A day ahead of the final date for filing nominations for the first phase of Bihar Assembly elections, there appears to be a pall of uncertainty over seat-sharing agreements, leading to the chances of “friendly fights” in a few constituencies.

Among Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) partners, with principal components like the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RJD), Congress, and the Left clawing for a lion’s share, smaller partners are worried about their own prospects. The Bihar Legislative Assembly comprises 243 seats.

Meanwhile, the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is also witnessing some crosswinds with allies like Chirag Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) vying for particular seats.

As the campaigning gathers pace in the run-up to the Bihar Assembly elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday allotted digital vouchers to both national and state parties for free telecast time on the two leading national broadcasters – Doordarshan (DD) and All India Radio (AIR).

The digital vouchers facilitate political parties (national parties and recognised state parties) to use limited ‘free time’ on the state-owned television and radio channels for campaigning and expanding reach to the masses on their respective poll promises.

The digital time vouchers have been issued to all national and state political parties in Bihar for the Legislative Assembly elections, under Section 39A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

The Election Commission of India has directed the immediate replacement of Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) for 79 Assembly constituencies in West Bengal as their selections have violated the ECI-mandated criteria.

A communication on this count has already been sent to the West Bengal government to nominate names of those state government officers who match the criteria for being selected as EROs.

As per the ECI-mandated criteria, West Bengal Civil Service (Executive) cadre officials in the ranks of sub-divisional magistrates, sub-divisional officers and rural development officers can only be considered for selection as EROs.

In a move to ensure inclusive and barrier-free participation in the upcoming high-stakes Bihar Assembly elections and bye-elections in eight Assembly Constituencies, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday issued comprehensive guidelines aimed at making the voting process accessible for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).

According to the ECI, the polling in Bihar will feature a total of 90,712 polling stations, each equipped with facilities tailored to support PwD electors and senior citizens.

“Additionally, in another initiative, 292 Polling Stations will be exclusively managed by Persons with Disabilities,” the poll panel said in its press note.

Renowned folk and devotional singer Maithili Thakur, celebrated for her contributions to Maithili culture, has been fielded by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as its candidate from the Alinagar Assembly constituency in Darbhanga district for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.

The 25-year-old singer from Benipatti in Madhubani district, who joined the BJP on Tuesday in the presence of state party president Dilip Jaiswal, replaces incumbent BJP MLA Mishrilal Yadav, whose ticket was dropped amid reports of his dissatisfaction with the party’s internal dynamics.

Thakur’s nomination marks a strategic move by the BJP to leverage her popularity among youth and cultural enthusiasts to bolster its appeal in the Mithilanchal region, where Alinagar has emerged as a key battleground seat.

Samajwadi Party (SP) President Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday launched an attack on the BJP, urging the people of Bihar to vote the saffron party out of power in the November Assembly polls.

Addressing a press conference here, Akhilesh Yadav said: "We have defeated the BJP in Awadh in Uttar Pradesh. Now it is the turn of the people of Bihar to defeat it in Magadh."

Accusing the BJP of pushing Bihar into unemployment and inflation, the SP chief appealed to voters to support candidates from socialist and alliance parties.

After the nine-day stalemate over the post-mortem of senior Haryana cadre Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Y. Puran Kumar, who allegedly died by suicide, the body was cremated with the consent of his wife and IAS officer Amneet P. Kumar.

The impasses ended with the Haryana government's assurance to the family of a fair and impartial probe, besides a commitment that action will be taken against “erring” officials.

Puran Kumar’s family members, his colleagues, comprising O.P. Singh, who has been given the additional charge of Director General of Police by replacing Shatrujeet Kapur, bureaucrats, politicians and scores of sympathisers attended the funeral here.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) issued a directive to enforcement agencies on Wednesday to prevent the influence of money in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.

It also mentioned that Expenditure Observers have been deployed to monitor the election process.

The ECI also mentioned that since the announcement of elections on October 6, a total seizure of Rs 33.97 crore worth of cash, liquor, drugs and freebies has been done by different Enforcement Agencies.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced on Tuesday that the government has decided to waive off the late payment surcharge for domestic water consumers, adding that a 100 per cent discount will be available on the payment of outstanding bills till January 31, 2026.

“Today, the ‘Late Payment Surcharge Waiver Scheme’ and the ‘Unauthorised Connection Regularisation Scheme’ were launched. Both these schemes have brought significant relief to the residents of Delhi and will make the water management system more public-friendly and transparent,” she said.

