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His "We the Leaders" movement launched recently was on the "right track" to transition into a political party by July and the goal is to achieve 50 lakh membership, former BJP Tamil Nadu president K Annamalai said on Wednesday. Pointing out that at present 18 lakh members have joined the organisation "without any expectations," Annamalai, in a video interaction on a social media platform, said that membership was taking place not only online but also by meeting the people directly. Stating that the members have joined with the belief that the movement would bring in a big change, he said "after we start this movement as a political outfit, its activities will take on a different nature from this July and people are going to see it." Claiming that his movement "will not fail, will not lie, and will not lead the people to the wrong path", Annamalai said "for us, we are equal to all religions and there is no second thought about that". "Our aim in the coming months is that this ...
Even as the Trinamool Congress grapples with an unprecedented split, Shiv Sena (UBT), another major player in the Opposition camp, is staring at a crisis, with "six to seven" of its nine Lok Sabha MPs inclined to switch to the ruling Shiv Sena and camping in the national capital, sources said on Tuesday. It is learnt that Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde was also headed to Delhi late on Tuesday. On its part, Shiv Sena (UBT) has dismissed the possibility of a split in its Lok Sabha ranks, with the party's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut claiming that all its MPs remain united. Sources told PTI that Shinde was expected to land in Delhi late on Tuesday. "Six to seven MPs are likely to switch sides," a leader of the Shinde camp said, claiming that the move was linked to a possible elevation in the role of Aditya Thackeray, son of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, who currently heads the party's youth wing. The leader claimed that the MPs likely to ma
Jharkhand Chief Electoral Officer K Ravi Kumar on Saturday said the parental mapping of 75 per cent of voters with that of the 2003 electoral rolls has been completed in the run-up to the SIR exercise, scheduled to begin on June 20 in the state. The list of all unmapped voters will be displayed at all polling booths from Saturday, he said. All mapped voters would not need to submit any additional documents for the ensuing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. Jharkhand now has 2.64 crore voters. "The parental mapping of 75 per cent voters in Jharkhand with that of the electoral rolls in 2003, when the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) was last held, has been completed so far. The list of all unmapped voters will be released starting today (May 23) at all polling booths across the state," the CEO said. He appealed to the electors to visit their respective polling centres and check their names in the unmapped voter list, he said. Kumar said people whose names appear in the unma
Manipur Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh on Wednesday said that disarming people with firearms in all parts of the state was of urgent need, an official statement said. Singh made the remarks during a meeting with a delegation of Tangkhul Naga community from Sinakeithei Village in Ukhrul district who urged him to deploy state police forces in the village in view of the tense situation in the area. The delegation was also accompanied by Ukhrul MLA Ram Muivah of the Naga People's Front (NPF), an ally of the ruling BJP. The villagers demanded proper security in the area, adequate manpower in Sinakeithei police station and the proper functioning of the sub-divisional collector (SDC)'s office at Sinakeithei. Sinakeithei had witnessed several gun attacks by suspected militants following clashes between Kuki and Tangkhul Nagas since February this year. Replying to their demands, the chief minister told the villagers "that disarming people with firearms in all parts of the state is of urg
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday warned of a massive economic storm moving inexorably towards the country, the likes of which "we have never experienced." Slamming Prime Minister Narendra Modi for flying off on a five-nation tour right after his appeal to the people to refrain from going abroad, Gandhi also said that the grand economic structure built by Adani-Ambani will collapse in the storm but the tycoons will be in their palaces while the common person will bear the brunt. "The structure, which he (Narendra Modi) has made, the one of Adani and Ambani, will not remain intact, and will crumble. And, sadly, the loss will be felt by the common people. In other words, they will remain in their palaces, and the entire shock will be experienced by the youth and people of UP," Gandhi told reporters after addressing a gathering here. Earlier, addressing a function after the inauguration of a wedding hall in Bachhravan here, Gandhi criticised Modi for flying off abroad right after
The Election Commission has approved 'Telangana Rakshana Sena' as the official name of the new political party launched by K Kavitha, daughter of former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, from among five options submitted before it. Kavitha announced the launch of her political outfit, named 'Telangana Rashtra Sena' (TRS), on April 25. In a post on X, Kavitha said, "Telangana Rakshana Sena (TRS), it is! We will relentlessly work to serve and protect the people of Telangana, as we have done in the last two decades as Telangana Jagruthi." She further said they received a letter of approval from the EC in person about the name of the party. Expressing her gratitude to the Election Commission of India, she said the party would abide by the rules and regulations. "In January 2026, following standard EC protocol, we submitted five name choices, and the Election Commission has officially granted our third choice. The only one with the acronym TRS. Destiny, it seems, has a sense of irony
