AIADMK leader Kovai Sathyan on Sunday (March 22, 2026) alleged that DMK coerced its alliance partners to prioritise the interests of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s family over public welfare.

“The DMK alliance parties are now complaining that they are being forced to work for Stalin and family, and to work for the prospects of the family alone, not for the people, by sacrificing their party’s identity and relevance,” Mr. Sathyan told PTI Videos.

He further dismissed the narrative of a shared political foundation among the partners, stating that saying they are ideologically the same is a farce and false.

The AIADMK spokesperson suggested that the internal friction has reached a tipping point where several allies are prepared to exit the coalition. He noted that the alliance parties have now started to take a call to move out.

“I think CPI(M) will be the next one to leave the fold,” he said.

Mr Sathyan’s remarks come amid broader reports of seat-sharing tensions within the secular alliance in Tamil Nadu, where partners like the VCK and Left parties have sought a more prominent role in the 2026 electoral map. -- PTI

Senior police officials began visiting police stations across West Bengal from Sunday (March 22, 2026) as the Election Commission of India (ECI) stepped up monitoring of poll preparedness and security arrangements in the poll-bound State.

During these visits, officers in charge of police stations are being briefed on measures needed to be taken for holding free and fair polling.

In line with directives from the poll panel, police commissioners and superintendents of police have started visiting police stations to review law and order arrangements ahead of the ensuing elections, an official from the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer’s office said.

“Senior officers have been instructed to conduct ground-level assessments and guide local police units to ensure a peaceful, free and fair electoral process,” he said.

Police authorities are also expected to send out a strong message on maintaining an environment free of fear and violence.

“The focus is on building confidence among voters and strict enforcement of measures to curb any attempt at malpractice, including booth capturing or intimidation,” the official added.

Polling for the 294-member West Bengal Assembly is slated on April 23 and 29, while the counting of votes will be held on May 4. -- PTI

On a day when Tamilaga Vazhurimai Katchi leader T. Velmurugan exited the DMK-led alliance in Tamil Nadu, the CPI(M) left a small window of opportunity open on Sunday (March 22, 2026) afternoon, saying it would revisit the DMK’s offer of only five seats for the upcoming Assembly elections.

CPI(M) state secretary P. Shanmugam told journalists in Chennai, his party had DMK president and Chief Minister M. K. Stalin to explain its State Committee’s decision to contest in six seats.

“But the Chief Minister has asked us to accept five seats, as new parties have joined the alliance. We will again discuss the Chief Minister’s suggestion in our State Secretariat meeting and convey our decision to him,” Mr Shanmugam said after meeting Mr Stalin. -- The Hindu Bureau

The office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) in West Bengal is set to be shifted to a new premises at the building of the Shipping Corporation of India from Monday, ending an 18-year-long stint at its Netaji Subhas Road address, officials said on Sunday (March 22, 2026).

The CEO office, which has been operating at 21 Netaji Subhas Road in the Balmer Lawrie Building for nearly two decades and has overseen multiple state elections, will begin operations at the new location in phases on Monday, with full operations expected soon.

“The relocation process will begin on Monday. The new premise is significantly larger and better equipped to accommodate the growing workforce and operational requirements, especially in view of the upcoming 2026 Assembly elections,” a senior official in the West Bengal CEO office said.

The shift comes after months of deliberation, driven by space constraints, rising staff strength and security concerns at the current location. The existing office, spread across the second and third floors of the Balmer Lawrie building, has faced logistical challenges in recent years.

“There have been persistent issues relating to space and security at the present office. The new location is expected to address these concerns with improved infrastructure,” he added.

According to sources, protests outside the current office during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process had also raised safety concerns. The demand for relocation had been flagged by opposition leaders, including Suvendu Adhikari. -- PTI

The BJP, an ally of AINRC in the Union Territory, on Sunday (March 22, 2026) announced M Arulmurugan as its Karaikal (South) candidate for the April 9 Assembly polls.

A press release issued by the BJP’s Central office in New Delhi said this.

The BJP got 10 seats in the AINRC-led alliance, and the territorial Assembly has 30 seats.

The agreement was reached between it and the AINRC when the regional party’s leaders met Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

The AINRC has been earmarked 16 seats, and the AIADMK and Lakshia Jananayaga katchi (LJK) have been allotted two seats each.

