Sapphire news

The Election Commission of India (ECI) seems to have softened its stand about disclosing absolute numbers of booth-wise votes cast in elections. Last year, when the question arose in the midst of the multi-phase general election, the ECI took the position that it had no legal mandate to disclose details of Form 17-C, part one, … Read more

As political parties are repositioning themselves in response to changed circumstances, a realignment of politics appears to be underway, nearly a year after the general election in 2024. The non-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) parties, that assembled as a putative national opposition under the INDIA banner, do not have a shared goal now. In fact, the … Read more

DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran. File | Photo Credit: R. Ashok The Madras High Court on Friday struck off almost all the paragraphs, related to allegations of electoral malpractices, from a plaint filed in support of an election petition challenging the 2024 victory of DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran from Chennai Central Lok Sabha constituency, and consequently … Read more

The call at an all-party meeting chaired by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, in Chennai on Wednesday (March 5, 2025), to freeze the strength of the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies for 30 years beyond 2026 might seem like pushing away a pressing problem into the distant future. The challenges in 2056, when delimitation … Read more

  B. Manickam Tagore. File | Photo Credit: G. Moorthy The Madras High Court on Tuesday (March 4, 2025) refused to reject an election petition filed by Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) founder Vijayakant’s son V. Vijaya Prabhakaran challenging the victory of Congress Member of Parliament (MP) B. Manickam Tagore from Virudhunagar Lok Sabha constituency … Read more

Even as State after State is splurging on cash transfers for women, the most vulnerable among them, pregnant women, continue to be deprived of their legal right to maternity benefits. Worse, whatever little used to be paid to them seems to be shrinking. The main responsibility for this lies with the central government. Under the … Read more

  File picture of a model EVM with the NOTA option | Photo Credit: V. Sudershan The None Of The Above (NOTA) option in EVMs recorded its lowest percentage share in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls since its introduction in 2013, according to data shared by the Election Commission. The option was implemented in a … Read more

  Representative image. File | Photo Credit: M. Karunakaran Pattali Makkal Katchi’s Samaya Samudhaya Nallinakka Maanadu’ (Religious and Community Harmony Rally), held in Kumbakonam on Sunday (February 23, 2025), marks a shift from the party’s earlier controversial approach of mobilising the Vanniyar community invoking caste-pride and alienating other communities, and instead using a ‘caste census’ … Read more

  Congress’s Shashi Tharoor reported the highest individual expenditure of ₹94.89 lakh. File. | Photo Credit: PTI Candidates in the 2024 Lok Sabha election each spent an average of ₹57.23 lakh for campaigning, according to an Atlas on last year’s general elections released by the Election Commission of India on Wednesday (February 12, 2025). While … Read more

  ‘The focal point of consumption stimulus in the FY26 Union Budget is the reduction in the personal income tax burden’ | Photo Credit: ANI The Union Budget for FY26 has been presented in the backdrop of a challenging domestic and global macroeconomic environment. The state of the economy appears to be in a cyclical … Read more

  The outcome of the Delhi Assembly elections is less about the expansion of the BJP and more about the dramatic collapse of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The BJP has returned to power after over 26 years, while the AAP, a political force that rose spectacularly in 2013, has been swept away. However, this … Read more

  Newly elected Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta. | Photo Credit: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap Rohini MLA Vijender Gupta on Monday (February 24, 2025) was elected the Speaker of the Delhi Assembly, following a nomination on Thursday (February 20, 2025). Mr. Gupta was nominated on Thursday for the post of the Assembly Speaker. The third-term Rohini legislator, … Read more

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta speaks after assuming charge, at Delhi secretariat in New Delhi. | Photo Credit: ANI The Congress ruled Delhi for 15 years and the AAP after that but both never addressed the issues of the people of Delhi, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Friday (February 21, 2025) while stressing that … Read more

  Rekha Gupta. File | Photo Credit: ANI Delhi Chief Minister-designate Rekha Gupta on Thursday (February 20, 2025) assured that her government will fulfill its promise of providing ₹2,500 monthly assistance to women and added that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) would be held accountable for its actions during its rule. “The first installment of … Read more

  Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta addresses a press conference with Ministers Kapil Mishra, left, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, second left, Parvesh Verma, second right, and Ashish Sood, after a meeting of the new Cabinet at the Delhi Secretariat in New Delhi on February 20, 2025. | Photo Credit: PTI Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on … Read more

