News Broadcasting
BBC to present an insight into Afghanistan
MUMBAI: In the run-up to elections in Afghanistan, BBC News presents a multi-platform insight into life inside the country on 13 September 2005.
The BBC News website, BBC Radio Five Live, the BBC World Service, and BBC World will all be covering the day. They will offer comment, insight and reportage from Afghanistan and looking at the culture, politics and day-to-day life of this often misunderstood country.
On that day the BBC’s aim will be to reveal how life is developing under democracy in Afghanistan including an analysis of health, education, the role of women, and media consumption using material gathered at the BBC Monitoring centre at Caversham. There will also be testimonies from Afghans via bbc.co.uk/afghanistanday. Anchor Lyse Doucet chairs an interactive discussion with input from Afghans and their government.
The BBC News website’s Soutik Biswas plans to take his laptop to a village in Afghanistan where he will talk to residents and put questions from web users to them.
BBC ONE Six O’Clock News: Andrew North with a special report from Afghanistan on how the country is trying to deal with having one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. BBC News 24 will look ahead to the elections on Sunday 18 September and hear from ‘real’ people about their lives and their hopes for a new Afghan government, looking at life through audio and video diaries and through a series of reports from correspondents. Nick Higham examines how Afghanistan has changed over recent years in a special fact file.
News Broadcasting
UDF poised to return to power in Kerala, says Manorama-CVoter survey
Massive opinion poll projects shift in Kerala politics ahead of 2026 Assembly elections.
MUMBAI: The winds of change appear to be blowing through Kerala’s political landscape and this time, they seem to favour the United Democratic Front. A comprehensive mega opinion survey conducted by Manorama News in partnership with CVoter projects a potential comeback for the UDF in the upcoming Kerala Legislative Assembly Elections 2026. The survey, covering all 140 constituencies with a massive sample size of nearly 90,000 respondents, predicts the UDF could win between 69 and 81 seats.
The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) is expected to secure 57 to 69 seats, a significant drop from the 99 seats it won in the 2021 elections. This would mean the LDF losing 30 to 42 of its sitting seats. Meanwhile, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which drew a blank in 2021, is projected to open its account with 1 to 5 seats.
Region-wise, the UDF is expected to make strong gains in Malabar, winning 25 to 34 out of 48 seats, and in Central Kerala, where it could bag 29 to 33 out of 53 seats. In South Kerala, the LDF is likely to retain an edge with 21 to 25 seats, while the UDF may improve to 12 to 16 seats. The NDA could pick up 1 to 3 seats in the southern region.
The survey was conducted between 14 and 26 March 2026, with additional tracker and snap polls carried out from December 2025 to March 2026. A total of 89,693 respondents participated, ensuring representation across all demographics and social segments.
Manorama News has a strong track record of accuracy, with its previous projections closely matching the actual results of the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections as well as the 2021 Kerala Assembly polls.
In Kerala’s famously fierce political battles, this survey suggests the pendulum may be swinging back. Whether the final verdict matches these numbers or throws up another surprise, one thing is clear, the 2026 Assembly elections are shaping up to be one of the most keenly watched contests in the state’s history.
