Hours after Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, accused the Centre and Election Commission of trying to “steal” the Bihar Assembly elections through voter list revision, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary hit back, calling the protest a 'drama.'

“Leaders like Rahul Gandhi come to Bihar for a picnic. He has nothing to do with Bihar’s problems or development. He just comes, does drama, and leaves. He should at least look at Patna’s airport if he wants to see development,” Choudhary said while interacting with the media persons in Patna on Wednesday.

Congress National General Secretary and Karnataka incharge Randeep Singh Surjewala on Wednesday refuted reports regarding a meeting between the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar in New Delhi, as "purely imaginary".

Answering a question by the media on a possible meeting as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Dy CM Shivakumar are in New Delhi over developments in the state, he dubbed them "purely imaginary."

"I have no knowledge of any such meeting of LoP Rahul Gandhi with the Karnataka CM and Dy CM. Yes. the CM and Dy CM are in Delhi in order to raise issues concerning people of Karnataka and the state government. There is designed discrimination and hatred in BJP and the Union government for the people of Karnataka for voting them out," Surjewala stated.

Aam Aadmi Party National Convenor and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has sparked a fresh political debate by declaring that he deserves a Nobel Prize for governance and administration, despite what he called the persistent "obstacles" placed in his path by the BJP-led Centre.

While addressing a public gathering in Mohali, Punjab, Kejriwal said, "We worked despite not being allowed to work for as long as our government was in power in Delhi. I feel that I should get a Nobel Prize for governance and administration for the amount of work I did in Delhi during my tenure as CM."

Kejriwal has long accused Delhi's Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena of acting on the instructions of the Union government to derail the AAP's efforts in the national Capital.

He reiterated his allegation that the BJP used the municipal corporation to actively destroy initiatives launched by the AAP.

The Bihar Bandh called by the Grand Alliance (Mahagathbandhan) -- comprising the Congress, RJD, and Left parties -- against the Election Commission's Special Intensive Voter List Revision (SIR) witnessed widespread participation and statewide disruptions on Wednesday.

In Patna, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, CPI-ML general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, VIP chief Mukesh Sahani, and other senior Mahagathbandhan leaders led a protest march from the Income Tax roundabout to the Election Commission office via Veer Chand Patel Path.

The leaders initially marched on foot, but due to the swelling crowd of supporters, they continued the rally in an open vehicle.

Purnea MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, along with Congress workers, blocked trains at the Secretariat Railway Station, disrupting rail services. Yadav alleged that the voter verification exercise was a "conspiracy to remove crores of voters" from the rolls.

A nationwide strike is underway on Wednesday, following a call by ten trade unions to protest against the Centre's alleged "anti-worker, anti-farmer, and pro-corporate" labour policies.

The general strike, or 'Bharat Bandh', was called by a joint platform of the central trade unions, receiving support from farmer organisations and rural worker groups.

The participating unions include the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA), Labour Progressive Federation (LPF), United Trade Union Congress (UTUC), as well as farmers' groups like Samyukta Kisan Morcha and various rural and public sector worker unions, including those from the Railways, NMDC Ltd, and steel industries.

In a major decision, the Nitish Kumar-led government on Tuesday approved the formation of the Bihar Youth Commission to empower and provide employment opportunities to the youths in the state.

The decision was taken during a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, where 43 key proposals, including development plans, appointment processes, and economic proposals, were also approved.

Sharing the development on social media, CM Nitish Kumar posted, “I am happy to inform you that with the aim of providing maximum employment opportunities to the youth of Bihar, training them, and making them empowered and capable, the state government has decided to constitute the Bihar Youth Commission, which has been approved by the cabinet today.”

The Bihar Youth Commission will advise the government on all matters related to the upliftment and development of youth in the state.

In a fresh development ahead of Guru Purnima, the Rajasthan High Court on Tuesday extended the interim bail of self-styled godman Asaram until August 12, offering him another round of relief after nearly 12 years in jail.

The Division Bench of Justices Dinesh Mehta and Vineet Mathur heard Asaram’s petition seeking an extension of his medical bail and granted the relief.

This comes just days after the Rajasthan High Court had earlier granted him interim bail until July 9, and the Gujarat High Court had also provided 30 days of relief on July 3.

