National News
2023 will be as much of a test for Oppn as for the BJP
Nine states — Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Telangana — and one Union Territory, Jammu and Kashmir, are slated to go to polls and these election results will have an impact on the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.
The elections in J&K would be significant too as these would be the first after abrogation of Article 370.
Of all the states, the Congress is in power in two — Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh — while the BJP and allies have government in the four northeastern states, as well as in Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka. In Telangana, the BRS is in power and will face a more structured BJP in the state.
The state elections are crucial for the Congress as a win will give confidence to its cadres and also will place it in a leadership role in the opposition. The big major states which go to polls are these states where the BJP has big numbers among the MPs, be it Rajasthan, Karnataka, or Madhya Pradesh.
Karnataka
The year will start with major elections in Karnataka, held by the BJP. In the 2018 elections, no party got a majority, and BJP’s B.S. Yediyurappa was sworn in as Chief Minister but he had to resign after not being able to manage the numbers. The Congress and the JD-S coalition formed the government but after 14 months, Yediyurappa bounced back with help of defecting MLAs from both parties but later, he was removed and Basavaraj Bommai took over as Chief Minister.
The Congress wants to win back the state and during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, both the factions of ex-Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and state chief D.K. Shivakumar showed united a face but the rivalry between two could harm the party prospects.
Rajasthan
This is another troubled state for Congress with two factions of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot have been at loggerheads since 2018 when Congress defeated the Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government, becoming the single largest party with 100 seats in the 200-member house.
In 2023, there will be a direct fight between the BJP and the Congress, but will depend on the how the parties go into the elections – whether divided or united. The state has a history of not repeating governments, and to break this chain, the Congress faces a big burden.
Chhattisgarh
After 15 years of BJP rule, the Congress managed victory in Chhattisgarh. There were three claimants of the Chief Ministership but the party settled for Bhupesh Baghel and the other group led by T.S. Singhdeo is now pushing for change.
A year ahead of the polls, Congress has appointed Kumari Selja as state incharge as the state has highest OBC population.
The unity in Congress will play a major role in determining if it holds its central Indian bastion.
Madhya Pradesh
This state will see whether veterans like Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh could defeat the BJP after losing power due to the revolt by Jyotiraditya Scindia in early 2020. The last elections in 2018 led the Congress emerging as the single largest party but a bit short of a majority in the 230-member house.
The Congress had won 114 seats and won power with the support of Samajwadi Party’s sole MLA, Bahujan Samaj Party’s 2 MLAs and 4 Independents. Kamal Nath took charge as the Chief Minister but 22 sitting MLAs from the Congress, loyal to Scindia, defected and joined the BJP. This led to the fall of the Congress government and BJP’s Shivraj Singh Chouhan returning as the CM again in 2020.
Telangana
The BJP in this state is hoping high as the party has replaced Congress in taking on TRS/BRS government in the state. Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao won the second Assembly election in the newly-carved state in 2018, bagging 88 of the 119 seats. Defections later, took it past 100.
His Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), now called the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) is looking to come to power for a third consecutive term in the 2023 Assembly polls, but faces headwinds as the BJP is making a determined bid. Trouble is further arising after the name of KCR’s daughter K. Kavitha surfaced in the Delhi excise policy scam and allegations arose that the BJP is trying to topple government by poaching MLAs.
J&K
J&K could see first Assembly polls after Abrogation of article 370. The delimitation of the constituencies have put the BJP in strong position in Jammu region, while the Valley could see the PDP, the NC and Ghulam Nabi Azad’s party fight among themselves. If the opposition in the state does not unite, it could be another state where the BJP could gain power.
Crime
Woman tourist harassment case: Two Kerala cops suspended, two taxi drivers arrested (Lead)

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 3: In a swift action following the viral video of a woman tourist being harassed by local taxi drivers in Munnar, the Kerala Police, on Monday, have suspended two officials and taken two taxi drivers — identified as Vinayakan and Vijayakumar — into custody.
The case has sparked widespread outrage on social media, prompting the state government to promise corrective steps to ensure tourist safety in the hill station.
The video, originally posted by Janvi, a Mumbai-based assistant professor, showed a group of taxi drivers confronting and intimidating her and her friends for booking an online cab instead of a local taxi near the KSRTC bus stand in Munnar on October 30.
The drivers, reportedly opposed to app-based taxi services, allegedly warned the tourists that they would not be allowed to travel unless they hired local taxis.
Janvi alleged that when she approached the police for help, officers failed to act, echoing the stance of the taxi union.
“We were forced to take another vehicle and eventually cut short our trip out of fear,” she said in the video, which has since been deleted but had already gone viral.
Following the public outcry, the Munnar police registered a suo motu case under Sections 126(2), 351(2), and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, relating to wrongful restraint and criminal intimidation.
The FIR did not initially name any accused, but police have since identified three taxi drivers, two of whom are in custody, with the third expected to be taken into custody soon.
State Tourism Minister P.A. Mohammed Riyas called the incident “unfortunate” and said it “should never have happened,” adding that steps will be taken to strengthen police vigilance and prevent the harassment of tourists in the future.
The incident has reignited debate over the monopoly of local taxi unions in tourist destinations and the challenges faced by app-based cab services in Kerala.
Entertainment
Kartik Aaryan-starrer ‘Tu Meri Main Tera, Main Tera Tu Meri’ hops on December 25 release after ‘Alpha’ moves to April

