Tamil Nadu and Kerala are voting in single-phase for 234 and 140 assembly constituencies respectively.
The BJP has made significant gains in the Kerala Assembly elections, securing three seats and marking a potential breakthrough in a state where it has traditionally struggled.
The Indian government and opposition parties are set for a showdown in Parliament over a Constitution amendment bill concerning the implementation of the women's quota law and the delimitation exercise. The Opposition is concerned about the potential impact of delimitation on the political representation of southern states.
The DMK leadership may now have to deal with a demand for more seats from its Congress ally in the Lok Sabha polls, predicts N Sathiya Moorthy.
S A Chandrasekhar, father of actor-politician Vijay, has appealed to the Congress party to form an alliance with his son's party, TVK, in the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has announced a significant increase in Lok Sabha seats for the five southern states following delimitation, countering misinformation and clarifying the timeline for women's reservation implementation.
Stalin's personal intervention in the Adheenam row may have contained the avoidable political damage and social tensions at least for now, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
Vijay said the 2026 assembly election carried a new environment that had never seen before.
Congress' chances of survival in the state do not look promising, says Aditi Phadnis
Senior Congress leader Arun Yadav has criticised the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh, alleging neglect of farmers and the enabling of mafia activities.
Taiwan-based Hon Hai Technology Group, the subsidiary of Foxconn Industrial Internet (Fii), is in talks with the Tamil Nadu government to invest around $200 million to set up an electronic components unit in the state. According to a Reuters report, FII, which makes communication, mobile network and cloud computing equipment, has shared the plan with the Tamil Nadu state officials. Business Standard had reported last week that Fii's chief executive officer (CEO) Brand Cheng met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin and Minister for Industries, Investment Promotion and Commerce TRB Rajaa.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the central government of pressuring the outgoing Governor C V Ananda Bose to resign and alleged that his replacement, R N Ravi, is a BJP cadre.
R Rajagopalan predicts that Tamil Nadu won't have single party rule for the first time in its history.
The IPL Governing Council will finalise the schedule amid election-related uncertainties and venue discussions around RCB's home matches.
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema has condemned the recent blasts in Amritsar and Jalandhar, calling them a deliberate attempt to spread terror and disrupt the state's peace. He accused the BJP of trying to create an atmosphere of fear and division for political gains ahead of elections.
After days of deliberations, a point of conclusion was reached late Saturday night and Congress leader and Tamil Nadu in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao told reporters that the agreement was signed in "a spirit of cooperation" when the country was facing a 'threat' from the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Voters in Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry are voting in crucial assembly elections.
The announced election schedule for five assemblies reveals fewer phases, a condensed voting period, longer gaps between polling days, and a delayed counting process compared to previous elections.
With Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam joining hands with All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, rumours had it that DMDK will follow suit.
The AIADMK is convinced that the BJP will remain an electoral burden for a long time to come, beginning the Lok Sabha polls next year, reveals N Sathiya Moorthy.
Gautam Buddh Nagar police have arrested two more individuals, Himanshu Thakur and Satyam Verma, in connection with the recent violence during worker protests in Noida. The accused are alleged to have orchestrated provocative activities and violence during the demonstrations.
The PMK leader said that he came into the NDA fold to defeat the "anti-people" ruling DMK.
Over 700 citizens, including former civil servants, academics, activists, and journalists, have written to the Election Commission alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's national address on April 18 violated the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) for elections. They are seeking an inquiry and remedial action.
Launching his "Vetri Kodi Eandhi Tamizhagam Velvom" (Will Win Tamil Nadu Carrying the flag of victory) campaign from Suseendiram in this district, Shah said he was confident that a coalition government of the NDA will come to power in the state after the April 6 assembly polls.
'Kamal Haasan always appeared to be quick to strike, but afraid to wound.' 'What he is offering the people of Tamil Nadu is not clear, but whatever it is, it will be a fresh element in the state's politics,' says Aditi Phadnis.
Board of Control for Cricket in India secretary Devajit Saikia said the first 20-day schedule of the Indian Premier League 2026 season will be announced in two to three days, with the tournament set to begin on March 28.
Throughout Parasakthi, Sivakarthikeyan mentions he is not against Hindi but the imposition of Hindi, notes A Ganesh Nadar.
Discrepancies in actor Vijay's election affidavits regarding pending criminal cases and bank accounts have surfaced, potentially leading to legal and political challenges.
Unless controlled and contained, given the untested belief that the north Indian labour support and follow the Hindutva kind of political ideology, there is a potential in terms of ideological clashes with their Dravidian brethren in the local neighbourhoods, and it all escalating into violence, especially during election time, predicts N Sathiya Moorthy.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin pledges to double the monthly grant if his DMK party secures victory in the upcoming assembly election, aiming to empower women and secure their support.
Words and actions like those of R N Ravi and a vocal section of the state BJP have only added to Tamil fears and suspicions, points out N Sathiya Moorthy.
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.
The Supreme Court on Thursday struck down the 10.5 per cent reservation provided to Vanniyars, a Most Backward Community (MBC) in Tamil Nadu, in government jobs and admission to educational institutions.
Voicing confidence that his party will win the Tamil Nadu assembly polls, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M Karunanidhi on Wednesday hinted at a possible coalition government, a key issue said to have been raised by long-time ally Congress as a post-poll arrangement.
Slamming the Election Commission for its 'hasty' announcement of schedule for the Tamil Nadu assembly elections, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on Thursday said the state had not been consulted about the dates and sought to know the rationale behind the poll panel's action. A day after the EC announced the schedule, the Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam chief said everybody expected the polls to be held either in the last week of April or in the first week of May.
Senior DMK leader I Periyasamy reiterated that Chief Minister M K Stalin is firm against sharing power with allies, dismissing any possibility of a coalition government in Tamil Nadu.
In a statement in the House, the chief minister said air ambulance service would be started at a cost of Rs 10 crore to transport critical patients to hospitals.
The Congress and DMK parties in Tamil Nadu are set to begin seat-sharing negotiations in a week for upcoming elections, with leaders from both parties expressing confidence in a smooth and successful alliance.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches at multiple locations in West Bengal as part of an investigation into the operations of an alleged illegal call centre.
Indications are that the DMK combine will win more seats than the AIADMK and BJP, but is facing a tough fight in about half a dozen from the rest, predicts N Sathiya Moorthy of the electoral contest in Tamil Nadu.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances