The rejection of senior Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan's nomination papers transformed what should have been a routine Rajya Sabha election into a lesson in contemporary political warfare.
'Delimitation is scheduled for 2028. No matter how much the BJP currently depends on the Shinde Sena or NCP factions, it may not need them after delimitation.'
Most defections originated from three major parties -- the Congress, BJP and BSP.
The 2026 election appears to have reinforced a new political formula in Assam: Strong organisation, continuous grassroots engagement, effective alliance management and welfare-based voter outreach.
Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday said members of the INDIA bloc were likely to meet in the first week of June to discuss a joint strategy, while asserting that the opposition camp was prepared for a prolonged political battle.
'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.'
Less than two months after ending the TMC's 15-year rule in the state, the BJP government is expected to table one of its most ambitious and politically sensitive promises, setting the stage for what could become the first major ideological confrontation of the post-election period.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has accused the BJP of engaging in divisive politics and attempting to incite violence in Punjab for electoral gains, while reaffirming his government's commitment to peace and communal harmony.
'Something could happen to me... I understood that day itself that what they had sent me was a final warning.'
The TMC's July 21 Shahid Diwas rally is expected to serve as a crucial test of party unity and organisational strength amid defections and an internal rebellion.
Mamata Banerjee is actively trying to prevent further defections from the TMC after a significant split, personally contacting rebel MLAs and deploying MPs for damage control. The crisis, stemming from a challenge to Abhishek Banerjee's influence, sees rebels trying to maintain Mamata's symbolic leadership while consolidating their own position, marking a critical period for the party's future.
India's dual pursuit of a robust strategic partnership with Washington and a pragmatic, tension-management policy with Beijing represents the essence of modern multi-alignment. By embracing economic pragmatism, learning to compartmentalize political differences, and engaging in continuous dialogue, India can secure its borders, grow its economy, and contribute to a stable, multipolar Asian century, points out Ambassador Rajasekhar.
While sharing her study secrets and preparation strategy, Devina Gahlot explained that discipline and consistency were more important than studying for long hours.
'The generational shift belongs to Vijay, Udhayanidhi and Annamalai.' 'The BJP cannot fit into the shift.' 'So they threw Annamalai into the situation where he is comparable with Vijay and Udhayanidhi.'
AICC general secretary Sachin Pilot has accused Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of following similar political approaches to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging a tacit understanding between the CPI(M) and the BJP in Kerala.
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.
Building a party from scratch and leading it to electoral success is an entirely different challenge.
For the foreseeable future, the most likely outcome remains continuation of the status quo. Taiwan will remain self-governing without formally declaring independence, while China continues to apply sustained pressure short of war, predict Krishnan Srinivasan and Manoj Mohanka.
Pakistan's ISI is reportedly pushing its network of Over Ground Workers (OGWs) in Jammu and Kashmir to infiltrate mainstream national political parties to evade security crackdowns and investigations. The ISI is also attempting to revive dormant, locally-founded terror outfits to give an 'indigenous colour' to terrorist violence and mask Pakistan's direct involvement.
Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor has moved to an ashram on the outskirts of Patna to continue his political activities ahead of the next assembly elections. He criticised Nitish Kumar and urged voters to prioritise their own interests.
Senior TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar has resigned as the Barasat organisational district president, taking 'moral responsibility' for the party's poor performance in the recent West Bengal assembly polls. Her resignation letter and subsequent comments sharply criticised the party's campaign strategy, the influence of election strategist I-PAC, and alleged criminalisation within the party, calling for a return to 'street politics' and engagement with 'honest, old and dedicated workers'.
Twenty rebel Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MPs have merged with the obscure Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a move seen by political observers as a strategic way to support the BJP-led NDA without immediately joining the saffron party and bypassing legal complexities.
There are strong possibilities of some Union ministers being sent to take organisational roles in the BJP and party office-bearers being inducted into the Modi ministry.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said there are some parties that have expressed their inability to attend this particular meeting for their own reasons.
Leaders from several opposition parties within the INDIA bloc convened in New Delhi, stressing the critical need for unity to safeguard democratic values and address pressing issues like people's livelihoods, despite recent internal differences and electoral setbacks.
Sonia Gandhi criticised PM Modi's Israel visit, calling it a "bewildering strategic decision" amid the regional conflict.
Himanta Biswa Sarma's return as Assam's Chief Minister underscores the BJP's increasing dominance in the northeast, marked by both development and divisive policies.
Newly appointed Bengal Industries Minister Tapas Roy has announced ambitious plans to attract significant investments, particularly from the Tata Group, to revive industrial growth in West Bengal. He aims to restore investor confidence, bring back businesses that left the state, and create an industry-friendly environment focused on manufacturing, services, and renewable energy.
DMK Youth Wing chief Udhayanidhi Stalin has launched a scathing attack on the Congress, accusing the former ally of 'stabbing the DMK in the back' and blaming them for the BJP's consecutive national victories. He exhorted party cadre to 'never trust the Congress again'.
Bangladesh summoned India's Deputy High Commissioner to convey "deep disappointment" after Dr. Zahed Ur Rahman, an adviser to the Prime Minister, was stopped and questioned by immigration authorities at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport. The incident led to Rahman's decision to return home despite being cleared to proceed.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia stated that India's roadmap for the 2027 World Cup, including discussions on senior players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, is confidential and not for public consumption. He also clarified that the BCCI adheres strictly to the Government of India's policies regarding bilateral tours, such as the potential resumption of ties with Bangladesh, without concern for the political situation in other countries.
US President Donald Trump lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'calm, cool, killer' persona at the G7 leaders' lunch in France, underscoring the deeply strategic relationship and formidable diplomatic skills of the Indian leader ahead of their crucial bilateral meeting.
'It was done with record speed. First, a revolt of the MLAs, which was obviously engineered.' ''No one believed me when I said the MLAs breaking away is not the real issue.' 'It is like a comet. The head doesn't matter, the tail matters.' 'And the tail is Parliament. Suvendu has gifted the prime minister 20 MPs.'
While the Andaman and Nicobar islands serve as a vital, stationary asset for projecting power in the Indian Ocean, referring to them as an unsinkable aircraft carrier ignores key military and geopolitical limitations, explains Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).
A potential US-Iran peace deal, expected to be signed on June 19, is anticipated to ease geopolitical stress and benefit various sectors, particularly in India, with analysts suggesting investors await finer details before making significant moves.
With the three-day special sitting of Parliament on the constitution amendment bill related to the implementation of 33 percent reservation for women from the 2029 Lok Sabha polls set to begin on Thursday, a meeting of opposition parties is slated to be held on Wednesday at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
The CPI(M) will attend the INDIA bloc meeting on Monday, with its MP John Brittas expected to raise concerns about allegations made by Congress leaders during the Kerala Assembly elections. The Left party is awaiting a clarification from the Congress regarding claims of a CPI(M)-BJP understanding, which it views as inconsistent with alliance cooperation.
Top leaders of opposition parties including Congress' Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, TMC's Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav of Rashtriya Janata Dal and Uddhav Thackeray of Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray, besides Left leaders and those from smaller parties, are likely to attend the meeting at the Constitution Club in the national capital.
Both sides have now revealed a preference for escalation over strategic defeat, and each new provocation narrows the space for the next pause. The Touska seizure, Iran's refusal to negotiate under blockade, Israel's strikes on Iranian oil infrastructure -- all of these add up to an increasingly untenable situation. This makes the wild card -- Trump and his motormouth -- more consequential than ever, notes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the Iran War.
'EPS exposed all the traitors. The DMK has given them political asylum. They are political orphans.'
