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.
New Delhi: Ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, actor Vijay Talapathy is positioning himself as an alternative for the people of the state, where politics has long revolved DMK and Artificial Intelligence ADMK.Due to ideological differences with the NDA and political battle with the DMK, TVK has emerged as the third choice for Tamil voters, fielding candidates in all 234 seats.So, will this experiment live up to Vijay's expectations? Well, there's still a fighting chance.Why does Vijay have a chance? tamil nadu pollsOver the years, the competition has been essentially between the DMK and AIADMK-led fronts. Since 1967, these two parties have alternated in power, allowing the other parties to maintain their respective coalitions.However, the upcoming elections look set to become a trifecta as a sizeable number of voters have chosen not to align themselves with any of the Dravidian parties over the years.In the 2016 assembly polls, the AIADMK won 134 seats and secured over 40% of the votes. Meanwhile, the DMK won 89 seats with a vote share of 32.1%. This shows that nearly 20% of the votes were allocated to other parties, including the BJP and the Left parties.A similar pattern is emerging in the 2021 elections. The AIADMK-BJP alliance secured 39.71 per cent of the votes, while the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance secured about 45 per cent of the votes.In both elections, about one-fifth of the electorate voted for a party outside the two major coalitions. These disparate votes - roughly equivalent to 15-20% - remain crucial for the emergence of a third front.However, this does not mean that this large number of votes will definitely support TVK.Will TVK succeed?As part of this strategy, Vijay announced a series of populist welfare promises for women in his party manifesto.Key assurances include a monthly cash assistance of Rs 2,500 to women heads of households below 60 years of age, while Rs 1,000 cash assistance is currently provided under the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai (KMUT) scheme to eligible women heads of households meeting certain socio-economic criteria.Vijay said women working in state and federal governments will not be eligible for the aid.Other schemes include free provision of six LPG cylinders under the 'Annapoorani Super Six Scheme', free travel in all government buses for women under the 'Vetri Payanam Scheme', annual assistance of Rs 15,000 to mothers or guardians of children under the 'Kamarajar Kalvi Uruthi Scheme' to ensure zero dropouts in schools, eight grams of gold and silk sarees to women getting married under the 'Annan Seer Scheme'. Program" and provides each newborn with a gold ring and baby welcome kit. At the same time, Vijay and his party also began courting the Christian minority vote. He also introduced himself as Joseph Vijay and made a clear appeal to minority voters.In addition, TVK has also been successful in attracting viewers. In October 2024, TVK held its first state conference in Vikravandi, attracting over 800,000 people. Thousands of people attend Vijay's rallies to listen to his speeches or catch a glimpse of him.The superstar has supporters across all classes, genders and age groups in different parts of Tamil Nadu. Unlike many movie stars, Vijay's supporters are well-organized and politically active. In the 2021 local body polls, his "fan club" candidates won 115 of the 169 seats they contested.His fan club has also acted as foot soldiers on social media, conducting regular blood donation camps, free medical check-ups, educational support events and disaster relief efforts."TVK's social media army is the largest in India - not just from our claims but from others who have witnessed it. You are no longer just a fan on social media; you are TVK's virtual warriors," he said.However, Tamil Nadu's electoral history shows that crowd mobilization does not automatically translate into seat conversions.Booth-level organization, caste arithmetic and alliance arithmetic continue to play a decisive role - factors that even popular actors struggled to grasp in the first election.Vijay's stardom: a blessing or a curseFilm stars in Tamil Nadu often enjoy an almost divine status, with fans performing rituals before a film's release, such as pouring milk on giant paper cutouts. Some even have temples dedicated to them throughout the state.However, this huge popularity does not always translate into electoral success.Kamal Haasan entered politics in February 2018 with the launch of Makkal Needhi Maiam, which he saw as a centrist alternative to DMK and AIADMK. However, the party failed to win any seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, the Hassan Party contested but failed against the Coimbatore South Party, while the party secured just over 2.6% of the total vote share. Rajinikanth also created a huge stir when he announced plans to form a political party and contest all 234 parliamentary seats. But he later reversed his decision, citing health problems, and chose not to be active in politics.At one point, Opposition Leader Edappadi K Palaniswami remarked: "Vijay may be a good actor, but he is not a leader."Likewise, the