https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/521979/feed The latest news and top stories on the Bharatiya Janata Party. A prominent India-based political party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the ruling party in India, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Its central office is located in New Delhi. The BJP’s primary mission is rooted in Hindutva, a Hindu nationalist ideology, and integral humanism, aiming for cultural nationalism and national development. Its main areas of focus include governance, promoting Hindu cultural values, social... en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Reuters Reuters Indian police detained several opposition lawmakers in the capital of New Delhi on Tuesday for trying to breach barricades during a protest march to demand the resignation of the election chief over a controversial revision of voter lists. The march presents a fresh political challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi midway into his ‌third term, just months after similar protests forced the resignation of his education minister over exam paper leaks. Parties opposing Modi’s government along with... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3369942/india-opposition-lawmakers-detained-over-protest-against-election-chief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3369942/india-opposition-lawmakers-detained-over-protest-against-election-chief?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2026 12:01:02 +0000 Reuters Reuters Thousands of young protesters and opposition parties staged protests in the national ⁠capital and Mumbai on ⁠Sunday, demanding the resignation of Election Commission Chief ⁠Gyanesh Kumar, as police detained demonstrators for a third consecutive day. Opposition leaders Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray led protests in Mumbai calling for the scrapping of revisions to the electoral roll and Kumar’s resignation. In Delhi, protesters started gathering in the early evening and police started... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3369713/india-election-chief-faces-calls-resign-protesters-opposition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3369713/india-election-chief-faces-calls-resign-protesters-opposition?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Oct 2026 12:12:09 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji India’s opposition parties and the youth-led “cockroach” movement took to the streets on Friday, demanding action over alleged irregularities in voter rolls and calling for the resignation of the country’s chief election commissioner, as the combined pressure from the two groups poses a new challenge for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. The protests have brought the opposition closer to the youth movement that it has sought to engage with, according to analysts. While their convergence... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3369598/indias-modi-faces-dual-pressure-cockroach-movement-opposition-parties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3369598/indias-modi-faces-dual-pressure-cockroach-movement-opposition-parties?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Oct 2026 11:02:05 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji India’s “cockroach” youth movement is testing whether it can turn anger over education and jobs into a broader challenge to the country’s political establishment, two months after its protests helped force an education minister to resign over alleged entrance exam leaks. Its latest target is another powerful institution: the country’s election watchdog. The shift marks a transition for the movement from high-profile demonstrations in New Delhi to a more diffuse campaign of school audits,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3368821/indias-cockroach-movement-targets-election-chief-political-pivot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3368821/indias-cockroach-movement-targets-election-chief-political-pivot?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Sep 2026 10:30:17 +0000 Reuters Reuters Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is caught in an energy policy bind with no easy exit. Cutting Russian oil imports to avoid potential new US tariffs could increase fuel prices ahead of key regional elections, or stress government finances. Maintaining such purchases could cripple Indian exports to its largest market. India, the world’s third-largest oil importer and among the biggest buyers of Russian crude, reacted unusually strongly on Thursday to a US congressional bill that would allow... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3368081/indias-modi-caught-between-much-needed-russian-oil-and-us-trade-threats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3368081/indias-modi-caught-between-much-needed-russian-oil-and-us-trade-threats?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Sep 2026 00:46:31 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Most Indians are unhappy with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government over its handling of exam scandals that touched off student protests across the country, according to a nationwide survey by one of the country’s largest pollsters. Just over half of Indian adults polled by CVoter last week said they were “not happy” with the government’s handling of recent leaks of the country’s medical exam, which resulted in the invalidation of tests for millions of exam-takers, the polling firm said on... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3362781/most-indians-not-happy-way-modi-handled-exam-scandals-sparked-protests-poll?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3362781/most-indians-not-happy-way-modi-handled-exam-scandals-sparked-protests-poll?