The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has alleged that the Indian National Congress is fractured into two rival factions — one loyal to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and the other to her brother Rahul Gandhi — signalling deep internal discord within the main opposition party. BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla claimed the division has surfaced at the national level, not just in states, with leaders publicly taking sides and some questioning Rahul’s leadership, while others align with Priyanka’s influence. The BJP asserts that calls to “remove Rahul and bring Priyanka” are gaining traction, although Congress has not responded to the allegations. (PC: The Hindu)

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh sparked controversy by posting praise for the organisational strength of the RSS and BJP, sharing a throwback photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rise through their ranks — triggering debate about unity within the party. Singh later clarified he opposes RSS-BJP ideology, saying his comments were about organisational lessons, not endorsement. The remarks exposed divided views among Congress leaders, with some defending his call for reform and others stressing there is nothing to learn from RSS, citing historical ideological conflicts. Party leaders stressed overall unity despite differing opinions. 

Bangladesh political platform Inqilab Moncho announced road blockades in all divisional cities from Sunday to demand justice for leader Sharif Osman Hadi. The group said the action would start at 11 am local time. Members have continued a sit in at Shahbagh in Dhaka since Friday. Local media reported similar protests in Sylhet, Chattogram and Kushtia on Saturday. Addressing supporters, member secretary Abdullah Al Jaber warned that protests could spread to Jamuna, parliament or the cantonment if the government did not act. Hadi was shot in Dhaka on December 12 and later died in Singapore. His death has led to unrest across parts of the country. (PC: HT)

The Election Commission has released Assam’s draft electoral rolls after a Special Revision exercise ahead of the Assembly polls. The state now has 2.51 crore registered voters, not counting about 93,000 doubtful voters, known as D-voters. A total of 10.56 lakh names were removed. Officials said nearly 4.79 lakh deletions were due to deaths, over 5.23 lakh voters had moved from their listed homes, and about 53,600 were marked as similar or duplicate entries. The door-to-door check ran from November 22 to December 20 across over 61 lakh households. Voters can file claims or objections till January 22. (PC: HT)

The Central Bureau of Investigation will move the Supreme Court against a Delhi High Court order that suspended the life sentence of former BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the 2017 Unnao rape case. Sengar was convicted in December 2019 for kidnapping and raping a minor girl. The court granted him bail while his appeal is pending. It barred him from coming within five kilometres of the survivor’s home or threatening her or her mother. Any breach will cancel bail. The survivor, now 25, held a protest in Delhi and met Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. Sengar will stay in jail as he is also serving a 10-year term for the custodial death of the survivor’s father. (PC: HT)

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised the treatment of the Unnao rape survivor after she was forcefully taken away during a protest at India Gate. The protest followed the Delhi High Court order granting bail to former MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the 2017 rape case. Gandhi asked if it was the survivor’s fault that she was seeking justice. He said treating a survivor in this way was wrong and called the bail order disappointing. The survivor said she will challenge the High Court decision in the Supreme Court. She said she fears for her safety and that of her family after Sengar’s release. (PC: HT)

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis mocked the newly announced alliance between Uddhav and Raj Thackeray, comparing it humorously to “Russia and Ukraine coming together” — implying it was unlikely and overhyped. He said the reunion was driven by political survival, arguing that both parties had lost their identity and vote base, and claimed it won’t affect local civic polls. Fadnavis maintained that people trust the ruling Mahayuti’s development work and predicted its victory. The comment followed the Thackeray cousins’ joint announcement of their alliance ahead of the January 15 municipal elections. (PC: ANI)

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav blamed the Congress era for illegal mining in the Aravalli Range. Speaking to India Today TV, he said, “All the photos being shown online are from the Congress period.” Yadav said miners worked for years and later abandoned sites. He added, “Out of 1,008 mines in Rajasthan, 700 were set up under Ashok Gehlot.” The minister said a clear definition of the Aravallis is needed to stop damage. He noted the Supreme Court of India earlier halted mining to protect the range.

Bangladesh has temporarily suspended consular and visa services at its High Commission in New Delhi, a day after India halted visa operations in Chattogram. The Bangladesh High Commission said services were stopped “due to unavoidable circumstances” until further notice. India had earlier suspended services at the Indian Visa Application Centre in Chattogram following security concerns after protests linked to the death of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi. Indian officials cited threats near diplomatic premises as the reason. The move comes amid strained ties, with both sides reviewing security around missions and visa centres. (PC: India Today)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Maharashtra’s civic poll result shows clear support for development. He said people voted for work, growth, and stable rule. The Mahayuti alliance won big across many city and local bodies. PM Modi thanked voters for their trust. He said the result reflects faith in better roads, water supply, and housing. Leaders of the alliance called it a strong mandate. They said the focus will stay on public services and jobs. The win strengthens the alliance before future elections. (PC: India Today)