The Supreme Court, hearing pleas on the Shiv Sena split, observed that a political party retains control over its legislature wing and its valid decisions must prevail, but also advocated for granting 'elbow room' to elected representatives for political decisions if a majority 'genuinely disagree' with party directions.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has invited Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee for a meeting on June 19 to discuss the party's internal split. This comes after 20 rebel TMC MPs sought recognition as a separate group following their merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India. Birla plans to hear both factions before making a decision, while Banerjee has argued against recognising any separate group within the AITC, citing anti-defection laws and a recent Supreme Court judgment.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has dismissed claims by Uttar Pradesh minister Om Prakash Rajbhar about an impending split in the SP. Yadav asserted the party's strength and accused the BJP of engineering defections through inducements and pressure, while also noting that BJP's own legislators might be looking to switch sides.
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.
Ideology is dead; long live the numbers game that is being played with the sole intention of securing a two-third majority in the Lok Sabha for the NDA, observes Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.
A BJP leader claims that the TMC in West Bengal is heading towards a split similar to the one witnessed in Maharashtra, citing internal contradictions and growing dissatisfaction among leaders.
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.
Amidst the INDIA bloc conclave in Delhi, a significant number of Trinamool Congress MPs convened a closed-door meeting, signalling a deepening internal rebellion and discontent within the party's parliamentary ranks following recent electoral setbacks.
The dramatic development marked the culmination of a revolt that began with allegations of forged signatures on a letter proposing a Leader of Opposition and snowballed into an open challenge to the party leadership following the TMC's defeat at the hands of the BJP in the assembly elections.
Amid a significant split within the Trinamool Congress (TMC), two "dissident" MPs, June Maliah and Deepak Adhikari (Dev), along with an MLA, attended an administrative meeting chaired by West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. This event follows a major rebellion within the TMC, where 20 Lok Sabha MPs reportedly declared support for the BJP-led NDA as a separate bloc.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has alleged that some Maharashtra MPs are being offered 'Rs 50 crore' to switch sides, amid intense speculation of an imminent split within the Uddhav Thackeray-led party. Raut challenged any dissidents to resign their parliamentary seats before defecting.
Thackeray on Sunday called a meeting of party MPs. Of the nine Lok Sabha members, only four --- Arvind Sawant, Anil Desai, Rajabhau Waze and Sanjay Patil --- attended the meeting in person, while Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar, Bhausaheb Wakchaure, Nagesh Bapurao Patil Ashtikar and Sanjay Deshmukh attended online.
'The made-up stories really angered me. Forget angering me, it actually made me feel, okay, if they want to play this game, let me play along.'
What began with an apparently chance encounter between rebel TMC MLA Ritabrata Banerjee and Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari at Banga Bhavan on May 22 ended on Wednesday with 58 MLAs wresting control of the party's legislature wing, electing Ritabrata as their leader and securing recognition from the assembly Speaker.
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a plea by senior advocate Kapil Sibal challenging the interpretation of the Tenth Schedule's 'deemed merger' provision, which allows MLAs and MPs to avoid disqualification under the anti-defection law, citing its 'huge repercussions on our polity'.
Speculation is rife about a potential rebellion among MPs of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), with ruling Sena leader Pratap Sarnaik hinting at welcoming dissidents. Despite a Sena (UBT) MP meeting a rival minister and several skipping a party meeting, senior leaders Sanjay Raut and Anil Desai have dismissed the defection rumours, asserting the unity of their parliamentarians.
Sanjay Raut defended the strength of Shiv Sena-UBT, backing Aaditya Thackeray as a capable next-generation leader while claiming the party cadre remains loyal to Uddhav Thackeray despite recent MP defections driven by money and central agency pressure.
'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.'
Germany's 2014 World Cup winner Sami Khedira sees no identity crisis in his brother Rani playing for Tunisia at FIFA World Cup 2026.
Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde have been directed by a Thane magistrate's court to appear in connection with a 17-year-old defamation complaint. The case, filed by late NCP leader Vasant Davkhare, relates to a controversial video screened during the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.
