The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Punjab President Mr. Aman Arora, today took exception to the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi for their "deliberate and telling absence" from the recently concluded month-long 'Shahidi Samaroh' in Punjab to commemorate the 350th Martyrdom Day of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji.

While addressing a press conference here at Punjab Bhawan on Wednesday, Mr. Aman Arora expressed deep disappointment and dismay, stating that the BJP's leadership, despite personal invitations, displayed a "blatant disregard" for the sacrifice of the Ninth Sikh Guru, who laid down His life to protect the fundamental rights and religious freedom of Hindus.

Mr. Aman Arora said that Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Punjab Government had conceived the commemorative events as a totally non-political to educate future generations about the unparalleled sacrifice of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji.

On the historic occasion of Constitution Day, Aam Aadmi Party Punjab President Shri Aman Arora extended his warmest greetings to the people of India and also marked the day with a special message celebrating AAP’s Foundation Day.

Aman Arora said that thirteen years ago, Arvind Kejriwal began a movement that has today grown into a powerful institution dedicated to clean, transparent and people-centric governance. He recalled how Kejriwal took upon himself the monumental mission of ending corruption, dismantling high-handed systems, and establishing a governance model rooted in honesty and public service.

Arora stated, “What began as a struggle led by Arvind Kejriwal has today transformed into a national force. AAP reached the status of a national party in record time and earned the privilege of forming governments in two states. These achievements reflect the commitment, sacrifice and collective effort of our party leadership, volunteers and supporters.”

Another historic initiative has taken place on Punjab's sacred land. The Man government has made a big decision to make e-rickshaw and bus services completely free in Anandpur Sahib, Amritsar, and Talwandi Sabo. This decision is like a blessing for the millions of pilgrims who come daily to bow at the Gurudwara Sahib. This step is not just to make travel easier but also reflects Punjab government's dedication to public service and respect for the sanctity of the Guru's house.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann made a major announcement on Tuesday from the holy land of Shri Anandpur Sahib. He declared that free transport service will soon start in the three cities recently declared as "holy cities" by the Punjab Assembly — Shri Amritsar Sahib, Shri Anandpur Sahib, and Talwandi Sabo. This plan includes free mini-buses and e-rickshaws for the convenience of pilgrims and residents.

The aim of this service is to ensure easy and hassle-free travel in these historic and religious cities, especially at major religious sites and places frequently visited by devotees. Mann said this step is part of the government's promise to improve access to spiritually important cities, make travel easier for pilgrims, and provide better public facilities.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convener and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday marked the party’s Foundation Day with a message of gratitude to supporters and volunteers, saying the party was built on the belief that “politics can also be done with honesty.”

In a post on X, Kejriwal thanked millions of party workers and citizens who have backed the AAP’s journey since its inception.

“On the foundation day of the Aam Aadmi Party, a heartfelt salute to the millions of companions across the country, all volunteers, and every common man who believed that politics can also be done with honesty,” he wrote.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday reported significant progress in Phase II of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) 2025 of electoral rolls, with 99.16 per cent of Enumeration Forms (EFs) already distributed across 12 states and Union Territories.

According to the Daily Bulletin issued at 3 p.m., the nationwide EF distribution has reached 99.16 per cent, reflecting strong field mobilisation by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and participation from Booth Level Agents (BLAs).

The Election Commission of India (ECI) had forwarded a letter to West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress Chairperson, Mamata Banerjee, giving nod for a meeting with a party delegation to discuss various issues, including the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) by the commission in the state.

The letter from ECI’s Secretary Ashwani Kumar Mohal was addressed to Banerjee as the party chief and was dispatched to her official residence at Harish Chatterjee Street in south Kolkata.

In the letter, the commission has fixed 11 a.m. on November 28 as the time and date of the meeting with the Trinamool delegation. The letter from the commission was a reply to an earlier letter from the leader of Trinamool’s Parliamentary Party in the Rajya Sabha, Derek O'Brien, requesting a meeting of the party delegation with the top ECI officials.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday joined the "sangat" to pray for the progress of the state and prosperity of Punjabis.

