BJP top brass to visit Bihar ahead of Assembly poll schedule

Image for the purpose of representation only. | Photo Credit: PTI Ahead of the announcement of Assembly election dates, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Bihar has begun a series of visits by its top leadership to review strategies and draw up plans. On September 13, party president J.P. Nadda will meet the State unit’s … Read more

Congress top brass holds meeting on Assembly elections in Bihar

Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge, with others in a meeting with Bihar Leaders, in New Delhi on September 9, 2025. Photo: AICC via ANI I Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge presided over a party meeting on Tuesday (September 9, 2025) to discuss the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. Leader … Read more

Bihar seat-sharing must balance winnable and tough constituencies, says Congress

Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Ram (centre), Bihar Congress Legislature Party leader Shakeel Ahmad Khan (right) and All India Congress Committee Bihar in-charge Krishna Allavaru address a press conference at the party headquarters in New Delhi on September 10, 2025. | Photo Credit: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap The Congress on Wednesday (September 10, 2025) said that a … Read more

How social media campaigns shaped the 2024 Lok Sabha elections

The recently released report by Lokniti-CSDS provides a data-driven analysis of digital platforms’ role in 2024 elections, showing how they complemented traditional door-to-door efforts in mobilising voters. This is Part 2 of the study. Campaign songs are increasingly vital tools for political communication, offering a catchy and accessible medium to amplify candidates’ messages and mobilise … Read more

T.T.V. Dhinakaran might have left NDA as he cannot accept Palaniswami as CM candidate: T.N. BJP leader Nainar Nagenthran

Nainar Nagenthran. File | Photo Credit: Bijoy Ghosh BJP Tamil Nadu president Nainar Nagenthran said on Monday that he could not comprehend why Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam  (AMMK) founder T.T.V. Dhinakaran walked out of the National Democratic Alliance. He felt that Mr. Dhinakaran might not be able to accept AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami being projected as the chief ministerial candidate. Mr. Nagenthran, who was previously with the AIADMK, recalled his association with … Read more

Bihar SIR: Aadhaar shall be treated as the 12th document, Supreme Court directs Election Commission

The Supreme Court on Monday (September 8, 2025) directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to include Aadhaar as the 12th in a list of 11 ‘indicative’ documents, any of which persons seeking inclusion or exclusion in the electoral roll of Bihar could file as proof of their identity, during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision … Read more

Bihar SIR: ECI tells Supreme Court that claims and objections can be filed beyond September 1 deadline

An Election Commission of India (ECI) note submitted on Monday (September 1, 2025) in the Supreme Court showed that requests to delete/exclude names from the Bihar draft electoral roll “overwhelmed” claims for inclusion by almost six times between August 22 and August 30, 2025.  August 22, 2025, was when the court enabled voters to use … Read more

Bihar SIR | What the Data says

A women checking the names of the voters who have not submitted their documents for verification on the last day of the SIR excercise at Block Develpoment Office, Nalanda Dist of Bihar on Monday, September 01, 2025. | Photo Credit: R V Moorthy As the Supreme Court continues to hear a case against the Special … Read more

Rape and punishment: On the life sentencing of Prajwal Revanna

Powerful perpetrators are rarely made accountable for their actions, and in that backdrop, the conviction and life sentencing of Prajwal Revanna, former Janata Dal (Secular) Member of Parliament and grandson of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, for a heinous crime comes as a relief. This is the first of the four cases of rape … Read more

Revelations on ‘vote theft’ will be as explosive as hydrogen bomb: Rahul Gandhi

Leaders of the INDIA bloc demonstrated solidarity on the final day of the alliance’s Voter Adhikar Yatra (voter rights rally) against the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar on Monday (September 1, 2025). The rally, which was launched on August 17 in Sasaram of Rohtas district, ended in Patna, with Congress president Mallikarjun … Read more

West Bengal to add 14,000 polling booths next year’s Assembly polls

Representative image | Photo Credit: The Hindu The office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, on Friday (August 29, 2025) held a meeting with representatives of all major political parties of the State, where the representatives were informed about rearrangement of polling booths. As per the new arrangement a polling booth will have … Read more

Modi wins elections by stealing votes, says Rahul Gandhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wins elections by “stealing votes”, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi alleged on Friday (August 29, 2025) during his ongoing Voter Adhikar Yatra. The Congress leader was addressing a public meeting in Siwan district of Bihar, along with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, Vikassheel Insaan … Read more

Bihar SIR: Supreme Court agrees to hear RJD, CPI(ML) plea to extend deadline for filing claims to September 15

A Booth Level Officer (BLO) checks documents at Jogbani, a municipal council area of Araria District in Bihar on July 8, 2025. | Photo Credit: The Hindu The Supreme Court agreed to hear on September 8, 2025 applications filed by political parties, including Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation, seeking … Read more

Bihar SIR: Supreme Court agrees to hear RJD, CPI(ML) plea to extend deadline for filing claims to September 15

A Booth Level Officer (BLO) checks documents at Jogbani, a municipal council area of Araria District in Bihar on July 8, 2025. | Photo Credit: The Hindu The Supreme Court agreed to hear on September 8, 2025 applications filed by political parties, including Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation, seeking … Read more

Bihar SIR: Eight border districts account for most notices by Election Commission of India

A Booth Level Officer checks documents during the Special Intensive Revision drive at Kamalpur village in Bihar’s Purnia district on July 8, 2025. | Photo Credit: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap As the Election Commission of India (ECI) started issuing notices this week to Bihar voters whose documents have not been found satisfactory during the ongoing Special … Read more

Rahul, Tejashwi draw large crowds for ‘voter adhikar yatra’ in Bihar

The voter adhikar yatra (voter rights procession), which began from Sasaram in Rohtas district, has entered its third leg covering 15 districts so far, and has turned into a major crowd-puller. Two main figures, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, have been drawing large gatherings and receiving loud applause … Read more

Delhi High Court asks Election Commission of India to consider political party’s plea for common symbol for Bihar polls

Delhi High Court. File | Photo Credit: The Hindu The Delhi High Court on Tuesday (August 27, 2025) directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to consider the plea of political party Akhil Bharatiya Jan Sangh for using a common election symbol in the upcoming Bihar assembly polls. The party claimed it was established in … Read more

The medical boundaries for AYUSH practitioners

The recent controversy on X between a hepatologist and an Indian chess Grand Master, on whether practitioners of traditional medicine can claim to be doctors, has sparked much commentary on the role and the status of practitioners of traditional Indian medicine systems such as Ayurveda and Unani, in India. Committees, governments, perspectives The burning issue … Read more

Congress slams Bihar BJP over ‘casteist, racist’ comments against opposition leaders

“No attack on the dignity and honour of the Dalit community will be tolerated. We will file a case under appropriate sections against this shameful act,” Congress leader Pawan Khera said. File | Photo Credit: ANI The Congress on Monday (August 25, 2025) accused the Bihar BJP of using “casteist” and “racist” comments against opposition … Read more

SIR is an institutionalised way of stealing votes: Rahul Gandhi

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi during the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’, in Bihar. Photo: AICC via PTI Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday (August 24, 2025) alleged that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is an institutionalised way of stealing votes in Bihar. He however asserted that the Opposition will … Read more

Aadhaar alone is not valid proof, claims BJP

BJP accused the Opposition of indulging in propaganda after the Supreme Court said that voters excluded during the ongoing SIR exercise in Bihar can submit Aadhaar along with other documents, asserting that the apex court did not say Aadhaar alone can be a valid document to get voting rights. | Photo Credit: The Hindu The … Read more