The Kerala High Court has questioned the intent of former state Transport Minister Antony Raju in a 1990 drug case involving evidence tampering, as Raju seeks suspension of his conviction to contest upcoming Assembly polls.
Counting of votes begins in Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, and West Bengal, with significant implications for regional and national parties.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has accused Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of aligning with forces that attack minorities, during election rallies in Kerala. He also criticised the CM on other issues including alleged corruption and economic failures.
The Congress party has accused the Modi government of abusing its power and distorting the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) during the upcoming assembly elections in Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal and Puducherry. The party alleges that the MCC has become 'Modi's Code of Campaigning' filled with defamation and lies.
'When Narendra Modi was here, he spoke only about development and what the BJP wanted to do in Kerala. That kind of sober rhetoric or argument is acceptable to the people here.'
Exit polls predict a BJP victory in Assam and an edge in West Bengal, a DMK government in Tamil Nadu, and a Congress-led UDF comeback in Kerala.
AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal has released an open letter to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, alleging secret deals with BJP leaders and the central government, raising questions about the LDF government's functioning ahead of the Assembly elections.
'Remember Vijay had never spoke of himself as a Christian when he was a film star.' 'The BJP strategy is they want the Christian minority constituency to move away from the DMK.' 'That is what the BJP wants so that it will be very easy to mobilise Hindu votes.' 'This strategy is to weaken the Dravidian ideology and bring in religion based politics into Tamil Nadu.'
The Congress party in Kerala has strongly criticised the state government's Public Relations Department (PRD) for publishing advertisements in major newspapers that highlight alleged shortcomings of the previous Oommen Chandy administration, accusing the government of misusing public funds for political gain ahead of upcoming elections.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi intensified the UDF's campaign for the Kerala polls, accusing the CPI(M) of stealing gold from the Sabarimala temple and questioning PM Modi's silence on the issue. He also addressed concerns about rubber prices and the FCRA amendments.
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.
AICC leader K C Venugopal has alleged that the bribery case against him and other Congress leaders in Haryana is a politically motivated move sponsored by the BJP and CPI(M). He denies the allegations and claims to have taken legal action.
'If the Opposition associates itself too much with the minorities, then it becomes easy for the BJP to get Hindu consolidation votes.'
BJP state chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar dismisses Rahul Gandhi's charge of a BJP-CPI(M) understanding in Kerala as baseless, asserting the NDA is competitive and criticising Congress's performance.
According to data released by the ECI, the revised electoral roll has 2,69,53,644 voters, compared to 2,78,50,855 before the Special Intensive Revision began in October last year.
Shashi Tharoor's relationship with Congress leaders in Kerala appears to be improving after a meeting with Rahul Gandhi. A prominent state leader announced Tharoor will be a star campaigner for the party-led UDF in the upcoming Kerala Assembly polls.
'When the prime minister and home minister promised their full support for the development of Kerala, why should we not be a part of them?'
The Election Commission has issued a notice to LDF convener T P Ramakrishnan, contesting from Perambra, following a complaint about a recorded announcement from a campaign vehicle alleging communal campaigning by the IUML.
Senior Congress leader Arun Yadav has criticised the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh, alleging neglect of farmers and the enabling of mafia activities.
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.
Here are the constituency-wise mapped leads/results for the West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu assembly elections!
Political parties in Kerala are increasingly using AI-generated content to influence voters in the upcoming elections, raising concerns about the blurring lines between reality and fiction in political messaging.
Sitting Dalit MLA C C Mukundan from Nattika has openly declared he will contest as an independent after allegedly being denied a CPI ticket for the upcoming Assembly elections, citing party infighting and caste-related issues.
Top Congress leaders are questioning whether the Election Commission's announced schedule for the Assembly polls unduly benefits the BJP, citing concerns over the timing and structuring of election phases.
CPI(M) MLA Kadakampally Surendran alleges that Unnikrishnan Potty, the prime accused in the Sabarimala gold loss case, is conspiring to tarnish his image ahead of the state Assembly election.
A Civil Police Officer in Kerala has been suspended for allegedly violating service rules by posting social media messages in support of a Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate ahead of upcoming Assembly elections.
Over 700 citizens, including former civil servants, academics, activists, and journalists, have written to the Election Commission alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's national address on April 18 violated the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) for elections. They are seeking an inquiry and remedial action.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has responded to Rahul Gandhi's criticism regarding the Sabarimala gold loss case, questioning Gandhi's connections to the accused and accusing him of political opportunism.
The Kerala government has filed a statement in the High Court opposing former minister Antony Raju's plea to suspend his conviction in an evidence-tampering case, arguing it would undermine the electoral process.
The Election Commission has issued a notice to LDF convener T P Ramakrishnan following a complaint by the UDF regarding a recorded announcement from an LDF campaign vehicle, which allegedly made communal remarks against the IUML. The UDF claims the LDF is running a communal campaign, similar to a previous controversy during the 2024 general elections.
Rahul Gandhi intensified the Congress campaign in Kerala, alleging collusion between the LDF and BJP, citing corruption cases and the drug issue in the state. He also criticised the LDF government's handling of the Sabarimala gold loss and unemployment.
Congress MP K Sudhakaran became emotional while paying tribute to a party worker, Kappadan Ramesh, at a function in Kannur. The event was organised to hand over the key of a house built for Ramesh's family. Sudhakaran also addressed speculation about his candidature in the upcoming Assembly elections.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the BJP's 47th Foundation Day, highlighting the Uniform Civil Code and 'One Nation, One Election' as key unfinished agendas. He also reaffirmed the party's commitment to implementing women's reservation in the 2029 elections and criticised dynastic politics.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has approached the Delhi High Court seeking a ban on AI-generated deepfake videos that purportedly show him praising Pakistan. The court has issued summons to social media platforms and the Centre, indicating it may pass an interim order in Tharoor's favour.
The ruling LDF in Kerala faces criticism after infidelity allegations against Transport Minister K B Ganesh Kumar surfaced, with the opposition UDF questioning the government's response and commitment to women's safety.
'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.'
The Kerala High Court has dismissed former state Transport Minister Antony Raju's plea seeking suspension of his conviction in an evidence tampering case, stating it is not in the interest of law or public interest.
A suspended BJP leader has accused another party leader of involvement in a cash-for-votes scheme during the Lok Sabha election in Alappuzha, Kerala, prompting further scrutiny and controversy.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has announced a significant increase in Lok Sabha seats for the five southern states following delimitation, countering misinformation and clarifying the timeline for women's reservation implementation.
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.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances