THE HEADLINES: –
- More than two-third of Aam Aadmi Party MPs in Rajya Sabha merge with BJP; Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal join BJP formally.
- Campaigning heats up for second phase of assembly elections in West Bengal; Prime Minister and senior BJP leader Narendra Modi criticizes TMC government on the issues of corruption, unemployment and infiltration ; Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claims, West Bengal is in safe hands.
- Supreme Court rules, no court can compel a woman, especially a minor, to carry a pregnancy against her will.
- US says, it is expanding blockade against Iran on a global scale.
- In ISSF Junior Shooting World Cup, Shambhavi Kshirsagar and Divyanshu Dewangan win gold medal in 10 metre Air Rifle Mixed Team event in Cairo.
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In a big jolt to Aam Aadmi Party, more than two-third of the AAP MPs in the Rajya Sabha have quit the party and merged with the BJP. Of them, three Rajya Sabha MPs Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal visited the BJP Headquarters and met BJP President Nitin Nabin. The BJP Chief welcomed them by offering sweets. The other four MPs who have quit the AAP and decided to join the BJP are Harbhajan Singh, Swati Maliwal, Vikram Sahney and Rajinder Gupta. Welcoming Mr Chadha, Mr Pathak and Mr Mittal into the BJP, Mr Nabin in a social media post, also extended his best wishes to these MPs to work under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In a social media post, Raghav Chadha said that, exercising the provisions of the Constitution of India, more than two-thirds of the AAP MPs in the Rajya Sabha have merged with the BJP.
Earlier addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Mr Chadha alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party, which was formed with a pledge to end corruption, is now trapped in the hands of corrupt and compromised individuals. He said that they will work together under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi for the nation. He said, in the Rajya Sabha, the Aam Aadmi Party has ten MPs and more than two-thirds of them are with their decision to join BJP. Mr Chadha said that they have already signed and submitted all the documents to the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
On the resignation of its Rajya Sabha MPs, Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh accused them of betraying the people of Punjab as well as the party which had given them the oppurtunity to serve the nation.
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In West Bengal, campaigning is in full swing ahead of the second and final phase of Assembly elections to 142 seats, scheduled for the 29th of this month. Prime Minister and senior BJP leader Narendra Modi today criticized TMC government on the issues of corruption, unemployment and infiltration. Addressing an election rally at Baruipur in South 24 Parganas district, Mr. Modi claimed that the voting trend in the first phase indicated setbacks for the ruling Trinamool Congress in several districts. He alleged that TMC sponsored infiltration has forced many youths of the state to seek jobs outside Bengal.
On the other hand, Addressing an election rally in Howrah today, Trinamool Congress Chairperson and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed that the state remains in safe hands under her leadership. More from our correspondent:
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed rallies in Panihati and Baruipur today. He accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of corruption, infiltration, and being anti-women, citing the tragic death of a young doctor in Kolkata. He promised Ayushman Bharat’s rollout in Bengal, a monthly allowance for women under the Annapurna Bhandar scheme, and pledged to free the state from what he called “syndicate raj” and unemployment.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, speaking in Hingalganj, expressed confidence that the BJP will form the next government, claiming strong gains in the first phase. He vowed to reopen cases of atrocities against women, end practices such as “cut money” and “nephew tax,” and deliver stalled development projects within five years. Mr Shah held a road show at Jagtdal of north 24 Parganas.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, campaigning in Howrah, accused the Centre of withholding two lakh crore rupees owed to West Bengal and criticized privatization of public assets. She predicted that the BJP would win fewer seats than in the last election. Trinamool’s Abhishek Banerjee, speaking in Jagatballavpur, highlighted the state’s welfare initiatives and promised continued development.
With voter turnout crossing 92 percent in the first phase, both sides are claiming momentum. As the second phase approaches, Bengal braces for a decisive contest that will shape the state’s political future. Sandipon Dasgupta, Akashvani News, Kolkata.”
In our series of constituency profile, today we take a look at Uttarpara assembly constituency of West Bengal.
“The Uttarpara assembly constituency in the Hooghly district will go for poll on 29th April. The incumbent MLA is Kanchan Mullick from Trinamool Congress.
Total of 7 candidates including 3 independents are in the fray. BJP fielded Dipanjan Chakraborty in this seat while Trinamool Congress candidate is Sirsanya Bandopadhyay. CPIM candidate is Minakshi Mukherjee while Congress fielded Subrata Mukhopadhyay.
Total electors in the Uttarpara assembly as on the last date of nomination are approximately two lakh twenty eighty thousand.
All the political parties campaigning hard to win the hearts of the voters. Issues are many including unemployment, women security, industry and municipal services. Kalyan Laha, Akashvani News, Kolkata.”
