India

rape-accused-ashok-kharat-s-police-custody-pushed-to-april-1-by-nashik-court-what-we-know-so-far

Sun Mar 29 20:08:54 IST 2026

A Nashik court on Sunday extended police custody for disgraced 'godman' Ashok Kharat to April 1, as the number of FIRs registered against him have grown to 10.

Kharat—whose links to several leaders in Maharashtra's political circles is gradually coming to light—had been arrested on March 17 after a woman accused him of repeated rape over a three-year period.

He was produced before the Nashik court on Sunday after the end of his previous police custody period.

Of the ten FIRs registered against him so far at the Sarkarwada Police Station, eight have alleged sexual harassment while the other two accuse him of cheating.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case has also received more than a hundred calls—mostly from women—complaining against him. These complaints have added to the investigation, with some likely to add to the list of FIRs piling up against the disgraced 'godman'.

According to public prosecutor Shailendra Bagde, Kharat had not been cooperating with the SIT, which is yet to investigate the liquid that the 'godman' used to give the victims to seduce them before sexually exploiting them, he said. The former Merchant Navy officer is also known to have offered the victims drugged prasad.

With revelations of his political contacts slowly coming out—especially the Opposition's allegations of his influence on state cabinet decisions via the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP, as well as his alleged connections with some revenue ministers—the SIT is also probing whether he had saved the names of his contacts under false identities.

Other digital evidence related to the allegations are also being probed. So far, about 58 videos—including some explicit clips—which were saved on a pen drive have been recovered.

While defence lawyer Sachin Bhate claimed that the SIT was citing its previous reasons again in its request for police custody extension, the public prosecutor noted that the scale of the case and an investigation into accomplices warranted the three-day extension.

M.Y. Kale, another lawyer representing one of the victims, also said that the SIT could not be held responsible for Kharat not cooperating.

"These allegations and crimes are very heinous and anti-social. They have the potential to devastate families and impact society at large. Therefore, considering the intricacy of the allegations, the demand for the police custody should be considered," he noted.

bjp-cpm-sponsored-kc-venugopal-trashes-haryana-ticket-bribery-case-as-congress-faces-heat

Sun Mar 29 16:04:53 IST 2026

The bribery-for-tickets scandal has rocked the Congress camp in Haryana, with AICC leader K.C. Venugopal at the centre of the allegations. Venugopal has hit back, labelling the legal action a joint "sponsored move" by the BJP and CPI(M) to discredit senior Congress leadership ahead of the polls.

While responding to the media, Venugopal said that the petition had initially been submitted to the DGP under the Kerala Chief Minister, but no investigation was carried out at that stage.

A case was registered against Venugopal, MP Kodikunnil Suresh and others, over allegations of accepting bribes in return for an assembly election seat in Haryana.

Dismissing the allegations as politically motivated and fabricated, he said he has already initiated legal action. "This is a BJP-CPM-sponsored allegation. I have taken clear legal steps. I have also filed a complaint. Let them investigate," he said.

He reiterated that he has done nothing wrong.

Venugopal also accused Kerala CM of displaying intolerance due to fear of electoral defeat. "Will the CM dare to criticise Narendra Modi or Amit Shah? His comments against them are mild to ensure that they are not offended," he said.

"The UDF is going to the election with a clear stand that it will not make any pact with communal parties," he said.

He further alleged that the CPI(M) has an “evident alliance” with the BJP and NDA in the election.

The complaint was filed by a Haryana-based man who claimed he paid around Rs 7 crore to secure an election ticket for his wife.

According to the complaint, Kumar alleged that he was asked to make payments to secure a Congress ticket for his wife, whom he described as a state general secretary of Haryana Mahila Congress. He claimed that the money was paid in instalments through multiple bank accounts as well as in cash.

Kumar stated that he paid Rs 75 lakh in cash at the Delhi residence of Venugopal after being introduced there for discussions regarding the MLA ticket.

Dismissing the allegations, Haryana Congress President Rao Dan Singh said the charges were "baseless and politically motivated."

assam-assembly-polls-kharge-vows-justice-for-zubeen-garg-in-100-days-as-congress-unveils-manifesto

Sun Mar 29 16:00:57 IST 2026

The Assam state Congress has unveiled its Assembly election manifesto, rolling out a set of five key agenda items. AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, who led the campaign, told the large public rally that the manifesto was crafted in consultation with the people.

He proceeded to describe what he described as a forward-looking roadmap aimed at welfare, social security and indigenous rights.

In one significant assurance, Kharge said that the Congress would ensure justice in the Zubeen Garg case within 100 days, promising that those who were responsible would be brought be brought to book.

“We will not let the perpetrators scoot free. Garg has been murdered, and within 100 days, we will provide justice to him,” he declared.

The party also promised an unconditional monthly financial assistance of RS 50,000 to women for entrepreneurship. He said the scheme was a departure from conditional transfers, Kharge said.

“BJP gives conditional transfers. They ask if you are from the BJP. Congress will not ask such questions. We will provide financial support unconditionally, and if possible, go beyond that,” he said.
The party also said that they would give a cashless health insurance cover of Rs 25 lakh for every family, similar to schemes in Congress-ruled states such as Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Kharge also pledged 10 lakh to the indigenous people, which will replace the annual allotment system.

“After this, people will not have to run from pillar to post before the administration. Land rights will be secured and that too permanently,” he said, underlining the measure as a priority intervention.
A monthly allowance of Rs 1,250 for senior citizens was also promised.

Kharge then attacked the ruling party sayig the chief minister “Himanta Biswa Sarma is invoking fear among the people. Those who are not with him are pushed into trouble. Do not be afraid of such politics,” he said.

chinnaswamy-stadium-became-a-hub-for-phone-thieves-during-ipl-opener-bengaluru-police-say

Mon Mar 30 12:00:32 IST 2026

The opening IPL match of the season between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday witnessed scores of Bengalureans losing their phones. According to local media reports, an organised criminal gang orchestrating a theft spree at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium cannot be ruled out.

Around eight cases of missing mobile phones have been reported to the Cubbon Park police, The Times of India said in a report. According to the daily, preliminary information available to the police personnel on the spot suggests around 12 phones may have gone missing during the game. Some cases may involve pickpocketing, while others could be due to phones being misplaced or accidentally dropped in the crowd, an officer was quoted as telling TOI.

As many as five people who lost their phones reported the incident at the police station, while three others made use of the e-lost portal. The Bengaluru Police reportedly said that it will take a couple of days to gain clarity on the total number of missing phones. Most incidents have been reported near Gate No. 3. Police are analysing CCTV footage, the TOI report said.

Meanwhile, another report claimed that several mobile phones were stolen from the P3 stand of the stadium alone. “During the first innings, when my husband went to get water, his phone was stolen. Like us, many others lost their phones at the same time and were left distressed,” TV9 Marathi quoted a woman stating on social media.

She alleged that the response from the policemen at the stadium was lukewarm when they approached for help, even after reporting the issue to the officers present. Later, when they went to the police station to register a complaint, they found hundreds of people standing in line to file similar reports. In connection with the case, the police have reportedly detained 10 to 12 minors, TV9 Marathi said.

tamil-nadu-assembly-elections-2026-4-tvk-battles-to-watch-out-for-as-polling-date-looms

Mon Mar 30 00:38:10 IST 2026

With the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) releasing its candidate list for all 234 constituencies of the Tamil Nadu Assembly, the stage has been set for a number of high-profile clashes for the elections on April 23.

This time round, the TVK, led by actor-politician Vijay—now C. Joseph Vijay for the polls—has decided to contest solo against giants DMK and AIADMK, after the last-minute collapse of alliance talks.

The spotlight is now on the challenger party's three heavyweights—C. Joseph Vijay, K.A. Sengottaiyan, and Aadhav Arjuna—and their high-profile clashes across the state.

Perambur

One of the two constituencies contested by the former actor and TVK chief is Perambur in northern Chennai, the heart of the ruling DMK's urban base, where he looks to unseat incumbent DMK veteran R.D. Shekar.

With more than 2.20 lakh voters, Perambur is one of the largest assembly segments in Chennai, and a predominantly working-class area that has been a DMK stronghold since 2019.

The AIADMK, on the other hand, as has allotted the seat to a candidate from the Dr Anbumani Ramadoss-led Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK).

Tiruchirappalli East

Tiruchirappalli East, the second of the two constituencies contested as a part of TVK chief Vijay's bold two-pronged offensive to secure at least one Assembly seat in the polls, lies at the heart of the state.

Boasting a semi-urban voter base of about 2.17 lakh voters, C. Joseph Vijay will fight for this seat against sitting DMK leader S. Inigo Irudayaraj, who founded the Christian organisation Christhuva Nallenna Iyakkam.

Trichy East also comes with a significant Christian population—a key factor, in a constituency that heavily influences the outcome of the overall elections.

"Perambur means the superstar will depend on popularity votes, while Tiruchi East means community votes,” a senior TVK leader told Indian Express, adding that the latter may be easier to win.

The AIADMK, which has won this seat two out of the five times it contested for it over the past six elections—with the other four going to the DMK—has decided to field K. Rajasekaran.

Gobichettipalayam

This seat, which once gave K.A. Sengottaiyan eight wins (and just one loss) back when he was with the AIADMK now sees him return under the TVK banner.

Sengottaiyan will take on V.B. Prabhu, a fresh face who rose up the ranks by means of student politics, and will be fighting his first such election against a veteran.

This will mean that voters will be torn between voting for the man that they raised to the seat eight times, versus a new face from the party that has long commanded their loyalty.

Villivakkam

Aadhav Arjuna, another of the TVK's most prominent faces and its general secretary for election campaign management, was once not only a top official in the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), an ally of the ruling DMK-led alliance, but also played an important role as a strategist for the ruling alliance in the 2021 elections.

In contesting against Karthik Mohan of this DMK bastion, Arjuna brings a wealth of insights on the DMK's own functioning.

This makes him a strong contender against Karthik, a new face that also has insights into the election arts, as he is the son of M.K. Mohan, a wealthy veteran politician from the nearby seat of Anna Nagar.

west-bengal-polls-congress-s-full-list-of-284-candidates-out-pradip-prasad-to-take-on-mamata-banerjee-suvendu-adhikari-in-bhabhanipur

Sun Mar 29 21:30:40 IST 2026

The Congress on Sunday released its full list of 284 candidates for the 2026 Assembly polls in West Bengal, which will be held in two phases—on April 23 and April 29—with votes to be counted on May 4.

The national party aims to make inroads into the state by contesting solo this time, after a terrible loss in the 2021 elections, when it had contested alongside the Left front, and failed to win a single seat, while the TMC won 213.

The announcement of candidates for the West Bengal polls comes a day after Congress's top brass held a meeting discussing the list.

Five-time Lok Sabha MP and Congress veteran Adhir Ranjan Choudhary has been fielded from Berhampore in a bid to revive the party's traditional strongholds in the central and northern parts of the state.

Notably, Chowdhury first won the Nabagram seat in 1996, leaving it in 1999 to switch to Berhampore, where he won five consecutive Lok Sabha elections till he lost the seat to former cricketer and TMC candidate Yusuf Pathan in 2024.

With the nomination of Chowdhury, the Berhampore seat sees a high-profile triangular fight between Chowdhury's entry sets up a high-profile triangular fight between sitting BJP MLA Subrata Moitra and TMC candidate Naru Gopal Mukherjee.

The national party has also fielded Pradip Prasad in Bhabhanipur, the stronghold of CM Mamata Banerjee that has given her three wins in the past.

The seat will also be hotly contested by BJP heavyweight Suvendu Adhikari, who defeated Banerjee from his stronghold of Nandigram in the 2021 elections.

Notably, for Kharagpur Sadar, the Congress has fielded Papiya Chakraborty against the saffron party's pick, Dilip Ghosh.

The list also includes Madhap Rai from Darjeeling, former MP Mausam Noor from Malatipur, Abdul Hannan from Sujapur, Souvik Mukherjee from Asansol Dakshin and Prasenjit Puitandi from Asansol Uttar.

villivakkam-can-vijay-claim-the-dmk-chennai-bastion-by-fielding-aadhav-arjuna-tvk-candidate-list

Sun Mar 29 15:03:07 IST 2026

The picture is now clear. Karthik Mohan of the DMK is up against S. R. Vijayakumar of the AIADMK and Aadhav Arjuna of the TVK in Tamil Nadu's Villivakkam Assembly constituency. Another notable contestant in the fray is the NTK's Roshini.

Who is Aadhav Arjuna?

Aadhav Arjuna served as the Deputy General Secretary of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) before joining Vijay's political project. "Mr Arjuna, who has been appointed as the party’s election campaign management general secretary, will function along with my political strategist John Arockiyasamy in organising election campaigns,” the Kollywood icon had said in a statement announcing Arjuna's TVK entry in January 2025.

ALSO READ | AIADMK second candidate list decoded: Loyalists favoured as Palaniswami plays it safe

There were rumours about the duo's association as the superstar, in late 2024, had launched the book Ellorukkumaana Thalaivar Ambedkar, authored by Arjuna.

Can TVK upset DMK in its bastion?

Coming back to Villivakkam, the constituency falls within the limits of the Chennai Central Lok Sabha seat and is currently represented by the DMK's A. Vetriazhagan. Chennai Central is considered a DMK bastion. He had won against the AIADMK's J. C. D. Prabhakar by a margin of 37,237 votes. The NTK finished fourth behind the MNM but had consolidated 10,000-odd votes.

ALSO READ | AMMK candidate list 2026: All 11 nominees named by TTV Dhinakaran

In 2016, however, the DMK faced a stiffer challenge as B. Ranganathan could only manage a victory of 9,321 votes over Thadi M. Raju of its arch-nemesis. In 2011, the AIADMK's J. C. D. Prabhakar had won the seat by 10,782 votes, breaking a decade-long DMK dominance.

Unconfirmed reports had earlier said that DMK district secretary Sekar Babu backed the party's decision to field Karthik Mohan for the seat after they received a hint that the TVK would be fielding Arjuna. Sekar Babu had reportedly assured the state leadership that he will personally work for Mohan’s victory.

ALSO READ | DMK allies VCK, DMDK to fight Tamil Nadu assembly elections from these seats | Arakkonam, Thiruttani Kallakurichi...

Villivakkam is among the seats where connectivity, traffic congestion, industrial pollution, and similar civic issues have taken centre stage ahead of the assembly polls. Better bus connectivity, roads, and a solution to the Otteri Nullah flooding are among the local issues that could affect the voting patterns of the residents.

pm-modi-flags-ldf-udf-selfish-politics-in-poll-bound-kerala-presents-nda-as-a-team-in-palakkad-rally-or-5-updates

Sun Mar 29 18:42:18 IST 2026

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a fierce attack at both the ruling LDF alliance and the Opposition's UDF alliance, calling them "two masks of selfish politics", and promising that the BJP would make inroads in the state this year.

Speaking at a rally in Fort Maidan, Palakkad, he attacked both sides of misusing funds from the Centre, the employment crises that sparked rising migration rates, and the rising political violence in Kerala.

Modi's Palakkad rally, which forms the first phase of the NDA's campaigning in the poll-bound state, will be followed by visits to Pala (in Kottayam) and Thiruvananthapuram, as well as the arrival of key alliance faces such as Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president J.P. Nadda.

The state is scheduled to go to the polls on April 9, with the votes to be counted on May 4.

Here are five major updates from the PM's visit to Palakkad:

1) Modi flagged Kerala's debt crisis, alleging that the state was crumbling under the weight of debt that had more than tripled to reach more than Rs 5 lakh crore.

"When the NDA government comes to power, this money will go into the pockets of our own people, and will be used for the development of the people of Keralam," he declared, noting that no new industrial projects had been started to employ people en masse.

2) The gloves really came off when PM Modi took an unusually specific jab at expelled Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil and councillor Prashob Valsan, who have been embroiled in controversies over alleged sexual misconduct.

Though he did not mention the two by name, he called them a "danger to the safety of women", and hit out at the national party for taking in leaders who he claimed should have been in a courtroom, rather than the Assembly.

3) Modi alleged that the LDF and UDF were peddling a propaganda in the state by calling the NDA alliance each other's "B-team".

"Communists say that Congress is the B-team of the BJP, and Congress says that the Communists are the B-team of the BJP," he noted, adding that his party was the "A-team".

4) The chaos in the Gulf was a major talking point in Modi's Palakkad rally, where he argued that the BJP-led NDA government was constantly in talks with various countries to ensure the safety of Indians—mostly those from Kerala—living in conflict zones.

