxi services in Mumbai, aiming to counter private aggregators and benefit drivers directly, but the scheme has drawn sharp criticism from social activist Anjali Damania and the Opposition Congress over the proposed use of Mumbai Bank funds and its political branding.
Mamata Banerjee alleges BJP rigged the West Bengal elections and announces plans for a nationwide anti-BJP alliance. She also protests against post-poll violence and arrests of TMC workers.
The BJP's Bahraich unit has filed a cyber crime case against a social media account for allegedly misusing images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Health Minister J P Nadda, along with party symbols, to circulate misleading content. Police have registered a case under the IT Act and initiated an investigation.
The BJP in Arunachal Pradesh has voiced its support for Chief Minister Pema Khandu amidst speculation about his political future following a Supreme Court-directed CBI inquiry into alleged corruption.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has declared that the TMC will proceed with its planned sit-in protest against alleged attacks on party leaders and workers, as well as the Railways' hawker eviction drive, despite the police denying permission for the event.
Few leaders since Independence have been able to establish such a direct connection with the electorate or shape the national conversation to the extent that Narendra Modi has done over the past decade, points out former Union minister Dr Karan Singh.
BJP leader and former MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has claimed knowledge of alleged misuse and theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, stating he is not yet ready to reveal the truth due to powerful individuals involved. He also commented on the NEET paper leak controversy, defending the Union Education Minister.
The Bombay High Court has granted bail to two NESCO Ltd employees, Sunny Jain and Balkrishna Balram Kurup, who were arrested in connection with the alleged drug overdose deaths of two students at a concert in Goregaon. The court rejected the police's request to stay the bail order, allowing the employees to be released on a surety of Rs one lakh each.
Eighteen people were arrested in Anand, Gujarat, for allegedly consuming alcohol at a party, violating the state's prohibition laws. The raid on a farmhouse led to the seizure of alcohol and vehicles.
The new Cabinet in Karnataka led by chief minister-designate D K Shivakumar is likely to be a small one with 10-14 ministers including some young faces, sources said on Tuesday. The top Congress leadership on Tuesday held day-long deliberations with outgoing chief minister Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar on giving final shape to the new cabinet in the state.
Australia's coach Tony Popovic expresses confidence in his team's ability to challenge favourites Turkey in their World Cup opener in Vancouver, despite being considered underdogs. He also confirmed the squad is fully fit, including Mohamed Toure.
The protest was triggered by alleged attacks following the BJP's victory in recent assembly elections.
The Nepalese foreign minister was speaking to the media a day after holding wide-ranging talks with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar that focused on ways to further expand ties in diverse sectors, including trade, critical technology, connectivity and energy.
A wedding ceremony in Khatima, Udham Singh Nagar, turned tragic when a dispute over dowry and the 'mehr' amount led to the bride's father suffering a fatal heart attack. Following his death, angry relatives and locals held the groom's party hostage and assaulted them, prompting police intervention to control the situation. An investigation is currently underway.
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.
A wedding in Khatima, Udham Singh Nagar, turned tragic when a dispute over dowry and the 'mehr' amount led to the bride's father suffering a fatal heart attack. The incident sparked anger among relatives and locals, who held the groom's party hostage and assaulted them, prompting police intervention to control the situation. An investigation is currently underway.
RJD spokesperson Shakti Yadav staged a protest outside Rabri Devi's residence after the Bihar government downgraded the security cover for the Lalu Prasad family. The RJD alleges this is an insult and a threat, while the ruling NDA maintains the decision is based on standard security protocols and should be respected. The move follows the allotment of Rabri Devi's long-occupied bungalow to a BJP minister.
BJP spokesman Sajid Yousuf Shah claimed he was asked to leave a hotel in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar due to his "Kashmiri identity." Shah expressed sadness over the incident, highlighting persistent stereotypes despite efforts to strengthen bonds between Jammu & Kashmir and India. The National Conference criticised the BJP, stating the incident reflects the "politics of hatred" propagated by the party.