Territorial Home Minister A Namassivayam is seeking re-election from Mannadipet as a BJP candidate. Speaker of the outgoing Assembly Embalam R Selvam is seeking re-election from Manavely.

A John Kumar of the BJP, a Minister inducted in the AINRC-led NDA government in 2025 and remaining without a portfolio, has been shifted to Mudaliarpet from Kamaraj Nagar constituency.

Sai J Saravanan Kumar of the BJP, a former minister in the present government, was not given a ticket and E Theepainthan a nominated legislator in the outgoing Assembly, is fielded as BJP candidate in Oussudu. Saravanan Kumar’s supporters staged a protest on Saturday, against the denial of a ticket to him. They burnt their party identity cards in front of BJP office.

Similarly, former legislator A Baskar who joined the BJP after quitting AIADMK a few months ago in the presence of Mansukh Mandaviya at Mudarliarpet, couldn’t find his name in the candidates’ list. His supporters registered their protest too.

Baskar is the elder brother of the AIADMK secretary here, A Anbalagan. -- PTI

The Congress and DMK on Sunday (March 22, 2026) broadly agreed to share 15 seats each in the 30-member Puducherry Assembly, which goes to polls on April 9. The DMK would accommodate the interests of allies such as VCK from its share of seats, sources told The Hindu.

The agreement will be formally signed soon to facilitate candidates file their nominations before the March 23 deadline.

Click here to read more

The Congress high command has finalised the names of its nominees for the upcoming bypolls in Karnataka. Umesh Meti, the younger son of H.Y. Meti, will contest from Bagalkot and Samarth Mallikarjun will fight from Davangere.

Several sitting MLAs and aspirants, who have been deprived of BJP tickets for the April 9 Assam Assembly polls, have threatened to contest as Independents, with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and State party chief Dilip Saikia reaching out to them to calm their ire, sources said.

The recent induction of Congress leaders Pradyut Bordoloi and Bhupen Borah into the BJP and their subsequent nomination as party candidates for Dispur and Bihpuria assembly constituencies, respectively, has raised the hackles of many ticket aspirants in the party.

The most vocal protest has been in Dispur constituency, where senior party leader Jayanta Das was a highly probable candidate before Mr. Bordoloi jumped into the scene.

- PTI

When V.D. Satheesan was chosen as Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly in 2021, it was seen as an experiment by the Congress-led UDF to revive its fortunes ahead of the 2026 elections.

Challenging a deeply entrenched Marxist leader like Pinarayi Vijayan, who is in his second term as CM, was considered by many analysts a herculean task for a politician who had risen through the ranks of Congress via student politics.

However, what Kerala witnessed was the phenomenal rise of a fiery strategist who led the UDF to victories in several by-elections, the Lok Sabha elections, and later in local body polls.

As the State prepares to elect its new government on April 9, the question is whether Mr. Satheesan will be able to replicate this success across the State, as well as in his own constituency, Paravur, where he faces a formidable opponent.

LDF candidate E.T. Taison, Master of the CPI, said he will defeat the potential chief ministerial face of the UDF on his home turf.

- PTI

Raijor Dal has announced its revised, final list of candidates for Assam Assembly elections, cancelling its nominees from three constituencies after entering into an Opposition alliance in the State and agreeing to a seat-sharing arrangement as part of it.

The final list includes the names of its president, Akhil Gogoi, who was renominated from the Sibsagar seat, and Congress MLA Abdur Rashid Mandal, who had recently joined the regional party, from East Goalpara.

The party candidate for the Bokakhat constituency has not been named in this list, though its first list of candidates had fielded Ratan Dao from the seat.

Another Congress MLA, Sherman Ali Ahmed, who had also defected to Raijor Dal earlier this month, was denied the party ticket.

- PTI

CPI(M) State secretary M.V. Govindan on Sunday (March 22, 2026) said that party dissidents would not affect the ruling Left front’s prospects in the upcoming Assembly elections, asserting that the number of defectors is “insignificant”.

Speaking to reporters here, Mr. Govindan said the handful of leaders who left the party would have no impact on the April 9 polls and said the ruling LDF targeted 110 seats in the upcoming polls.

Four senior leaders, including G. Sudhakaran have revolted against the party and are facing the elections as independents.

“We have 5.5 lakh members in Kerala and around 2.5 lakh sympathisers. Out of this, if five or six persons leave due to wrong tendencies, can it be said that they are leading a communist movement,” he asked.

