Women voters in West Bengal appear to be shifting their priorities beyond financial assistance, placing greater emphasis on governance and accountability, according to post-election analysis. This shift may have contributed to the Trinamool Congress's (TMC) losses in the recent assembly election, as the BJP's promises and other factors influenced voter sentiment.
The AINRC-led NDA has won the Puducherry Assembly elections and is set to form the government. Chief Minister N Rangasamy won both seats he contested.
The BJP has accused the Trinamool Congress of inciting post-poll violence in West Bengal by impersonating BJP supporters, warning that they will face legal consequences. The BJP asserts its members have never engaged in post-election violence and claims TMC cadres are using BJP symbols to create unrest.
Outgoing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addressed a meeting of newly-elected MLAs of her party and stated she will not resign from her post in the wake of assembly poll results and the Centre can dismiss her.
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.
Despite recent gains, the BJP-led NDA is unlikely to achieve a two-thirds majority in the Rajya Sabha in the near future, highlighting the challenges in passing key legislation requiring constitutional amendments.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
'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.'
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.
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.
Nepalese citizens are voting in the general election, the first since protests toppled the previous government. Over 18.9 million are eligible to vote for the 275-member House of Representatives.
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.
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.
'If the Opposition associates itself too much with the minorities, then it becomes easy for the BJP to get Hindu consolidation votes.'
The Kerala government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to reinvestigate the alleged assault on Youth Congress workers by the gunmen of then Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan during a protest in Alappuzha in 2023.
'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.'
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.
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.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has reiterated that time will tell whether he will become the Chief Minister of the state, amid speculation of a leadership change within the Congress party.
Police and eyewitnesses have revealed that the car used in the murder of Chandranath Rath, an aide to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, was purchased in Ballia. The CBI and Uttar Pradesh STF are intensifying raids to locate Gyanendra Pratap Singh, a key figure in the case.
BJP workers celebrated in West Bengal as the party took an early lead in the state assembly elections, raising slogans and exchanging sweets.
'When I am not in politics, why should I be jealous of him?...'
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.
The new BJP government also appointed IAS officer Shantanu Bala as the chief minister's private secretary, according to another notification.
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 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.
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.
Amidst ongoing uncertainty regarding the selection of the next Kerala chief minister, the Congress high command has summoned key party leaders to New Delhi for discussions.
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.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay met with his predecessor, DMK President MK Stalin, at his residence in Alwarpet, Chennai, ahead of a crucial floor test for the government. The meeting, described as a courtesy call, occurred after Vijay's criticism of the previous DMK regime's debt burden.
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.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances