Israel Election: 7.3M Voters Head To Polls, Netanyahu Faces Eisenkot In Crucial RaceOver 7.3 million Israeli voters head to polling stations on October 27 to elect their leadership for the next four years. Extensive preparations include deploying one lakh personnel, establishing over 12,000 polling stations, and preparing 18,000 ballot boxes alongside 1.2 million ballot papers weighing 250 tonnes.

Polling runs from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., after which exit polls are expected to indicate early trends. Opinion polls depict an undecided race between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party and the opposition front led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot.

The election focuses heavily on security fallout and accountability following the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks, military conscription disputes, and regional dynamics across West Asia.Jamia and JNU graffiti row sparks war over Kashmir slogans, Sharjeel Imam, Umar KhalidControversial graffiti and posters at Jamia Millia Islamia and Jawaharlal Nehru University have sparked a political confrontation between the Bharatiya Janata Party and opposition leaders. Slogans referencing Kashmir, Sharjeel Imam, and Umar Khalid appeared amid student union election agitations, prompting the BJP to accuse visiting Congress and Samajwadi Party MPs of supporting divisive elements.

Opposition leaders countered that the government is deflecting attention from student grievances and national security challenges, as debates also touched upon remarks by National Conference President Farooq Abdullah. Concurrently, the Election Commission of India submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court rejecting allegations of unilateral decisions by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar regarding the Special Intensive Revision.

The Commission stated that decisions were taken unanimously with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, denying unauthorized modifications to Form 6. Internationally, political focus turned to Israel's parliamentary elections, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces former IDF Chief Gadi Eisenkot amid regional developments.Israel Decides Netanyahu's Fate, India Siang Mega-Dam Backlash & Lula Re-ElectionIn this episode of Statecraft, Geeta Mohan examines critical global and national developments shaping politics and security.

In Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva secured an unprecedented fourth presidential term after defeating Flavio Bolsonaro in a closely contested election marked by economic uncertainty and political division. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Israelis living overseas are flying home to cast their ballots in a decisive election that poses a direct challenge to Benjamin Netanyahu's leadership, with far-reaching consequences for Gaza, conflict with Iran, and United States Middle East strategy.

In India, tension has escalated in Arunachal Pradesh over the proposed 11,200-megawatt Siang Upper Multipurpose Project, intended as a strategic buffer against China's massive upstream hydropower dam in Tibet. Protests spearheaded by the indigenous Adi community have turned violent amid fears of submergence and environmental damage.

Finally, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has returned to Caracas after months abroad, following dramatic political shifts in Venezuela.Kharge's 'Modi ka baap' remark row, BJP nationwide protests and discourse in politicsA political confrontation has broken out between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party following Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's remarks concerning Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a public address in Patna. The BJP has staged demonstrations and lodged police complaints, while Congress leaders cited previous personal attacks by political opponents in defence.

Alongside this debate over political discourse and accountability, the Delhi government has announced its winter pollution action plan, prohibiting non-BS6 vehicles registered outside the capital from entering Delhi between November 1 and January 31, affecting over ten lakh commuters across NCR hubs such as Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, and Faridabad. At Jamia Millia Islamia University, student protests and hunger strikes persist over demands for the restoration of the elected students union, prompting the deployment of Delhi Police and paramilitary personnel on campus.