West Bengal recorded its highest-ever voter turnout in the 2026 assembly polls since Independence, with a cumulative 92.47 per cent polling in two phases, the Election Commission said on Wednesday.
West Bengal and Tamil Nadu on Thursday saw a massive voter participation during the ongoing assembly elections, with turnout reaching 89.93 per cent and 82.24 per cent respectively by 5 pm, according to the Election Commission of India.
H S Prannoy, who won a bronze medal in the singles at the Asian Games, has decided to switch allegiance to Tamil Nadu from Kerala.
The Congress party has accused the Modi government of abusing its power and distorting the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) during the upcoming assembly elections in Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal and Puducherry. The party alleges that the MCC has become 'Modi's Code of Campaigning' filled with defamation and lies.
A 34-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh was arrested in Kerala for allegedly using duplicate keys to steal ATM cards from two-wheelers and withdraw money from bank accounts.
The Election Commission of India has prohibited the conduct and dissemination of exit polls from April 9 to April 29 during the upcoming assembly elections in several states. Violators face imprisonment or fines.
Voters in Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry are voting in crucial assembly elections.
Chief Minister K Palaniswami announced a solatium of Rs 4 lakh to the kin of each of the victims
India's wheat and rice reserves in Food Corporation of India (FCI) godowns have surged to 604.02 lakh tonnes as of April 1, nearly three times the mandatory buffer requirement, according to official data.
By asking Vijay to produce letters of majority support before inviting him to form the government, the governor risks overstepping established Constitutional principles, notes Harishchandra.
Tamil Nadu's Rajesh Ramesh won gold in the 400m men's Race A at the Indian Open, clocking a personal best. Vithya Ramraj won the women's 400m Race A.
The BJP often forgets that in Dravidian Tamil Nadu, the voter does not mix religion, which is personal, and politics that is in the public sphere, points out N Sathiya Moorthy.
Police in Kochi have arrested three directors of an agri-tourism firm accused of defrauding hundreds of investors of over Rs 100 crore through a fake investment scheme.
The opening rounds of the Junior and Youth National Table Tennis Championships saw dominant performances from leading teams, while some lower-ranked teams put up a strong fight.
Tension gripped Lower Camp area on Tamil Nadu's border with Kerala on Saturday as over 4,000 villagers of the district took out a march protesting against alleged attacks on Tamils in Kumily in the neighbouring state in the wake of the escalation of the row over Mullaperiyar dam.
'We have lost 70-80 per cent of our business from foreign guests.'
Bengaluru police have arrested six individuals from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, in connection with a dacoity case. The accused allegedly trespassed into a house, threatened the occupants, and stole valuables.
President Droupadi Murmu has announced a series of gubernatorial appointments, including new governors for West Bengal, Bihar, and other states.
Mubassina Mohammed won the long jump gold at the fifth Indian Open Jumps Competition held at the Anju Bobby George Foundation Campus.
The announced election schedule for five assemblies reveals fewer phases, a condensed voting period, longer gaps between polling days, and a delayed counting process compared to previous elections.
After Chief Minister Stalin moved a resolution, even as Ravi was speaking, that the speech was read, the governor walked out of the assembly.
AICC leader Pawan Khera has accused the CPI(M) and BJP of having a tacit understanding in the Kerala Assembly elections, alleging that both parties are deliberately fielding weak candidates to help each other. Khera expressed confidence in the Congress-led UDF's victory due to strong anti-incumbency sentiment.
The Election Commission of India is considering launching the final phase of its special intensive revision of voters' lists in the remaining states and Union territories after the assembly elections conclude.
Jharkhand police have uncovered an interstate cyber fraud network and arrested four individuals involved in fraudulent transactions across 24 states. The investigation was initiated following inputs from the Union Home Ministry's 'Samanvaya portal', leading to the discovery of a bank account in Ramgarh district used for the illicit activities.
Kerala's Chief Minister-designate, V D Satheesan, has announced his new ministerial team, emphasising social and regional balance within the coalition. Senior leaders like Ramesh Chennithala and K Muraleedharan are set to be inducted, with Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan nominated as Speaker.
A woman in Kerala helped rescue a six-year-old girl from an alleged act of harassment aboard a train by videographing the accused's suspicious behaviour, which aided in his identification and arrest.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah accuses the West Bengal government of openly facilitating infiltration, defends the Special Intensive Revision of voter lists, and asserts BJP's prospects in upcoming elections.
Abhay Singh and Nipam set new meet records at the National Junior U-20 Athletics Championships, with several athletes achieving Asian Junior qualification marks.
'If he has not achieved 'Congress mukt Bharat' even now, the question of his creating a 'DMK mukt Tamil Nadu' does not arise,' points out N Sathiya Moorthy.
The recent 'revelation' by TN fishers freed by Sri Lanka after they had paid up Lankan rupees 50,000 each in fines, that their hair was tonsured in prison and they were forced to remove their garments other than the underpants, and were also made to clean toilets, as if with vengeance, has touched a raw nerve this time, just as another issue or issues had done it ahead of the Jallikattu protests, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
A Kerala court has sentenced 25-year-old Muhammad Riyas to 30 years in prison for the sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl in a Tiruppur theater. Convicted under the POCSO Act and IPC, the accused lured the victim with a false job promise. Read more on the verdict and the court's compensation order.
'The reason why they rushed through the bill was they wanted to avoid using the 2026 Census because the 2026 Census by their own decision will be a caste census.' 'The BJP knows that a significant share of the OBCs who will get captured in the census, for the first time after the 1931 Census, are against the BJP. Only a segment of the OBCs are in their favour.' 'So they wanted to avoid the OBC reservation among women, which is a demand of a lot of Opposition parties.'
Despite recent gains, the BJP-led NDA is unlikely to achieve a two-thirds majority in the Rajya Sabha in the near future, highlighting the challenges in passing key legislation requiring constitutional amendments.
The INDIA bloc faces challenges after recent state election defeats for key members like TMC and DMK, potentially shifting internal dynamics and leadership considerations.
Two women, accused of the 2016 murder and robbery of an elderly woman in Kannur, Kerala, have been arrested after nearly a decade on the run. The suspects, identified as Parveen Banu and Sakkeena Fathima, were apprehended in Madhya Pradesh after an extensive investigation by the Crime Branch.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has announced a significant increase in Lok Sabha seats for the five southern states following delimitation, countering misinformation and clarifying the timeline for women's reservation implementation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed BJP workers after the party's performance in assembly elections, urging an end to political violence in West Bengal and a focus on the state's future.
The CBI has arrested five individuals and conducted searches across India in connection with the NEET UG paper leak case. Protests have intensified, and calls for the Education Minister's resignation have grown louder. Political parties are trading blame, and the Supreme Court is considering a plea for an overhaul of the National Testing Agency.
The Congress party has accused the government of scheduling a 'special session' to pass bills related to women's quota and delimitation with the intention of gaining political advantage in the upcoming West Bengal and Tamil Nadu elections, calling it a violation of the model code of conduct.
MNS president Raj Thackeray questions the fuel consumption during recent election campaigns, asking if austerity measures are only meant for the common people.
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