The stage is all set for a big celebration of democracy in Punjab as Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will administer the oath of office to newly elected sarpanches at a function in Ludhiana on Friday, an official statement said.

This is the first-of-its-kind function organised by the state government to strengthen democracy at the grassroots, it said.

In the recently-concluded polls, 13,147 sarpanches of Gram Panchayats have been elected in 23 districts, out of which the newly elected 10,031 sarpanches of 19 districts will be administered oath at the function by the Chief Minister.

Meta has announced to extend ban on new political ads on Facebook and Instagram even after the US presidential election on November 5.

In its political ads policy update, Meta has extended ban on new political ads past Tuesday, the original end date for the restriction period.

“The restriction period for ads about social issues, elections or politics is being extended until later this week,” said the social media platform.

“As a reminder, ads that have run prior to 12:01 AM PT on October 29, 2024 and served at least one impression will be allowed to continue while the restriction period is in effect with limited editing capabilities,” said Meta.

Meta, however, did not specify the day it will lift the restriction.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has been appointed as the Chairman of Gurugram District Public Relations and Grievances Committee, the government said on Monday.

According to the notification issued by the Chief Secretary’s Office, Energy Minister Anil Vij has been appointed as Chairman of District Public Relations and Grievances Committees of Kaithal and Sirsa, while Development and Panchayat Minister Krishan Lal Panwar will handle Hisar and Rohtak, Industry and Commerce Minister Rao Singh will look at Nuh and Faridabad and Education Minister Mahipal Dhanda will oversee Bhiwani and Jind districts.

Likewise, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Vipul Goel has been given the responsibility of Rewari and Panchkula districts, Cooperation Minister Arvind Sharma of Mahendragarh, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shyam Singh Rana has been given the responsibility of Charkhi Dadri and Jhajjar districts, Public Health Engineering Minister Ranbir Gangwa has been given the responsibility of Ambala and Karnal districts.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) received a significant boost for the Chabbewal Assembly by-election, while dealing Congress a major setback. On Saturday, Kulwinder Singh Rasulpuri, the constituency in-charge for Congress in Chabbewal, and Gurpreet Singh, the grandson of former MLA Chaudhary Ram Charan, joined AAP.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, with Hoshiarpur MP Dr. Rajkumar Chabbewal, formally welcomed both leaders into the party.

Kulwinder Singh Rasulpuri had been associated with the Congress party for about 35 years. He was promised a ticket by the Congress party for the by-election after Dr. Rajkumar Chabbewal left the party, but Congress didn't fulfill its promise. Disappointed, he left the Congress to join the AAP. He served as the Vice President of the Punjab Congress Trading Cell and as Vice president of the District Congress Committee Hoshiarpur. He was also the president of the Sarpanch Union in the Mahilpur block for 20 years. Him joining AAP is a major blow to the Congress party.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) held a major protest in Chandigarh on Wednesday against the central BJP government over the issues of slow procurement of paddy and the lifting of old grains in Punjab’s markets.

As AAP leaders were about to encircle the BJP office in Chandigarh, the Chandigarh police detained them and used water cannons to stop them. There were clashes and pushing between AAP leaders and the police. During the scuffle, Minister Harjot Bains's turban fell off, which escalated the matter. In response, AAP leaders raised slogans against the Chandigarh police and the central government.

Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has called upon residents of the national Capital to avoid bursting firecrackers during Diwali, pointing to the severe air pollution it causes in the city. Instead, he encouraged people to light diyas as a safer, more environment-friendly way to celebrate the festival of lights.

The Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) National Convenor stressed that the issue of firecrackers was not about religious sentiments but rather the health and well-being of Delhi's residents.

“This is not a matter of Hindu or Muslim sentiments. The Supreme Court, the High Court, all courts have emphasised the need to control pollution. Diwali is the festival of lights, we should celebrate it by lighting diyas and candles, not firecrackers,” he stated at a press conference in Delhi on Wednesday.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu on Tuesday inaugurated water sports activities in the Gobind Sagar Lake situated in Bilaspur district.

These include cruises, shikara rides, houseboats, hi-tech motorboats, jet skis and water scooters, marking a new chapter for tourism in the region.

He said these activities would boost tourism potential and create ample employment and self-employment opportunities for the local youth.

Alongside tourism, this initiative is expected to benefit local businesses, particularly women and small entrepreneurs by providing a new marketplace to sell local products.

It will enhance the income and foster economic stability of the people of the region.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will gherao BJP Punjab office (Sector 37, Chandigarh) on Wednesday (October 30) to protest against the central government for slow grain lifting which is causing problems for farmers, commission agents, and millers.