Asaram, 86, is currently serving a life sentence following his 2018 conviction in a 2013 rape case. He is presently out of jail on medical grounds.

Following the July 1 interim bail granted by Rajasthan High Court, Asaram left his Jodhpur ashram and reached his Motera Ashram in Ahmedabad on July 7.

Union Minister Giriraj Singh has alleged a “deep-rooted conspiracy” aimed at defaming Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and destabilising the state through orchestrated crimes backed by political interests.

“In Bihar, a conspiracy is being hatched to defame Nitish Kumar, to spread terror, commit crimes and promote politically-backed crime,” Singh told reporters on Tuesday.

“Certain people are deliberately orchestrating such acts to tarnish Nitish Kumar’s image, but the truth behind this conspiracy is about to be exposed. Through a particular political gang, disturbances are being created in several parts of Bihar to defame the state government,” he added.

Taking a swipe at the RJD, Singh compared the current administration with that of former Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav. “This is Nitish Kumar’s government, which punishes criminals, unlike Lalu ji’s government when criminals were promoted,” he said.

Underlining that India is the fourth-largest economy in the world, Union Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Jitan Ram Manjhi on Friday said that the MSMEs contribute 30.1 per cent to the country's GDP, 35.4 per cent to manufacturing and 45.73 per cent to exports, adding that along with the agriculture sector, MSMEs will play a significant role in India becoming the third-largest economy in the world by 2029.

Jitan Ram Manjhi said that the MSME sector is playing an important role in providing employment to entrepreneurs who invest less than big industries and in making them entrepreneurs. It is also working to provide training to new entrepreneurs from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in rural and urban areas and provide them with loans by providing bank guarantees.

 Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan said on Friday that all partners in the coalition government in the state are equal.

The Jana Sena Party leader stated he never tried to run down Telugu Desam or any party.

He was speaking at Narasimhapuram village in Prakasam district after laying the foundation stone for a drinking water project worth Rs 1,290 crore.

The actor-politician said it was a moment of great satisfaction to lay the foundation stone for the project under the Central Government’s Jal Jeevan Mission, aimed at providing clean drinking water to 22 lakh people across 7 Assembly constituencies, a long-awaited solution to the decades-old drinking water and fluorosis problems.

Union Minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi on Friday confirmed that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will contest the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections under the leadership of Chief Minister and Janata Dal-United leader Nitish Kumar.

"All the leaders of the NDA have agreed that with five parties in the alliance, including ours, the Bihar elections scheduled for November 2025 will be fought under the leadership of Nitish Kumar. Traditionally, the leader under whom the elections are contested becomes the Chief Minister. So naturally, Nitish Kumar will be our face for the CM post. There is no doubt - we are confident of winning under his leadership," Manjhi said.

Asked whether he harbours any desire to become Chief Minister again, the 79-year-old leader ruled out the possibility due to his age and current responsibilities.

Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Friday reiterated his call to ban the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Speaking to reporters in Kalaburagi, Kharge, the Minister for RDPR, IT and BT and the son of AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, said, "I have said this before - we had banned the RSS in the past, and if given the opportunity in the future, we will do it again. They are anti-nationals."

Quoting Father of the Constitution B. R. Ambedkar, Kharge said, "Ambedkar defined who is anti-national. In his last speech, he clearly stated that now that we have attained independence, our focus must be on ensuring social and economic progress. But caste is anti-national in India. Anyone who, in the name of caste and religion, obstructs social and economic progress and creates strife among communities is anti-national."

AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge unveiled a statue of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Konijeti Rosaiah in Hyderabad on Friday.

The statue, installed at Lakdi Ka Pul in the heart of the city, was unveiled on Rosaiah's birth anniversary.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, state ministers, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president Mahesh Kumar Goud and other Congress leaders were present.

The leaders paid rich tributes to Rosaiah, who was Chief Minister of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh and former Governor of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Earlier, the Chief Minister, in his message, recalled that Rosaiah presented the state budget as the Finance Minister 16 times during Congress rule in the united Andhra Pradesh.

The AAP government in Punjab on Thursday inducted newly-elected lawmaker from Ludhiana (West), Sanjeev Arora, in the 16-member Cabinet led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and allocated him Industry and NRI Affairs portfolios, but dropped one of the senior-most ministers Kuldeep Dhaliwal, who held the portfolio of NRI Affairs.