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Aug 2026 07:36:57 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he wanted to “forgive” protesters who abused him during recent youth-led demonstrations that dealt a rare political setback to his government. The remarks came after the online Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) mobilised large protests in New Delhi and other cities over examination paper leaks, posing the biggest challenge to Modi’s government in recent years. Some protesters featured in widely circulated videos shouting insults at the prime minister have since... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3362631/indias-modi-wants-forgive-cjp-protesters-who-hurled-vile-abuse-him?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3362631/indias-modi-wants-forgive-cjp-protesters-who-hurled-vile-abuse-him?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Aug 2026 06:01:06 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse India’s West Bengal state will bring back eggs to free school meals after a backlash against a decision by its Hindu nationalist government to replace them with vegetarian alternatives, officials have said. The reversal follows criticism from teachers, nutritionists and parents who argued that removing eggs from school lunches could deprive children from poor families of a key source of protein. The issue erupted last month after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, elected for the first... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3362369/indias-west-bengal-shells-out-eggs-school-meals-after-outcry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3362369/indias-west-bengal-shells-out-eggs-school-meals-after-outcry?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Jul 2026 07:32:36 +0000 Adriel Kasonta Adriel Kasonta India’s latest youth protests began after examination papers were leaked. They could ultimately be seen as a referendum on the country’s development model. The immediate trigger was the controversy around the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), India’s highly competitive medical entrance exam. Evidence surfaced that examination papers had been leaked and sold. This scandal affected millions of candidates, leading to retests and the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3361982/indias-cockroach-protests-reveal-deeper-social-mobility-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3361982/indias-cockroach-protests-reveal-deeper-social-mobility-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Jul 2026 12:30:16 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju As India picks up the pieces in the aftermath of a youth protest that deposed an education minister, questions linger over the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) failure to connect with younger generations. Analysts say the scale of youth participation in the protest suggests a loss of faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with the real test coming at the ballot box in key state elections next year. Thousands of young people joined the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) march to parliament on... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3361868/marches-memes-why-indias-youth-turned-against-modi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3361868/marches-memes-why-indias-youth-turned-against-modi?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Jul 2026 04:22:38 +0000 Reuters,Biman Mukherji Reuters,Biman Mukherji India’s education minister resigned on Saturday after coming under intense pressure from young protesters, with outrage over leaked examination questions compounded by discontent with the job market and government. Hours after the resignation, protesters agreed to ‌end their protest, a spokesperson of the “cockroach” ⁠movement said ‌after talks with ‌the government on Saturday. “Considering the situation that has arisen at Jantar Mantar [protest site] and across the country, so that... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3361839/indias-education-minister-quits-major-win-youth-protesters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3361839/indias-education-minister-quits-major-win-youth-protesters?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Jul 2026 10:01:49 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji India’s student-led “cockroach” protests, which began as anger over alleged entrance exam leaks, are now becoming a broader test of whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government can contain young Indians’ frustration over education, jobs and accountability. The fast-growing movement gained political momentum on Tuesday when opposition leader Rahul Gandhi of the Congress party and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were forcibly removed after a gathering with about 100 fellow lawmakers outside... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3361479/indias-cockroach-protests-rare-political-opening-opposition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3361479/indias-cockroach-protests-rare-political-opening-opposition?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Jul 2026 12:00:13 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg An investigation into alleged financial irregularities at a Hindu temple closely associated with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is threatening to tarnish one of his party’s signature projects. Two office bearers at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya have resigned, while police arrested eight officials of the trust managing the site after allegations of embezzlement surfaced earlier this month, a person familiar with the matter said, who asked not to be identified because the investigation was... