Breaking from its conventional non-aligned stance, Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal joined INDIA bloc MPs in a protest march in New Delhi on Tuesday demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Led by Rajya Sabha leader Manas Mangaraj, the BJD flagged the disenfranchisement of 20 lakh voters in Odisha and over 13 crore nationwide under the Special Intensive Revision, citing unauthorized voter deletions in Dhamnagar and apex court observations on Form 6 modifications.

Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke launched a sharp attack against the Election Commission in Pune, alleging that the BJP’s recent electoral gains outside traditional strongholds stem from institutional manipulation under CEC Gyanesh Kumar rather than popular mandates. Backing protesting MPSC students over examination leaks, Dipke called for the resignation of both the CEC and the MPSC chairman, even as the ECI dismissed reports of internal dissent over the ongoing SIR exercise.

Following its assembly victory in West Bengal, the BJP has rolled out a major youth engagement initiative titled ‘Yuba Bharat Sankalp’, led by party National President Nitin Nabin and Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Addressing 500 young professionals from law, management, and research in Kolkata, Nabin advocated for syllabus reforms emphasizing culture and sports while opening direct administrative dialogue channels to consolidate youth support.

The Calcutta High Court has granted interim bail until October 20 to Congress candidate Milan Pradhan for the upcoming Nandigram Assembly by-election. Questioning the timing of his arrest in connection with 2007 murder cases immediately after filing his nomination, Justice Tirthankar Ghosh noted that the relief ensures a level playing field during campaigning, subject to strict verification conditions and surrender on October 21.

A major controversy has hit the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Karnataka after more than 4,000 Form-7 deletion requests were systematically filed against minority voters in Assembly segments such as Babaleshwar and Bhalki. With local names allegedly forged on pre-printed forms and opposition parties alleging a calculated conspiracy to disenfranchise voters, the Chief Electoral Officer’s office has stepped in to halt arbitrary purges and enforce rigorous on-ground verification.

Setting aside decades of fierce regional hostility, former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has signaled readiness to cooperate with the CPI(M) and Congress on national platforms ahead of a crucial INDIA bloc meeting on September 30. Speaking in Serampore following an attack on MLA Kunal Ghosh’s vehicle in Hooghly, Banerjee called for a unified front to seek the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged mass electoral roll deletions.