founder of TVK was also targeted due to the tragedy that occurred on September 27, 2025, which resulted in the death of 41 people and the injury of many others.The CBI is also grilling Vijay over the stampede, taking up a lot of time that he could have spent on pre-poll strategy or campaigning.In addition, critics say Vijay lacks political experience. Its heavy reliance on Vijay's charisma raises questions about depth and scalability.A lack of governance experience and second-line leadership has increased voter skepticism, especially in rural areas. Candidate selection relies heavily on newcomers and may also affect the credibility of the election. The central investigation agency has questioned the person in charge of TVK many times.From a political perspective, the impact of the investigation remains unclear. While rival parties have tried to cast the stampede as evidence of an inexperienced administration, some of Vijay's supporters see the inquiry as the politics of pressure - a narrative that will either erode confidence or solidify sympathy, depending on how the case progresses closer to the vote.How DMK and AIADMK plan to fight TVKIn response to vote leakage, both fronts have also expanded their coalitions by including more parties. The DMK includes parties like DMDK, while the NDA includes TTV Dinakaran's AMMK.Meanwhile, leaders like Seeman and Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) are also racing to push the envelope of relevance.NTK's support remains largely a vote share, not a seat gain. In the 2021 elections, NTK secured 6.6% of the vote share, surpassing the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress. The central question this time is whether that support will ultimately translate into seats.Polling for 234 seats in the Tamil Nadu Assembly will be held on April 23, with counting scheduled for May 4.
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 >
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: BJP leader Amit Malviya on Tuesday accused Rahul Gandhi of being "so arrogant that he did not even greet the President" during the 75th Constitution Day event held in Parliament. This comes as the grand old party has often voiced its criticism against the saffron party for not inviting President Droupadi Murmu at the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament building last year and Ram Temple consecration this year. "Rahul Gandhi is so arrogant that he did not even greet the President. Just because she comes from the tribal community, is a woman and Rahul Gandhi is the prince of ...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 >
New Delhi [India], November 18 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party leader and in-charge of the party's National IT Department, Amit Malviya, on Monday, criticised the Congress party's 'hypocrisy' over their stance on the Adani Group, pointing to past investments and agreements made with the corporate conglomerate by Congress-ruled states. Taking to social media platform X, Malviya referenced Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's recent "public admission of accepting money" from the Adani Group on November 10, 2024, pointing out that this acknowledgment contradicted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's ...Read More >
Hyderabad (Telangana) [India] November 18 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party MP K Laxman slammed Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, accusing the Congress party of 'misleading' people. He further said that the people of Maharashtra know "how to teach a lesson" to Congress. "Revanth Reddy as a CM of Telangana and as a Congress leader is misleading the public. Maharashtra people are clever enough they know how to teach a lesson to these Congress people and Revanth Reddy you will come to know what has happened in Haryana that is going to be repeated in Maharashtra, and Jharkhand also," K Laxman ...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 >
In a heart-wrenching incident, a 30-year-old Dalit youth, who was brutally thrashed, succumbed to his injuries during treatment at a hospital in the Shivpuri district of Madhya Pradesh, and four people have been arrested in this connection. The incident occurred under the jurisdiction of Subhashpura police station on Tuesday, however, the matter came to light after a video surfaced on social media showing four persons beating the youth with sticks and pipes mercilessly. In the video, the victim, identified as Vishnu Jatav, was seen being thrashed by a group of men in a field in Indergarh vil ...Read More >
Guwahati: A group of intellectuals and prominent citizens met the officials of the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala and demanded the immediate release of Hindu priest Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari in Bangladesh. Various other organisations also organised protest rallies and demonstrations against the arrest of Hindu priest Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari. The intellectuals under the banner of 'Forum for Protection of Minorities in Bangladesh' urged the Bangladesh caretaker government led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus to make all efforts to protect the minorities in Bangla ...Read More >
