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Assembly Elections
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said the BJP will end "goonda raj" and "syndicate raj" in West Bengal if the party comes to power in the state. Addressing a public rally at Tehatta in Nadia district, Shah also claimed that voters "wiped out" the Mamata Banerjee government in the first phase of the assembly polls itself. "The BJP has already won 110 seats in the first phase of polls held on April 23," he said. "There will be an end to 'goonda raj' and 'syndicate raj' in West Bengal if the BJP assumes power in the state. Do not be afraid to step out and cast your votes, as the Election Commission has made ample arrangements. Nobody will be able to stop you from voting," Shah said. He said if the BJP is voted to power, it would identify "infiltrators hiding in the state" and take necessary action against them. The senior BJP leader had to cut short his speech because of sudden heavy rainfall despite a large gathering at the venue.
What was shaping up as an election around corruption, jobs and anti-incumbency issues in West Bengal has suddenly turned into a battle over identity and citizenship after the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls deleted over 91 lakh names, changing not just the state's electoral arithmetic but the emotional vocabulary of its campaign. The mood changed dramatically after the SIR deletions reduced the electorate by nearly 12 per cent. Political parties estimate that of the over 91 lakh names removed-though the Election Commission has not released any religious break-up - around 31 lakh are Muslims, and the remaining 61 lakh are Hindus, giving the exercise a communal and political edge. Till a few months ago, the BJP wanted the assembly election to revolve around the TMC's "15-years of misrule," jobs scam, women's safety, unemployment, and alleged TMC's minority appeasement. The TMC, in turn, was preparing to defend 'Lakshmir Bhandar', a financial assistance scheme for women,
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday appealed to the people of Assam, Kerala and Puducherry to exercise their franchise in large numbers in the assembly elections in the two states and the Union Territory. In separate messages in English, besides Assamese, Malayalam and Tamil -- the regional languages of Assam, Kerala and Puducherry respectively -- PM Modi particularly requested the youth and the women to step forward and vote in large numbers. "As polling begins for the Assam Assembly elections 2026, I appeal to the people of Assam to exercise their franchise in large numbers. I hope that the state's youth and women voters participate enthusiastically and make this election a celebration of democracy and public duty," he said in a post on X. Calling upon the people of Kerala to vote in large numbers, the prime minister said the record participation in the voting will add vigour to Kerala's democratic spirit. "I particularly request the youth and women of the state to step forw
DMK Youth Wing Secretary Udhayanidhi Stalin on Thursday filed his nomination papers for the upcoming April 23 Assembly elections from the Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni constituency, seeking a second consecutive term. The 48-year-old DMK scion arrived at the venue following a massive roadshow that saw thousands of party cadres and supporters lining the streets. Accompanied by senior party leaders and local functionaries, Udhayanidhi submitted his documents to the Returning Officer shortly before noon. Speaking to reporters after the filing, the Deputy CM exuded confidence in the 'Dravidian Model' of governance. "We definitely will win this time, women especially are very happy with the transformative work done by our leader, M K Stalin, over the last five years. Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni is my home, and the overwhelming support today shows that our victory will be a foregone conclusion. I will be campaigning in the constituency this evening," he said. He also reiterated the party's stand again
With a month to go for Tamil Nadu Assembly polls, the battle lines are clearly drawn and the AIADMK camp is making apparent efforts to get a headstart ahead of the ruling DMK bloc by quickly finalising the seat-sharing deal, identifying constituencies for itself and allies and switching on to the campaign mode. The Edappadi K Palaniswami-led AIADMK, which leads the NDA in Tamil Nadu will take on the DMK in certain urban centres considered to be the ruling party's stronghold. The assembly polls will be held on April 23 and counting of votes taken up on May 4. Determined to win over 210 out of the 234 Assembly constituencies in the state, the AIADMK has announced that it would contest from 169 seats, leaving the rest to allies, while the DMK has readied its poll battle machinery in as many as 175 constituencies. For its part, the Stalin-led party has set a target to secure over 200 seats. DMK has announced that 'Rising Sun' will be in fray from 175 Assembly segments, indicating it wo
The BJP on Thursday released the second list of 39 candidates for the Kerala Assembly polls, fielding former state BJP president and former Mizoram governor Kummanam Rajasekharan from Aranmula seat. The party named CC Mukandan as it's candidate from Nattila seat. Deepak Puzhakkal will contest from Tanur seat and Aswinini ML from Kasaragod, according to the list released by the BJP. Pathmasree M will contest from Manjeri constituency and Renu Suresh from Kongad seat. BJP had earlier released the names of 47 candidates in its first list.
The Election Commission will announce dates for assembly polls on Sunday evening. Polls are due in West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Puducherry. The poll authority has convened a press conference at 4 pm to announce the schedule. The terms of these legislative assemblies are ending on different dates in May and June. Final electoral rolls of the four states and the Union territory of Puducherry have been published as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voters' list.