The day was dominated by two major stories. In the morning, the merger of seven AAP Rajya Sabha MPs into BJP was formally approved by the Chairman, boosting NDA strength to 148 and reducing AAP to just three MPs. This followed Raghav Chadha's defection the previous day. By early afternoon, Iran's proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz without a nuclear agreement gained traction, with FM Araghchi meeting Putin in Saint Petersburg, who assured support. Trump's ultimatum to Iran continued, but Iran signaled willingness to talk. The White House dinner shooting aftermath saw Trump denying allegations in the shooter's manifesto. Domestically, PM Modi's Bengal campaign ended with promises of returning for CM oath-taking after May 4, while an attack on TMC MP Mitali's car highlighted poll tensions. The India-New Zealand FTA was signed, scrapping tariffs and locking in $20 billion investment.