In that regard, he hit out at the national party for issuing highly political statements related to the war in the Gulf, saying that such rhetoric could endanger the lives of thousands of Indians in the Middle East.

5) Modi expanded his rhetoric against the LDF and the UDF, citing examples of misgovernance in states ruled by the Left and Congress, and asserting that the people of Kerala were looking for an alternative to both fronts.

"NDA's target is to fulfil the dreams of the people of Keralam," he said, pointing out that it had provided five times more Budget allocation to Kerala than the Congress when it had been at the Centre.

aiadmk-final-candidate-list-adhav-arjuna-villivakkam-udhayanidhi-chepauk-among-seats-included

Sun Mar 29 14:17:57 IST 2026

The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) on Sunday released its candidates for the remaining 17 constituencies, completing its list for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

Vijayakumar has been fielded by the principal opposition party for the Villivakkam seat. He will be facing Adhav Arjuna of the TVK and Karthik Mohan of the DMK in the constituency. Adhirajaram has been tasked with taking on Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin for the Chepauk–Triplicane seat.

Sholinganallur, Alandur, Egmore, and Kolathur are among the other constituencies included in the third and final list of the party. Out of the 41 constituencies in the central districts of Tiruchirappalli, Karur, Perambalur, Pudukkottai, Ariyalur, Thanjavur, Mayiladuthurai, Tiruvarur, and Nagapattinam—after allocating 14 seats to its allies—the AIADMK will be contesting from 27 constituencies.

ALSO READ | Did AIADMK hand tough seats to smaller NDA partners? The many calculations involved

It was earlier confirmed that the Leader of the Opposition, K. Palaniswami, will contest from his home turf of the Edappadi constituency. The AIADMK retained top leaders K. P. Munusamy and Dindigul C. Sreenivasan—both MLAs—in its first list and fielded them from their home constituencies of Veppanahalli (Krishnagiri) and Dindigul.

Former minister D. Jayakumar will fight from Royapuram in North Chennai, and Rajya Sabha MP C. Ve. Shanmugam, also an ex-minister, will try his luck from Mailam in Villupuram.

READ HERE | AIADMK candidate list 2026: Is your constituency included in first chart? Kovilpatti, Royapuram, Thirumangalam...

While the Dravidian major is contesting 169 seats, a total of 65 seats have been allocated to the alliance parties. According to sources, EPS chose the candidates based on two aspects: those who will not oppose his leadership in the next five years and those with the financial resources to afford a spend of at least ₹10 crore during the contest.

AIADMK third candidate list:

Thousand Lights – Valarmathi
Anna Nagar – Gokul Indira
Chepauk–Triplicane – Adhirajaram
Tittakudi – Murugumaran
Harbour – Royapuram Mano
Virugambakkam – Virugai Ravi
T. Nagar – Sathyanarayanan
Velachery – Ashok
Sholinganallur – K. P. Kandan
R. K. Nagar – Rajesh
Villivakkam – Vijayakumar
Tiruchuzhi – Rajavarman
Alandur – Saravanan
Kolathur – Santhana Krishnan
Egmore – Abhishek Rangasamy
Alangudi – Dhana Vimal

Tamil Nadu will go to the polls on April 23.

will-actor-vijay-win-from-trichy-east-tvk-founder-announces-second-constituency-after-perambur

Sun Mar 29 12:54:03 IST 2026

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) founder and actor Vijay has announced that he will be contesting from two constituencies - Tiruchirappalli East and Perambur - in the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections. He also named candidates for the other seat, including other senior leaders N Anand, Adhav Arjuna, R Arunraaj, CTR Nirmal Kumar and KA Sengkottaiyan.

While Vijay’s participation in the Perambur seat was almost certain, with TVK already starting a campaign in the constituency in the Chennai region, his candidature in Trichy East is seen as a means to ensure his victory in one seat, even if he suffers a setback in the other. The party was also on the search for a favourable constituency for the TVK chief with a large minority population, which pushed them to select Trichy.

As for Perambur, the DMK has a stronghold with its MLA DMK candidate R.D. Sekar securing 105,267 votes in the constituency. He defeated Dhanapalan, who contested on the Two Leaves ticket in alliance with the AIADMK, by a margin of 54,976 votes.

The AIADMK has set aside Perambur for its ally, PMK.

Even Trichy East won’t be an easy ride for the actor-turned-politician. This constituency, which was called Trichy 1, was renamed Trichy East after the constituency reorganisation in 2008. In 2011, Manoharan from the AIADMK, and in 2016, former minister Vellamandi Natarajan, who contested on behalf of the AIADMK, won. But, DMK wrested the seat in 2021 when Christian Goodwill Movement leader Iniko Irudayarajan won in Trichy East by securing 94,302 votes, defeating Vellamandi Natarajan by a margin of 53,797 votes.

Though Vijay is eyeing the large minority population and the working-class communities in Trichy East, the same people act as the support base for Irudayarajan, too.

The AIADMK candidate in Trichy is Rajasekaran, while Krishnasamy is contesting for Naam Tamilar Katchi.

Vijay’s party believes that contesting from Trichy East, the heartland of Tamil Nadu, will give the party and him a role in the delta regions and southern districts, while contesting from Perambur will give him an edge in the state capital.

indigo-to-launch-30-new-routes-from-navi-mumbai-airport-details-here

Sun Mar 29 12:01:26 IST 2026

Low-cost airline IndiGo has announced plans to introduce 30 new routes from Navi Mumbai International Airport over the next month, significantly enhancing regional connectivity. The new destinations will include cities such as Agra, Ayodhya, Bagdogra, Belgaum, Chandigarh, Diu, Kannur, Kolkata, Patna, Rajkot, Srinagar, Varanasi, and Visakhapatnam.

With these additions, IndiGo will operate more than 400 weekly departures from Navi Mumbai. On Sunday, the airline launched twice-daily, direct flights between Bhavnagar and Navi Mumbai. Additionally, flights to Jamnagar will commence from April 23.

These new routes bolster connectivity in Gujarat, with IndiGo now serving six cities in the state: Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, and Jamnagar.

Navi Mumbai International Airport, developed and operated by Adani Airports Holdings Limited (AAHL), a subsidiary of Adani Enterprises, is one of India’s largest greenfield airport projects.

Earlier this month, IndiGo and AAHL announced a partnership that allows IndiGo BluChip members to earn points on duty-free shopping across AAHL-managed airports. Members will earn five BluChips for every Rs 100 spent on duty-free products pre-booked through the Adani platform.

lets-face-it-together-modi-urges-national-unity-amid-escalating-west-asia-crisis

Sun Mar 29 14:30:51 IST 2026

As the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East continue to destabilise global markets, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for national unity, urging citizens to come together and face the challenges ahead.

In his monthly radio address Mann Ki Baat, Modi appealed to the nation to remain vigilant and avoid falling prey to rumors.

"This is undoubtedly a challenging time. Through today’s Mann Ki Baat, I once again urge all 140 crore fellow citizens to unite and overcome these challenges. I appeal to everyone to stay vigilant and not be misled by rumors," the prime minister said.

Reflecting on the global situation, Modi noted that after the COVID-19 pandemic, the world hoped for a fresh start toward progress, but instead, conflicts and wars continued to emerge in various parts of the world.

"Currently, a fierce war has been raging for over a month in our neighborhood. Many families in India have relatives residing in these conflict zones, especially in the Gulf," he added.

Modi expressed his gratitude towards Gulf nations for their support in ensuring the safety of Indian nationals amid the turmoil. He also highlighted India’s strengthened global relations and the resilience built over the past decade, which has enabled the country to face these challenges with resolve.

The Middle East conflict began on February 28 following a joint airstrike by the US and Israel on Iran, which resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In retaliation, Tehran targeted Gulf nations hosting US military bases. Iran also effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil chokepoint, sending shockwaves through the global oil market and driving prices to new highs.

India has also felt the impact, with several commercial establishments, restaurants, and hotels closing due to an LPG shortage. However, Iran has agreed to allow India-bound ships to pass through the Strait, providing some relief.

ashok-kharat-case-did-disgraced-godman-influence-maharashtra-cabinet-ncp-responds-to-shocking-opposition-claim

Sat Mar 28 22:29:28 IST 2026

Amid the investigation into disgraced 'godman' Ashok Kharat, a leader from the Sharad Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) alleged on Saturday that the arrested 'godman' had influenced Maharashtra's state cabinet.

Kharat, who is a former Merchant Navy officer, had been arrested on March 17, following accusations of rape, molestation, and cheating, which in turn have caused issues for the ruling Mahayuti alliance, which includes the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP, on which he allegedly exerted his influence.

While the March 17 arrest came after a woman alleged that he had sexually assaulted her over a three-year period (2022-25), reports say a case had been piling up against Kharat for months. The police probe so far has recovered 58 videos—including some explicit clips—which were saved on a pen drive.

According to the fresh allegations against Kharat by NCP (SP) leader Vikas Lawande, the disgraced godman had been in contact with the NCP's state president Sunil Tatkare in order to ensure that Manikrao Kokate, an MLA from Sinnar, was not made a minister.

"Kokate is Kharat's local MLA and the 'godman' had problems with him," Lawande claimed, as per an NDTV report.

"Kokate was a hurdle for Kharat. You won't find a single photograph of them together. Kharat made several calls to Tatkare, asking him not to include Kokate in the Maharashtra cabinet. However, since Ajit Pawar was the ultimate authority in the party, that was not possible," he added.

"Our decisions are made independently," declared NCP spokesperson Anand Paranjpe, dismissing the allegations.

"All decisions in our party were taken by former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. The decision regarding who would be included in the cabinet from the NCP quota was entirely his. That responsibility now rests with Sunetra Pawar," he added.

This also comes amid allegations by revenue minister and BJP leader Chandrashekhar Bawankule, who admitted recently that Kharat even had links to some officials in the revenue department, as per a Loksatta report.

The report added that the probe has already brought up the names of some officials involved in the case, and continues to find out the extent of his powerful connections.

will-vijays-contest-in-perambur-and-trichy-east-boost-tvks-prospects-in-tamil-nadu-polls

Sun Mar 29 15:01:43 IST 2026

Actor and Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) leader Vijay is all set to contest from the Perambur assembly constituency in North Chennai and the Trichy East constituency from the central district of Tiruchirapalli.

Vijay announced his decision to contest from two constituencies during an event in Chennai, where he introduced the party's candidates for the upcoming assembly elections.

The idea of choosing Perambur and Trichy East is aimed at increasing his chances of winning at least one seat to secure a place in the state assembly. Perambur, a high-profile constituency with over 2.20 lakh voters, is one of the largest assembly segments in Chennai following the 2011 delimitation.

Kodungaiyur and Thiruvottiyur, the two major divisions of the Chennai corporation, alone account for over one lakh votes in Perambur, which is predominantly a working-class area. DMK and the AIADMK have won the constituency in earlier elections, but it has been a DMK bastion since 2019. Presently represented by R.D. Sekar from the DMK, the constituency will witness a tight contest this time with Vijay in the fray.

The NDA has allotted the Perambur assembly segment to Dr Anbumani Ramadoss -led Pattali Makkal Katchi. The constituency has a socially diverse section of the electorate, including a sizable Dalit population and also a notable anglo-Indian population.

Vijay will also contest from Trichy East, one of the prominent constituencies in the Tiruchirapalli district with over 2.17 lakh voters. Trichy East is a semi-urban constituency, with over 30 per cent of the segment located on the outskirts of the city. The seat is currently held by S. Inigo Irudayaraj, the founder of the Christian organisation Christhuva Nallenna Iyakkam. Inigo is contesting on the DMK’s 'rising sun' symbol. In 2021, he defeated former AIADMK minister Vellamandi Natarajan.

With a large Christian voter base, particularly from the Vellalar community, the constituency also has a significant urban electorate, which constitutes nearly a quarter of the population. It is a strategically and sentimentally important seat in the history of Tamil Nadu, as the party winning from this constituency has formed the government in the past three elections after delimitation in 2011.

The TVK has chosen two constituencies for Vijay as the party's strategy team hopes for a favourable outcome in the polls. The party’s second-rung leaders, including TVK General Secretary Bussy Anand, are contesting from constituencies in Chennai, particularly those where the DMK is considered to be strong. Anand will contest from T. Nagar constituency in South Chennai. Aadhav Arjuna will enter the fray from Villivakkam, while former AIADMK MLA J.C.D. Prabhakar, who joined TVK, is fielded from Thousand Lights.

TVK party treasurer P. Venkataraman will contest from Mylapore. Former MLA V.S. Babu, who joined the TVK recently, has been fielded against Chief Minister M.K. Stalin at Kolathur constituency.

mota-bhai-jawab-chai-mamata-banerjee-hits-back-at-amit-shah-s-chargesheet-against-tmc-as-west-bengal-poll-battle-heats-up

Sat Mar 28 19:54:44 IST 2026

Allegations and counter-allegations flew between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) with Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s Kolkata visit on Saturday opening a Pandora’s box with a ‘chargesheet’ on misgovernance during Mamata Banerjee’s rule in West Bengal.

“In 15 years, fear, corruption and division politics is taking place with the help of lies, fear and violence, Mamata is taking her politics forward with the new theory,” said Amit Shah.

The 40-odd-page booklet, focusing on various sectors of neglect and misgovernance by the ruling TMC establishment, is a prelude to the saffron party’s ‘Bharosha Potro’ (manifesto) expected next week.

“Mamata has always played victim card politics. Sometimes she breaks her foot, sometimes she ties a band-aid on her head, sometimes she falls ill and sometimes she acts like a victim in front of the Election Commission (EC) and abuses them,” said the Union Home Minister.

“Mamata Di, I have come to tell you that people of Bengal have seen through and understood your victim card politics. To abuse the Election Commission does not suit Bengal’s culture.”

Shah also questioned why Mamata was against Special Intensive Revision (SIR), which has been conducted in 12 states and Union Territories (UTs). The infiltration issue which the saffron party has been focusing on repeatedly is also another aspect that he used to hit out at Mamata.

“What happened in Bengal that judicial officers had to be placed? District Magistrates (DMs) did not work efficiently, hence judicial officers had to be placed,” he questioned.

The Home Minister also pointed out that the Murshidabad district violence on Ram Navami (on Friday) had been brought under control due to competent officers brought into the state after the EC transferred several officers close to Mamata after election dates were announced.

“Violence has been less this time because officers close to Mamata were transferred by Election Commission. That is why the violence was curtailed,” he added.

The TMC tore into the BJP soon after by releasing its own chargesheet against Shah with the slogan ‘Mota Bhai, Jawab Chai’. The chargesheet had 12 points on misgovernance in BJP-ruled states, including corruption, safety of women and ethnic violence.

“He is one such Home Minister who is a fugitive. In another country, he could never become the Home Minister,” said TMC leader Kirti Azad, who was in the BJP earlier.

“You are not doing SIR because you want to send back infiltrators—there are no infiltrators. In Bihar you used the same excuse ... You are doing SIR to disenfranchise valid citizens. That is the only reason you are doing this,” claimed Mohua Moitra.

The TMC hit out at the BJP for stating judicial officers were only sent to West Bengal, and nowhere else in the country.

“In no other state has the issue of logical discrepancy happened. No other state has 1.2 crore voters—which is 15 per cent of our voter base—put through hearings ... The answer is, Amit Shah’s desperation to win West Bengal,” Moitra added.

The TMC also questioned the BJP for saying that officers transferred by the EC were cadres from the TMC.

“If they are not competent officers, why are they sent as observers to other states? When SIR was taking place they didn’t find anything wrong with the officers, they were all right,” Azad questioned.

The battle of words between the two parties is heating up with less than a month to go for the elections.

While TMC’s manifesto looks to take forward their existing welfare schemes and other projects in various sectors, the BJP says its manifesto will be solution-oriented to give Bengal’s citizens a growth-oriented vision.

brand-stalin-the-making-of-a-modern-tamil-nadu-leader

Sun Mar 29 11:07:03 IST 2026

On March 4, as he stepped out of the DMK headquarters after another round of tense seat-sharing talks with Congress leaders, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin paused briefly before getting into his car. Journalists asked the question everyone had been asking for weeks: had the negotiations finally ended? Stalin did not speak. Instead, he moved his right hand in a swift sideways motion through the air, smiled gently, and signalled that the discussions were “finished”.

Within minutes, the brief gesture had travelled far beyond that street. The clip went viral across social media platforms, amplified by the DMK’s IT wing, which added dramatic background music to turn the moment into a carefully framed image of quiet authority. But the following day, while in Thanjavur to attend the wedding of his friend Anbil Poyyamozhi’s granddaughter, Stalin chose to soften the symbolism. He clarified that the gesture had been spontaneous rather than deliberate.

