Author: Md Nasimuddin
Former Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha MPs Sushmita Dev, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray and Prakash Chik Baraik joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kolkata on Thursday.
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to New Zealand, his counterpart Christopher Luxon on Thursday hailed the proposed India-New Zealand trade deal, saying it would deliver a major boost to New Zealand businesses by expanding access to the Indian market.
The Congress party in Punjab has familiar faces from almost all castes, making it a strong challenger in the 2027 Assembly polls in Punjab. The expectation of coming back to power with a majority has led several leaders into lobbying mode to be better placed today so that they will have leverage to demand a greater role after victory. This has led to intense factionalism in the state.
In Men’s Cricket, England defeated India by 125 runs in the 3rd T20 International at Trent Bridge in Nottingham last night.
Enzo Fernandez scored in stoppage time to give Argentina an incredible 3-2 win over Egypt and a spot in the World Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday.
In an absolute classic defined by tactical resilience and chaotic swings of momentum, England advanced to the Quarter-Finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after securing a thrilling 3-2 victory over Mexico on Sunday, July 5, 2026. Playing in front of a deafening, hostile crowd of over 80,000 fans at the iconic Estadio Azteca—where El Tri boasted a historic 10-match unbeaten tournament record—Gareth Southgate’s men established dominance late in the first half. Real Madrid virtuoso Jude Bellingham stunned the arena by netting two goals just 98 seconds apart, opening his account with a commanding 36th-minute header before instantly clinical finishing a Harry Kane assist. Mexico retaliated before the break through Julián Quiñones, and the fixture completely flipped on its head in the 54th minute when English center-back Jarell Quansah was shown a straight red card for a dangerous challenge. Despite operating at a numerical disadvantage, the Three Lions extended their cushion when Kane calmly converted a penalty drawn by a rash Raul Rangel challenge—marking his 14th career World Cup goal to match German legend Gerd Müller. In a historic statistical quirk, Kane subsequently conceded a penalty at the other end, which Raúl Jiménez buried with a stutter-step finish. Jordan Pickford and a fractured defensive line successfully absorbed 32 minutes of relentless Mexican overloads, breaking El Tri’s hearts and setting up a monumental showdown against Erling Haaland’s high-flying Norway this Saturday in Miami.
The Mamata Banerjee-led faction of the TMC on Monday filed a detailed response before the Election Commission of India (ECI), rejecting rival leader Ritabrata Banerjee’s claim over the party. It also asserted that the TMC’s organisational committees remained valid until 2027 as per the constitution of the party.
In a major political development that completely alters Bihar’s electoral landscape, Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor announced on Sunday, July 5, 2026, that he will make his personal electoral debut by contesting the upcoming assembly by-election from Patna’s high-profile Bankipur constituency. Addressing a packed press conference, the 48-year-old former poll strategist explicitly framed the upcoming democratic contest as a direct, clear “referendum” on the popularity and performance of the two-month-old, BJP-led state government headed by Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary—who assumed office following Nitish Kumar’s elevation to the Rajya Sabha. The urban Bankipur seat, widely considered an ironclad BJP bastion since the 1990s, fell vacant after sitting legislator and BJP national president Nitin Nabin resigned upon being elected to the Upper House. Launching an aggressive campaign pitch, Kishor appealed to Bankipur’s highly educated electorate to vote purely on merit rather than traditional caste math, claiming that even as a lone representative of his newly formed party, his legislative impact would decisively outweigh the entire treasury bench. As the Election Commission of India (ECI) officially sets the voting date for July 30, 2026, with counting scheduled for August 3, the grand opposition alliance of the RJD and Congress is yet to reveal its strategy, while expelled RJD leader Tej Pratap Yadav’s independent faction has already complicated the field by fielding social activist Veena Manvi.
The battle for control of the TMC intensified on Thursday after the Ritabrata Banerjee-led rebel faction met the full bench of the Election Commission of India (ECI).
After 10 rounds of meetings since December 2025, the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the 130th Constitution Amendment Bill is likely to recommend no change to its clause proposing the removal of the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers or other Ministers from office if they are arrested and detained in custody for 30 consecutive days for serious offences.