India's political landscape is ablaze with activity! From the ongoing debates surrounding the new farm bills and their impact on rural India, to the upcoming state elections shaping the national narrative, the stakes couldn't be higher. Key political figures are maneuvering strategically, with alliances shifting and power dynamics constantly in flux. The opposition's challenge to the ruling party is intensifying, sparking vigorous debates on crucial policy matters including economic reforms and social justice initiatives. Parliamentary proceedings are filled with heated exchanges, reflecting the deep divisions within the nation. This evolving political climate directly impacts the lives of every Indian citizen, influencing everything from economic opportunities to social welfare programs. Stay informed about the latest developments in Indian politics, from crucial legislative decisions to grassroots movements, by exploring Abtak.com for in-depth analysis and breaking news updates. Understanding the intricacies of our political system is crucial; stay engaged, stay informed, and stay ahead.
Mumbai: The State Election Commission (SEC) of Maharashtra on Monday announced the long-awaited election schedule for 29 municipal corporations across the state, including the high-profile Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) as well as Thane and Navi Mumbai. Polling for all 29 civic bodies will be held on January 15, 2026, followed by the counting of votes on January 16, State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare said while addressing a press conference in Mumbai. With the announcement of the programme, the Model Code of Conduct has come into force with immediate effect in all the concerned municipal areas. Over 3.48 Crore Voters, 2,869 Seats at Stake Addressing the media at the Sahyadri Guest House, Waghmare said that around 3.48 crore voters will exercise their franchise in these elections, which together cover most major urban centres of Maharashtra. A total of 2,869 seats are at stake, including 227 seats in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation alone. The elections assume significance as several of these civic bodies have been under administrative rule for prolonged periods ranging from five to over seven years due to delays caused primarily by the OBC reservation issue. The election process has been initiated following directions from the Supreme Court, which last month permitted the State Election Commission to conduct municipal corporation elections, including in two corporations where reservations have crossed the 50 per cent ceiling. Chandrapur and Nagpur municipal corporations fall under this category, and the results in these two cases will remain subject to the final outcome of petitions pending before the apex court. The clearance from the Supreme Court paved the way for resumption of local body elections in the state, beginning with municipal councils and nagar panchayats on December 2, followed now by the announcement of the municipal corporation polls. According to the schedule, the election notification for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation will be issued on December 16, 2025, while notifications for the remaining 28 municipal corporations will be published on December 18. The respective municipal commissioners will issue the notifications at their levels. Voting will take place on January 15 from 7.30 am to 5.30 pm across all municipal areas. Model Code of Conduct Comes Into Force Waghmare clarified that the entire election process is being conducted subject to the final verdict of the Supreme Court. He also announced that the Model Code of Conduct has come into force in all municipal corporation areas with the declaration of the election programme. While the code applies specifically within municipal limits, any announcements or actions elsewhere that could influence municipal voters are also prohibited. During this period, the government will not be able to take policy decisions related to municipal corporation jurisdictions, though relief and emergency measures in the event of natural disasters will not be restricted. The code will be implemented as per the State Election Commission's orders issued on November 4, 2025, including directives related to law and order. The commissioner Waghmare further stated that once the official campaign period ends, publication or broadcast of election-related advertisements in print, electronic or social media will be prohibited. As per provisions of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888, and the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act, restrictions on campaigning come into force 48 hours before the close of polling. Since voting ends at 5.30 pm on January 15, all public campaigning will conclude at 5.30 pm on January 13, after which no political advertisements will be permitted. Among the 29 municipal corporations going to polls, Jalna and Ichalkaranji are newly constituted civic bodies. The term of five municipal corporations ended in 2020, while the tenure of 18 corporations expired in 2022 and that of four corporations concluded in 2023. Except for the BMC, elections in the remaining 28 municipal corporations will be held under the multi-member ward system. In Mumbai, each ward elects a single councillor, allowing each voter to cast only one vote. In contrast, voters in other municipal corporations will be required to cast between three and five votes depending on the number of seats allocated to their respective wards. Nomination Process and Voting