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In order to communicate better with the people of the Darjeeling hills in north Bengal, who are predominantly Gorkhas, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has decided to learn the Gorkhali language. She expressed this wish while addressing a function on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the Nepali poet, Bhanu Bhakta. She said that she has already found a way to learn Gorkhali.

"One of my nephews is getting married to a girl who is a resident of Kurseong. Both of them are doctors by profession. I have decided to learn Gorkhali from her after the marriage," the chief minister said. Speaking on the occasion, she referred to the life of Bhanu Bhakta and said this great Nepali poet never believed in creating division among the people. "We in Trinamool Congress speak of unity among people. We believe that one can become a true leader only if he or she works among the people," the chief minister said.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday has asked the party cadre to gear up preparations for the BMC elections independently without waiting for any alliance. Pawar was speaking at the meeting of office bearers from Mumbai. He argued that if NCP and Shiv Sena contest the BMC elections together both will gain significantly. ‘’Do not wait for NCP to stitch up an alliance with any party but start work with an eye on BMC elections,’’ he noted.

Pawar and state unit chief Jayant Patil said NCP workers should step up outreach with voters in a bid to increase the party's presence. Pawar’s call is important especially after the split in Shiv Sena and uncertainty about the Maha Vikas Aghadi fighting upcoming BMC elections together. Pawar today announced that he would personally review the ward wise party’s work after every 20 days.

Former Vice President Hamid Ansari on Wednesday rejected BJP’s allegation that he invited a Pakistani journalist, who spied for his country, calling the accusation a “litany of falsehood” and said that he never met or invited Nusrat Mirza.

Referring to an interview of Nusrat Mirza, a columnist and anchor, where he claimed to have shared with an ISI brigadier information he gathered during his five visits to several cities across India, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia referred to his statement about his participation in a seminar on terrorism along with Ansari.

The decision of two opposition parties Shiv Sena and JMM to back the BJP candidate for President has confounded the opposition ranks, with the concern being if it is just an isolated decision based on political compulsions or indicative of a longterm political realignment.

Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray’s announcement of support for Droupadi Murmu is rooted in the demand of his large parliamentary group that he break ranks with the opposition on the issue. But at the heart of Thackeray’s switch, on the back of the fall of MVA government and large-scale defection of MLAs, is the concern that the bulk of MPs too may follow suit.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday made his first visit to the state of Bihar in more than a year. When PM Modi arrived for the inauguration of the Bihar Bhawan memorial column, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar apprised him of the state Assembly's over 100-year-old history. Bihar's Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav also interacted with PM Modi who asked him about the health of his father and former Bihar CM Lalu Prasad Yadav, who is currently admitted to AIIMS Delhi. Reportedly, the prime minister also had a health advice for Tejashwi - 'wazan thoda kam karo', as in lose some weight.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is known to be a fitness enthusiast the 71-year-old swears by Yoga as a way of life and often shares videos of him practising asanas. Tejashwi, 32, was a professional cricketer before he joined politics full time. PM Modi's advice for Tejashwi was certainly given keeping health in mind.