AAP Punjab senior leader and cabinet minister Aman Arora shared this information, stating that the central government’s policies are vindictive. They are deliberately slowing down the lifting process to create difficulties for farmers and commission agents. There is no space in warehouses to store new grain, and mill owners also lack sufficient space. He said that the BJP is taking revenge on Punjab's farmers for the farmers' movement.

A total of 3,193 voters including 2,365 elderly and 828 Divyangs from seven Assembly constituencies will vote from home through postal ballot during the bypolls to be held on November 13 in Rajasthan.

The polling team will reach the homes of these listed voters as per the predetermined date and time and conduct home voting. Representatives of the concerned political parties and candidates will also be present at the time of home voting.

Rajasthan Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said that as per the instructions of the Election Commission of India, senior citizens above 85 years of age and voters with more than 40 per cent disability are given the facility of home voting with their consent.

Congress MLA from Haryana Vinesh Phogat has alleged that women who raise their voices are often suppressed and she had firsthand experience about this.

Phogat along with All India Mahila Congress chief Alka Lamba held a press conference on Monday here in support of a Youth Congress leader and her family, Roshni Jaiswal in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, who allegedly thrashed a BJP supporter here over "rape threats" issued by him on social media.

A video was played during the press conference where Jaiswal said that in September she had slapped a man, named Rajesh Kumar, in response to rape threats she received.

Roshni alleged in the video that after this incident, she got a notice for the attachment of her house.

The Shiromani Akali Dal;s (SAD) Working Committee on Thursday decided not to contest the November 13 bypoll for the four Assembly seats in Punjab, following the debarment of its chief Sukhbir Singh Badal by the Akal Takht.

The Working Committee of the SAD, in a statement here, said it has unanimously decided not to contest forthcoming in keeping with ‘panthic’ interests and ‘maan-maryada’ of Sri Akal Takht Sahib.

This unanimous decision was taken at a meeting of the Working Committee, district presidents and constituency in-charges, which was presided over by the party’s working President Balwinder Singh Bhunder.

The Government of Haryana has enhanced the Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) payable to Haryana Government employees & pensioners/family pensioners from 50% to 53% of the basic pay with effect from 1st July, 2024.

As per the order, the Enhanced DA & DR shall be paid with the pay and pension/family pension of October, 2024 and arrear for the months of July, 2024 to September, 2024 shall be paid in the month of December, 2024. The payment on account of DA & DR involving fractions of 50 paise and above may be rounded to the next higher rupee and the fractions of less than 50 paise may be ignored.

Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday condemned the killing of a non-local by terrorists in Shopian district.

Omar said on his X on Friday, “Very sorry to hear about the death of Ashok Chouhan at the hands of militants in South Kashmir. These attacks are abhorrent & must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. I send my condolences to the family & loved ones of the deceased."

On Friday, police recovered the bullet-riddled dead body of a Bihar resident identified as Ashok Chouhan in Wanduna village of Zainpora area in Shopian district.

“The body was sent for completion of medico-legal formalities. A case has been registered in this incident and an investigation is underway,” police said.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders on Friday hailed the Delhi court’s decision to grant bail in a money laundering case to former health minister and party colleague Satyendar Jain and called it a victory of truth.

“Finally, truth has triumphed,” said Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha in a post in Hindi on his social media handle on X, welcoming the end of the two-year incarceration of the former health minister.

Thanking the judiciary for offering relief to Jain, Chadha wrote, “Satyendar Jain is the father of health revolution in Delhi. He is the force behind providing free health services in world-class hospitals and creating mohalla clinics.”

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has announced its seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming Jharkhand Assembly elections to be held in two phases. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will contest 68 seats, while its key allies, AJSU Party, Janata Dal-United (JDU), and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) (LJP), have been allotted 10, 2, and 1 seats respectively.

The details were revealed during a joint press conference held here at the BJP's state office on Friday.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Jharkhand BJP President Babulal Marandi, and AJSU Party President Sudesh Mahto were among the leaders present at the press meet.

A day after taking oath of office and secrecy along with his 13 Cabinet colleagues, second-time Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Friday assumed office here and vowed to tirelessly serve 2.80 crore people of Haryana.

“I assumed charge as the chief servant of the state,” he wrote on X.

Reiterating Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message of inclusion, he said, “I am emotional and bowed down. The resolve of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’ is paramount,” he said, adding, “We will leave no stone unturned in making Haryana the best, prosperous and self-reliant state.”

“Under the leadership and guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, our full majority government will be dedicated to service, good governance, equality, prosperity and welfare of the poor,” the soft-spoken Saini added.

On the recommendations of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Jammu & Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha has assigned portfolios to five ministers of the Union Territory.

An order issued from Raj Bhavan, Srinagar said: “In pursuance of Rule 4 (2) of the Transaction of Business of the Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir Rules, 2019, LG Sinha assigned the charge to various ministers."