In a post on X, CM Gupta said, “The government has reduced the penalty for unauthorised domestic consumers from Rs 25,000 to just Rs 1,000, while for commercial connections, it has been reduced from Rs 61,000 to Rs 5,000. This step will also pave the way for connecting millions of consumers to future schemes and an uninterrupted water supply.”

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday announced the completion of the first randomisation process of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) units for the second phase of the upcoming General Elections in Bihar.

The procedure was carried out on October 13, 2025, after the First Level Checking (FLC) of all machines across the 20 districts scheduled to vote in this phase.

According to the ECI, “the First Randomisation was done through EVM Management System (EMS) by the DEOs in the presence of the representatives of National and State Recognised Political Parties.”

After National Conference (NC) MP and senior party leader, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi stirred the hornet’s nest by deciding to stay away from the election campaign in his native Budgam Assembly constituency, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday avoided answering the related questions.

“I don’t know anything about it”, the CM said while parrying a question about Ruhullah’s statement.

Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi is an influential Shia Muslim leader of Budgam and wields considerable influence among the people because of his family’s religious background in Budgam.

Hours after Haryana DGP Shatrujeet Kapur was sent on leave amid the controversy surrounding IPS officer Y. Puran Kumar’s suicide, Om Parkash Singh was given additional charge of the Director General of Police.

The government had sent State DGP Kapur on leave amid the demand of Kumar's family for action against him and other officers for harassing him (Puran Kumar).

A 1992-batch IPS officer, Om Parkash Singh, is presently posted as the Managing Director, Haryana Police Housing Corporation, Panchkula, DGP Haryana Narcotics Control Bureau (HSNCB) and Director of Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Madhuban.

“The Governor of Haryana is pleased to assign the additional charge of DGP, Haryana, to Om Prakash Singh, IPS (1992 RR), during the leave period of Shatrujeet Singh Kapur,” stated an order issued by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sumita Mishra Singh.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed that all political parties and contesting candidates must seek pre-certification from the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) before releasing any political advertisements on electronic media, including social media platforms.

The directive, issued on October 9, aims to ensure transparency and accountability in political campaigning, the poll body said in an official statement on Tuesday.

The order comes shortly after the announcement of the schedule for the General Election to the Legislative Assembly of Bihar and the bye-elections to eight Assembly constituencies across six states and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

The process for the bypolls to Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency in Hyderabad was set in motion on Monday with the Returning Officer issuing the notification.

Candidates can file their nominations by October 21. Scrutiny of nominations will be held on October 22, and withdrawal of candidature will be allowed until October 24.

The polling will be held on November 11, while the counting of votes will be taken up on November 14.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued guidelines for filing of nominations. Hyderabad District Election Officer R.V. Karnan said nominations will not be received on public holidays.

Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday notified bypolls to the Nagrota and Budgam Legislative Assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir on November 11.

The seats fell vacant because of the death of the incumbent MLA of Nagrota and the resignation of the incumbent MLA from the Budgam seat.

The ECI notification has fixed October 20 as the date for filing nominations, October 22 for scrutiny of nomination papers and October 24 as the last date for withdrawal of nominations.

Voting for the seats would be held on November 11, and the entire poll process must be completed before November 16.

Timing for the polling has been fixed from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Election Commission of India on Monday issued the Gazette Notification for the bypolls to the Nuapada Assembly constituency, which outlines the election schedule.

According to the notification, the Nuapada seat fell vacant following the sudden demise of Rajendra Dholakia, former minister and veteran BJD leader, on September 8.

With the issuance of the gazette notification, the process of filing nominations will begin on Monday.

Candidates can submit their nominations until October 20, which is the last date for filing.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday issued notifications for the bye-elections to five Assembly constituencies across the country. The polling is scheduled for November 11, and the counting of votes is to be held on November 14.

According to the notification, the bye-election for the 71-Nuapada Assembly Constituency in Odisha will see nomination filing from October 20, scrutiny on October 22, and withdrawal of nominations by October 24. The polling will be held on November 11.

The seat fell vacant following the death of BJD MLA Rajendra Dholakia on September 8, who passed away while undergoing treatment in Chennai

The Election Commission of India has issued a notification announcing a bypoll to the 193 Anta Assembly Constituency in Rajasthan. The seat fell vacant on May 23 following the disqualification of Kanwarlal Meena.

According to the notification issued under Section 150(1), 30, and 56 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the schedule for the bypoll has been announced. The last date for filing nominations is October 21, while scrutiny of nominations will be done by October 23.

Similarly, the last date for withdrawal of candidature is October 27.

