Chinese leaders, including its generals, will have to weigh whether they can win a war if they ever attack Taiwan and if at all, can they sustain the subsequent devastation, notes Rup Narayan Das.
Following the swearing-in of C Joseph Vijay as Tamil Nadu's chief minister, the new cabinet has pledged a 'white paper' audit of all state departments and a 'zero-interference' policy in administration, signalling a significant shift in governance.
'Shekhar Tonite will critique the government, but it will not hit out. The show will nudge and point out what can be done better to bring change.'
The Supreme Court has declined to intervene in a petition concerning the deletion of names from voter lists in West Bengal, directing the petitioners to seek redressal through established appellate tribunals.
'98 lakhs in Bengal, 97 lakhs in Tamil Nadu, 2.83 crores in Uttar Pradesh.'
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has expressed confidence that the BJP will form a government in West Bengal, praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership and citing high voter turnout as a sign of public trust.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has criticised the BJP-led central government following ED raids on state minister Sanjeev Arora, alleging political harassment and misuse of central agencies.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has assured that the government will push for a death penalty for the accused in the Pune child rape-murder case, asserting that the state will fast-track the trial to ensure justice in 'record time'.
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema has condemned the recent blasts in Amritsar and Jalandhar, calling them a deliberate attempt to spread terror and disrupt the state's peace. He accused the BJP of trying to create an atmosphere of fear and division for political gains ahead of elections.
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam joint general secretary CTR Nirmal Kumar, accompanied by party leaders, met with the Communist Party of India leaders at the CPI office in Chennai on Thursday, to garner the support for making goverment in Tamil Nadu.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing them of prioritising the wealthy over the poor and failing to create job opportunities.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann met with President Droupadi Murmu to request the termination of Rajya Sabha MPs from Punjab who defected to the BJP. Mann also advocated for a constitutional provision allowing voters to remove elected officials who fail to perform.
Trinamool Congress offices across West Bengal were allegedly defaced and damaged following the BJP's victory in the Assembly polls, with the TMC alleging BJP involvement, which the BJP denies.
D N Jeevaraj of the BJP has been declared the MLA for Sringeri after a recount of postal ballots, following a High Court order. This reverses the 2023 election result where Congress candidate T D Raje Gowda had won.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused central forces of working in favour of the BJP during the ongoing assembly elections, alleging intimidation and unfair practices.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has claimed victory for the state after the Constitution Amendment Bill was defeated in the Lok Sabha. Stalin criticised the Centre's handling of the Women's Reservation Bill and delimitation process, accusing the BJP of prioritising political gain over fairness and consultation.
The Maharashtra municipal elections showed a troubling shift, where votes were traded for cash, convictions no longer mattered, and ideology became an afterthought, observes Ramesh Menon.
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
Voting has commenced for the assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, with over 3.60 crore electors eligible to vote in 152 constituencies in Bengal and 5.73 crore voters in Tamil Nadu. Security measures are heightened to ensure free and fair polling.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has accused the BJP-led central government of playing 'dangerous games' with Punjab, alleging the misuse of agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the CBI for political purposes.
Home Minister Amit Shah defended the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Lok Sabha, accusing the opposition of spreading falsehoods and questioning the safety of democracy if leaders are chosen by infiltrators.
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam chief Vijay, buoyed by the support from the Left parties, on Friday called on Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar at the Lok Bhavan in Chennai in connection with securing an invite from him to form the government.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has requested Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's intervention in a case where a tribal man was forced to exhume his sister's skeleton to prove her death to a rural bank in Keonjhar district. Patnaik urged for accountability and empathy in rural banking services.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticised the BJP for allegedly attempting to divide people on religious and caste lines during a community outreach programme in her Bhabanipur constituency.
'The real fault line in Assam is not Hindu versus Muslim. It is Assamese versus Bengali -- and within that, the specific anxiety about undocumented Bangladeshi settlers claiming land and altering the demographic balance of the state.'
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticised the BJP for allegedly deleting names from electoral rolls and attempting to divide people on religious and caste lines during a community outreach programme in her Bhabanipur constituency.
A BJP and a Trinamool Congress worker were killed in separate incidents of post-poll violence in West Bengal on Tuesday, police said.
A personal assistant to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari was shot dead in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, triggering political tensions and a police investigation.
A recount of postal ballots in the Sringeri Assembly constituency has resulted in a reduction of votes for Congress MLA T D Raje Gowda, following a High Court order. The Election Commission has been notified for further action.
If Trump wants peace with Iran, Pakistan will offer to help. If Trump seeks Pakistan's aid to spy on Iran, then too Munir will not hesitate to chip in. At the same time, the ISI will not hesitate to tip off Iran now and then, points out M R Narayan Swamy.
'They will have to adjust themselves to the new reality. Because if they don't understand this changed political perception, their future will be difficult.'
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge's remark calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a 'terrorist' has triggered strong reactions from the BJP, who have demanded an apology from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin.
US President Donald Trump and other top officials were evacuated unharmed from the annual dinner of the White House Correspondents' Association after a man armed with multiple weapons fired shots outside the hotel ballroom.
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Ministers and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav visited BJP MLA Anupama Jaiswal in hospital after she sustained burn injuries during a protest. The incident occurred while she was setting fire to an effigy during a demonstration in support of the 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam'.
India is one of the few nations, and perhaps the only nation, that has good relations with America, Israel and Iran. Knowing that a war in the Gulf would damage our economy, hurt supply of fertilisers and fuel, and cause general chaos, we should have tried to ensure this war did not begin, asserts Aakar Patel.
The Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) has criticised Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma after its Guwahati Central candidate, Kunki Chowdhury, was summoned by police in connection with an election-related case. The AJP alleges the ruling BJP is using intimidation tactics due to Chowdhury's strong performance.
'In West Bengal, the BJP's ideology of Hindutva will be customised to cater to the culture and the cultural imperatives of Bengalis.'
'A genuine tribute to Dr Ambedkar does not lie in selective invocation. It lies in asking a harder question: Is the Constitution still doing its job -- restraining even assertive majorities?' asks Manoj Mohanka.
The extent of doubts over the fairness of this election can be assessed by juxtaposing two figures: Total votes polled by the two principal parties and the number of people who were disallowed from voting this time, observes Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.
BJD president Naveen Patnaik has requested Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's intervention in a case where an Odisha tribal man was forced to exhume his sister's skeleton to prove her death to a rural bank. Patnaik seeks accountability for the incident, which has sparked public outrage.
