Mumbai:  Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday launched a blistering, wide-ranging attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party-led governments at the Centre and in the state, targeting what he termed as a ‘toxic political climate’, rising crimes against women, and a ‘hire-and-fire’ culture hurting workers. Addressing the 58th annual general meeting of the Bharatiya Kamgar Sena, Thackeray delivered a strong political cocktail laced with jibes, concerns over labour rig

India’s long-delayed delimitation, now entangled with women’s reservation and an overdue census, risks turning a democratic necessity into a  major political standoff. The greatest strength of Indian democracy lies in its population and its diversity. Yet, this very strength now raises a fundamental question has political representation kept pace with the country's rapidly growing population? And if not, can we claim to be upholding the spirit of democracy by continuing to de

Samrat Choudhary’s ascent marks the BJP’s long-awaited primacy in Bihar but escaping Nitish Kumar’s towering legacy will define his rule. Reaching the summit of power in Bihar has never been easy. Staying there, while commanding acceptance across the state’s intricate social mosaic, is harder still. The recent elevation of Samrat Choudhary as Bihar’s 24th Chief Minister marks the beginning of a new political phase, one in which the Bharatiya Janata Party finally assumes the r

Mumbai: The recent address by former RSS Sarkaryavah Suresh aka ‘Bhaiyaji’ Joshi in Mumbai offers more than just a philosophical reflection on the concept of ‘Rashtrabhav’; it serves as a contemporary blueprint for the ideological transformation India has undergone over the past few years. As the nation navigates its post-centenary transition of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the lines between the organization’s foundational directives and the state’s policy framework have

BJP is blending ideology with pragmatism, elevating leaders from rival parties to power New Delhi: The growing tendency of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to elevate leaders from other parties to the position of Chief Minister represents a shift, one that reflects not only a recalibration of the party's strategy but also the evolving character of Indian politics itself. Once known primarily as a cadre-based party anchored firmly in ideological commitment, the BJP has entered

The history of Indian democracy is not limited to elections or changes in government. It is also the story of expanding representation, increasing inclusion and the gradual evolution of power structures. For a long time, women did not receive equal space in this journey. While they were present in politics, their representation and influence remained limited. In this context, the ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’ stands out as an important step towards ensuring stronger and more

Samrat Choudhary's ascent reflects legacy, caste dynamics, and political shifts Patna:  The rise of Samrat Choudhary in Bihar's political landscape is not merely the story of an individual's success, but a reflection of a long political tradition, evolving social equations, and shifting power dynamics over time. Following his election as the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party's legislative wing, his elevation to the chief minister's office appears almost certain, which is m

Choudhary becomes third ‘imported’ BJP leader to get highest post after Himanta Biswa Sarma and Basavraj Bommai Patna:  The phase of political uncertainty and intense maneuvering that gripped Bihar over the past few days has finally come to an end. Following the resignation of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the Bharatiya Janata Party moved swiftly to bring clarity by electing Samrat Choudhary as the leader of its legislative party. It is now confirmed that Choudhary will be swo

As Tamil Nadu approaches a high-stakes election, its farm policy will test whether voters favour a blend of immediate relief and long-term reform over familiar short-term populism CM MK Stalin uses a handloom during an early morning outreach campaign ahead of the state Assembly elections in Ramanathapuram. Pic: PTI New Delhi: India’s farm policy is generally trapped in a loop. Each crisis, whether drought or flood has shown state governments usually reaching out for the same

Mumbai : In what is suspected to be a breach of aviation protocols, a chartered helicopter ferrying Food & Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal from Mumbai to Pune skipped a designated helipad and landed in a vehicle parking lot almost a km away.   The shocker happened in Purandar taluka, where Bhujbal was slated to attend a function marking the 200 th  birth anniversary of the social reformer Mahatma Jyotirao Phule in his home village Khanwadi.   As crowds of bewildered p

