The 1986-batch IAS officer was allegedly assaulted during a midnight meeting held at the Chief Minister's residence on February 19.

"I challenge the Prime Minister to come for a debate with me on the Rafale deal. Let him join me for a debate in a state of his choice, place of his choice, time of his choice; just for 15 minutes", he told reporters at Ambikapur, the divisional headquarters of Surguja where he was on an election campaign.

Polling began on Saturday for the first phase of the Jammu and Kashmir panchayat elections under tight security arrangements. Voting started at 8 a.m. and will end on 2 p.m.

Exploiting to the hilt Congress leader Shashi Tharoor's recent remarks that a "chaiwala" became PM because of Jawaharlal Nehru's commitment to democracy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday attacked the Congress saying it was not ready to credit people for this but only a dynasty.

Of the 162 BJP candidates, announced so far in two instalments for the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly polling for which is due on December 7, one absence the observers have marked is of any Muslim candidate, strengthening the perception that the party is playing the Hindutva card.

The BJP on Thursday expelled 53 rebel party leaders, including former Union minisrter Sartaj Singh, ex-minister Ramkrishna Kusmaria, for anti-party activities and indiscipline.

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday released the second list of 31 candidates for the December 7 Rajasthan assembly polls, dropping three of its incumbent Ministers in the state.

The BJP on Monday said it will run a countrywide campaign to implement the National Register of Citizens if the party is voted back to power in 2019, adding the party will identify and send back the infiltrators.

Defying Maoist threats, over 33 per cent of the electorate exercised their franchise on Monday by midday in 18 constituencies in the first phase of Assembly polls in Chhattisgarh where the Congress is vying to end 15 years of BJP rule.

President of India Ram Nath Kovind on Monday termed death of Union Minister Ananth Kumar a “tragic loss” for the nation.

Amid tight security, polling began at 7 a.m. on Monday in 10 of the 18 constituencies in the first phase to elect a new Chhattisgarh Assembly, officials said.

Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ananth Kumar passed away on early Monday at a private hospital in Bengaluru, a party leader said. He was 59.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will campaign for the BJP candidates in Madhya Pradesh, and hold 10 public meetings over 5 days in the poll-bound state.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday indicated that the state government will keep up the spree of changing the names of the cities across the state.

71-year-old ex-Union minister from Madhya Pradesh, who was denied ticket from BJP, has officially joined Congress.

On the second anniversary of demonetisation, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday slammed the central government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi for cheating the nation with the note-ban "scam".

In a stunning blow to the BJP ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the JD-S-Congress coalition on Tuesday worsted the saffron party 4-1 in the Karnataka by-elections, winning two Lok Sabha and two Assembly constituencies, while conceding only the Shimoga parliamentary seat.

Yoga guru and retail entrepreneur Baba Ramdev on Sunday said that those who marry and have more than two children should be denied their voting rights.