“flowrs and grass” cut by EC. shock to mamata.

1. The Election Commission of India barred both factions of the All India Trinamool Congress from using the party’s traditional name and “flowers and grass” symbol for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly bypolls in Nandigram and Rejinagar. The Mamata Banerjee-led group was allotted the interim name “Mamata All India Trinamool Congress” with a football player symbol, while the rival faction received a different designation and symbol. Both sides were directed to submit alternative name and symbol options. The order intensified the internal power struggle ahead of the October 6 polls.
2. Shortly after the Election Commission’s order, Sanchita Pradhan (Dey), the candidate fielded by the Mamata Banerjee faction for the Nandigram bypoll, withdrew her nomination. Banerjee then publicly announced her faction’s support for the Congress candidate in the seat to strengthen the INDIA bloc. The sudden withdrawal followed a meeting involving the candidate and West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, triggering sharp political reactions.
3. Congress candidate Milan Pradhan was arrested by West Bengal Police in Nandigram hours after receiving Mamata Banerjee’s endorsement. The arrest related to pending warrants from 2007 murder cases linked to the anti-land acquisition protests in the area. Congress and Banerjee’s camp alleged political vendetta and questioned the timing, while police maintained it stemmed from routine review of old warrants. Pradhan was to be produced in court.
4. Mamata Banerjee approached the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission’s decision to freeze the TMC name and symbol. She described the order as unconstitutional and part of a broader pattern of targeting opposition parties. The move added another layer of legal and political contestation to the West Bengal bypoll landscape.
5. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephone conversation with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The leaders discussed developments in West Asia and ways to further strengthen the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The call came amid ongoing regional tensions and coincided with birthday greetings extended to the Prime Minister.
6. Surendra Koli, the key accused in the 2006 Nithari serial killings who was acquitted in all 13 related cases by the Supreme Court in 2025, was found dead in his rented tea stall in Haridwar, Uttarakhand. Police said the body was discovered hanging and treated the case as apparent suicide; no note was recovered. A post-mortem was ordered, and his family in Almora was informed. The development closed a long chapter in one of India’s most notorious criminal cases.
7. In a joint overnight operation in the Brattal forests of Udhampur district, Jammu and Kashmir, security forces neutralised two Pakistani Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists identified as Saddam and Mustafa. An over-ground worker was also detained. Arms recovered included an AK-series rifle, M4 carbine, Glock pistol, and grenades. The operation, involving the Army’s White Knight Corps, J&K Police and CRPF, continued with searches in the area.
8. Mumbai Cyber Police arrested six people, including an IIT Delhi graduate and a bank manager, in connection with a “digital arrest” scam that defrauded a senior citizen of approximately Rs 1.12 crore. The accused allegedly impersonated law enforcement and court officials to coerce the victim into transferring funds. Investigations into the cyber network were expanded.
9. In Delhi, a 16-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped and stabbed to death; her decomposed body was found in an open field. Police apprehended three minors and one other accused. The case triggered renewed scrutiny of crimes against women and minors in the national capital.
10. The National Investigation Agency filed a chargesheet against several ISIS members and supporters accused of radicalising youth online. The filing formed part of ongoing efforts to counter online extremism and recruitment networks operating within India.
11. A Delhi court granted default bail to US national Matthew Aaron Van Dyke after the National Investigation Agency failed to file a chargesheet covering alleged terror offences within the mandatory 180-day period. Van Dyke had been arrested in March in connection with an alleged cross-border conspiracy involving ethnic armed groups in Myanmar.
12. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited handed over two LCA Tejas Final Operational Clearance twin-seater trainers and three HTT-40 basic trainer aircraft (including the first series-production unit named Ankur) to the Indian Air Force in Bengaluru. Four civil-certified Dhruv Next Generation helicopters were simultaneously delivered to Pawan Hans Limited. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh attended the ceremony and described it as a major milestone for indigenous aerospace capability while also cautioning HAL on project delays.