That small moment captured the contradiction that has come to define what many in Tamil Nadu now call “Brand Stalin”: a leader whose image appears meticulously crafted but who insists it has grown naturally.

For weeks before the March 4 episode, the DMK-Congress negotiations had begun to chip away at the perception that the INDIA bloc had a comfortable hold over Tamil Nadu. Political observers openly warned that the DMK would struggle to retain power if the Congress walked out of the alliance. Within the DMK, too, senior leaders and well-wishers worried that years of friction had pushed the Congress to the edge. Congress leaders, for their part, privately complained that the party was being marginalised within the alliance.

Yet the talks did not collapse. Stalin threw himself fully into the process. He tasked Kanimozhi with carrying discussions forward, brought senior figures from both parties into a smaller negotiating group, and personally spoke to Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in the presence of former Union minister P. Chidambaram. Behind the scenes, the effort was relentless. In public, however, Stalin appeared calm, smiling, and willing to listen carefully to every suggestion from AICC in-charge Girish Chodankar and Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal.

When he spoke in Thanjavur, he chose a single line to explain his approach: “this is not merely an alliance of arithmetic. It is an alliance of principles.” In the rush of election negotiations, such lines are easy to miss. But that sentence may also be the key to understanding how Stalin has changed over time.

For most of his political life, a single label followed him: heir-in-waiting. It sounded respectful, even affectionate, but it never conveyed authority. It suggested that his rise from party treasurer to working president had come through inheritance rather than struggle. For years, Stalin had to live in the long shadow of his father M. Karunanidhi.

That perception began to shift after 2016, when Karunanidhi withdrew from active politics. The change, according to DMK spokesperson S.K.P. Karuna, did not happen overnight. “It was organically built. It is because of his personal qualities and his nature. He is an inclusive leader. No one could have ever heard him talk in a harsh tone or even express anger,” Karuna told THE WEEK. The transformation became more visible after the DMK returned to power in 2021. One of the first moments that shaped his public image came during the pandemic. Wearing full protective gear, Stalin walked into a Covid ward in Coimbatore to meet patients and doctors. The visuals of a chief minister entering a Covid ward spread rapidly online, reinforcing the impression of a leader willing to step directly into difficult situations.

Another turning point came with the free bus travel scheme for women. The government had barely issued the order when a demand surfaced on social media to extend the benefit to transgender persons. Within minutes, Stalin met representatives of the community and announced that the scheme would include them as well. “This was one of the reasons for his image building. The decision was taken when someone placed the request via social media. He immediately consulted the authorities and made a quick decision,” Karuna said.

A few months later, Stalin personally visited the home of Ashwini, a Narikurava woman on the outskirts of Chennai. Ashwini had spoken publicly about how members of her community were denied dignity during an annadhanam (sacred act of offering food) at a temple. Stalin went to her house with a Deepavali gift and used the moment to signal support for the Irular and Narikuravar communities. These gestures, small in political terms, accumulated steadily and began to reshape the way he was seen.

In five years as chief minister, Stalin has rarely tried to reinvent himself through dramatic moves. Instead, the change in his image appears to have come through consistency. Karunanidhi had always been larger than the party in terms of personality and communication. Stalin, many within the DMK say, represents a different style. He may not write or speak with the same flourish, but his stature has grown through persistence rather than rhetoric.

During a recent budget session, Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu praised this evolution, describing Stalin not simply as a political name but as a force that now carries weight well beyond Tamil Nadu. The emphasis, however, has been less on personality and more on governance. The Dravidian Model of administration—focused on state autonomy, social justice and efficient delivery—has become the framework through which Stalin has rebuilt his political identity.

His confrontation with the Union government has also strengthened that identity. Stalin has consistently opposed what he sees as attempts to centralise power in New Delhi, particularly in areas such as language policy and education. His resistance to what he calls Hindi imposition and his rejection of the National Education Policy have helped position him as a leading voice of southern states within national politics.

But perhaps his most significant achievement has been alliance management. Across India, opposition coalitions have struggled to remain intact. In Tamil Nadu, however, the DMK-led alliance has held together since 2019 and has even expanded. Author and political strategist Aspire K. Swaminathan believes this consistency has changed the political narrative. He says Stalin has slowly built durable political authority through a series of steady decisions rather than spectacular moves. According to him, a coalition that many predicted would collapse has instead entered the 2026 elections larger and more stable than before.

Dravidian politics has traditionally carried a sharp, confrontational edge. Political rivals were not merely defeated; they were often humiliated. Stalin appears to have chosen a different path. He has not used the machinery of government to pursue personal grudges, nor has he tried to publicly diminish those who oppose him. Instead, he has made a point of maintaining basic courtesies even with political adversaries.

There are several examples that party leaders frequently cite. When Naam Tamilar Katchi leader Seeman lost his father, Stalin called him personally. He visited BJP leader H. Raja in hospital despite deep ideological differences. When O. Panneerselvam’s mother passed away, Stalin went to pay his respects, and he did the same when the mother of his political rival Edappadi K. Palaniswami died. Such gestures may appear routine, but in a political culture defined by rivalry, they stand out.

Behind this softer political style lies a government that has focused heavily on welfare delivery. The breakfast scheme for schoolchildren, the cash assistance provided to women, free bus travel, financial support for students and UPSC coaching under the Naan Mudhalvan programme have all become part of everyday life for many families. Instead of being one-time announcements, these schemes have turned into predictable monthly support that people now factor into their household budgets.

That reliability has helped create what party insiders describe as a “quiet brand”. The image is reinforced not only through governance but also through a well-organised communication network. Over the past four years, the DMK’s media team has systematically amplified Stalin’s speeches and initiatives across social media and local WhatsApp groups. The effort is meticulous, but it works only because the message is backed by delivery.

Even within the DMK, some leaders privately admit that Stalin’s popularity occasionally generates envy. He is known to respond quickly when party workers face personal difficulties, and he has tried to project the image of a leader who is accessible rather than distant. A senior bureaucrat who has worked closely with him believes the change in perception comes largely from personality rather than strategy. According to the official, Stalin’s willingness to listen, accept criticism, and remain calm under pressure has allowed other qualities to fall into place.

Tamil Nadu’s political space has been deeply polarised for decades. There was a time when even social occasions were affected by political divisions. Party leaders often refused to attend family functions if the families belonged to rival political camps. Many within the DMK now argue that Stalin has helped soften that culture by emphasising mutual respect rather than confrontation.

The idea of “Brand Stalin” therefore does not refer to a sudden reinvention. It reflects a slow process in which a leader once described as an heir-in-waiting waited patiently for public validation. Over five years in office, that validation has come through a combination of political maturity, administrative consistency, and a carefully cultivated image of inclusiveness.

DMK leaders describe the brand in almost ideological terms. They say it represents intelligence, ideological conviction, accommodation and relentless work. Above all, they emphasise his focus on nurturing younger leaders within the party, suggesting that the brand is not merely about an individual but about continuity.

In the end, the viral hand gesture outside the party office may not have created the image. It simply reflected the confidence that had been built slowly over time. The alliance deal could not have gone viral merely because Stalin made a gesture. It resonated because a leader who had once been seen as waiting for recognition had finally earned it through patience, discipline, and persistence.

“Brand Stalin means intelligent, ideologically stubborn, accommodative, workaholic, non-tiring, consultative yet firm in decisions, strategic and a visionary,” said Dr S.A.S. Hafeezullah, deputy secretary DMK media relations. “He is always particular that he grooms young talents.”

tvk-full-candidate-list-adhav-arjuna-from-villivakkam-k-a-sengottaiyan-in-gobichettipalayam-as-vijay-to-contest-from-perambur-trichy-east

Sun Mar 29 17:26:23 IST 2026

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief and Kollywood sensation Vijay on Sunday officially announced that he would contest the upcoming state assembly elections. The actor-turned-politician will be contesting from two seats along with his core team members.

He said, "It will be C. Joseph Vijay," from Perambur in Chennai and Tiruchirappalli East. While his candidature from Permabur was expected, his decision to fight from 'Trichy East' as well came as a surprise for many. The upcoming polls will mark the the debut of the 51-year-old in parliamentary politics.

Addressing party functionaries in Chennai, he named candidates for other seats too. Senior party leaders and Vijay's inner team members—N. Anand, Adhav Arjuna, R. Arunraaj, CTR Nirmal Kumar, and K. A. Sengottaiyan—were named by the party chief as TVK candidates for seats including T. Nagar, Villivakkam, Gobichettipalayam, and Thirupparankundram.

Elections to the 234 assembly segments in the state will be held on April 23, Thursday.

TN Assembly Polls 2026: TVK Candidate list

Constituency	Candidate Name
Perambur	C. Joseph Vijay
Trichy East	C. Joseph Vijay
Villivakkam	Aadhav Arjuna
Thousand Lights	J.C.D. Prabhakar
Virugambakkam	Sabarinathan
Egmore (Reserved)	Rajmohanan
Velachery	Christy Prithivi
R.K. Nagar	Maria Wilson
Kolathur	V.S. Babu
Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni	T. Selva
Harbour	Sinora Ashok
Mylapore	B. Venkataramanan
T. Nagar	N. Anand (Bussy Anand)
Anna Nagar	Ramkumar
Sholinganallur	Saravana Murthy
Royapuram	Vijay Damu
Thiru. Vi. Ka. Nagar (Reserved)	Pallavi
Pallavaram	Kamatchi
Tambaram	Sarathkumar
Chengalpattu	Thiyagarajan
Thiruporur	Vijayaraj
Cheyyur	Mohan Raja
Madurantakam	Ezhil Catherine
Uthiramerur	Munirathinam
Kanchipuram	Ranjith Kumar
Arakkonam	Gandhiraj
Sholingur	Kapil
Katpadi	Sudhakar
Ranipet	Tahira
Arcot	Vijay Mohan
Vellore	Vinoth Kannan
Anaikattu	Velmurugan
K.V. Kuppam	Thendral Kumar
Gudiyatham	Sindhu
Vaniyambadi	Syed Furhadin
Ambur	Imthias
Jolarpettai	Munusamy
Tirupattur	Tirupathi
Uthangarai	Kumaravel
Bargur	Muralidharan
Krishnagiri	Mukund R. Pandian
Veppanahalli	Sampangi
Hosur	Ambrees
Thalli	Suresh
Palacode	Gopi
Pennagaram	Gajendran
Dharmapuri	Sivan
Pappireddipatti	Thilagavathi
Harur	Rakesh
Chengam	Bharathidasan
Vikravandi	Vijay Vadivel
Tirukkoyilur	Vijay Bharani Balaji
Gobichettipalayam	K.A. Sengottaiyan
Tiruppur North	V. Sathyabama
Kavundampalayam	Kanimozhi
Tiruchengode	Arunraj
Thiruparankundram	C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar
Madurai West	Kallanai Anban
Madurai Central	Mustafa
Tenkasi	Rajaprakash
Kadayanallur	Jaleel
Palayamkottai	Maria John
Alangulam	Vipin
Karaikudi	Prabhu
Lalgudi	Ku. Pa. Krishnan
Radhapuram	Christopher
Tirunelveli	Rajagopal
Thoothukudi	Srinath
Srirangam	Ramesh
Udhagai (Ooty)	Loyola Mani
Madhavaram	M.L. Vijay Prabhu
Ambattur	G. Balamurugan
Aranthangi	Parvez
Andipatti	Left Pandi
Maduravoyal	Revanth Charan
Valparai	Sreedharan
Ariyalur	Siva
Kinathukadavu	Vignesh
Thirumayam	Sindhuja
Salem South	Parthiban
Erode East	Balaji
Coimbatore North	Sampath Kumar
Karur	Mathiyazhagan
Thanjavur	Saravanan
Sankarapuram	Jegatheesa Pandian
Tiruttani	Sathyakumar
Gummidipoondi	S. Vijayakumar
Pattukkottai	Madhan
Peravurani	Chandra Kandeepan
Sivakasi	Keerthana
Sivaganga	Kuzhandhai Rani Nachiyar
Kalasapakkam	Elumalai
Oddanchatram	Mohan
Jayankondam	Kavitha G. Rajendran
Poonamallee	Prakasam
Papanasam	Azharuddin
Panruti	Manikandan
Thiruvadanai	Rajiv
Nanguneri	Narayanan
Viluppuram	Mohan
Ramanathapuram	Shahul Hameed
Perundurai	Arunachalam
Paramathi Velur	Nandakumar
Modakkurichi	Shanmugan
Mannargudi	Rajarajan
Manamadurai	Ilangovan
Kumbakonam	Vinoth
Virudhachalam	Vijay
Namakkal	Dileep
Udumalaipettai	Shankar
Kilpennathur	Raja
Rishivandiyam	Ashok Kumar
Ulundurpet	Sudhakar
Mailam	Niranjan
Kanyakumari	Madhavan
Vasudevanallur	Amutharani
Tiruchendur	J.K.R. Murugan
Coonoor	Sabareesh Chandran
Sankagiri	Senthil Kumar
Sankarankovil	Ramarajan
Vedaranyam	Kingsley Gerald
Gangavalli	Dr. Sujatha
Bhuvanagiri	Mahalingam
Neyveli	Anand
Nagapattinam	Sukumar
Singanallur	Giri
Vandavasi	Udhayakumar
Cumbum	Jagannath Mishra
Dindigul	Naseer
Sattur	Ajith
Natham	Ramesh

Data via: voterslist.co.in

kerala-assembly-polls-will-modis-thrissur-campaign-be-a-game-changer-for-padmaja-venugopal

Sun Mar 29 11:46:11 IST 2026

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to touch down in Thrissur on Sunday afternoon, spearheading the NDA’s high-decibel campaign across the district. He is scheduled to hold a roadshow in the city and take part in the election campaign in Palakkad.

NDA has fielded Padmaja Venugopal, the daughter of four-time Congress Chief Minister K. Karunakaran, as its candidate in Thrissur. Padmaja joined the BJP in 2024 after alleging that she was being 'sidelined' by some leaders within the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC).

She had contested on a Congress ticket in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections and subsequent Assembly elections of 2016 and 2024 from Thrissur. In the 2024 general elections, she faced defeat at the hands of actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi who wrested Thrissur for the first time for the BJP.

UDF has fielded former Thrissur mayor Rajan J. Pallan while noted writer and cultural figure Alankode Leelakrishnan is the LDF candidate.

Can Padmaja make waves in Thrissur?

The primary reason for optimism within the NDA camp is the 2024 Lok Sabha polls win. Suresh Gopi didn’t just win the Thrissur Parliamentary seat, he secured a massive lead within the Thrissur Assembly segment specifically. BJP secured nearly 30 per cent more votes compared to the 2021 Assembly polls.

Political experts believe that Padmaja’s move to the BJP is a strategic attempt to capture the pro-Karunakaran "I" Group votes within the Congress. However, with her brother, K. Muraleedharan, on the other side, it's a risky affair for her. If he campaigns aggressively against her, it could neutralise the 'Karunakaran sentiment' she is trying to harness.

Another factor is that Thrissur is a religiously diverse constituency with a significant Christian population. The BJP has been consistently reaching out to the Christian community. If Padmaja can convince a segment of this community that the BJP is a viable alternative for development and security, her vote share is likely to rise.

The PM Modi factor

Prime Minister Modi's decision to launch his Kerala campaign from Thrissur indicates that the constituency is no longer merely a 'contested seat' for the BJP. It has now become the ‘ground zero’ of the party’s expansion strategy in the state.

"Kerala is with NDA. People are unhappy with the LDF and UDF," Modi had said.

Padmaja is leaning heavily on the "Modi Guarantee" in her speeches. She has shifted her focus from ideological debates to infrastructure, promising that with a BJP MLA in the constituency and a BJP-led government at the Centre, the city will see significant development.

The PM’s visit is also strategically timed to influence the Christian minority and middle-class urban voters.

dmk-candidate-list-out-ops-to-contest-from-bodinayakkanur-senthil-balaji-fielded-in-coimbatore-south

Sat Mar 28 19:45:06 IST 2026

DMK supremo and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday announced the list of its candidates for the upcoming Tamil Nadu assembly polls.

Some of the prominent names include O. Paneerselvam who will contest from Bodinayakkanur. Paul Manoj Pandian and R Vaithilingam, who are loyal to OPS and joined the DMK earlier, have also been given tickets. Paul was fielded in Alangulam while Vaithilingam will contest in Orathanadu.

