Actor Vijay's newly formed party, TVK, has achieved a significant victory in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, securing a commanding vote share and disrupting the state's traditional bipolar political system.
The INDIA bloc faces a significant challenge as the Congress and DMK part ways, raising questions about the alliance's future and unity.
'They will have to adjust themselves to the new reality. Because if they don't understand this changed political perception, their future will be difficult.'
'Secularism or social development or social justice is no longer part of development, according to the youth in Kerala.' 'They are concerned about material wellbeing and material welfare, and they believe that Narendra Modi is capable to giving them that kind of development.' 'So, they don't have any ideological hesitation in voting for him.'
The US blockade on Iranian ports is aimed to curb Iranian energy exports, thereby crippling its economy to force Iran back to the negotiating table, points out Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).
'It is going to be a negative vote against the government rather than a positive vote for the UDF.'
While the DMK depends on a 'silver sieve' of welfare schemes to stay in power, its support is slowly draining away under the weight of poor governance, corruption, and voters who are no longer satisfied with benefits alone and now want basic administration to work, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
However, speculation remained rife that the meeting was part of Banerjee's plan to form an opposition front with regional players minus the Congress.
Patnaik, who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi earlier in the day to discuss developmental issues related to his state, also ruled out joining any third front, a plan floated by some regional parties earlier.
According to political observers, the AIMIM sees a catchment area in Bihar, where Muslims are more than 17 per cent of the total population but have never got a proportionate representation in the state legislature.
Terming the emergence of a Third Front as 'the most enduring mirage of Indian politics', the Congress on Monday said the UPA government at the Centre is 'absolutely stable'.
Describing Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav's remarks favouring a third front, as 'misleading', senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Rajnath Singh on Thursday sought a firm assurance from the SP on withdrawing support to the United Progressive Alliance.
Fernandes denied that the NDA had outlived its utility.
The newly-formulated Third Front left its imprint in Parliament on the opening day of the reconvened winter session when it surprised the ruling coalition by derailing the Anti-Communal Violence Bill
Will the so-called Third Front partners be able to retain their ambitious unity till the end of this month, when the Finance Bill comes for voting in the Lok Sabha? Doubts are hovering around the Yadav duo Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad and Samajwadi chief Mulayam Singh Yadav -- as the two have taken different stands in the past one week on the issue.
Terming the Third Front as the "biggest mirage" of Indian politics, the Congress on Thursday said whenever the grouping has resurrected, it has only helped the communal forces.
The Telugu Desam president and a leading figure in the third front N Chandrababu Naidu has ruled out the possibility of any body being projected as the prime ministerial candidate of the third front before the elections.
Amid the Bahujan Samaj Party's keenness to project Mayawati as a prime ministerial candidate, the Communist Party of India on Friday said the Third Front would not name any leader for the top post in the run-up to the Lok Sabha election. "The Third Front will not project anyone as its prime ministerial candidate during electioneering," CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan told reporters, a day after the Left and some regional parties joined hands to cobble up a Third Front.
Communist Party of India leader A B Bardhan said on Thursday that Third Front leaders are in touch with Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who severed ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party, to rope his party Biju Janata Dal into the coalition.
Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley feels the JD-U and SP, the prime movers behind the idea of Third Front, are 'potential losers' in their areas of influence, and are no match to Narendra Modi-led NDA.
Janata Dal Secular chief H D Deve Gowda on Tuesday said that Biju Janata Dal chief and Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik would definitely join the Third Front, following the split in the BJD- Bharatiya Janata Party alliance.Gowda said that he had spoken to Patnaik, who had assured him that he will join the Third Front unconditionally.When queried about the Third Front rally, which will be held in Bangalore on Thursday, Gowda said Patnaik would not be able to attend.
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday ruled out the possibility of his party supporting the Third Front to form the government.
Communist Party of India National General Secretary A B Bardhan on Tuesday claimed that a 'Third Front', as a viable alternative to the United Progressive Alliance and Nationalist Democratic Alliance, would emerge with like-minded Left parties and some pro-poor regional parties coming together.
Even as eight parties launched the Third Front with much fanfare and hype, there continues to be a question mark as to who the prime ministerial candidate would be--just in case this new combination comes to power.
Accusing the UPA government of all-round failure, he said the people were yearning for a genuine alternative that was committed to the welfare of the poor.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday said that the Third Front was like a "parking lot" where parties come and go and ruled out any chance of it forming a government at the Centre.
Former Jharkhand Chief Minister and Member of Parliament Babulal Marandi has extended support to the Third Front.In a letter to Telugu Desam Party chief Chandrababu Naidu, the prominent Jharkhand leader said he supported the Front, which was a non-United Progressive Alliance and non-National Democratic Alliance option. He said that he could not attend the Front's meeting in New Delhi due to prior poll-related commitments.
Indicating that its alliance with the Congress is very much on, Samajwadi Party on Tuesday ruled out any partnership with the Third Front, saying it has got no "significance".
The Third Front, which has a history of mutative existence, hops into the new year with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhgham joining the group of disparate parties ganging up on a non-Congress, non-Bharatiya Janata Party platform.
Brushing aside reports of differences between 'third front' partners, Janata Dal-Secular chief H D Deve Gowda on Monday said no one can prevent the emergence of a political "force" against Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party. Gowda said he is closely watching the situation in the country and political compulsions will create a "force" against the Congress and the BJP.
While the DMK dubbed the meeting as only a 'courtesy visit', Rao did not meet the waiting reporters.
An overview of the past vice presidential elections in India, highlighting uncontested wins, multi-cornered fights, and notable candidates.
The Third Front on Monday said it will support President A P J Abdul Kalam for a second term as President as he is the "universally accepted" candidate for the high office.
The Bahujan Samaj Party on Saturday indicated that it would not be aligning itself with any Third Front in the President's election or the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
It said the Congress will infuse new blood in leadership roles without creating new fault lines and cementing its ideological moorings.
It is not inconceivable that elections in India can be fought by a party maintaining a distinct regional identity in state elections while merging to fight on a common symbol in the national elections, says Shashi Shekhar
The SP hopes to rope in Telugu Desam Party, Dravida Munnetra Kazagam and the Nationalist Congress Party in the proposed front.
Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday ruled out formation of a Third Front ahead of 2014 Lok Sabha elections, saying differences could crop up among various parties on ticket distribution if it takes shape now.
