In the throes of a financial crisis, the state's ruling Congress government has little to be triumphant about as Assembly elections approach next year, points out Aditi Phadnis.
'The BJP and its allies can decide the fate of many candidates.'
Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala expresses confidence in the UDF's victory in the Kerala assembly elections, attributing it to Rahul Gandhi's leadership and a strong anti-incumbency sentiment.
The Delhi poll body has issued notices to several prominent voters, including Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal, for discrepancies in their enumeration forms during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. While Gupta's entry has been validated, millions of other voters, including other political figures, have received notices for issues like age-related mismatches or being unmapped with previous SIR records, requiring them to submit documents by October 29.
Mention Anant Nag to almost anyone in Karnataka and the reaction is immediate: 'Anant? Oh my God! What a fascinating man!' 'Such an intellectual. Such a great speaker. Brilliant actor.'
142 assembly seats will go to the polls on April 29 in phase 2.
'The anger among the PoK public is unlikely to subside against Pakistani State in the near future.'
If the government wishes that protests like the one that took place at Jantar Mantar during the last few weeks should not recur, it must refocus its energies on jobs, not just the examination system, points out A K Bhattacharya.
The dramatic development marked the culmination of a revolt that began with allegations of forged signatures on a letter proposing a Leader of Opposition and snowballed into an open challenge to the party leadership following the TMC's defeat at the hands of the BJP in the assembly elections.
Rabiul Alam Chowdhury, Mamata Banerjee's party's candidate for the Rejinagar by-election, initially announced his withdrawal from the contest due to harassment of workers and symbol unfamiliarity, but retracted his statement within hours after intervention from the party's top leadership and Mamata Banerjee herself, confirming he will now contest the October 6 poll.
Making several announcements in the assembly, Vijay, fulfilling TVK's key electoral assurances, announced three free cooking gas cylinders and also declared that the Parandur greenfield airport project will be shelved.
The Supreme Court has emphasised the need for timely investigations and conclusions of criminal cases involving illicit money in elections. Observing that black money compromises democracy and the rule of law, the court issued several directives, including reporting seizures to competent authorities within 24 hours, completing investigations within a year, and submitting quarterly status reports to the Election Commission. The ruling also mandates High Courts to designate special courts for expeditious disposal of cases against candidates and requires High Court approval for withdrawing cases.
SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar has revived the long-standing discussion about dividing Uttar Pradesh, claiming Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured him the state could be split into four parts after a caste census. Rajbhar's statement, made at a rally in Deoria, links the division to the 27% reservation issue and suggests a Rajbhar could become chief minister of a new Purvanchal state. The demand for UP's division has historical precedents, notably from former Chief Minister Mayawati.
BJP MP Anurag Thakur believes PM Modi's purchase of 'jhalmuri' in Jhargram will influence the West Bengal Assembly polls, contrasting it with CM Mamata Banerjee's actions. He also criticised the TMC government for blocking central schemes and failing to ensure women's safety.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has criticised Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's decision to grant a one-year extension to autorickshaw and taxi drivers to learn Marathi, alleging it was due to 'pressure from Delhi' and a message to BJP's ally Shiv Sena.
Bharatiya Janata Party President Nitin Nabin has made his first significant mark on the BJP's national apparatus with a major organisational reshuffle, bringing back key figures like Smriti Irani and Ram Madhav while removing Nadda-era functionaries, signalling a strategic move ahead of crucial state elections.
Munich has been selected by the German Olympic Committee to be Germany's candidate city for hosting the Summer Olympic Games in 2036, 2040, or 2044. This marks Germany's latest effort to bring the multi-sport event back to the country since 1972, with Munich's bid leveraging its existing Olympic park and enjoying strong local support.
The Indian Golf Union (IGU) has approved significant amendments to its Memorandum of Association, including the addition of Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit, creation of a Dispute Resolution Committee, and modifications to its election process, all aimed at aligning with the National Sports Governance Act.
The Calcutta High Court has granted interim bail to Congress candidate Milan Pradhan, allowing him to campaign for the upcoming Nandigram bypoll. Pradhan, arrested on September 18 in connection with six criminal cases from 2007, received relief until October 20, with directions to surrender on October 21 and deposit bail bonds. The cases relate to charges including murder and Arms Act violations during the Nandigram anti-land acquisition movement.