13. India rejected Pakistan’s version of a naval collision involving Indian and Pakistani vessels in the Arabian Sea. Officials stated that dangerous manoeuvres by the Pakistani vessel caused the incident and maintained that Indian forces had acted appropriately. The exchange added to existing maritime tensions.
14. The India Meteorological Department indicated that conditions were becoming favourable for the southwest monsoon to begin withdrawing from parts of West Rajasthan around September 19. Cumulative rainfall for the season stood approximately 15% below the long-period average, raising the prospect of the driest monsoon since 2009 amid strengthening El Niño conditions.
15. Karnataka declared 23 additional taluks drought-hit, taking the total to 124. The decision reflected the impact of deficient rainfall on agriculture and rural livelihoods in the state and triggered calls for relief measures.
16. Heavy rains in parts of Maharashtra’s Marathwada region brought relief after a prolonged dry spell, but lightning strikes killed five people, including a couple, in rural areas of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district. Authorities issued advisories on weather-related hazards.
17. India’s net direct tax collections rose about 13% to approximately Rs 12.12 lakh crore as of mid-September, driven by strong advance tax payments. The figures underscored resilient tax buoyancy despite global uncertainties.
18. Moody’s Ratings raised its forecast for India’s real GDP growth in FY27 to 7% from the earlier 6%, citing domestic demand resilience even as it flagged inflation risks from higher energy prices and weather volatility. The agency did not expect a sharp reduction in the debt burden in the near term.
19. IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that the Semicon 2.0 programme had attracted investment commitments in the range of USD 11–12 billion. The announcement reinforced India’s push to build semiconductor manufacturing and design capacity.
20. The Tata Sons board approved a fresh five-year term for chairman N. Chandrasekaran despite opposition from Tata Trusts chairman Noel Tata. The boardroom decision highlighted ongoing governance tensions within the group while reaffirming continuity in leadership.
21. The National Stock Exchange’s long-awaited IPO opened for subscription, with the price band set between Rs 1,700 and Rs 1,785. Market participants closely watched valuation and investor response as a key barometer of capital-market sentiment.
22. The Indian rupee appreciated by 16 paise to 95.73 against the US dollar in early trade, supported by positive equity market cues and easing crude oil prices. Separately, foreign exchange reserves recorded a dip in the latest weekly data released by the Reserve Bank of India.
23. The Marathi film Gondhal was selected as India’s official entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2027 Academy Awards. The choice was made after evaluating multiple entries and marked a significant recognition for regional cinema.
24. The Karnataka Cabinet granted Tulu the status of an additional official (administrative) language in the coastal districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada. The decision was welcomed by linguistic groups advocating greater recognition for the language.
25. Voting for the Delhi University Students’ Union elections took place amid earlier High Court cautions regarding alleged violence and hooliganism during campaigning. Counting was scheduled for September 19, with the court having reserved the option to intervene if procedural concerns remained unresolved.
26. The Public Accounts Committee pulled up the Indian Railways over persistent gaps in passenger amenities and sanitation. A CAG audit had found bio-toilets deficient or non-functional at a large majority of the stations inspected, despite earlier claims of improvement.
27. The Central Bureau of Investigation registered a case related to alleged irregularities involving Reliance Capital and investments linked to the Life Insurance Corporation of India. Former Reliance Capital chairman Anil Ambani denied wrongdoing as the probe advanced.
28. Odisha announced plans to develop an approximately 870-acre “Silicon Valley” near Cuttack aimed at attracting semiconductor, IT and related investments. The initiative formed part of the state’s broader industrialisation and technology-hub strategy.
29. Tamil Nadu prepared to launch a scheme providing one-gram gold rings to newborn babies, with Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay scheduled to inaugurate it later in the month. Officials indicated that a substantial number of rings had already been readied.
30. Official-level talks between India and Bangladesh resumed to firm up plans for a visit by Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to New Delhi. The discussions followed a brief period of disruption in bilateral engagement and aimed at restoring momentum in relations.

This digest reflects the most widely reported and consequential developments of the period based on contemporaneous coverage from major Indian news organisations. Events continue to evolve, particularly around the West Bengal bypolls, monsoon withdrawal, and defence inductions.