Mumbai, Nov 3: Bollywood is a place where timing is of essence. Be it the box-office clashes or their aversion, timing plays a huge role in how things play out on the ticket windows.
The Kartik Aaryan-starrer ‘Tu Meri Main Tera, Main Tera Tu Meri’, which was earlier scheduled to close the entertainment year on December 31, 2025, now has a new release date. The film is set to arrive in cinemas on December 25, 2025.
Over the past few years, Kartik Aaryan has emerged as one of the most bankable stars in the country, consistently delivering hits across genres. Whether it’s a mass entertainer, a romantic drama, the actor’s name alone now commands strong box office openings. His relatability, charm, and growing stardom have positioned him as the face of the new-age commercial cinema, someone who bridges the gap between youth appeal and family audiences.
However, the true star power also lies in being smart with the release of the films. The change in the release date of the film comes shortly after Alia Bhatt-starrer ‘Alpha’ vacated December 25, and shifted to April 17, 2026. Kartik, and the makers made a quick decision to consolidate the closing week of 2025 at the box-office.
With Tu Meri Main Tera, Main Tera Tu Meri, Kartik seems to have found his festive rhythm from lighting up Diwali with laughter and emotion in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 to now taking over Christmas with love and melody. Well, the excitement is sky rocketing amongst the audience and business.
The film also marks the reunion of Kartik Aaryan and Ananya Panday, who are all set to recreate their sizzling on-screen chemistry after years. They were earlier seen together in ‘Pati Patni Aur Woh’.
Produced by Dharma Productions and Namah Pictures, the rom-com is directed by Sameer Vidwans, with whom Kartik delivered the much-loved romantic drama ‘Satyaprem Ki Katha’.
Business
Indian stock markets end higher after two days of losses

Mumbai, Nov 3: Indian equity markets ended a volatile session on a positive note on Monday, snapping a two-day losing streak.
Gains in real estate and state-owned bank stocks helped lift the indices despite early weakness.
After opening lower, the Sensex recovered to touch an intra-day high of 84,127 before closing 39.78 points, or 0.05 per cent, higher at 83,978.49.
The Nifty also gained 41.25 points, or 0.16 per cent, to end at 25,763.35.
“The Nifty oscillated between 25,700 and 25,800 through the day, showing resilience after briefly dipping below the October 24 low of 25,718,” analysts said.
“The zone between 25,660–25,700 once again acted as a strong demand pocket, helping the index recover intraday losses and maintain a constructive tone ahead of key global data releases,” they added.
Among the Sensex stocks, Maruti Suzuki fell over 3 per cent and was among the top losers along with Titan Company, BEL, TCS, ITC, NTPC, Bajaj Finserv, Tata Steel and tech Mahindra.
On the other hand, Mahindra & Mahindra, State Bank of India, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, and HCL Tech were the major gainers.
In the broader markets, the Nifty MidCap index rose 0.77 per cent, while the Nifty SmallCap index advanced 0.72 per cent, showing strength beyond the frontline stocks.
Among sectoral indices, PSU bank shares led the rally, with the Nifty PSU Bank index climbing 1.92 per cent.
Bank of Baroda surged 5 per cent, while Canara Bank, Bank of Maharashtra, Bank of India, and Indian Bank also gained.
The Nifty Metal and Realty indices also added up to 2 per cent each.
Meanwhile, the FMCG, Private Bank, and IT indices slipped up to 0.4 per cent, capping the market’s overall gains.
Analysts said that despite mixed global cues and cautious investor sentiment, buying in select sectors helped the markets end the day in the green.
“The domestic market ended on a marginal positive note as profit booking was visible at the higher levels due to the absence of fresh domestic triggers,” market watchers said.
“While the broader market outperformed since the quarterly earnings are steering investors’ preference to take a short- to medium-term view,” they mentioned.
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