State Assembly Polls

PM Modi appeals to people of Tamil Nadu, Bengal to vote in large numbers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday appealed to the people of Tamil Nadu and West Bengal to "enthusiastically" take part in the voting for the Assembly elections in their states. Modi especially urged the youth and women of the two states to vote in record numbers. Polling has started at all 234 assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu while voting began for 152 assembly seats, out of the 294, in West Bengal this morning. "As Tamil Nadu votes in the Assembly elections, I call upon all voters to take part enthusiastically in this sacred duty of democracy. I urge the youth and the women of Tamil Nadu in particular to come out and vote in record numbers," Modi said in a post on X. The prime minister, in another post, said, "Phase 1 of the West Bengal Assembly elections takes place today. I urge all citizens to participate in this festival of democracy with full strength. I especially appeal to my young friends and to the women of West Bengal to vote in large numbers". The second ph

Over 36 mn voters eligible for first phase of Assembly polls in Bengal: EC

More than 3.6 crore electors across 16 districts will be eligible to exercise their franchise in the first phase of the West Bengal assembly elections on April 23, according to data released by the Election Commission on Saturday. The electoral rolls for the first phase comprise 1.84 crore males, 1.75 crore females and 465 persons of the third gender, the EC data showed. Among the districts, Murshidabad accounts for the highest number of voters at 50.26 lakh, followed by Purba Medinipur at 41.60 lakh and Paschim Medinipur at 37.70 lakh. At the other end, Kalimpong has the lowest number of voters at 2.01 lakh. Polling will be held for 152 seats in the first phase, while 142 seats in the second phase will vote on April 29. The counting of votes will be held on May 4. In northern Bengal, Cooch Behar has 22.63 lakh electors, while Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar have 17.19 lakh and 11.64 lakh voters, respectively. Darjeeling district accounts for 11.10 lakh voters, according to EC data. Utt

Tamil Nadu polls: A contest shaped by welfare politics, shifting alliances

As Tamil Nadu heads to polls on April 23, the Assembly election will test Dravidian politics, alliance cohesion, and the enduring impact of welfare-driven governance across regions

Schools to remain closed for Assembly Elections 2026: Full state list

Schools and colleges will remain closed tomorrow, April 9, in several states due to Assembly Elections 2026, with holidays depending on state orders and regions where polling is scheduled

Polling begins today in Kerala, Assam, Puducherry for Assembly elections

High-stakes polls in Kerala, Assam and Puducherry test incumbents, opposition strength and shifting political dynamics across key regions

After Census notification, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh chalk out plans

States begin planning Census 2027 houselisting from April, with Odisha and Uttar Pradesh among the first to roll out the digital exercise

The economics and art of giving: TN elections may revive freebie debate

With elections in Tamil Nadu approaching, the 'investment or freebie' debate, as part of the overall development question, is likely to resume

Beyond legacy, towards power as heirs vie for votes in state elections

Across southern and eastern India, upcoming Assembly elections place the spotlight on political heirs looking to translate legacy, governance and organisation into votes

Mamata questions SIR in BJP states, warns Centre over voter deletions

Mamata said the SIR exercise was creating fear and confusion, alleging the EC had turned into a "BJP Commission" by pushing through a hurried voter list revision ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls

Bihar Assembly elections 2025: 1 in 3 candidates faces criminal cases

As Bihar heads to phase two polling, ADR data shows 32% candidates face criminal cases and 42% are crorepatis, highlighting the deep nexus of crime and money in state politics

With a loyal voter base, Nitish Kumar remains invaluable NDA member for now

Now it's all jibes about his chameleon-like politics and fading grip on the administration. But there was a time Nitish had the BJP trembling in the state

Voting begins for Assembly by-elections in 5 constituencies across states

The polling began at 7 am on the Nilambur seat in Kerala, the Ludhiana West seat in Punjab, the Kaliganj seat in West Bengal, and the Visavadar and Kadi seats in Gujarat

Delhi Assembly Election Highlights: Voting concludes; 57.7% voter turnout recorded till 5 pm

Delhi Assembly elections 2025 voting updates: Polling day concluded with an unimpressive voter turnout. Results will be declared on Feb 8

Govt's pace of work tripled with focus on middle class: President Murmu

The President's previous two speeches to joint sittings of Parliament, on January 31, 2024, and June 27, 2024, had stressed on the government's efforts at empowering the "four pillars"

Delays in civic polls spotlight weak state election commissions' powers

According to a survey, 61 per cent of urban local bodies in 15 major states, including Karnataka, saw delayed civic elections

As India nears 1 bn electors, it seeks solutions to freebies, black money

Estimates of election related expenditure of political parties and candidates, and EC's seizures, reveal barely the tip of the total election spends of candidates and political parties

MP Assembly's winter session begins Monday; Cong to protest farmers' woes

The Winter Session of the Madhya Pradesh assembly will begin on Monday, with the opposition Congress announcing that it would hold protests to highlight farmers' plight and crimes against women in the state. State Congress chief Jitu Patwari said they will also gherao the state assembly in Bhopal at 11 am on Monday. The five-day session is scheduled till December 20, said State Assembly Principal Secretary AP Singh on Sunday. He said the state assembly secretariat has received the information about 1,766 questions, including 888 starred questions from MLAs, 178 calling attention motions and one adjournment motion. This is the fourth session of the current assembly, he said. Earlier on Saturday, Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar inspected the arrangements for the session at the legislature premises in Bhopal. Congress said it would raise fertiliser shortage, increasing crimes against women, unemployment and farmers' issues during the Winter Session. Assembly Leader of Opposition Umang

Lalu Prasad joins Oppn chorus to back Mamata for heading INDIA bloc

The Assembly elections in Bihar are less than a year away, and Congress sources attributed Prasad's comments as a tactic to pressure their party during the forthcoming seat-sharing negotiations

Businesspersons, older legislators dominate India's Assemblies, Lok Sabha

India's legislative assemblies and Lok Sabha show trends of rising educational qualifications, and increased representation of businesspersons, but women's representation remains critically low

Jairam Mahato's JKLM shakes up Jharkhand elections with Dumri victory

Jharkhand Assembly elections: 30-year-old 'Tiger' Jairam Mahato registered his party Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JKLM) just three months ago