The polling date is November 11, and polling hours will be 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Delhi Skill and Entrepreneurship University (DSEU) celebrated its 6th Foundation Day with a vision to make the capital city a national hub for startups, skill development, and youth innovation. The event was graced by Ashish Sood, Minister for Home and Education who served as the Chief Guest.

Speaking at the event, Minister Ashish Sood praised the university’s efforts and linked its achievements to the broader national agenda of innovation and entrepreneurship.

“Delhi Skill Entrepreneur University is a remarkable experiment in itself. Over the past 11 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promoted innovative ideas such as startups, scaling, and recognition-based learning. In the past six years, Delhi Skill Entrepreneur University has made significant progress,” he said.

Highlighting the upcoming National Youth Day on January 12, 2026, Sood announced a major initiative aimed at fostering youth-led innovation in the city.

Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav’s Facebook page was restored on Saturday after remaining inactive for nearly 16 hours, a party spokesperson said.

The SP alleged that the temporary suspension of the page was part of a “BJP conspiracy.”

The page went offline on Friday evening without any prior notice or explanation from Facebook.

Just ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, Mishrilal Yadav, the BJP's MLA from Alinagar constituency in Darbhanga district, has resigned from the party.

Yadav, a prominent leader from the Other Backward Classes (OBC), said he was leaving the BJP due to continuous "humiliation" and the party's "arrogant" attitude towards backward community leaders.

"We felt humiliated while in the BJP. We were tortured within the party, and our self-respect was not protected," Yadav said.

"I won the 2020 election from a seat where no NDA MLA had won in the past 30 years, yet the party still refused to respect me," he said.

 Amid indications that the Election Commission of India (ECI)'s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal will start after October 15, the commission had made it clear that under no circumstances, its criteria regarding selection of electoral officers in the state, especially the booth-level officers (BLOs) and Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) should be compromised.

The ECI had sent a clear message to the West Bengal administration by sending a fresh communique to the office of the Chief Secretary, Manoj Pant, specifying the guidelines and criteria for the selection of electoral officers, especially BLOs and EROs, confirmed sources in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal.

In case of BLOs, the first preference should be given to the permanent state government employees, including the teaching staff in state-run schools.

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday sought clarification from the Centre over Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi's press conference in Delhi, where women journalists were not permitted to participate.

She questioned how the Central government is committed to women's empowerment if such insults towards female journalists are allowed in India.

Muttaqi, a senior leader in the Taliban government, is known for overseeing policies that severely restrict women's rights in Afghanistan, including bans on employment and education.

India has maintained a cautious stance towards engaging with the Taliban due to its human rights record and concerns about Afghanistan becoming a haven for terror groups.

Karnataka Minister for RDPR, IT and BT Priyank Kharge on Friday said that Bengaluru's traffic problem is also an indication of the city's growth.

Addressing the Mobility Symposium 2025, Priyank Kharge, referring to Bengaluru traffic, said, "75.5 per cent of Bengaluru's population is working population, we are number four globally. It's a good problem to have if you ask me. A lot of people opine that Bengaluru has traffic related issues. We are having traffic issues because we are growing."

He said: "Last year, close to 77.92 million square feet of office space was sold to global capability centres in the top seven cities. Out of that 47 per cent was Bengaluru alone. This year, we have sold close to 14.5 million square feet for global capability centres alone and I am not talking about other office space."

"This is the growth we are having. The city has absorbed the highest number of migrants, because they are getting jobs here and we are getting 1.2 crore vehicles registered, close to around 82 lakh two-wheelers and 25 lakh four-wheelers," Minister Kharge said.

Karnataka BJP president B. Y. Vijayendra on Friday criticised the state government for making a "hasty" decision on conducting the caste census without "adequate" preparation.

Speaking to the media persons at Vidhana Soudha, BJP MLA Vijayendra said that even the teachers appointed as enumerators are facing difficulties due to "poor" planning.

"Extending holidays for the census is causing problems for rural students, especially those studying in government schools. Every single school day is crucial for these children, yet the government has declared unnecessary holidays, disrupting their education," he said.

Farmers in Punjab will get free wheat seeds of Rs 44.40 crore from the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central government, state BJP General Secretary Anil Sarin said on Friday.

"This timely initiative will serve as a lifeline for those preparing for the upcoming rabi season after facing severe crop losses due to floods," he said.

Given under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), he said, it would ensure that farmers owning less than five acres would receive Punjab Agricultural University (PAU)-recommended wheat seeds free of cost.