Both the leaders took part in the 'ardas' performed after the 'bhog' of Sri Akhand Path Sahib to commemorate the 350th martyrdom day of Guru Tegh Bahadur and legendary Sikh martyrs Bhai Mati Das-ji, Bhai Sati Dass-ji and Bhai Dayala-ji at Gurdwara Baba Budha Dal Chauni here.

They joined the large congregation to express gratitude to the Guru and prayed for the welfare of all.

Both the leaders said that it was a matter of great honour for them to have the opportunity to serve during the events to mark the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur.

On the occasion, the Chief Minister and Kejriwal said that Sikhism propagated the true model of socialism and secularism in the world.

With just two weeks left for Kerala local body elections, major political fronts have intensified their campaigns, even as rebel candidates emerge as a significant challenge.

Kerala will have a two-phase polling: The first on December 9 and the second phase two days later, with results on December 13.

While excitement builds at the grassroots, parties are grappling with internal dissent, particularly in Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam districts, where the rebel presence is most prominent.

The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) is banking on its development projects and welfare schemes, confident that these will resonate with voters despite the Opposition fanning the flames over the Sabarimala gold heist controversy.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has reported significant progress in Phase II of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) 2025, with 99.07 per cent of the distribution of Enumeration Forms (EFs) across 12 states and Union Territories.

According to the Daily Bulletin issued at 3 p.m. on Monday, the nationwide EF distribution has reached 99.07 per cent, reflecting strong field mobilisation by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and participation from Booth Level Agents (BLAs).

During the ongoing enumeration phase, which runs from November 4 to December 4 -- a total of 50.50 crore EFs have already been distributed out of the eligible 50.97 crore electors.

President Droupadi Murmu on Monday administered the oath of office to Justice Surya Kant as the Chief Justice of India (CJI) in a swearing-in ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in the national Capital. In a significant departure from recent tradition, CJI Kant took the oath in Hindi, taking the name of God.

The ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan, Union ministers, Haryana Chief Minister Naib Singh Saini, judges of the Supreme Court, and Chief Justices and judges from Bhutan, Kenya, Malaysia, Brazil, Mauritius, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

Justice Kant, the 53rd CJI, will have a tenure of about 14 months, and he will demit office on February 9, 2027.

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha announced the construction of 133 houses by the NGO Human Resource Development Society (HRDS) for families in Poonch district, whose homes had been hit by Pakistani shells, during the recent escalation of tension between India and Pakistan.

LG Sinha on Friday during his visit to Poonch, announced that the NGO will construct 133 houses at a cost of Rs. 1 million each, within six months.

These houses are aimed at rehabilitating families affected by Pakistani shelling, ensuring they receive timely support and secure living conditions.

Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather, on Friday, administered the oath to two newly elected MLAs here.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA-elect Devyani Rana and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) MLA-elect Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi were sworn in as members of the 90-member Legislative Assembly by the Speaker at 11 a.m.

Devyani Rana of the BJP defeated her nearest rival, Harsh Dev Singh of the J&K National Panthers Party (JKNPP), by a margin of over 21,000 votes in the Nagrota Assembly constituency bypoll.

Punjab Vidhan Sabha will hold its 10th Special session on the occasion of 350th Shaheedi Gurpurab at Sri Anandpur Sahib on November 24, 2025.

As per notification issued in this regard, session will be held at Bhai Jaita ji memorial at 1.00 PM.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended best wishes to all the Bihar Ministers, including Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, who were sworn in on Thursday.

Nitish Kumar was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Bihar on Thursday, with Governor Arif Mohammad Khan administering the oath of office and secrecy at Patna's historic Gandhi Maidan.

Several ministers were also administered the oath alongside Nitish Kumar, including Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Mangal Pandey, Dilip Jaiswal, Shravan Kumar, and Bijendra Yadav.

The Prime Minister congratulated all newly sworn-in ministers after the ceremony.

With West Bengal gearing up for next year’s crucial Assembly elections, training for checking electronic voting machines (EVMs) and voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) units will begin on Friday.

Engineers from the Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) will conduct the sessions, which will be attended by EVM and warehouse officers from all districts of the state.

The four-member central team of the Election Commission of India (ECI), which is currently on a four-day visit to West Bengal to review the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR), is also expected to attend the first day of the training session on Friday.

