Service Doctors' Forum, an association of medical practitioners in West Bengal, has threatened a major protest demonstration against the Election Commission of India (ECI), for its decision to issue summons to clinically ailing patients and senior citizens asking them to be present at the hearing sessions on claims and objections on the draft voters' list.

Incidentally, the Forum played a leading role in spearheading the mass movement on the issue of the ghastly rape and murder of a junior doctor of state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata within the hospital premises in August 2024.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has fixed the new schedule of responsibilities for the Booth-Level Officers (BLOs) engaged in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in West Bengal from the New Year, which will continue for some time before the final voters' list is published on February 14 next year.

Under the new schedule, BLOs will have to be present at the existing polling booths for two hours daily from Monday to Friday.

On the two weekend holidays, namely Saturday and Sunday, the BLOs will have to present at the polling booths concerned for four hours.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has fixed the multi-prong accountability of the District Magistrates (DMs), also the District Electoral Officers (DEOs), as regards to checking the authenticity of the supporting identity documents to be provided by the voters' summoned for the ongoing hearing sessions on the claims and objections on the draft voters' list which is a part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal.

The Deputy Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Bharati, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, Manoj Kumar Agarwal, and the other top ECI officials had a meeting with the DMs and the DEOs on Tuesday, where accountabilities in the matter were fixed, and instructions accordingly were given.

In Punjab, the Aam Aadmi Party has once again proven that it is the true well-wisher of the poor and labourers. The party’s MLAs have launched an unprecedented campaign to raise the voice and demands of more than 10 lakh MGNREGA worker families in the state.

During a special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday, the House paid homage to the unparalleled ‘Shaheedi’ (martyrdom) of the four Sahibzadas, reaffirming Punjab’s legacy of resistance to tyranny. Led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Assembly paid tributes to Baba Ajit Singh Ji, Baba Jujhar Singh Ji, Baba Zorawar Singh Ji and Baba Fateh Singh Ji, and also remembered Mata Gujri Ji, Baba Jivan Singh Ji, Baba Sangat Singh Ji and Diwan Todar Mal Ji. 

 Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Cheema on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led Union government, accusing it of systematically dismantling the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme and stripping the poor of their right to a livelihood.

Speaking in the Vidhan Sabha in support of a resolution against the changes and the renaming of the MGNREGA scheme to ‘Viksit Bharat -- G GRAM G’, Cheema labelled the step as an “assault on stomachs of the marginalised”.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has clarified that an alternative to the specified "land or house allotment certificates" will not be treated as valid identity documents at the hearing sessions on claims and objections regarding the draft voters' list in West Bengal.

The sessions commenced on Saturday.

The Commission had specified a total of 13 documents, out of which "any land/house allotment certificate by the Government" is one of the documents and the 11th document in the list of 13 specified by the ECI on this count.

Cabinet Minister Sanjeev Arora today said that Punjab has attracted ₹1.50 lakh crore (approximately USD 19 billion) in investments since the formation of the AAP Government, resulting in the generation of more than five lakh employment opportunities across the State. He said this reflects the Government’s firm commitment to making Punjab a preferred destination for investors and a leading industrial hub. Major Investments announce for Punjab in last 5 months are

As the year of 2025 concludes, Punjab's agricultural landscape stands transformed, driven by Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led the state government's bold initiatives. The year has been marked by record farmer remuneration, significant strides in crop diversification and a steadfast commitment to sustainable practices, setting a new benchmark for farm prosperity in the state.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Saturday, condemned the killing of a migrant worker from the state in Odisha and asserted that speaking in Bengali cannot be a crime.

Taking to her official X account, Chief Minister Banerjee told that a zero FIR has been filed in West Bengal and six people have been arrested in connection with the incident.

Framing the MGNREGA changes as an ideological battle over equity, federalism, and Gandhian values, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday announced a nationwide movement to resist the changes.

Kharge set the tone for the agitation by questioning the government's priorities: "Why has the Central government destroyed a scheme like MGNREGS? You have endless money for the rich - who loot banks through massive loans - but no courage to give even 30 per cent to labourers? This shows they stand only with the rich, never with the poor."

National Conference (NC) leader and MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, who has crossed swords with J&K CM Omar Abdullah on the reservation issue, said on Saturday that he cannot let the agitating students feel alone and will join their protests.

Talking to reporters here, Ruhullah Mehdi said: "If the government fails to take students into confidence over the pending decision on the reservation issue, I will not hesitate to join their protest."

Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday sought suggestions from partymen on a proposed agitation against the "discontinuation of MGNREGA" and directed early preparations for Assembly elections in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Bengal, and other states in April-May 2026.

