Does India's first political family see some serious threat to its own bastions? The question was doing rounds in Uttar Pradesh, where lie Rae Bareli and Amethi -- the respective parliamentary constituencies of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice president son Rahul Gandhi. Sharat Pradhan reports.
Governments in most of the world saw their approval ratings dip as they struggled to contain the raging virus, which hit economy hard everywhere, but Indian politics followed a different script, with the outgoing year marking further shrinking of a rudderless Congress while the ruling BJP soared riding on Modi's enduring appeal.
In his constituency Malampuzha, locals can't get enough of Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan, his policies and his caustic speeches, says Shobha Warrier
There are very few people in the world who qualify to be called a living legend. Astad Deboo is one of them.
Pawar was the deputy CM twice in the 15-year regime of Congress-NCP alliance in Maharashtra during 1999-2014.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam has lost yet another strong bastion to the marauding Sri Lankan forces.
The BJP government in Uttar Pradesh battles its own and Opposition over the community's 'victimisation' and alleged preference to the Rajputs. Radhika Ramaseshan reports.
'If questioning and dethroning hierarchies is your primary motive, why not put an end to the practice of announcing your shining star, your box office draw, in big flaming letters and mentioning everyone else's name in small font at the bottom of the screen?' asks Sreehari Nair.
A Congress bastion over the years, the tribal dominated Nandurbar district in Maharashtra has been chosen for the launch of Aadhaar, the unique identity (UID) numbers.
On his 60 birthday, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has got a sweet gift in form of electoral victory of Kanubhai Dabhi in the Kathlal constituency in Kheda district. The victory is historic because the Bharatiya Janata Party has never won this seat before.
The Congress accused the Centre of making a serious assault on the basic structure of the Constitution, saying the action subsumes the independence of the judiciary.
"I am totally humbled by what he has said. But Mr Pawar has categorically, very humbly told the prime minister that it is not possible," Sule told PTI.
A tough administrator and an immensely popular face in his largely rural assembly segment Baramti in Pune district, Ajit is also a maverick leader who doesn't shy from being on a different page from his party.
Mahinda Rajapaksa completed 50 years of parliamentary politics in July this year. He was elected as a Member of Parliament at the young age of 24 in 1970. He has since been elected president twice and has been appointed prime minister thrice.
After his party lost power in Haryana in the 2014 polls, the 72-year-old satrap had nothing going in his favour.
'At this moment, the Trinamool has an edge.'
Former India captain Shantha Rangaswamy, who is set to be a part of the powerful nine-member BCCI apex council, says she never imagined that a woman cricketer would "storm the male bastion" that the Indian cricket board is.
The main fight during the three-day Indian Cricketers' Association election will be between former cricketers Kirti Azad and Anshuman Gaekwad to become the male representative nominee to the BCCI Apex Council.
'If Rahul Gandhi disappears, Modi has to talk about his own policies and why they failed'
The Congress vice president has eyes on the larger objective of his partnership with Akhilesh, which may provide the template against the BJP in 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Dausa, represented by the Pilot family for 25 years, sees a complicated contest with no Pilot around.
'Mamata is synonymous with Bengal, its culture, language, traditions.'
'It's a natural alliance and this alliance has been has been formed without compromising the core ideology of the AIADMK.'
BJP now governs 35% of country's landmass as against 71% in 2017. 43% of country's population is now governed by the BJP or allies in the states as against over 69 per cent two years ago. In all 3 state polls since its Lok Sabha win, BJP's vote share has fallen by big margins.
'We are in a state of confusion right now, but one thing is sure that everything will be good and Ajit dada will come back to the party fold'
'It did not start as a Hindutva slogan.' 'It started to tease the TMC and slowly it got internalised and the BJP started countering with Jai Shri Ram slogans because Mamata was getting provoked.'
Among the other prominent faces for the ruling BJP who tasted defeat in the elections was its state president Subhash Barala.
A bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra asked Bhushan to deposit the fine by September 15, failing which he will attract a jail term of three months and debarment from law practice for three years. Freedom of speech cannot be curtailed but rights of others need to be respected, said the bench, also comprising Justices B R Gavai and Krishna Murari.
Till now, some water from the Nira Deoghar dam in Pune was being diverted to Baramati and Indapur (a part of Baramati Lok Sabha constituency).
He said his party will continue to fight the "worst sentiments" the prime minister represents.
The only facesaver for the Gowda family was Deve Gowda's another grandson Prajwal Revanna, son of PWD minister H D Revanna, who won from Hassan seat.
The biggest electoral upset in the state was witnessed in Anantnag with National Conference candidate and former high court judge Hasnain Masoodi defeating former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti.
Since the formation of the CPI-M, following a split in the Communist Party of India in 1964, the party never drew a blank in the state in Lok Sabha elections.
'It must have stung Devendra Fadnavis to see Modi asking MPs at the BJP parliamentary party meeting to give Yediyurappa a standing ovation for his victory in the by-elections that has resulted in pulling the BJP government in Karnataka off the ventilator,' notes Aditi Phadnis.
Sachin Tendulkar has many firsts to his credit but a 'first shave' from female barbers Neha and Jyoti
Addressing a rally in Krishnanagar in West Bengal, Shah reportedly said when Indian Air Force jets pounded terror camps in Balakot, the act was mourned in Pakistan and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's office. He also reportedly said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi "sent his air force" to destroy terror camps in Pakistan after the deadly Pulwama attack in February this year.
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi last appeared in 2014 during a sermon at the Great Mosque in Mosul. The speech marked the rise of self-declared "caliphate" of IS in Iraq and Syria.
Here are some of the big political leaders' who await their fate on Monday.
The Congress general secretary in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh said the people of Amethi and Rae Bareli have self-respect and they do not beg from anyone.
Chhagan Bhujbal, Jayant Patil (both from the NCP), Balasaheb Thorat and Nitin Raut (both from the Congress), Eknath Shinde and Subhash Desai (both from the Sena) took oath as ministers along with Thackeray.
© 2025 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances