THE HEADLINES:
Polling underway peacefully for Assembly Elections in Assam, Keralam, and Union Territory of Puducherry.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi says women reservation in legislative bodies is key to make Indian democracy more vibrant and participative.
Indian-flagged vessel carrying 15,400 tonnes of LPG arrives at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority in Mumbai.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri calls on US Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael P. Duffey to advance India and U.S. defence partnership.
Indian women boxers clinch three gold medals in Asian Boxing Championships in Mongolia.
And in Badminton Asia Championships, Ayush Shetty advances to Men’s singles quarterfinals.
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Polling is underway for the Assembly elections in Assam, Keralam, and the Union Territory of Puducherry. Voting is taking place for all 126 seats in Assam, 140 in Keralam and 30 seats in Puducherry in a single phase. The Election Commission has made elaborate arrangements to ensure free, fair, and peaceful polling.
Polling percentage is steadily increasing in Keralam since early morning itself. After two hours the polling percentage was 16.27 and reached 50 per centage by 1 pm. The overall polling percentage in Assam recorded till 1 pm is 59.63 per cent. Highest voter turnout was recorded at South-Salmara Mankachar district with the turnout of 65.95 per cent. While the Lowest was recorded in Kamrup at 49.47 per cent.
Puducherry registered a Voter turnout of nearly 57 per cent till 1 pm.
In Nagaland, peaceful polling is underway across all 30 polling stations for the by-election to the 28 Koridang Assembly Constituency in Mokokchung district. The polling percentage till 1:00 PM stands at 57.91 percent. Polling began at 7 AM amid heightened security arrangements and will continue till 4 PM.
Meanwhile, today is the last day for withdrawal of nominations for first phase of voting in West Bengal. Today is also the last day for filing of nominations for the second phase of polling in West Bengal. Counting of votes for all four states and the Union Territory will take place on the 4th of next month.
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In poll-based Tamil Nadu, today is the last date for withdrawal of nomination. The final list of the contestants in fray will be released later this evening. According to the present status, a total of 5024 nominations have been accepted. More from our correspondent;
“Electioneering is reaching a crescendo even as there is less than two weeks for the polling. This time it will be a three-cornered contest with AIADMK-led NDA, Secular Progressive Alliance led by DMK, and the Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam led by actor Vijay making its debut at all the 234 constituencies in the state. The present Assembly election has a remarkable participation of the young voters in electioneering. Political pundits say that this time, in addition to election speeches, it seems that social media has become a major stakeholder reigning a definite frenzied trend on the voters’ opinion, though it may be considered as shallow or immature. Joy AKASHVANI NEWS, Chennai.”
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that reservation for women in legislative bodies is the need of the hour to make Indian democracy more vibrant and participative. Expressing his thoughts in an Op-Ed, Mr Modi said any delay in bringing this reservation will be deeply unfortunate. Sharing a video, the Prime Minister said Parliament has been convened on the 16th of this month to discuss and pass an important bill that advances women’s reservation.
Prime Minister Modi said it is imperative that the 2029 Lok Sabha elections and the Assembly elections in various states in the coming times are conducted with women’s reservation in place.
Highlighting the contribution of women, the Prime Minister said women are at the forefront of the country’s progress across every field, from science and technology to entrepreneurship, from sports to the armed forces and from music to the arts. He added, when women participate in administration and decision-making, they bring with them experiences and insights that enrich public discourse and improve the quality of governance.
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Senior BJP leader and Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said that welfare of farmers and fishermen will be taken care of when BJP forms the government in West Bengal. Addressing a public rally in Haldia in West Bengal, Mr. Modi said the paddy farmers, potato farmers and beetle leaf farmers will be benefited if BJP form state government after the Assembly election.
On the other hand, Trinamool Congress Supremo Mamata Banerjee today joined a rally at Minakhan in North 24 Parganas district. She will also address public meetings at other places in North 24 Parganas district.
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An India-flagged LPG vessel, Green Asha, arrived in Mumbai today and berthed at the liquid terminal of Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, JNPA. The vessel crossed the Strait of Hormuz carrying 15,400 tonnes of LPG. It is the first such vessel to reach JNPA since the onset of the conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel. All crew members on board are reported safe, and the cargo is secure.
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Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri today met United States’ Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael P. Duffey at washington in U.S. In a social media post, the spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal said that the meeting was aimed to advance India and U.S. major defence partnership. It focused on co-production, sustainment, and shared priorities in the Indo-Pacific region.
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The Government has debunked a false propaganda by Pakistani accounts, claiming that the Indian Air Force’s Naliya airbase in Gujarat provided refuelling and logistic support to Israeli jets in a recent Israeli strike on Iran’s Chabahar port. The Fact Check unit of the Press information Bureau (PIB) has clarified that the claim is fake. PIB explained that the narrative is part of a deliberate disinformation attempt aimed at creating confusion and provoking tensions. PIB has further urged citizens not to share any unverified content.
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Indian Army’s trishakti corps has launched Operation Him Setu to evacuate stranded tourists in Lachen, North Sikkim. A landslide has disrupted road connectivity between Lachen and Chungthang in North Sikkim, impacting movement in the region. More from our correspondent;
“A landslide has disrupted road connectivity between Lachen and Chungthang in North Sikkim, impacting movement in the region. Trishakti Corps under Eastern Command, Indian Army launched Operation Him Setu to restore access and assist stranded tourists. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is working in close coordination with troops of Trishakti Corps, undertaking continuous road clearance, snow removal and restoration of connectivity under challenging weather and terrain conditions. Evacuation is being conducted in phases. So far, 135 tourists have been safely evacuated, along with 32 light vehicles and 10 motorcycles. Approximately 1,000 tourists remain in Lachen, with sustained efforts underway to ensure their safe evacuation at the earliest. Mainak Chatterjee, Akashvani News, Gangtok.”
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Women and Child Development Minister Annpurna Devi will launch the 8th edition of Poshan Pakhwada – 2026 in New Delhi this afternoon. The theme for Poshan Pakhwada is – Maximizing brain development in the first six years of life. During the Pakhwada, activities will be organized across States and Union Territories through Anganwadi Centers, with participation from mothers, caregivers, families, community institutions, and local bodies.
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In Asian Boxing Championships, Indian women boxers dominated the event today clinching three gold and one silver in a single day in Mongolia. Reigning World Champion Minakshi Hooda defeated Nomundari Enkh-Amgalan of Mongolia 5-0 to clinch the gold in 48kg. Preeti Pawar overcame the challenge 5-0 against Chinese Taipei’s Huang Hsiao-we in 54kg.
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In Badminton Asia Championships, Ayush Shetty advanced to the quarterfinals in Men’s singles after defeating higher-ranked Chi Yu Jen in straight games 21-16, 21-12. However, HS Prannoy exited the tournament after losing to China’s Weng Hong Yang 12-21, 19-21.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:
Polling underway peacefully for Assembly Elections in Assam, Keralam, and Union Territory of Puducherry.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi says women reservation in legislative bodies is key to make Indian democracy more vibrant and participative.
Indian-flagged vessel carrying 15,400 tonnes of LPG arrives at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority in Mumbai.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri calls on US Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael P. Duffey to advance India and U.S. defence partnership.
Indian women boxers clinch three gold medals in Asian Boxing Championships in Mongolia.
And in Badminton Asia Championships, Ayush Shetty advances to Men’s singles quarterfinals.
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