Anthropic has labelled the US government's directive to suspend its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 AI models as a "misunderstanding" and is actively working to restore access, warning that the current standard for narrow jailbreak findings could "essentially halt all new model deployments for all frontier model providers."
To get its act going in Myanmar, India would need very dynamic diplomacy and not the lazy all-eggs-in-one-basket approach, points out Subir Bhaumik.
India's shooting legend Jaspal Rana was laid to rest in Varanasi with full state honours, two days after his passing due to cardiac complications. Tributes poured in from across the nation, including from his mentee Manu Bhaker and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, highlighting his immense contribution to Indian shooting as both an athlete and a coach.
Catch Akshay chase off bhoots, Suriya's blockbuster, the King of Pop and more on OTT this week. Sukanya Verma lists your hot picks.
Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee has declared that removing the BJP from power is her life's mission, alleging election rigging and vowing to support TMC workers. She announced a nationwide anti-BJP programme and protested against post-poll violence and government actions.
Hours after warning that the United States could strike Iran "very hard tonight", President Donald Trump announced to halt planned military action, despite earlier threats to target Kharg Island and other key Iranian oil facilities.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge stated that no proposal has been received regarding the composition of the new Karnataka ministry under Chief Minister-designate D K Shivakumar, with decisions on ministers and key appointments expected after the swearing-in ceremony.
The Bombay High Court has granted bail to two NESCO Ltd employees, Sunny Jain and Balkrishna Balram Kurup, who were arrested in connection with an alleged drug overdose case at a music concert in Goregaon. The court found no evidence of their conspiracy or abetment with drug peddlers, noting no narcotics were recovered from them and the investigation was complete.
West Bengal's BJP government, led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, has announced a probe into the expenditure of the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) organised during the previous TMC regime. Adhikari alleged that an event management firm was paid Rs 635 crore for various editions of the summit, promising strict action against those found responsible for financial irregularities.
'It all depends on how Shivakumar uses him and treats him.'
Newly appointed Punjab BJP chief Kewal Singh Dhillon has outlined his plans to strengthen the party in the state, aiming for a majority in the 2027 assembly elections. He criticised the ruling AAP government and promised to address key issues such as crop diversification and law and order.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari denies political vendetta in the signature forgery probe involving TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, stating the investigation stems from complaints by TMC MLAs.
Sunny Deol stars in the upcoming Partition drama Batwara 1947, produced by Aamir Khan Productions and directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, which promises a compelling story of courage amidst historical turmoil.
Actor-politician Kangana Ranaut shared her experience during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, revealing that director Mahesh Bhatt was the first to alert her and her Bollywood peers while they were at a party.
Congress candidate Meenakshi Natarajan's Rajya Sabha nomination from Madhya Pradesh was rejected due to an incomplete affidavit, failing to disclose a court complaint from Telangana. BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya claimed Congress members from Telangana provided the information, highlighting internal party strife.
Rakul Singh and Jackky Bhagnani recently jetted off to New York for a delightful vacation with friends, indulging in culinary delights and sharing glimpses of their fun escape.
A wellspring fuelling the CJP tsunami is the high levels of youth unemployment. Millions of youngsters, including extremely over-qualified people, apply in desperation for any job that is advertised. No government has been able to deliver on this front and things may get worse as artificial intelligence enters the workforce, points out Devangshu Datta.
BJP leaders Rajeev Chandrasekhar and B B Gopakumar have accused both the UDF and LDF governments of pushing Kerala into an economic crisis. They criticised the lack of solutions from the ruling fronts, highlighted the state's high public debt, and questioned the allocation of revenue for development versus salaries and pensions.
West Bengal minister Kaushik Chowdhury on Thursday said that around 4,000 EVMs were gutted in a government building fire in Kolkata, as the police launched an investigation following the registration of an FIR in connection with the incident.
