In a strong condemnation of the Congress and RJD, Union Home Minister Amit Shah criticized their role in destroying Bihar and urged the state to vote for the development path of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Shah also highlighted the NDA's accomplishments in the state, including the allocation of Rs. 9 lakh crore for Bihar's development and the construction of a grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya. However, RJD spokesperson Shakti Yadav hit back, calling Shah the "hero of Gujarat's jungle raj" and questioning the BJP's contributions to Bihar's development in their 20 years of alliance with JDU. With the upcoming state polls, BJP and RJD are engaged in a war of words, setting the stage for a highly contested election.
Former MP and Congress leader Udit Raj urges Delhi's Dalit community not to vote for the AAP, accusing former CM Arvind Kejriwal of neglecting their interests. Citing the party's recent scheme to provide honorarium to certain religious leaders, Raj claims that the AAP is playing vote bank politics at the expense of Dalit welfare. The AAP, however, refutes these allegations, stating that it is committed to fulfilling the "dreams" of Dr. BR Ambedkar through initiatives such as the Mukhyamantri Jai Bhim Yojana.
During a heated debate on the Constitution in parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress party. He accused former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru of misusing the Constitution and said that the current Congress leadership continues to attack it. PM Modi also spoke about the Emergency and the Shah Bano case, criticizing Indira Gandhi's actions during that time. He accused her son, Rajiv Gandhi, of sacrificing justice for the sake of vote bank politics.
After suffering losses in recent state elections, Congress party chief Mallikarjun Kharge addressed the party's leaders and stressed the importance of taking responsibility, fixing shortcomings, and unity within the party. He also expressed concern over the use of electronic voting machines and called on the Election Commission to ensure fair elections in the country. Kharge emphasized the need for discipline and unity within the party to defeat political opponents. He also urged party leaders to work hard and strengthen the party's organization at all levels, from voter registration to vote counting.
In the recently concluded Maharashtra Assembly elections, the Congress faced a major defeat in direct contests with the BJP, winning only 10 out of 75 seats. This is a significant decline from their performance in the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year. The BJP's average vote share per seat contested rose by 6 percentage points, while the Congress saw a decline of 14 percentage points. In some key constituencies, the Congress finished in fourth place, highlighting the immediate need for the party to reassess its strategies and connect with the voting public.
In a strongly-worded statement, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan lashed out at Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, accusing her of contesting the Wayanad bypoll with the support of Jamaat-e-Islami. He alleged that the Jamaat had issued directions to members to vote for the UDF candidate and that the terrorist outfit had openly supported the Congress party in the state. This accusation came after a report stated that the disengagement process between India and China in the Depsang and Demchok areas of the Eastern Ladakh sector had been almost completed, leading to a reduction in tension along the border. Vijayan also referenced Congress' alliance with the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), which he claimed had links to the Jamaat.
With the Haryana state legislative assembly elections around the corner, the Chief Electoral Officer urges voters to ensure their names are included in the voter list. While a voter ID card is the most commonly used identity document, the ECI has prescribed 12 alternative options, including Aadhaar card and Indian passport, for those without one. The voter list is available online and through a helpline number, with registration being mandatory in order to cast a vote. The upcoming elections will see a competition between the BJP, who secured 40 seats in the 2019 elections, and Congress, who won 30 seats.
The Narendra Modi government faced backlash from the opposition and its own allies regarding lateral appointments in the bureaucracy, which led to a swift change in direction. This move came after Union Minister Jitendra Singh directed the cancellation of an advertisement for 45 posts and Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw's statement on the government's commitment to social justice. The government's cautious approach is attributed to the successful opposition campaign during the Lok Sabha elections, where Congress leader Rahul Gandhi consistently criticized the government's actions towards reservations. With Assembly elections coming up, the BJP is wary of any further damage to its SC/ST and OBC vote bank, and has yet to clarify its stance on sub-categorization and the Supreme Court's observation on creamy layer exclusion.
After facing multiple attempts to seek a vote of confidence, Nepal's Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal's coalition government has finally fallen as he lost the floor test in the House of Representatives. With only 63 lawmakers supporting him, far below the required 138 votes, Speaker Dev Raj Ghimire officially announced the rejection of Dahal's motion for trust. This comes after the withdrawal of support from the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) and an agreement between the CPN-UML and the main opposition Nepali Congress to form a new coalition government.
In a major political development, Nepal's Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' lost a vote of confidence in Parliament after the main opposition party withdrew its support for his government. The motion received 194 votes against it, far surpassing the 138 votes needed for a majority. With the support of the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, the largest parties in the House, former prime minister K P Sharma Oli is now set to become the next prime minister, ending Prachanda's short stint in office. Follow our newsletter to get the latest updates on this developing story.