In a Cabinet reshuffle, Tarunpreet Singh Sond was divested of the Industry portfolio, but he will continue with the Rural Development, Labour and Tourism Departments.

Dhaliwal told the media that he submitted his resignation to the Chief Minister in the morning, ahead of the oath-taking ceremony.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressing concern over the “rising impact of social media content”, which, she pointed out, was increasingly posing serious challenges to public peace.

the Chief Minister had also requested the Union Home Minister to introduce stringent legislative provisions that could act as an effective deterrent against the creation and dissemination of provocative content and acts perpetrated with criminal intent in cyberspace.

She pointed out that the current legal framework and its enforcement required further strengthening to keep pace with the rapidly-evolving digital ecosystem and the sophisticated methods employed by malicious actors.

Tripura Governor Indra Sena Reddy Nallu on Thursday administered the oath of office and secrecy to a new cabinet minister -- Kishor Barman -- at a simple ceremony at the Raj Bhavan.

Barman, 45, a first-time MLA, belongs to the ruling BJP.

In Tripura, the council of ministers comprises 12 members, including the Chief Minister. With the new minister's induction, the cabinet has reached its full strength.

Chief Minister Manik Saha, his council of ministers, and senior civil and security officials were present at the swearing-in ceremony, held at the Durbar Hall of Raj Bhavan in the New Capital complex, on the outskirts of the city.

 After a delegation of opposition parties lodged a strong protest against the Election Commission's decision to carry out a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar ahead of the Assembly elections, the NDA launched a scathing counterattack, accusing Congress MP Rahul Gandhi of undermining constitutional authorities and showing distrust towards Indian voters.

The Opposition, represented by an 18-member INDIA bloc delegation comprising 11 parties, including Congress, RJD, CPI, CPI(M-L), and Samajwadi Party, met with ECI officials at Nirvachan Sadan on Wednesday.

They alleged that the EC's move was both sudden and ill-timed, potentially impacting marginalised groups and compromising the fairness of the polls.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday launched a mega public outreach campaign in Gujarat and vowed to fight for the people's cause, while claiming that the residents of state are disgruntled and disillusioned with the BJP government and are now looking for an alternative.

Addressing a press conference, the AAP chief announced the launch of 'Gujarat Jodo Abhiyaan', a one-of-its-kind initiative which will see party workers reach out to diverse sections of people to inform them about the party's "pro-people policies and also win their support".

"Over the next two-and-a-half years, AAP workers and volunteers will visit every family in the state and seek their support," he said and also released a phone number. People will be able to connect to AAP by a missed call on this number.

Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria on Thursday administered the oath of office and secrecy to newly elected Ludhiana (West) legislator Sanjeev Arora at the Punjab Raj Bhawan.

With the induction of the MLA as a minister, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann expanded his Cabinet to 17 in a house of 117 members.

After this induction, there are now 17 ministers, including the chief minister, in the Cabinet, which can have 18 members.

Arora’s induction was the seventh expansion of the Mann Cabinet in just over three years. The last one took place in September last year when five -- Hardeep Singh Mundian, Barinder Kumar Goyal, Tarunpreet Singh Sond, Ravjot Singh and Mohinder Bhagat -- were inducted after dropping four ministers.

Then the dropped ministers were Balkaur Singh, Anmol Gagan Mann, Chetan Singh Jauramajra and Brahm Shankar Jhimpa.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday criticised the BJP-led Maharashtra government over farmer suicides and accused the Centre of ignoring their plight. This prompted a swift response from the BJP, which cited findings and facts about farmer deaths in the state during the Congress-NCP rule to set the record straight.

The political blame game on farmer suicides began over the Fadnavis government’s admission that 767 farmers committed suicide in the state in the past three months. The state government told the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday that 767 farmer suicides were reported in the state, primarily in the Vidarbha region.