Surinder Kumar Choudhary, Deputy Chief Minister, will handle Public Works (R&B), Industries & Commerce, Mining, Labour & Employment, and Skill Development.

Sakeena Masood Itoo will manage Health & Medical Education, School Education, Higher Education, and Social Welfare.

Javed Ahmed Rana is assigned Jal Shakti, Forest, Ecology & Environment, and Tribal Affairs.

Javid Ahmad Dar will oversee Agriculture Production, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Cooperative, and Election

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday issued notification for the first phase of Assembly elections in Jharkhand, marking the beginning of the nomination process.

In the first phase, elections will be held in 43 Assembly constituencies.

Candidates can now submit their nomination papers both offline and online. Nomination papers will be accepted at the Returning Officer's (RO) office between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

A maximum of four persons, including the candidate, can enter the RO chamber. If the candidate belongs to a registered party, only one voter is required to propose their candidacy. However, independent candidates and those from non-recognised political parties will need ten proposers.

The Jammu & Kashmir Cabinet headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has passed the resolution for restoration of statehood.

Official sources said that during its first meeting on Thursday, the J&K Cabinet passed a resolution urging the Central government to restore statehood.

“The draft of the resolution has been prepared and the Chief Minister will travel to New Delhi in a couple of days to hand over the draft of the resolution to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to restore statehood to J&K,” sources said.

The meeting was presided over by the Chief Minister and was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary and ministers Sakeena Masood Itoo, Javed Ahmad Rana, Javaid Ahmad Dar and Satish Sharma.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday appointed three party leaders as All India Congress Committee (AICC) Senior Coordinators for the upcoming two-phase Assembly elections in Jharkhand.

In a statement, the Congress mentioned that party President Mallikarjun Kharge has appointed B.K. Hariprasad, Gaurav Gogoi and Mohan Markam as AICC Senior Coordinators for the Assembly polls in Jharkhand for which voting will be held on November 13 and November 20.

There are a total of 81 seats in the Jharkhand Assembly.

The state is going to the polls against the backdrop of Chief Minister Hemant Soren walking out of jail to retain his CM position again.

Nayab Singh Saini was elected as the leader of the BJP legislature party in Haryana at a meeting held at Panchkula on Wednesday, attended by central BJP observers Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, paving the way for his return as Chief Minister.

The BJP’s 48 legislators elected Other Backward Class (OBC) leader Saini, 54, as their leader to head the BJP’s record third consecutive government in Haryana.

Saini will take the oath for the second time on Thursday amidst the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Shah, ministers and chief ministers of BJP-ruled states.

Saini’s name was proposed by seven-time, senior party legislator Anil Vij and seconded by several legislators.

National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah was sworn in as the Chief Minister of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday.

L-G Manoj Saxena administered the oath of office to Abdullah and his council of ministers at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar.J-K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha administered the oath of office to Omar Abdullah along with his council of ministers.

National Conference MLA from Mendhar Javed Ahmed Rana, Javid Ahmad Dar from Rafiabad, Sakina Itoo from DH Pora and Surinder Kumar Chowdhary were also administered oath by LG Sinha as ministers in Cabinet.

Akali Dal has accepted resignation of Virsa Singh Valotha from party.

In a tweet, senior leader Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema said that the SAD working President S Balwinder S Bhundar has accepted the resignation of S Virsa Singh Valtoha from Primary Membership & all offices of SAD with immediate affect. Copy of the resignation is being enclosed here with.

The Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday announced that by-elections for four Assembly seats in Punjab will be held on November 13. They are Dera Baba Nanak, Chabbewal (reserved), Gidderbaha and Barnala.

Divulging details, Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Sibin C. said as per the programme issued for these by-elections, the notification will be issued on October 18. The last date for filing nominations is October 25 and the scrutiny of nomination papers will be conducted on October 28, while the last date for withdrawal of candidature is October 30.

Sibin C. said voting would take place on November 13, and results will be announced on November 23.

Polling for approximately 1.05 lakh candidates contesting for the posts of panch and sarpanch in Punjab began on Tuesday with voting happening through ballot boxes, officials said.

The voting will continue till 4 p.m. after which the ballots will be counted at the respective polling stations. The election is underway amid tight security arrangements despite calls for postponement by the Congress over alleged irregularities in nominations.

There will be more than 19,000 polling booths, covering over 13,000 gram panchayats.

A total of 3,798 candidates have been unanimously elected for the position of sarpanch, while 48,861 candidates have been selected for the panch. Elections in 28 gram panchayats have been cancelled, and one has been halted. As a result, voting will now take place for 9,398 gram panchayats.

