- The INDIA bloc held a large protest in Delhi against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Thousands attended the rally at Ramlila Maidan. Rahul Gandhi said the opposition would intensify pressure over alleged irregularities in voter lists.
- The protest followed weeks of opposition campaigning over the removal of more than 130 million names from voter rolls during the revision exercise. Opposition leaders demanded accountability and protection of every eligible voter’s right. The BJP rejected the allegations and accused the opposition of undermining electoral institutions.
- BJP national president Nitin Nabin accused Rahul Gandhi of acting at the behest of foreign powers to create instability. Speaking in Bhagalpur during the party’s “Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao” campaign, he alleged a foreign-backed design behind the opposition’s campaign. He also said opposition parties had failed to raise grievances during the voter-roll revision.
- The political confrontation over electoral rolls sharpened further. The BJP argued that opposition parties question the Election Commission and electronic voting machines mainly after electoral losses. The Congress and its allies maintained that the revision process had removed genuine voters and required independent scrutiny.
- Delhi Police registered an FIR over alleged graffiti on a police vehicle during the INDIA bloc rally. The case was filed at Kamla Market police station under the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property Act. Police said videos circulating on social media showed graffiti on the vehicle.
- Punjab politics saw a major shift as three AAP legislators moved towards the BJP. Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra, Chetan Singh Jouramajra and Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh formally joined the BJP. The development came months before the 2027 Punjab Assembly election and added to pressure on the Bhagwant Mann government.
- Suspended AAP MLA Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh resigned from the Punjab Assembly. He represented Amritsar North and sent his resignation to Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, effective from November 1. His exit underlined the growing internal strain within AAP in Punjab.
- The legislators who left AAP criticised the Punjab government over the drug menace, rising state debt and governance concerns. Chetan Singh Jouramajra, a former minister, also questioned the state’s handling of crop procurement and minimum support price issues. Their defection is likely to intensify the BJP’s efforts to expand in Punjab.
- The CBI’s request for the transit remand of Sourabh Chandrakar, an accused in the Mahadev betting app case, came up before a Delhi court. The court reserved its order on the agency’s plea for a two-day transit remand. The case is part of a wider crackdown on alleged offshore betting networks.
- A major legal development involved the Delhi High Court staying Jawaharlal Nehru University’s order terminating Congress MP and former professor Angomcha Bimol Akoijam. The MP represents Inner Manipur. The matter relates to sexual harassment allegations made by women students of the university.
- The Delhi-Noida air quality deteriorated sharply, with the Air Quality Index crossing 300 and entering the “very poor” category. Authorities intensified anti-pollution measures in the capital region. Delhi authorities collected more than €60,000 in fines during an anti-pollution drive.
- Heavy rain lashed northern Tamil Nadu as Severe Cyclonic Storm Murasu moved towards the south Andhra Pradesh coast. Several parts of Chennai were waterlogged. Authorities in coastal districts were placed on alert as the system approached landfall.
- In Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura, a prime accused in the October 28 murder of Rohtas was injured in a police encounter. Police said the accused, Vikas alias Vishal, opened fire while attempting to flee during a search operation. A country-made pistol, two spent cartridges and a motorcycle were recovered from him.
- In Hamirpur district of Uttar Pradesh, a three-year-old girl was allegedly raped and strangled to death by a 30-year-old neighbour. Police said the accused lured the child from outside her home. The family handed him over to the police after the body was found.
- In Jharkhand’s Godda district, a missionary school principal was booked for allegedly raping and sexually exploiting a 40-year-old tribal woman. An FIR was registered under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Police said the accused was absconding and raids were under way.
- A 32-year-old woman, Radhika Sawaiyan, was stabbed to death in Jharkhand’s Seraikela-Kharswan district. Police said she was attacked while returning home from a weekly market in the Mirudih area. She was taken to hospital but declared dead on arrival.
- In Maharashtra’s Jalgaon district, four people, including a suspended police officer, were arrested after an armed robbery at an SBI branch. Robbers allegedly looted 27 kg of gold and Rs 12.5 lakh. Police said the stolen property had been recovered.
- Two police personnel in Uttar Pradesh’s Ballia district were suspended for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 61,000 in a land-dispute matter. The suspended officers included the in-charge of the District Crime Records Bureau and a head constable. The case added to concerns over corruption in local policing.
- Eight workers were electrocuted while working on a road-construction project in Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu district. The accident occurred in Chhapoli village when a gravel-mixing machine touched a high-tension overhead power line. The incident raised fresh questions about safety standards at infrastructure sites.
- Maharashtra’s Excise Department seized illicit liquor and related contraband worth over Rs 6.35 crore in the Thane division over seven months. The drive targeted illegal liquor smuggling and counterfeit alcohol ahead of Diwali. Officials said such campaigns aim to prevent spurious liquor-related deaths and trafficking.
