The Haryana Congress has strongly criticised the BJP government's two-year tenure in the state, alleging widespread misgovernance, unfulfilled election promises, a surge in crime, and rampant corruption. Senior Congress leaders, including Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Kumari Selja, highlighted issues faced by farmers, traders, and youth, demanding accountability and a white paper on the government's performance.
Tamil Nadu's ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) won bypolls in Madurantakam and Dharapuram, strengthening its minority government. Concurrently, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured emphatic victories in West Bengal's Nandigram and Muslim-majority Rejinagar, consolidating its post-TMC rule position. The BJP also established a significant lead in Assam's Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll, and its ally AINRC retained Thattanchavady in Puducherry.
With the anti-Gyanesh Kumar campaign, Rahul Gandhi is showing he is determined to not let anyone else claim credit for what follows, notes Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
Unless the Congress stops seeing a CIA and RSS in everyone who disagrees with it, many well-meaning people will find it difficult to rub shoulders with Rahul Gandhi, notes M R Narayan Swamy.
The DMK has announced its exit from the INDIA bloc, citing "betrayal" by the Congress and asserting its independent political path. The party accused Congress leaders, including TNCC chief B Manickam Tagore, of making unsavoury remarks and acting as "sleeper cells," which contributed to the DMK's electoral setbacks. The DMK warned Congress leaders against further criticism and stated it would not participate in Congress-led agitations.
The ruling BJP has increased its lead over the Congress in the Rajasthan urban local body elections, winning 3,587 wards against Congress's 3,050. Independents also performed strongly, securing 2,024 wards. While BJP secured a clear majority in Udaipur, Congress won in Ajmer and Pali. Bharatpur, the Chief Minister's hometown, saw Independents leading. These elections are a crucial test for the Bhajanlal Sharma-led BJP government ahead of the 2028 Assembly polls.
The BJP has narrowly defeated the Congress in the Rajasthan urban local body elections by less than one percentage point. Independent candidates secured a significant share of votes, and NOTA outperformed several smaller parties. Prime Minister Modi lauded the BJP's performance, attributing it to public support for good governance.
Former West Bengal Chief Minister's faction has announced support for the Congress candidate in the Nandigram assembly bypoll, marking a significant shift in state politics. This move comes amidst an internal party dispute within the Trinamool Congress and is seen as an attempt to consolidate anti-BJP votes and strengthen the INDIA bloc, despite a history of acrimonious rivalry between the two parties.
The BJP spent Rs 286.99 crore on the West Bengal elections, surpassing the Congress's total expenditure of Rs 248.55 crore across five states and a Union territory. The report details spending by major parties in West Bengal, Kerala, Assam, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry, highlighting significant financial disparities and campaign outlays.
AJUP chief and Naoda MLA Humayun Kabir has hinted at quitting electoral politics and his assembly membership after his arrest during the Rejinagar bypoll. Kabir, who claims the BJP will win Rejinagar due to a "looted mandate," expressed disillusionment with the democratic system and vowed not to attend the state assembly as long as Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari is in office. He also alleged betrayal by Adhikari regarding his son's bypoll prospects.
In Rajasthan's recent urban local body elections, several candidates experienced unusual results. A BJP candidate and a Congress candidate each secured only one vote, while an RLP candidate received zero votes. These outcomes occurred across different municipalities in Didwana-Kuchaman, Nagaur, and Balotra districts, with one candidate alleging foul play in the vote count.
Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the opposition amidst ongoing protests for the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar and scrapping of SIR. Shah predicted a "crushing defeat" for the Congress in the 2029 general elections, citing the BJP's and NDA's strong public support and the Congress's dismal performance in recent bypolls and local body elections across several states, including West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Tripura. He urged the Congress to introspect instead of engaging in "negative politics" and "fabricated media events."
A panel supported by Congress MLC Satej Patil has won the election for the Kolhapur District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union (Gokul Dairy), defeating the Mahayuti-backed group led by NCP minister Hasan Mushrif. This victory marks a setback for the ruling Mahayuti alliance in western Maharashtra and gives the Patil-backed panel control of the influential cooperative's board.
A TMC office, former MLA and councillor residences, and a CPI(M) memorial were allegedly vandalised in Jadavpur, Kolkata. The Trinamool Congress and the Left Front have accused BJP workers of the attacks, while the BJP has denied involvement, attributing the incidents to internal TMC disputes.
Madhya Pradesh BJP MLA Usha Thakur has sparked controversy by claiming that 4.5 lakh girls elope with non-Hindu men during Garba celebrations annually, leading to demographic change. She advocated banning non-Hindus from Garba pandals, a stance supported by the VHP, which suggests Aadhaar checks to prevent "love jihad." The Congress has condemned her remarks, demanding an apology, and highlighted similar controversial statements from another BJP MLA.
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.
The BJP has secured victories in the Mandi, Dharamshala, and Solan municipal corporation elections in Himachal Pradesh, dealing a blow to the Congress party, which managed to retain control only in Palampur.
Skeletal remains of a BJP worker, Astik Chandra Das, allegedly killed in post-poll violence in West Bengal's Sandeshkhali in 2021, have been exhumed following a court order. His family claims he was assaulted by TMC supporters, denied medical help, and forced to bury the body without a post-mortem. The exhumation was conducted for forensic examination to determine the cause of death, with the family seeking a CBI probe.