The announcement of candidates comes after the ruling DMK completed the seat-sharing process with its allies in the morning. DMK, which leads the Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) in the state, said it will contest in 164 seats in the 234-strong state assembly.

CM Stalin will contest from his traditional Kolathur seat and son Udhayanidhi Stalin will stand elections in Chepauk-Triplicane constituency. Former minister Senthil Balaji has been allotted the Coimbatore South seat. Ministers Mano Thangaraj, R. Rajendran and R. Gandhi were not renominated.

Check the complete DMK candidate list below:

Kanyakumari - R. Mahesh, B.A., B.L.
Nagercoil - S. Austin, M.A.
Radhapuram - M. Appavu
Palayamkottai - M. Abdul Wahab, B.Com.
Tirunelveli - S. Subramanian, B.E., M.B.A.
Alangulam - Dr. Paul Manoj Pandian, M.A., M.L., Ph.D.
Tenkasi - Dr. Kalai Kathiravan, M.B.B.S.
Vasudevanallur - E. Raja, B.Com., M.L.
Kovilpatti - K. Karunanidhi
Ottapidaram (Reserved) - P.M. Ramajeyam, B.Sc.
Tiruchendur - Anita Radhakrishnan
Thoothukudi - Mrs. Geetha Jeevan, M.Com., B.Ed.
Vilathikulam - G.V. Markandeyan, B.A., B.L.
Mudukulathur - R.S. Rajakannappan, B.Sc., B.L.
Ramanathapuram - Kader Batcha (alias) Muthuramalingam, B.A.
Paramakudi (Reserved) - K.K. Kathiravan, B.A., B.L.
Tiruchuli - Thangam Thennarasu, B.E.
Aruppukottai - K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran
Sattur - A. Kadarkarai Raj
Rajapalayam - Sow. Thangapandian
Cumbum - N. Ramakrishnan, M.A.
Bodinayakkanur - O. Panneerselvam, B.A.
Andipatti - A. Maharajan
Thirumangalam Sedapatti - M. Manimaran
Thiruparankundram - Krithika Thangapandi, B.E.
Madurai West - Ragu Balaji, B.A., B.L.
Madurai Central - Dr. P.T.R. Palanivel Thiagarajan, B.Tech., M.S., Ph.D.
Madurai North - G. Thalapathi
Sholavandan (Reserved) - A. Venkatesan, B.A.
Madurai East - P. Moorthy, B.A.
Manamadurai (Reserved) - A. Tamilarasi Ravikumar, B.Com.
Tirupattur - K.R. Periyakaruppan, B.Com., B.L.
Alangudi - Siva V. Meyyanathan, M.C.A.
Thirumayam - S. Regupathy, B.Sc., B.L.
Pudukkottai - Dr. V. Muthuraja, M.B.B.S.
Viralimalai - K.K. Chellapandian, M.Com., B.L.
Peravurani - N. Ashokkumar
Pattukkottai - K. Annadurai, B.Sc., B.L.
Orathanadu - R. Vaithilingam, B.A.
Thanjavur - Shan. Ramanathan M.B.A.
Thiruvaiyaru - Durai. Chandrasekaran, B.A., LL.B.
Kumbakonam - Kader Batcha (alias) Muthuramalingam, B.A.
Thiruvidaimarudur - K.K. Kathiravan, B.A., B.L.
Thiruvarur - Thangam Thennarasu, B.E.
Mannargudi - K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran
Vedaranyam - A. Kadarkarai Raj
Poompuhar - Sou. Thangapandian
Bhuvanagiri - N. Ramakrishnan, M.A.
Kurinjipadi - M.R.K. Panneerselvam, B.Sc., B.L.
Neyveli - Prabhakar Raja, M.Tech., M.B.A.
Tittakudi (Reserved) - Ne. Chittarasu, M.A., M.Phil.
Jayankondam - Dr. Ezilan Naganathan, M.B.B.S., M.D.
Ariyalur - Udhayanidhi Stalin, B.Com.
Kunnam - P.K. Sekar Babu
Perambalur (Reserved) - Dr. Suberkhan, M.B.B.S., D.Ortho.
Musiri - Tamizhan Prasanna, B.L.
Mannachanallur - K.S. Ravichandran, B.Sc., B.L.
Lalgudi - Karthik Mohan, B.E., M.S.
Thiruverumbur - R.D. Sekar, B.Com., B.L.
Trichy East - J.J. Ebenezer, M.Com., B.L.
Trichy West - S. Sudharsanam, M.A., B.L.
Srirangam - Dr. A.P. Poornima, M.B.B.S., M.D.
Kulithalai - Karambakkam Ganapathy
Krishnarayapuram (Reserved) - S.M. Nasar
Karur - A. Krishnasamy B.A., B.L.
Aravakurichi - V.G. Rajendran, B.E.
Vedasandur - T.J. Govindarajan
Dindigul - S. Balu
Nilakottai (Reserved) - K.S. Moorthy, B.Sc.
Athur - P. Rani, M.A., LL.B.
Oddanchatram - P. Poomalar
Madathukulam - R. Jayaramakrishnan, B.Sc., B.L.
Udumalaipettai - Dr. P. Palaniappan, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Valparai (Reserved) - Dr. T.N.V. Senthilkumar, M.B.B.S., M.D.R.D.
Kinathukadavu - S.A. Sathya
Coimbatore South - P.S. Srinivasan
Thondamuthur - D. Mathiyazhagan, B.Sc., D.F.Tech.
Coimbatore North - Senthamizhselvan, B.Tech.
Sulur - Thalapathi Murugesan, M.A.
Palladam - K. Selvaraj
Tiruppur South - N. Dinesh Kumar, M.I.B.
Avinashi (Reserved) - Dr. Kokila Mani, M.B.B.S.
Mettupalayam - R.T. Sekar, B.Com., B.L.
Coonoor - K.M. Raju, B.Com.
Gudalur (Reserved) - M. Dravidamani, M.A., B.L.
Gobichettipalayam - N. Nallasivam, D.M.E.
Anthiyur - M. Sivabalan, B.Com.
Bhavani - K.A. Sekar (alias) K.A. Chandrasekar, M.A.
Perundurai Thoppu - N.D. Venkatachalam, B.A.
Kangayam - M.P. Saminathan, B.A.
Dharapuram (Reserved) - Dr. Indrani, M.B.B.S., D.C.H.
Erode West - S. Muthusamy, M.A.
Kumarapalayam - S. Balu
Paramathi Velur - K.S. Moorthy, B.Sc.
Namakkal - P. Rani, M.A., LL.B.
Sendamangalam (Reserved) - P. Poomalar
Rasipuram (Reserved) - Dr. M. Mathiventhan, M.B.B.S., M.D.
Veerapandi - Dr. A.K. Tharun, M.B.B.S., M.S., M.B.A.
Salem South - M. Loganathan, B.Sc.
Salem North - R. Rajendran, B.A., B.L.
Sankagiri - M. Manikandan
Edappadi - Kasi
Mettur - Mithun Chakravarthy, B.E.
Yercaud (Reserved) - T.M. Revathi Matheswaran
Gangavalli (Reserved) - K. Chinnadurai, B.E.
Sankarapuram - T. Udayasuriyan, B.Sc.
Rishivandiyam - Vasantham Karthikeyan, B.Sc.
Ulundurpettai - G.R. Vasanthavel, B.E.
Tirukkoyilur - Dr. Pon. Gautham Sigamani, M.B.B.S., M.S.
Vikravandi - Anniyur Siva (alias) A. Sivasanmugam, B.A.
Villupuram - Dr. R. Lakshmanan, M.B.B.S., D. Ortho.
Vanur (Reserved) - Gautham Dravidamani, B.E.
Gingee - K.S. Masthan
Vandavasi (Reserved) - S. Ambethkumar
Cheyyar - O. Jothi, B.A.
Arani - Mahalakshmi Govarthanan, Diploma
Kalasapakkam - P.S.T. Saravanan, M.A.
Kilpennathur - Ku. Pitchandi, M.A.
Tiruvannamalai - E.V. Velu, M.A.
Chengam - Mu. Pe. Giri
Harur - A. Shanmugam, B.Sc.
Pappireddipatti - Dr. P. Palaniappan, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Palacode - Dr. T.N.V. Senthilkumar, M.B.B.S., M.D.R.D.
Hosur - S.A. Sathya
Veppanahalli - P.S. Srinivasan
Bargur - T. Mathiyazhagan, B.Sc., D.F.Tech.
Tirupattur - A. Nallathambi
Jolarpettai - Kavitha Dandapani, B.A.
Ambur - A.S. Vilvanathan
Kilvaithinankuppam (Reserved) - Dr. Rajeswari Mohangandhi, M.B.B.S.
Anaicut - A.P. Nandakumar, M.A.
Vellore - P. Karthikeyan
Arcot - J.L. Eswarappan, B.E.
Ranipet - Vinoth Gandhi, B.Sc.
Katpadi - Duraimurugan, M.A., B.L.
Kancheepuram - Mrs. Nithya Sukumar
Uthiramerur - K. Sundar, B.Sc.
Maduranthakam (Reserved) - S. Amulu Ponmalar
Chengalpattu - M.K.T. Karthik Dandapani, B.A., B.L.
Tambaram - Dr. R.S. Krithika Devi, M.B.B.S., D.G.O.
Alandur - T.M. Anbarasan
Sholinganallur - S. Aravind Ramesh
Mylapore - T. Velu, B.A., LL.B.
Thyagaraya Nagar - Raja Anbazhagan, B.Com.
Saidapet - Ma. Subramanian, B.A., LL.B.
Virugambakkam - Prabhakar Raja, M.Tech., M.B.A.
Anna Nagar - Ne. Chitrarasu, M.A., M.Phil.
Thousand Lights - Dr. Ezhilan Naganathan, M.B.B.S., M.D.
Chepauk-Triplicane - Udhayanidhi Stalin, B.Com.
Harbour - P.K. Sekar Babu
Royapuram - Dr. Suber Khan, M.B.B.S., D.Ortho.
Egmore (Reserved) - Tamizhan Prasanna, B.L.
TVK Nagar (Reserved) - K.S. Ravichandran, B.Sc., B.L.
Villivakkam - Karthik Mohan, B.E., M.S.
Perambur - R.D. Sekar, B.Com., B.L.
Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar - J.J. Ebenezer, M.Com., B.L.
Madhavaram - S. Sudharsanam, M.A., B.L.
Ambattur - Dr. A.P. Poornima, M.B.B.S., M.D.
Maduravoyal - Karambakkam Ganapathy
Avadi - S.M. Nasar
Poonamallee - A. Krishnasamy, B.A., B.L.
Tiruvallur - V.G. Rajendran, B.E.
Gummidipoondi - T.J. Govindarajan
Kolathur - Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin, B.A.

Elections to the Tamil Nadu Assembly will be held on April 23. DMK's key ally Congress will fight it out in 28 seats. The Congress will contest from prominent seats, including Ponneri, Erode East, Vilavankode, Sivakasi and Karaikudi. Premalatha Vijayakanth's DMDK will field candidates in 10 seats, including Vriddhachalam and Pallavaram.

Thirumavalvan-led Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), which was allotted eight seats, will contest in Kattumannarkoil, Panrutti, Tindivanam and other seats. The CPI and CPI(M) will field candidates in five seats each. Eleven candidates from DMK's alliance parties will contest on the Dravidian party's rising sun symbol.

62-72-lakh-incidents-rs-4725-crore-saved-how-indias-fight-against-cybercrime-evolves

Sat Mar 28 17:27:36 IST 2026

India's cybersecurity landscape is no longer defined by isolated incidents but by scale, speed, and systemic vulnerability. According to the latest annual report from the Home Ministry, 62.72 lakh cybercrime incidents were recorded in a single year, signalling a rise in criminal activity and the emergence of a deeply entrenched digital threat ecosystem.

The financial dimension of cybercrime remains particularly stark. Authorities have managed to prevent losses worth Rs 4,725 crore under the Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System, reflecting the scale of attempted fraud and the increasing efficiency of real-time intervention systems.

The government's crackdown on enabling infrastructure has also led to the blocking of 8.45 lakh SIM cards, highlighting how deeply cybercrime networks are embedded within telecom channels as well.

In that regard, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), designated as the nodal agency for cybercrime, has significantly expanded its operational footprint through technological platforms and inter-agency coordination.

The Sahyog Portal has streamlined the process of issuing automated notices to intermediaries under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act. Over 1,11,185 suspicious online contents have been blocked till March 2025, including 83,867 WhatsApp accounts identified as being linked to cybercrime operations.

ALSO READ | We are setting up an integrated cyber shield for India, says Union Home Minister Amit Shah in an exclusive interview.

The nature of these operations reveals an important shift: cybercrime is no longer confined to opportunistic scams; it has evolved into a structured, cross-border enterprise.

Targeted interventions have yielded measurable preventive outcomes, such as the dismantling of the Wingo Android application infrastructure, safeguarding 1.5 lakh potential victims daily.

The data reveals the scale of the challenge ahead, with cybercrime growing and diversifying. Financial fraud remains dominant, but other forms, including impersonation, identity theft, and platform-based scams, are becoming increasingly prevalent. Structural constraints continue to shape responses, with law enforcement remaining a state subject, leading to uneven capacities across regions.

India's response is moving towards a more proactive and integrated model, combining financial intervention systems, infrastructure blocking, and content regulation mechanisms. However, the scale of the numbers involved suggests that the challenge is far from contained.

The figures—62.72 lakh incidents; Rs 4,725 crore saved; 8.45 lakh SIM cards blocked; 1,11,185 contents removed; 83,867 WhatsApp accounts targeted; and 1.5 lakh potential victims protected daily—are indicators of both vulnerability and response; of a system under pressure, but also in transition.

India's ability to manage cybercrime will depend on the strength of its institutions, the awareness of its citizens, and the cooperation of global and private stakeholders.

bjp-expels-9-rebel-leaders-in-major-rejig-ahead-of-assam-assembly-elections-2026

Sat Mar 28 17:02:48 IST 2026

Major changes have taken place in the BJP over the last 24 hours, as the saffron party on Friday night expelled nine rebel leaders for a six-year period for contesting independently against officially nominated party candidates.

As a result, state BJP president Dilip Saikia said in a letter on Friday that action had been taken against them "with immediate effect" under provisions of the party’s constitution.

He cited Clause XXV-9 of the party consitution as a reason for the dismissal.

According to this clause, any member contesting the election against "the official candidate of the Party" can be "summarily expelled" by the party, by either the state president or the all-India president.

Jayanta Das, who wanted a Dispur ticket from the party before his expulsion, had even voiced strong criticism against the BJP over being denied the seat.

Other expelled leaders include Uddhav Das (Barpeta), Jitendra Singh Gour (Kaliabor), Amalendu Das (Barkhola), Dhanjit Rabha (Goalpara West), Chakradhar Das (Bongaigaon), Gagan Chandra Haloi (Barpeta), Ankur Das (Kamalpur), and Yashoda Dulal (Shyamal) Rakshit (Lumding).

The BJP also cracked the whip on six other party leaders accused of acting against the party's interests by supporting—and/or conducting backdoor talks with—members of other parties.

This decision was taken in line with Clause XXV (a) and (b) of the the party constitution, which forbid members from "acting or carrying on any propaganda" against party programmes/decisions, and from opposing official party candidates in public body elections, "excluding those where party symbols are not allocated".

The six dismissed leaders have been identified as Gagan Chandra Mandal, Kishore Karmakar, Guru Prasad Upadhyay, Tushanta Kalita, Mani Hazarika, and Pinki Mirdha Chuna—most of whom hail from the Kaliabor area.

These major changes come barely two weeks before the 2026 Assembly elections in the state, which will be held on April 9, and for which votes will be counted on May 4.

dmk-allies-vck-dmdk-to-fight-tamil-nadu-assembly-elections-from-these-seats-or-arakkonam-thiruttani-kallakurichi

Sat Mar 28 16:35:50 IST 2026

It has now been decided from which constituencies the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) members, Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), will fight the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections 2026.

Virudhachalam, Virudhunagar, Dharmapuri, Gudiyattam (SC), Salem West, Polur, Pallavaram, Thiruttani, Omalur, and Mailam have been allotted to the DMDK, while Thol Thirumavalavan's VCK will enter the fray from Kattumannarkoil (SC), Cheyyur (SC), Thiruporur, Arakkonam (SC), Tindivanam (SC), Periyakulam (SC), Kallakurichi (SC), and Panruti.

Founded by later Tamil actor Vijayakanth, DMDK is presently led by Premalatha Vijayakanth. They were part of the NDA alliance earlier but decided to switch allegiance earlier this year.

