Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting with his council of ministers, focusing on enhancing 'Ease of Living' and 'Ease of Doing Business' and setting the goal of a developed India by 2047.
G Sudhakaran, the pro tem Speaker, stated he has no personal enmity with former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, emphasising that personal grudges have no place in politics.
Two police constables in Chhattisgarh allegedly committed suicide in separate incidents, apparently due to family-related issues. One constable shot himself with his service rifle, while the other was found hanging at his residence.
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.
US President Donald Trump is reportedly considering launching fresh strikes against Iran if ongoing negotiations fail to produce a peace deal, according to US media outlet Axios. This development comes as diplomatic efforts continue, with Pakistan and Qatar attempting to broker an agreement.
Political parties in Kerala are making preparations for celebrations as the Assembly election results are set to be announced. Congress and UDF workers are preparing food and cultural programmes, while the BJP is also planning celebrations with laddoos and placards.
West Bengal prohibits victory rallies following election result announcements and addresses concerns regarding agents' access to counting centres.
'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.'
TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee has alleged large-scale irregularities in the West Bengal assembly polls, questioning the counting process and the role of election officials and security forces. He claimed EVMs could be replaced, influencing the election outcome.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed BJP workers after the party's performance in assembly elections, urging an end to political violence in West Bengal and a focus on the state's future.
West Bengal minister Agnimitra Paul has said the state government would ensure women can move freely at any time of the day, and that complaints lodged by them are treated by the police on a priority basis.
Former CPI(M) leader G Sudhakaran, now an Independent MLA backed by the UDF, has criticised Left leaders for targeting him over his late brother Bhuvaneswaran, considered a party martyr. Sudhakaran claims the CPI(M) lost votes by politicising Bhuvaneswaran's memory during the election campaign.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi felicitated senior BJP worker Makhanlal Sarkar at a swearing-in ceremony in West Bengal. Sarkar, 98, is an early grassroots figure associated with the nationalist movement. Suvendu Adhikari took oath as the state's first BJP Chief Minister after defeating Mamata Banerjee.
A media report suggests the US and Israel considered installing Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as Iran's president as part of regime change plans.
'If the Opposition associates itself too much with the minorities, then it becomes easy for the BJP to get Hindu consolidation votes.'
In Puducherry, where constituencies have fewer than 30,000 electors on average, it is usual for N Rangaswamy to call out people he knows by name during his roadside election meetings.
BJP workers celebrated in West Bengal as the party took an early lead in the state assembly elections, raising slogans and exchanging sweets.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Friday sought a change in seating arrangement for its MPs in the Lok Sabha, saying their alliance with the Congress has ended and it would not be appropriate for its members to sit alongside those of the Congress.
A fourth AIADMK MLA, Esakki Subaya, has resigned from the Tamil Nadu Assembly and is seen with TVK leaders, following three other rebel MLAs who also quit and joined the ruling TVK. This move has sparked strong accusations of 'horse-trading' from the AIADMK and Congress, while the Speaker insists he is acting within legal frameworks.
The Election Commission has ordered a repoll in all 285 polling booths of the Falta assembly constituency in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on May 21, following reports of severe electoral offences and subversion of the democratic process during the second phase of the assembly elections.
The newly elected BJP-led government in West Bengal will take oath on May 9, coinciding with Rabindranath Tagore's birth anniversary, according to West Bengal BJP President Samik Bhattacharya. He also addressed post-election incidents and urged party workers to celebrate responsibly.
AIADMK MLAs have been moved to Puducherry amid TVK's efforts to secure a majority in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, according to an AIADMK spokesperson.
Kerala's Chief Minister-designate V D Satheesan met with senior Congress leader K C Venugopal to address reports of internal discord, as discussions surrounding the formation of the new cabinet continue.
'When I asked Suvendu about the news that Didi was going to fight in his constituency, he said, 'Aami okhaney lorbo aar okhaney okey harabo (I will contest from there and defeat her there)' This was his comment while we were standing on the truck doing our roadshow.'
The CBI has arrested Naveen Kumar Singh in connection with the murder of Chandranath Rath, an associate of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. The arrest was made in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, and firearms potentially used in the murder have been recovered.
In a dramatic election mirroring the Nandigram contest, BJP's Suvendu Adhikari defeated Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur, marking a significant victory for the BJP and a setback for the Trinamool Congress.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has urged TMC candidates and agents to remain vigilant at counting centres, alleging a 'game plan' by the BJP and the Election Commission to show the BJP taking an early lead.
By asking Vijay to produce letters of majority support before inviting him to form the government, the governor risks overstepping established Constitutional principles, notes Harishchandra.
The new BJP government also appointed IAS officer Shantanu Bala as the chief minister's private secretary, according to another notification.
The Congress-led UDF has swept back to power in Kerala, sparking celebrations and discussions about forming the new government. Senior leaders are vying for the Chief Minister's post, while the defeated CPI(M)-led LDF grapples with the reasons for their loss after 10 years in power.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced that Bangladeshi infiltrators detained in the state will be handed over to the BSF instead of being produced in courts, following a new rule. Instructions have been issued to the police and RPF to directly transfer detainees to the BSF at the Bangladesh border, with weekly reports submitted to the CMO.
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.
In the recent Bangladesh elections, four minority candidates, including two Hindus, secured parliamentary seats, highlighting the evolving political landscape and representation of minority communities within the BNP's victory.
TMC leaders have raised concerns about the vote counting process in the West Bengal Assembly elections, alleging irregularities and lack of cooperation from the Election Commission.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has appointed Radhan Pandit Vettrivel, an astrologer and spokesperson for the Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), as his Personal Secretary. The appointment has sparked controversy, with questions raised about the need for an astrologer in such a role.
'In West Bengal, the BJP's ideology of Hindutva will be customised to cater to the culture and the cultural imperatives of Bengalis.'
A BJP and a Trinamool Congress worker were killed in separate incidents of post-poll violence in West Bengal on Tuesday, police said.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay expanded his Cabinet, inducting 23 more legislators as ministers, including two from the Congress party, marking their return to governance in the state after nearly 60 years.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met with Trinamool Congress counting agents in Bhabanipur ahead of the vote count for the assembly election. The meeting aimed to ensure agents are well-prepared and updated on the counting process.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor criticised the proposal to increase the Lok Sabha's strength to 850, while BJP leaders defended delimitation as a democratic necessity at the Stanford India Conference 2026.
