Randeep Hooda and Lin Laishram had a beautiful traditional wedding on November 29. It was intimate and had close friends and family in the attendance. The cultural authenticity of the ceremony won over the internet.

In an interview with Times of India, Randeep Hooda spoke about the precise moment when he knew that Lin Laishram is the one for him. He shared, “It happened point by point. We started living together through COVID and that really brought us together. We had better understanding with each other. And then it happened very organically, we wanted to go to the next step, we wanted to have babies and grow our family. I have never been a very easy person to be around because I’m always demanding but when she comes around everything changes.” 

The two have been making several public appearances since then at events and screenings and they do make for a lovely couple.

In a landmark judgment today, the Supreme Court of India declared the electoral bonds scheme for political funding as unconstitutional, citing a violation of citizens’ right to information. Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud termed the scheme arbitrary and expressed concerns about its potential to lead to quid pro quo arrangements between political parties and donors.

“Electoral bonds scheme has to be struck down as unconstitutional. It violates the right to information of citizens, about possible quid pro quo,” the court said in its ruling.

“Financial contributions to political parties are made for two parties – for support to political party, or contribution may be way of quid pro quo,” the bench added.

As a pivotal aspect of the judgment, Chief Justice Chandrachud directed the State Bank of India (SBI) to cease the issuance of electoral bonds immediately. Additionally, the court mandated that SBI must disclose details of political parties that received electoral bonds since the inception of the scheme in 2018. These particulars, including the date of purchase, name of the purchaser, denomination, and details of parties receiving contributions through electoral bonds, are to be submitted to the Election Commission of India (ECI) by March 6.

Moreover, the SBI is instructed to provide information on each encashed bond. The Chief Justice emphasized the importance of transparency and accountability in the political funding process.

Furthermore, the court addressed the issue of electoral bonds within the validity period of 15 days that remain unencashed by political parties. It mandated that these bonds should be returned and refunded to the purchasers. The process involves the initiating bank refunding the purchasing party after the unencashed bonds are returned.

By March 13, the Election Commission of India has also been directed to publish the disclosed information on its official website, making it accessible to the public. This move aims to foster transparency and enable citizens to scrutinize the financial dealings between political parties and donors.

Seven union ministers whose Rajya Sabha terms end in April have not been re-nominated by the ruling BJP, prompting speculation Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s party may field them in the Lok Sabha election that is expected later the same month.

Among the big names absent are Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya (Gujarat), Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan (Madhya Pradesh), and junior IT Minister Rajeev Chandrashekhar (Karnataka).

Also absent are Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav (Rajasthan), and Fisheries Minister Parshottam Rupala (Gujarat), as well as Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Minister Narayan Rane and junior External Affairs Minister, both of whom represented Maharashtra.

Sources have told NDTV all seven could now be fielded from Lok Sabha constituencies in various states.

Sources indicate Mr Pradhan may be fielded from Sambalpur or Dheknal in his home state of Odisha, while Mr Yadav may run from Rajasthan’s Alwar or Mahendragarh, and Mr Chandrashekhar could contest one of the four seats in Bengaluru; three of these – Central, North, and South – are held by the BJP.

Similarly, Mr Mandaviya may run from Bhavnagar or Surat in Guajrat, while Mr Rupala may get Rajkot. Mr Muraleedharan, meanwhile, may be fielded from his home state of Kerala; the BJP has no presence there, and may look to high-profile names to revive its fortunes.

The BJP has retained only a few big names, in fact, only two union ministers from the Rajya Sabha have been retained – Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw (Odisha) and junior Fisheries Minister L Murugan (Madhya Pradesh). No outgoing MP who has served two or more terms has been repeated.

READ | BJP Fields JP Nadda, Ashok Chavan For Rajya Sabha, Sena Names Milind Deora

The only exception is party boss JP Nadda. He though, has been shifted – from Himachal Pradesh, which the Congress won in 2022, to Gujarat. It has also found space for new entrants, including former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, who quit the Congress this week.

Overall, it is all change for the BJP, with only four of 28 outgoing Rajya Sabha MPs renominated. The remaining 24 have reportedly been asked for their preference of Lok Sabha seats.

The party has named 28 candidates to the 56 seats that will fall vacant in April, with the focus on new faces and emphasising – to its leadership structure and the voters – its determination to recognise grassroots workers, even those who not known to the  public, while also factoring in social equations.

A notable point is that three of the BJP’s new Rajya Sabha MPs – Dharmshila Gupta (Bihar), Medha Kulkarni (Maharashtra), and Maya Naroliya (Madhya Pradesh) – are associated with the women’s wing, in keeping with the PM’s emphasis on the higher approval the party enjoys among women voters.

The BJP’s strategy for the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha elections appears to mirror that for the five Assembly polls in November last year, when the party focused on “collective leadership” and selecting high-profile candidates – including fielding Lok Sabha MPs for state elections – to maximise outreach.

NDTV Exclusive | Inside Details Of BJP’s Strategy For Upcoming State Polls

The plan worked well. The BJP swept to power in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh, winning the latter two back from the Congress as it dominated its Hindi heartland stronghold.

The BJP is well into its Lok Sabha election prep mode. Party sources said, as early as last month, that National General Secretaries had begun meeting every week (on Tuesdays) to develop strategies, including candidate placement. At one such meet, attended by Home Minister Amit Shah and party boss JP Nadda, the party said it would target first-time voters, beneficiaries of central schemes, and voters from backward classes, as well as young people and women, as it bids for a third consecutive term.

NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.