'Vijay did not defeat Dravidian politics from outside. He entered the Dravidian field and claimed ownership of it. 'His argument was not that the room should be destroyed. It was that the present occupants no longer deserved to remain in it.'
Two outgoing West Bengal ministers, Sujit Bose and Rathin Ghosh, under scrutiny in a recruitment scam case, did not appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) as scheduled, citing health and post-election duties.
TVK national spokesperson Felix Gerald expressed confidence that the party would form the government in Tamil Nadu with an absolute majority as initial election trends showed the party 'scaling high'.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez rejected resignation rumours, addressed Jose Mourinho speculation and defended his leadership after a chaotic, trophyless season for the Spanish giants.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has accused BJP MPs of securing their seats through 'vote chori' and claims the BJP would struggle to win even 140 seats in fair elections.
TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee has urged BJP candidate Ratna Debnath to appeal to PM Modi to ensure the Aparajita Bill, which aims for time-bound punishment for rape convicts, is enacted. Banerjee criticised the BJP's stance on women's safety and highlighted the TMC government's prompt action in a previous rape-murder case.
The BJP is showing strong leads in West Bengal and Assam, while actor Vijay's party is making a significant debut in Tamil Nadu. The Congress is ahead in Kerala, offering some consolation amid the changing political landscape in the state elections.
'Naalaiya Theerpu to Netraiya Theerpu!! Congratulations to Thalapathy and his party for the fabulous result.'
Ruling Congress in Karnataka on Monday retained Bagalkot and Davanagere South assembly seats, giving a respite to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the party leadership, amid the ongoing power tussle over the leadership issue.
'The BJP successfully merged governance with identity. That's a powerful combination in Assam's political context.'
'The nepotism, corruption, bad governance and 15 years of rampant crime that has happened across West Bengal under her rule led to her ouster.'
'If a floor test happens, one group of MLAs may abstain to allow the confidence vote to pass. So theoretically, he can run a minority government as long as the others won't join each other to vote him out.'
The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a key ally of the Congress in Kerala, has criticised the public discussions and arguments regarding who should be the chief ministerial candidate of the United Democratic Front (UDF). IUML leader P M A Salam stated that such debates could lead to discontent among party workers and the general public.
A significant 7.87 per cent increase in the BJP's vote share in West Bengal, reaching 45.84 per cent, propelled the party to secure an additional 130 assembly seats, bringing their total to 207, while the Trinamool Congress experienced a 7.22 per cent decline, losing 135 seats and falling to 80.
Whether Vijay has the political spine to stitch together a stable government from this patchwork of conditions, demands, and midnight drama is the question Tamil Nadu is living through right now.
Intense lobbying is underway in Kerala as V D Satheesan, K C Venugopal, and Ramesh Chennithala vie for the chief minister's post, with their camps citing popularity, MLA support, and experience as key factors for the Congress high command's decision.
The BJP achieved a clean sweep in nine districts of West Bengal, securing all 68 seats in these regions during the recent election. This victory marks a significant shift in the state's political landscape, ending the Trinamool Congress's 15-year rule and establishing the BJP's dominance.
Clashes erupted between locals and security personnel in West Bengal's Birbhum district after allegations of EVM malfunctioning triggered tension during the first phase of the state assembly elections.
The Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), a key ally in the United Democratic Front (UDF) coalition, has voiced its discontent with the Congress party over the prolonged delay in selecting a Chief Minister for Kerala, describing the situation as a 'political uncertainty' that is 'unfortunate'.
An IUML MLA has stated that the delay in the Congress party's decision on who should be the Chief Minister of Kerala has diminished the UDF's victory and is making it difficult for workers and MLAs to engage with the public.
Actor Vijay's newly formed party, TVK, has achieved a significant victory in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, securing a commanding vote share and disrupting the state's traditional bipolar political system.
'We should expect extreme heat, extreme rains, floods, landslides and maybe cyclones. Not just this year, in the coming year as well.'
Suvendu Adhikari has been elected as the leader of the BJP legislature party in West Bengal, paving the way for him to become the state's first BJP chief minister.
'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.'
'This is a major rupture in Tamil Nadu's political order.' 'For the Dravidian parties, the message is clear: The old DMK-AIADMK binary is no longer guaranteed a future.'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that the TMC's governance in West Bengal is nearing its end, citing corruption and unfulfilled promises. He highlighted the BJP's commitment to development and security, particularly for the fisherfolk and against infiltration.
The murder of a close aide to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari in West Bengal has ignited post-election violence, raising concerns about political stability and the transition of power.
'If you read the TVK manifesto, it is doles and much more doles. But the state has been habituated to this.' 'In no way is he distinct or different from the DMK regime.'
A relative of a BJP candidate was stabbed to death and two others were injured in a clash between Congress and BJP supporters in Mehsana, Gujarat, ahead of local body polls.
The TMC has accused the BJP of instigating unrest in Malda, West Bengal, and criticised Prime Minister Modi for allegedly spreading misinformation regarding women's safety in the state. The BJP denies the allegations, asserting that the TMC is responsible for lawlessness.
US President Donald Trump on Monday doubled down on his hardline stance against Tehran while dismissing mainstream media narratives regarding his foreign policy motivations.
'...the enormous responsibility and faith the youth has put on his shoulders, that he is going to solve their problems.'
The electorate did not vote for the BJP as much as they voted against the TMC. This is an important distinction that the new government will ignore at its own peril, points out Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta (retd).
'Narendra Modi -- a man with deep and vital experience of Indian politics -- has seen the BJP lose many elections between 1975 and 2015, and with every defeat, he learned lessons that made sure he would never allow his party to be defeated so easily again.'
Building a party from scratch and leading it to electoral success is an entirely different challenge.
The BJP must respect Bengal's pluralistic ethos and with this historic mandate give the state the constructive change it truly deserves, expects Kolkata native Payal Singh Mohanka.
The BJP has accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of fostering a 'mafia culture' and 'maha jungle raj' in West Bengal following the killing of an aide to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari. The party alleges the incident reflects institutionalised post-poll violence in the state and demands a CBI probe.
For over a decade, the TMC's dominance in districts such as Murshidabad, Malda and Uttar Dinajpur rested on a near-complete consolidation of Muslim votes, a bloc that accounts for 50 per cent or more of the population in large parts of this belt.
A TMC MP was allegedly attacked and a CISF jawan was shot in separate incidents of violence in southern West Bengal, ahead of the second phase of elections. The incidents have sparked political accusations and investigations.
In Tamil Nadu, the political landscape is shifting as the TVK party's attempt to form a government faces challenges from its potential allies. Both the DMK and AIADMK are experiencing internal divisions regarding extending support to the TVK, leading to uncertainty and speculation about potential realignments.
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