The VCK got four incumbent legislators in the assembly while the DMDK got none. Thiruporur, Cheyyur, Kattumannarkoil and Nagapattinam are the constituencues that are currently represented by the VCK.

Meanwhile, it was decided that the Congress, which is the second biggest constituent of the ruling alliance in Tamil Nadu, will contest from Ponneri (SC), Sriperumbudur (SC), Sholingur, Udhagamandalam, Erode East, Nanguneri, Vilavancode, Aranthangi, Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, Karaikudi, Sivakasi, Thiruvadanai, Srivaikuntam, Attur (SC), Pennagaram, Singanallur, Ambasamudram, Usilampatti, Colachel, Sankarankoil, Melur, Velachery, Uthangarai (SC), Thuraiyur (SC), Goundampalayam, and Killiyoor.

dmk-candidates-list-no-surprises-barring-ops-durai-murugan-to-contest-for-13th-time

Sat Mar 28 19:44:02 IST 2026

DMK leader and chief minister M.K. Stalin will contest from his bastion Kolathur in North Chennai for the fourth time in a row. Stalin has been representing the constituency since 2011, since its creation following delimitation. The senior most in the candidate list is DMK’s general secretary and water resources minister Durai Murugan who will be contesting from the same Katpadi constituency for the 13th time.

Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin has been renominated from DMK’s fiefdom in Chennai, the Chepauk-Tiruvallikeni constituency.

Four sitting ministers K. Ponmudi, R. Gandhi, Mano Thangaraj and Kayalvizhi Selvaraj have been dropped. However, Ponmudi’s son Gowtham Sigamani has been fielded in Tirukoilur constituency, won by Ponmundi earlier. Vinod Gandhi, the son of Gandhi, is contesting from the Ranipet constituency, won by Gandhi in the 2021 election. In Chennai, sitting MLA from Annanagar, Mohan, has been dropped and his son Karthik Mohan has been nominated from the Villivakkam constituency. He will be facing TVK’s election strategy general secretary Aadhav Arjuna.

Down south in Sankarankovil, sitting MLA E. Raja has been moved to Vasudevanallur constituency. DMK retained Radhapuram, Tirunelveli and Palayamkottai assembly segments and has given away Ambasamudram and Nanguneri constituencies to the Congress. The DMK had faced a crushing defeat in Ambasamudram in the past three elections in a row to the AIADMK. The Congress candidate will face AIADMK heavyweight Esaki Subbaiyah from this constituency. In Radhapuram, current assembly speaker M. Appavu has been renominated for the third time. Sitting MLA, M. Abdul Wahab has been renominated from Palayamkottai. Tirunelveli city district secretary S. Subramanian, an engineering graduate, was nominated to the Tirunelveli constituency. In Alangulam, the DMK leadership has kept its promise by fielding P.H. Manoj Pandian who recently defected from the AIADMK. The DMK had lost this constituency in 2021 to Manoj Pandian. In this region, Kadayanallur has been allotted to the MDMK, which will contest in DMK’s rising sun symbol. And sitting minister T. Mano Thangaraj’s Padmanabapuram constituency has been allotted to the Congress. In Kanyakumari, former Minister N. Suresh Rajan has also been denied ticket and R. Mahesh, mayor of Nagercoil, has been fielded from this segment.

Regional heavyweights like former minister V. Senthil Balaji has shifted constituency from Karur to Coimbatore South. Interestingly, Balaji is the regional in-charge for the Coimbatore district and also the Karur district secretary. This assembly segment, which was represented by BJP’s Vanathi Srinivasan, has now been retained by the AIADMK, as she moved to the neighbouring Coimbatore North constituency. Balaji will now face Amman Arjunan from AIADMK in the Coimbatore South constituency.

Former Chief Minister O. Panneeselvam, who recently joined the DMK, has been nominated from the Bodinayakkanur assembly segment, while his associate R. Vaithilinagam has been given the ticket to contest from Orathanadu constituency. But OPS’s supporter Ayyappan, who praised M.K. Stalin on the last day of the assembly session, has not been accommodated in the candidate list and his Usilampatti constituency has been allotted to the Congress party.

In the western belt, Senthil Balaji who is considered a DMK heavyweight seems to have had a say in deciding the constituencies and the candidate list from Coimbatore and Karur districts. Giving away Singanallur and Goundampalayam to the Congress, the DMK has fielded local heavyweights and candidates of Senthil Balaji’s choice from the Coimbatore constituency. Similarly, in the Tiruchirappalli segment DMK strongman and regional satrap K.N. Nehru’s choice of candidates have been nominated from most of the constituencies in the district. Lalgudi MLA Soundarapandian, who was at loggerheads with Nehru, has been dropped. Srirangam sitting MLA M. Palaniyandi who ran into a controversy recently after attacking journalists was also denied a ticket. Thuraiyur, one of the most important assembly segments in Trichy district, has been handed over to alliance partners.

Udhayanidhi’s supporter Chitrarasu has been fielded in the high profile Annanagar constituency while Royapuram has been given to Dr Subair Khan, who is the son of DMK veteran Rehman Khan. Subair is an orthopaedic surgeon.

Overall, there are 60 new faces in the DMK list of 164 candidates. While many Union secretaries and ground workers have been elevated, it has 29 lawyers, 17 engineers, 15 medical and seven Phd doctors. The list also comprises of the sons and family members of DMK veterans like A.K. Tarun, who is from Veerapandi Arumugam’s family. Dr. Kalai Kathiravan, the son of Anbagam Kalai, has been fielded from Tenkasi constituency.

maharashtra-woman-kills-father-to-become-police-officer-with-boyfriend-breakup-leads-to-mans-confession

Sat Mar 28 14:49:02 IST 2026

A female officer was arrested in Maharashtra after it came to light that she plotted and killed her father to gain a compassionate appointment. The shocking incident was revealed after her ex-lover, who was previously a police officer, reached Chandrapur Superintendent of Police (SP) Mummaka Sudarshan with evidence of the woman's brutal acts.

Policeman Jayant Ballavar's passing in March 2023 was believed to be a case of food poisoning, and his daughter, Arya Ballavar, was recruited to the police force on a compassionate appointment (dying in harness). However, the department has reportedly launched a probe after Arya's ex-boyfriend, Ashish Shedmake, was able to produce phone conversation recordings and videos showing that Arya, 22, poisoned her father on purpose, a new report said.

Arya and Ashish had known each other since childhood and later became romantically involved. The couple wanted a life together, but their families were not convinced. The duo believed they could live a life of their choosing once they were both earning and started working towards it.

Meanwhile, Ashish's father, who was a policeman, passed away. Soon, he was asked to join the force via a compassionate appointment. Arya was convinced that her father's passing could help her land a job in the department as well and plotted to kill her father with the help of Ashish and two other friends.

One of their common friends helped Ashish obtain poison worth around ₹5,000, which he handed over to the woman. She mixed it into a milkshake and gave it to Jayant, who later succumbed, Loksatta said in a report. Nobody suspected any foul play and concluded the man died due to food poisoning; as expected, Arya received a joining call.

Ashish and Arya finished their training together and started serving in the force, Loksatta said. However, Ashish soon became involved in a serious offence and was terminated from service. This created cracks in their relationship that led to an ugly breakup.

Ashish was unable to get over the way Arya ended their years-long relationship and reportedly reached the SP with evidence of Jayant's murder and confessed to his role in the killing. After reviewing the evidence, Superintendent Mummaka Sudarshan ordered the immediate registration of a case and arrests. A detailed police investigation is now being carried out at the Ram Nagar police station to confirm the ex-officer's claims.

A case has been registered under Sections 120(B), 302, 201, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code against Bhadravati natives Ashish Mahesh Shedmake (30), Chaitanya (alias Monty) Sachin Gedam (22), and a minor.

ugc-declares-rajeev-gandhi-institute-of-technology-and-management-fake-warns-students-against-taking-admision

Sat Mar 28 13:21:32 IST 2026

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has declared the Rajeev Gandhi Institute of Technology & Management in Alwar, Rajasthan, a fake institution and warned students against taking admission there.

In a statement, the UGC said the institute is not authorised to award any undergraduate or postgraduate degrees, and that any qualification issued by it would not be valid for higher education or government employment.

“It is informed that Rajeev Gandhi Institute of Technology & Management, District Alwar (Rajasthan), is neither recognised by the UGC under Section 2(f) nor Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956,” the commission said in a circular.

“In view of the above, students, parents, and the public at large are cautioned through this public notice not to take admission in the above-mentioned self-styled institution. Taking admission in such an institution may jeopardise students’ careers,” it added.

The UGC is a statutory body under the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Government of India.

Last month, the commission identified 32 institutions operating as fake universities across India and urged students to verify the recognition status of institutions before seeking admission.

Delhi topped the list with 12 such fake institutions, followed by Uttar Pradesh with four.

In the national capital, institutes such as the Indian Institute of Science and Engineering, Institute of Management and Engineering, United Nations University, ADR-Centric Juridical University, and National Institute of Management Solutions were among those flagged as fake.

puthiya-needhi-katchi-fields-khushbus-husband-sundar-c-from-madurai-central-seat

Sat Mar 28 12:35:58 IST 2026

Sundar C., a multifaceted talent in the Tamil movie industry and the husband of Tamil Nadu BJP Vice-President Khushbu Sundar, will fight the upcoming Tamil Nadu assembly elections on a Puthiya Needhi Katchi ticket. The party is a part of the AIADMK-led NDA alliance and will be using the ‘Two Leaves’ symbol.

Sundar C. will be contesting from the Madurai Central seat that has been allotted to the Puthiya Needhi Katchi by the AIADMK.

“For the 2026 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections, under the National Democratic Alliance, the Madurai Central constituency allocated to the Puthiya Needhi Katchi by the AIADMK will have the following candidate. Film producer, director, and actor Sundar C., son of Chidambaram Pillai, has been selected as the party’s candidate for the Madurai Central constituency," the party's president A. C. Shanmugam said in a statement.

The BJP, the second-biggest player in the alliance, is expected to hand one seat to the party. The announcement regarding the same will be made on 30 March, Puthiya Needhi Katchi founder Shanmugam added. The party candidate for this seat will fight the assembly polls using the saffron party's 'Lotus' symbol.

The Puthiya Needhi Katchi is part of the AIADMK–BJP-led alliance. During the recent seat-sharing discussions held at the AIADMK party office, A. C. Shanmugam did not participate, leading to speculation that he was unhappy with the way things had turned out. However, he held a meeting with AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, local media reports said.

Madurai Central constituency is currently represented by the Minister for Information Technology and Digital Services, Palanivel Thiaga Rajan. In 2021, he had crushed the AIADMK's N. Jothi Muthuramalingam by a margin of 34,176 votes, polling 49.47% of the total votes polled.

no-more-hedging-bets-as-brics-chair-india-to-be-cornered-to-take-a-stance-on-west-asia-conflict

Sat Mar 28 17:05:08 IST 2026

India is holding the chair of BRICS in 2026. The chair could not have come India’s way at a worse time. In the forthcoming meetings of the BRICS—foreign ministers are slated to meet in mid-May, while the heads of state will meet in a September summit—New Delhi may be cornered to take a position on the raging conflict between Iran and the US-Israel combine, a clear-cut position on which New Delhi has managed to evade till now.

The BRICS is not a homogeneous platform guided by a common political position. But widely, it has been looked at as an anti-US platform as it has avowed multilateralism while eschewing unilateralism.

Brazil, Russia, India and China together founded the organisation in 2009, while South Africa joined in 2010. At present, its 11 members include the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Iran.

The US-backed UAE and Saudi Arabia are facing Iran in a military conflict that is threatening to put the global order into turmoil, along with an impending scenario of a global economic slowdown. Iran, on the other hand, has the tacit backing of Russia and China.

India’s dilemma is evident. Besides strong historical links, it is close to Iran because of its massive energy needs. And to Israel and the US because of close military ties and collaboration.

The pressure on India is obvious. On March 21, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian told Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a telephonic call that Tehran expects BRICS to play an independent role in halting aggression against Iran.

Prof Kumar Sanjay Singh, a strategic affairs commentator who teaches history in a Delhi University college, told THE WEEK: “Till date India has carefully hedged its bets. It is yet to make its position clear on the US-Israeli attack on Iran. It has been dragging its feet on demands to issue a statement from BRICS on the West Asian crisis.”

“Yet, time is running out on this strategic ambivalence. With the meeting of the foreign ministers of BRICS members slightly over a month away and the meeting of BRICS scheduled in the first half of September, India will be faced with the task of handling the rival claims of Iran and the UAE. What complicates the matter even more is that important BRICS member countries—Russia, China and Brazil—have unequivocally criticised the US-Israeli attack on Iran.”

Nor can India hedge it anymore because doing so would erode its credibility to be a leading voice of the Global South—an ambition that India has been nursing for long and is an adjunct to its policy of strategic autonomy.

By now, the Indian establishment has become fairly used to the vicissitudes of the rocking boat of strategic policy in a world full of turbulence, be it on balancing its proximate ties to the US and Russia, handling the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, or maintaining the trapeze act after the ambush terror attack by Hamas in Gaza on October 7, 2023.4

But, come May and September, Indian diplomacy may face a major challenge to its stated policy of prioritising national interest above everything else.

tamil-nadu-polls-from-velachery-to-mayiladuthurai-and-erode-east-dmk-allots-these-seats-to-congress

Sat Mar 28 16:48:11 IST 2026

The 28 Tamil Nadu Assembly seats that the Indian National Congress will be contesting as part of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) have been announced.

The list is as follows:

Earlier, Congress MP from Karur, S Jothimani, alleged a total lack of transparency in the grand old party's seat selection process. The MP alleged that the interests of the party have been "completely compromised". "There's no transparency in the party's constituency selection. Our view that seats should be chosen after detailed discussion and with transparency was rejected by those in charge," Jothimani said in a strongly-worded social media post on March 27.

While the DMK is fighting from 164 seats, 70 have been allotted to the alliance partners. Apart from the 28 contested by Congress, the DMDK has been given 10 seats, the VCK 8, the MDMK 4, and the Indian Union Muslim League 2. The two communist parties, the CPI and CPI(M), will contest from five seats each. The Manithaneya Makkal Katchi and Kongunadu Makkal Desia Katchi have been allotted a couple of seats each, while the Manithaneya Jananayaga Katchi, SDPI, Mukkulathor Pulipadai, and Tamilar Desam Party were each given one each.

Meanwhile, fellow alliance member DMDK will fight from Virudhachalam, Virudhunagar, Dharmapuri, Gudiyattam (SC), Salem West, Polur, Pallavaram, Thiruttani, Omalur, and Mailam. Thol Thirumavalavan's VCK, also an ally of the DMK and Congress in the state, will enter the fray from Kattumannarkoil (SC), Cheyyur (SC), Thiruporur, Arakkonam (SC), Tindivanam (SC), Periyakulam (SC), Kallakurichi (SC), and Panruti.

The principal opposition party AIADMK on Friday announced the second list of its party candidates. The AIADMK, which is leading the National Democratic Alliance in Tamil Nadu, is contesting from 169 seats and it has already announced the candidates for 23 constituencies in the first list and it includes Palaniswami. Tamil Nadu will go to polling booths on April 23.

west-bengal-polls-amit-shah-to-release-charge-sheet-detailing-mamata-govts-failures-across-14-sectors

Sat Mar 28 12:27:56 IST 2026

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will release a document detailing allegations of corruption and misgovernance during Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s 15-year tenure in West Bengal. The document, titled Abhiyognma or “charge sheet”, will be unveiled at a hotel in New Town, Kolkata, on Saturday afternoon.

A senior BJP leader told PTI that the charge sheet will highlight the alleged “failures” of the TMC government across 14 sectors, including administrative corruption, collapse of law and order, safety concerns for women, the prevalence of syndicate raj, and crises in health and education.

The BJP is scheduled to release its election manifesto in the first week of April, which is expected to further emphasise the TMC government’s alleged shortcomings while presenting the party’s proposed alternatives.

Shah has been at the forefront of the BJP’s election campaign in West Bengal, where the party aims to wrest power from the TMC. Over the past two months, he has made several visits to the state, attending organisational meetings, public rallies, and outreach programs—including the Poriborton Yatra—to strengthen the BJP’s grassroots network and fine-tune poll strategies.

West Bengal’s 294-member assembly will go to the polls in two phases on April 23 and April 29 with vote counting scheduled for May 4.

Shah arrived in Kolkata early Saturday after a nearly two-hour delay caused by a severe thunderstorm that lashed the city and surrounding areas overnight.

