Assembly Elections 2026 highlights: TMC slams Amit Shah with ‘Bangla-Birodhi Bohiragoto’ remark

Assembly Elections 2026 LIVE updates: A controversy erupted in Bengal after Amit Shahreportedly mispronounced the name of the legendary Bengali poet Satyendranath Dutta, referring to him as "Satyanath Dutta" during a public address.

TMC, in its response, made the “Bangla-Birodhi Bohiragoto” remark at him and said, “Another Insult to Bengal! Amit Shah has once again revealed his staggering ignorance of Bengal's culture and heritage. The Home Minister mispronounced the name of Satyendranath Dutta, the legendary Bengali poet revered as Chhander Jadukar, the Wizard of Rhymes, calling him 'Satyanath Dutta.”

Assembly Elections 2026 LIVE updates: Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal, led a vibrant roadshow on Wednesday in support of All India Trinamool Congress candidates.

The TMC supremo walked a two-kilometre stretch from Carry Road to Shankar Math with party colleagues, greeting crowds that lined both sides of the streets in Howrah, situated on the western bank of the Hooghly River opposite its twin city, Kolkata.

Assembly Elections 2026 LIVE updates: The Election Commission has reportedly barred candidates from leaving their constituencies during voting in the state. The first phase of voting will be held on Thursday, April 23, from 6 am.

“All candidates are expected to ensure that polling is conducted in a free, fair and peaceful manner, and that voters can exercise their democratic rights without intimidation or disturbance,” an EC official said.

Assembly Elections 2026 LIVE updates: Day after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) filed a complaint against Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge for his “terrorist” remark against PM Narendra Modi, the Election Commission has issued a “stern notice” to the Congress chief.

He has been asked to explain his stand within 24 hours.

Assembly Elections 2026 LIVE updates: Seizures linked to assembly polls in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal have crossed ₹1,000 crore.

Assembly Elections 2026 LIVE updates: Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Wednesday filed a complaint against BJP for allegedly organizing free special trains from Surat to West Bengal during the 48-hour silence period ahead of the first phase of polling for West Bengal assembly elections and called for strict action.

In a letter addressed to the Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal, TMC MP Derek O' Brien claimed that the BJP, including its Gujarat Unit, has "arranged and facilitated special trains and provided free travel, food and other refreshments, for transporting migrant workers to West Bengal (who are registered voters of West Bengal)," calling it a violation of the Model Code of Conduct.

Assembly Elections 2026 LIVE updates: Bengal CEO has asked the state police to take preventive action against persons who were caught intimidating the voters ahead of the Phase 1 polling in parts of the state.

Assembly Elections 2026 LIVE updates: Just a day before Phase 1 voting in West Bengal Assembly election, Amit Shah has targeted Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee saying the BJP, if it comes to power, “will not allow Babri Masjid to be built in the state.”

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has lodged a complaint against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of arranging free special trains from Surat to West Bengal during the 48-hour silence period before the first phase of voting in the West Bengal assembly elections.

Actor-turned-politician Vijay, the chief of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) will make his electoral debut in the Assembly Elections in Tamil Nadu. TVK is contesting in all 234 assembly seats independently in the 2026 Tamil Nadu elections, with whistle as the party’s symbol.

There are a total of 4,022 candidates contesting from Tamil Nadu with 3,579 men and 443 women. Over five crore 73 lakh 43 thousand voters in the state will turn to polling booths to cast their vote on 23 April.

Delhi's former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal exuded confidence in Mamata Banerjee-led TMC win in West Bengal. Arvind Kejriwal in a post on X wrote, “Just spoke to Mamta didi on phone. Expressed complete solidarity and support. She is fighting one of the most difficult battles, which is also one of the most important battles for Indian democracy. Modi ji will lose, inspite of misusing all institutions including CEC.”

A total of 152 constituencies go to polls on April 23 in the first phase of West Bengal polling.

Ahead of voting for Bankura and Chhatna Assembly constituencies, polling parties stationed at Bankura University are engaged in collecting Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and other polling materials.

Second Polling Officer, Keshav Sinha Mohapatra said, "All polling parties are arriving here to collect EVMs and then dispatch for respective polling centres. An app, ECI Net, available to polling officials provides all information regarding polling booths," ANI reported.

The polling on 23 and 29 April will decide the electoral fate of 1, 478 candidates and of West Bengal.

In the previous West Bengal Assembly Election, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had set a target of 200-plus seats for the BJP, However, in the 2021 polls, the party managed to secure 77 seats as the TMC made a clean sweep and came to power for the third time with 213 seats.

Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Tuesday accused both the TMC-led government in West Bengal and BJP-led government at the centre of failing to materialise development in the state.

"The people of Bengal desire change because they have given numerous opportunities to both the incumbent state government and the central government. Over the past 10-12 years, the development that should have taken place in Bengal--facilitated by the central government--has not materialised," PTI quoted Sachin Pilot as saying.

Preparations are in full swing as 6.2 crore eligible voters in Tamil Nadu will cast vote on Thursday, 23 April.

Polling in West Bengal will take place in two phases with first stage polling set for 23 April and the second stage polling scheduled for 29 April.

TMC spokespersons Kunal Ghosh and Riju Dutta slammed the massive deployment of central armed forces and armoured vehicles for the West Bengal polls. The Election Commission has deployed a record 2,450 companies of central paramilitary forces comprising nearly 2.5 lakh personnel.

Calling it as a way of intimidating voters, he said, “This is a classic case of voter intimidation, using amphibious vehicles, armoured cars, and more than 2,400 companies of armed forces. This is done basically to scare the people of Bengal," PTI reported.