Infantino appears to have enough global support to secure re-election, forcing opponents without a credible challenger to consider shifting from defeating him to curbing presidential powers.
Maharashtra's Ladki Bahin Yojana has seen 81 lakh registered beneficiaries removed following a multi-month e-KYC verification drive, with the state's Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare clarifying the process was mandatory to filter out ineligible individuals, income-tax payers, and government employee families.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and actor-racer Ajith Kumar, known as 'Thalapathy' and 'Thala' respectively, shared a warm, lingering hug at the iconic Silverstone circuit in the UK.
The ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has announced its candidates, K Maragatham Kumaravel and P Sathyabama, for the upcoming October 6 bypolls in Maduranthakam and Dharapuram Assembly seats in Tamil Nadu. This marks the first electoral challenge for the TVK government since its formation, setting the stage for a direct contest with DMK and anticipated participation from AIADMK.
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has called for the immediate passage of the women's reservation bill and the delimitation bill, advocating for a uniform 50 per cent increase in seats for all states to ensure fair and equitable representation.
BJP leader Sobha Surendran appeared before the District Returning Officer in Kerala to address allegations of offering cash for votes during the recent Assembly polls. The controversy stems from a video allegedly showing money being exchanged, leading to complaints from both Congress and Surendran herself.
Mithunda is expected to be discharged from hospital soon.
A local TMC leader was allegedly hacked to death in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, triggering political tension ahead of the assembly elections.
The BJP has announced former IAS officer Debashish Sharma as its candidate for the upcoming Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll in Assam. Sharma, who recently took voluntary retirement as Nagaon District Commissioner, joined the BJP and secured the party ticket within days. The by-election is scheduled for October 6, with counting on October 9. The seat was previously held by Pradyut Bordoloi of Congress, who later joined BJP. A complaint has been filed against Sharma regarding his tenure as DC.
A former principal secretary of the Madhya Pradesh assembly, Bhagwandev Israni, has claimed that Congress nominee Meenakshi Natarajan's Rajya Sabha poll nomination was wrongly rejected, arguing she was not required to disclose information as no FIR or chargesheet had been filed against her.
The Bharatiya Janata Party's decision to replace six-time MLA Narottam Mishra with a rookie candidate in the Datia Assembly bypoll in Madhya Pradesh led to a significant defeat, with the Congress retaining the seat. This loss is seen as a major setback for the BJP's image of discipline, with the party indicating possible disciplinary action against those who defied the central leadership's choice.
There are only bad and worse options before him, points out Aakar Patel.
Former RBI Governor Bimal Jalan, ex-IAF Chief NAK Browne, and other prominent figures in Delhi have received notices regarding discrepancies in their voter details during the ongoing Special Summary Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls. Over 33 lakh electors have been identified for such notices, with a deadline of September 30 for responses.
'How does the person responsible for the leader's defeat stand before the leader, showing his face, without even a shred of shame, fear, apprehension, or embarrassment?'
Track the 2026 assembly election results for Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Puducherry, and Kerala with live vote counting updates, candidate leads, and interactive doughnut graphs. Stay informed with real?time numbers, trends, and comprehensive state?wise coverage.
The National Conference and BJP held significant protests in Jammu and Kashmir, accusing each other of failing to deliver on promises. The NC demanded the restoration of statehood, while the BJP criticised the NC government's performance on issues like jobs and corruption, marking the first major political unrest since Article 370's abrogation.
Newly elected West Bengal legislators, including Chief Minister Sivendu Adhikari, were sworn into the Assembly on Wednesday. Pro tem Speaker Tapas Roy administered the oath to the new members.
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.
'The AIADMK will lose a lot of votes simply because it is aligned with the BJP.'
The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) clarified that no notice was issued to Bharat Ratna awardee Prof C N R Rao regarding an electoral roll discrepancy. Instead, the Booth Level Officer recommended including his name despite a variation in how it was recorded over the years, ensuring his inclusion in the final electoral roll.
Total number of 722 candidates are in the fray for 126 seats.
