Jahangir Khan, the TMC candidate who once compared himself to 'Pushpa' and later withdrew from the Falta Assembly repoll, still got 7,783 votes as BJP's Debangshu Panda secured a landslide win in the constituency.
BJP candidate Debangshu Panda secured a resounding victory in the Falta repoll, defeating his nearest rival by 1.09 lakh votes, the highest margin in West Bengal Assembly polls and dealing another blow to the Trinamool Congress, which suffered a rout in the elections.
Polling started at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm across 285 polling stations, including auxiliary booths. Counting of votes has been scheduled for May 24.
From "Pushpa jhukega nahi" to "Pushpa jhuk gaya," Trinamool Congress candidate from Falta Jahangir Khan bowed out of the Falta re-election two days before voting. He has not given any reasons for his decision, only praised West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari.
Kartik belongs to the generation that has rallied behind actor-turned-politician Vijay and his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). His father, meanwhile, remains deeply loyal to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the Dravidian movement.
In an exclusive interview with India Today, Kerala Chief Minister-elect VD Satheesan expressed his gratitude to the Congress leadership and said he dedicates his chief ministership to the people of Kerala.
The Congress has named VD Satheesan as Kerala's next Chief Minister after 10 days of deliberations, choosing the popular six-time MLA over KC Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala.
The BJP won the municipal corporations of Ambala, Sonipat and Panchkula and all three mayoral posts. The results extended its post-Assembly momentum, though Independent Reema Soni upset the BJP in Uklana.
Tamil Nadu CM Floor Test Highlights: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay comfortably won the floor test on Wednesday, securing support from 144 MLAs after the DMK staged a walkout, bringing down the effective majority mark to 88 from 117. While 22 MLAs from the AIADMK camp led by Edappadi K Palaniswami voted against the government, 25 MLAs from the rebel CV Shanmugam faction backed Vijay. Four Pattali Makkal Katchi MLAs and one BJP legislator abstained from voting. Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government had been formed with support from the Congress, Left parties, VCK and IUML. An AMMK MLA had also extended support before being expelled from the party. The Assembly proceedings witnessed high drama as infighting within the AIADMK spilled into the open. Tensions escalated after the Speaker invited rebel AIADMK leader SP Velumani to speak, triggering protests from the EPS camp, which repeatedly called for unity within the party ahead of the trust vote. Stay tuned to indiatoday.tech for all the latest updates.
Sources said the party is likely to take a final call on the next Kerala CM within the next 24 hours, with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge expected in Delhi by evening to participate in the final discussions.
Assam CM Oath Ceremony Highlights: BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma took oath as the Chief Minister for a second consecutive term, days after leading the NDA back to power for a third straight stint in the state. Four ministers -- two from the BJP and one each -- to AGP and BPF, were also sworn in. Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya administered the oath to Sarma and the ministers in Guwahati. The ceremony drew Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman and several NDA chief ministers. The NDA returned to power with a sweeping two-thirds majority in last month's Assembly polls. The BJP alone won 82 seats, marking the first time that the party got past the majority mark of 64. Sarma became the first non-Congress leader in Assam to secure two back-to-back terms as chief minister. Stay tuned to indiatoday.tech for all updates.
A moment from the visit, captured on camera, also showed three members of Vaiko's household staff having what appeared to be a clear fan-girl moment with actor-turned-politician Vijay.
The Congress high command has called more Kerala leaders to Delhi as it weighs its chief ministerial choice after the UDF's election sweep. The delay, amid competing claims and ally unease, has intensified pressure to finalise government formation.
Keerthana later returned to the House with the certificate, submitted it to the official and took oath in the name of God. Keerthana, who won from Sivakasi by a margin of 11,670 votes, was the last minister to take oath.
The Muslim vote bloc, almost taken for granted as rock solid by the 'secular' parties, delivered a shock departure from conventional behaviour in the just-concluded Bengal elections.
The order of songs at Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's swearing-in has triggered a protest from the CPI. The party says Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu must be given precedence and wants the government to explain the decision.
The warmth between the two leaders, coming just days after the Congress ended its decades-old alliance with the DMK, could signal the emergence of a new political equation not just in Tamil Nadu, but possibly at the national level as well.
Unsurprisingly, the moment drew loud cheers and applause from the audience, who had earlier witnessed the actor-turned-politician scripting history as the first non-Dravidian Chief Minister in 59 years.
TVK leader C Joseph Vijay on Sunday took oath as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu amid a sea of supporters, his friends and family, and several political leaders. Eight other TVK leaders were sworn in besides him, as ministers in the new government. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also attended the ceremony. The TVK managed to secure the Governor's nod to form the government after the Congress, the CPI, the CPI(M), the VCK, and IUML extended their support to the Vijay-led party for a colaition government.
Newly sworn in Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay shared a headline-grabbing selfie moment with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi shortly after taking oath in Chennai, adding a viral political-pop culture touch to the historic ceremony.
Himanta Biswa Sarma was unanimously elected leader of the BJP and NDA Legislature parties in Assam. The decision sets the stage for the new government's swearing-in on May 12 in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The first file Vijay signed approved the rollout of 200 units of free electricity for domestic consumers. Another cleared the creation of a special force dedicated to women's safety. He also okayed a proposal to set up an anti-drug unit in every district, fulfilling his promise to tackle the alleged drug menace in the state.
Vijay's rise to the top post marks far more than a film star's political success in a cinema-driven state. It caps one of the most dramatic political ascents Tamil Nadu has witnessed in decades. Vijay, once known for his punch dialogues on screen, took oath as Tamil Nadu's first non-Dravidian Chief Minister in nearly six decades.
