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.
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.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has vowed to remove the BJP from power in West Bengal and then at the national level, accusing the Election Commission of favouring the BJP and criticising the opposition parties.
The high-pitched campaign for the first phase of West Bengal assembly elections concluded with the BJP and TMC focusing on electoral rolls and dietary habits, while making promises to voters. Voting is scheduled in 152 constituencies across north Bengal and southern districts, with over 3.60 crore electors eligible to vote. A record number of Central paramilitary forces have been deployed, and several districts have been identified as highly sensitive.
The Election Commission has intensified preparations for the West Bengal Assembly elections by reshuffling senior officers and deploying IAS and IPS officers in key poll management roles.
When the margin of victory is less than the number of postal ballot papers rejected, all such rejected postal ballot papers shall be mandatorily re-verified before declaration of the result.
A day after 20 rebel Trinamool Congress MPs announced their merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a senior functionary of the outfit questioned the decision, claiming the party leadership had never been consulted on the move and that such a decision could not be taken unilaterally.
The Supreme Court has sought responses from the Centre and States regarding a plea alleging the misuse of Aadhaar cards as proof of citizenship, domicile, and residential address. The petition argues that despite legal provisions, Aadhaar is being used for purposes beyond identity verification, potentially aiding illegal immigrants, and calls for a comprehensive overhaul of electoral verification processes.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has registered a case to probe the recovery of 79 crude bombs in West Bengal following a directive from the Union Home Ministry.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for allegedly refusing to accept the electoral mandate, claiming democracy is being 'held at gunpoint' in the state.
A BJP and a Trinamool Congress worker were killed in separate incidents of post-poll violence in West Bengal on Tuesday, police said.
Senior DMK leader KR Periakaruppan lost the Tiruppattur assembly seat by one vote to Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam's Seenivasa Sethupathy R in the Tamil Nadu elections. The defeat highlights the impact of individual ballots and the rise of actor Vijay's TVK.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court has nullified the election of a Congress MLA due to the deliberate suppression of information regarding criminal charges, declaring the runner-up BJP candidate as the elected representative.
"The CBI Director should be empowered to report directly to the minister and the prime minister with exclusive powers like the Cabinet secretary and should act alone without being under the administration of the central government," the judgment further read.
The NDA government has gradually nuanced its position on the issue of demographic challenge.
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.
The new BJP government also appointed IAS officer Shantanu Bala as the chief minister's private secretary, according to another notification.
The Election Commission suspended three central armed police force personnel after a video surfaced showing them playing carrom inside a Trinamool Congress office in West Bengal. A departmental inquiry has been ordered into the matter.
A month after losing power in West Bengal and facing a rebellion by 58 MLAs, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) confronts an unprecedented challenge to Mamata Banerjee's absolute authority, raising questions about the party's survival and future.
Assam Agriculture Minister Atul Bora of the AGP has won the Bokakhat assembly constituency for a third consecutive term, defeating Raijor Dal's Hari Prasad Saikia by a significant margin.
West Bengal's appointment of Manoj Agarwal, the former Chief Electoral Officer, as the new Chief Secretary has ignited a political firestorm, raising concerns about the fairness and impartiality of the state's electoral processes.
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.
The Supreme Court has permitted the NIA to file its charge sheet upon completion of the investigation into the incident in West Bengal where judicial officers were illegally confined by a mob.
Larger NGOs could no longer work with smaller ones, especially those organisations working on the ground that had no means of or expertise in raising money themselves, reveals Aakar Patel.
In an attempt to curb bogus voting and monitor the migration of voters across India, the Election Commission is planning to link the Census data of 2011 with its electoral rolls. The EC then plans to use global positioning system to automatically record the voters' migration or shifting of residence.Once the Census data is made available to the Election Commission, it will be clubbed with the electoral rolls. The GPS chip would be added to the electronic photo identity cards.
The Election Commission is yet to disclose the number of voters whose names have been included or deleted following the SIR adjudication process in poll-bound West Bengal.
Facing a massive rebellion of MLAs and MPs after its defeat in the West Bengal assembly polls, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has begun an organisational reset, with sources saying the focus is on top leaders increasing direct engagement with workers and reducing dependence on political-consultancy firm I-PAC.
Chief Elections Commissioner N Gopalaswami and Election Commissioners Navin Chawla and S Y Qureshi will meet representatives of six main political parties later in the day.
Opposition parties have submitted a fresh notice in the Rajya Sabha seeking a motion for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, citing concerns over the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct.
The campaign for the current election cycle ended on Monday as canvassing for the final phase in West Bengal concluded with a bitter war of words between rival parties over cross-border infiltration, corruption, unemployment and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has accused the BJP of attempting to manipulate the upcoming West Bengal assembly elections by submitting a large number of Form 6 applications to illegally register voters from outside the state.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asserted that the TMC will return to power for a fourth term, urging opposition parties to unite against the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre. She criticised the BJP's chargesheet against the TMC and alleged corruption in the Haldia dock complex. Banerjee also questioned Prime Minister Modi's claim of being the BJP candidate in all West Bengal seats.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the BJP of attempting to illegally include voters from outside the state in West Bengal's electoral rolls, alleging a coordinated effort to interfere with democratic rights.
'Present day youth are not interested in the past. They want to see what you are going to do now.'
BJP workers celebrated in West Bengal as the party took an early lead in the state assembly elections, raising slogans and exchanging sweets.
Supporters of the Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) and the ruling TMC clashed in West Bengal's Murshidabad district during the first phase of the state assembly polls, leading to police intervention and heightened security measures.
The protesters, including AAP MLAs and newly appointed Delhi convener Gopal Rai, alleged that the manipulation of electronic voting machines was killing democracy.
BJP leader Sobha Surendran appeared before the District Returning Officer in Kerala to give her statement regarding the 'cash-for-vote' allegation against her during the Assembly polls.
Addressing tribal leaders from across the country at an event organised by the Adivasi Congress at the Indira Bhawan in New Delhi, Gandhi warned that while an 'economic tsunami' is coming, the system is also revolting due to public pressure.
The BJP has won the repoll to Bengal's Falta Assembly seat with a significant margin, marking a dramatic shift in the political landscape of West Bengal. The TMC's candidate slipped to fourth place and forfeited his deposit in what was once considered a TMC stronghold.