Addressing the Congress Working Committee (CWC) at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters at Indira Bhawan in New Delhi, Kharge said a nationwide movement, 'MGNREGA Action Plan', is needed to oppose the government decision to "discontinue" the rural job scheme.

In a significant development, it has come to light that Amit Kumar Mandal, a Booth Level Officer (BLO) from Katwa in the East Burdwan district, had gone missing after taking out a loan of Rs 50 lakh.

This loan may have contributed to his disappearance, and there are no connections to "pressure" from the Special Intensive Review (SIR) work.

According to the police, the BLO went missing after taking a loan of Rs 50 lakh. The police have informed the Election Commission about the investigation into the BLO's disappearance, sources said on Saturday.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday paid obeisance at the historic Gurdwara Sri Fatehgarh Sahib, paying homage to Mata Gujri and the younger Sahibzadas -- Baba Zorawar Singh and Baba Fateh Singh for the supreme sacrifice.

Highlighting the significance of the days of Shaheedi Sabha, CM Mann said all of Punjab observed these days as “Days of Mourning” as it was during this period that the tyrant rulers bricked alive the younger Sahibzadas of Dashmesh Pitaah.

J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday rebuffed the senior National Conference (NC) leader and MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi on the reservation issue in government jobs and professional colleges in J&K.

In his strongest reaction to the MP's statements on reservation, Abdullah said: "I am not afraid of anyone’s threats, nor will I take any wrong decision under pressure. I don’t know what you think of yourself."

The Chief Minister said matters like the reservation policy cannot be settled through intimidation or street pressure and must be addressed within the constitutional and legal framework after proper consultation with all the stakeholders.

The Delhi Assembly's Winter Session will begin on January 5, 2026, with Lt Governor (L-G) V.K. Saxena issuing the summoning order for the sitting, an official said on Friday.

In the order, the L-G said: "In exercise of the powers conferred upon me by Section 6(1) of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991 (Central Act No. 1 of 1992), I hereby summon the Fourth Session (Winter Session) of the Eighth Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi to meet at the Assembly Hall, Old Secretariat, Delhi-110054, on Monday, January 5, 2026, at 2.00 p.m."

The AAP-ruled Punjab government has been providing free 600 units of electricity to every household per billing cycle since 2022, enabling 90 per cent of them to avail the facility, besides releasing Rs 968 crore for crop loss in monsoon floods, reducing the cost of doorsteps delivery of services from Rs 120 to just Rs 50, clearing dues 

Domicile certificates issued by the West Bengal government after July 2025, which will be provided as identity documents during the hearing sessions on claims and objections on the draft voters' list in West Bengal starting from Saturday, will be under the special scanner of the Election Commission of India.

The Commission had already directed the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal to ensure that the District Magistrates, also the District Electoral Officers and their subordinate electoral officers to check the authenticity of the domicile certificates that are furnished as identity documents for the "unmapped" voters, those not having links with the 2002 voters' list be it through "self mapping" or through "progeny mapping".

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Thursday paid tributes to Bharat Ratna late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, describing him as a visionary statesman, and announced to name at least one public place in each of 87 Urban Local Bodies after the late leader, as his life symbolised integrity, democratic values, and people-centric governance.

The Chief Minister, while remembering former Prime Minister Vajpayee, said he was not only steadfast in his thoughts but also unwavering in his values and principles.

He emphasised that though governments may come and go, "Atal-ji always remained firm in his ideals".

The Election Commission of India has initiated action against nearly 10 lakh voters in Tamil Nadu for failing to provide accurate or complete information during the recently concluded Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Notices have been issued seeking explanations and additional documents to ensure that eligible voters are not excluded from the final voter list. The SIR process in Tamil Nadu commenced on November 4 and concluded on December 14.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday inaugurated 45 out of the proposed 100 ‘Atal Canteens’ in the national capital on the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The initiative aims to provide affordable and nutritious meals to people at highly subsidised rates.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, BJP leaders Ashish Sood and Tarvinder Singh Marwah, who were seen having food at the Atal Canteen to mark the occasion.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed a two-level verification to confirm the authenticity of the supporting identity documents of voters during the hearing session on claims and objections on the draft voters’ list starting from December 27.

The “unmapped” voters, who are the ones not having any link with the 2002 voters’ list either through “self mapping” or through “progeny mapping”, will be summoned for hearing sessions. They will have to furnish any one of the 13 identity documents as specified by the ECI to retain their names in the final voters’ list.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy, Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar, and other dignitaries have expressed shock and condoled the deaths of nine people in the bus tragedy in Karnataka's Chitradurga.

