The contest for the Mumbai mayor’s post has intensified after Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde said the post should go to his Shiv Sena faction. He said it would be a “mark of respect” for party founder Bal Thackeray in his birth centenary year. The demand follows the BJP-led Mahayuti winning a majority in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation polls. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut alleged that phones of BJP and Shiv Sena corporators were being tapped and that elected members were kept under watch. The BJP rejected the charge and denied any surveillance. No party has an outright majority in the 227-member civic body. (PC: HT)

Nitin Nabin on Tuesday took charge as the national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party at the party headquarters in New Delhi. He succeeds J P Nadda, who held the post since 2020. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with senior leaders including Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh, attended the ceremony. Several chief ministers from BJP-ruled states were also present. The leadership change comes ahead of key Assembly elections in multiple states. At 45, Nitin Nabin becomes the youngest leader to head the party and will lead it into the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. (PC: X)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused the Trinamool Congress government of blocking central schemes and aiding infiltrators in West Bengal. Addressing a BJP rally in Singur, Modi alleged that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was compromising national security. He claimed the state government was not cooperating with the Centre on border fencing and was protecting those involved in illegal infiltration. Modi also said central welfare schemes, including Ayushman Bharat, were not being properly implemented due to TMC’s actions. He urged voters to support the Bharatiya Janata Party in the upcoming elections. (PC: PTI)

US Congressman Rich McCormick said India brings money, talent, and investment to the United States, unlike Pakistan. Speaking at an event hosted by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, he said India both receives and sends investment to the US. McCormick described India as a growing and influential country, driven by a rising middle class and strong talent base. He warned that pushing India away could harm American interests. Democratic Congressman Ami Bera said trade frictions exist, but both nations remain committed to long-term strategic and economic ties. He added that US companies continue to invest heavily in India. (PC: NDTV)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed that India’s Gen Z has reposed faith in the BJP’s development model, highlighting recent victories including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) results. Speaking at a rally in Malda, West Bengal, ahead of upcoming state elections, Modi said youth support reflects confidence in the party’s governance and growth agenda. He also criticised the Trinamool Congress government, calling for “parivartan” (change) in Bengal and asserting that development and connectivity will be priorities under BJP leadership. The rally underscored the party’s push to expand its footprint in the state. (PC: PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday sharpened his attack on the ruling Trinamool Congress during a rally in Malda. After flagging off the Vande Bharat sleeper trains, he coined a new slogan in Bangla: “Paltano darkar, chayee BJP sarkar.”   Modi accused the government led by Mamata Banerjee of corruption and blocking central schemes like Ayushman Bharat. “A heartless and cruel government is looting public money,” he said.   With Assembly elections due soon, Modi urged voters to back the Bharatiya Janata Party, citing recent BJP wins in other states. (PC: ANI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday attacked the ruling Trinamool Congress at a public rally in Malda. He called the state government “extremely insensitive and ruthless”.   “The money sent for the poor is being looted,” Modi said. He claimed central schemes like Ayushman Bharat were blocked in Bengal.   Modi urged people to vote for change. “It is time to say goodbye to this cruel government,” he said. He promised jobs, flood control, and support for mango farmers if the BJP comes to power.

The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance recorded a sweeping victory in Maharashtra’s municipal corporation elections, emerging as the single-largest force across the state. The Bharatiya Janata Party won 1,425 of 2,869 seats in 29 civic bodies, followed by the Shiv Sena with 399 and the NCP with 167, according to the State Election Commission. (PC: X) In the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the BJP secured 89 seats, ending decades of Thackeray-led Sena dominance. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said Mahayuti is set to govern 25 civic bodies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked voters for the mandate.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis phoned state BJP president Ravindra Chavan after the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance achieved a major victory in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, breaking decades-long dominance by rival parties. Fadnavis praised Chavan’s leadership and the efforts of party workers in securing the strong mandate. He described the win as uniquely satisfying and credited the alliance’s unity and campaign strategies for the result. Fadnavis is set to address BJP workers at the party’s Mumbai headquarters, celebrating the historic outcome and urging continued momentum in future civic and state polls. 

The BJP–Shiv Sena alliance moved close to securing control of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation as vote counting continued in Mumbai. The Mahayuti crossed the halfway mark in the 227-member civic body, leading in more than 115 wards. The opposition bloc led by Shiv Sena (UBT), the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and the NCP trailed behind. Congress remained a distant player with limited early gains. Counting began at 10 am across 23 centres under tight security. Polling was held on January 15 after a delay of over three years, alongside elections to 28 other municipal bodies in Maharashtra.