The Delhi government on Monday imposed a complete ban on the production, storage, sale and use of firecrackers till January 1, 2025. The measure is part of the city government’s ongoing effort to curb rising air pollution levels during the winter season.

Delhi’s Environment Minister Gopal Rai issued instructions regarding the ban. The ban applies to both physical and online sales of firecrackers.

A letter by the Environment Ministry has been sent to the Delhi Police Commissioner to strictly implement the ban.

“The Government of NCT of Delhi has decided to impose Complete Ban on manufacturing, storage, selling (including delivery through online marketing platforms) on all kinds of firecrackers and bursting thereof up to January 1, 2025 in the territory of NCT of Delhi,” the letter said.

Date for Swearing-in of new government in Haryana has changed again. Swearing-in ceremony of New Ministry will now be held on October 17 instead of October 15. It will be held at Parade ground Sector 5, Panchkula.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief Ministers of BJP ruled states are expected to participate in the ceremony. A gathering of 50 thousand is expected on the occasion.

New Chief Minister of Haryana will take oath on October 15 at Panchkula. Haryana Governor has formed a 10 member Committee to oversee preparation for oath taking ceremony. Chief Secretary TVSN Prasad has written a letter to Deputy Commissioner informing that oath taking ceremony will be held at Panchkula on October 15. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend ceremony.

Madhya Pradesh Congress has formed a three-member panel of senior leaders to find potential candidates for the upcoming bypoll in Budhni -- the political stronghold of BJP's stalwart and former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

The panel consisting of three senior party leaders -- Sajjan Singh Verma (former Minister), Arun Yadav (former Union Minister), and Shailendra Patel (former MLA) have been tasked to identify the potential candidates.

The bypoll in Budhni, which is yet to be announced, was necessitated after Shivraj Singh Chouhan resigned from the Assembly after winning from Vidisha Lok Sabha constituency in the 2024 general elections.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday mourned the demise of the noted industrialist at the age of 86 in Mumbai and said the commitment and simplicity of Ratan Tata will always inspire the younger generations.

In his condolence message, the Chief Minister recalled the outstanding contribution of Ratan Tata in heralding a new era of industrial development in the country.

He lauded Ratan Tata for steering Tata Sons into a global powerhouse, thereby accelerating the pace of industrial growth in the country too.

CM Mann said the hard work, commitment and simplicity of Ratan Tata would ever inspire the younger generations to carve a niche for themselves in the field of their choice.

The Chief Minister said the death of the legendary business tycoon marks the end of an era as the void filled by his demise is unlikely to be filled in the near future.

The Congress party, on Wednesday, lodged a formal complaint with the Election Commission, alleging discrepancies in the battery strengths of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) used in the Haryana elections.

According to the party, these inconsistencies may have affected the election results.

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera stated that complaints from 20 constituencies have been submitted to the Election Commission (EC), with seven documented in writing.

The party has demanded that all EVMs be sealed and secured until a thorough investigation is completed, he said.

The Public Works Department on Wednesday sealed the former official residence of Arvind Kejriwal at 6 Flagstaff Road, called the ‘Sheesh Mahal’ following a dispute over its handover. The PWD has put a double lock on the gate of the house.

The BJP had complained to Lieutenant Governor V.K Saxena that the property was not properly transferred to the current Chief Minister, Atishi, leading to the intervention.

It had also alleged that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal is yet to formally vacate the official bungalow.

In response, the PWD issued a show-cause notice to two of its section officers and Kejriwal's former special secretary from the Delhi Vigilance Department for the alleged unauthorised occupation.

After an excellent show in the Haryana Assembly polls, state Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Wednesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence in the national capital.

The development assumes significance as Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday said the BJP has announced Nayab Singh Saini as the Chief Minister, though the party's parliamentary board will make a final decision.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated CM Saini on the poll victory.

Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal on Tuesday hit out at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for allegedly betraying the INDIA Bloc and undermining the Congress in Haryana.

Maliwal accused the AAP of entering the Haryana elections with the sole purpose of damaging the Congress Party’s prospects, claiming that this move betrayed the Opposition coalition’s unity.

In a post in Hindi on X on Tuesday, Maliwal said, “The party entered Haryana only to weaken the Congress. It falsely accused me of being a BJP agent, and today it itself is betraying the India Bloc and splitting votes of the INC!”

Delhi Chief Minister Atishi has officially moved into the Chief Minister's residence in Civil Lines, previously occupied by former CM Arvind Kejriwal.

On Monday, Atishi held her first meeting at the residence, engaging with the employees and officials working there.

According to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Atishi will now reside in the CM House, following all formal procedures.

She assumed office last month after Arvind Kejriwal resigned as Chief Minister in the wake of his arrest in the Delhi liquor scam.