Ghaziabad: The police arrested a couple on Wednesday for robbing a pedestrian in Crossings Republik on Nov 15. Wave City ACP Lipi Nagayach said unknown individuals on a scooter snatched a woman's gold chain near Ajnara market in the Crossings Republik area on Nov 15. Once the woman filed a complaint, a case was registered under section 304 (snatching) of BNS, and police teams were formed to probe the incident. "With the help of CCTV footage, manual input, surveillance, and a tip-off, Vivek Pandey (29) and his wife Kirti Sharma (28) were nabbed from Chitrawan society in the Crossings Republik ...Read More >
Sivakarthikeyan's Amaran has emerged as his biggest box-office success to date, surpassing the Rs 300-crore mark at the worldwide box office collection.Shiv Karthikeyan and Sai Pallavi marked a milestone in film industry through the movie Amaran. The film joins an elite club as the ninth Tamil movie to achieve this milestone, following hits like Rajinikanth's Enthiran, Kabali, 2.0, Jailer, along with Biigilmovie, Varisu, Leo, and The GOAT. Featuring Sivakarthikeyan as Major Mukund Varadarajan, alongside Sai Pallavi, Bhuvan Arora, and Rahul Bose, Amaran draws inspiration from true military st ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Lieutenant governor VK Saxena has given his approval to the reconstitution of Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board, paving the way for govt to prepare a scheme to provide compensation to the construction workers who lost work due to the implementation of GRAP IV provisions. The board was not in place for the last couple of years. While giving his nod to its reconstitution, LG directed that immediate steps should be taken to implement Supreme Court directions to provide subsistence allowance to workers affected due to restrictions on construction activities be ...Read More >
CHENNAI: Senior BJP leader H Raja has been sentenced to six months imprisonment in two separate cases relating to his derogatory comments against DMK MP Kanimozhi and threatening to raze down the statues of rationalist leader Periyar (EV Ramasamy). Additional special court for cases relating to MP/MLAs G Jayavel pronounced the orders convicting and sentencing him in the cases registered by the Erode district police based on complaints lodged by DMK and Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam (TPDK) following his derogatory comments made in against Periyar and Kanimozhi in 2018 through his Twitter ...Read More >
Infosys has announced an average 85% performance bonus for eligible employees in Q2 FY25, reflecting its strong financial performance. The bonus, paid to mid- and junior-level staff, will be credited with the November salaries, with individual payouts varying based on performance. This follows Infosys' impressive 4.7% rise in Q2 net profit and a revenue increase of 5.1%, leading to an upward revision of its FY25 revenue guidance. The bonus payout surpasses the previous quarter's 80%, with Infosys outpacing rivals like TCS. Employees are also awaiting salary hikes, with revisions expected from ...Read More >
Melbourne: A celebrity and "public relations maven" from Australia Roxy Jacenko has said she regrets turning her daughter, Pixie Curtis, into a child social media influencer. The 13-year-old's Instagram account had long been used by her mother to generate income via brand sponsorships and online businesses such as Pixie's Bows and Pixie's Toys. But Jacenko is now saying the money wasn't worth the negative effects of Pixie's public persona, which included being bullied at school. This admission, along with the government's decision to ban social media for under-16s, is a timely reminder for p ...Read More >
Deconstruct, a skincare and haircare brand, has launched an innovative "Skincare Internship," offering participants the chance to enhance their skincare knowledge while earning Rs 1 lakh. Open to everyone over 18, the program aims to normalize skincare as a daily habit and challenge stereotypes by reserving 50% of spots for male participants. Interns will receive personalized skincare routines, expert guidance from dermatologists, and hands-on experience. The remote internship spans 30-60 days, culminating in rewards like product hampers, social media features, and career opportunities. Founde ...Read More >
Sources said during the crucial Mahayuti leaders' meeting in New Delhi on Thursday night, Maharashtra's caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde sought 12 ministerial berths for his party It's been six days since the Maharashtra assembly election results were declared and the Mahayuti alliance emerged victorious, but suspense over the new head of the state and fresh cabinet minister is not over yet. Sources have said that the key alliance leaders will finalise a list and fly to Delhi on Monday to meet with the BJP top brass before making an announcement. Sources said during the crucial Mahayut ...Read More >
