Punjab Gurdwara Shootout: Masked Men Shoot Sevadar in Sangrur Midnight Attack

A political tussle has emerged between the Samajwadi Party and the Congress in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the 2027 assembly elections. While Congress aims to contest at least 150 seats and is preparing across all 403 constituencies, the Samajwadi Party is reportedly willing to offer only 85 to 90 seats. A major flashpoint involves assembly segments within the Raebareli and Amethi parliamentary strongholds, where the Samajwadi Party seeks three to four seats, including Unchahar and Harichandpur, which the Congress refuses to yield. Adding to tensions, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav opted to skip a crucial INDIA bloc meeting, citing prior commitments, prompting criticism from Congress leaders who urged him to show a bigger heart to lead. Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party leaders have downplayed reports of a rift, maintaining that alliance decisions will be finalised by top leadership, even as both parties launch political yatras into each other's traditional turfs.

The Congress party has outlined five demands seeking transparency in electoral data and processes. These include publishing complete data on major electoral roll changes, informing deleted voters with a right to appeal, sharing timely rolls with political parties, conducting an independent time-bound probe into electoral discrepancies, and ensuring transparency in critical decisions. Discussions on the matter highlighted concerns over the deletion of 16 lakh votes despite Supreme Court directives and alleged third-party access to sensitive voter data. Furthermore, the Congress leadership criticised the Election Commission of India, accusing it of failing its fundamental constitutional duty to conduct free and fair elections and acting in favour of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Party leaders also questioned why two election commissioners were reportedly excluded from an internal portal, asserting that disenfranchising eligible citizens undermines democratic rights. The Congress Working Committee is expected to deliberate on these issues to formulate future political resolutions.

An on-ground report from Bela Estate on Yamuna Bank highlights the plight of residents following allegations by Rahul Gandhi that 727 voter names were cancelled. Residents state they have lived and voted permanently in the area across several decades, participating in elections from 1961 up to 2025. Despite holding requisite identification documents and submitting forms, hundreds of names have been removed under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision exercise. Affected locals voiced apprehensions about losing their voting rights as well as access to essential government welfare schemes.

Tamil Nadu Minister Rajmohan from the TVK has launched an attack on the SIR process, terming it a huge scam. Rajmohan stated that without SIR, the TVK would have won more seats and secured a larger majority in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, allowing more leaders to become ministers. The statement comes amid broader criticism of SIR by political parties in the state, including the DMK, which earlier attributed its electoral setback in Kolathur to the deletion of voters during the SIR exercise. Both TVK and DMK have raised concerns over the process impacting their seat tally.