Former Tamil Nadu BJP chief Annamalai has reportedly informed the party leadership that he wants a "cordial separation" and plans to pursue an independent political path. According to sources, Annamalai conveyed his decision during a meeting with BJP president Nitin Nabin and organisation secretary BL Santhosh in New Delhi.   Despite efforts by the BJP to persuade him to stay, sources said the former IPS officer has made up his mind. Reports suggest he has also declined an offer of a Rajya Sabha seat. Annamalai is expected to launch a public movement before eventually forming a political party focused on grassroots participation and leadership development. (PC: NDTV)

Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the satirical Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), has announced plans to return to India on June 6 and seek permission for a peaceful protest demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak controversy. Dipke said millions of students have been affected by examination-related issues, citing support for an online petition and protests in several cities. His announcement comes after the Delhi High Court declined to order the immediate restoration of the CJP’s X account, which was blocked in India on national security grounds. Investigations into the NEET paper leak continue, with multiple arrests reported.

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Monday accused the police of denying permission for a party protest in Kolkata over recent attacks on senior TMC leaders. She alleged that a "police raj" was prevailing in West Bengal and warned that she would protest in Delhi if the ban continued.   "If you don't give permission, I will protest in Delhi alone," Banerjee said during a virtual address to party workers.   She also claimed that TMC workers were facing intimidation and arrests. The BJP rejected the allegations and accused the TMC of trying to divert attention from its electoral setbacks. (PC: PTI)

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi escalated his criticism of the government and CBSE over the digital evaluation controversy, alleging that Class 12 answer sheets were scanned using mobile phones instead of professional scanners. Citing claims by student researchers, Gandhi said key technical requirements were removed from the tender process, resulting in blurred scans, missing pages and evaluation errors. He accused CBSE of diluting norms to favour a private vendor and questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on the issue. The row has intensified amid reports of answer-sheet mix-ups, cybersecurity concerns and complaints from students over the online marking system.  

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday announced the schedule for elections to 27 seats in the Rajya Sabha and state legislative councils across several states. Polling will be held on June 18 from 8 am to 4 pm, while counting will begin at 5 pm the same day.   According to the ECI, biennial elections will be conducted for 24 Rajya Sabha seats across 10 states. Bye-elections will also be held for Rajya Sabha seats in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Odisha. Elections for nine seats and a bypoll for one seat will be held in the Bihar Legislative Council, while Karnataka will vote for seven Legislative Council seats.   Nomination filing began on June 1 and will continue until June 8. (PC: X)

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke has announced that he will return to India on June 6 to hold a peaceful protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Dipke cited the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy and concerns over other major examinations, alleging that millions of students have been affected by failures in the education system. He urged students and young people to join the protest through democratic and constitutional means. Dipke said the movement would remain non-violent and focused on accountability in the education sector. (PC: HT)

Following BJP's victory in West Bengal, the Centre is preparing to revive the delimitation Bill and push forward the One Nation One Election proposal ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. Sources said the BJP has started reaching out to regional parties, including the DMK, to build support for the measures.   The renewed push comes after recent Assembly election results altered Opposition dynamics in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. While a Joint Parliamentary Committee is reviewing the One Nation One Election Bill, the Congress has demanded broader consultations and an all-party meeting before any constitutional amendments are introduced. (PC: The Indian Express)

A meeting of the Trinamool Congress legislative party was called off on Monday after only 20 of the party’s 80 MLAs attended at Mamata Banerjee’s Kalighat residence, meaning 60 legislators were absent. The development came a day after TMC General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee was attacked.   The party said the absent MLAs were busy organising protests and handling local developments linked to alleged post-poll violence. TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said the meeting would be rescheduled and announced a fresh round of protests, including block-level rallies and a sit-in demonstration in Kolkata led by Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday.(PC: India Today)

A day after an attack on Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee, a key meeting of the party’s newly elected legislators at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Kalighat residence failed to proceed as expected. Only 20 of the 80 newly elected MLAs attended the gathering, prompting the party to cancel the meeting. The absence of nearly three-fourths of the legislators triggered political speculation and raised questions about party coordination following the recent incident involving Abhishek Banerjee. However, the Trinamool Congress dismissed concerns, stating that many MLAs were occupied with organising and participating in protests against alleged political violence, which prevented them from attending the scheduled meeting. (PC: India Today)

TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee was attacked during a visit to Sonarpur in West Bengal, where eggs, shoes and stones were allegedly thrown at him by a crowd. Banerjee accused the BJP of being behind the incident.   Responding to the allegations, the BJP said, "The drama is stale and no more eggciting." The party also claimed the attack reflected public anger and internal divisions within the Trinamool Congress.   Several opposition leaders condemned the incident and expressed support for Banerjee.   Police have arrested five people in connection with the attack. Investigations into the incident are continuing.