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.
Kannur: Left Democratic Front (LDF) will prioritise expanding public healthcare access if it retains power in Kerala after the April 9 assembly polls, CPI(M) leader and former health minister KK Shailaja said. LDF, which is seeking a third consecutive term that would be unprecedented in the state's history, would build on interventions made during its previous tenures, said Shailaja, the Left Front candidate for Peravoor constituency in Kannur district. "We focused on improving the public health sector, creating 13,000 posts between 2016 and 2020, upgrading infrastructure, and converting primary health centres into family health centres," she told ET while on campaign trail. "The idea was to make advanced facilities available to common people." Shailaja said the next phase would involve addressing staffing shortages and streamlining referrals, with minor ailments treated at lower-tier facilities while medical colleges focus on specialised care and research. She also flagged emerging risks from the private healthcare ecosystem, particularly the increasing presence of global investment firms such as Blackstone and KKR in hospital chains. "When large investors enter, there is a concern that affordability will be impacted over time," said Shailaja, who was the state health minister from 2016 to 2021. "Access to subsidised care may reduce, and it could become restricted to wealthier sections," she said, adding that broader regulatory oversight from the Centre would be crucial. Often referred to as the architect of Kerala's Covid response that was highly effective during the first wave, Shailaja is pitted in a tight contest in Peravoor, where her main opponent is state Congress president and three-time MLA Sunny Joseph. She was the last LDF candidate to win the seat, in 2006, before losing it to Joseph five years later. She won the 2021 assembly elections from Mattannur, also in Kannur district, with a majority of more than 60,000 votes. CPI(M) shifted her this time to a tougher constituency, saying she could defeat the state Congress chief.
IMPHAL, Nov 17: The NPP on Sunday withdrew support from the BJP-led Government in Manipur, even as violence continued to rock the state as offices of the Congress and the saffron party were ransacked in the hill district of Jiribam where an unidentified body was found earlier in the day, officials said. Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp A BJP MLA's ancestral house was vandalised in Imphal Valley while a building owned by Ashab Uddin, the Independent legislator of Jiribam, was ransacked, officials said. The incidents occurred a day after irate mobs set fire to the residences of ...Read More >
Pune (Maharashtra) [India], November 19 (ANI): With the Maharashtra elections approaching, wrestler and Congress MLA from Haryana's Julana, Vinesh Phogat, held a roadshow in Pune to support Congress candidate Datta Bahirat from the Shivajinagar Assembly constituency. She urged voters to ensure a victory for the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), criticising the Mahayuti government for "injustice" by toppling the government elected by the people. "Everything is going well... If people shower their blessings on us on the 20th, we will win with a bigger margin this time. I appeal to voters to respond to ...Read More >
Hyderabad: Top leaders of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) were on Friday placed under house arrest in Hyderabad ahead of their planned protest against the arrests of MLAs and other leaders. Member of Legislative Council K. Kavitha and former minister T. Harish Rao were among the leaders placed under house arrest. The opposition party had given a call for the protest at the 125-feet statue of Dr B. R. Ambedkar near the State Secretariat to condemn what it calls illegal arrests of its leaders. Also Read: BRS MLA arrested for threatening police officer, gets bail In view of the protest call, the ...Read More >
BJP member Manas Dutta blamed the previous BJD government and held it responsible for not extending their service agreement which ended in April, 2024. As hundreds of women working as support staff under the Mission Shakti department staged a demonstration outside the Assembly over different issues, the opposition BJD on Monday demanded immediate release of their salaries. While the agitating women were shouting slogans at the Mahatma Gandhi Road leading to the Assembly, the issue was raised in ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar, Dec 3 (PTI) Odisha MLAs across party lines on Tuesday demanded an increase in their salaries and enhanced pensions for former lawmakers. The issue was raised during Zero Hour by Opposition chief whip Pramila Mallik, supported by members from both Congress and BJP. Mallik emphasised the need to increase the pension of former MLAs, saying they were struggling to manage due to rising market prices and medical expenses. She pointed out that a committee formed by the previous government had already submitted a report recommending an increase in the salary of MLAs to Rs 2.5 lakh per ...Read More >
Assam Beef Ban: A political row has erupted over the Assam government's decision to ban the public consumption of beef in the state with the Opposition labelling it "against the right to freedom" while the ruling BJP lauding the state Cabinet's call. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had announced on Wednesday that his government has decided to ban the consumption of beef in restaurants, hotels and public places, drawing sharp reactions from the Opposition. Samajwadi Party MP Iqra Hasan ...Read More >
Hyderabad: Assembly speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar on Wednesday said he will consider the request for introducing the 'Best MLA' Award on the lines of 'Best Parliamentarian'. Meanwhile, legislative affairs minister D Sridhar Babu criticised BRS MLCs and MLAs for boycotting the first orientation programme for first-time legislators in the last 10 years in Telangana. Sridhar Babu said it was a two-day programme and that BRS members should attend it at least on the second day, Thursday, at MCRHRD Ins ...Read More >
TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai described the passing of Elangovan as "a huge loss". Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister E V K S Elangovan died due to age-related ailments at a private hospital here on Saturday, the hospital said. He was 75. The legislator from Erode East constituency has not been keeping well for over a month. He was admitted to a hospital here on November 11. "He passed away today despite the best efforts of the medical staff," the hospital said. TNCC preside ...Read More >
Mumbai: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has drawn sharp criticism from Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders and Vanchit president Prakash Ambedkar over his recent statements in Parliament on Dr BR Ambedkar. "Abhi ek fashion ho gaya hai (It has become a fashion now) - Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar. If they had taken God's name as many times, then they would have got a place in heaven," Shah had said in Parliament. The MVA leaders hit out at Amit Shah for such remarks. Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole said that Amit Shah became the Home Minister only because of the Constitution. Shiv Sena ( ...Read More >
Bhopal, Dec 11 (VOICE) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav will launch 'Jan Kalyan Parv' on Wednesday on the completion of one year of his government. The BJP government in the state will organise a fortnight-long programme called 'Jan Kalyan Parv' to highlight the development works undertaken in the past year. Chief Minister Yadav has directed district administration to organise camps in blocks and gram panchayats to highlight the government's achievements. "The officers will meet people and make them aware of the state government's welfare schemes and ensure that those eligible get ...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 >
Belagavi (Karnataka), Dec 12 (PTI) Tensions flared in the Karnataka Assembly on Thursday as BJP MLAs barged into Speaker U T Khader's chamber, expressing strong objections to his handling of the proceedings. The confrontation came amidst heated debates over the recent police lathi charge on Panchamasali Lingayat protesters, with the ruling Congress and opposition BJP trading accusations. The issue arose when Congress MLA Vijayanand Kashappanavar, himself a leader of the Panchamasali Lingayat community, criticized the decision of previous BJP government to scrap the 4 per cent Muslim reservati ...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 >
Guwahati, Dec 12: The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the "One Nation, One Election" bill, a landmark proposal aimed at synchronising elections across the country. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, currently on a visit to Odisha, hailed the move as a significant step toward "minimising disruptions" to developmental work caused by frequent election cycles. Speaking to the press during a visit to Jagannath Temple in Puri, Sarma asserted the rationale behind the initiative, stating, "Recently, we held Lok Sabha elections, and now legislative elections are around the corner in Assam. ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 18 (PTI) Senior NCP leader in Kerala and state Forest Minister A K Saseendran on Wednesday rejected media reports about the change in the party's lone ministership in the Left government and made it clear that there is no obstacle for party MLA Thomas K Thomas to be part of the state cabinet instead of him. The Sharad Pawar-led NCP is an ally in the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in the state. It has two MLAS - A K Saseendran and Thomas K Thomas. Saseendran told reporters here that he had already made his stand clear in this regard and informed the party's state a ...Read More >
Delhi Election 2025: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced its candidates for 59 constituencies ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections in 2025, releasing three lists. However, the announcement has sparked discontent among some party leaders and supporters. The BJP fielded Raj Kumar Chauhan from the Mangolpuri constituency, replacing its 2020 candidate, Karam Singh Karma. The decision has led to protest by Karam's supporters, who expressed their anger at the BJP office, chanting slogans such as, "We don't want an outsider leader." During the 2020 elections, Mangolpuri, a reserved constitu ...Read More >
Vijayawada, Nov 26 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday directed the officials to formulate proposals for constructing an iconic Deep technology building in the capital city of Amaravati. Bengaluru, Nov 26 (UNI) Congress MLA HR Gaviyappa's call to reconsider some election guarantees has sparked a political storm in Karnataka, drawing sharp criticism from Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and exposing potential fissures within the ruling party. Gaviyappa, representing Vijayanagara, suggested that certain guarantees were straining state finances and hindering th ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram: Local CPM leader Madhu Mullassery, who was expelled from the party for walking out of its area conference at Mangalapuram in Thiruvananthapuram district, joined the BJP on Wednesday. The former CPM leader accepted the party membership from state president K Surendran. BJP leaders including District Treasurer Balamurali and local leaders, played a key role in facilitating his transition to the BJP despite attempts by Congress leaders to contact him, reported Manorama Online. CPM District Secretary V Joy alleged that Mullassery had already decided to join the BJP. Joy also ...Read More >
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Thursday (December 5, 2024) expanded his Cabinet with 11 Ministers. Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar administered the oath in a swearing-in-ceremony at Raj Bhavan in Ranchi. Six from Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), four from Congress and one from Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) have been inducted in the Cabinet of Mr. Soren. From JMM quota, six MLAs took oath at the event organised at Ashok Udyaan includes Chaibasa MLA Deepak Birua, Ghatsila MLA Ramdas Soren, Giridih MLA Sudivya Kumar , Bishunpur MLA Chamra Linda, Gomia MLA Yogendra Prasad and Madhupur MLA Haf ...Read More >
