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The recent results of by-elections for 13 seats in seven states are essential for understanding what people think of the major political parties. More than a month after the 2024 elections, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi won a third term, the INDIA bloc's significant victory in securing ten of the 13 seats has shifted the country's politics. This positive result for the INDIA bloc could weaken the ruling coalition's power in the coming battles.

The stage is decked for a massive political fight. NGO All India Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has taken upon itself the task of using everything in its quiver to compel the Supreme Court to overturn its verdict on maintenance to divorced Muslim women. The board met on Sunday and ruled that the top court had no business interfering in marriages and divorces of Muslim men and women.

The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha has just concluded where an unprecedented level of acrimony was witnessed. Since this session was held immediately after the general elections, the mood during the electioneering, it appears, was carried into the house as was reflected in the speeches made from both sides. Few speakers referred to the issues, included or not included in President’s address. Fuel was added to the fire by the tone and tenor of the speech made by leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha.

BJP leader Narendra Modi in his first term as NDA Prime Minister of India shouldn’t have forgotten how to kowtow, and kowtow to whom? Why he went to Russia before kowtowing to the United States is a mistake. Why he went and hugged Russian President Vladimir Putin is a bigger mistake. Modi’s hugging habit is working against India's interests. Also, Modi might have forgotten his Chanakya, but the Americans have their Sun Tzu correct: An enemy’s friend is an enemy.

Fuel consumers have been pleasantly surprised by continued stability in prices even after the 2024 elections are settled and closed. This is a contrarian trend as most previous rounds of elections have invariably seen ‘price adjustments’ by the oil marketing companies by which they recoup their losses, notional though in most cases, by raising prices.

A large number of delegates attending the three day conclave of RSS currently on in Ranchi, gave enough indication of their unhappiness at the manner in which the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his coterie are underestimating the role of the RSS vis a vis BJP, but they at the same time underlined that the RSS cadres have to do their utmost to bring victory to the BJP candidates in the coming state assembly elections. The conclave began on July 12. And will conclude on July 14.

Union Ministry of Labour and Employment has started meeting representatives of Central Trade Unions seeking their co-operation for early implementation of the four labour codes, which were put on hold by Modi government during its entire second term due to a range of issues including stiff resistance from the joint platform of 10 Central Trade Unions. The Ministry has also convened meeting with CTUs on July 25-26 to discuss all aspects of their implementation.

The Kisan Rail scheme, announced in the 2019-20 budget and the first train rolled out in August 2020 with much promise, appears to have fallen by the wayside. Envisioned as a revolutionary way to transport perishable agricultural products such as fruits and vegetables, the project ran for two seemingly successful years before disappearing from the spotlight.

The Supreme Court decision on July 12 to grant interim bail to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and leave larger issues relating to PMLA cases to the consideration of a larger bench throws further light on the intersection of politics and law enforcement in India. The decision comes amidst a contentious legal battle where Kejriwal has challenged the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) arrest and the legitimacy of the evidence presented against him.

LUCKNOW: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and BJP leadership are facing biggest challenge to retain seats won by the party in the 2022 assembly polls during the coming by-elections to 10 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh. Ten assembly seats going for by-elections are Karhal, Milkipur, Sishamau, Kaktheri, Majawan, Kundarki, Khair, Phulpur, Ghaziabad and Meerapur.