Bengal Battle Heats Up: Campaign Ends Voting Tomorrow

----- Bengal Battle Heats Up: Campaign Ends Voting Tomorrow Campaigning for the second phase of the West Bengal Assembly Elections has ended with voting set for 142 seats on April 29. On the final day Mamata Banerjee held a massive roadshow in Kolkata walking nearly 6 kilometers with supporters from Sukanta Setu to Gopalnagar crossing. Large crowds gathered to show support. Meanwhile Amit Shah addressed a rally in Behala. He said central forces will stay in the state for at least seven days after voting to ensure safety. The election outcome is expected to play a key role in deciding the state’s future leadership. ------- SC Hears Plea on Women’s Entry in Religious Places In New Delhi the Supreme Court on Tuesday heard petitions about women’s entry into religious places including Kerala’s Sabarimala temple. During the hearing advocate Nizam Pasha argued against allowing women in certain Muslim religious spaces. He said that even if a mosque is open to all people cannot perform rituals like ringing bells or doing aarti there. He explained that every religious place has its own traditions and rules. The court is examining whether such restrictions amount to discrimination or are protected under religious freedom. The hearing is ongoing. ------ Gujarat Local Elections: BJP Leads Counting Continues Ahmedabad April 28 — Vote counting is underway in the Gujarat Local Body Elections 2026. Results will decide seats in 15 municipal corporations many municipalities and पंचायत bodies. Out of 10050 seats 732 were won unopposed. The Bharatiya Janata Party is leading on most of these seats. It has already won 4 out of 15 municipal corporations. In Surat BJP has won 23 seats so far while the Indian National Congress has secured one seat. Counting is still going on and more results are expected soon. ------ AAP Acts to Stop Punjab Split Sisodia Calls Urgent Meeting The Aam Aadmi Party is trying to stop internal problems in Punjab. Party leader Manish Sisodia has called all MLAs to a meeting in Jalandhar on April 29. This comes after seven MPs including Raghav Chadha left the party and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. Sisodia wants to talk with leaders and keep the party united. Block observers and other members will also attend. The party is working hard to stay strong in Punjab and avoid more leaders leaving. ------ Blast on Railway Track in Punjab Terror Angle Suspected A blast happened on a railway track in Rajpura Patiala Punjab on Tuesday morning. The explosion took place when a goods train was passing on the Ambala–Amritsar freight corridor. Police and forensic teams quickly reached the spot and started an investigation. According to Special DGP Shashi Prabha Dwivedi there may be a terror angle behind the incident and Pakistan’s involvement is suspected. One person who planted the explosive died in the blast. Railway tracks were damaged but no major injuries to train staff were reported. Security has been increased in the area. ---- Iran Ready to Open Strait Talks Stall with US In a major development Iran has shown willingness to reopen the Strait of Hormuz a key route for global oil supply. According to a report by The New York Times Iranian officials said they are ready to ease tensions. However Iran has also asked the United States to remove its naval blockade in the region. US President Donald Trump rejected the offer. He insisted that Iran must stop its nuclear program before any agreement can happen. This disagreement has slowed down progress. Experts say the situation is important for global trade and peace as the Strait is used by many countries for oil transport. ------- Iran FM Meets Putin Russia Shows Support Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met Russian President Vladimir Putin for important talks. During the meeting Putin expressed strong support for Iran. He said the Iranian people are fighting bravely for their freedom and sovereignty. Reports say Putin also received a message from Iran’s Supreme Leader. Meanwhile in the United States former President Donald Trump is expected to hold meetings with top officials to discuss the situation. Experts believe these developments could increase global tensions and impact international relations in the coming days. ------ Former Israeli PMs Unite Against Netanyahu In Israel former Prime Ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid have joined forces to challenge current leader Benjamin Netanyahu. They plan to merge their parties and contest upcoming elections together. Their goal is to remove Netanyahu who has been in power for many years. In 2021 Bennett and Lapid had formed a coalition government and successfully ended Netanyahu’s 12-year rule. Political experts say this alliance could reshape Israeli politics again. The move is expected to create strong competition and may influence the country’s future leadership. ------ Sensex Falls 250 Points Banking & Auto Stocks Drag Down Mumbai April 28 — The Indian stock market saw a decline today. The BSE Sensex dropped around 250 points and is trading near 77000. The Nifty 50 also fell over 50 points to around 24150. Selling pressure was seen mainly in banking auto and IT stocks. Investors remained cautious due to global market trends and profit booking. Experts say the market may stay volatile in the short term. Investors are advised to stay alert and focus on long-term investments. ----- Kohli Creates History as RCB Crush Delhi In IPL 2026 Virat Kohli made history by becoming the first batter to score 9000 runs in the Indian Premier League. His team Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Delhi Capitals by 9 wickets at Arun Jaitley Stadium. Delhi had a poor start and recorded their lowest powerplay score. The team was all out for just 75 runs. In reply Bengaluru chased the target easily with 81 balls remaining. Kohli stayed not out on 23 runs. The match showed strong bowling and a dominant performance by Bengaluru. ------ Extreme Heat Wave Hits North India North India is facing a severe heat wave with temperatures breaking records. Banda in Uttar Pradesh became the hottest place in the world reaching 47.6°C. Several cities in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan recorded temperatures above 46°C. The central government has asked states to take urgent steps to protect people. Hospitals have been told to set up special heat stroke units. Officials are advising people to stay indoors drink plenty of water and avoid direct sunlight. Experts warn that such extreme weather may continue in the coming days raising health risks especially for children and the elderly. -----