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.
Guwahati: In a dramatic development just a day ahead of the assembly polls, the Congress candidate from Udalguri, Suren Daimari, has withdrawn from the electoral fray and resigned from the party. Around 2,50,54,463 electors will decide the fate of 722 candidates in 126 assembly constituencies in the single phase-poll on Thursday. Daimari was in the fray against United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) candidate Dipen Boro and Bodoland People's Front's (BPF) Rihon Daimary. Daimari said Congress has done nothing for tribals. "Congress party is a traitor. I have resigned from the party and withdrawn my candidature as I feel the Congress has deceived me. After giving me the ticket, there was no communication or support from the leadership. My calls went unanswered, which compelled me to take this decision. I wanted to strengthen the Congress in Udalguri, but there was no support from the party. It appears their focus is limited, and they are not working for all communities, including ST groups," he claimed. Recently, during scrutiny, the nomination of Congress candidate Mahananda Sarkar from Barpeta was cancelled due to procedural lapses during the filing process. The Election Commission (EC) has stated that it is fully geared up to conduct the polling in a free, fair and peaceful manner. It has deployed Central Observers to ensure strict monitoring of law and order and election expenditure. Webcasting facilities have been arranged in all 31,490 polling stations, including 31,486 main polling stations and four auxiliary ones. This will allow real-time monitoring of polling processes from the offices of the District Election Officers, the Chief Electoral Officer, and the Election Commission of India. The Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), including CRPF personnel, have been deployed to ensure security at the polling stations. A total of 1,51,132 polling personnel has been deployed. Micro observers have been deputed in sensitive polling stations. For polling, 41,320 Ballot Units, 43,975 Control Units, and 43,997 VVPAT machines have been arranged, including reserves for emergency use. Of the total 2,50,54,463 electors, 1,25,31,552 are male, 1,25,22,593 female, and 318 voters are transgenders. There are also 63,423 service voters. Among the electorate, 6,42,314 voters are in the age group of 18-19 while 2,50,006 are above 80 years, and 2,05,085 are persons with disabilities. Till date, 26,032 senior citizens and 8,373 persons with disabilities have exercised their voting rights through postal ballots from home.
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 [India], January 13 (ANI): Congress candidate from the New Delhi assembly constituency, Sandeep Dikshit, on Monday took a dig at Delhi Chief Minister Atishi for her 'crowdfunding campaign' to contest the election, saying that the ruling AAP is spending much more than the expenditure limit. He alleged that AAP is spending Rs 500 to 700 on each volunteer. He stated that the party had appointed around 11 to 12 volunteers in each booth. "...Their (AAP) paid volunteers are on the ground with 11-12 of them at each booth. Each volunteer is being paid Rs 500-700. This only amounts to Rs 3- ...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 >
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 >
Raipur: Chhattisgarh chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Tuesday, January 14, announced an aid of Rs 10 lakh to the kin of journalist Mukesh Chandrakar, who was murdered in Bijapur district earlier this month. Talking to reporters at the helipad in police lines, Sai said a building will be constructed for scribes and named after the slain journalist. Sai said, "The deceased journalist's family will be given Rs 10 lakh assistance. A building will be constructed for journalists, and it will be named after him." 33-year-old freelance journalist Mukesh Chandrakar went missing on January 1. His body ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar, Jan 31 (PTI) Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday demanded an immediate apology from the Opposition Congress over the remarks of party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi on President Droupadi Murmu and said those were insults for the people of Odisha and the Santal community also. Majhi expressed his opinion on the ongoing debate over the alleged disrespect to the country's first tribal woman President through a long post on X. "Sonia Gandhi's comment, 'Poor lady President Murmu got tired at the end,' and Rahul Gandhi's 'boring' remarks are not just insults to I ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Election Commission on Friday said it will respond with full facts in writing after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that Maharashtra has more voters than the state's total population. Soon after Gandhi levelled the allegations at a press conference here, the poll body said in a post on X, "ECI considers political parties, as priority stakeholders, of course the voters being the prime and deeply values views, suggestions, questions coming from political parties." ...Read More >
Raipur: Following a significant success with the elimination of 27 Maoists, the District Reserve Guard (DRG) intensified their campaign, shifting focus to Bijapur in Chhattisgarh, where another fierce encounter unfolded on Thursday. Reports indicate that DRG forces have cornered a group of Maoists in Bijapur, with continuous gunfire reverberating through the region. Amid the confrontation, one Maoist has been confirmed dead, while two brave jawans have sustained injuries. Police officers have not yet confirmed, but said a detailed report will be issued soon. In a bold and relentless crackdo ...Read More >
