Deutsche Welle2 hours agoPolitics1 min read

India news: 'Cockroaches' back Gandhi's rally against election chief

Opposition prepares for major rally against poll body chief as Cyclone Arnab devastates eastern states.

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India's Cockroach movement backs the opposition's November 1 rally against poll chief Gyanesh Kumar, while Cyclone Arnab devastates Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, and 'RSS Friends' registers in the US.

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Indian opposition campaigns against controversial electoral roll revisions, while eastern states face cyclone damage.

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India's Cockroach movement is throwing its weight behind Indian opposition's November 1 rally against the poll body chief

A group called 'RSS Friends' has registered itself in the US to step up outreach

Cyclone Arnab leaves devastation behind in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha

Here are the biggest headlines from India on Thursday, October 29:

Hello! and welcome back to DW's India news blog.

This is Mahima Kapoor reporting from Studio Delhi, where the weather is cooling down by the day but the Indian opposition's campaign against a controversial revision of electoral rolls is heating up.

After months of distance, India's Cockroach movement has thrown its weight behind the country's largest alliance of parties opposing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party.

This move came just days before an massive rally led by opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, to demand poll body chief Gyanesh Kumar's resignation and roll back the revision to voter lists. What remains to be seen is if, when and how the Modi government will respond.

Speaking of chaos, a tropical cyclonic storm dubbed 'Arnab' tore through India's east coast on Wednesday. Local authorities in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, which faced the brunt of the storm, reported toppled trees, disrupted powers, and significant damage to property, crops and lives.

Moving away from home, India's largest right-wing hindutva organization seems to have new "friends" in the US, looking to improve the group's image and gather support of Indians overseas.