Sapphire news

In September 2023, Parliament passed the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023, or the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, which commits to reserving one-third of seats in the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas for women, including in constituencies already earmarked for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. However, this potentially transformative measure falls short of … Read more

The continued pursuit of the perfect election

‘With each passing day, the war has reached South Asian homes in a number of ways’ | Photo Credit: AP With the sinking of the Iranian warship, IRIS Dena, in the Indian Ocean, by the United States on March 4, the war in West Asia came home to South Asia. With each passing day, the … Read more

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam chief and actor C. Joseph Vijay. File | Photo Credit: M. Moorthy Following a case alleging material discrepancies in the assets declared by Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, two more writ petitions of a similar nature have been filed in the Madras High Court seeking an inquiry regarding the assets declared by … Read more

The State Assembly passed a Bill to abolish the NEET twice, and it was rejected by the Governor both the times . | Photo Credit: File photo The Higher Education Department in Tamil Nadu had been a virtual battleground of an ideological war between the DMK and the BJP at the Centre, over the past five years. … Read more

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president M.K. Stalin greeting the crowd at an election meeting at Kunnam on April 16, 2026 | Photo Credit: M. Moorthy Chief Minister and DMK president M.K. Stalin on Thursday (April 16, 2026) alleged that the BJP would divide Tamil Nadu on the lines of Jammu & Kashmir if … Read more

West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC party supremo Mamata Banerjee during the election campaign at Dinhata, Cooch Behar on Thursday. | Photo Credit: ANI West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday (April 16, 2026) alleged that linking Bills related to women’s reservation and the proposed delimitation commission was a “conspiracy” to delete voters’ names … Read more

Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the roadshow in Nagercoil on Wednesday.  | Photo Credit: N. Rajesh The approximately 1.5-km stretch from Veppamoodu to MGR statue in Vadasery witnessed a sea of saffron, with a large number of BJP cadre gathering on both sides of the road to catch a glimpse of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. … Read more

‘The BJP’s efforts to win over the Christians have backfired on multiple occasions and that too at defining political moments’. File | Photo Credit: PTI Nothing seems to be working for the Kerala unit of the BJP, especially when it comes to the party’s attempts to woo Christian voters. Its efforts to win over the … Read more

TVK president C. Joseph Vijay campaigning at T. Nagar on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam Despite not uttering a word enroute, actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam president C. Joseph Vijay brought life in parts of south Chennai to a halt for a few hours as onlookers, admirers, and party workers lined up on the roads of T. Nagar, Egmore, and … Read more

PMK’s Thilagabama says people live in congested spaces and there is a need for more housing facilities in Perambur. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement In Chennai’s traditionally male-dominated political landscape, a handful of women candidates from four major political parties have stepped into the electoral fray, putting forward distinct visions for their constituencies and the city. Only the … Read more

BJP leader K. Annamalai addressing an election campaign at Kovilpatti on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT BJP leader K. Annamalai on Wednesday campaigned in support of AIADMK candidates Kadambur Raju and R. Sathya, who are contesting from Kovilpatti and Vilathikulam Assembly constituencies, under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Addressing a campaign in Kovilpatti, he … Read more

A woman carrying miniature idols of Lord Ganesh and Goddess Saraswati in a basket as she waits in a queue to offer prayer at Dakshineswar Kali Temple on the occasion of ‘Poila Boishakh’ (Bengali New Year), West Bengal, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. | Photo Credit: PTI A Bengali nationalist organisation on Wednesday (April 15, 2026) … Read more

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president M.K. Stalin. File | Photo Credit: R. Vengadesh Describing the proposed amendment on delimitation as a “conspiracy” and a “black law”, DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, on Wednesday (April 15, 2026), called upon the people of the State to hoist black flags in every … Read more

Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin addressing a election campaign meeting at Kovilpatti on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Wednesday said that Thoothukudi district stands as an example of secularism, while addressing an election rally in Kovilpatti, in support of DMK candidate K. Karunanidhi. He said that Thoothukudi district … Read more

Postal ballot voting for polling staff engaged in election duty began on Wednesday in Coimbatore for the Tamil Nadu Assembly election. | Photo Credit: PERIASAMY M Postal voting for polling personnel engaged in election duty began in Coimbatore district on April 15, 2026 (Wednesday), with facilitation centres set up across constituencies for the Tamil Nadu … Read more

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami during an election campaign in Tiruchi district. File | Photo Credit: M. Moorthy A writ petition has been filed in the Madras High Court seeking a direction to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) to take appropriate action on the basis of a representation made to him to debar All … Read more

Dakshin Dinajpur: Union Home Minister Amit Shah addresses the gathering during a public meeting in support of BJP candidates ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections, at Gochiar in Dakshin Dinajpur, Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (PTI Photo) (PTI04_14_2026_000295B) | Photo Credit: – Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Wednesday (April 15, 2026) that once … Read more

Central paramilitary forces on Monday conduct a route march in Kolkata ahead of the first phase of West Bengal Assembly elections on April 23. | Photo Credit: ANI The Election Commission of India will deploy 2,407 companies of Central armed police forces for the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly polls on April 23, … Read more

“Tell the people that these (crimes) happen because the goons have the blessings of big Trinamool leaders,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said. File photo: DPR PMO via ANI In an interaction with BJP workers on Tuesday (April 14, 2026), Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked them to make a list of “crimes” and “failures” of the … Read more

TVK president C. Joseph Vijay greeting supporters on Coimbatore-Avinashi Road on April 14, 2026 | Photo Credit: M. Periasamy Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam founder and actor C. Joseph Vijay, on Tuesday (April 14, 2026), announced that the party’s complete election manifesto for the April 23 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections will be released on Thursday. Campaigning at … Read more

M.K. Stalin. File | Photo Credit: C. Venkatachalapathy The Chief Ministers of non-BJP-ruled States, especially in southern India, on Tuesday (April 14, 2026) stepped up their attacks against the Union Government’s proposal on delimitation ahead of the implementation of reservation for women.  Even as Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin warned of a massive protest that … Read more

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee speaks during election campaign for the West Bengal Assembly elections. | Photo Credit: ANI TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday (April 14, 2026) alleged that “logical discrepancy” under the SIR exercise is not an officially recognised term under the Election Commission framework and was selectively … Read more

(From left) Tamilisai Soundararajan, former Telangana Governor, Nainar Nagendran, Tamil Nadu BJP president, J.P. Nadda, former national BJP president, and K. Annamalai, former State BJP president, at the release of the party’s election manifesto in Chennai | Photo Credit: S.R. Raghunathan Former national president of the BJP and Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare … Read more

TVK president C. Joseph Vijay greeting supporters on Coimbatore-Avinashi Road on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: M. PERIASAMY Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam founder and actor C. Joseph Vijay on Tuesday announced that the party’s complete election manifesto for the April 23 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections will be released on Thursday. Campaigning at Perumanallur in Tiruppur district and … Read more

A differently abled person casting his postal ballot from his house in Kovilankulam in Aruppukottai Assembly constituency on Monday. | Photo Credit: G. MOORTHY Casting of postal ballots for people aged 85 years and above and differently abled persons began in all the seven Assembly constituency of Virudhunagar district on Monday. A total of 2,008 … Read more

In veiled references, Housing Minister B.Z. Zameer Ahmed, seen in the inner circle of the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, has been accused of indulging in anti-party activities. | Photo Credit: File photo The Davangere South Assembly constituency bypolls have opened up fissures in the Muslim leadership, even as Congress fears the development could hand over advantage … Read more