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3358973/indias-ruling-party-risks-being-sucked-uttar-pradesh-temple-donation-probe-row?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3358973/indias-ruling-party-risks-being-sucked-uttar-pradesh-temple-donation-probe-row?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Jul 2026 02:53:35 +0000 Reuters Reuters A key road named after US President Donald Trump in India’s opposition-ruled tech hub of Hyderabad has drawn criticism from ‌Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling party, which dismissed the move as “hypocrisy”. US-India ties have deteriorated during Trump’s second term, with Washington imposing high tariffs on Indian goods, punishing New Delhi for purchasing Russian oil, and engaging closely with India’s arch-rival Pakistan. The road in the capital of the southern state of Telangana, ruled by... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3358244/indian-tech-hub-names-road-trump-draws-flak-pm-modis-party?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3358244/indian-tech-hub-names-road-trump-draws-flak-pm-modis-party?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Jun 2026 13:55:35 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan The images were difficult to ignore. A viral video showed the body of a 35-year-old Indian seafarer on a vessel off Oman, with crew members using cold water bottles in a desperate attempt to slow the decomposition process. He had died last Thursday from medical complications, but it had not been possible to send help or evacuate him from the ship because of the US blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. The previous day, three more Indian sailors were killed when a tanker moored nearby was bombed... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3357231/can-india-react-gulf-sailors-deaths-china-did-us-after-1999-embassy-bombing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3357231/can-india-react-gulf-sailors-deaths-china-did-us-after-1999-embassy-bombing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Jun 2026 02:58:30 +0000 Nayan Seth,Fan Chen Nayan Seth,Fan Chen The global energy crisis stemming from the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has added complexity to already competitive China-India maritime relations. The bottleneck in the Gulf has disrupted the provision of vital supplies of oil, gas and fertilisers to Asia, underscoring the fragility of global supply chains and the significance of trade chokepoints. Amid uncertainty over the Strait of Hormuz’s reopening, India’s US$10 billion plan to transform its remote Great Nicobar Island into a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3355108/what-indias-unsinkable-aircraft-carrier-project-near-malacca-means-its-china-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3355108/what-indias-unsinkable-aircraft-carrier-project-near-malacca-means-its-china-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 May 2026 03:10:50 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse India’s ruling Hindu-nationalist party has ordered detention centres for undocumented Bangladeshis and Rohingyas in West Bengal state, sparking fear among minorities that it could lead to arbitrary expulsions. The directive comes just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won power in the eastern state for the first time since the country’s independence in 1947. The order calls on local authorities to set up “holding centres” for “apprehended foreigners” awaiting... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3354785/india-orders-new-deportation-centres-days-after-bjp-election-victory?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3354785/india-orders-new-deportation-centres-days-after-bjp-election-victory?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 May 2026 11:37:17 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press It began as a satirical online project. Now millions of young Indians are flocking to it as an outlet for their frustration. A parody political party called the Cockroach Janta Party, with the insect as its symbol, has exploded across India’s social media by turning absurdist humour into protest. Memes and short videos mocking corruption, joblessness and political dysfunction have flooded social media sites, where millions of users are embracing the cockroach – known for its ability to survive... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3354417/young-indians-protest-through-parody-cockroach-party?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3354417/young-indians-protest-through-parody-cockroach-party?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 14:18:40 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain Calls by hardline Indian political figures to resume backchannel talks with Pakistan, a year after their latest conflict, reflect the realisation that both countries cannot afford another war for the time being, analysts say. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) secretary general Dattatreya Hosabale’s push earlier this week for so-called Track 2 diplomatic engagement with Pakistan has raised hopes for a reduction in the tensions between the two countries. In an Indian media interview on Wednesday,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3353849/will-geopolitical-shifts-push-india-pakistan-towards-cautious-diplomacy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3353849/will-geopolitical-shifts-push-india-pakistan-towards-cautious-diplomacy?