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Delhi witnessed intense activity as police initiated detentions following protests and a Tiranga rally called by the CJP and left-backed groups across Connaught Place, Mandi House, and Jantar Mantar.
The Supreme Court has upheld a Madras High Court ruling that individuals cannot automatically claim backward class reservation benefits after converting from Hinduism to Islam or Christianity, prompting former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin to demand an immediate review petition, calling the decision socially unjust.
TVK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay skipped the INDIA bloc's rally against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in Chennai, even as Congress MP Praveen Chakravarty discussed the planned protest alongside the party's regional ally.
Congress and other INDIA bloc leaders staged a protest march in Delhi against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, drawing large crowds across the national capital. Rahul Gandhi could not reach the Supreme Court in person amid the gathering. The Opposition subsequently submitted a petition through the Registrar General rather than meeting the Chief Justice of India directly. The petition names the Election Commission of India, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and two Election Commissioners as respondents. The matter is scheduled to be heard by the Supreme Court.
The ruling party Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagham has won both Dharapuram and Madurantakam in the Tamil Nadu Assembly bypolls, triggering celebrations among party leaders and supporters. The victories were described by the party as a mandate from voters and a rejection of electoral corruption and the use of money in politics. Leaders also said the campaign had successfully countered anti-incumbency narratives in both constituencies. Opposition leaders, meanwhile, criticised the outcome, with accusations of betrayal and claims that the campaign reflected a desperate political strategy. The results come amid intensifying rivalry between political parties across Tamil Nadu.
A protest was held at Bengaluru's Freedom Park against the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Organised by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), the demonstration called for the scrapping of the exercise and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Organisers Abhijit Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were joined by actor-activist Prakash Raj, who criticised the revision. The CJP claimed that more than 13 crore names had been deleted across 20 states and Union Territories. Protesters also held a People's Tribunal and announced a slipper protest before their planned march to Delhi.
High drama unfolded in central Delhi for the second consecutive day as Delhi Police detained Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and several INDIA bloc lawmakers marching towards Jantar Mantar.
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra staged a dharna at Akashwani Bhavan in New Delhi, demanding an immediate meeting with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged electoral roll manipulation.
In Tamil Nadu, campaigning intensifies ahead of assembly by-elections in the reserved constituencies of Madurantakam and Dharapuram. The contest features a multi-cornered fight involving the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), DMK, AIADMK, Naam Tamilar Katchi, and the Left. The by-polls follow the resignation and defection of two AIADMK MLAs to the TVK. Chief Minister Vijay conducted rural campaigns, while the DMK and AIADMK raised allegations regarding defections, model code violations, and voter inducements. Key electoral factors include agrarian challenges, water management concerns surrounding the PAP Upar Dam and Nallathangal canal, Magalir Urumai Thogai payouts, and regional caste demographics. Meanwhile, in Karnataka, political confrontation escalates over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, with Chief Minister DK Shivakumar alleging the misuse of Form 7 for voter deletions, while the NDA has filed counter-complaints of administrative interference. Additionally, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu outlines an economic policy roadmap focusing on investments in green energy, data centres, aerospace manufacturing, and the Quantum Valley initiative.
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