Morning Digest: ECI bars both TMC factions from using party name, symbol for Bengal bypolls; Talks restart for Bangladesh PM’s India visit, and more

Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. | Photo Credit: ANI ECI bars both factions of Trinamool from using party name, symbol for byelectionsThe Election Commission of India (ECI) in an interim order on Thursday (September 17, 2026) barred both factions of the Trinamool Congress from using the party symbol and name in the coming Assembly bypolls in Nandigram and Rejinagar in West Bengal.Officials restart talks for Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman’s India visitAfter a brief disruption in ties, India and Bangladesh have resumed official-level talks to firm up plans for a visit by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to New Delhi, diplomatic sources have confirmed. The Hindu was told that officials on both sides have continued meetings in Dhaka and are working on setting up an agenda for the visit that will include regularisation of bilateral trade.DUSU polls today: Delhi HC threatens to stay vote counting over violenceThe Delhi High Court on Thursday (September 17, 2026) cautioned that it could stay the counting of votes and declaration of results of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections if it was not satisfied with the action taken by the authorities over alleged violence and hooliganism during the campaign. Voting is scheduled for Friday (September 18, 2026) and counting for September 19.PAC pulls up Railways over gaps in passenger amenities despite promisesThe Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Thursday (September 17, 2026) expressed concern over persistent deficiencies in passenger amenities and sanitation across railway stations, with a recent Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audit finding that bio-toilets, projected as a game changer by the Indian Railways, were found deficient or non-functional at 491 of the 512 stations inspected.Supreme Court agrees to give ‘precedence’ in hearing plea against Delhi SIRThe Supreme Court on Thursday (September 17, 2026) agreed to give “precedence” in hearing to a writ petition raising discrepancies in the conduct of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll in Delhi, including the removal of lakhs of voters from the draft roll for nebulous reasons.Chandrasekaran’s reappointment as Tata Sons chairman cleared, Tata Trusts calls it illegalA major dispute has arisen between Tata Sons Pvt. Ltd.’s Board and its majority owner, Tata Trusts, regarding the reappointment of N. Chandrasekaran as Tata Sons chairman for a five-year tenure and the listing of the company as mandated by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines. Tata Trusts has termed Mr. Chandrasekaran’s appointment “illegal”.On his birthday, life-size statue of PM Modi unveiled at BJP office in KolkataWest Bengal government held multiple events as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday celebrations on Thursday (September 17, 2026), including lighting one lakh diyas [lamps] across Kolkata. A life-size statue of the Prime Minister was also unveiled at the Bharatiya Janata Party office in the capital city.Keralam court sends Reporter TV director to judicial custody in Abkari caseAnto Augustine, 38, managing director of Malayalam news channel Reporter TV, was remanded in judicial custody for 14 days by the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court, Sulthan Bathery in Wayanad late on Thursday (September 17, 2026). He was earlier arrested by the excise officials on charges of alleged possession of liquor in excess of the legally permissible limitRussia, China veto U.S. proposal for UN experts to keep monitoring sanctions on IranRussia and China vetoed a United Nations resolution on Thursday (September 17, 2026) that would have authorised UN experts to keep monitoring sanctions that were reimposed against Iran last year over its nuclear program. U.S. Deputy Ambassador to the UN Jennifer Locetta said the United States wasn’t surprised by the vetoes because the experts “would have shined the light” on prohibited cooperation between Iran and its partners.AFG vs IND third T20I: Abhishek’s hurricane hundred powers Men in Blue’s emphatic series sweepSix-hitting is a skill that Abhishek Sharma has honed to perfection. A sublime example came in the third T20I against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Thursday (September 17, 2026) as the opener hammered a record-breaking 34-ball 108, studded with nine fours and 11 sixes, to take India to 221 for seven. With Afghanistan capitulating for 94 in response, Shreyas Iyer & Co. completed a resounding 127-run win for a 3-0 sweep. Published - September 18, 2026 06:20 am IST