To complete the digitisation of the enumeration form for the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal by the month-end, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has set a target for the daily digitisation of the forms for the booth-level officers.

Under this target, each BLO will have to upload 150 enumeration forms collected by him or her from the voters in the special app provided by the ECI to them. The daily target for each BLO had been fixed keeping in mind the ECI's earlier target to complete the digitisation process by the end of November, an insider from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, said.

The total number of BLOs appointed for the revision process is 80,681.

Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha said on Thursday that numerous ancient religious and historical sites in the union territory have been restored.

“We are building an edifice of Aatmanirbhar J&K on the foundation of dedication and sacrifices of our police personnel, soldiers, farmers, youth and women. We should take a pledge today not to let their hard work and sacrifices go to waste. We must resolve to convert their dreams into reality,” L-G Manoj Sinha said.

He was speaking at the foundation day of Purmandal-Utterbehni Teerth Seva Nyas, at Purmandal in Samba district.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release the 21st instalment of the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana on November 19, celebrated as PM-Kisan Utsav Diwas.

On this occasion, Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma will participate in the state-level event to be held at the State Agricultural Management Institute, Durgapura. Similar programmes will be organised across all districts.

Since the launch of the scheme, 20 instalments have already been disbursed, benefitting farmers across Rajasthan.

A total of Rs 25,142 crore has been transferred directly to the bank accounts of the state's farmers under the scheme so far.

Punjab Power Minister Sanjeev Arora on Tuesday announced that the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) will now release electricity connections without a no-objection certificate (NOC) after applicants furnish a mandatory undertaking.

The step, he said, reflected the government’s commitment to providing basic amenities to residents without delay, while ensuring adherence to legal processes.

Arora said earlier applicants were required to submit approvals such as NOC, regularisation certificate or sanctioned building plan issued by local authorities before obtaining a power connection.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday reported significant progress in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) Phase II, with 98.54 per cent of Enumeration Forms (EFs) already distributed across 12 States and Union Territories.

The update was shared in the Commission’s 3:00 PM Daily Bulletin for November 18, marking a key milestone in the revision exercise scheduled from 4 November to 4 December 2025.

According to the bulletin, a total of 50.25 crore EFs have been distributed out of the total electors of 50.97 crore.

 Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday visited the families of those killed and also those injured in the Nowgam police station blast and said the people deserve clear answers about the circumstances that led to the accidental explosion.

Office of the J&K CM said on X, “Today morning, the Chief Minister visited the families of those who lost their loved ones in the Nowgam Police Station accidental explosion. He offered heartfelt condolences, prayed for Jannah for the departed souls and assured every possible support from the Government in this hour of grief.

“Chief Minister also visited the injured at a local hospital in Nowgam today morning. He reviewed their treatment and interacted with Doctors and attendants. He directed for the best possible medical care, reaffirming that the wellbeing of the injured remains immediate priority," the post further mentioned.

A four-member central team of the Election Commission of India (ECI) is arriving in Kolkata on Tuesday for a four-day visit to review the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in the state, which started on November 4.

This is the second West Bengal visit of the central ECI team during the current month to review the revision exercise, which indicates that the poll panel's special focus was on the progress of SIR in the state.

Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav has been elected as the Leader of Opposition for the Bihar Legislative Assembly.

Tejashwi Yadav, who yet again emerged victorious from the Raghopur constituency, has been selected as the LoP for the second time following Mahagathbandhan's disastrous performance in the Bihar Assembly election, in which the alliance secured only 35 seats, with RJD winning 25 of them.

Union Minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi clarified that his party has never exerted pressure for ministerial berths and always respects the decisions taken by the alliance leadership.

Manjhi said that, like before, HAM did not place any demand for ministerial posts this time.

“We only discussed MLA seats during the seat-sharing negotiation. There was some discomfort regarding this, but it was resolved. Now, the ministerial position is a subject that lies with the party in charge, so I will not comment on it publicly,” he told reporters in Patna.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday chaired the 32nd meeting of the Northern Zonal Council, steering solution-oriented dialogue on important issues related to the Centre and the states to strengthen cooperative federalism.