- PTI

As Assam prepares to elect a new government, regionalism remains a core issue for the state, which has been grappling with concerns over safeguarding its “identity” from the threat of “outsiders”, mainly illegal migrants, for decades.

The relevance of regional political parties has come under question over the years with all major such outfits, including the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), aligning with national parties.

“Hijacking” of the primary issue of “Asomiya Jatiyotabad” (Assamese nationalism) by the national parties, coupled with the more expansive resources at their disposal, have made the regional parties to take sides with them for electoral survival, political analysts maintained.

- PTI

Ahead of elections to the Legislative Assemblies of Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, and bye-elections in six States, the Election Commission of India has issued directions to the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of the States/UTs.

They have been directed to ensure that each of the 2,18,807 Polling Stations is equipped with Assured Minimum Facilities (AMFs) and voter assistance on poll day.AMF includes drinking water, a waiting area with shade, a toilet with a water facility, adequate lighting, a ramp with the proper gradient for PwD electors, a standard voting compartment, and proper signage. CEOs have also been asked to provide benches at regular intervals along the queue so that electors can sit while waiting their turn to vote.

- ANI

The BJP on Sunday (March 22, 2026) named one more candidate for the April 9 Assembly polls in Puducherry, fielding M. Arulmurugan from Karaikal South.

On Saturday (March 21, 2026), the BJP had released a list of nine candidates for the polls, fielding Home Minister A. Namassivayam for re-election from Mannadipet and outgoing Speaker Embalam R. Selvam from Manavely.

- PTI

Former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam admitted that both he and former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami were only ‘appointed’ Chief Ministers, whereas M. K. Stalin was the one truly elected by the people.

An election campaign meeting was held on behalf of the DMK at Kalayarkovil, Sivaganga district. Speaking at the event, Mr. Panneerselvam said: “Stalin has provided excellent governance for all people without bias for five years. His initiatives are visionary projects that have taken the economy to its peak. While India’s economic growth is below 8%, he has raised Tamil Nadu’s growth to 11%, standing as the leading Chief Minister.”

Read more here

In the constantly shifting landscape of West Bengal politics, few constituencies carry the historical weight and symbolism of Bhabanipur -- a seat whose electoral journey mirrors the state’s transformation from Congress dominance to the rise of the TMC.

Today, regarded as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s political fortress, Bhabanipur was not always synonymous with the TMC. For decades after Independence, the seat in south Kolkata was a Congress bastion and the home turf of some of the State’s most influential political figures.

Former Chief Minister Siddhartha Shankar Ray contested and won from the seat both as a Congress candidate and later as an Independent. Other Congress stalwarts such as Mira Dutta Gupta and Rathin Talukdar also represented the constituency, cementing Bhabanipur’s reputation as one of the party’s key urban strongholds.

As the 2026 Assembly elections approach, Bhabanipur is once again at the centre of West Bengal’s political narrative.

Mamata Banerjee is expected to contest from the constituency, while the BJP has fielded Leader of the Opposition Adhikari, who had defeated her in Nandigram in 2021.

- PTI

​

​

Perambur constituency, which is home to some of Chennai’s oldest neighbourhoods, has the highest electorate – 2,22,792 voters – among the city’s 16 constituencies.

A fast-evolving north Chennai constituency, Perambur is witnessing development across multiple fronts even as residents flag gaps in transport connectivity, access to clean water and air, better higher education facilities, and employability.

Kodungaiyur, Vyasarpadi, and some parts of Perambur together form the Perambur constituency, which comprises dense residential localities and long-established working-class neighbourhoods.

Read more here

TMC’s Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose said anti-incumbency in West Bengal, which was localised, has largely been obscured by the fallout of the SIR exercise, giving the party a distinct edge over the BJP in the upcoming assembly elections.

The journalist-turned-politician, who has been named one of the TMC’s star campaigners for the polls, asserted that Mamata Banerjee, as a leader, doesn’t face any disenchantment among her supporters. Such sentiments, she added, may have prevailed against a section of local leaders who have been replaced as candidates in the elections.

In its list of 291 candidates, declared by Ms. Banerjee on March 17, the TMC dropped 74 sitting MLAs, nearly a third of its legislative strength, signaling a calibrated counter anti-incumbency strategy.

Read more here

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Syed Shahnawaz Hussain slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying she has “resorted to derogatory language” and that such rhetoric will not be accepted by the country or the people of Bengal.

