India news Live Updates, 8 October 2026: INDIA bloc steps up stir demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation

Security has been heavily augmented around Delhi’s Jantar Mantar and surrounding areas as opposition MPs from the INDIA bloc prepare to stage a major ground demonstration against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar today. Simultaneously, normal life across Odisha has been disrupted as the INDIA bloc has called for a state-wide bandh demanding the immediate resignation of the CEC alongside state School and Mass Education Minister Nityanand Gond.

If you are just joining us, this is The Indian Express Realtime breaking news blog – where we bring you the latest news updates of the day in real time. Scan the top headlines of the day here, or keep scrolling to see the latest updates stream in.

INDIA bloc steps up agitation against CEC Gyanesh Kumar; calls for Odisha bandh

Opposition parties under the INDIA bloc have escalated their nationwide stir, launching a high-voltage protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar to demand the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar. In Odisha, a state-wide bandh called by coalition partners has disrupted transportation and commercial activity, with leaders accusing the Election Commission of partisan functioning.

Story continues below this ad

Veteran actor Nana Patekar dies of cardiac arrest at 75 in Goa

Renowned actor Nana Patekar has passed away at the age of 75 following a severe cardiac arrest at his home in Goa. Medical teams administered continuous CPR for 45 minutes, but he could not be revived. The National Award-winning icon leaves behind an extraordinary cinematic legacy across Hindi and Marathi cinema.

Five major states oppose proposal to remove taxmen’s arrest powers under GST

In a key economic development ahead of the upcoming GST Council deliberations, five prominent states across political divides have voiced strong opposition to stripping tax officers of arrest powers, maintaining that strict penal provisions are necessary to deter fraud and fake invoice networks.

OpenAI officially rolls out GPT-6 with interactive visuals and faster processing

OpenAI has launched its next-generation artificial intelligence model, GPT-6, featuring multimodal reasoning capabilities, real-time interactive visuals, and accelerated response times designed for complex enterprise and research applications.

Zero sugar, zero gluten: How strict dietary discipline fueled Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s comeback

Pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s explosive return to peak fitness has been driven by a disciplined nutritional transition, adopting a zero-sugar, zero-gluten, and zero-lactose diet to optimize recovery, agility, and match performance.