According to airport sources, the special aircraft carrying the Home Minister from Delhi was scheduled to land at 11:46 pm but had to circle over the airspace of Nadia and North 24 Parganas districts due to lightning and heavy rain.

The plane finally landed at 1:46 am, and Shah departed for a city hotel in a convoy at 2 am.

mamata-banerjee-plays-victim-card-in-politics-amit-shah-releases-chargesheet-against-tmc

Sat Mar 28 16:29:27 IST 2026

Union Minister Amit Shah released a 15-year “chargesheet” against the Mamata Banerjee government on Saturday, criticising its governance and the law and order in the state ahead of the 2026 West Bengal assembly polls.

The minister said that the West Bengal CM used the “victim card” in politics while speaking at a conference in Kolkata.

He said that the people of Bengal now understood her tactics. "Mamata Banerjee has always played the politics of the victim card. At times, she gets her leg broken; at other times, she has her head bandaged; sometimes she falls ill; and then, she stands before the Election Commission feigning helplessness while hurling abuses at the institution. But I have come to tell her that the people of Bengal have now thoroughly understood this politics of the victim card," he said.

Shah said that during the SIR, judicial officers were deployed only in Bengal. He also said that the BJP would remove infiltrators from the voter list and expel them from the country.

"SIR is happening across the entire country, yet nowhere else did judicial officers have to be deployed--only in Bengal. What is the reason for this?... Mamata Banerjee should answer this to the people of Bengal. She is levelling allegations against SIR; however, today I wish to ask the people of Bengal: should those infiltrators who have been kept here be allowed to decide the future of Bengal? I want to make it clear on behalf of the BJP that we are resolved to identify and expel every single infiltrator from the country, not merely from the voter lists but from across the entire nation, and this is my party's agenda," he said.

He said that the BJP would fence the border and stop infiltration from the neighbouring country 45 days after it was voted into power.

He also criticised the CM for including 77 communities in the OBC, claiming that 75 of them were from Muslim communities. He questioned whether OBC status should be determined based on religion.

Shah said the charge sheet reflected the people and that the administration in Bengal was corrupted top to bottom, which is why there was no industries in the state. He said that TMC relied on the politics of protecting the infiltrators to stay in power for the last 15 years.

He also said that the BJP will return to power in Bengal with an absolute majority.

Shah said the situation in West Bengal had deteriorated in such a manner that people of West Bengal have started saying that the communists in the state were much better.

He also said that the BJP would ensure crimes against women which has become rampant would be punished regarless of political affiliations. “The safety of the women in West Bengal had been the worst during the current Trinamool Congress regime. All those involved in crimes against women are associates of Trinamool Congress. Such offenders should be punished regardless of their political affiliations. That is exactly what is happening in the BJP-ruled states. That will happen in West Bengal also after the BJP comes to power in West Bengal after the elections,” Shah said.

The union minister also complimented the leader of the opposition in West Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari, over his role in carrying out the role against the TMC.

will-ncp-punish-narhari-zirwal-rupali-chakankar-all-eyes-on-sunetra-pawar

Sat Mar 28 12:05:55 IST 2026

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar is facing her first acid test as a politician after two very senior leaders of the Nationalist Congress Party found themselves at the centre of major controversies, causing embarrassment for the party.

First, it was Rupali Chakankar, who was forced to resign from the post of Chairperson of the Maharashtra State Women's Commission after her proximity to self-proclaimed godman Ashok Kharat came out in the open. Kharat has been booked in eight cases, including the sexual exploitation of women and the anti-superstition and black magic act.

Chakankar was seen washing Kharat's feet in a video that surfaced. She was also a trustee of a temple trust started by Kharat.

It was expected that Sunetra Pawar would act against her after her role came out in the open, but Pawar did not take any action, and it was left to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to ask Chakankar to resign.

After the CM initiated action, Sunetra Pawar had a brief conversation with Rupali Chakankar and asked her to resign from the post of the party's women's wing chief. Late last night, Chakankar sent her resignation letter to Pawar.

The second controversial case has been that of the Tribal Minister and senior NCP leader, Narhari Zirwal. A video of Zirwal in a compromising situation with a transwoman at his official residence surfaced a couple of days ago.

In this case too, Sunetra Pawar did not take immediate action. Chief Minister Fadnavis has now said that the video of Zirwal will be examined for authenticity, and then action will be taken.

Zirwal was earlier in trouble when a clerk in his office at Mantralaya was caught by the Anti-Corruption Bureau while allegedly accepting a bribe.

How Sunetra Pawar handles these developments will be interesting to watch, as she has to make sure that her party's image does not suffer.

pm-modi-inaugurates-noida-international-airport-when-will-operations-begin-at-jewar

Sat Mar 28 12:49:21 IST 2026

Delhi-NCR’s second international airport at Jewar in Gautam Buddha Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday.

The Noida International Airport is expected to transform the connectivity and fuel the economic growth of the NCR and the surrounding districts.

The first phase of the airport and the part being inaugurated on Saturday was built at a cost of Rs 11,282. The larger vision for the airport was pegged at around Rs 29,560 crore.

A day before the inauguration, PM Modi said that the Noida international airport will not just strengthen commerce and connectivity but also ease the pressure on Indira Gandhi airport in Delhi .

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said that the inauguration was a historic day of pride ,"I congratulate all the citizens of the state and the entire nation. Today, the whole state is dancing with joy."

“BJP is set to win the 2027 elections again with a massive majority, but our primary focus remains development. We aim to build a country where even a common man wearing 'Hawai Chappals' can afford 'Hawai Yatra' (flight travel). This airport is a major step toward that vision,” he said.

The Noida International Airport was developed to complement the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. The airports are to function as an integrated aviation system, easing congestion and expanding passenger capacity.

While officials say the airport is physically ready, commercial services will commence at the airport only after final approvals, including tariff clearance and airline scheduling, are completed. Limited domestic flights are to likely to commence first before it gradually expands to full scale domestic and international services.

The airport has already secured an aerodrome licence from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), a key requirement for operations. Airports typically take around 45 days to two months after licensing to complete coordination with airlines, ground handlers and other stakeholders before flights are launched, NDTV reported.

The airport is spread over 1,300 hectares. The first phase includes one runway and a terminal capable of handling around 12 million passengers annually

At its final form, the airport is set to have five runways and a capacity of 70 million passengers per year by 2040, which will make it one of Asia's largest aviation hubs.

ammk-candidate-list-2026-all-11-nominees-named-by-ttv-dhinakaran

Sat Mar 28 13:09:12 IST 2026

The T. T. V. Dhinakaran-led Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) has released its candidate list for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

As per the final pact agreed upon among the NDA partners, the AIADMK will contest 169 constituencies out of the 234 assembly segments, as it is the largest partner in the alliance. The second-largest partner, the BJP, has been allocated 27 constituencies, while the PMK will contest 18 assembly segments, and the AMMK will contest 11 constituencies. Junior partners like the IJK and the TMC have secured two and five seats respectively.

The list of AMMK candidates contesting the elections was released in the state capital by the party’s General Secretary, T. T. V. Dhinakaran. The Nanguneri, Ottapidaram, Saidapet, Madathukulam, Poonamallee, Tiruchi West, Periyakulam, Mannargudi, Thiruvaiyaru, Karaikudi, and Tiruppathur seats were allotted to the party by the AIADMK-led alliance.

Dhinakaran has given his nod to two former ministers, C Shanmugavel and Senthamizhan. The general secretary also released the party’s election manifesto in Chennai on Saturday, Tamil media reports said. His promises reportedly include waiver of agricultural loans, rising of the 100-day work scheme to 150 days, and the restoration of the old pension scheme preferred by teachers.

AMMK candidate list for TN Assembly polls 2026:

Nanguneri – Isakkimuthu
Ottapidaram – Sundar Rajan
Saidapet – Senthamizhan
Madathukulam – Shanmugavelu
Poonamallee – Ezhumalai
Tiruchi West – Thottiyam Rajasekaran
Periyakulam – Kathirkamu
Mannargudi – S. Kamaraj
Thiruvaiyaru – Velu Karthikeyan
Karaikudi – Therbogi Pandi
Tiruppathur – Gnanasekaran

married-man-in-a-live-in-relationship-offence-or-not-allahabad-court-unable-to-decide

Sat Mar 28 11:06:30 IST 2026

The Allahabad court recently observed that a married man’s live-in relationship is not an offence and that it was the court’s duty to protect the citizen's rights.

However, the observation seemed to contradict the courts' earlier observations.

On March 25, the court observed, "There is no offence of the kind where a married man, staying with an adult in a live-in relationship, by consent of the other person, can be prosecuted for any offence whatsoever. Morality and law have to be kept apart. If there is no offence under the law made out, social opinions and morality will not guide the action of the Court for protecting the rights of citizens."

On March 20, however a single judge at the Allahabad court observed that a married individual cannot be legally permitted to enter into a live-in relationship with a third person without first obtaining a divorce from the spouse.

On a post on X, Live Law, shared a screen grab of the observation. The post read “If the petitioners are already married and have their spouse alive, he/she cannot be legally permitted to enter into a live-in relationship with a third person without seeking divorce from the earlier spouse. He/she first has to obtain the decree of divorce from the court of competent jurisdiction before solemnising marriage or entering into a living-in relationship out of their legal marriage."

Live Law noted that the observation was made while the court denied protection to a live-in couple.

In December of last year, the High Court made a similar observation, stating that a married person cannot legally enter into a live-in relationship without first obtaining a decree of divorce from the spouse, Hindustan Times reported.

In the case, the petitioners had approached the court that both petitioners are major and living together as husband and wife, and they have apprehension of a life threat from the respondent, PTI reported.

The court had dismissed the petition sought by the live-in couple, with Justice Vivek Kumar Singh observing that the freedom of personal liberty is not absolute and cannot infringe upon the statutory rights of an existing spouse.

The spouse has the statutory right to enjoy the company of their counterpart, and they cannot be deprived of the right for the sake of the personal liberty of the other.

"If the petitioners are already married and have their spouse alive, he/she cannot be legally permitted to enter into a live-in relationship with a third person without seeking divorce from the earlier spouse," the court had said.

aiadmk-second-candidate-list-decoded-loyalists-favoured-as-palaniswami-plays-it-safe

Fri Mar 27 22:22:35 IST 2026

The AIADMK on Friday released its second list of candidates for 127 constituencies. The third list for the remaining 17 constituencies is expected to be released soon.

The second list released by the party leadership Palaniswami has given an opportunity to 46 sitting MLAs, 26 former MLAs and six former MPs. He had chosen to play it safe for the party with more than 80 percent being the old faces and party veterans. Out of the 66 sitting MLAs 45 have been renominated. While the first list, released a few days before had the names of the party heavy weights and former ministers, the second list of candidates for 127 constituencies, has 17 women candidates, one Muslim candidate with an aim to balance the gender and minority representation. But the list, according to a former minister, lacks any freshness and Dalit representation. “Palanswami has given tickets to only those who will never oppose his leadership even if the party looses the upcoming election,” the former minister noted.

There are surprises in some of the constituencies, like Mettur, where former minister S. Semmalai was in the race. Semmalai, a longtime loyalist of former chief minister Jayalalithaa and also Palaniswami, has not been renominated. And in the Theni district, considered to be bastion of EPS’s bête noire O. Panneerselvam, the AIADMK had played it safe with V.T. Narayanasamy.

The party has chosen to field new faces in Sankarankovil, a reserved constituency in Tenkasi and Palayamkottai, which is considered to be DMK bastion. Syed Sultan Samsudeen, an engineering graduate will contest from Palayamkottai, which has a sizeable number of teachers, government employees, Christian and Muslim voters. Interestingly, he is the only minority candidate in the two lists released by the AIADMK. In Sankarankovil, the party has chosen to field a young medical doctor. The contest in Sankarankovil might get tough if the DMK fields its sitting MLA E. Raja.

And in Tirunelveli constituency, its district secretary Thatchai N. Ganesaraja, who lost in Nanguneri constituency to Congress candidate Ruby R. Manoharan in the 2021 assembly polls, is in the fray. In Ambasamudram, sitting MLA and former minister Esakki Subaya has been renominated while former MP K. R. P. Prabhakaran will contest from the Alangulam constituency. This constituency was interestingly represented by P.H. Manoj Pandian who defected to the DMK. Prabhakaran might have to take on Manoj Pandian in the upcoming election on April 23.

And out of the 41 constituencies in the central districts of Tiruchirapalli, Karur, Perambalur, Pudukottai, Ariyalur, Thanjavur, Mayiladuthurai, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam, after allocating 14 seats to its allies, AIADMK will be contesting from 27 constituencies. In Tiruchirappalli the party will contest from seven out of the nine assembly segments. And Trichy being considered the fiefdom of DMK strongman K.N. Nehru, AIADMK has chosen familiar faces to Srirangam and Tiruverumbur, while giving ticket to lottery baron Martin’s wife Leema Rose Martin in the Lalgudi constituency. K. Rajasekaran, treasurer of AIADMK Tiruchi urban, has been nominated for Trichy east. In the neighbouring Perambalur district, AIADMK after giving away Kunnam, one of the two assembly segments to its alliance partner, has renominated its Perambalur district secretary Ilambai R. Tamilselvan for the Perambalur, reserve, constituency.

In the Thanjavur, one of the most important segments in the delta region, the AIADMK has fielded former MLA Ilamathi Subramanian from Thiruvidaimaruthur, reserve, constituency and Govi. Ilango, son of former MLA M. Govindarasu from Peravurani. Durai Shanmugaprabhu alias Iyyappan will contest from Papanasam, while M. Sekar, chairman of Orathanadu town panchayat, has been fielded from the Orathanadu constituency. Former MLA C.V. Sekar has been nominated from the Pattukottai constituency. And U. Baladandayutham is the candidate for Thiruthuraipoondi, a reserve constituency. Nagapattinam has been allotted to its town secretary Thanga Kathiravan.

And in Karur where DMK’s V. Senthil Balaji is considered to be strong, former AIADMK minister and Balaji’s arch rival M.R. Vijayabaskar will be in the fray. According to sources Vijayabaskar believes that he can pull a victory this time, if Balaji chooses to contest from Coimbatore South. However, sources indicate that the DMK might field Balaji’s brother V. Ashok Kumar against Vijayabaskar.

In Coimbatore and Tiruppur in the western belt, the most promising segment for the AIADMK, the party has fielded two new faces. D. Lakshmana Singh will contest from Valparai and P. Sathyabama, Tiruppur rural east district joint secretary, will fight from the Dharapuram constituency. Former MLA N.S.N. Nataraj will contest from Kangayam and former MLA O.K. Chinnaraj will fight from Mettupalayam. Chinnaraj replaces sitting MLA A.K. Selvaraj.

In Coimbatore district, of the 10 Assembly constituencies, the AIADMK is contesting nine seats, and seven sitting MLAs have been given the opportunity to contest again. Coimbatore South assembly segment now represented by BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan has been allotted to former AIADMK MLA Amman K. Arjunan. In Singanallur, sitting MLA K.R. Jayaram will be in the fray.

And in Gobichettipalayam, the constituency represented by former minister K.A. Sengottaiyan who defected to Vijay’s TVK, the AIADMK has chosen to field V.B. Prabhu. Interestingly, Sengottiyan’s nephew K.K. Selvan who recently joined the party and expressed willingness to contest has been denied a ticket.

According to sources, EPS chose the candidates based on two aspects - those who will not oppose his leadership in the next five years and money bags who can afford to spend at least Rs 10 crore during the contest. Palaniswami had apparently chosen only his true loyalists. “He did not want to take any risk in the candidate selection process. But we could have fielded more new and young faces. With Vijay in the fray, new faces can catch the young voters,” the former minister told THE WEEK

ladakh-avalanche-several-feared-dead-at-zoji-la-pass-rescue-operations-underway

Fri Mar 27 21:31:12 IST 2026

At least 7 people have died and five others have been injured so far as multiple snow avalanches struck the Srinagar-Leh national highway on Friday, bringing traffic to a standstill, according to data from Union Minister Jitendra Singh.

The Zoji La Pass is said to be one of the most affected regions in the stretch between Zero Point and Minimarg, where several vehicles lie trapped under snow and debris.

Ladakh has launched a major rescue operation involving police, Army, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and district administrations.

"Chief Minister expressed deep sorrow over the tragic loss of lives in an avalanche at Zojila Pass today. He extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured," read a statement from the office of J&K CM Omar Abdullah, in a post on X.

