News Broadcasting
Reliance Industries announces schedule for Network18 open offer
MUMBAI: After announcing its open offer to acquire Network18 group’s public shareholding last week, Reliance Industries (RIL) has announced the schedule for the entire offer that will run between June and August.
12 June has been fixed for filing the Network18, TV18 and Infomedia draft letters with the securities and exchange board of India (SEBI) while 26 June has been fixed as the last date for competitive offer. Unless SEBI asks for additional information, it will give in its observations on the letters by 3 July. The identified date has been kept as 7 July.
The public shareholders should receive the letters of offer by 14 July which can be revised till 15 July. The committee of independent directors of the three companies shall give their recommendation to shareholders of target company by 17 July. 18 July is when the offer of opening public announcement will be published in newspapers. Tendering period opens on 21 July and ends on 4 August.
The last date for communicating the rejection/acceptance and completion of payment of consideration or refund of equity shares to the shareholders of the company is 20 August while the last date for publication of post-offer public announcement in the newspapers is 27 August.
A content licence agreement, dated 27 February 2012 was signed between Network18 and its subsidiary TV18 and Reliance Jio Infocomm, RIL’s subsidiary for content transmission through its 4G broadband network. Reliance Jio Infocomm shall have preferential access to its content on a first right basis.
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.