The meeting began with a tribute to the victims of the Delhi blast on November 10.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta also attended the meeting and said on X, “Today, I participated in the 32nd meeting of the Northern Zonal Council under the chairmanship of the Honorable Union Home and Cooperation Minister Shri @AmitShahJi.”

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday issued a detailed clarification after the Congress raised concerns about a discrepancy of nearly 300,000 voters in Bihar’s electoral roll figures released before and after polling.

In a Facebook post, the Congress questioned why Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar mentioned the total number of voters in Bihar as 74.2 million in an October 6 press note, while the Commission’s press release issued after voting pegged the number at 74.5 million.

The party alleged a lack of transparency and sought an explanation for the sudden increase.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday announced significant progress in Phase II of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with 95.44 per cent of elector-specific Enumeration Forms (EFs) already distributed across 12 States and Union Territories, the ECI said on Saturday.

The enumeration exercise, which began on November 4 and will continue till December 4, aims to strengthen the accuracy and inclusiveness of the electoral database ahead of upcoming elections.

According to the latest bulletin released by the Election Commission, a total of 50.09 crore electors are covered under this phase, and 48.67 crore enumeration forms have already been distributed.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday suspended senior leader and former Union Minister R.K. Singh with immediate effect, citing “anti-party activities.”

The action comes after months of public statements by Singh that allegedly deviated from the party’s official position.

In a letter issued by the state headquarters and signed by state president Arun Singh, the BJP stated: “Your activities are against the party and amount to indiscipline. The party has taken serious note of this, as it has caused harm to the organisation. Therefore, as per instructions, you are being suspended and asked to explain why you should not be expelled. Submit your clarification within one week of receiving this letter.”

Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha on Saturday expressed anguish over the loss of precious lives in the tragic accidental blast at Nowgam Police Station in which 9 people were killed and ordered a probe into the incident while Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and others expressed grief over the deaths and injuries.

In a post on X, the LG said: “Deeply anguished by the loss of precious lives due to extremely tragic accidental blast at Nowgam Police Station in Srinagar. My condolences to the bereaved families. I pray for speedy recovery of the injured.

Bhagwant Mann government has taken major action against gangsters. Strict action has been taken due to failure to take action against gangsters.

The Punjab Government has suspended Senior Superintendent of Police, Amritsar (Rural), Maninder Singh, who was accused of “failing to address escalating gangster activities effectively’’ and perceived lapses in tackling organised crime.

It is alleged that the SSP was not taking strict action against gangsters, on which taking action, Chief Minister Banwant has suspended the SSP. CM Bhagwant Mann said no negligence in action against gangsters will be tolerated

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, on Friday, inaugurated the 72nd state-level Cooperative Week in Sonipat town.

Addressing the gathering, he said that the soul of India resides in its villages and that the path to progress lies through cooperation.

He added that this year is being celebrated as the 'Year of Cooperatives', and the event will play a key role in achieving the vision of prosperity through cooperation and self-reliance.

The Chief Minister urged the youth to shed traditional mindsets, form cooperatives, and transform them into global brands through the power of Digital India.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) under Phase II of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, has distributed 46.50 crore Enumeration Forms (EFs) to electors across 12 States and Union Territories as of November 12, the poll panel said on Friday.

According to the ECI’s latest daily bulletin, a total of 50.97 crore EFs were printed, marking 99.95 per cent completion, out of which 91.20 per cent (46.50 crore) have already been distributed.

The ongoing Enumeration Phase runs from November 4 to December 4.

In Goa and Lakshadweep, 100 per cent forms have been distributed.

Ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly polls, Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) candidate Harmeet Singh Sandhu on Friday retained the Tarn Taran Assembly seat, defeating his nearest rival, Sukhwinder Kaur of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), who was leading in the initial rounds of counting, by more than 12,000 votes.

This bypoll was seen as a crucial test for Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the AAP that had won five of the six bypolls held in the state since it came to power in March 2022.

Independent candidate Mandeep Singh Khalsa, backed by hardline Sikh groups and jailed MP Amritpal Singh's faction, was in the third spot, while Congress' Karanbir Singh Burj was at the fourth.

AAP's Sandhu leads got a total of 42,649 votes, holding a margin of 12,091 votes.