Visuals from the scene also show a number of people using shovels to try clearing a path on the blocked pass, as a long line of cars can be seen at a standstill along the pass.

"All government agencies including disaster relief forces and BRO have been put on high alert," the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Vinai Kumar Saxena, wrote in a post on X, adding that he was "personally monitoring the situation".

The exact cause of the multiple avalanches along the Srinagar-Leh highway is currently under investigation as well. Notably, the highway is a key route connecting Ladakh with Kashmir, and is frequently impacted by weather-related disruptions during winter months.

can-puthiya-tamilagams-solo-fight-create-a-big-impact-in-tamil-nadu-polls-party-could-tilt-south-tn-battles

Fri Mar 27 19:30:21 IST 2026

Puthiya Tamilagam, which has a strong support base in southern Tamil Nadu districts like Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli and Ramanathapuram, has announced that it will contest alone in the upcoming elections.

The party, led by K. Krishnasamy, is reported to have held discussions with major players in Tamil Nadu before deciding to go solo.

According to media reports, the party, which does not currently have any MLAs in the state assembly, will contest in as many as 70 assembly seats where it sees a high probability of winning. The decision was taken after a two-day meeting held in Coimbatore.

The party, which had allied with AIADMK in multiple assembly polls in the past, had contested alone in 60 seats in the 2021 election. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the party contested and lost one seat in alliance with AIADMK.

Puthiya Tamilagam seeks to consolidate the Devendra Kula Vellalar vote bank, a predominant community in southern Tamil Nadu. Media reports suggest that the party has been gaining influence in the region over the past 30 years.

The party has enough influence to determine or impact the fate of candidates in southern districts like Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, Thoothukudi and Virudhunagar.

The talks with AIADMK reportedly failed after Krishnasamy demanded 15 seats in the assembly polls and a Rajya Sabha seat. Krishnasamy, in a statement, said the party, which has the support of more than one crore Devendra Kula Vellalar people, decided to contest the elections alone after it was not given due political recognition.

"We work for marginalised communities, with strong bases in districts such as Tenkasi, Tirunelveli, Virudhunagar, Ramanathapuram, Madurai, Dindigul region, particularly in rural and semi‑urban areas. The party has campaigned against five years of DMK misrule... Talks with AIADMK and NDA partners stalled due to minimal seat offers, so the party is preparing to contest the 2026 assembly elections independently. Candidate applications are being collected, with final decisions to follow," Krishnasamy was quoted as sayig earlier.

The party will release the list of candidates on Sunday.

opinion-institutions-like-the-eci-must-remain-vigilant-to-avoid-eroding-public-trust

Fri Mar 27 22:57:59 IST 2026

On March 26, Meta removed an interview conducted by Manorama News with Kerala’s Leader of the Opposition, V.D. Satheesan, following a request from the Kerala Police. With elections having been declared, the police are required to act in accordance with the guidelines of the Election Commission of India. In that sense, the Chief Electoral Officer became answerable for the sequence of actions triggered by the police’s request.

Chief Electoral Officer Ratan Khelkar clarified that the police had only sought the removal of comments, not the interview itself, and that “Meta had made the mistake” by acting beyond that request. Yet errors—whether intentional or not—by institutions entrusted with ensuring non-partisanship can have far-reaching consequences for public trust. Every action by the police and election machinery must not only be lawful but also visibly neutral. In a charged political climate, even a procedural lapse can create a perception of bias—and perception can be as consequential as intent. When action is sought against comments under an opposition leader’s interview but results in the takedown of the entire video during a tightly contested campaign phase, it inevitably raises questions.

Just days earlier, the chief electoral officer had to explain another mistake: a letter sent by the Kerala CEO’s office to political parties carried the seal of the Bharatiya Janata Party instead of an official Election Commission authentication. The error was explained as “clerical,” but it triggered sharp reactions across the political spectrum and fuelled public debate—often through memes—about whether the institution remains impartial.

In the aftermath of that controversy, Kerala Police reportedly issued notices to individuals for sharing the now-withdrawn document, arguing that its circulation could undermine the integrity of the Election Commission. But lapses by institutions like the Election Commission are, and should be, subject to public scrutiny—because institutions exist for the public and derive their legitimacy from it, not the other way around.

The question of equal enforcement of the law is also fundamental. Any perception of selective censorship or uneven law enforcement is inherently problematic. On March 26, Kerala Police acted against the circulation of an AI-generated video on X that allegedly depicted the Prime Minister and constitutional authorities, including the Election Commission, in a misleading and defamatory manner. Such prompt intervention is necessary—and welcome—when dealing with deepfakes and disinformation. But that standard must be applied uniformly.

A quick scan of the digital ecosystem during elections reveals misleading and defamatory AI-generated content circulating across platforms, sometimes even from handles linked to major political parties. For instance, in the Kerala context, the ECI should take note of AI-generated videos being circulated by major political parties in relation to the “adjustment politics” controversy that has emerged in the state.

For the credibility of democracy’s foremost institutions, the principle must be simple: the law must act evenly. Whether it is political misinformation, institutional criticism, or misogynistic abuse, every digital threat must be treated with the same urgency and seriousness. Anything less risks not just selective enforcement but selective trust.

pm-modi-chairs-meeting-with-cms-lgs-on-west-asia-crisis-urges-unified-team-india-response-to-current-situation

Fri Mar 27 22:39:37 IST 2026

PM Narendra Modi on Friday chaired a virtual meeting with chief ministers and lieutenant governors of various states and Union Territories (UT) across the country to review India's preparedness as the war between Iran and US-Israel forces turns a month old.

Emphasising the need for vigilance, preparedness, and coordinated action to address the challenges at every stage of the West Asia crisis, PM Modi also took in state-wise inputs from those present.

The CMs of poll-bound states were not present, in line with the Model Code of Conduct, which is currently in force here.

This comes as Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Friday declared that it had "closed" the Hormuz Strait to ships linked to the US and its allies, and added that it had "turned back" three Chinese-linked vessels on Thursday and Friday.

Despite carrying Chinese flags, the two vessels were forced to turn back after attempting to pass through the strait at 3:50 AM GMT (9:20 AM IST) on Friday, as per data from the maritime tracker Kpler, which noted that “safe passage could not be guaranteed”.

China is one of the few countries—including India—whose vessels had been granted safe passage through the Hormuz Strait.

Keeping the evolving situation in mind, he reiterated that an Inter-Ministerial Group—that has been operational since March 3—was effectively engaged in helping maintain economic and trade stability, ensuring energy security, and insulating supply chains from the crisis as much as possible.

He also noted the country's unified response to global disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, which he called 'Team India', pointing out that the Gulf crisis was somewhat similar, and called for a similar Centre-state unified approach to the developments over the coming days.

The LPG crisis also became a major talking point at the virtual meeting, with excise duty to be reduced on fuels, and the increase in commercial LPG allocation from 50 per cent to 70 per cent of pre-crisis levels.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday also urged citizens not to be misled by "a deliberately mischievous, coordinated campaign of misinformation that is being carried out to spread unjustified panic".

ashok-kharat-case-sit-flooded-with-calls-on-self-styled-godmans-crimes-as-more-victims-come-forward

Fri Mar 27 16:34:16 IST 2026

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) conducting the probe against Ashok Kharat, a former Merchant Navy officer, has received about 50 more calls in the last five days that alleged more crimes committed by him, officials said on Friday.

The Maharashtra government had provided two phone numbers for citizens to share information and report offences committed by the self-styled godman and rape accused.

The team received about 15 to 20 calls daily. About 50 calls were complaints against Kharat. The SIT is currently verifying the claims.

ALSO READ | Ashok Kharat sexually abused drugged women, threatened harm to husbands if they refused: Report

The SIT has also assured the the identities of the informants are strictly confidential.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that criminal action will be taken against those who were circulating an obscene video of Kharat’s victims. Two people have already been arrested by the Kopargaon police station in the Ahilyanagar district for circulating content that showed the victims.

"In the Kharat case, many more victims are coming forward. Some more FIRs will be filed," Fadnavis told reporters in Mumbai.

The CM also assured that the victims will be given full protection, including protection of their identities.

The SIT is currently probing six cases linked to the accused, and allegations include rape, human sacrifice and black magic, allegations of sexual assault, extortion and circulation of objectionable material. The police have registered eight FIRs against the Nashik-based Kharat.

Police officials also recovered several documents and files, a diary and papers from the office, the official said.

The Nashik district administration has also suspended Kharats ' firearms licence, citing that with the multiple cases against him, he might use weapons to threaten and intimidate victims.

He had obtained the license on October 15, 2012, renewed it on January 1, 2024, with validity till December 2028, he said.

The SIT probe is being led by IPS officer Tejaswi Satpute.

ALSO READ | Ashok Kharat sexually abusing pregnant woman triggered whistleblower to set up hidden camera: Report

Kharat has been booked for the alleged rape and exploitation of multiple women by posing as a religious leader. He had reportedly given them drugged drinks before assaulting them. He was caught after one of the victim's acquaintance set up a camera in his office to expose his crimes. The person used to work for Khrata, and his camera captured about 100 videos.

With inputs from PTI

why-rg-kar-victims-mother-contesting-for-bjp-is-a-headache-for-mamata-west-bengal-assembly-polls

Fri Mar 27 14:20:34 IST 2026

Justice has still not been delivered to the family of the doctor gang-raped and murdered at the government-run RG Kar hospital in Kolkata in August 2024. The victim’s mother now stands as a BJP candidate for her constituency, Panihati, to get justice for her daughter. Ratna Debnath is confident about coming out in the open to create awareness of women’s safety and to hit out at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

“There is misgovernance in West Bengal. There is no safety or respect for women. After an incident, women are told not to stay out late or work late; the person who says this is our Chief Minister, Home Minister, and Police Minister. My appeal is that people should be aware of their rights, which have been taken away,” said Ratna Debnath, who also appealed to the Abhaya protesters to stand by her in the same way to oust the Trinamool Congress (TMC) at the opportune moment.

“I want to tell the residents of Panihati that you will win; stand by me. It will be a victory for Panihati,” added Debnath.

For the BJP, Debnath’s candidature is a trump card against Mamata. The safety of women under the present regime, led by a woman, is being questioned by another woman, who is a powerful symbol. The BJP is also looking at Debnath campaigning in a few key constituencies to fight the TMC, which has a sizeable female vote bank, with several who swear by Mamata as a protector against demons. The BJP wants to break this image with its political fight and is hoping that Abhaya’s mother standing tall against Mamata in the latter’s constituency sends out the relevant message.

“My appeal to Didi (Ratna Debnath) is to come to Bhabanipur one or two times after campaigning in Panihati, to raise her voice against the Police Minister, Health Minister, and Chief Minister, who is the TMC candidate there,” said Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari after visiting the victim’s mother on Thursday. Adhikari appealed to Debnath to bring up the issue of the alleged cover-up of the crime by the TMC and the CM.

The Bhabanipur BJP candidate also asked people who were on the streets for the Abhaya movement to come forward, support the victim’s mother, and stand for justice. “She is standing as a BJP candidate with the aim of bringing the perpetrators to book. I have faith that the educated people of Panihati will help her win by a huge margin, which Panihati has not witnessed since independence,” added Adhikari.

In the midst of this political move is an active member of the Abhaya movement, Kalatan Dasgupta, a Left Front leader contesting from the same constituency of Panihati. The Left too wants to send out a message of its fight for justice against the TMC government, riding on the Abhaya movement. But the victim’s mother is more concerned about justice for her daughter while standing up against the CM and her party. “He is like my son; he was part of the movement (Abhaya). I will not say anything,” said Debnath.

92-acres-reclaimed-hydraa-recovers-land-encroached-for-four-decades-in-hyderabad

Fri Mar 27 13:15:37 IST 2026

The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency reclaimed about 92 acres of land that had been encroached for more than four decades on an operation held on March 26.

The issue traces back to 1980, when 1,100 people bought plots in Anandnagar Colony in Paati village on the outskirts of Hyderabad, anticipating future appreciation. Over the years, the 92-acre layout was systematically encroached upon. The encroachers created counterfeit passbooks, classified the lands as agricultural lands on the Dharani registration portal, and resold them — leaving the original plot owners with nothing but a grievance.

Dharani was launched by the Bharat Rashtra Samiti government in 2020 as a digitised, centralised platform for land registration. In practice, its architecture created new vectors for abuse. Intermediaries exploited the portal's online fee mechanism by altering digits on official challans and submitting forged receipts at Tahsildar offices to push through fraudulent registrations. The Congress government abolished Dharani and launched the Bhu Bharati portal in 2025, in part as a structural response to these failures.

The original plot owners spent years seeking justice through every available channel. Their efforts yielded nothing — a reflection of governance systems that lack both transparency and accountability. Eventually, they filed a complaint at HYDRAA's Prajavani, a weekly grievance forum held every Monday. The forum's caseload speaks for itself: it receives around 50 land-related complaints on an average sitting. After receiving the complaint, HYDRAA Commissioner A.V. Ranganath visited the site, verified the land documents, and confirmed that roads and land designated for public parks had been occupied.

HYDRAA officials told THE WEEK that this is the technique the agency uses. It studies current land ownership, examines whether it is legally tenable, identifies any occupied public land, and removes encroachments on those public spaces. That removal automatically revives the layout — and with HYDRAA's backing, original owners can reclaim their holdings without having to approach the courts. Crucially, the burden of proof shifts to the encroachers.

On the same day, HYDRAA also cleared encroachments on the Sambhuni Kunta lake near Beeramguda. Ranganath inspected the site and openly expressed his frustration at the lethargy of municipal and revenue officials — without whose complicity, he indicated, such long-term occupation of lakebeds could not have persisted. HYDRAA officials removed sheds and temporary business establishments from the lakebed. Local municipal officials, seemingly stung by the public rebuke, said they would not tolerate further encroachments and would ensure their immediate removal.

18-year-old-runs-over-woman-techie-mother-of-2-for-protesting-against-using-penthouse-as-airbnb0

Fri Mar 27 15:11:43 IST 2026

The Delhi government has cancelled its Rs 6.2 crore plan to procure two boars for VIPs and VVIPS and suspended two officials involved in the process.

Minister Pravesh Verma told the Hindustan Times that the government has launched an investigation into the plant and the circumstances under which it was issued.

“We have cancelled the tender for the boats, and we are investigating the issue. The executive engineer and assistant engineer concerned have also been suspended for issuing the tenders without prior information,” Verma said.

He said that directions were also issued to ensure that any future procurement of boats is limited to the department's essential functions, such as surveillance, pollution monitoring and other operational requirements, the report said.

The plant, according to the HT report, included the procurement of two VIP/VVIP boats designed to carry around 16-20 passengers. The vessels were to be quipped with premium features, including rooftop cassette-style marine air conditioners, customised business-class push-back seats made of vegan leather with exquisite stitching, and a dedicated food service pantry

Each vessel was also to contain an open rear deck with three to four seater sofas for VIP public appearances, with sofa-style seating for three to four persons

It was to be designed with a premium aesthetic look with concealed LED and ambient lighting.

The moves to cancel the plan came after a report published on March 18, the I&FC minister’s office had said that future boat purchases, if any, will strictly serve essential departmental functions

The two officials were suspended for issuing the tenders with prior informations

The opposition quickly criticised the plan, labelling the project a misuse of public funds and a reflection of misplaced priorities.

The controversy also comes when the Yamuna River remains a key priority for the BJP-led Delhi government. Much of the river's pollution originates from a 48-kilometre stretch from Palla to Badarpur, along with a 26-kilometre segment from Wazirabad to Asgarpur, despite the lengths being less than 2 per cent of the river’s total length.

maharashtra-video-leak-narhari-zirwal-admits-to-knowing-transwoman-seen-in-stitched-clip-for-five-years

Fri Mar 27 16:13:20 IST 2026

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the authenticity of the viral video involving his cabinet colleague, Narhari Zirwal, and a transwoman will be probed. The CM’s statement comes after Zirwal told the Chief Minister that the viral video, which has become a sensation on the internet, was made by stitching together three or four different clips.

When asked if the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader will be asked to step down, Fadnavis reportedly said: "He told me that the video has been wrongly created by stitching together 3–4 different clips. This should be investigated. I advised him to immediately file a complaint. The authenticity of the video will be verified. After that, Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, who is the leader of his party, and I will take an appropriate decision regarding his resignation."

It was over the telephone that Zirwal explained his side to Fadnavis, TV9 Marathi said in a report. The video reportedly showed Zirwal, the Minister of Food and Drug Administration, in a compromising position with the transwoman at his official residence. THE WEEK could not independently verify the authenticity of the viral video.

