DMK Youth Wing chief Udhayanidhi Stalin has launched a scathing attack on the Congress, accusing the former ally of 'stabbing the DMK in the back' and blaming them for the BJP's consecutive national victories. He exhorted party cadre to 'never trust the Congress again'.
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'.
Voting has commenced in 142 constituencies for the second and final phase of the West Bengal assembly elections, with significant security measures in place. The outcome will determine whether the TMC maintains its dominance or if the BJP can gain ground in the state.
The BJP's landslide victory in West Bengal has not merely redrawn the electoral map but overturned the operating logic of politics in the state, breaching the TMC's entrenched fortress despite a decade-and-a-half of dominance, minority consolidation, and a sustained "outsider" narrative.
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.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticised the BJP for allegedly attempting to divide people on religious and caste lines during a community outreach programme in her Bhabanipur constituency.
Election Commission data reveals Bhabanipur constituency in West Bengal recorded significantly higher voter deletions compared to Nandigram, sparking political debate ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls.
The Election Commission has ordered a repoll in all 285 polling booths of the Falta assembly constituency in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on May 21, following reports of severe electoral offences and subversion of the democratic process during the second phase of the assembly elections.
The civic ward was unable to manage even half of Mumbai's overall voter turnout of 52.94 per cent, which means only 9,614 residents of the total 46,036 exercised their franchise.
Demands for repolling are generally made by political parties, candidates, polling agents, or even observers, citing specific irregularities such as EVM malfunction, booth capturing, intimidation, or violation of the secrecy of voting.
The Election Commission has ordered an investigation into allegations that foreign nationals fraudulently voted in the Tamil Nadu Assembly election. The probe was initiated after police arrested ten foreign nationals with indelible ink on their fingers at Chennai and Madurai airports.
Police in Gujarat's Panchmahal district are investigating an Aam Aadmi Party candidate and two party workers for alleged hawala transactions involving over Rs 50 lakh ahead of local body polls.
'Look at the way SIR that was implemented in Bengal. They wanted to entirely curate the voter list in order to suit their purposes and victory.' 'Look at the targeted deletions and the targeted voting list.' 'The difference between the TMC and the BJP was only about 4% but that 4% vote was done so selectively that the difference ultimately showed up as 100 seats!'
The Supreme Court has directed the Election Commission to display the names of those on the 'logical discrepancies' list at various public offices in West Bengal, addressing concerns about irregularities in the voter rolls.
Clashes erupted between locals and security personnel in West Bengal's Birbhum district after allegations of EVM malfunctioning triggered tension during the first phase of the state assembly elections.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has announced that central forces will remain deployed in West Bengal for at least seven more days after the assembly elections, assuring voters of security during and after the polls.
While many young voters skip the municipal elections believing the outcome is already decided, 27-year-olds, Rahul Java and Aksh Shah, have been voting since they turned 18.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has accused the BJP of orchestrating the recent blasts in Amritsar and Jalandhar as part of their strategy for the upcoming assembly elections in the state, alleging the party seeks to create an atmosphere of fear to gain votes.
With Uttar Pradesh assembly elections approaching, an analyst suggests the BJP is in a strong position. Meanwhile, Punjab's political landscape is described as fluid with mixed public satisfaction towards the ruling AAP.
Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday said members of the INDIA bloc were likely to meet in the first week of June to discuss a joint strategy, while asserting that the opposition camp was prepared for a prolonged political battle.
Fresh tension gripped Bhangar and adjoining areas of South 24 Parganas during the second and final phase of West Bengal Assembly elections, with the ISF alleging intimidation of polling agents and attempts to influence voters by TMC workers.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has accused BJP MPs of securing their seats through 'vote chori' and claims the BJP would struggle to win even 140 seats in fair elections.
The appointment of Kerala's Chief Electoral Officer as the Chief Minister's secretary has ignited a political firestorm, raising questions about election credibility and sparking accusations of hypocrisy among political parties.
Punjab's AAP president, Aman Arora, has criticised Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu for alleged misconduct and objectionable behaviour towards police personnel in Dhuri, while Bittu accuses the AAP government of misusing the police to target BJP workers.
The Supreme Court has allowed former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and others to file fresh applications regarding their claim that victory margins were less than the deletion of votes during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
Special police observer Ajay Pal Sharma toured West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district during the second phase of Assembly elections, facing political controversy and allegations of intimidation from TMC leaders.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's purchase of 'jhalmuri' during a campaign stop, alleging it was a staged event for cameras. She also accused the BJP of aiding Independents from the minority community and criticised the Election Commission over voter roll revisions.
The DMK party in Tamil Nadu has released its manifesto for the upcoming Assembly elections, promising a range of welfare measures focused on women, education, and economic development, including financial assistance and job creation initiatives.
A BJP government in Bengal inherits more problems than it might care to admit at its moment of triumph, points out Ramesh Menon
The appointment of senior IAS officer Rathan U Kelkar as secretary to Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan has ignited a political controversy, drawing criticism from the CPI(M), CPI, and BJP.
'The BJP successfully merged governance with identity. That's a powerful combination in Assam's political context.'
The Supreme Court closed a plea by Goa Congress leader Ketan Bhatikar, who died from a snakebite, challenging the cancellation of the Ponda assembly bypoll by the Bombay High Court.
Voting has commenced for the assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, with over 3.60 crore electors eligible to vote in 152 constituencies in Bengal and 5.73 crore voters in Tamil Nadu. Security measures are heightened to ensure free and fair polling.
West Bengal is on edge as it awaits the results of its recent election, with the TMC and BJP vying for control. The counting process will be conducted under tight security, with the Election Commission implementing stringent measures to ensure a fair and transparent process.
The Election Commission released the names of deleted voters in West Bengal ahead of the publication of the draft electoral rolls for the upcoming assembly elections.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor criticised the proposal to increase the Lok Sabha's strength to 850, while BJP leaders defended delimitation as a democratic necessity at the Stanford India Conference 2026.
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.
Tamil Nadu's electoral roll has been revised, resulting in the removal of 9.74 million voters following an enumeration exercise. The state's electoral roll now stands at 5.43 crore voters.
The Congress party is seeking one Rajya Sabha seat in Jharkhand from the JMM and plans to discuss the matter with Chief Minister Hemant Soren, according to AICC Jharkhand in-charge K Raju.