The Congress MP used the farmers' deaths to mount an attack on the Centre, accusing it of callousness and gross indifference to their plight. He said that 767 families have been devastated and shattered, but the government remains unmoved.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday told a court here that the Congress party wanted to usurp around Rs 2,000 crore assets of the now-defunct National Herald newspaper.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S.V. Raju, representing the ED, submitted before the Rouse Avenue Court that a conspiracy was hatched to form Young Indian Ltd -- in which Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi are majority stakeholders -- to acquire control over the newspaper's vast assets aimed at benefiting the party leadership personally.

 A political controversy has erupted in Bihar after RJD MLC Urmila Thakur compared party supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav with Lord Shiva during an event in Muzaffarpur on Tuesday evening.

Her remarks have drawn sharp criticism from the Janata Dal United (JDU).

Party MLC Neeraj Kumar on Wednesday condemned the comparison as “absolutely inappropriate.”

“Lord Shiva is the one who does the welfare of the world, but Lalu Yadav is among those who created havoc in Bihar. Lalu Prasad’s corruption dragged his entire family into legal trouble. Lord Shiva removes everyone’s sorrow, but Lalu Yadav could not even remove his own sorrow and had to undergo a kidney transplant,” Neeraj Kumar said.

As Congress leader Rahul Gandhi completed one year as Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, the BJP on Wednesday sharply criticised his performance, calling it “very low” and accusing him of failing to fulfil his constitutional responsibilities.

BJP leaders alleged that LoP Rahul Gandhi was frequently absent from the House for extended periods and spent too much time abroad, undermining his ability to represent the Opposition effectively.

“In the last year, the country’s politics has changed a lot. Today, during the meetings of the INDI Bloc in the Lok Sabha, they tried to create an impression that the BJP has been defeated and that the NDA has fallen behind. But the election results over the past year have shown the people of this country the reality. There is a clear difference in the politics and ideology of both sides,” BJP leader Rohan Gupta told.

In a step towards combating the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the second meeting of the State Convergence Committee on AMR was held in Gandhinagar under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Pankaj Kumar Joshi on Wednesday.

The meeting brought together senior officials from various departments to review Gujarat’s action plan and progress under the State Action Plan for Containment of Antimicrobial Resistance (SAPCAR-G).

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to visit Odisha on July 11, as part of the Congress party's national campaign.

The Congress leader is likely to attend a public rally titled 'Save the Constitution' to be held at the Baramunda Ground in Bhubaneswar.

The rally will also be attended by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge and party General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal.

Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Bhakta Charan Das on Tuesday shared the update, confirming the high-level participation.

Ahead of the visit, the Congress party convened an important meeting of its expanded Political Affairs Committee at the Congress Bhavan in Bhubaneswar.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has initiated a fresh round of meetings with recognised state political parties as part of its ongoing consultations ahead of upcoming electoral exercises, including the crucial Bihar Assembly elections later this year and West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry Assembly elections next year.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi on Tuesday had an interaction with a delegation from Trinamool Congress led by the party’s authorised representative-Chandrima Bhattacharya, Kalyan Banerjee, Firhad Hakim, Aroop Biswas and Prakash Chik Baraik and received their suggestions at the poll panel's headquarters in New Delhi.

Madhya Pradesh Cabinet on Tuesday approved several key proposals, including establishing a campus of Rastriya Raksha University (RRU) in Bhopal.

The campus of Gujarat-based RRU, which is a premier institution dedicated to advancing education and research in national security and policing, will be established at the premises of Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya (RGPV).

Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla, briefing the press after the Cabinet meeting, said that the Madhya Pradesh government has approved 10 acres of land to set up a branch of Rastriya Raksha University (RRU).

"Until the campus is ready, the branch of the premier institution will function from Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya. It's a historic step of the Madhya Pradesh government, which will be fruitful in many ways," Shukla said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party-led Rajasthan government, on Tuesday, has decided not to cancel the Sub-Inspector (SI) recruitment process.

During the hearing before the single bench of Justice Sameer Jain in the Rajasthan High Court, Advocate General Rajendra Prasad represented the state government and clarified its stance on the SI recruitment case.

He told the court that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) is conducting a thorough investigation, and FIRs have been registered after careful examination of the entire record.

"The investigation is progressing in the right direction, and several accused have been arrested," he said, adding that it would be unjustified to cast doubt on the entire recruitment process based on the actions of a few.

The state government also said that many selected candidates are already undergoing training.

Ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, the Bihar Cabinet cleared 24 proposals, including the launch of the Chief Minister Artist Pension Scheme to support senior and distinguished artistes of the state facing a livelihood crisis.

Eligible artistes will receive a pension of Rs 3,000 per month under this scheme.

Sharing details on Tuesday, S. Siddhartha, Additional Chief Secretary of the Cabinet Secretariat, informed that under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the Cabinet approved the Chief Minister Guru Shishya Parampara Yojana to promote traditional methods and skills, with administrative approval of Rs 1.11 crore for 2025-26.

Under the centrally-sponsored National Mission on Natural Farming Scheme, administrative approval of Rs 36.35 crore was granted for the financial year 2025-26.

Samajwadi Party (SP) national president Akhilesh Yadav is celebrating his birthday on Tuesday with grand celebrations across Uttar Pradesh. Warm wishes poured in from across the political spectrum, including top Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge posted on X, “Heartfelt birthday wishes to the former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and National President of the Samajwadi Party, Shri Akhilesh Yadav. I wish you excellent health and a long life.”

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, also took to X, saying, “The resounding voice of PDA @yadavakhilesh -- heartfelt birthday wishes and congratulations to brother! May you stay healthy, stay happy. We stand shoulder to shoulder with you in this fight for justice and equality.”

Responding to rumours regarding leadership change in Karnataka, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said on Monday that no one can predict the high command’s decision, and it is the only body in the party that can decide about the issue.

"That is in the hands of the high command. Nobody can say what is going on. If any decision is to be made, it will be taken by the high command," said Kharge when asked about speculation of changes by October.

Kharge further reiterated that the high command alone has the authority to take such decisions. "It is left to their discretion. However, no one should indulge in creating unnecessary issues," he warned.

Congress General Secretary and Karnataka In-Charge Randeep Singh Surjewala dismissed the leadership change talks as a ‘figment of imagination’.

Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta, on Monday, joined the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association conference in Himachal Pradesh's Dharamshala for deliberations on issues related to improving the functioning of legislatures.

The event started with an address by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who shed light on the role of legislatures in managing state resources and ensuring their effective utilisation for the holistic development of states, an official said.

Assembly Speaker Gupta is taking part in discussions with constitutional experts, lawmakers, and senior parliamentary functionaries on strengthening institutional frameworks, the official added.

During the two-day event, he is also expected to highlight the recent democratic and technological initiatives undertaken by the Delhi Assembly and emphasise on institutional measures that can help meet the evolving aspirations of people.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday said the government is taking concrete steps to make the national capital pollution-free and green.

“Public transportation is being rapidly converted to electric vehicles, which will not only reduce pollution but also provide Delhi residents with clean and affordable transportation,” said CM Gupta in a post on X.

Elaborating on steps being taken to clean the city’s air, she said, “Dust pollution is being effectively controlled at construction sites and major roads through technologies like smoke guns and sprinklers.”

The CM also highlighted the government’s tree plantation efforts under the campaign 'Ek ped, Maa ke Naam (One tree in the name of Mother)'.

“Tree plantation has been given the form of a social movement. We are moving forward with a commitment to making Delhi a healthy, green, and environmentally friendly global city,” she said.

A new political front called the ‘People’s Alliance for Change’ was announced here on Monday by leaders of the Peoples Conference (PC), Peoples Democratic Front (PDF) and the Jamaat-e-Islami-backed Justice and Development Front.

The announcement about the formation of the new coalition was made at a press conference here by PC chief Sajad Gani Lone, PDF leaders, and leaders of the Justice and Development Front.

He said the new alliance offers a viable alternative to the people, as they have endured immense suffering.

Senior Shia Muslim leader and prominent leader of the PC, Imran Raza Ansari, was also present during the announcement.

Senior Congress leader and former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has raised sharp questions on the Election Commission’s move to revise the voter list ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, alleging it is creating confusion among voters.

Speaking to reporters at Patna Airport, Gehlot said: “Before the Bihar polls, the Election Commission is adopting new tricks. What is the need to take such steps just before the elections?”

Gehlot questioned the urgency and transparency of the voter list revision of nearly 8 crore voters within 25 days, stating that people are confused about the requirement of documents such as birth certificates.