Politics
Prime Minister Narendra Modi telephoned NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar to enquire about his health following his discharge from a Pune hospital, remarking that Supriya Sule was “ready” to take care of the country.
The Democratic Party dealt a major blow to President Donald Trump in the 2026 US midterm elections, flipping the Georgia gubernatorial mansion with Keisha Lance Bottoms’ historic win and flipping key Senate seats in North Carolina and South Carolina. While Indian-Americans Pia Dandiya and Suhas Subramanyam captured US House seats and Aruna Miller retained Maryland’s lieutenant governorship, Trump-endorsed Vivek Ramaswamy lost Ohio’s gubernatorial race, pushing Democrats to the edge of retaking the House.
In an unprecedented political blow to the ruling National Conference in Jammu and Kashmir, Srinagar MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi on Tuesday announced his resignation from both the party and the Lok Sabha during a massive public gathering in Budgam. Accusing Chief Minister Omar Abdullah of ‘incompetence’ and betraying the 2024 Assembly mandate on Article 370, free power, and reservation reforms, Ruhullah announced plans to build an independent platform of dedicated local youth rather than join another political party.
Assam’s political landscape has been upended just weeks before the 2026 elections as senior Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi jumped ship to the BJP. While Priyanka Gandhi Vadra expressed regret over the “unfortunate” move, Bordoloi claimed he was forced out by a culture of isolation, marking the second major high-profile defection from the Assam Congress in a month.
With global oil supplies under threat and the Strait of Hormuz effectively a battleground, the Indian Navy has deployed over six warships to escort its fuel tankers to safety. Following direct talks between PM Modi and the Iranian leadership, Indian ships are among the few granted passage, providing a vital boost to India’s domestic energy security as fuel prices surge worldwide.
The Union government’s decision to release from jail climate activist in Ladakh Sonam Wangchuk six months after he was arrested under the draconian National Security Act to “facilitate dialogue” is a welcome move, and moreover, a welcome realisation on the part of the government about the folly of taking a confrontationist attitude towards legitimate demands of the people.
West Bengal’s top administration has been overhauled by the Election Commission to guarantee a neutral playing field for the 2026 polls. By appointing Dushyant Nariala as Chief Secretary and Sanghamitra Ghosh as Home Secretary, the ECI is sending a clear message that administrative lapses and political influence will not be tolerated during the upcoming April elections.
Just hours before the 2026 election bugle was sounded, Bengal’s Mamata Banerjee announced a ₹500 hike for Hindu priests and Muslim muezzins. By approving all new applications and raising monthly payments to ₹2,000, the TMC government has secured a final outreach to the state’s spiritual leaders before the Model Code of Conduct halted all new policy moves.
The 2026 electoral battle has begun as the Election Commission announces poll dates for five key regions. With voting starting on April 9 and a unified result day on May 4, the political landscape of India faces a high-stakes month of campaigning under the now-active Model Code of Conduct.
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