Chief Minister MK Stalin has called for a joint action committee meeting in Chennai on March 22 to mobilise and strengthen the support of like-minded parties against the population-based delimitation exercise. Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD) gave his consent to attend the meeting, after a two-member DMK delegation, comprising Lok Sabha member and former Union Minister Dayanidhi Maran and Tamil Nadu industries minister T. R. B. Rajaa, called on the former Orissa CM at Naveen Niwas and conveyed Stalin’s message on the possibility of a proposed delimitation exercise, hitting the southern states of the country hard. Stalin reached out to former and current chief ministers, as well as eminent leaders of different states to oppose the move. He was of the view that the representation in Parliament will also be reduced to 20 per cent from the existing 26 per cent reservation, giving a benefit to the BJP which is mostly confined to northern states. Meanwhile, DMK leaders had invited Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy and opposition BRS leaders to the meeting on delimitation. Both Revanth Reddy and BRS working president KT Rama Rao have accepted the invitation to attend the meeting. On the other hand, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah extended support to the DMK-led opposition against the proposed delimitation of Parliamentary constituencies and requested his Deputy, DK Shivakumar, to attend the meeting in Chennai to discuss the issue.
AHEAD OF 2026 STATE POLLS, MAMATA TO INAUGURATE JAGANNATH TEMPLE
With the assembly elections in West Bengal next year, expected to be held in April and May 2026,CM Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government is set to hype up the inauguration of the Rs 250 crore temple of Lord Jagannath in Digha. The consecration of the temple will be done on April 29. The temple is at the centre of the Jagannath Dham Cultural Centre, which is being built over an area of 20 acres in Digha. A 27-member trust, headed by the chief secretary of the state government, will take over the management of the temple. The trust will comprise of the representatives of ISKCON, Ramakrishna Mission and other religious organisations of the state. The TMCs top brass hopes that the grand inauguration of the temple will not only blunt the BJP’s aggressive Hindutva campaign in West Bengal but also blunt the saffron party’s constant allegations about appeasement of Muslims by Mamata Banerjee.
AKHILESH SAYS PDA-LED ‘PAAN PE CHARCHA’ WILL RID UTTAR PRADESH OF BJP
Samajwadi Party has commenced preparation for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections due in 2027. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav mooted a new planned strategy to strengthen its PDA (Pichhara, Dalit, Alpsanhkhyaks) by holding “Paan pe Charcha”. He said that now the Chaurasia Samaj will have discussions on paan and eliminate the BJP from the state in 2027. He claimed that backward, Dalit, tribal, women and all our minority brothers have made up their minds that they will take forth the move to carry forward the strength of PDA.
CONGRESS CRASHES OUT IN HARYANA MUNICIPAL POLLS, BJP SCORES BIG WINS
The Congress, which was looking to make an electoral comeback after facing a defeat in the 2024 Assembly polls, has had to bite the dust. Contesting municipal polls on the party symbol for the first time, the Congress drew a blank. In a prominent blow to former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on his home turf of Rohtak, BJP candidate Ram Avtar Balmiki won the mayoral election, defeating Suraj Mal Kiloi of Congress by 45,198 votes. Similarly, former Union Minister and Sirsa MP Kumari Selja failed to save the Congress victory in Sirsa. According to political experts, the Congress’ defeat was inevitable due to fragmented leadership and a lack of grassroots organisation. Meanwhile, BJP won mayoral elections in nine out of 10 municipal corporations in Haryana by a landslide. The BJP, however, lost the Manesar seat to independent candidate Dr. Inderjeet Yadav.
NITISH-RABRI PUBLIC SPAT LEAVES BIHAR ASSEMBLY STUNNED
Intense political activity is heating up Patna with the Bihar Legislative Council witnessing an unprecedented spat between Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his predecessor Rabri Devi, who is now the leader of the opposition. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Rabri Devi accused CM Nitish Kumar of attending the Assembly under the influence of bhaang and disrespecting women. Nitish denied the allegation and drew attention to the questionable performance of the previous RJD government on women’s development. Retorting to repeated claims by Nitish that there was no development in Bihar prior to 2005, Rabri said: “He alleges that nobody wore clothes in Bihar before 2005? I want to ask him and Prime Minister Narendra Modi whether the mothers and sisters in their homes used to wear clothes before 2005. Take out the files and see what development was done by us. Was Nitish born in 2005 and Modi in 2014? People should say whether they ventured out to markets before 2005 or not.” (IPA Service)
Fringe Hindutva Outfits Tried To Create Communal Tensions During Holi In Uttar Pradesh 