Infrastructure While the State Election Commission has enabled an online system for filing nomination papers and affidavits, nominations for municipal corporation elections will be accepted through the traditional offline method in view of demands raised by political parties and candidates during earlier local body polls. The commission has also made extensive arrangements for polling infrastructure. A total of 39,147 polling stations will be set up for nearly 3.49 crore voters across the state. Adequate electronic voting machines have been arranged, including 43,958 control units and 87,916 ballot units. For Mumbai alone, over 10,111 polling stations will be equipped with more than 11,000 control units and nearly 23,000 ballot units. Substantial manpower has also been deployed for the smooth conduct of elections. Around 290 election officers and 870 assistant election officers have been appointed, while nearly 1.96 lakh polling personnel will be engaged in election duties. Instructions have been issued to divisional revenue commissioners and municipal commissioners to ensure timely availability of required staff, and review meetings have been held periodically to monitor preparedness. Elaborating on eligibility requirements, Waghmare said candidates contesting from reserved seats must submit caste certificates and caste validity certificates along with their nomination papers. In cases where caste validity certificates are pending, candidates will have to submit proof of application to the scrutiny committee along with an undertaking to produce the validity certificate within six months of the declaration of results. Failure to do so will result in cancellation of the election with retrospective effect. Special Facilities for Voters and Pink Booths Special arrangements will be made at polling stations to facilitate senior citizens, persons with disabilities, pregnant women and women carrying infants. Temporary ramps, wheelchairs, drinking water, electricity, shade and toilet facilities will be ensured at polling centres. Efforts will also be made to establish model polling stations wherever possible. Polling stations staffed entirely by women personnel will be designated as 'pink polling booths' in areas with a high concentration of women voters. Mobile phones will not be allowed inside polling stations. The commissioner also announced the formation of Media Certification and Monitoring Committees at the municipal and state levels in accordance with the commission's order dated October 9, 2025. These committees will monitor media coverage, pre-certify political advertisements on electronic media and examine complaints related to paid news. At the municipal level, the municipal commissioner will head the committee, while a state-level committee will function under the chairmanship of the commission secretary. Consultations with Political Parties Completed Waghmare said the State Election Commission has maintained regular dialogue with recognised political parties in the run-up to the polls. Three meetings have been held so far on October 14, December 1 and December 12, 2025, during which issues related to election preparedness, multi-member wards, court orders, EVM arrangements and strong room security were discussed. Based on demands from political parties, the number of star campaigners has been increased from 20 to 40, and further clarifications have been provided regarding mandatory annexures to nomination papers. With the announcement of the election schedule, Maharashtra's urban political landscape is set for intense competition as parties gear up to regain control of key civic bodies ahead of future state and national elections. Voters and Polling Stations in 29 Municipal Corporations Brihanmumbai and 'A' category Municipal Corporations (Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur): Rs 15,00,000 'B' category Municipal Corporations (Pimpri-Chinchwad, Nashik and Thane): Rs 13,00,000 'C' category Municipal Corporations (Kalyan-Dombivli, Navi Mumbai, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Vasai-Virar): Rs 11,00,000 'D' category Municipal Corporations (remaining 15): Rs 9,00,000 Filing of nomination papers: December 23, 2025 to December 30, 2025 Scrutiny of nominations: December 31, 2025 Last date for withdrawal of candidature: January 2, 2026
Small-cap Stock: Krystal Integrated Services Limited (Krystal) share price rose 5 per cent to ₹779.3 on Tuesday, November 26 after the company announced receiving a ₹106.3 crore contract from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The contract, valued at ₹1,062.99 million ( ₹106.3 crore), covers three years and involves providing comprehensive attendant manpower services to BMC's Education and Security Departments. This initiative is aimed at improving public sector operational efficiency in Mumbai. Small-cap stock Krystal Integrated Services share was trading in the green, up 3.07 pe ...Read More >
Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday instructed officials to formulate proposals for constructing an iconic Deep-Technology building in the capital city of Amaravati. "I had built Hi-Tech City structure in Hyderabad to promote information technology. Now, it is time to embrace Deep-Tech and Artificial Intelligence to take advantage of the opportunities arising out of the latest technology," he underlined while reviewing the New IT Policy at the state secretariat. The Chief Minister announced that the state government will provide Rs 25 lakh as seed fundin ...Read More >
Congress MP Ranjeet Ranjan has called for the replacement of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) with ballot papers, citing concerns over the legitimacy of election results. Ranjan raised doubts about the EVM's accuracy, suggesting that the results may be influenced and advocating for a ballot paper system like many other countries. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also echoed similar sentiments, accusing EVMs of wasting votes from marginalized communities. This comes after the Congress' defeat in the Maharashtra Assembly election. The Supreme Court, however, dismissed a petition seeking th ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 4 (PTI) "On the face of it you are a corrupt person. Crores of rupees were recovered from your premises," the Supreme Court on Wednesday told former West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee, held in an alleged cash-for-job scam in the state. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan, which reserved its verdict on the bail plea of Chatterjee, questioned the enforcement directorate (ED) over his continued incarceration saying he cannot be kept inside for an indefinite period. "On the face of it you are a corrupt person. Crores of Rupees were recovered from your premises. Wha ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday said the Karnataka government and the Centre should resolve the issue in connection with the release of financial assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to the state for drought management. The matter came up before a bench comprising justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan. Attorney General R Venkataramani, appearing for the Centre, requested the bench that he needed some time to file an affidavit in the matter. "You should resolve it," the bench said. During the hearing, the bench queried, how much amount has been released so far? ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) Congress on Wednesday gave a notice to move a motion for the adjournment of the business of the Lok Sabha to discuss the recent statements made by a sitting judge of the Allahabad High Court. "I hereby give notice of my intention to ask for leave to move a motion for the adjournment of the business of the house for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent importance, namely:- The recent statements made by a sitting judge of the Allahabad High Court..." said K. Suresh, Congress MP and party's Chief Whip in the Lower Hosue. He said in the notice ...Read More >
Kochi: The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) made significant gains in the bypolls to 31 local body wards in Kerala, held on November 20, according to results released by the State Election Commission (SEC) on Wednesday. The bypolls were held in one district panchayat ward, four block panchayat wards, three municipality wards, and 23 grama panchayat wards. In the previous elections held in 2020, the CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) controlled 15 wards, the UDF controlled 13, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) controlled 3. Also Read: Bypolls in 15 seats across Uttar Pradesh, P ...Read More >
In a regulatory filing on Thursday, the company stated that the NCLAT, through its order dated December 12, 2024, has "appointed NBCC (India) Limited as Project Management Consultant for the completion of 16 projects of Supertech Ltd." NBCC will oversee the completion of these projects, which include 49,748 housing units spread across Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, and Karnataka. The projects include Ecovillage-2, Romano, Capetown, Czar Suites, Eco-Village 3, Sports Village, and Eco-Citi ...Read More >
The Supreme Court on Tuesday (November 26, 2024), indicated a level of hypocrisy attached to criticism about Electronic Voting Machines (EVM), saying ""EVMs are tampered when you lose and fine if you win". The oral remark was made by Justice Vikram Nath before dismissing a petition filed by evangelist K.A. Paul, who urged for a judicial order to return to paper ballots. Also read:EVM-VVPAT case | Cannot disclose 'source code' of EVMs, will result in misuse: Supreme Court Justice Nath, during the hearing, asked Mr. Paul whether he wanted to turn the court into a political arena. Mr. Paul sa ...Read More >
In this edition of Frontline Conversations, former Maharashtra Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare discusses how the Ladki Bahin scheme, which provided direct cash transfers to 2.35 crore women, transformed both the economic landscape and political dynamics of the State. The programme, which distributed Rs.7,500 across five instalments to women earning less than Rs. 2.5 lakh annually, not only empowered women with financial independence but also proved to be a decisive factor in Mahayuti's electoral victory, marking a shift in Maharashtra's traditionally male-dominated political ...Read More >
The Congress leadership was aware it was losing ground to the ruling Mahayuti following the gains made during the Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, several party leaders privy to an internal survey less than a month ahead of the November 20 elections have said, adding that the outcome shouldn't exactly come as a shock. As per a report in The Indian Express, several party leaders it spoke to admitted that a survey conducted in 103 "strong MVA seats" showed the Maha Vikas Aghadi ahead in only 44 seats out of 54 it was ahead in during the Lok Sabha elections. On the contrary, the Mahayuti, wh ...Read More >