Parvesh Verma. File | Photo Credit: The Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and New Delhi MLA Parvesh Verma on Thursday (February 20, 2025) said he is a very disciplined worker of the party and will fulfill the responsibility entrusted to him. Mr. Verma said the Delhiites have supported the BJP and given a mandate … Read more

   The report highlighted that five Ministers, including Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, have declared criminal cases against themselves. Among them, one Minister, Ashish Sood, faces serious criminal charges. File | Photo Credit: X/@adrspeaks “Five, including the Chief Minister, out of seven newly sworn-in Ministers in Delhi have declared criminal cases against themselves, while two are … Read more

  Watch | Delhi CM Rekha Gupta announces cabinet portfolio allocation: Who got what portfolio? Newly-appointed Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced the allocation of portfolios among the Council of Ministers on February 20, 2025. She kept finance, services, vigilance, revenue, and women and child development, among other portfolios. Her responsibilities also include the general … Read more

  Delhi CM Rekha Gupta with PM Modi, Delhi L-G Vinay Saxena and the newly sworn-in Cabinet Ministers after the oath taking ceremony on February 20, 2025. | Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma Rekha Gupta, the BJP’s debutante MLA from Shalimar Bagh, took oath as the fourth woman Chief Minister of Delhi on Thursday (February … Read more

  BJP MLA Rekha Gupta takes oath as Delhi Chief Minister during the swearing-in ceremony at Ramlila Maidan, in New Delhi. | Photo Credit: NarendraModi/X Rekha Gupta, a first-time MLA from Shalimar Bagh, takes oath as Delhi Chief Minister. She has been chosen as the new Delhi Chief Minister, after BJP’s legislature party meeting at … Read more

  Rohini MLA Vijender Gupta | Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR Rohini MLA Vijender Gupta has been nominated as the BJP’s candidate for the post of Delhi Assembly speaker, party leaders said on Thursday (February 20, 2025). Follow Delhi CM oath-taking ceremony LIVE Confirming his nomination by the party, Mr. Gupta told PTI, “I will … Read more

  Who is Rekha Gupta — Delhi’s new Chief Minister? BJP MLA-elect Rekha Gupta arrives at the party office to attend BJP legislative party meeting, in New Delhi on February 19, 2025 | Photo Credit: ANI   Rekha Gupta, the debutante MLA from Shalimar Bagh, has been chosen to be Delhi’s next Chief Minister, the … Read more

  BJP Central Observer Ravi Shankar Prasad, party’s Delhi President Virendra Sachdeva, party leader and Delhi Chief Minister-designate Rekha Gupta and party leaders Satish Upadhyay and Parvesh Verma after the BJP legislature party meeting, at the party office, in New Delhi, Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. File | Photo Credit: PTI First-time MLA Rekha Gupta will … Read more

BJP MLA Rekha Gupta shows a victory sign after being named as the new CM of Delhi by the party during the party legislative meeting, in New Delhi on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: ANI Delhi CM-desingate Rekha Gupta, an elected MLA from Shalimar Bagh seat, expressed her gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party … Read more

BJP leader and Delhi Chief Minister-designate Rekha Gupta after the BJP Legislature Party meeting at the party office in New Delhi on February 19, 2025. | Photo Credit: PTI With a 30-year career in politics, Shalimar Bagh’s Rekha Gupta is set to take over as the next Chief Minister of Delhi on February 20. A … Read more

BJP MLA-elect Rekha Gupta arrives at the party office to attend BJP legislative party meeting, in New Delhi on February 19, 2025 | Photo Credit: ANI After more than a week of speculation, following the Bharatiya Janata Party’s victory in the 2025 Delhi Assembly election, the party on Wednesday (February 19, 2025) announced Rekha Gupta … Read more

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Minister and BJP National President JP Nadda during an event organised at the party headquarters after the party’s victory in the Delhi Assembly elections. File | Photo Credit: PTI

BJP leaders Vinod Tawde, Tarun Chugh, Virendra Sachdeva and others arrive to inspect preparations for the oath ceremony of the new Delhi Government, at the Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi on Tuesday, February 18, 2025. | Photo Credit: PTI Senior Delhi BJP leaders on Tuesday (February 18, 2025) inspected preparations at the Ramlila Ground in … Read more