Author: Subhadra Srivastava

Venturing into the heart of Mathura, a constituency in western Uttar Pradesh situated approximately 163 kilometres from the national capital, The New Indian discovered a region steeped in religious significance as the birthplace of Lord Krishna. The Lok Sabha constituency went to polls on April 26.

With a population of 371,654 and situated 296 kilometers from Delhi, the district holds significant electoral weight. In the final stretch of campaigning, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami led a massive roadshow on the day of Ram Navami, drawing both fervent support and nuanced sentiments from the electorate. The New Indian team reached Haldwani to capture the election mood ahead of the first phase of polling.

The holy city of Hardiwar located nearly 239 km away from the national capital is all set to see high-stakes battle between Uttarakhand's Ex CM Trivendra Singh Rawat and Congress' Virendra Rawat. However, early indications from the locals suggest that BJP's stronghold in Haridwar will likely secure them a comfortable victory.

A 25-year-old Indian student, Mohammed Abdul Arfath, who had been missing for nearly three weeks, was discovered dead in Cleveland, Ohio, the Indian consulate in New York confirmed on Tuesday.

Union minister for road, transport and highways Nitin Gadkari, who is contesting Lok Sabha election for the third time from Nagpur — the headquarters of RSS — has opened up about his deep-rooted relationships with prominent political figures, particularly his bond with Bal Thackeray in Mahrashtra.  Reflecting on his journey alongside stalwarts like then Maharashtra CM Manohar Joshi, sitting Union minister Narayan Rane, and Gopinath Munde, Gadkari cherishes moments with Executive Editor Rohan Dua and invaluable lessons learned from the visionary leaders who shaped his path. 

The viral video, shared by Rahul Gandhi, featured a woman lambasting the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over various issues including the electoral bonds scam and the recent violence in Manipur. Singh's decision to repost this critique seemingly signaled his alignment with the Congress party's stance.

Micro-blogging site X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday made a startling announcement that all the direct messages (DMs) -- usually encrypted and drafts -- on its platform would now be made public. This unexpected move prompted a widespread speculation, with users questioning whether it was a genuine attempt to promote transparency or merely an April Fool's Day prank.

The Supreme Court declined to halt the ongoing prayers by Hindu devotees within the southern cellar of the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh while ordering a "status quo" on religious observances by both Hindu and Muslim sides inside the mosque precincts.

Sunita Kejriwal, the wife of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, took centre stage at the "Loktantra Bachao" rally by the INDIA Alliance parties, held at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan. Amidst the political fervour, she read a message from her husband, currently in judicial custody.

Lok Sabha elections in Bihar would be conducted in seven phases, as the Election Commission of India announced on Saturday.