C2C Advanced Systems shares made a strong debut on the NSE SME Emerge platform on December 3, listing at a premium of 90 percent at Rs 429.40 against the issue price of Rs 226. The much-anticipated listing came despite an earlier postponement, which saw a setback for the company after over 3.72 lakh applications worth Rs 27 crore were withdrawn following regulatory action by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). C2C Advanced Systems, a vertically integrated defence electronics solutions provider, focuses on indigenously developed products for India's defence sector. Track All I ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Jacobite Syrian Church to hand over the administration of six churches in Kerala to the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church faction. The matter came up before a bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan. The bench said that the members of the Jacobite Syrian Church were in contempt for "wilfully disobeying" the 2017 judgment. The bench directed the Jacobite faction to hand over the administration of three churches each in Ernakulam and Palakkad districts to the Malankara faction. The bench also asked the Jacobite faction to file a ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], December 4 (ANI): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday conducted searches at 10 locations in Delhi and surrounding areas in connection with an on-going investigation of a transnational cyber enabled fraud case involving large-scale financial scams. CBI registered the said case under Sections 403 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 66D of the Information Technology Act, 2000, based on a written complaint received from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. The complaint alleged that unknown ...Read More >
Mumbai: The death toll in Monday's BEST bus crash rose to seven and the number of injured to 42 even as the driver, Sanjay More, booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, claimed he had noticed a spark and mistakenly accelerated the bus instead of applying brakes. Seeking More's custody, police said they want to investigate if he intentionally used the vehicle as a weapon. The bus on Route 332 had accelerated on a congested 200m stretch near Kurla station hitting vehicles and pedestr ...Read More >
New Delhi, [India], December 11 (ANI): The Supreme Court has expressed concern over the growing tendency to misuse Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which penalises cruelty by husbands and their relatives against married women. While quashing a Section 498A IPC case against a husband and his parents, a bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and N Kotiswar Singh said that the Section became a tool for unleashing personal vendetta against the husband and his family by a wife. Also Read | RBI Will Remain Alert and Agile to Meet Challenges, Says New Governor Sanjay Malhotra (Watch Video). " ...Read More >
The Supreme Court of India has said that mere harassment is not sufficient to hold someone guilty of the offence of abetting suicide, and there must be clear evidence of direct or indirect incitement. Photograph: ANI Photo The observations came from a bench of justices Vikram Nath and P B Varale which delivered its verdict on an appeal challenging a Gujarat high court order which refused to discharge a woman's husband and her two in-laws for allegedly harassing her and driving her to suicide. ...Read More >
New Delhi, Nov 26: The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking directions to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to introduce ballot paper in place of EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines). A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and P.B. Varale rejected the prayer to return to the ballot system due to the alleged manipulability of EVMs. "When you lose, EVMs are tampered with; when you win, EVMs are fine," remarked the apex court, when the petitioner referred to the statements made by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and his predecessor Jagan Mohan ...Read More >
The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition is now gearing up for a national protest after losing Maharashtra state elections. The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition, which suffered a crushing defeat in last week's Maharashtra state elections, is now gearing up for a national protest against the credibility of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), which it blames for its loss. The MVA, led by the Congress, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction), and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) (led by Sharad Pawar), is planning to challenge the use of EVMs in court and demand a return to ballot paper voting. Fo ...Read More >
The Supreme Court overturned a Madras High Court decision. The high court had refused to dismiss defamation charges against Union minister L Murugan. Murugan faced these charges over statements made in 2020. The Supreme Court accepted Murugan's argument. He said he did not intend to defame the Murasoli Trust. The case is now closed.The Supreme Court on Thursday quashed criminal defamation proceedings against Union minister L Murugan on a complaint filed by the Chennai-based Murasoli Trust for his ...Read More >