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 08:00:09 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Every dry season, the Teesta River shrinks a little more – and with it, the livelihoods of millions of Bangladeshis who depend on its waters to survive. Dhaka has been asking India to help for years. Now, it is asking Beijing instead. Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, who took office in February, formally asked China earlier this month to help with its Teesta River restoration project, Bangladeshi state media reported. The US$1 billion scheme aims to dredge and rehabilitate more than... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3353738/bangladesh-tests-its-india-ties-seeking-chinas-aid-teesta-river?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3353738/bangladesh-tests-its-india-ties-seeking-chinas-aid-teesta-river?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 May 2026 05:30:04 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Gunmen on motorbikes in India’s West Bengal ambushed and killed a political aide from the ruling Hindu-nationalist party days after it swept state elections, police said on Thursday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won a resounding victory on Monday in the eastern state of more than 100 million people, taking 207 of the 294 assembly seats, for its first-ever state victory in West Bengal. Chandranath Rath, 41, a close aide of West Bengal’s BJP chief Suvendu Adhikari,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3352707/bjp-aide-shot-dead-indias-west-bengal-days-after-historic-election-win?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3352707/bjp-aide-shot-dead-indias-west-bengal-days-after-historic-election-win?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 05:47:06 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji After his party’s stunning conquest of West Bengal, Narendra Modi stands at a juncture that would have seemed implausible mere months ago. The prime minister who lost his parliamentary majority in 2024, briefly inviting talk of a weakened leader, now controls roughly 70 per cent of India’s state legislatures through his ruling coalition, the National Democratic Alliance. The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) sweep of West Bengal, winning 207 of 294 assembly seats and ending three consecutive terms... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3352627/what-bjps-historic-west-bengal-victory-means-modis-india?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3352627/what-bjps-historic-west-bengal-victory-means-modis-india?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 11:00:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Hindu nationalist party on Monday wrested control of the state of West Bengal, an opposition stronghold, in a key election. The Election Commission of India released partial results showing the Bharatiya Janata Party won at least 124 seats in the 294-member West Bengal assembly, and was leading in 83 others. Final results are expected on Monday evening. It would be a significant breakthrough for Modi’s party, which had tried for years to dislodge the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3352407/india-pm-modis-party-takes-control-west-bengal-key-state-election?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3352407/india-pm-modis-party-takes-control-west-bengal-key-state-election?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 15:22:27 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow India’s agreement to review Dhaka’s request for Sheikh Hasina’s extradition could hint at more flexibility over a deeply political issue, but observers warn that does not mean New Delhi is ready to hand the former Bangladesh ruler over just yet. The ex-prime minister fled to India in August 2024 after her regime fell to protesters. India’s Ministry of External Affairs confirmed on April 17 it was conducting a formal review of Dhaka’s extradition request. The announcement – a significant shift... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3351243/india-opens-door-sheikh-hasina-extradition-talks-delhi-dhaka-thaw?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3351243/india-opens-door-sheikh-hasina-extradition-talks-delhi-dhaka-thaw?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 03:46:34 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse In India’s West Bengal state, the beloved fish has leapt from the kitchen table to the campaign trail, becoming an unexpected flashpoint in a fiercely contested election. For Bengalis, fish is not merely food. It is intrinsic to the Bengali identity and pride. Its aroma drifts from roadside fryers, and it is a must at wedding feasts and festival spreads. Now, as the state of over 100 million people gears up for polls on April 23 and 29, the slippery staple has also become political... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3349759/fish-and-vegetarianism-major-flashpoints-indias-west-bengal-election?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3349759/fish-and-vegetarianism-major-flashpoints-indias-west-bengal-election?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 14:55:41 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji The US and Israel’s war against Iran is casting an unusually long shadow over India’s next round of state elections, stoking fears of an energy shock and fresh uncertainty for millions of migrant workers in the Middle East. As voters prepare to cast ballots in Assam and Kerala on Thursday, and in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu later this month, concerns about higher energy costs, tighter cooking gas supplies and the fate of workers in the Gulf have given the campaign an unusual international... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3349282/india-kicks-crucial-state-elections-modis-bjp-amid-iran-war-turmoil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3349282/india-kicks-crucial-state-elections-modis-bjp-amid-iran-war-turmoil?