Polling for West Bengal's remaining 142 assembly seats will be held in the second phase on Wednesday, April 29, 2026.
The Election Commission will examine a complaint filed by opposition parties alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation violated the Model Code of Conduct for elections.
'They want to know more about him. They want to see his films. Even those who were earlier not interested in his films want to see him now.'
Crorepati Candidates: Congress (61). BJP (52). CPM (52).
'I repeatedly contacted the party leadership, but they didn't take my calls. The District Congress Committee offered no assistance.' 'I waited for a long time, and when no response came, I decided to quit the party.'
The extent of doubts over the fairness of this election can be assessed by juxtaposing two figures: Total votes polled by the two principal parties and the number of people who were disallowed from voting this time, observes Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.
This election is different. It is no longer simply about governance or welfare. It is about identity, fear, and who belongs. The BJP has successfully shifted the terms of the debate from what the government has delivered to who the real Bengali is and who is an outsider, points out Ramesh Menon.
As Vijay prepares for his next innings as chief minister of Tamil Nadu, he would do well to learn from the life lessons of NTR.
142 assembly seats will go to the polls on April 29 in phase 2.
'Tamil Nadu has 42% of its population in the 18 to 39 age group. The bulk of the population in this age group voted for Vijay and women voters too voted for him in big numbers.'
If West Bengal does not begin to reclaim its lost pride, the state would have lost -- perhaps irreversibly, this time, notes Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta (retd).
Launched in 2024, the TVK has Vijay's shift into politics was not sudden as he had been doing groundwork since 2009, when he launched his fan club, the Vijay Makkal Iyakkam.
'The AIADMK front comes second, and then the TVK.'
Glimpses of the stars who voted in the Tamil Nadu assembly election on Thursday...
In Puducherry, where constituencies have fewer than 30,000 electors on average, it is usual for N Rangaswamy to call out people he knows by name during his roadside election meetings.
The polling for the Tamil Nadu Elections will take place on Thursday, April 23, 2026. Out of the 294 assembly seats, 152 seats in West Bengal will go to polls in the first phase on Thursday.
Out of the 294 West Bengal Assembly seats, 152 will go to the polls in the first phase on Thursday, April 23, 2026.
'If you read the TVK manifesto, it is doles and much more doles. But the state has been habituated to this.' 'In no way is he distinct or different from the DMK regime.'
The Election Commission reports that poll-related seizures, including cash, drugs, and liquor intended to sway voters, have surpassed Rs 1000 crore in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.
Hopefully, the BJP will realise that it's the right time for parivartan (change) in its polarising poll strategies after achieving the impossible-looking goal of winning West Bengal, argues Sheela Bhatt.
'Looking at the situation purely on its Constitutional merits, the governor's conduct is defensible.' 'He is saying: You do not have a majority, so prove it. That is not an unreasonable position even if the timing and the political context make it deeply controversial.'
Bangladesh held its 13th general election on February 12, 2026, with voters across Dhaka casting ballots in a significant democratic exercise.
'Even if they align with the TVK now, I don't think the AIADMK leadership will completely surrender to the dominance of Vijay.'
Courts cannot be the only hope for those fighting hate speech. Countering its effects on the ground takes more effort. With our political parties unwilling to put in that amount of effort, it's left to citizens to do so, points out Jyoti Punwani.
The polling for the Tamil Nadu Assembly's 234 seats will take place on Thursday, April 23, 2026.
Amid the arithmetic of subsidies, consumption and capacity, whichever government assumes office in Tamil Nadu after May 4 is likely to inherit a growing debate over how far the state can continue to expand welfare promises without placing additional strain on public finances and the power sector.
'The TVK might form a minority government.'
'This is a major rupture in Tamil Nadu's political order.' 'For the Dravidian parties, the message is clear: The old DMK-AIADMK binary is no longer guaranteed a future.'
'Vijay did not defeat Dravidian politics from outside. He entered the Dravidian field and claimed ownership of it. 'His argument was not that the room should be destroyed. It was that the present occupants no longer deserved to remain in it.'
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay has made a historic debut in the Tamil Nadu assembly polls, securing a landslide victory in the Perambur constituency and leading his party to a strong performance across the state, with congratulatory messages pouring in from fellow film personalities.
Unlike films that end with the underdog becoming winner and being sworn in at a public ceremony, Vijay's trial by fire is only about to begin, predicts Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
'They will have to adjust themselves to the new reality. Because if they don't understand this changed political perception, their future will be difficult.'
The Enforcement Directorate has attached assets worth 159 crore in connection with a money laundering investigation related to illegal coal mining in West Bengal. The case involves alleged pilferage and implicates various entities, including the political consultancy firm I-PAC.
Under the TMC, Bengal has seen expansion of welfare, but not big-ticket private investment.
'Narendra Modi -- a man with deep and vital experience of Indian politics -- has seen the BJP lose many elections between 1975 and 2015, and with every defeat, he learned lessons that made sure he would never allow his party to be defeated so easily again.'
The Election Commission has announced the schedule for the Rajya Sabha elections 2024, setting the stage for polls to fill 37 seats across 10 states on March 16.
Total number of 722 candidates are in the fray for 126 seats.
Karwar, a coastal town in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, is known for its many culinary traditions, reflecting the numerous communities that make this region their home.
Whether he comes to power or not, both his admirers and opponents agree on one thing -- Vijay may well turn out to be the 'X factor'.
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