Moradabad (Uttar Pradesh) [India], December 13 (ANI): Samajwadi Party (SP) leader ST Hasan on Friday said that the 'One Nation, One Election' rule was not possible in the country with the various cultures and laws present. "The One Nation, One Election rule is not possible in our country. Our country has a lot of different cultures and religious laws. There is a huge conspiracy behind it... Indirectly, only the centre will rule. They are trying to change the Constitution. They are talking about a common civil court, saying One Nation One Constitution... tomorrow you'll say One Nation One Cult ...Read More >
Hyderabad: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) met the injured ASHA workers at a hospital in Hyderabad on Tuesday. December 10. ASHA workers were injured after they were manhandled by police officials during a protest at the Telangana Directorate of Medical Education (DME) demanding a salary hike of Rs 18,000 on Monday. The two injured women were identified as Raheembi and Santhoshini. After enquiring about the women's well-being, the BRS MLA condemned the police action against the ASHA workers. He extended solidarity with their fight offered all possible support ...Read More >
Bengaluru: Ex-Karnataka Chief Minister and former External Affairs Minister SM Krishna died here early on Tuesday, leaving behind a rich legacy of statesmanship and public service that saw the 92-year-old leader scale all heights of political achievements. Suave, sophisticated and a man with enviable academic credentials, Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna started off his political innings as an independent MLA from Maddur in 1962, stunning a then Congress veteran in the elections, and went on to become the state's CM and later the country's External Affairs Minister. Tributes poured in for the fo ...Read More >
NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule is consulting experts on Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) following Maharashtra's assembly poll results. The opposition questions EVM credibility after the Mahayuti coalition's significant win. Sule advocates for ballot papers, citing other countries' adoption, and will announce a final decision soon.NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule on Saturday said the opinion of experts is being sought over the "EVM issue" in the wake of the Maharashtra assembly polls' mandate as she b ...Read More >
NDIA bloc leaders, who submitted a notice of no-confidence motion against the Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday, blamed the chair for not allowing them to speak in the Rajya Sabha. The leaders held a joint press conference labelling several charges against the chairman. "His behaviour (RS chairman) has damaged the dignity of the country. He has brought such a situation in the history of parliamentary democracy that we had to bring this notice for the resolution (of no confidence ...Read More >
Ranchi, Dec 12 (PTI) Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Thursday asserted that a strong foundation for development of the state was laid during the previous term of the JMM-led government in the state and time is ripe to speed up the progress. He said the speech delivered by Governor Santosh Gangwar in the assembly on Wednesday was the government's 'white paper' that clearly showed its vision and direction. "We have laid a strong foundation for the state's overall development during the previous term after 2019. Now, it is time to construct a building on the foundation. Very soon opport ...Read More >
Hyderabad: Terming the handcuffing of Lagacharla farmer Hirya Nayak, currently lodged in Sangareddy jail, while taking him to hospital for treatment "inhuman", BRS working president KT Rama Rao has urged the Chief Justice of Telangana high court to take the case suo motu and urged governor Jishnu Dev Varma to order a probe into the incident. Addressing a press meet on Thursday, the BRS leader said the farmer, who is suspected to have suffered a heart attack while in jail, was treated inhumanly. ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 17 (PTI) CPI(M) MP and former Kerala Minister K Radhakrishnan on Tuesday said that his party was against the 'one nation, one election' policy being mooted by the central government and the legislation in favour of it would be strongly opposed. Radhakrishnan said that besides the CPI(M), even the Congress would oppose the legislation trying to bring simultaneous elections in the country. He further said that even the regional parties would oppose the policy of simultaneous polls as this concept was not beneficial for them. Two bills that lay down the mechanism to hol ...Read More >
Bhopal, Dec 18 (PTI) Congress MLAs demonstrated on Wednesday in the Madhya Pradesh assembly premises by holding kettles and tea cups alleging rising unemployment in the state. The MLAs held placards accusing the state government of forcing youngsters to sell tea by depriving them of jobs. Also Read | 'Mukadma, Mulzim, Ilzam, Ittila, Chashmdeed': BJP Government in Rajasthan To Replace Urdu Terms in Policing With Hindi Words. "Unemployment is growing in MP. Youths will have no option but to sell tea in such a situation," the leader of the opposition Umang Singhar, who led the protest on the t ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram: A day after the Special Investigation Team registered a fresh chargesheet against Kollam MLA Mukesh in a sexual assault case, Kerala State Women's Commission Chairperson Adv. P Satheedevi declared that the law does not mandate the MLA's resignation. Addressing the media on Monday, she explained that, as per the law, a legislator is required to resign only if convicted by the court for a term exceeding two years. At the same time, she added that Mukesh can decide whether to continue as an MLA on ethical grounds. Meanwhile, CPM leader PK Sreemathi said that the government w ...Read More >
Campaigning for the November 20 assembly bypolls to four seats in Punjab ended on Monday evening with the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Opposition Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party making last-ditch efforts to mobilise support for their respective candidates. Hours before the campaign ended at 6 pm, major political outfits intensified their efforts to woo the voters. Bypolls to four assembly segments -- Gidderbaha, Dera Baba Nanak, Chabbewal (SC) and Barnala -- will be held on November 20 from 7 am to 6 pm, and the results will be out on November 23. The bypolls were necessitated afte ...Read More >