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 11:20:42 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse India’s parliament pushed through an overhaul of a rural employment scheme on Friday despite an opposition walkout and a session that stretched well past midnight. The Developed India Employment Guarantee and Sustenance Mission bill will supersede a decades-old rural jobs scheme for millions of the country’s poorest. It replaces the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, a defining legacy of the previous left-leaning Congress government, which was in power from 2004 to 2014. The... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3337121/indias-parliament-approves-divisive-rural-jobs-scheme-despite-opposition-walkout?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3337121/indias-parliament-approves-divisive-rural-jobs-scheme-despite-opposition-walkout?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Dec 2025 12:57:54 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji India’s ruling party has seized on the chaotic handling of football legend Lionel Messi’s appearance in Kolkata to attack the government in West Bengal, turning the Argentinian’s visit into an election-season test for one of the country’s most politically consequential states. The visit descended into chaos as crowd unrest prompted arrests and an apology from West Bengal’s Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. West Bengal’s opposition leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which governs... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3336645/how-lionel-messi-was-dragged-indian-election-battle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3336645/how-lionel-messi-was-dragged-indian-election-battle?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 10:02:32 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji A sweeping election victory for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Bihar has raised fresh questions about the future of India’s political opposition. Analysts say the landslide outcome – which defied predictions of a close race – highlights an increasingly lopsided political landscape, with a dominant BJP facing a fragmented opposition, particularly a Congress party struggling with internal drift and unresolved leadership issues. The BJP, its main regional ally,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3333178/what-bjps-dominance-means-indias-democracy-and-fragmented-opposition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3333178/what-bjps-dominance-means-indias-democracy-and-fragmented-opposition?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Nov 2025 05:30:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling coalition is headed to win a key state election in a vote seen as a crucial test of Modi’s popularity in one of the country’s poorest yet most politically influential states. Partial results on Friday from the Election Commission of India, the country’s election watchdog, showed the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) expected to take 208 seats of the 243-member legislature in the eastern state of Bihar. A simple majority to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3332849/modis-coalition-set-big-win-key-indian-state-election-bolstering-his-popularity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3332849/modis-coalition-set-big-win-key-indian-state-election-bolstering-his-popularity?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Nov 2025 11:32:30 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji A choking winter smog has once again descended on New Delhi, blanketing the Indian capital in toxic haze and driving residents to the streets in protest as doctors warn of a worsening public health emergency. Environmental researchers and health experts warn that Delhi’s worsening winter smog reflects deeper structural failures, from unchecked emissions and crop burning to weak regional coordination. The capital’s livability, they add, is now at risk as stagnant seasonal air traps ever-higher... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3332831/india-new-delhi-brink-livability-crisis-toxic-air-triggers-health-warnings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/health-environment/article/3332831/india-new-delhi-brink-livability-crisis-toxic-air-triggers-health-warnings?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Nov 2025 10:12:45 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is bracing for a fiercely contested state election in Bihar starting on Thursday, in a race analysts say could determine the stability of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s coalition and reveal the limits of his influence in key battleground states. Voting in Bihar will take place in two phases, on Thursday and next Tuesday, with results due next Friday. The outcome will not only decide Bihar’s leadership but could also set the tone for a series of key... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3331596/bihars-close-fight-sets-stage-year-tough-indian-state-polls-modis-bjp?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3331596/bihars-close-fight-sets-stage-year-tough-indian-state-polls-modis-bjp?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Nov 2025 08:00:16 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse India launched a revision of its voter rolls on Tuesday, expanding a contentious exercise that activists warn could fuel disenfranchisement in the world’s largest democracy. The three-month voter registration overhaul – known as the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) – kicked off in 12 states and territories, many of which are slated to hold local elections next year. Tens of thousands of election officials and nearly half a million volunteers will go door-to-door to help residents complete voter... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3331470/india-begins-controversial-voter-revision-ahead-elections?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3331470/india-begins-controversial-voter-revision-ahead-elections?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Nov 2025 08:44:21 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to skip the Asean summit in Malaysia was probably made with an eye on coming crucial state polls in Bihar and to avoid meeting US President Donald Trump amid sensitive trade negotiations, analysts have said. During a special event at the White House last week, Trump had reiterated claims that India would stop buying Russian oil. The US president then attended the Asean meeting in Kuala Lumpur before departing for Japan on Monday. Modi addressed the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3330502/why-indias-modi-skipped-asean-summit-malaysia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3330502/why-indias-modi-skipped-asean-summit-malaysia?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Oct 2025 11:30:14 +0000 Reuters Reuters The death toll following a stampede at a political rally for a popular Indian actor and politician in the southern state of Tamil Nadu has climbed to 40, the state’s health minister said on Sunday, as doctors treated at least 124 injured in hospitals. Ma Subramanian said 36 victims were dead by the time they were taken to a hospital on Saturday night and four more died later. He said the injured were largely stable. The dead included nine children, Subramanian said. Earlier, state lawmaker... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3327121/over-36-dead-50-injured-stampede-indian-actor-politician-vijays-rally?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3327121/over-36-dead-50-injured-stampede-indian-actor-politician-vijays-rally?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Sep 2025 22:12:54 +0000 Reuters Reuters Security forces patrolled the streets on Thursday in India’s Himalayan region of Ladakh, where a curfew was clamped in some areas a day after four people were killed in violent protests demanding statehood for the federal territory and job quotas. Television images showed troop patrols amid shops and businesses closed during the curfew and a protest call against the deaths from the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), which represents political, social and trade groups in the region. “I demand a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3326735/4-killed-indias-ladakh-statehood-protests-turn-violent-near-china-border?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3326735/4-killed-indias-ladakh-statehood-protests-turn-violent-near-china-border?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 15:13:28 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk India’s civil aviation ministry has rejected calls to change the “GAY” code for Gaya International Airport after a lawmaker deemed it “offensive”, saying such International Air Transport Association (IATA) codes are permanent and can only be altered for aviation safety reasons. The clarification came after Bhim Singh, a member of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, told the Rajya Sabha – the upper house of India’s parliament – on Tuesday that the term “gay” was “socially and culturally offensive... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3320982/india-rejects-call-change-gay-airport-code-after-mp-deems-it-culturally-offensive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3320982/india-rejects-call-change-gay-airport-code-after-mp-deems-it-culturally-offensive?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Aug 2025 11:15:29 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg India’s opposition was preparing to confront Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government over the controversial revision of electoral rolls in the eastern state of Bihar on Monday, as parliament convened for its monsoon session. Just months before crucial state elections, the Election Commission of India in June announced a sweeping revision of Bihar’s electoral rolls in a move that has ignited a political firestorm. Opposition parties and activists have taken to the streets and courts, warning... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3318949/indian-parliament-starts-monsoon-season-will-voter-roll-change-create-political-storm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/south-asia/article/3318949/indian-parliament-starts-monsoon-season-will-voter-roll-change-create-political-storm?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Jul 2025 03:44:25 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji A call by a prominent member of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party to establish a strategic bitcoin reserve for the country has stoked debate among digital finance experts over its feasibility. Insisting that New Delhi had a “unique opportunity to lead” and pointing to trailblazers such as Bhutan, party spokesman Pradeep Bhandari drew attention to whether India’s rapidly growing economy would benefit from a “measured bitcoin strategy” which could strengthen economic resilience and project... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3317730/indian-official-eyes-strategic-bitcoin-reserve-unique-opportunity-lead-it-viable?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3317730/indian-official-eyes-strategic-bitcoin-reserve-unique-opportunity-lead-it-viable?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Jul 2025 11:00:13 +0000