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], May 27 (ANI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday said that the State government will take action against BJP MLC N Ravikumar for his derogatory comments against Kalaburagi Deputy Commissioner. Shivakumar said that many IAS officers had met him on this issue, and they were all enraged by the BJP MLC's comments. 'Since morning, more than half a dozen IAS officers have met me. They are all in a very agitated mood. The law will take its course. The government will take action,' Shivakumar told ANI. He wanted the BJP leadership to react to the ...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 >
New Delhi, Jan 8 (VOICE) BJP MP Ramvir Bidhuri on Wednesday slammed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders for their sit-in protest outside the Flagstaff Road house that was used as his official residence by Arvind Kejriwal when he was the Chief Minister of Delhi, urging them to "have patience" as the so-called 'Sheesh Mahal' would soon be opened to the public. The remarks followed AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and Saurabh Bharadwaj's protest after being denied entry to the Flagstaff Road bungalow by the Delhi Police. The AAP leaders had arrived at Arvind Kejriwal's former official residence on Flagsta ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Population data returned by the upcoming 'Census 2027', due to begin on April 1, 2026, will pave the way for a countrywide delimitation of Lok Sabha and assembly constituencies, as the March 1, 2027 reference date makes it "the first Census to be held after 2026".However, the chances of delimitation being completed in time for the 2029 general election appear bleak, given that the final population data may take time to be published. The final population data for Census 2011 was published almost two years after release of the provisional data in March-end 2011. Even with a 'digital' ...Read More >
Patna (Bihar) [India] June 6 (ANI): Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi attended the 'Samvidhan Sabha' in Rajgir, Nalanda, on Friday. Addressing the gathering, Gandhi emphasised the need for a caste census and criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's stance on the issue. He questioned PM Modi's claim of being an OBC while asserting that the BJP denies the existence of caste in India, emphasising the need for a genuine caste census. 'Narendra Modi used to say in every speech, I am OBC. Then, on the caste census, they say that there is no caste in India. If there is ...Read More >
Gandhinagar, Feb 4 (PTI) The BJP government in Gujarat on Tuesday formed a committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge to assess the need for the Uniform Civil Code in the state, and also draft a bill for the same. While the Opposition said the decision was aimed at diverting attention from pressing issues ahead of the upcoming local body polls, the government claimed rights of the tribal communities will be protected if the UCC is implemented. The five-member committee, to be headed by Justice (retd) Ranjana Desai, will submit its report within 45 days, following which a decision abou ...Read More >
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 7 (ANI): Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday rejected Leader of Opposition and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's allegation of alleged discrepancies in the 2024 Maharashtra assembly election stating that the Opposition leader, aware of his party's imminent defeat in Delhi election results was attempting to "cover fire." Earlier today addressing a press conference in the national capital Rahul Gandhi flanked by Supriya Sule and Sanjay Raut had alleged that over 39 lakh voters were added to Maharashtra's electoral rolls within a span of fiv ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: In a significant step toward digital transformation, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has revamped its post-election data reporting process by introducing a streamlined, technology-driven system for generating Index Cards and Statistical Reports. The initiative, aimed at enhancing data accessibility and timeliness, replaces the earlier manual process that often delayed dissemination. Under the leadership of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, the new system leverages automation and data integration to enab ...Read More >
After the banned CPI (Maoist)'s general secretary Nambala Keshava Rao alias Basavaraju was killed in an encounter with security forces on May 22, Union Home Minister Amit Shah reiterated that Naxalism will be eliminated from the country by March 31, 2026. In the Congress-ruled Telangana, however, B Mahesh Kumar Goud, the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president, says that the government should not use iron fist to wipe out Maoists but deal with them through "legal and constitutional means". He has urged the Centre to hold "peace talks" with the Maoists and declare a "ceasefire" w ...Read More >
Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], June 6 (ANI): A group of para-sports players and specially abled people (divyangs) staged a protest against Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi over his 'Langda Ghoda' (lame horse) remark in Madhya Pradesh's capital, Bhopal, on Friday and submitted a memorandum to state sports and youth welfare minister Vishvas Sarang. The specially abled people claimed that Rahul Gandhi used an objectionable word during his address during his Bhopal visit on June 3 and demanded that the Congress leader apologise. Also Read | Pakistan Attacked 'Insaniyat' and 'Kashmiriyat ...Read More >
Rajgir/Gayaji (Bihar), Jun 6 (PTI) Rejecting outright the 50 per cent cap on caste-based reservations, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday vowed that "the barrier will be broken" in whichever part of the country his party came to power. The Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha made the promise in Bihar, the state which was a hotbed of the Mandal agitation in the 1990s, and where polls to the assembly are likely in a few months. "I wonder where did this idea of a 50 per cent cap come from? The population of the deprived sections is close to 90 per cent," said the former Congress president ...Read More >
Katra: Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Jammu and Kashmir on Friday to inaugurate multiple rail projects, including the world's highest Chenab Rail Bridge, the Anji Khad Bridge, and the Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express, as part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link. These railway projects directly connect Jammu and Kashmir to the rest of the country. The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link is an all-weather railway corridor designed to provide seamless connectivity to the region through the rail network. During his visit, PM Modi reviewed the Chenab bridge, world's highest ra ...Read More >
Delhi Elections 2025 Date and Time: Delhi elections 2025 is set to be held on February 5. The term of the 70-member Delhi assembly ends on February 23, and Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party is aiming for a third consecutive term. However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is giving it a neck-to-neck competition to claim Delhi's throne after a long wait. This is to be reiterated that Delhi is not a state but a union territory and is officially known as the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi. Along with an elected Assembly, it also has a Lieutenant Governor appointed by the Union Govern ...Read More >
Silchar: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday visited the flood-ravaged districts of Hailakandi and Sribhumi in the Barak Valley. He assured affected residents of providing timely disbursement of rehabilitation grants and swift repair of damaged infrastructure.This marks Sarma's second visit to the flood-hit region within four days, underscoring the gravity of the situation. Speaking to the media in Sribhumi after inspecting multiple relief camps, the CM said, "Flood-related problems may persist till July. I will return before Durga Puja to ensure that roads and infrastructure ar ...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 >
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 >
New Delhi, Feb 3 (PTI) As the Delhi Assembly polls draw closer, AAP leader Satyendar Jain has said the people must decide whether they want to follow the governance model of developed nations like Sweden and France or end up like "failed states" such as Pakistan and Uganda. In an interview with PTI ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections, Jain defended the AAP's welfare-driven policies, arguing that free healthcare, education and basic utilities are essential for national progress. "If we are wrong in providing free welfare schemes, then developed countries like Sweden, France and Denmark are ...Read More >
Census 2027: India's largest data exercise returns with digital tools and caste focus | Illustration: Binay Sinha After a nearly six-year delay, India's decennial census is finally back on the agenda. It would be conducted in two phases along with the enumeration of castes. India's population census is expected to be released on March 1, 2027. Here is everything known so far. What is the census and why it matters India's census is the largest population count in the world, conducted every 10 years by the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, under the Ministry of Home Aff ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 5 (ANI): The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday announced that it would streamline its technology-driven system for generating Index Cards and various other post-election statistical reports. The new system will ensure faster reporting through automation and data integration. "This upgraded mechanism replaces the traditional manual methods, which were often time-consuming and prone to delays. By leveraging automation and data integration, the new system ensures faster reporting," the press note issued by the Election Commission read. Also Read | Delhi: Hig ...Read More >
After the banned CPI (Maoist)'s general secretary Nambala Keshava Rao alias Basavaraju was killed in an encounter between Maoists and security forces on May 22, Union Home Minister Amit Shah reiterated that Naxalism will be eliminated from the country by March 31, 2026. In the Congress-ruled Telangana, however, B Mahesh Kumar Goud, the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president, says that the government should not use iron fist to wipe out Maoists but deal with them through "legal and constitutional means". He has urged the Centre to hold "peace talks" with the Maoists and declare ...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 >