Amanjot Kaur Ramoowalia, a former member of Akali Dal's women wing and daughter of former Union minister Balwant Singh Ramoowalia, Gurpreet Singh Shahpur, Chand Singh Chatha and Baljinder Singh Dakoha, all associated with the former BJP ally, joined the saffron party in presence of a number its leaders, including cabinet minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
When electoral alliances are cooked and tested in the blender of political endurance, all in prep for April-May 2024.
The Aam Aadmi Party has fielded Karamjit Anmol, while the BJP has named North West Delhi MP Hans Raj Hans from Faridkot, a reserved parliamentary constituency.
Two explosions near defence establishments in Punjab have triggered security concerns.
Sukhbir Singh Badal, who was sitting in a wheelchair, escaped unhurt as the bullet hit a wall.
Opposition parties have criticised the AAP government in Punjab following twin blasts in Jalandhar and Amritsar, citing a breakdown in law and order and intelligence systems. The blasts have sparked a political blame game, with accusations flying between the AAP and BJP.
Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani's yatra on Sunday met a hostile reception in Punjab, with protesters hurling eggs at his 'rath' and waving black flags, briefly disrupting his convoy's journey in the state, where the party is in power along with Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal).
Police seized weapons and mobile phones after inmates clashed in Kapurthala jail. Tear gas and cane charges were used to restore order. Political leaders criticise the state government over the incident.
The state police have been looking for the Shiromani Akali Dal leader to arrest him.
Here is the list of constituencies where results have been announced.
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Thursday declared that the Shiromani Akali Dal would support the National Democratic Alliance's decision on the Presidential candidate. In a statement, he said that as a key ally of the NDA, the Shiromani Akali Dal was committed to toe the line of action, as decided by the NDA.
Two explosions near security establishments in Punjab have triggered panic and condemnation from opposition parties, who allege efforts to destabilise the state. The blasts occurred in Jalandhar and Amritsar, with investigations underway. No injuries were reported.
Punjab's 117 assembly seats are going to be a keenly-watched contest with the Congress, the AAP, the SAD-BSP alliance, and the BJP-PLC-SAD (Sanyukt) battling to form the government in the state, with a probable entry of farmers' front in the form of Sanyukt Samaj Morcha.
The two had parted ways following differences over running the Akali Dal, Punjab.
Bharatiya Janata Party's National Democratic Alliance partners have got five cabinet ministerial berths in the third term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as against none in the outgoing government, given the party's dependence on allies for a majority in the Lok Sabha.
An alert Punjab Police ASI thwarted a murderous bid on Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Wednesday. The incident took place while Badal was sitting on a wheelchair due to a fractured leg. The attacker, Narain Singh Chaura, a former terrorist, was overpowered by the ASI before he could fire his weapon. The incident has sparked controversy, with the opposition party criticizing the ruling AAP government's security measures.
Pronouncing 'tankhah' (religious punishment) for Sukhbir Singh Badal and other leaders for the 'mistakes' committed by the Shiromani Akali Dal government in Punjab from 2007 to 2017, the Sikh clergy at the Akal Takht on Monday directed the senior Akali leader to perform as a 'sewadar', and wash dishes and clean shoes at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
Rebel Akali leader Gurpartap Singh Wadala slammed Badal's move, saying instead of showing "a sense of renunciation", he issued a "dictatorial order" aimed to sideline those who want a "change" for strengthening the party
Pro-Khalistan slogans were raised by supporters of radical Sikh outfits as well as that of Shiromani Akali Dal-Amritsar at the Golden Temple on the 38th anniversary of Operation Bluestar.
The Punjab police registered two FIRs under sections for non-bailable offences against Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak. Both FIRs were filed in different districts of Punjab.
Punjab minister Laljit Singh Bhullar resigned after being accused of abetting the suicide of a state warehousing corporation official. The resignation follows allegations of harassment and pressure related to warehouse tenders.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) held protests across Punjab against the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) action against state minister Sanjeev Arora, accusing the central government of misusing agencies against its leaders. The BJP criticised the AAP workers' behaviour during the protests.
Senior Congress leader and former Punjab deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said that Sikhs bravely fought the 1962, 1965, 1971 wars and the Kargil battle, but no helmet issue arose then.
Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal expressed gratitude to two police officers who saved his life when a former terrorist opened fire at him in Amritsar. Badal hugged the officers and praised their courage and loyalty, saying his family could never repay their bravery. The attack occurred at the Golden Temple, where Badal was performing religious penance. The former Khalistani terrorist Narain Singh Chaura fired from a close range but missed his target. The police overpowered the attacker before he could cause any harm.
The BJP is willing to offer two Lok Sabha seats, including Baghpat which is currently represented by its MP Satya Pal Singh, to the RLD and may also give it a Rajya Sabha seat, they added.
The film was scheduled to hit theatres across the country on September 6 but couldn't keep its date as it didn't get clearance certificate from the censor board, which is important for the public exhibition of films in India.
Sukhbir Badal also announced the candidature of his 94-year-old father and five-time state Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal from the Lambi assembly seat.
Political leaders in Haryana and Punjab are demanding a CBI investigation into the suicide of a Punjab government officer, who allegedly accused a minister of harassment. The minister has resigned, but opposition parties are calling for his arrest and a thorough investigation.
Opposition parties in Punjab have announced a joint protest at Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's residence, demanding the arrest of former minister Laljit Singh Bhullar following the suicide of a state warehousing corporation official. The move follows allegations of harassment and demands for a CBI investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death.
Once a staunch ally of the BJP, the Akali Dal has severed the ties in protest against the laws
The BJP's vote share in Punjab has been declining -- 8.21 per cent in 2007 to 7.13 per cent in 2012, and finally to 5.4 per cent in 2017, when it won just three of 23 seats the party contested. So doing an election deal with Amarinder and a political formation he might float in the future is not inconceivable.
Among the national parties, the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Communist Party of India-Marxist opposed the proposal, while the Bharatiya Janata Party and the National People's Party supported it.
The Shiromani Akali Dal-Sanyukt will contest on 17 seats.
The bureau had on June 25 registered an FIR and arrested Majithia in the case allegedly involving laundering of Rs 540 crore of "drug money".
Shiromani Akali Dal patriarch Parkash Singh Badal (94) became the country's oldest candidate to fight elections as he filed his nomination papers from Lambi on Monday.
Describing the event as "da ghallughara (holocaust) of 84", Jathedar Akal Takht Gyani Harpreet Singh stressed on maintaining unity among the Sikh community.
Counting for assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur was held on Thursday. Here's how the big names fared.
With numbers on its side -- the ruling NDA has about half the votes of the electoral college -- and the possible support of fence-sitters like the BJD, the AIADMK and the YSRCP, the NDA candidate will likely sail through the contest.
Amritpal Singh, the chief of the 'Waris Punjab De' outfit, who is lodged in Assam's Dibrugarh jail under the National Security Act, has thrown his hat into the ring as an Independent.
Election rallies have been on for weeks, but nothing captures the immediacy of an election like the sight of candidates filing their nomination papers.
