The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), a watchdog, has claimed that as many as 73 out of 119 newly elected MLAs in Telangana have declared “criminal cases” against themselves. This is a 5% increase as compared to 67 MLAs in 2014 Assembly, the ADR said. ADR aims at improving governance by working in the area of electoral and political reforms.

After Telangana Rashtra Samithi secured a majority in the 119-member Telangana Assembly, caretaker CM K Chandrashekar Rao’s son KT Rama Rao said, “A non-Congress and non-BJP force is emerging from Telangana.” He added, “We are very keen on a federal front. Strong regional voices need to be heard.” Earlier, caretaker CM Rao had said he’ll actively participate in national politics.

Ahead of the general election, the government is likely to announce farm loan waivers worth up to ₹4 lakh crore ($55.5 billion), according to reports. The previous Congress party-led coalition government announced farm loan waivers worth nearly ₹72,000 crore in 2008. Notably, BJP has lost power to Congress in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in the recently concluded Assembly Elections.

Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief K. Chandrashekhar Rao will take oath as the state’s Chief Minister for a second consecutive term on Thursday. He will take oath at a ceremony to be held at 1.30 p.m. at Raj Bhavan. Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan will administer him the oath of office and secrecy, TRS sources said. Some TRS legislators are also likely to take oath as Ministers along with KCR, as Rao is popularly known.

Will TPCC president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy shave his beard since the TRS has not been ousted from power? Will Mr Uttam shave his long beard post-results, is left for him to answer. The TPCC president who always sported a clean-shaven look, thanks to the discipline instilled in him during his days in the Indian Air Force, took a vow in 2016 not to shave his beard till his party, the Congress, came to power in Telangana state.

Defeat of TTDP’s Kukatpally candidate, NTR’s granddaughter Nandamuri Suhasini, is seen as symbolic decimation of TTDP in Telangana. This is the first time any family member of TDP founder member NTR has lost in elections. Suhasini lost to TRS candidate Madhavaram Krishna Rao with huge margin. TTDP, which bagged 17 seats in 2014 polls, managed only two seats. “This is almost obituary for us in Telangana, retaining remaining few leaders will be extremely difficult,” said a TTDP leader.

A UK court on Monday ruled that 62-year-old fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya will be extradited to India in ₹9,000 crore loan default case. Mallya, who left India in March 2016, challenged his extradition on grounds of “human rights conditions” in Indian jails in the past. “I’ve offered to repay 100% of the principal amount…Please take it,” Mallya tweeted earlier.

Union minister Prakash Javadekar has predicted a political quake in Karnataka, and the timing of it, he said, would depend on state BJP president BS Yeddyurappa. The Congress, however, believes the quake will happen in the BJP in the next few days. The BJP, former CM Siddaramaiah says, will witness a big quake on December 11 when results for the just-concluded assembly elections would be announced.

There were reports that actress Madhuri Dixit Nene might contest the Lok Sabha elections from Pune for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) but her representative has denied all such claims, saying that they are false. A report claimed that Madhuri’s name has been shortlisted for the Pune Lok Sabha seat. But Madhuri’s spokesperson denied the reports. “This news is false and speculative,” the spokesperson told IANS.

A Telangana candidate ordered ‘Indian eagle-owls’ to bring misfortune to his political rivals in the state, according to reports. The issue came to notice after Karnataka Police arrested poachers who were trying to enter Telangana with two owls. It is believed if body parts of an owl are thrown into house of rival candidate, the act will bring severe misfortune.

Film critic Kathi Mahesh had targeted Jana Sena leader Pawan Kalyan again. He took strong exception to Pawan’s comment that he will become Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh when people gave slogan “CM, CM ” at a public meeting held in Pitapuram. Kathi Mahesh said it is not an easy task to assume the chief minister post. It required political strategy, conviction and create confidence among people that he will fulfill the aspirations. Then only, pawan will ascend the CM post.

KTR on Thursday charged AP CM Chandrababu Naidu with trying to wipe out the Nandamuri family from politics. Addressing a road show in Kukatpally from where TRS candidate Madhavaram Krishna Rao is seeking a re-election, KTR said Naidu fielded Nandamuri Harikrishna’s daughter Suhasini knowing pretty well that she would lose. “Naidu could have made her an MLC in AP and appointed her a minister. But, he did not do that and instead pushed her into an electoral battle in Telangana from where she has no chances of winning,” he said.

Addressing people in poll-bound Telangana, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said, “Amit Shah says Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao sends biryani to people of Majlis…If he’s jealous…then I’ll call KCR and ask him to send parcel of Kalyani Biryani (colloquial- beef biryani) to Shah.” Owaisi further said, “If someone is eating, why is your stomach aching? You can eat too.”

Taxi drivers employed by online cab-hailing service providers Ola and Uber in Hyderabad are promoting ‘NOTA’ as voting option for the upcoming Telangana Assembly elections. With posters stuck on their windshields, reading ‘MY VOTE IS NOTA’, they cited several issues plaguing taxi drivers in the city as the reason of protest. They blamed Ola and Uber of bagging massive commissions.

Edited videos and memes of political parties have turned into a new source of entertainment for some people ahead of elections. Especially in party offices, party workers were seen sitting in groups and enjoying videos. While in one of the morphed video, TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao was seen fighting with leaders of opposition party, another video has faces of prominent politicians with the song Jhoot Bole Kauwa Katey playing in background.