Politics News

The counting of votes for Mizoram Assembly polls began on Monday morning amid elaborate security arrangements in all 11 districts of the state.

Santa Claus may visit Dalal Street well before Christmas this December, as the Bharatiya Janata Party delivered a hattrick on Sunday. The ruling BJP has demonstrated that it still has the pulse of the people in the Hindi heartland, despite the conflicting views that came from psephologists. Even before all the rounds of counting were over, spokespersons of the party called the elections and celebrations kicked off in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and even Chhattisgarh.

"I sometimes think of leaving it, but the chief minister's post doesn't leave me," Ashok Gehlot famously said earlier this year, in part as a signal to the Congress top brass not to pick someone else for the job if the party wins the assembly polls. Over the past several months Gehlot, 72, tried every trick up his sleeve -- he has his magician father's blood running through his veins, after all -- to retain the post.

People have reposed their faith in "Modi's guarantees," BJP leaders chimed together on Sunday as the party appeared set on the path of victory in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh assembly elections. "The election results show people accept Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guarantee of delivering on guarantees," BJP leader and Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said here. Joshi, who was BJP's election-in-charge for Rajasthan, took a dig at the Congress and promises it made in the run up to the elections.

Poll strategist Sunil Kanugolu has yet again proven to be the man with the Midas touch, plotting the Congress' amazing turnaround in Telangana months after being the architect of the grand old party's return to power in Karnataka. Starting with Prashant Kishor's I-PAC, Kanugolu was largely credited for shaping the Congress' win in Karnataka and was later accorded Cabinet rank in the Siddaramaiah government.

As the Bhartiya Janata Party moved towards landslide victory by crossing the halfway mark of 115 in Madhya Pradesh, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that Digvijaya Singh and Kamalnath were now history. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasized that "the entire country believes in PM Modi's guarantee and wants to join and support PM Modi's resolve to make the country developed and today's results clearly show this".

Revenge, they say, is best served cold. And Revanth Reddy of the Congress Party has done just that. Months before Telangana went to polls, Congress leader A Revanth Reddy was detained by the police in Hyderabad during a protest he was leading along with his party’s workers against Chief Minister K Chandrsekhar Reddy (KCR). It was not the first time that he was arrested by the Telangana police. An emotional Revanth Reddy once said that he would never forget the fact that he was in jail when his daughter was getting married.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar stated on Sunday that the result in Telangana is not the victory of the Congress party, but it is the victory of the people of Telangana. Speaking to reporters in Hyderabad, Shivakumar stated, the voters of Telangana wanted a change. Leaders from various states have worked in Telangana to help the Congress MLAs win elections.

Scindia, a former Congress leader who switched over the party to come with the BJP in 2020, also took a swipe at the grand old party and said that his party did the work 'quietly' while the Congress was busy preparing Ladoos and congratulatory posters. As per the latest figures available from the Election Commission, the BJP was leading in 160 of the 230 seats in Madhya Pradesh, while the Congress was ahead in 67 seats.

The Congress 'hand' has stopped Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) 'car' in Telangana as the grand old party has comfortably reached the majority mark as per the latest trends of the Election Commission of India. The Congress is leading on 61 seats while the BRS on 36 and the BJP leading on 10, as per ECI. Telangana Congress President, Anumula Revanth Reddy is leading from the Kamareddy seat leaving CM KCR trailing behind.

The BJP crossed the halfway mark in Rajasthan with its candidates leading in over 100 seats while the Congress was ahead in 77, according to Election Commission trends available on Sunday. Elated over the initial trends, Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said people have voted to oust Congress from the government.

The Election Commission (EC) issued a show-cause notice to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday for his "panauti", "pickpocket" and "loan waiver for the super rich" jibes at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and asked him to respond by Saturday. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had approached the poll panel against the former Congress president, saying it was "unbecoming" of a "very senior leader" to use such language.

n four seats in the coming Rajasthan assembly polls, relatives have been pitted against each other, which includes a husband contesting his wife and nieces up against their uncles. Polling in all 200 assembly constituencies in the state will be held on November 25 and counting of votes will take place on December 3. "I am more focused on issues such as women empowerment and drinking water in my campaign," Rita Chaudhary, who is contesting from Sikar's Danta Ramgarh seat, told PTI on Monday.

The Supreme Court on Thursday issued a slew of directions for speedy disposal of criminal cases against Members of Parliament and Members of Legislative Assembly (MPs/MLAs). A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justices JB Pardiwala, and Manoj Misra said it was difficult for it to form a uniform guideline for trial courts across the country.

Facing 'cash for query' allegations, TMC MP Mahua Moitra has written to the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee that she will appear before it for the hearing on November 2-- the summoned date-- and has asked for permission to cross-examine the alleged 'bribe giver'and the complainant, Dehadrai. Moitra has posted her two-page letter on her X handle.

Union Minister for Electronics and Communications Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday came down heavily on the US phone maker Apple after several opposition MPs made allegations of state sponsored attack on their iPhones and said that much of information by the company on the issue seemed vague in nature and the government will investigate to get to the bottom of these notifications, and also asked it to join the probe.

Maratha groups continued their protests for the third day across several districts in the state to press for reservation for the community here on Tuesday. Alarmed by the spread of agitation, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has convened an all-party meeting in Mumbai on Wednesday to discuss and resolve the issue.

Several opposition leaders, including Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, Congress leader Pawan Khera on Tuesday alleged that their mobile phones were being targeted by the Centre. The ethics committee is probing BJP MP Dubey's allegations that Moitra accepted cash and favours for asking questions in Lok Sabha on businessman Gautam Adani at the behest of businessman Hiranandani.

The Ethics Committee of the Lok Sabha has summoned Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra to appear before it on October 31 in connection with the cash-for-query allegation against her. The fiery TMC member has dismissed the charges as a "jilted ex's lies", a reference to Dehadrai, accused the Adani Group of behind them to target her as she has been relentless in raising questions of the conglomerate's practices and transactions.

Citing UK-based newspaper, Financial Times which claimed that the Adani Group was purchasing coal above its market value from Asian countries, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday alleged that it is due to this reason for prices of electricity in country are getting inflated.

Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram will go to polls on different days from November 7-30 and votes will be counted for the five states on December 3, the Election Commission said on Monday, setting the stage for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. These five states will have 1.77 lakh polling stations, of which 1.01 lakh will have webcasting facility.

Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday said that India is a country of growing importance, adding that Canada is not looking to provoke or cause problems. MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that Canada has not shared any specific information regarding the allegations and that India is asking Canada to take action against those facing charges related to terrorism.