In a shocking incident in Tirupur, unidentified assailants attacked Baskaran, the general secretary of Hindu Munnani, by throwing chili powder on his face before snatching his gold chain. Baskaran was on his way home when the miscreants struck. Following the attack, over 100 Hindu Munnani workers, led by state president Kadeshwara C Subramaniam, staged a protest outside the Nallur police station, demanding swift action and the arrest of the culprits. Meanwhile, Coimbatore city police arrested Arjun Sampath, founder of Indu Makkal Katchi, for leading a protest without permission in response to ...Read More >
Dhanush and Aishwaryaa Rajinikanth granted divorce: Tamil actor Dhanush and filmmaker Aishwaryaa Rajinikanth have officially parted ways, with the Chennai Family Welfare court granting them a divorce. According to reports by Sun TV and News 18, the couple had cited irreconcilable differences, stating that they could no longer live together, leading to the dissolution of their marriage. The divorce proceedings between Dhanush and Aishwaryaa Rajinikanth had been ongoing for some time, with the case having been heard on three separate occasions prior. However, both parties had failed to appear i ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 12 noon on Monday amid protests by opposition members over the Adani indictment row, recent violence in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal and other issues. As soon as the lower House met after the weekend break, many opposition members, including those from the Congress, were on their feet, raising the indictment of industrialist Gautam Adani in a US court on bribery charges, among other issues. Some members were in the Well of the House while other opposition members stood in the aisle and raised slogans. Speaker Om Birla asked the ...Read More >
New Delhi, Nov 26 (UNI) Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday greeted the people on the occasion of 75th Constitution Day. On social media handle X, Kharge said, "The Constitution of India, painstakingly and carefully drafted by our foremothers and forefathers, is the lifeblood of our nation. It guarantees us social, economic and political rights. It constitutes India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC". He said, "Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity are not ...Read More >
BJP leaders, including Amit Malviya, CR Kesavan, and Pradeep Bhandari, accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of arrogance after he allegedly failed to greet President Droupadi Murmu, a tribal woman, during her speech on Constitution Day. Malviya claimed that Gandhi's refusal to acknowledge the President stemmed from her tribal background, while Kesavan and Bhandari pointed to Gandhi's "dynastic entitlement" and anti-tribal sentiments. The President, addressing Parliament, highlighted the significance of India's Constitution and lauded the government's efforts in social justice and inclusive dev ...Read More >
The XEV 9e is fast and even in the lower range mode feels smooth along with lots of performance.Source : Somnath Chatterjee Electric cars are different and Mahindra has thrown everything at their new range of EVs in terms of a new electric architecture along with specifications normally seen on luxury cars. The XEV 9e based on the Inglo platform is the bigger and more premium EV which starts at Rs 21.9 lakh while coming with two battery pack options- 59 and 79kwh. The 79 kwh battery pack means 656 km range and 284 bhp which means 0-100 km/h is just 6.8 seconds. The big XEV has lots of road p ...Read More >
CHENNAI: Singles, Doubles, and the Team Championship - the 18-year-old Chennai girl, the daughter of an auto driver from Kasimedu, left nothing for competitors from around the world at the sixth edition of the Carrom World Cup held in the US which Team India swept. The Women's Singles final was a hard-fought contest, where the 18-year-old M Khazima kept her nerves to defeat 12-time national and multiple World Cup winner Rashmi Kumari from Bihar. With this victory, Khazima became the youngest Carrom World Champion. Khazima, whose father Mehaboob Basha is an auto driver from Kasimedu, had been ...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 >
A crucial meeting of Manipur's National Democratic Alliance, chaired by Chief Minister N Biren Singh, saw significant absences, with only 27 out of 45 MLAs attending. The meeting, convened amidst rising ethnic violence, resulted in a seven-point resolution demanding immediate action on issues like the reimposition of AFSPA and mass operations against Kuki militants. Tensions within the ruling coalition were evident, as several lawmakers, including a cabinet minister, skipped the meeting without explanation. The resolution included a threat of political consequences if decisions were not implem ...Read More >
Defying pollsters, exit polls, and predictions, the BJP scored a hat trick in Haryana, albeit with a narrow lead in the recent Assembly election. It formed a government on its own sans any ally, and Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini assumed office for a second consecutive term with relative ease. But the euphoria did not last long. In the first Assembly session convened after the new government took over, the opposition, led by the Congress and the electorally diminished Indian National Lok Dal, attacked the government on the issue of fertilizer shortages in the sowing season. The government d ...Read More >