Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke has demanded the resignation of Maharashtra Public Service Commission chairman Vivek Bhimanwar. Dipke made the demand during a meeting with MPSC aspirants in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. He called for reforms in the commission and urged students to raise their concerns on social media. The demand comes amid protests over an alleged Drug Inspector exam paper leak and other recruitment issues. Bhimanwar has rejected calls for his resignation, saying the paper leak happened before he took charge. Dipke also criticised Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over unemployment and urged the government to address the concerns of MPSC aspirants.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, BJP veteran L K Advani and Election Commissioner S S Sandhu are among prominent names listed for notices during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Delhi, according to a News18 report. Sandhu received a notice over a spelling mismatch in his name in electoral records. Jaishankar and his wife K S Jaishankar also figure in the list. Advani, his daughter Pratibha and daughter-in-law Geetika were reportedly issued notices because their names could not be mapped with the 2002 electoral records. Congress leaders Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri are also on the list. (PC: X)

BJP leaders criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi after comedian Pulkit Mani performed an act mimicking Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a student event in Indore. The performance took place during the Congress programme ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ on Saturday, where Gandhi was present on stage. BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan accused Gandhi of promoting an “uncouth culture” and questioned his response to the act. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju also criticised the Congress over the incident. The BJP’s remarks led to a political controversy. The event focused on student concerns, including education, recruitment and unemployment. Congress leaders have not indicated that Gandhi endorsed the comedian’s remarks. (PC: India Today)

A political controversy erupted after comedian Pulkit Mani mimicked Prime Minister Narendra Modi during Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ event in Indore on September 19. The performance imitated Modi’s speaking style, references to foreign leaders and a coin trick, while also including a remark about his late mother. Gandhi was seen laughing during the act. The BJP strongly criticised the incident, alleging that the performance mocked Modi’s interaction with an elderly woman and made an inappropriate reference to his mother. BJP leaders, including Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami and Union Minister Prahlad Joshi, condemned the episode. (PC: HT)

Former Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal and four family members have received notices from the Delhi Election Commission during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. The notices were issued under the “Unmapped with Last SIR” category, according to information available as part of the exercise. Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal, father Gobind Ram Kejriwal, mother Gita Devi and 25-year-old son Pulkit Kejriwal also received notices under the same category. The five family members are among 110 people served notices in a specific part segment of Assembly Constituency 40, which covers the New Delhi constituency. The article provides no further details about the reasons for the notices or subsequent verification process.

Rabiul Alam Chowdhury, the candidate chosen by Mamata Banerjee’s faction of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) for the Rejinagar Assembly bypoll in West Bengal, withdrew his nomination on September 19. His decision came a day after the faction’s Nandigram candidate, Sanchita Pradhan Dey, also withdrew from the contest. Chowdhury said he discussed the decision with Mamata Banerjee and cited the ongoing dispute over the TMC’s name and election symbol, along with alleged intimidation of party workers. The Election Commission has temporarily frozen the TMC’s traditional name and symbol, assigning new names and symbols to the rival factions ahead of the October 6 bypolls. (PC: India Today)

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has approached the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission’s interim decision to bar rival Trinamool Congress factions from using the original TMC name and its ‘Flowers and Grass’ election symbol. The EC said two rival groups were claiming the party’s identity and ordered both to use separate names and symbols for the October 6 bypolls. Banerjee’s faction was allotted the name “Mamata All India Trinamool Congress” and the ‘Football Player’ symbol, while the rival faction led by Arup Roy received “Democratic Trinamool Congress” and the ‘Envelope’ symbol. (PC: PTI)

Congress candidate Milan Pradhan, contesting the Nandigram Assembly by-election, has been arrested in connection with an old alleged murder case, hours after Mamata Banerjee publicly announced support for his candidature. Banerjee said her faction would back Pradhan after its own nominee, Sanchita Pradhan Dey, withdrew her nomination amid the Trinamool Congress’ name and symbol freeze row. Pradhan’s arrest adds another twist to the dramatic developments surrounding the Nandigram bypoll. The report said the alleged murder case dates back several years, but did not provide further details about the case or the circumstances of the arrest. Banerjee had extended support to Pradhan earlier Friday, just shortly before news of his arrest emerged. (PC: X)

Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress faction will back Congress nominee in the Nandigram bypoll after its nominee, Sanchita Pradhan Dey, withdrew from the contest. Dey’s candidature had been announced on Sunday, but she reportedly met Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday night before withdrawing on Friday. With nominations already closed for the October 6 election, the faction could not field a replacement. The Congress has nominated Milan Pradhan, while the BJP has fielded Hasirani Rath and Ritabrata Banerjee’s TMC faction has nominated Ehteshamul Haq. Banerjee said Rahul Gandhi had called her over the party’s name and symbol dispute, saying they were together. The Election Commission has frozen the TMC name and symbol.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on September 18 criticised the Election Commission’s interim decision to bar rival Trinamool Congress factions from using the party’s name and “Flowers & Grass” symbol in upcoming West Bengal Assembly bypolls. Gandhi alleged that the BJP and Election Commission were working together to split political parties, citing previous disputes involving Shiv Sena and NCP. He described the situation as “vote chori, government chori, now party chori” and questioned the EC’s constitutional responsibility to protect electoral mandates. The Commission said both TMC factions must choose separate names and free symbols until it reaches a final decision. (PC: AP)