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Government has said domestic LPG supply across the country is smooth and no dry out has been at any distributor. Addressing an inter-ministerial briefing in New Delhi, Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Sujata Sharma said that Government is ensuring that supplies of domestic LPG continue without any disruption amid the evolving situation in West Asia. She said that home delivery of LPG cylinders are being facilitated and advised consumers to opt for online booking and avoid rushing to distributor showrooms directly. Ms Sharma added that commercial LPG supply has been restored up to 70 percent. She said that Petrol and diesel supplies in the country are also adequate, and no dry-out has been reported at any petrol pump.
Director in the Ministry of Ports and Shipping and Waterways Mandeep Singh Randhawa said that the Government continues to engage with every stakeholder to ensure the welfare of all Indian seafarers and uninterrupted maritime operations.
Additional Secretary (Gulf) in the Ministry of External Affairs, Aseem R. Mahajan said that Government’s efforts are focused on ensuring the safety, security and welfare of the Indian community in the region.
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Department of Fertilizers has reaffirmed that India’s fertiliser security remains strong, stable, and well-managed, with availability consistently exceeding requirement across all major fertilisers. Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers said in a statement that recent claims of shortages are not supported by facts. It pointed out that data from both the recently concluded Rabi 2025-26 season and the current period indicate a comfortable and well-buffered supply position nationwide.
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The Supreme Court has ruled that no court can compel a woman, especially a minor, to carry a pregnancy against her will. A Bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan today permitted a 15-year-old girl to medically terminate her over seven-month pregnancy, emphasising that a woman’s reproductive autonomy must be given the highest priority. The Court observed that the right to make decisions concerning one’s body, particularly in matters of reproduction, is an integral part of personal liberty and privacy under Article 21 of the Constitution.
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US says, it is expanding blockade against Iran on a global scale. Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said, their expanding naval blockade of Iran was tightening by the hour and Tehran now faces a stark choice. He said, Iran must either accept a nuclear deal or face mounting economic collapse under sustained U.S. pressure.
The Defence Secretary said, Operation Epic Fury has delivered decisive military results in just weeks and the mission remained unchanged that Iran will not have a nuclear weapon. He accused Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps of behaving like pirates and terrorists, alleging attacks on commercial vessels and responsibility for regional instability. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to arrive in Pakistan tonight, where officials have been trying to get the United States and Iran to convene for a second round of ceasefire negotiations.
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Benchmark domestic equity indices declined over one per cent today, extending losing streak for the third straight session. We have a report:-
“The Sensex plunged one thousand points or 1.3 per cent to close at 76 thousand and 664, while the Nifty shed 275 points or 1.14 per cent to settle at 23 thousand and 898. In the broader market on the National Stock Exchange, the Mid-cap 100 dropped almost one per cent, while the Small-cap 100 dipped nearly 0.9 per cent. In the forex market today, the rupee depreciated by 14 paise to settle at 94 rupees and 25 paise against the US dollar. Nishit Kumar for AKASHVANI News.”
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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heatwave conditions over Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Vidarbha till Monday. Similar conditions are likely to prevail across Delhi, Chandigarh, Haryana, Punjab, and Bihar till tomorrow. IMD further said that hot and humid weather conditions will continue over Konkan, Gangetic West Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Coastal Karnataka, and coastal areas of Gujarat during the same period.
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Indian shooters continued their dominance at the ISSF Junior Shooting World Cup in Cairo, Egypt, by winning a gold medal today. In the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team event, Shambhavi Shravan Kshirsagar and Divyanshu Shailendra Dewangan secured the gold medal. India is currently at the top of the medal tally with four gold, five silver, and three bronze medals.
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In IPL cricket, Gujarat Titans were 193 for three in 19.2 overs against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, when reports last came in. Earlier, Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the toss and opted to bowl.
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In Badminton, India began their Thomas and Uber Cup 2026 campaign with a convincing 4-1 victory over Canada in Horsens, Denmark, today.
Lakshya Sen lost the opening singles match to Victor Lai 21-18, 19-21, 10-21, but India quickly bounced back. The doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty levelled the tie with a 21-10, 21-11 win over Jonathan Lai and Kevin Lee. Ayush Shetty then put India ahead, defeating Brian Yang 21-13, 21-17.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN: –
- More than two-third of Aam Aadmi Party MPs in Rajya Sabha merge with BJP; Raghav Chadha, Sandeep Pathak and Ashok Mittal join BJP formally.
- Campaigning heats up for second phase of assembly elections in West Bengal; Prime Minister and senior BJP leader Narendra Modi criticizes TMC government on the issues of corruption, unemployment and infiltration; Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claims, West Bengal is in safe hands.
- Supreme Court rules, no court can compel a woman, especially a minor, to carry a pregnancy against her will.
- US says, it is expanding blockade against Iran on a global scale.
- In ISSF Junior Shooting World Cup, Shambhavi Kshirsagar and Divyanshu Dewangan win gold medal in 10 metre Air Rifle Mixed Team event in Cairo.
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