In a setback to the BJP in Delhi ahead of the assembly polls, its senior leader and three-time MLA Brahm Singh Tanwar joined the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday.

Ayodhya’s Deepotsav celebrations set a remarkable world record as more than 25 lakh earthen lamps illuminated the banks of the Sarayu river, creating a mesmerizing golden glow across the holy city. Originally aiming to light over 28 lakh diyas, organizers succeeded in lighting exactly 25,12,585 diyas, marking a new global achievement.

As major political parties focus on resolving differences internally and among allies ahead of the November 20 assembly elections, candidates in some constituencies have to deal with a different challenge – Independents with identical names.

In response to over 400 recent bomb threat hoaxes targeting domestic and international flights in India, the Indian government has sought investigative support from the U.S. and Interpol to trace the origins of the calls. New Delhi is reportedly pursuing potential links to pro-Khalistani groups based in the U.S., especially following a recent broadcast by Sikhs for Justice leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who called for a boycott of Air India from November 1-19, aiming to “economically destroy India.”

The namesakes of prominent candidates contesting as independents have impacted election outcomes in the past and the strategy appears to be making a comeback in the assembly bypolls in Palakkad and Chelakkara constituencies.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said some forces in and outside India are trying to destabilise the country and portray a negative image of the nation in the world, underscoring the need to “identify urban Naxals and unmask them”.

Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) president Prakash Ambedkar was admitted to a hospital in Pune on Thursday after he complained of chest pain, his party said, requesting that the privacy of the Dalit leader's family be respected.

Troops of India and China exchanged sweets at several border points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) on the occasion of Diwali on Thursday, Army sources said.