West Bengal's annual July 21 Martyrs' Day observance has transformed into an unprecedented political contest, with three rival camps - Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress, a breakaway TMC faction, and the Congress - holding parallel programmes in central Kolkata, each vying for legacy and organisational strength.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will hear both the defected TMC MPs and the faction led by Mamata Banerjee before deciding on recognising the breakaway group's proposed merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI).
Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress is grappling with an unprecedented political crisis following its recent electoral defeat, which has seen a significant number of its legislators openly challenging her authority and forming a rebel faction.
Lok Sabha MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay's closed-door meeting with West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, just before NCPI MPs were to attend an NDA meeting, has ignited speculation about the Nationalist Citizens Party of India's political future and its potential alignment with the BJP-led alliance. The NCPI comprises 20 rebel TMC MPs who broke away after the West Bengal Assembly election.
Six of the nine Shiv Sena-UBT Lok Sabha MPs skipped a crucial parliamentary meeting, signalling a likely split and potential merger with the Eknath Shinde-led faction, which could trigger disqualification proceedings under the anti-defection law.
In a surprising turn of events, AJUP founder Humayun Kabir, a former critic of Mamata Banerjee, has offered her a route back to the West Bengal Assembly from his Rejinagar constituency. This offer comes as Banerjee faces a significant political crisis after the TMC's electoral defeat and internal party rebellion.
23 political parties of the INDIA bloc will meet on Monday to redraw their strategy to take on the BJP and iron out differences amid changed power dynamics after the defeat of regional anchors TMC and DMK in the recent assembly polls.
US president Donald Trump in recent weeks has renewed threats to make Canada the 51st US state, and said he might not renew the trilateral trade agreement between the US, Canada and Mexico -- the co-hosts of this year's World Cup.
Every day, the older men running our politics keep pushing Gen Z voters further away, observes Binu Alex.
'After more than 12 years in power, he has been forced to retreat under public pressure. The education minister's resignation is the biggest political climbdown of his government so far.'
India's youngest municipal chairperson, Diya Binu, on Tuesday lost office after a no-confidence motion moved by the Left Democratic Front was passed in Kerala's Pala Municipality with the support of rebel Congress councillors, ending the United Democratic Front's rule in the civic body.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded young Indian innovators for the country's first privately developed orbital rocket, Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1, which made India the third nation with private orbital launch capabilities. While praising the 28-year-old average age of the Skyroot team, Modi made a veiled remark about a "56-year-old young man," widely understood to be a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who recently turned 56.
Mamata Banerjee strongly defended her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, apologising to the public for "traitors" who left the TMC. She accused the BJP of using investigative agencies to engineer defections and praised Abhishek for his resilience against political attacks, asserting that her family never compromised for political survival.
A late-night meeting between leaders of the ruling NCP and Opposition NCP (SP) at the Maharashtra Chief Minister's residence has sparked intense speculation about shifting political dynamics in the state. This comes as the BJP reportedly seeks support for the 131st Constitution Amendment Bill, which proposes to increase Lok Sabha seats and initiate delimitation, a move criticised by Congress leader P Chidambaram for potentially disadvantaging states that controlled population growth.
Senior Trinamool Congress MLA Madan Mitra has joined the rebel faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee, resigning from all organisational posts under Mamata Banerjee's leadership while maintaining his Trinamool MLA status. This move significantly bolsters the rebel camp and intensifies the power struggle within the party, coming amidst a municipal recruitment scam investigation involving Mitra's family.
It's only July but the South Korean drama scene is brimming with action and adrenalin.
The INDIA bloc faces a significant challenge as the Congress and DMK part ways, raising questions about the alliance's future and unity.
The AIADMK is facing a potential split after post-election disagreements, with one faction voting against the government and another defying party orders. Key leaders have been removed from their posts, and accusations are flying between the opposing sides.
Justice Atul Sreedharan of the Allahabad High Court has made strong observations on systemic corruption in India, suggesting the death penalty for offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act. He criticised the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple and the Uttar Pradesh government's "bulldozer actions," highlighting the normalisation of corruption and the state's complicity in unauthorised constructions.
Uttar Pradesh Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar has sensationally claimed a major split is imminent within the Samajwadi Party, with many leaders reportedly ready to defect to the BJP, a claim vehemently denied by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav.