"Helping farmers in this crucial time as flood-hit Punjab struggles to recover, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended a major relief package through the free distribution of certified wheat seeds to small and marginal farmers," said Sarin.

The ruling National Conference (NC) on Friday announced its candidates for three seats for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, and for the 4th seat, the party informed that talks are underway with Congress.

Senior NC leaders, Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan, Shammi Oberoi, and Sajad Kichloo, have been nominated to contest the Rajya Sabha polls.

NC General Secretary, Ali Muhammad Sagar, told a media conference that the party has finalised three candidates and is currently in discussions with the Congress regarding the fourth seat.

“We have kept one seat open, and talks are ongoing with the Congress,” Sagar said.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has commenced a comprehensive online training and assessment programme for Returning Officers (ROs) and Assistant Returning Officers (AROs) appointed for the upcoming Bihar Legislative Assembly elections and bye-elections, it said on Friday.

The sessions, held on October 9 and 10, 2025, included a structured doubt-clearing module focused on the nomination process, ensuring that all officers are well-versed with procedural guidelines ahead of the crucial electoral exercise.

According to the ECI, 243 Returning Officers and 1,418 Assistant Returning Officers participated in the virtual training.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday announced that elderly voters above 85 years of age, persons with benchmark disabilities (PwDs), and service voters will be able to cast their votes through postal ballots in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.

According to a press note issued by the ECI, this facility will be provided under Section 60(c) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

“Such electors can avail this facility using Form 12 D and submit to the Returning Officer through their BLO within 5 days of the issuance of the notification of election. Polling teams will collect their votes at their homes,” the ECI said in its press note.

As the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) finalises its seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, alliance leaders have reiterated that all constituent parties remain united and will contest the polls with full strength.

This comes amid demands from key allies -- Union Ministers Chirag Paswan and Jitan Ram Manjhi -- for a fair share of seats for their respective parties, the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and the Hindustan Awam Morcha (HAM).

Chirag Paswan is reportedly seeking around 40 seats, while Manjhi is pressing for at least 15.

The official seat-sharing formula has not yet been announced.

 In a significant push to attract global investment to Haryana, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini held high-level meetings with top Japanese companies during his visit to Osaka, one of the largest port cities of Japan.

The Consulate General of India in Osaka-Kobe posted on X about the CM’s engagements, highlighting the focus on business expansion and investment promotion.

"Hon’ble CM Haryana @NayabSainiBJP had useful one on one meetings with Minebea Mitsumi, Mitsui Kinzoku Company and Nitto Seiko in Osaka. The discussions aimed at inviting them to and expanding their business in Haryana," the Consulate posted.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has announced that the Social-Economic and Academic Survey, commonly known as the Caste Census, will be completed by October 19.

He further declared holidays for government schools across the state to facilitate the enumeration work by teachers.

The government's earlier deadline for completing the survey is ending today (October 7).

Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot expressed confidence that the Congress will win the upcoming Anta Assembly by-elections, asserting that the party ticket will be decided shortly, with party in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa arriving soon to finalise the candidate.

Gehlot also noted that Pramod Jain was the previous candidate, but a fresh decision on the nominee is pending.

Speaking to the media while stopping at the Tonk bypass en route to Kota for the funeral of former minister Bharat Singh, Gehlot said, “We will win the Anta election. The ticket will be decided soon. Party in-charge, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, is arriving shortly, and the decision will be made in a day or two.”

He also noted that Pramod Jain had been the previous candidate, but a fresh decision is pending.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal’s hunt for a new official accommodation has ended at bungalow number 95, Lodhi Estate, said party and official sources on Tuesday.

After an inspection of the bungalow on Monday, Kejriwal is likely to settle for the Type 7 bungalow that the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs allotted him under the quota for national presidents of recognised political parties.

Kejriwal was earlier eyeing an adjacent bungalow that was earlier occupied by Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati. However, during a hearing of an AAP petition in the Delhi High Court seeking an official house for Kejriwal, the Centre told the court that the Type 7 bungalow at 35, Lodhi Estate, earlier used by Mayawati, was currently allotted to Union Minister of State (MoS) for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary.

Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for the release of Rs 171 crore under the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme for the farmers of the union territory.

In an official statement, L-G Sinha has expressed deep gratitude to the Prime Minister and Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, for the advance release of the 21st instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme for farmers.

The L-G has said that nearly Rs 171 crore will be directly transferred into the bank accounts of around 8.55 lakh eligible farmers across Jammu and Kashmir under the latest instalment of the PM-KISAN scheme.