A British national, Mohammad Akhtar, was reportedly killed by Pakistani security forces during protests in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, while another British citizen, Waqas Arif, remains detained. Families allege excessive force and arbitrary arrests, as the UK government expressed concern over the situation
The Parliamentary joint committee on simultaneous elections, chaired by PP Chaudhary, is working to evolve a mechanism to implement the ‘One Nation, One Election’ reform by the 2029 general polls. Chaudhary said nearly 99 percent of civil society stakeholders consulted so far support the proposal.
If the juggernaut of SIR rolls on unchecked through Phase 3, it risks transforming the Indian electorate from a representation of the sovereign people into a curated list designed exclusively by and for those in power
The Centre is actively exploring the revival of the Delimitation Bill to redraw constituency boundaries before the 2029 elections. Consultations are underway with regional parties to resolve regional representation disputes and advance simultaneous poll reforms
The Supreme Court introduced major electoral reforms for the Supreme Court Bar Association, extending the executive committee tenure to two years from 2027 and revising voter eligibility norms. The court also mandated cooling-off periods and appearance-based voting criteria for advocates
The BJP is pushing a deeply flawed delimitation exercise under the guise of advancing women’s reservation, raising concerns over fairness, federal balance, and political representation
Opposition leaders met in Parliament to coordinate their Winter Session strategy, highlighting unity on demanding a discussion on electoral reforms, including SIR. With TMC absent again, parties also protested outside Parliament against new labour codes, calling them anti-worker and seeking their withdrawal
Andhra Pradesh Congress chief Y S Sharmila said Rahul Gandhi has “detonated a high-voltage hydrogen bomb” exposing fake votes in Haryana polls, alleging that 25 lakh names were added to favour BJP. She accused the EC of acting under BJP’s influence
BRS working president KT Rama Rao sharply came down heavily on the Election Commission of India for its perceived bias toward the NDA government and failure to uphold democratic principles. Responding to recent press remarks by the Chief Election Commissioner, Rama Rao called for a comprehensive revision, not just of electoral rolls but of the ECI itself.