CM Siddaramaiah has stated that a thorough investigation will be conducted regarding the incident.

Siddaramaiah said on Thursday, "Hearing the horrifying news of the accident between a lorry and a bus near Chitradurga, in which several passengers were burned alive, was deeply distressing. Tragically, the journey of people travelling to their hometowns during the Christmas holidays ended in such a disaster."

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has advised the micro-observers appointed to supervise the hearing sessions to be especially vigilant about the mismatches in dates of birth (DOBs) in its records and supporting documents furnished by the voters concerned.

Clear instructions were given to the micro-observers during a training programme on Wednesday about their roles in the hearing sessions.

Explaining the matter in detail, sources in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, said that during the hearing sessions, instances might surface where there might be mismatches between the dates of birth that are in the records of the Commission, with those mentioned in the supporting identity documents provided by the voters during the hearing sessions.

In a move aimed at ensuring a transparent and grievance-free voter list revision, the Election Commission has appointed four Electoral Roll Observers to oversee the Intensive Electoral Roll Revision (IER) - 2026 across Kerala’s 14 districts, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Dr Rathan U. Kelkar said on Wednesday.

The initiative seeks to ensure that no eligible voter is excluded and that all deficiencies are addressed before the final publication of the electoral rolls.

The Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) on Tuesday announced the list of 40 star campaigners for the polling to the 29 municipal corporations, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

The list, submitted to the State Election Commission, features a blend of national heavyweights and prominent state leaders to spearhead the party's campaign.

The Congress party's move comes when it has decided to go solo in Mumbai, strongly opposing the "inclusion" of Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena in the Maha Vikas Aghadi.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab’s Chief Spokesperson and MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), stating that BJP’s hatred towards Punjab, Punjabi culture and its great heritage has once again come out to the front.

Aam Aadmi Party MP Malvinder Singh Kang on Tuesday strongly condemned the Bharatiya Janata Party for gravely hurting Sikh religious sentiments by circulating a social media post portraying Sri Guru Sahib and the Sahibzadas in the form of cartoons, calling it a shameful, insensitive and deliberate act.

Each Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) will daily handle 150 cases of hearings on claims and objections to the draft voters' list in West Bengal from Saturday, as per the target set by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

The daily target had been fixed keeping in mind the schedule of the second and third stages of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in West Bengal so that the hearing session could be concluded within a reasonable period facilitating the process of the meeting the deadline for publishing the final voters' list on February 14 next year, sources in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal said.

Three India-Bangladesh bordering districts of West Bengal, namely Murshidabad, South 24 Parganas, and North 24 Parganas, have recorded the maximum number of doubtful voters whose weird family tree data have been detected in 'progeny mapping' during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

Insiders from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, stated that of the 1.36 crore doubtful cases detected in progeny mapping, the highest number -- at around 4.08 lakh -- has been recorded in the minority-dominated and India-Bangladesh bordering Murshidabad district.

After more than one-and-a-half month of door-to-door Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Madhya Pradesh, the Election Commission of India (ECI) will release the draft electoral roll of voters for the state on Tuesday, election officials said on Monday.

The official sources in the Chief Electoral Office (CEO) here in Madhya Pradesh told that, preliminary assessment suggesting that the names of nearly 41.8 lakh voters, that is, about 7.2 per cent of the electorate, are likely to be deleted from the SIR.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has made it clear that academic qualification certificates issued by individual educational institutions, including schools and colleges, will not be recognised as valid identity documents or age proof during the hearing sessions on the claims and objections to the draft voters’ list in West Bengal, which will start this week.

The ECI has made it clear that academic qualification certificates issued by registered education boards or education councils, or universities, will be honoured as valid identity documents or age proofs in the hearing sessions, insiders from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) have said.

Declaring that the era of aviation being a playground only for the wealthy is over, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann on Saturday outlined an ambitious roadmap to position Punjab as a major hub of the aviation industry in the coming years. Interacting with aircraft engineers and trainees at the Patiala Flying Club, the Chief Minister said the Punjab Government is building a robust aviation ecosystem by providing quality, affordable and world-class training aligned with industry needs, enabling children of farmers, shopkeepers and teachers to dream of careers once considered out of reach. 

Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Saturday mounted a sharp attack on the PM Narendra Modi-led government, accusing it of systematically running a "bulldozer" over the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and undermining the rights of rural poor, farmers and landless workers, terming it an “assault on rural livelihoods”.