Former DMK minister KR Periyakaruppan has moved the Madras High Court after losing the Tiruppattur seat to TVK's Seenivasa Sethupathy by just one vote. The court will hold a special Sunday sitting to hear his plea seeking to restrain the TVK MLA from taking oath or participating in Assembly proceedings.
Kerala Govt Formation Live Updates: Days after the Kerala Assembly election results handed a decisive mandate to the Congress-led UDF, all eyes will be on today as the party is set to announce its chief ministerial face, following days of intense deliberations by the top leadership. Emerging as the X-factor in the race is powerful Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal, the Lok Sabha MP from Alappuzha, who has entered the fray despite not contesting the Assembly elections. Also in active contention are senior state Congress leaders VD Satheesan, the outgoing Leader of Opposition, and Ramesh Chennithala, a former LoP considered close to former Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Stay tuned with indiatoday.tech for all live updates.
TVK chief Vijay took oath as Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister on Sunday at a ceremony attended by political leaders, and his supporters and family members. The support extended by Congress, CPI, CPI(M), VCK and IUML was essential in securing the Governor's nod to form the government. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attended the ceremony, where Vijay took oath alongside eight other TVK leaders, who were sworn in as his ministers. PM Modi called to congratulate him.
Rahul Gandhi is also said to be weighing whether KC Venugopal should be sent to Kerala as chief minister or continue in his current organisational role as Congress general secretary at the national level.
The Trinamool Congress has named Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as Leader of Opposition in the 18th West Bengal Assembly. The move follows the party's defeat, Mamata Banerjee's loss in Bhabanipur and a wider reshuffle of opposition roles.
President Droupadi Murmu appointed N Rangasamy chief minister of Puducherry, and the Lieutenant Governor invited him to form the government. The AINRC leader will begin a fifth term after the NDA's comfortable election victory.
For three days, Vijay's march to Fort St George was repeatedly stalled not by a rival heavyweight, but by a two-MLA party that kept Tamil Nadu politics on edge.
After days of political uncertainty and alliance negotiations, Vijay secured support from 120 MLAs to stake claim in Tamil Nadu, paving the way for his swearing-in as Chief Minister on Sunday.
Vijay's TVK had defeated the ruling MK Stalin-led DMK in the Assembly election. Vijay didn't just weaken the DMK by snatching seats from it in direct contests, his path to the chief minister's office was made possible by the Dravida party's allies. The DMK is now left without its longtime friends.
The announcement by VCK and IUML ends four days of intense political negotiations after Vijay's TVK emerged as the single largest party in the Tamil Nadu elections.
Kerala New CM Announcement Highlights: The Congress high command is likely to take a call today on who will become the next Chief Minister of Kerala, where the UDF, led by the grand old party, stormed to a sweeping victory with 99 seats in the recently held Assembly polls. Congress leaders VD Satheesan, KC Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala are being considered contenders for the top job in Kerala. Lobbying has intensified by the respective supporters of the three leaders. Satheesan and Chennithala arrived in Delhi on Friday amid the mounting anticipation over the key job. Follow indiatoday.tech for the latest updates on the Kerala CM suspense.
Yogi Adityanath on Saturday presented a saffron gamcha to Suvendu Adhikari, shortly after the latter took oath as the first BJP Chief Minister of West Bengal. The crowd also erupted into a loud cheer as the scene unfolded at the swearing-in ceremony in Kolkata. This was at least the second such instance in recent weeks when the duo's bonhomie was witnessed publicly. Earlier, during the election campaign in the state, a powerful scene was witnessed when Adhikari bowed down at the feet of the UP Chief Minister as a mark of respect.
TTV Dhinakaran has accused Vijay's TVK of using a forged letter and an AI-generated video to show support from AMMK MLA Kamaraj S.
Palaniswami's post quickly set off political chatter because it came amid intense uncertainty over whether Vijay's Vijay-led TVK had managed to gather enough support to cross the majority mark in the 234-member Assembly.
A TVK worker attempted self-immolation over the delay in Vijay becoming chief minister and suffered burns. The incident highlights the intensity of support around Vijay amid expectations over his political rise.
Without much to show the people during the West Bengal campaign, the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress made its social welfare schemes, like Lakshmir Bhandar, its major poll plank. Going by the BJP landslide, women of West Bengal certainly didn't care much about the bird in hand.
K Muraleedharan said the Congress high command may decide Kerala's next chief minister within 24 hours. The remark came as lobbying sharpened among the three leading contenders for the post.
Mamata Banerjee changed her X bio as Suvendu Adhikari took oath as West Bengal Chief Minister. The update carefully avoided calling her a former chief minister.
The political landscape of West Bengal witnesses a major transition as the newly appointed Chief Minister takes the oath of office and secrecy.
The BJP's first government in West Bengal reflected a carefully balanced social and regional mix, with leaders from OBC, Kayastha, Matua, tribal and Rajbanshi communities finding representation in Suvendu Adhikari's cabinet.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday hugged and honoured 98-year-old Makhanlal Sarkar, one of the earliest and senior most members of the BJP. The scene unfolded on the stage ahead of Suvendu Adhikari's swearing-in as West Bengal's Chief Minister in Kolkata. PM Modi also touched Sarkar's feet and presented a shawl to him as a mark of respect. In 1952, Sarkar was arrested in Kashmir while he was accompanying Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee as the latter was marching to hoist the tricolour there. BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya described the elderly party leader as "one of the earliest grassroots figures associated with the nationalist movement in post-Independence India."
Suvendu Adhikari took oath as the BJP's first Chief Minister of Bengal on Saturday in a massive show of strength that saw Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and most of the Union Cabinet in attendance.
Congress leader Praveen Chakravarty used a satirical post to question the DMK over reports of contacts with the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu. The swipe also accused the party of trying to block Vijay-led TVK from aligning with secular parties at the BJP's behest.
