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.
Political parties in Kerala are making preparations for celebrations as the Assembly election results are set to be announced. Congress and UDF workers are preparing food and cultural programmes, while the BJP is also planning celebrations with laddoos and placards.
There are strong possibilities of some Union ministers being sent to take organisational roles in the BJP and party office-bearers being inducted into the Modi ministry.
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor cited the Kerala Assembly election results as an example of communal harmony, highlighting instances where voters looked beyond caste and religion.
The Congress party has announced VD Satheesan as the next chief minister of Kerala, ending days of speculation. The decision was revealed at a press conference in New Delhi.
Through his commitment to democratic norms, debate, dissent and constitutionalism, Jawaharlal Nehru helped ensure that parliamentary democracy took deep root in independent India. Utkarsh Mishra evaluates Nehru's 17 years as India's first prime minister, examining his role in nation-building, democratic institution-building, economic planning, scientific advancement and foreign policy.
Recent BJP organisational moves and Rajya Sabha nominations have sparked speculation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may soon undertake a ministerial reshuffle.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh has alleged that the BJP's "real and ultimate target" in seeking a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha is to amend the Constitution to end reservation, rather than genuinely implement women's reservation.
The Democratic Republic of Congo plans to continue its preparations for the 2026 World Cup despite a warning from the United States about a potential Ebola outbreak.
Omar Abdullah has so far laboured hard to make best of a bad bargain. Even so, the ground reality is anything but reassuring. The Opposition parties, including notably the PDP, appear to be gaining ground, though more by default. Public patience with Omar's government has nearly run out, notes Mohammad Sayeed Malik, the distinguished commentator on Kashmir affairs.
Political tensions are escalating in Uttar Pradesh as Samajwadi Party leaders strongly refute Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party chief Om Prakash Rajbhar's assertions of an impending split within the SP.
Facing revolt by 6 Lok Sabha MPs of his party, Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said he was ready to quit his post if the party didn't have faith in him, while his opponent and Maharashtra deputy CM Eknath Shinde hinted at more defections from the rival camp.
Counting of votes begins in Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, and West Bengal, with significant implications for regional and national parties.
The BJP team under the new national president Nitin Nabin, who took charge in January, is expected to be announced within this month, with sources suggesting that some holding positions in the government may move to the party.
Amid cross-voting, National Democratic Alliance-supported Independent candidate Parimal Nathwani on Thursday won one of the two Rajya Sabha seats in Jharkhand, defeating the Congress's Pranav Jha, an official said.
In a state known for high political literacy and ideological mobilisation, the Congress' inability to quickly settle on a leader after securing a massive mandate has fed a narrative that the party remains excessively dependent on Delhi, deeply faction-ridden and vulnerable to internal sabotage
Dinesh Trivedi's experience as a businessperson and his fluency in Bengali are expected to be crucial in strengthening India-Bangladesh relations, particularly in attracting Indian investments to Dhaka.
The appointment of Kerala's Chief Electoral Officer as the Chief Minister's secretary has ignited a political firestorm, raising questions about election credibility and sparking accusations of hypocrisy among political parties.
Cristiano Ronaldo, playing his 6th FIFA World Cup, headlines the Portugal squad that has a glittering supporting cast that includes Vitinha, Joao Neves, Bruno Fernandes and Nuno Mendes.
Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee claims 64 dissident TMC MLAs have submitted their names to the Speaker, constituting over two-thirds of the party's Assembly strength, and has called for a floor test to verify their claims of support amidst a widening split within the Trinamool Congress.
Speculation about a possible rapprochement or merger between the Congress and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has exposed deep divisions within the Congress's West Bengal unit, with senior state leaders vocally opposing any alliance with Mamata Banerjee.
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei has accused the United States of frequently changing its positions and complicating efforts to reach an understanding, stating that these shifts disrupt diplomatic processes and prolong negotiations. He also linked any potential agreement with the US to an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon, accusing Israel of escalating conflict to derail diplomatic efforts.
Ski and Snowboard India (SSI) elected Tanveer Singh Bajwa as its president and Mohammad Arshad as secretary general following elections conducted under the supervision of an Election Officer in accordance with directions of the Delhi High Court.
Total number of 722 candidates are in the fray for 126 seats.
The 2026 election appears to have reinforced a new political formula in Assam: Strong organisation, continuous grassroots engagement, effective alliance management and welfare-based voter outreach.
As the Shiv Sena marks 60 years, political experts highlight the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction's existential crisis and the Eknath Shinde-led group's struggle for relevance in the face of a dominant BJP, a significant shift from the party's historical 'elder brother' status in Maharashtra.
The INDIA bloc faces challenges after recent state election defeats for key members like TMC and DMK, potentially shifting internal dynamics and leadership considerations.
UDF candidate Usha Vijayan addresses allegations of internal sabotage within the Congress party, asserting that such claims will only strengthen the UDF alliance ahead of the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections.
The Left Democratic Front's defeat in Kerala marks a historic moment as Left parties are without power in any state for the first time in decades, highlighting their diminishing political influence across India.
If current trends persist, the Congress risks becoming increasingly regionally concentrated, dependent on a handful of states rather than functioning as a truly pan-India political force.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has appointed Harsh Malhotra as the president of its Delhi unit, sparking speculation about an imminent reshuffle of the Union Council of Ministers. This move follows the BJP's 'one person, one post' principle and comes as the party prepares for upcoming elections and a review of ministerial performance.
'The BJP successfully merged governance with identity. That's a powerful combination in Assam's political context.'
Twenty rebel Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MPs have merged with the obscure Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a move seen by political observers as a strategic way to support the BJP-led NDA without immediately joining the saffron party and bypassing legal complexities.
The Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) has named Jyotiprakash Chatterji as its new president, a development that follows the merger of a Trinamool Congress (TMC) rebel Lok Sabha faction with the party. This announcement by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, a key figure in the dissident camp, comes amidst speculation about the party's leadership after its founder stepped down. However, details about Chatterji and the party's internal workings remain unclear, with some existing members expressing unawareness of the change.
Donald Trump expressed optimism about securing an agreement with Tehran to prolong a truce and restore transit through a strategic maritime chokepoint within the next week, even as he criticised political opponents and the media for what he described as their tendency to distort outcomes, even in a hypothetical scenario of complete Iranian military surrender.
Kerala's Chief Minister-designate V D Satheesan visited senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, emphasising their close relationship and seeking blessings for his new role.
Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal have been fiscally stressed for a considerable period of time, and there are no easy ways to mobilise revenues to meet the cost of the promised freebies, particularly in the prevailing difficult economic scenario, points out M Govinda Rao.
The Democratic Republic of Congo's national team has been forced to cancel World Cup buildup events in Kinshasa due to the Ebola virus outbreak and will instead continue preparations in Belgium.
Kerala's voters are sophisticated, educated, and unforgiving. They have once again made it clear that no government is entitled to remain in power. The Congress would do well to remember this, points out Ramesh Menon.
A review of the accuracy of various exit polls in predicting the outcomes of recent assembly elections in West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, and Tamil Nadu, highlighting the performance of different pollsters.
