Now Reading: Today in India: 26 September 2026
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Today in India: 26 September 2026
Opposition parties back the call for CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation, while 19 die from spurious liquor in Nagaland and Virat Kohli says the 2027 World Cup will be his last for India.
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Opposition backs CJP call for CEC resignation
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has threatened a nationwide protest from October 2 if Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar does not resign by Saturday. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray backed the call, saying Mumbai will step out against 'vote chori' on October 2. The CPI(M) has reached out to the CJP for a joint platform, and Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee said only the CJP can force Kumar to resign. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra demanded the removal of legal safeguards for the Election Commission.
6 sources, 3 government-critical, 3 neutral
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Virat Kohli says 2027 World Cup will be his last
Virat Kohli has said the 2027 ODI World Cup will be his last for India. The 37-year-old batter, who has scored 14,941 ODI runs with 54 centuries, told broadcaster JioStar: "For me, it's the last World Cup I'm going to play for India. That is my motivation and, you know, to leave everything out there. And of course, the goal is absolutely to win the World Cup." Kohli won the World Cup in 2011 and was part of the side that won the 2023 edition.
3 sources, 1 government-critical, 2 neutral
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19 die after drinking spurious liquor in Nagaland
Nineteen people have died in Nagaland after consuming suspected spurious liquor, with eight deaths reported in Mokokchung and 11 in Tuensang, according to police. The Nagaland Police has formed a Special Investigation Team headed by Additional Superintendent of Police Bunglang Chang to probe the deaths and trace the source of the liquor. Nineteen people have been arrested and nearly 3,000 bottles of liquor seized during raids across the affected areas. Police have sent samples for forensic examination to a laboratory in Guwahati.
3 sources, 3 neutral
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2027 ODI World Cup will be my last: Kohli
Virat Kohli has said the 2027 ODI World Cup, to be hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, will be his last tournament for India. The 37-year-old told broadcaster JioStar ahead of the ODI series against West Indies that his motivation is to win the trophy. "For me, it's the last World Cup I'm going to play for India. The goal is absolutely to win the World Cup," Kohli said. He played under Mahendra Singh Dhoni in India's 2011 World Cup-winning side.
6 sources, 6 neutral
More from today
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India-US trade deal 90% complete, says US official
A senior US State Department official has said the India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement is "90 per cent-plus" complete, with only final details to be resolved. The official told ANI and PTI that the pact could "unleash another level" of bilateral relations, calling trade the most persistent sticking point in the relationship. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal separately said the deal is "almost done and dusted" and execution awaits the right competitive advantage for Indian exporters in the US market.
3 sources, 3 neutral
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Former Kerala chief secretary says CEC offered BJP ticket
Former Kerala Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson has alleged that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar urged him to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha election as a BJP candidate. Thomson said the conversation took place during a flight to Delhi in 2016, when both were serving in government, and that he declined the proposal despite repeated persuasion. The News Minute reports that Thomson said Kumar praised Prime Minister Modi and continued encouraging him to enter politics.
3 sources, 2 neutral, 1 sensationalist
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Super El Nino may cause 15,800 heat deaths in India
The University of Chicago's Energy Policy Institute has projected that the super El Nino building up could cause 4,51,000 additional heat-related deaths globally by early 2027, with India fourth-most impacted at 15,800 deaths. The study uses seasonal temperature forecasts from ECMWF SEAS5 and peer-reviewed temperature-mortality relationships, co-author Emily Grover-Kopec told PTI. The New Indian Express reports the El Nino is the strongest ever recorded, with a 2 degree Celsius rise in Pacific surface temperatures.
3 sources, 2 neutral, 1 sensationalist
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Raj Thackeray announces Oct 4 march with Uddhav Sena
MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday announced a joint public march with the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) in Mumbai on October 4 against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. He accused the Election Commission of deceiving voters and functioning like a branch of the ruling party at the Centre, and appealed to all political parties and citizens to join the protest to protect democracy.
3 sources, 3 neutral
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CJI tells students judiciary will protect peaceful protests
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Saturday held an open-house interaction with students of Chanakya National Law University in Patna, taking questions on police action against student protesters, transparency in the Collegium system, and rising law school fees. The university called it the first such live, unfiltered session by a sitting CJI. A student asked about police response to peaceful protests, the CJI said courts will not look the other way when fundamental rights are infringed.
4 sources, 4 neutral
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Kerala HC asks why no FIR in payoff case against Vijayan
The Kerala High Court on Saturday asked the state government why it has not registered an FIR based on materials from the Enforcement Directorate in the CMRL pay-off case involving former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his family. The ED told the court that when information under Section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act is forwarded, the police must register an FIR. The Advocate General argued that an FIR can only be registered after a preliminary inquiry.
3 sources, 1 government-critical, 2 neutral
Useful today
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Char Dham Yatra suspended for two days
The Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand has been suspended from the afternoon of September 26 to the end of September 27 after the IMD issued red and orange alerts for heavy rain across several districts. Garhwal Commissioner Anand Swaroop issued a letter to all district magistrates citing the forecast and safety of pilgrims. The yatra will resume once weather conditions normalise.
4 sources, 4 neutral
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NEET PG 2026 results face discrepancies allegations
NEET PG 2026 was conducted on August 30 in a single shift across 1,111 centres in 338 cities, with 2,73,183 candidates registered. The NBEMS declared results on September 24. Candidates soon alleged discrepancies, with some on X saying their ranks did not match the number of correct answers they calculated. The All India Medical Students Association has sought the answer key.
2 sources, 1 government-critical, 1 neutral
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UP crops damaged as heavy rain lashes state
Heavy rain and strong winds lashed Uttar Pradesh as a depression over Madhya Pradesh moved towards the southeast of the state. Lucknow recorded 125.8 mm of rain in 21 hours ending Saturday morning. The IMD has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall in eastern Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, with rain likely to continue on Sunday. The rain caused waterlogging and traffic disruptions in several areas.
4 sources, 3 neutral, 1 sensationalist
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Delhi approves 5.5-km elevated corridor to bypass 12 junctions
The Delhi government has approved a 5.5-km elevated corridor on Maa Anandmayee Marg to let through-traffic bypass around 12 intersections between Outer Ring Road and Mehrauli-Badarpur Road. The corridor is designed to ease congestion on a road serving the Okhla Phase I and II industrial areas. The plan also includes an underpass and roundabout at the Crowne Plaza intersection.
2 sources, 2 neutral
The closing thought
The day's events bring together a brewing political storm over the Election Commission, a health tragedy in Nagaland, and a clear signal from Kohli on his future. The opposition's coordinated push against CEC Gyanesh Kumar will test its unity, while the judiciary's response to the Kerala payoff case and the CJI's engagement with students offer reminders of institutional checks. The India-US trade deal nearing completion is a concrete development to watch in the coming weeks.
This digest is refreshed through the day at indianopinion.org/today.
This digest was compiled and written by AI from the day’s Indian Opinion coverage.
