The INDIA opposition bloc will soon start talks on seat sharing and hold its first public rally in Bhopal in early October over issues of inflation, unemployment and BJP corruption. A coordination committee meeting decided state panels will hold seat sharing talks. The parties agreed to take up caste census issue and authorised a media panel to name TV anchors who INDIA members won't appear before. National Conference's Omar Abdullah suggested focusing seat talks on NDA seats, not INDIA seats. The moves indicate INDIA is gearing up electorally to take on the BJP.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee met Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe at Dubai airport during her 12-day Dubai, Spain visit. He surprised her by asking "Will you lead Opposition alliance?". Banerjee gave an open-ended reply - "It depends on people. If they support us, we can be in position (power) tomorrow." The cordial meeting saw laughs and invites between them. Banerjee invited Wickremesinghe to Bengal business summit, he invited her to Sri Lanka. The interaction highlights Banerjee's growing national prominence as Wickremesinghe sees her as potential opposition leader.

The Centre has called an all-party meeting of floor leaders on September 17, a day before the start of a special 5-day Parliament session. The agenda for the session, beginning September 18 ‘amid Amrit Kaal', has not been specified yet, leading to speculation it could cover women's reservation bill, uniform civil code or simultaneous polls. Opposition parties have criticized the government for not revealing the agenda with just few days left. It is also expected Parliament proceedings will shift from the old building to the new one during this session. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said on X, he looks forward to “fruitful discussions and debates.”

Interacting with media in Brussels, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said there is a "full-scale assault" on India's democratic institutions and the EU has concerns over attempts to "stifle" the country's democracy. Gandhi, on a European tour, held discussions with EU parliamentarians who felt clearly that democratic structures in India are being suppressed. Gandhi termed his conversations fruitful at the start of engaging the world on the Opposition's vision. He highlighted economic and institutional challenges, plus rising discrimination and violence in India. The BJP had dubbed Gandhi as "present-day Mir Jafar" seeking foreign help against India's interests.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor took a dig at the government over the India-Bharat naming controversy, quipping the opposition bloc could call itself 'BHARAT' - Alliance for Betterment, Harmony And Responsible Advancement for Tomorrow. His remark came after President Murmu's G20 invite addressed her as President of 'Bharat' instead of 'India', sparking furore. Tharoor jibed that perhaps then the ruling party might stop the "fatuous game of changing names". Earlier, he had said there's no constitutional objection to 'Bharat' but hoped government won't dispense with 'India'. His latest quip refers to opposition alliance 'INDIA'.

The Centre has mocked Congress leader Sonia Gandhi over her letter demanding discussion on various issues in the upcoming parliament session. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi responded that Gandhi perhaps doesn't know parliamentary traditions, as the government discusses the agenda with opposition only after the session starts. Gandhi had written to PM Modi underscoring no agenda was announced for the September 18 special session and listed 9 subjects for discussion. Joshi asserted the session was called as per tradition and said issues are discussed with all parties before commencement. The sparring comes amid buzz over the country's name change to 'Bharat'.

UK's Labour Party leader Keir Starmer undertook a major reshuffle of the party's shadow cabinet on Tuesday, demoting two senior Indian-origin MPs - Lisa Nandy and Preet Kaur Gill. Nandy was removed from her role as shadow foreign secretary and appointed to the levelling up brief, while Gill was demoted from shadow international development secretary to a backbench position. The reshuffle marks a shift in the diversity profile of Labour's top team under Starmer. Both Nandy and Gill accepted their demotions gracefully, reiterating support for the leader. The move is seen as Starmer stamping his authority and shaping the shadow cabinet to gear up for the next general election.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday left for an almost week-long Europe visit during which he will hold meetings with EU lawyers, students and the Indian diaspora. Gandhi will meet EU lawyers in Brussels on September 7 and The Hague. He will also address students in Paris on September 8 and participate in a Labour Union event on September 9. Thereafter, Gandhi will visit Norway to address the Indian diaspora in Oslo on September 10 before returning the next day. Gandhi's meetings with European leaders and Indian community members aim to boost Congress' international outreach amidst domestic political developments.

A Right to Information (RTI) query has revealed that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not taken any leave since assuming office in 2014. The inquiry, which also asked about the number of days the PM attended events and functions, directed respondents to a PMO website showing over 3,000 events attended, nearly one per day. The RTI response came from PMO Under Secretary Parvesh Kumar. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar praised Modi's dedication during an interaction with the Indian community in Bangkok, while past claims about the PM's limited sleep have resurfaced from 2020 and 2016 RTI queries.

In an exclusive interview with PTI, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that a human-centric worldview is replacing the GDP-centric one. Speaking to PTI’s Editor-in-Chief Vijay Joshi and senior editors at his residence, PM Modi compared the emerging post-COVID world order to the one after WW2. He stated that parameters of influence are changing and this needs recognition. According to him, the 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas' model that has guided India, can be a principle for global welfare too. Modi emphasized that irrespective of GDP size, every voice now matters. Read the full transcript of the interview in the link.