Around 18 per cent of the candidates in fray in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections have declared criminal cases against themselves, while 25 percent have assets worth more than Rs one crore, a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) said on Monday. According to the report, out of the 3992 candidates analysed, 722(18 per cent) candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves. Of these, 404 (10 per cent) have declared serious criminal cases. In the 2021 Assembly elections, out of 3559 candidates analysed, 466 (13 per cent) had declared criminal cases against themselves, and 207 (6 per cent) had declared serious criminal cases against themselves. Among the major parties, 118 (69 per cent) out of 170 candidates analysed from the AIADMK, 92 (40 per cent) out of 231 candidates from the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, 70 (40 per cent) out of 175 candidates analysed from the DMK, 16 (48 per cent) out of 33 from the BJP, 14 (50 per cent) out of 28 candidates analysed from t
Senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's health is showing steady improvement, and she will be discharged from the hospital within one to two days, her doctors said on Friday. The 79-year-old leader was admitted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital on Tuesday night at around 10:22 pm after developing a fever. According to hospital chairman Ajay Swaroop, Gandhi is "much better", showing medical improvement and is comfortable. "She is walking around and has taken her breakfast. Overall, her progress is smooth, and we hope that she will be fit to be discharged within a day or two," he said. According to the doctors attending the Congress leader, Gandhi is undergoing treatment for a systemic infection and is responding well to antibiotics. She remains under the supervision of a team of senior doctors, who are closely monitoring her condition. Sources said she is likely to stay under observation for a short period as a precaution, though her condition is stable and not serious.
Senior JD(U) leader K C Tyagi on Tuesday said that he has left the party and will decide his further course of action soon. Tyagi was associated with the JD(U) since it came into existence in October 2003 with the merger of the Samata Party and the Janata Dal. He served the JD(U) in various capacities including its chief general secretary, chief spokesperson and political adviser. "Yes, I have left the party," Tyagi told PTI, when asked. In a statement, the former Rajya Sabha member said, "The membership campaign of the party has ended. This time I've not renewed the membership of the party." He, however, asserted that his commitment to the "larger and wider ideological points" concerning the interests of downtrodden, peasants and agriculturalists including the deprived sections of society "remains as firm as ever". "My personal respect for Nitish Kumar who remained my comrade for close to half a century also remains unchanged," he added. Tyagi said that his "further course of a
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's son Nishant Kumar joined the JD(U) on Sunday and said he would work to strengthen the party's organisation. Nishant, an engineering graduate who is in his 40s, was inducted into the party at its headquarters here in the presence of top leaders, including Union minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh 'Lalan' and JD(U)'s national working president Sanjay Jha. After joining the party, Nishant said, "My father decided to go to the Rajya Sabha. It was his personal decision. We all respect it. We will keep working under his guidance. I will work to strengthen the organisation." Nishant claimed his father, as the longest-serving chief minister of Bihar, did a lot for the state in the last twenty years. People of the state will never forget the CM's contribution to the state's development, he said. "I thank everyone. I will honour the trust you all have placed in me. The country, our state and I are proud of what my father has done in the last 20 years. I will take
Union Minister for Law and Justice Arjun Meghwal on Tuesday said statehood to Jammu and Kashmir would be restored soon, prompting a quick response from Chief Minsiter Omar Abdullah who said that he hoped that the wait is not too long. After attending a function at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) here, Meghwal told reporters that while it was a "very sensitive issue", Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said in the LoK Sabha that J-K's statehood would be restored. "You will get it but there is a process for it. I feel you will soon get to hear about a decision in this regard," he said. Reacting to Meghwal's comment, Abdullah, who was also present at the function, said, "I heard on the sidelines that the (Union) minister said that we will be hearing good news soon. "It has been one and a half years of wait. We hope we do not have to wait much longer," Abdullah told reporters. The chief minister said no one in Jammu and Kashmir will be satisfied till it is ..
In an apparent snub to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said the plane crash involving his nephew Ajit Pawar and four others was an accident which shouldn't be politicised. Addressing reporters, he said Ajit's death was a big shock for Maharashtra, which has lost a hardworking and efficient leader, and this loss is irreparable. "Not all things are in our hands," he added. "A stand was floated from Kolkata that there is some politics involved in this incident. But there is nothing like this. There is no politics in it. It was an accident. I request not to bring politics into it," he added. Banerjee has demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the death of Ajit Pawar, alleging that "all other agencies" have been "completely compromised". Stressing that the truth would not emerge through existing mechanisms, Banerjee said only a probe under the supervision of the Supreme Court would be credible.