News Broadcasting
TIMES NOW launches ‘Confront’ with Rahul Shivshankar
MUMBAI: TIMES NOW, India’s leading English news channel from Times Network has launched a special programme, ‘Confront’ with Rahul Shivshankar, Editor-in-Chief, TIMES NOW.
TIMES NOW continues to raise the bar of television news in the country with its innovative journalism. Moderated by Rahul Shivshankar, ‘Confront’, the one-hour weekend show features two prominent panellists debate social and political on topics including State issues, economy, elections, etc., with a conclusive end to the discourse.
Moving away from the contentious debates where panellists often talk at each other rather than talk to each other, Rahul Shivshankar conducts the well-researched debate with decorum, focused to provide the viewers with clear, insightful information. Two weeks since its premier, the show has featured notable figures – Jay Panda, Former Member of Parliament, Yogendra Yadav, National President, Swaraj India, Sudheendra Kulkarni, Politician and Kanwal Sibal, Former Foreign Secretary. This week’s episode of ‘Confront’ on Saturday, August 25, will feature Mukul Rohtagi, Former Attorney General of India and Mohan Parasaran, Former Solicitor General of India as the panellists, where they will discuss claims that the NDA is meddling in Judicial affairs.
Speaking on the new new show, Rahul Shivshankar, Editor-in-Chief, TIMES NOW said, “Confront is launched with a clear objective to provide conclusive facts and information out of the confronting conversations. The show breaks away from the typical debate formats, which leave little room for conversations, where the viewers are left with no answers to the burning social issues. Through this show, we aim to provide uninterrupted, transparent and healthy discussions to burning issues that need to be addressed on priority”.
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.