The rejection of senior Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan's nomination papers transformed what should have been a routine Rajya Sabha election into a lesson in contemporary political warfare.
Independents have secured nearly two-thirds of urban wards in Bharatpur and Deeg districts, Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma's home turf, significantly outperforming the BJP and Congress in local body elections. This unexpected surge sets the stage for a political battle as both major parties vie for the support of these Independent councillors to form civic boards.
There is a strong opinion within the BJP in Punjab that the party must now stand on its own two feet and dump the badly compromised SAD baggage.
The Congress party won six out of nine wards where repolling was conducted across four urban local bodies in Rajasthan, while the BJP secured three. These results finalise the tally for all 10,244 wards, with the BJP holding the overall lead in total wards won, followed by Congress and Independents. The process for electing mayors and chairpersons is now underway.
Former poll strategist Prashant Kishor made a stunning electoral debut by winning Bihar's Bankipur assembly seat, a long-held BJP bastion. Concurrently, the Congress retained the Datia assembly seat in Madhya Pradesh, while the BJP successfully held onto the Manjalpur seat in Gujarat, showcasing mixed results for the ruling and opposition parties in these crucial by-elections.
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.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and various student organisations have called for a united protest on October 10 against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. They demand his resignation and an overhaul of the electoral system, describing the confrontation as a fight for democracy against the BJP. The groups are seeking to sustain street pressure, following a previous agitation that led to a minister's resignation.
'I remember that Indira Gandhi was virtually worshipped as a goddess. The kind of power wielded by Indira Gandhi in the early 1970s was much more than what Modi does today, but in just three years down the line Indira Gandhi faced defeat.' 'So you cannot take people's sentiments for granted. That is a lesson that the BJP should learn.'
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced a fresh inquiry into Mamata Banerjee's alleged "false claims" of a leg injury during the 2021 assembly poll campaign. Adhikari presented a medical report suggesting no fracture or dislocation, asserting Banerjee faked the injury, which he claims insulted the people of Nandigram. The controversy surrounds an incident in Nandigram where Banerjee sustained injuries, leading to her campaigning in a wheelchair, and her party's subsequent victory.
Analysis of election expenditure reports reveals Congress spent more on propaganda and social media, while BJP's overall expenses were higher in the Delhi assembly elections.
Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee indicated her potential participation in a protest at Jantar Mantar on October 10, demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. She strongly criticised the BJP and the Election Commission over alleged electoral malpractices and "SIR anomalies" in Bengal. Banerjee also expressed solidarity with Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra regarding their treatment during recent protests and plans to approach President Droupadi Murmu.
Congress leaders have accused the Haryana Police of illegally detaining 18 municipal councillors from Rajasthan's Tijara in Panchkula, allegedly to prevent them from voting in a crucial municipal council chairperson election. While police deny the claims, Congress has staged protests, calling the incident a "murder of democracy" and demanding a high-level inquiry into the alleged political interference.
Modi's greater weakness is his inability since July when he directed the exit of Dharmendra Pradhan, to come up with a political counter strategy. Security measures and executive orders as seen in recent days will only likely further weaken him and make him as lame duck a premier as many prior to him, Indira Gandhi and Manmohan Singh included, observes Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.
The Congress party has announced a significant organisational reshuffle in its Uttar Pradesh unit, appointing Aradhana Misra-Mona as president and Imran Masood as working president. This strategic move comes ahead of the state assembly elections next year and aims to strike a social balance while strengthening the party's position in the crucial state.
Rahul Gandhi has written to President Droupadi Murmu, urging her to ask the government to reconsider the appointment of Dushyant Gautam as Governor of Sikkim. Gandhi argues that Gautam's appointment, while a CBI probe into the Ankita Bhandari murder case is ongoing, places him beyond the reach of investigation due to gubernatorial immunity. Ankita's parents allege Gautam's involvement and have protested the appointment.
'The BJP successfully merged governance with identity. That's a powerful combination in Assam's political context.'
The Election Commission replaced the inspector-in-charge of Nandigram police station, Ajay Kumar Mishra, with Debashis Sarkar a day before the bypoll, following complaints from opposition parties alleging Mishra's closeness to the ruling party. This move comes amidst heightened political scrutiny and concerns raised by opposition leaders regarding the fairness of the election process in Nandigram, a constituency with significant political history in West Bengal.
A group of 124 former IAS, IFS, IPS, and allied services officers have issued an open letter defending the Election Commission (EC) and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. They argue that the electoral system cannot be deemed rigged only when a party loses, citing instances where the ruling BJP lost elections under the same EC. The officers highlight the legitimacy and necessity of the SIR for cleaning voter rolls and underscore the robust safeguards within India's electoral system.
A special NIA court in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district has sentenced all 10 convicts in the 2013 Jhiram Valley Maoist attack to death. The attack, which occurred on May 25, 2013, resulted in the deaths of 29 people, including prominent Congress leaders.
The Congress and BJP in Uttarakhand are engaged in a war of words over the alleged Champawat rape case, which police have now deemed a fabricated incident stemming from a long-standing dispute. Both parties accuse each other of political manipulation and attempting to tarnish the other's image.
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.
Opposition parties in India are demanding the impeachment and arrest of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, alleging he is running the poll panel as a 'one-man autocracy' following revelations that two Election Commissioners red-flagged issues related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