In Maharashtra’s long and complicated history of politics, very few stories are as fascinating or as layered as the silent but very real tug-of-war happening inside the Pawar family. On one side stands the patriarch, 85-year-old Sharad Pawar, one of India’s sharp political minds who has been Chief Minister of Maharashtra four times. On the other stands Parth Pawar, his grandnephew and son of the deceased Ajit Pawar, who has just been sworn in as a Rajya Sabha MP. While Sharad

Questions over corporation’s plan to abandon self-owned piece of land    Ruparani Nikam Kolhapur: A fresh controversy has surfaced over the proposed construction of the Kolhapur Municipal Corporation’s (KMC) new administrative building, with questions being raised over the apparent shift from a prime, self-owned plot at Nirmal Chowk to an alternative site at Shendapark.   The civic body, which has been functioning out of the historic Gandhi Market building since its days as a

Mumbai :  The Nationalist Congress Party’s efforts for a walkover in Baramati Assembly by its President and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Ajit Pawar may be a pipe-dream.   The by-poll has attracted a veritable circus of over 50-candidates with more than 60 nomination forms filed – negating the NCP’s public postures for an ‘unopposed election’ that created much political badmouthing.   As per Election Commission of India data, a total of 58 nominations were filed of which six

Questions over who leaked Ashok Kharat’s call data records and why Mumbai: Activist Anjali Damania’s disclosure on Monday of alleged call detail records (CDRs) tied to controversial godman Ashok Kharat has set off a fresh political crisis in Maharashtra. The records, she said, show an “unprecedented” spike in messages and transactions from a ‘Samata’ credit society on the day before and the day Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash. Her revelations have raised urgent questions abo

With Ashwini Bhide helming the BMC, women in Maharashtra are no longer merely breaking bureaucratic ceilings but redesigning the building itself. India has a powerful legacy of women power in the political and administrative field, and when the power is in the administrative government, the power game is different. Take Kiran Bedi, who became India’s first woman to join the Indian Police Service in 1972, was known for her fearless approach and innovative policing techniques,

Craftsmen at a handloom unit manually print the BJP logo onto large pieces of cloth ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections in Nadia on Friday. Pic: PTI New Delhi: Elections in West Bengal have long outgrown the idea of being merely a democratic festival; they now represent a complex socio-political reality where hope is persistently shadowed by fear. With each electoral cycle, the same unsettling question returns: will the grip of violence loosen this time, or is repetit

Mumbai : The internal rift in the NCP has reached a deadlock that even the intervention of senior family members has struggled to resolve. Recently, a marathon meeting took place at the Devagiri residence where veterans Patel and Tatkare reportedly expressed their dissatisfaction over being kept in the dark regarding the ECI letter. While they attempted to clarify their positions, sources indicate that neither Sunetra Pawar nor her son, Rajya Sabha MP Parth Pawar, was convinc

Sunetra Pawar’s bold power play has shaken NCP foundation Mumbai: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is currently undergoing a seismic shift in its internal hierarchy, signaling the birth of a more centralised and family-driven leadership. In a high-stakes move that has surprised political observers, Deputy Chief Minister and National President Sunetra Pawar has decisively asserted her control over the party all the while putting an end to the speculations over merger. By s

Mumbai: Amid mounting concerns over delayed emergency response in congested neighbourhoods, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is preparing to enforce parking restrictions in several narrow lanes across the city, where indiscriminate on-street parking has increasingly emerged as a critical civic hazard. The move, expected to be implemented soon, is aimed at ensuring unobstructed access for fire engines and ambulances in densely populated pockets where even minor del

Artists perform during a BJP roadshow for filing of nomination papers in Kolkata on Thursday . | Pic: PTI New Delhi: On the political landscape of West Bengal, the celebration of democracy often descends into blood-stained imagery. Elections, which ought to embody the spirit of civic rights, frequently emerge instead as violent expressions of fear, retribution, and the assertion of dominance. The most distressing aspect of this reality is that ordinary citizens, especially wo