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.
In its list of 26 candidates for Thursday's assembly elections, 13 are from the Bengali-speaking Muslim community -- a demographic that was at the centre of the original Assam agitation.
Union Minority Affairs Minister A R Antulay on Wednesday suggested that Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad chief Hemant Karkare could have met his end due to his role in the Malegaon blasts investigation. Karkare and two other senior officers of the Mumbai police died on November 26 when Pakistani terrorists attacked Mumbai. Antulay said Karkare was investigating some cases in which there are non-Muslims also.
Nitin Nabin, a five-time Bihar MLA, has been elected unopposed as the BJP national president, becoming the youngest person to hold the position. His appointment signals a generational shift in the party's leadership as it prepares for key state elections.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday trounced the opposition including the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party and Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar by winning decisive mandates in Pune and neighbouring Pimpri Chinchwad in the civic polls, retaining power in both municipal corporations.
The downpour, which has been lashing Bihar for the past few days, is because of the Hathiya Nakshatra," he said.
The political discourse hit a new low on Monday with Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri making disparaging remarks targeting Rahul Gandhi and the Congress paying him back in the same coin.
Ten months after her father's death in the Pahalgam terror attack, Asawari Jagdale is still waiting for the Maharashtra government to fulfill its promise of a state job. Despite assurances and follow-ups, the family faces financial hardship as they await the promised employment.
Pangarkar had contested as an Independent candidate from electoral ward No. 13. He defeated his nearest rival, Raosaheb Dhoble of the BJP.
West Bengal's final phase of assembly elections focuses on the TMC's southern stronghold, where the BJP aims to make inroads. The outcome will determine whether Mamata Banerjee's party retains its dominance or if the BJP can secure a path to power.
The Vanniyar vote can tip the balance in 70 to 75 assembly constituencies of the 234 in the state, mainly in the Ranipet, Vellore, Thiruppathur, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Tiruvannamalai, Arani, Villupuram and Kallakurichi districts.
Bhabanipur is set to be the focal point of the 2026 West Bengal assembly elections, with Mamata Banerjee and Suvendu Adhikari preparing for a high-stakes political battle. The constituency will witness rival processions and symbolic gestures as both parties aim to assert their dominance.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed poll rallies in West Bengal, attacking Mamata Banerjee's TMC and promising development if the BJP wins the state elections. He accused Banerjee of appeasement politics and vowed to prevent the construction of a Babri Masjid-like structure in Bengal.
Armed CRPF commandos will accompany him during his travels across the country, they added.
The FIR was registered on Saturday based on a complaint filed by Congress leader and former MLA Surendra Singh Jadawat.
Years after the Nano exit, Singur's farmers now seek industry and jobs, as the land remains caught between failed promises and political contest.
Baalu said Murugan was a "traitor" who spoke against the interests of Tamil Nadu and added he described him as "unfit", which was not an unparliamentary word.
'Demand to confer the Bharat Ratna on Nitishji is to sideline him in politics and force him to retire from politics.'
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel reshuffled his cabinet, inducting 19 new ministers and elevating Harsh Sanghavi to Deputy Chief Minister. The swearing-in ceremony took place on Friday, with several existing ministers continuing in their roles.
The finance ministry has clarified that its letter to state chief secretaries, urging them to align their bonus policy to promote pulses, oilseeds, and millets, was an advisory and not a directive. This clarification comes in response to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin's criticism, who called the advisory a 'treacherous act against farmers'.
The high-intensity election campaign in Tamil Nadu concluded with accusations and counter-accusations between the DMK and AIADMK, while new entrant TVK made its presence felt. Key issues included state autonomy, corruption, law and order, and the delimitation bill.
The Congress party has alleged that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein played a role in shaping the India-Israel relationship after 2014, citing email exchanges made public under the 'Epstein Files'.
The BJP's West Bengal unit chief, Samik Bhattacharya, criticised the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government, accusing it of crushing democracy and fostering lawlessness in the state. He highlighted alleged political violence, economic decline, and disrespect for constitutional posts under the TMC's rule.
Rajya Sabha elections in Bihar, Odisha, and Haryana were marred by allegations of cross-voting and 'horse trading', leading to suspensions and warnings from the Congress party.
'I could have accepted the humiliation if I wanted to remain as an MP. But I decided to leave.'
Video footage of the incident showed Supriyo standing on the footboard of a vehicle and a stone landing on his chest.
The BJP and opposition parties are engaged in a political battle over the implementation of the Women's Reservation Act, with the BJP defending it as historic and the opposition accusing the government of delaying its notification and using it to push an unconstitutional delimitation exercise.
Whether Vijay has the political spine to stitch together a stable government from this patchwork of conditions, demands, and midnight drama is the question Tamil Nadu is living through right now.
Indore in Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry and Prakasam in Andhra Pradesh also witnessed a tense atmosphere amid confrontation between the party workers.
A united opposition stalled proceedings in the Rajya Sabha pressing the government to come clear on the name of a union minister alleged to have links with a Bangladeshi arms dealer.
"The Congress have gone and made promises in Punjab, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh that they never fulfilled," Rajeev Chandrasekhar claimed.
Tejashwi Yadav and Prashant Kishore claim that a group of senior Janata Dal-United leaders and retired bureaucrats, locally dubbed the 'Bhunja Party', manages the state administration on Nitish Kumar's behalf.
'Samrat Chaudhury's limited independent standing within the party, his reliance on the central leadership for his elevation, and his lack of a personal mass base all point toward this outcome.'
Whether he comes to power or not, both his admirers and opponents agree on one thing -- Vijay may well turn out to be the 'X factor'.
Justice Krishna S Dixit, presiding over a single judge bench, issued notice to the parties concerned and paused the ongoing investigation.
Rajaji, an ardent follower of Gandhi, was a freedom fighter, scholar, jurist, statesman and the first recipient of the Bharat Ratna along with S Radhakrishnan and C V Raman.
The BJP has fielded 18 MPs, including four Union ministers, for the latest round of assembly polls so far -- seven each in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan and four in Chhattisgarh.
Party sources said the issue of Rupani's successor will be discussed in the legislature party meeting likely to be held on Sunday.
The appointments holds significance as a large number of senior leaders, who had no organisational post currently, have now been given new responsibilities.
Voters in Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry are voting in crucial assembly elections.
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