The opposition Congress earlier in the day demanded that he should be sacked over his "obscene and unethical behaviour". "It is an assembled video and leaked only with the intention of blackmailing.... Nobody has asked for my resignation," Zirwal had earlier told news agency PTI. The minister, however, admitted that he had known the transwoman seen in the video for the last five years.

The 66-year-old Zirwal is a four-time MLA from Dindori in the Nashik district and a former Deputy Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.

This is the second controversy involving Zirwal in two months. In February, an FDA clerk was caught red-handed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) while allegedly accepting a ₹35,000 bribe in Mantralaya, the state secretariat. Zirwal heads the FDA department.

tvk-candidate-list-today-vijay-to-kick-start-poll-campaign-from-permabur-today-report

Fri Mar 27 12:08:45 IST 2026

Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has finalised its list of candidates for all 234 constituencies for the upcoming Tamil Nadu assembly elections, a new report said. The party is expected to make an official announcement regarding the same on March 29, Sunday.

The list is expected to include more than 30 women candidates, Tamil media reports said. TVK was originally expected to release the list Friday but the candidates returned to their home turfs after it was decided to postpone the official release, a report said. While the names of candidates have been finalised, there are some sorting out left to do regarding who is contesting from where, resulting in the postponement, a media report said.

Vijay is almost certain to contest from Chennai's Perambur seat. He will begin his campaign from the constituency. He will start the day at 11 am in MKB Nagar and proceed to five locations within the constituency, Daily Thanthi said in a report.

As part of this plan, he will campaign in the Perambur, Kolathur, Villivakkam, Anna Nagar, and Virugambakkam constituencies. A detailed travel plan has been prepared to ensure smooth movement without traffic congestion.

The TVK has sought the necessary permissions from the Election Commission, as well as from the police. While initial permission was sought to campaign in 12 constituencies, it is reported that approval has been granted only for a few areas. A report had earlier claimed that the TVK team has reportedly rented a home at Kodungaiyur, at Kannadasan Nagar, for Vijay to stay.

Perambur, where the ICF coach factory is located, is a predominantly working-class and middle-class area with a significant chunk of socially backward people and Christian minorities. It is also a stronghold of Vanniyar, Wodeyar, Thevar and Mudaliar communities.

TVK pins its hopes on the party’s voter base in the region. Party general secretary Adhava Arjun told reporters that the party had connected with over 40,000 people in the constituency in a short time, which was unprecedented in any other constituency. “Therefore, our leader should contest here, which is an important part of North Chennai,” Adhav Arjuna said.

married-mans-live-in-partnership-not-an-offence-allahabad-hc-rules-says-social-morality-cannot-override-rights

Fri Mar 27 16:04:43 IST 2026

The Allahabad High Court recently observed that a married man's live-in relationship is not an offence and that social morality cannot override the duty of the courts to protect the rights of citizens.

Hearing a plea seeking protection of a live-in couple who are facing threats from the woman's family, a division bench of Justice J.J. Munir and Justice Tarun Saxena said there is no offence of the kind where a married man, staying with an adult in a live-in relationship, with consent of the other person, can be prosecuted for any offence.

When the counsel for the woman's family argued that it is an offence for a man who is already married to stay with another woman, the court observed: "Morality and law have to be kept apart. If there is no offence under the law made out, social opinions and morality will not guide the action of the Court for protecting the rights of citizens."

Pointing out that the the woman has already submitted an application to the police, saying that she is an adult and staying of her free will with the man in a live-in relationship, the court noted that it is the duty of the police to protect two adults living together.

"Particular obligations in this regard are cast upon the Superintendent of Police, as held by the Supreme Court in Shakti Vahini v. Union of India and others, (2018) 7 SCC 192. This petition is supported by joint affidavit of both the petitioners," the court said, according to Bar and Bench.

aiadmk-candidate-list-2026-127-strong-second-list-out-as-indiya-jananayaka-katchi-opts-for-two-leaves-symbol

Fri Mar 27 15:31:53 IST 2026

NDA constituent Indiya Jananayaka Katchi (IJK) president Ravi Pachamuthu has named the party's candidates for the upcoming Tamil Nadu assembly elections and claimed that they will be using the 'Two Leaves' symbol of the AIADMK.

Ravi Pachamuthu, in the company of his father and party founder T. R. Paarivendhar, said that the IJK's Venkatesan will contest from Pallavaram, while Saranya Anbazhagan has been fielded from the Kunnam seat.

ALSO READ | Did AIADMK hand tough seats to smaller NDA partners? The many calculations involved EXPLAINED

Meanwhile, A. C. Shanmugam of the Puthiya Needhi Katchi, another NDA member, declared that his party will use the BJP's 'Lotus' in one seat and the 'Two Leaves' in the other. However, the names of the party's candidates were not immediately known.

It was earlier reported that the AIADMK was not happy with many of its smaller allies opting to use the BJP's poll symbol over its own. Tamil media reports had cited this as a major reason for the seat-sharing talks not getting done and dusted within the opposition alliance.

ALSO READ | Who will win Tamil Nadu Assembly elections? This is what pre-poll surveys say

While the Dravidian major is contesting 169 seats, a total of 65 seats have been allocated to the alliance parties. The Edappadi K. Palaniswami-led AIADMK on Wednesday released its first list of 23 candidates for the upcoming Assembly polls. As many as 127 names were released on Friday in a second list.

The election to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly will be held on 23 April 2026.

AIADMK SECOND LIST:

Kumbidipundi — V. Sathan

Thuraiyur (SC) — I. Saroja

Perambalur (SC) — R. Tamilselvan

Neyveli — Sorathur R. Rajendran

Panruti — K. Mohan

Cuddalore — M.C. Sampath

Kurinjipadi — A. Bhuvanendran

Bhuvanagiri — A. Arunmozhithevan

Chidambaram — K.A. Pandiyan

Sirkazhi (SC) — M. Sakthi

Poompuhar — S. Pavunraj

Nagapattinam — Thanga. Kathiravan

Thiruthuraipoondi (SC) — U. Baladandayutham

Thiruvidaimarudur (SC) — Ilamathi Subramanian

Papanasam — D. Shanmugaprabu

Orathanadu — M. Sekar

Pattukkottai — C.V. Sekar

Peravurani — Kovi. Ilango

Thirumayam — P.K. Vairamuthu

Sivaganga — PR. Senthilnathan

Melur — P. Periyapullan (alias) Selvam

Madurai East — Mangalam K. Mahendran

Sholavandan (SC) — K. Manikkam

Madurai North — P. Saravanan

Usilampatti — I. Mahendran

Andipatti — A. Logirajan

Bodinayakanur — V.T. Narayanasamy

Cumbum — S.T.K. Jakkaiyan

Srivilliputhur (SC) — M. Chandhrapraba

Virudhunagar — V.G. Ganesan

Aruppukkottai — S. Sethupathi

Paramakudi (SC) — S. Muthaiah

Tiruvadanai — Keerthika Muniyasamy

Mudukulathur — Malaysia S. Pandi

Vilathikulam — R. Sathya

Thoothukudi — Ci.Dha. Sellappandiyan

Srivaikuntam — S.P. Shanmuganathan

Sankarankovil (SC) — Thilipan Jaisankar

Kadayanallur — C. Krishnamurali

Tenkasi — S. Selvamogandhas-Pandiyan

Alangulam — K.R.P. Prabakaran

Tirunelveli — Thatchai N. Ganesharaja

Ambasamudram — Esakki Subbaiah (alias) I. Subbaiah

Palayamkottai — S. Syed Sulthan Samsudeen

Kanniyakumari — N. Thalavaisundaram

Ponneri (SC) — P. Balaraman

Tiruttani — K. Thiruthani

Tiruvallur — B.V. Ramana

Madhavaram — V. Moorthy

Tiruvottiyur — K. Kuppan

Srirampur (SC) — K. Pazhani

Dharmapuri — S. Ramachandran

Chengalpattu — M. Raja (alias) K. Rajendran

Cheyyur (SC) — E. Rajasekar

Maduranthakam (SC) — Maragatham Kumaravel

Kancheepuram — V. Somnath

Arakkonam (SC) — S. Ravi

Katpadi — V. Ramu

Arcot — S.M. Sugumar

Pappireddippatti — Maragatham Vetrivel

Harur (SC) — V. Sampathkumar

Chengam (SC) — T.S. Velu

Kilpennathur — S. Ramachandran

Arani — L. Jayasudha

Cheyyar — Mukkur N. Subramanian

Vandavasi (SC) — P. Rani

Tindivanam (SC) — P. Arjunan

Vanur (SC) — P. Murugan

Vellore — S.R.K. Appu

Anaicut — D. Velazhagan

Gudiyattam (SC) — G. Parisa Purushothaman

Vaniyambadi — G. Sendhil Kumar

Ambur — R. Venkatesan

Uthangarai (SC) — T.M. Tamilselvam

Bargur — E.C. Govindarasu

Krishnagiri — K. Ashok Kumar

Hosur — P. Balakrishna ReddyCoimbatore South — Amman K. Arjunan

Singanallur — K.R. Jayaram

Kinathukadavu — Se. Damodaran

Pollachi — Pollachi V. Jayaraman

Valparai (SC) — D. Lakshmanan

Udumalaipettai — Udumalai K. Radhakrishnan

Palani — K. Ravi Manoharan

Oddanchatram — A. Viswanathan

Nilakottai (SC) — S. Thenmozhi

Vedasandur — V.P.B. Paramasivam

Aravakurichi — K. Selvakumar

Krishnarayapuram (SC) — S. Divya

Kulithalai — S. Kandhasamy

Manapparai — P.L. Vijayakumar

Srirangam — R. Manoharan

Tiruchirappalli (East) — K. Rajasekaran

Tiruchirappalli (West) — P. Kumar

Thiruverumbur — M. Leela Rajesh

Musiri — N. Yogalingam

Vikravandi — K. Vijaya

Tirukkoyilur — S. Pazhanisamy

Ulundurpettai — R. Kumaraguru

Sankarapuram — R. Madhavan

Kallakurichi (SC) — S. Rajendran

Gangavalli (SC) — A. Nallathambi

Attur (SC) — A.P. Jayasankaran

Yercaud (ST) — P. Usha Rani

Omalur — R. Mani

Mettur — G. Venkatachalam

Sankari — S. Vetrivel

Salem (South) — J. Robert

Veerapandi — P. Senthil Kumar

Sendamangalam (ST) — C. Chandrasekaran

Namakkal — P.S. Madhavi

Paramathi Velur — S. Sekar

Tiruchengodu — R. Chandrasekar

Erode (East) — R. Manoharan

Dharapuram (SC) — P. Sathiyabama

Kangayam — N.S.N. Nataraj

Perundurai — S. Jayakumar

Anthiyur — P. Haribhaskar

Gobichettipalayam — V.B. Babu

Bhavanisagar (SC) — A. Bannari

Gudalur (SC) — Pon. Jayaseelan

Coonoor — A. Ramu

Mettupalayam — O.K. Chinnaraj

Tiruppur (North) — M.S.M. Anandan

Palladam — K.P. Paramasivam

Sulur — V.P. Kandhasamy

Kavundampalayam — P.R.G. Arunkumar

who-will-win-tamil-nadu-assembly-elections-this-is-what-pre-poll-surveys-say

Fri Mar 27 11:45:06 IST 2026

With barely a month left for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, the pre-poll surveys are predicting the outcome of the four-cornered elections, which will see DMK fighting its main opposition, the BJP-AIADMK alliance, new entrant actor Vijay’s TVK and Seeman’s Naam Tamilar Katchi.

An opinion poll conducted by Vote Vibe states that the DMK alliance is likely to win 113 to 123 seats while the AIADMK alliance is likely to win 106 to 116 seats. Vijay’s TVK is likely to win 2 to 8 seats. The poll was released by News 18.

When asked who they wanted to be the Chief Minister in 2026, 39.9% chose current Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, 37.5% chose former Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami, and 14.7% chose TVK leader Vijay.

On how they view the contest, 41.2% said it would be a completely two-way contest, while 12.6% said it would be somewhat two-way, while 18.7% said it would be a
three-way contest. Only 12% said it would be a completely three-way contest. An estimated 15.6% said they were undecided.

Another survey conducted by Parawheel, a tech-driven political intelligence research and election forecasting firm powered by KK Surveys & Strategies Pvt Ltd, found that DMK will emerge the front runner with 41.5% vote share, AIADMK with 36.2%, and TVK emerging as the third major political force with 13.6%.

Interestingly, the Parawheel’s survey also found that TVK would show significant strength across several constituencies, emerging as the second strongest political force after DMK in Chennai region.

The team, led by Loyola College alumni and election strategist Thirunavukkarasu.C, too held a pre-poll survey which predicted that DMK will lead the race with 25.3 per cent votes. Vijay’s TVK will get 24.7%, and AIADMK will get 22.8%. There are also assumptions that a coalition government will be formed in Tamil Nadu.

18-year-old-runs-over-woman-techie-mother-of-2-for-protesting-against-using-penthouse-as-airbnb

Fri Mar 27 11:29:49 IST 2026

A software engineer was killed after an 18-year-old ran her over with a vehicle during a dispute over the use of a penthouse as an Airbnb rental in Indore late Wednesday night, police said .

The incident took place around 10:30 pm at the Lasudia police station area, located in the Shiv Vatika Township on MR-11. ‘

Shampa Pandey, a software engineer and a mother of two, had gone with other residents to protest against the operation of an Airbnb in Shiv Vatika Smriti Enclave in Indore

Kuldeesp Chaudhary had allegedly rented out his seventh-floor penthouse on Airbnb, resulting in many strangers coming in and out of the building.

The residents of the building have reportedly had a meeting with Chaudhary on Sunday, hoping to resolve the dispute. However, the property was rented out again on Wednesday. In protest, some of the residents decided to cut off the power to the penthouse.

In response, Kuldeep came downstairs and cut the power to the other flats, triggering a confrontation that soon escalated into violence.

One resident who spoke to NDTV said, "Kuldeep Chaudhary had called his son saying, 'Aa jao, aaj inka maamla settle karna hai' (Come, we need to settle this today)," recalled a resident. "Chaudhary's son, Monish, got so aggressive that he rammed into people and then broke the society gate before leaving."

The CCTV footage obtained by police from the complex shows Monish pulling out his Swift car and driving into the security guard’s wife, who falls to the ground.

As people helped her get up and move to the side, Monish circled around and rammed into Shampa Pandey and drove over her.

Pandey was rushed to the Bombay hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.

Shampa’s husband, Saurabh Pandey, who is originally from Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, said that the accused could have stopped the vehicle but chose not to. “He first hit another woman and then drove towards me. I somehow escaped, but he ran over my wife. He didn’t stop even after hitting her and ramming the car into a wall. My wife suffered severe head injuries and fell. After that, he drove over her again,” he alleged.

Shampa, her husband and children had recently purchased the flat and moved to the township. They have two children aged 7 and 10.

“Shampa has two young children, who don't know their mother is dead," said a resident.

The residents of the building say that the penthouse was not part of the original building plan and that they were not informed of its existence at the time of the purchase.

They also alleged that the the penthouse had frequent late-night activity, including visitors arriving until early morning hours. Police are also investigating the identities of the visitors who accessed the property through Airbnb and examining whether any regulations were violated.

prostitutes-remark-on-women-supporters-sparks-vijays-fury-tvk-chief-slams-dmk

Thu Mar 26 20:53:00 IST 2026

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief actor-turned-politician Vijay has, on Thursday, lashed out at Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) supporter and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) member Ponraj Vellaichamy over his remarks of calling women supporters of TVK "prostitutes."

Without naming Vellaichamy, who was the former advisor of the late APJ Abdul Kalam, Vijay, in a statement, said such remarks are an affront to the dignity of women.

During an interview, Vellaichamy called the supporters of Vijay "illiterate fools" and had reportedly said, “They (women fans) say that they will be Vijay’s elder sister, younger sister or even a wife. It is a party filled with prostitutes.”

The remarks had attracted widespread criticism.

"A person acting as a supporter of the DMK has, in a most degrading and unspeakable manner, hurled insults at my mothers, sisters, and daughters who are worthy of the pride and respect of this land. On behalf of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, I strongly condemn such opportunistic elements who operate under the patronage and protection of the DMK leadership," Vijay said in a tweet in Tamil.

He also slammed the DMK government for failing to take any action against such individuals.

Vijay said the remarks, which were aimed at provoking TVK, insulted women, and they will give a fitting reply to the DMK in the elections.