Top 20 Indian Politics News Stories
Thursday, September 24, 2026
Here are 20 major political developments from India making headlines today. Claims and allegations below are attributed to the politicians, parties or institutions that made them.
1. Opposition Moves Toward Impeachment Motion Against CEC Gyanesh Kumar
Opposition parties are preparing a motion in both Houses of Parliament seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Congress sources said the motion is being drafted with legal experts and will be submitted with support from opposition parties.
2. Election Commission Faces Intensifying Political Pressure Over SIR
The controversy surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls intensified after reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections to several decisions. Opposition parties have demanded greater scrutiny, while the ECI says differences during deliberations are normal and that its final decisions were unanimous.
3. Rahul Gandhi Steps Up Attack on Election Commission
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi intensified his criticism of the Election Commission, alleging irregularities in India’s electoral process and repeating his “vote chori” argument. He also questioned what he described as the absence of expected anti-incumbency against the BJP in several states. These are political allegations made by Gandhi; the Election Commission has defended its procedures.
4. BJP Defends Election Commission and SIR Process
The BJP has rejected opposition allegations concerning electoral manipulation and defended the Election Commission’s SIR exercise. BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi criticised Rahul Gandhi’s claims and argued that the opposition’s allegations do not establish wrongdoing by the poll panel.
5. Supreme Court Refers CEC Appointment-Law Challenge to Constitution Bench
The Supreme Court has referred challenges to the 2023 law governing the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners toward a five-judge Constitution Bench after a split verdict between two judges. The case concerns the legal framework for selecting members of the Election Commission.
6. Mamata Banerjee Demands Action Against CEC and Fresh Bengal Polls
TMC leader Mamata Banerjee has demanded criminal action against CEC Gyanesh Kumar and called for fresh West Bengal Assembly elections using the pre-SIR voter list. She alleged voter deletions and electoral manipulation; these claims are disputed by the Election Commission and the BJP.
7. Supreme Court Seeks Timeline From ECI in TMC Symbol Dispute
The Supreme Court has asked the Election Commission to explain how long it would take to decide the dispute between rival factions of the All India Trinamool Congress over the party’s name and election symbol. The court is examining the ECI’s interim approach while bypolls are approaching.
8. BJP Announces Major State-Level Organisational Reshuffle
The BJP has appointed in-charges for 36 states and Union territories ahead of upcoming electoral contests. Vinod Tawde has been assigned Uttar Pradesh, Satish Poonia Punjab, Ram Madhav Uttarakhand and Tamil Nadu, while Smriti Irani has been given Haryana and Chhattisgarh.
9. Karnataka CM D K Shivakumar Demands Fresh SIR
Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has called for a fresh Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and demanded CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. Shivakumar cited concerns about reported differences within the Election Commission; the ECI maintains that its final decisions have been unanimous.
10. MK Stalin Also Raises Objections Over SIR
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has joined calls for changes to the electoral-roll revision process, according to reports surrounding the growing opposition campaign over SIR. The issue has become a broader political dispute involving several opposition-ruled states.
11. Congress Raises Fresh Questions Over Goa Voter Rolls
Congress leaders have raised concerns over reports involving the deletion and subsequent restoration of eligible voters in Goa during the SIR process. Shashi Tharoor and other Congress figures have questioned the Election Commission’s handling of the matter, while the BJP has rejected opposition allegations.
12. Congress Working Committee to Meet on September 29
The Congress Working Committee is scheduled to meet on September 29, with the SIR controversy expected to be among the issues discussed. The party is coordinating its response to the widening dispute over the Election Commission and electoral-roll revisions.
13. Uddhav Thackeray Seeks Special Maharashtra Assembly Session on Drought
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has demanded that the Maharashtra government declare drought on a taluka-by-taluka basis and convene a special Assembly session. He has also called for a public dashboard showing crop losses, relief payments and farm-loan assistance.
14. Maharashtra Government Faces Political Pressure Over Farmer Relief
The drought situation has become a political issue in Maharashtra, with the opposition seeking faster crop-loss assessments and greater transparency on relief measures. The state government has formed a Cabinet sub-committee to monitor drought conditions and prepare relief measures.
15. Karnataka Assembly Debates Intensify Over Drought
Karnataka’s special legislative session has focused heavily on drought, farmer assistance, drinking-water shortages and disaster-relief rules. Legislators have proposed changes to drought-declaration criteria, additional assistance for farmers and expanded employment support.
16. Karnataka Assembly Sees Heated Political Exchange Over Farmers’ Issues
A dispute involving BJP and Congress legislators in the Karnataka Legislative Council escalated during a discussion on drought and farmers. The exchange began over the symbolism of a green shawl and later developed into heated arguments between members of the ruling party and opposition.
17. Ladakh Marks Anniversary of 2025 Violence With Shutdown
Several parts of Ladakh observed a shutdown on the first anniversary of the September 24, 2025 violence in Leh. Civil-society groups renewed demands connected to statehood and constitutional safeguards, while Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena announced withdrawal of criminal cases against 20 people in the interest of peace and social harmony.
18. Political Focus on Nandigram Bypoll Intensifies
The upcoming Nandigram Assembly bypoll has generated fresh political and legal activity. The Calcutta High Court has questioned the Election Commission’s reassignment of an election symbol, while another case concerns Congress candidate Milan Pradhan’s participation in the October 6 contest.
19. BJP Expands Organisational Planning Ahead of Future State Elections
The BJP’s latest appointments cover politically significant states including Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Manipur. The appointments are part of the party’s organisational preparations ahead of upcoming electoral contests.
20. Election Commission Controversy Becomes a Wider Institutional Debate
Beyond the immediate dispute over SIR, the current controversy has reopened debate about the Election Commission’s internal decision-making, the appointment process for election commissioners and the constitutional safeguards surrounding the poll body’s independence. The Supreme Court’s separate consideration of the 2023 appointment law adds a legal dimension to the political dispute.