The Supreme Court halted new temple-mosque legal battles. The court will review the 1991 law impacting religious site status. This law froze the status of religious sites as of August 15, 1947. Several cases, including Gyanvapi and Shahi Idgah, challenge this law. The law's validity is being questioned. The court's decision impacts ongoing and future disputes.In its ruling on the keenly-watched Place of Worship Act case, the Supreme Court said on December 12 that no new Mandir-Masjid suits are to ...Read More >
The Supreme Court on Monday stayed further recovery of an outstanding tax demand from news portal NewsClick, directing the company's banker not to release any more money to the tax department based on a 2023 notice, and allowing the portal to use its two bank accounts for daily operations. The order was passed by a bench headed by justice BV Nagarathna on an application moved by PPK Newsclick Studio Limited, which alleged that ICICI Bank was not allowing the company to use its accounts despite a top court order to this effect passed on August 9. The tax department had raised the demand again ...Read More >
The Supreme Court on Monday (December 2, 2024) refused to relax emergency measures under Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) dealing with air pollution in the national capital till it noticed a downward trend in the AQI level. A Bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih further sought the presence of the chief secretaries of NCR states to appear through video-conferencing to inform it whether or not any compensation was paid to the construction workers who were without work owing to the restrictions. Delhi air pollution: Air quality in Capital plunges to 'very po ...Read More >
Heavy rains across Tamil Nadu have led to school closures in several districts, including Chennai, on Thursday. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert, predicting moderate rains and light thunderstorms in parts of the state. Rainfall figures show significant precipitation in multiple areas. Meanwhile, Northern India braces for a cold wave beginning December 9, with the IMD forecasting plunging temperatures in Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.Schools acros ...Read More >
HYDERABAD: The BRS leaders and activists performed "palaabhishekam" to Telangana Talli statues across the state on Tuesday as part of their protests against the state government changing the statue design. Describing the Telangana Talli statue as a legacy of the statehood movement, BRS MLC and Telangana Jagruthi president K Kavitha condemned the state government's unilateral decision to replace the historic symbol. Kavitha performed "palaabhishekam" and "panchamrutam abhishekam" to the Telangana Talli statue at Telangana Bhavan in Hyderabad. Alleging that the symbol of Mother Telangana was ...Read More >
The Sena UBT chief spokesperson was reacting to Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad's comment that West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee should be allowed to lead the INDIA bloc. Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday said that his party was open to discuss if someone outside of the Congress party should lead the Opposition INDIA bloc. Speaking in New Delhi Delhi, Raut said that all the constituents of the INDIA bloc are willing to have a discuss ...Read More >
Kuldeep Singh Sengar is also serving a 10-year jail term in connection with the custodial death of the Unnao rape victim's father. Kuldeep Singh Sengar sought interim bail on the grounds that he was suffering from various ailments The Delhi High Court on Thursday granted a two-week interim bail on medical grounds to expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar who is serving life term for raping a minor in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao in 2017. A bench headed by Justice Prathiba M Singh suspended the sent ...Read More >
Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], December 2 (ANI): Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) President Farooq Abdullah claimed that Muslims are feeling unsafe and stated that there is no discrimination based on religion, as guaranteed by the Constitution. The former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir also said that the government should treat Muslims without any discrimination. "...There is no doubt that Muslims are feeling unsafe. I will ask the govt of India to stop that. 24 crore Muslims cannot be thrown into the ocean. They (the govt) should treat Muslims equally, there is no di ...Read More >
Nagaland Lottery Sambad Tuesday (December 3, 2024): The conducting and playing of lottery games is completely prohibited in all other states of India, except for 13 states where these activities are permitted. Lottery games and operations have been permitted in 13 Indian states since 1967, including Nagaland. These twelve states are Assam, Mizoram, Kerala, Meghalaya, Manipur, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, West Bengal, and Sikkim. Under the direction of the Finance Department, the Nagaland State Lotteries were founded in 1972 with the goal of providing the state government with a stable so ...Read More >
Kolkata: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at multiple locations in West Bengal in connection with irregularities in the medical admissions in the state under the non-resident Indian (NRI) quota. The irregularities in medical admissions come after a major recruitment scam in Bengal in 2022, where former Education Minister Partha Chatterjee and his close aide were arrested. The raids and search operations were conducted in multiple locations in the state. ED reportedly started the investigation based on a complaint filed in the Electronic Complex Police Station under Bidhannagar ...Read More >