Mr. Hussain told ANI, “Mamata Banerjee has stooped to derogatory remarks... The kind of language she is using, the country and Bengal will not accept her.”

- ANI

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) MLA Rajan Chellappa on Sunday (March 22, 2026) claimed that the upcoming political contest in Tamil Nadu is essentially a “direct fight between the AIADMK and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) alliances”, while accusing the ruling DMK of corruption and abandoning key development projects.

While speaking to reporters, Mr. Chellappa said, “It is being said that there is a four-cornered contest in Tamil Nadu today. However, in reality, the contest is a direct two-way fight between the alliance led by the AIADMK and the alliance led by the DMK. The AIADMK is not subservient to anyone. We have secured the rights of Tamil Nadu. The DMK is making such statements only because it has no valid reasons to criticise us.”

He asserted that AIADMK remains independent, defending Edappadi K. Palaniswami’s Delhi visit and criticising the DMK’s alliance with Congress.

- ANI

LDF candidate from Nedumangad and State Food and Civil Supplies Minister G.R. Anil expressed confidence of securing a larger victory margin in the upcoming Assembly elections, asserting that public support remains with the left government due to its welfare measures and development work.

Speaking to ANI here, Mr. Anil said his interactions with voters over the past week indicate strong backing for the LDF. “I am very confident. Based on my experience over the past seven days, attending various programmes and interacting with different groups, I believe I will win this time with double the majority I secured in the last election,” he said.

Highlighting the government’s performance, Mr. Anil stated, “The Left government has delivered on all its promises. We have set records in development as well as welfare measures. There is hardly a family or individual in Kerala that has not benefited from government schemes. People will not abandon a government that has stood with them.”

- ANI

Ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls, Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) general secretary Vaiko on Sunday (March 22, 2026) asserted that “Hindutva forces under the guise of the BJP” would not be allowed to enter Tamil Nadu.

Speaking about the alliance and seat-sharing arrangement, Mr. Vaiko told ANI that he accepted the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s (DMK) offer to contest on merely four seats without “rancour” since it was important to keep “Hindutva forces” away.

Of the four Assembly constituencies, Vaiko’s party will contest three on the DMK’s “Rising Sun” symbol.

- ANI

Collector K. J. Praveen Kumar inspected the distribution of Form 12 D for postal ballot to the elderly people and the differently abled persons in the 10 Assembly constituencies in Madurai

In Theni, Collector Ranjeet Singh inspected the distribution of Form 12 D for postal ballot to the elderly people and the differently abled persons. 

Senior citizens aged 85 years and above and differently abled persons are eligible to cast their votes through postal ballot in the Assembly elections.

Read more here

Election officials across the State had a busy day on Saturday with candidates queueing up to file their nomination papers for the upcoming Assembly elections in Kerala.

As many as 505 nomination papers were filed till 7.30 p.m. on Saturday, taking the total number filed so far to 537. With Sunday being a holiday, candidates have only one more day, Monday (March 23) to file the papers.

Read more here

The opposition UDF in Kerala will support four independent candidates who recently quit the CPI(M) in the upcoming Assembly polls, Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan said on Saturday.

In a statement, Satheesan said the UDF would back G. Sudhakaran, who is contesting in Ambalappuzha constituency, P.K. Sasi in Ottapalam, T.K. Govindan in Taliparamba, and V. Kunhikrishnan in Payyannur, all of whom are contesting as independents after leaving the CPI(M).

Read more here

The Tamil Nadu Assembly election will see a four-cornered contest this April. As the DMK and its allies and the AIADMK and its partners remain the principal participants of the big fight, it is also clear that the newly formed Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam and the steady presence of the Naam Tamizhar Katchi in electoral politics will have roles to play. This report analyses the political situation ahead of this election that entices voters with the promise that it will be like nothing the State has never seen so far.

Ahead of the high-stakes West Bengal Assembly polls, tension gripped Baranagar in North 24 Parganas district after a clash broke out between supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC), prompting swift deployment of security forces to bring the situation under control.

According to police officials, security arrangements have been successful in containing the situation with Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) in the Barrackpore Police Commissionerate, Dyutiman Bhattacharya stating, “The situation is under control.”Echoing similar sentiments, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) for Baranagar, Siddhartha Singh Dangi, said, “The situation is normal, and we are trying to control the situation,” he added.

- ANI